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How to Use Reverb on the Kustom 300 PA Head

The Kustom 300 PA head is not only a very stylish and attractive public address system, but it was one of the more powerful PAs of its time and is still sought after by musicians decades after it was introduced. Overuse or misuse of reverb effects can cause problems with unwanted microphone feedback, especially at the high volumes at which most rock music is played. While the Kustom 300 is equipped with anti-feedback controls in all six of its channels, feedback can still be an issue, and the musician should be equipped with the knowledge of how to properly set the controls of the Kustom 300 to eliminate, or at least control, microphone feedback.

Things You'll Need

  • Kustom 300 PA head
  • PA speaker cabinets
  • Speaker cables
  • Microphone
  • Microphone cable with quarter-inch input
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Instructions

  1. Assembling the Kustom 300

    • 1

      Plug the ends of the speaker cables into the quarter-inch input jacks in the back of the PA head.

    • 2

      Plug the other end of the speaker cables into the quarter-inch input jacks in the speaker cabinets.

    • 3

      Plug the microphone into the XLR input jacks on the microphone cable.

    • 4

      Insert the quarter-inch input on the microphone cable into the input jack on the front of the Kustom 300 PA head marked with a "1."

    • 5

      Turn the master volume and master reverb down to zero.

    • 6

      Turn the channel one volume and reverb down to zero.

    • 7

      Turn the master bass and treble, as well as the channel one bass and treble, up to the halfway point.

    • 8

      Plug the PA head into the nearest power outlet.

    Testing the Reverb on the Kustom 300

    • 9

      Turn the PA on, using the blue switch marked "power" on the right-hand side of the middle from panel of the PA head.

    • 10

      Turn the master volume slowly up to the halfway point.

    • 11

      Turn the channel one volume up slowly while speaking into the microphone, by saying "check, one two, three." When you begin to hear microphone feedback, stop and turn the volume down slightly until the feedback is gone.

    • 12

      Check the microphone and PA again with a "check, one, two, three" while slowly turning up the three master reverb knobs, marked "bass," "intensity" and "treble." Stop when you hear feedback. Turn the three reverb knobs down until you no longer hear feedback.

    • 13

      Check the microphone and PA again with a "check, one, two, three" while slowly turning up the channel one reverb knob. Stop when you hear feedback. Turn the channel one reverb knob down until you no longer hear feedback.

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