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Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:19 pm
by bennybanana
If anyone here owns a Monolith Spectre could they please get in touch with me, Ive just received one and I'm not sure its 100%...sounds to my ears like one of the trannies is failing, or its seriously misbiased, however I'd like to confirm its operation with an owner if possible.
Cheers

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:39 pm
by bennybanana
Ok, so I think Ive sorted it out, seems to be grounding issues, thanks for all the replies :snax:

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:43 pm
by Gunner Recall
bennybanana wrote:Ok, so I think Ive sorted it out, seems to be grounding issues, thanks for all the replies :snax:


:lol:

Sadly I don't think we have many monolith owners here.
I wish I didn't know what they were, then I wouldn't want one so bad.

Good to hear it's something simple.

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:50 pm
by devnulljp
Gunner Recall wrote:
bennybanana wrote:Ok, so I think Ive sorted it out, seems to be grounding issues, thanks for all the replies :snax:


:lol:

Sadly I don't think we have many monolith owners here.
I wish I didn't know what they were, then I wouldn't want one so bad.

Good to hear it's something simple.
Image
Spectre #001 & Oracle #012

Sadly I sold em both ... :facepalm:

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:51 pm
by bennybanana
devnulljp wrote:
Gunner Recall wrote:
bennybanana wrote:Ok, so I think Ive sorted it out, seems to be grounding issues, thanks for all the replies :snax:


:lol:

Sadly I don't think we have many monolith owners here.
I wish I didn't know what they were, then I wouldn't want one so bad.

Good to hear it's something simple.
Image
Spectre #001 & Oracle #012

Sadly I sold em both ... :facepalm:



Hopefully he'll get back into building again soon - I wouldn't mind giving an Oracle a go :) The problem was just the board grounding against the case - a couple of bits of tape and presto - :thumb:

The Spectre is alot more versatile than I'd imagined, there are alot of great tones in this beast. Love the massive case too! - who needs a pedalboard when you've got this!

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:40 pm
by devnulljp
The wire he used is really stiff, so kinda prone to breaking at solder contacts -- at least that's how it seems.

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 10:52 pm
by edkoppel
The Oracle is pretty next level.
I have been blasting through that shit lately. the neighbors are getting mad.
:omg:

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:08 pm
by Gunner Recall
It's been over a year since he went off the grid :cry:

For you owners...
Is there anything else out there like the oracle/spectre? I mean since they are pretty much nocanhas now :grumpy:

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:38 am
by bennybanana
The Spectre sounds pretty unique, very garage, very 60's, not alot like a fz1a nor a fuzzrite, I cant seem to get it to sound tonebenderish, though others say it does - at a guess probably a MK1. At low amp volumes it doesnt sound that great, slightly honky midrange, but as the volume rises it just sounds supreme - anything above shouting volume it just shines. Ive used it with a 71 Mustang, Phase 2 Hi Flier and a 63 jaguar, and it makes each guitar sound amazing - not overly fuzzy, more a lo-mid gain pedal, and it emphasises the guitar tone in a very musical way. Ive been enjoying using the pre-fuzz with no fuzz, and it sounds like a cranked treble booster, hairy round the edges, and nicely cooking. Adding in the fuzz knob adds some great hairynmess, but the note definition is still there. I dont play alot of leads, but it sounds great on chords, and the leads I do play - more melodies than wailing - just sing. Having the switch (banshee/wraith) just adds to the versatility, banshee being thinner and raspier, and wraith adding a solid mid range boost. Theres not alot of volume boost - I find unity using prefuzz to be around 3 oclock, and around noon using the fuzz cranked. There are lots of shades of 60's fuzz here, in fact I would love to mod it to add a footswitch to bring fuzz in/out whilst keeping the prefuzz on all the time. In the past week ive received in the post a Megalith, a Savage Henry, a Shoegazer and a CF Bosstone clone, all of which sound incredible, yet the one I keep going back to is the Spectre. I guess it really suits my sound - my band is kinda 60s garage freakbeat and it suits our sound to a T...I need to clone it because I'll be so paranoid taking it out to gigs :picard: . Ive got and had alot of fuzz, but this is a stone cold keeper, I cant ever see myself getting rid of this, unless for some reason I never use fuzz again and start wearing safari suits and playing in lounge bands... If I can organise myself some time I will try to do a demo of it...As for the Oracle, I'lll have to wait a couple of weeks till it arrives for an opinion on that... :snax: :yay:

Re: Monolith Spectre issues?

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 9:16 am
by aussy
Sounds almost like a mk1.5/vox tonebender
Wanted to try out one of those a while ago, but oh well :idk:
I feel like 1/4 of the posts on these pedals is about a problem with it