Boss GE-7 in FX Loop - Tone Suck Issue

[Shorts_Mike]

I purchased a used Boss GE-7 recently and got to put it through its paces yesterday in the FX Loop on my Mesa Dual Rectifier Multi-Watt. To my surprise, the pedal very obviously sucks tone from the amp when the FX Loop is on without the pedal even being engaged. In comparison, I don't experience the same issue when I have all of my other pedals in place without the GE-7 hooked up. Any recommendations to help fix this issue? Is this normal for the pedal and should it be placed in front of the amp instead?

Note: My FX Loop was run as follows -

(Send) --> ISP Decimator II G-String (also run into the front of the amp after my Boss TU-3 as per the manual) --> Boss GE-7 --> TC Flashback Delay --> (Return)

*Usually I run my Southampton Pedals Utility Knife in place of where I put the GE-7 in my FX Loop without issue and the FX Level is set to 'Normal'. Also, all pedals are powered by a Truetone CS12 and the pedal is from 2007.

 

[Shorts_Mike]

Anyone else experience this?

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I don't have any personal experience with the GE-7, but I've heard it used, and I've read many others have had good experiences with it, so I would expect it to be transparent.

That's not much help, I know. I can tell you that the impact on tone will be much different in front of the amp as compared to running it in the loop.

Also, more "not much help" -- I have an MXR eq in the loop of my 5150 and it's transparent. I would expect the Boss to be the same.

Do you have another amp or another way to test it? Maybe running it in front of the amp using the clean channel would help you determine if it's working properly?

 

[Shorts_Mike]

I don't have any personal experience with the GE-7, but I've heard it used, and I've read many others have had good experiences with it, so I would expect it to be transparent.

That's not much help, I know. I can tell you that the impact on tone will be much different in front of the amp as compared to running it in the loop.

Also, more "not much help" -- I have an MXR eq in the loop of my 5150 and it's transparent. I would expect the Boss to be the same. If I HAVE to use it in front of the amp, I'll probably get something else.

Do you have another amp or another way to test it? Maybe running it in front of the amp using the clean channel would help you determine if it's working properly?

I was looking at an MXR 6 band EQ and, just on the surface, the difference seems to be true bypass on the MXR vs buffered on the GE7. However, I'll give this thing another try when I have the opportunity. I'm going to try it by itself in the FX loop and/or put a battery in the pedal and/or adjust the chanel and master volume and/or adjust the FX send level and, if that doesn't work, I'll give it a shot in my Mark V:35 FX loop. If I have to run it only in front of the amp though, I'll end up getting something else.

 

[KailM]

I don’t think I have any tone suck with mine in the effects loops of either my 6505 or EVH 5153. However, it’s pretty much always on, even for cleans. I suspect it’s just not playing nice with your effects loop.

 

[FILTHnFEAR]

I'll 2nd Kalims take, it might just not be working well with your amps fx loop in particular. I've never noticed any tone suck using my Ge-7 with the several amps I've tried it with.

 

[Deadpool_25]

I’ve anecwr tried the GE-7 but always heard good things in general. Yeah, it could be just the way it interacts with that FX loop. FX loops can be finicky bishes.

 

[TheBlackBard]

Used one with a 6505+ and an Orange Rockerverb Mark III 100 and the only tonal differences I got were the ones I made with the actual pedal.

 

[sonoftheoldnorth]

They recently updated the GE7 to surface mounted and apparently it resolves all of the issues of the older one. Sell it and get a new one. Or just get an MXR 10 band. Way better

 

[CTID]

They recently updated the GE7 to surface mounted and apparently it resolves all of the issues of the older one. Sell it and get a new one. Or just get an MXR 10 band. Way better

i think they also improved their buffer circuit sometime in the past few years (maybe with the Waza launch? i'm not sure) but that could also be it, depending on how old this particular GE-7 is

edit: i in fact may be misremembering that as being that the Waza pedals have an improved buffer over the original versions from the 80s, so this comment may have been entirely wrong. maybe someone else can confirm

 

[devastone]

Boss pedals don't like line levels or even too hot instrument levels, so if the loop level is too high, the buffer is clipping whether it is on or off. I just looked up the amp, it has an adjustable loop level, try turning it down.

 

[Zado]

Boss pedals don't like line levels or even too hot instrument levels

That was my thought exactly, if the amp runs line level signal in the loop and the pedal doesn't handle it, easiest way is to swap for another pedal. AFAIK MXR Eq and Maxon GE should do better in that kind of FXLoop. Try and report OP

 

[devastone]

I looked up the DR Multi-Watt, it has a loop level control on the back, easiest thing it to try that first.

 

[Shorts_Mike]

I will let you guys know as soon as I have the chance to test things out. Unfortunately, my 7 month old complicates things from time to time lol

 

[Zado]

I will let you guys know as soon as I have the chance to test things out. Unfortunately, my 7 month old complicates things from time to time lol

Definitely let us know, I'm in a kinda similar situation and need some opinions on eq stomps

 

[Shorts_Mike]

So the verdict is....User error on my part lol. I figured out that, for whatever reason, the connecting cables that came with my power supply needed to have quite a bit of force exterted on them when connecting to this particular pedals power jack until a 'click' sound was audible for a complete connection to happen. I guess I had, originally, just inserted the cable until I felt normal resistance and the lack of a full connection was what was causing the issue. Regardless, the pedal sounds and works fine and any "tone suck" that's occurring is extremely slight and what one would expect when using an FX Loop, generally.

Sorry for creating an entire thread based on my screw up. But thank you everyone for the help and guidance.

 

[r33per]

Dude - we've all done it...

 

[Shorts_Mike]

Dude - we've all done it...

This is extremely accurate lol

 

[devastone]

Weird, with the Boss buffer, if it didn't have power it shouldn't have passed any signal without power.

 

[Shorts_Mike]

Weird, with the Boss buffer, if it didn't have power it shouldn't have passed any signal without power.

It did have power. Just not a complete connection. The cable goes about 95% into the power jack without issue and then has to be forced in for the last little bit (theres an audible click followed by the cable moving very slightly further). I guess it's enough of a connection to provide some level of functionality; like if a patch cables is barely sticking out and not 100% flush/inserted.