CALIFORNIA BLONDE OWNER’S MANUAL •
33
FRONT PANEL FEATURES
FRONT PANEL FEATURES
INSTRUMENT CHANNEL (Ch.1)
INSTRUMENT INPUT
Accepts a 1/4" mono phone plug. The input “senses” either a magnetic or piezo pickup, therefore separate inputs
or a selector switch are not needed (as on other acoustic amplifiers).
If you should hear some distortion when using this input, make sure the LED overload indicator is not lighting and
don’t forget to check the battery in your instrument.
STEREO INPUT
Accepts a stereo 1/4" phone plug. This unique feature was provided for instruments having a stereo output. For
example, some acoustic guitar players have a piezo bridge pickup and a soundhole microphone. These combine
for a stereo or dual output signal. As well, some pickup manufacturers have a dual pickup system
culminating in a stereo jack.
The tip of the stereo input gets routed to the instrument channel. The ring goes to the mic/aux channel. This
allows the user complete independent control of the tone shaping and levels of each pickup/mic system! The two
are blended together at the end of the signal chain. The
Master Volume
and
Reverb
both affect this blended
signal.
The California Blonde can be run in stereo. Please refer to “Stereo Operation” located in the “Rear Panel
Features” section of this guide.
GAIN CONTROL
Proper use of this feature will ensure maximum signal-to-noise ratio (quiet operation) and unwanted clipping (dis-
tortion) in the preamp section. Whether you are using the Instrument channel or the Mic/Aux channel,
the following procedure should be followed.
1. Turn the
Master Volume
to the “MIN” position. Plug your instrument into the desired input jack.The volume
control on your instrument should be set at maximum (because we all know sooner or later it will get there!).
Start with the
Tone
controls in the “0” flat position and the
Aural Enhancer
(if applicable) in the
12 o’clock position.
2. Starting from “MIN,” raise the
Gain
control while striking your loudest chord or note. If setting up with a micro-
phone, sing or speak loudly into the mic as you would during a performance. Find the setting on the
Gain
control
that causes the LED O/L indicator to flash. Now back off the
Gain
until the LED overload indicator no longer
comes on.
3. Use the
Master Volume
to set overall desired loudness.
The
Aural Enhancer
and
Tone
controls can have an affect on the optimal setting of the
Gain
control. After you
have set these to your liking, go back and repeat steps 1 through 3.
To accommodate a wide range and variety of instruments and mics, the
Gain
control’s taper or action was
designed to start slowly. This allows finer control of the proper gain setting for your instrument or mic. In other
words, you may notice that the volume changes more rapidly after the Gain Control reaches about the 11 o’clock
position. This is normal.
The
Gain
control also “drives” the effects send signal and internal reverb circuitry. Effects units used in the effects
loops should be able to accept line level signals. If your effect is being overdriven at the input, you can turn down
the Gain to alleviate this condition. Reset your
Master Volume
for desired overall volume.
PULL PHASE FUNCTION
This function reverses the input to output phase. In the “in” position, the output (speaker) is in phase with the
input. In the “out” position, the reverse is true. The purpose of this feature is to inhibit regenerative feedback. This
method is superior to a notch filter as it does not alter the overall tone.
If your instrument or mic starts to feedback, pull the
Gain
knob out to reverse the phase. It should be noted how-
ever, that the distance between you and the cabinet is a factor. Depending on your proximity to the cabinet,
changing the phase could actually cause an increase in feedback.
