Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

[Studioplayer]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

I flipped my way through one or two dozen pedals a year or two ago, trying to find one that I liked as much as my amp with the pre cranked. A couple times I thought I had it, but then I would A/B it and it's just never quite as good. This is almost certainly a taste & preference issue since that sound is why I bought the amp in the first place. Sure would be nice, though, to have "that sound" in a little box that I could click on & off.

I feel the same regarding the 15-watt Orange Dark Terror that I use. I bought this model for it's 4 stages of gain and every time I mess with improving the amp's tone (or even think about it), I come away disappointed. Pedals seem so artificial now; after listening the organic tone this amp. I do use an external reverb pedal and may add a delay at some point, but messing with an already great drive tone is not for me.


Studioplayer

[jtees4]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

If your playing in a band I suggest picking amps based on the overall mix and sound of the band -not individual tone decided in a vacuum.

I saw a band in Philly last year -actually a really well known one that had all 3 Guitarists playing 335 through Marshalls which ended up sounding like mud because they are all on top of each other.

Hard to believe a band that was on Colbert the night before wouldn't know that.

Very good point, something that I learned many years ago. I played in a touring band in the later 70's, I used a non reverse Firebird through a Marshall Major stack....so P-90's into a stack. The other guitarist was using a Les Paul through a Marshall (don't remember model)......one practice I tried a Telecaster with all other things the same....in the band my sound was so much clearer, it still sounded great, and it punched through everything easily where before it would get lost. I also learned that home tone has nothing to do with band tone, generally, whatever distortion you are using at home, turn it down in a band situation, and also turn the bass way down with a band.

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

If your playing in a band I suggest picking amps based on the overall mix and sound of the band -not individual tone decided in a vacuum.

I saw a band in Philly last year -actually a really well known one that had all 3 Guitarists playing 335 through Marshalls which ended up sounding like mud because they are all on top of each other.

Hard to believe a band that was on Colbert the night before wouldn't know that.

Perhaps they took their Colbert pay checks, cashews them at a sleazy check cashing place in Yonkers, & decided that they wanted to spend them on 335’s & Marshall’s??? Maybe some coke, cuz you know “while you’re there”, & you’ve got yourself one heck of a weekend!!!

I’m just kidding... Obviously after buying a new 335 & a new Marshall you wouldn’t have any coke money left....

What was this thread about again???

Oh yeah amp vs pedal gain... Personally for a long time I was perfectly happy with a nice clean CH & my collection of various dirt boxes, especially the “amplifier in a box” type pedals from Wampler, Freedman, Etc.!!! However since then I’ve gotten into using older Fender Tweed & Brownface circuits which are pretty gainny (I know, made up a word) if you play them at any real volume.

I find this natural tube breakup cuts much better than any pedals that I’ve ever used & the touch sensitivity/dynamics are much better, but it’s also contingent upon being able to get the amplifier up to said volume? So while a dirty amplifier with a good driver in front is a beautiful thing, I find that I still depend on my board for a lot of my playing because even cranking up my 5F2A Tweed Princeton to the point of breakup is pretty darn loud, let alone my 5F6A Bassman or 6G13 Vibrasonic!!!

[jeremy]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

im with ya. if i can crank the amp, i dont really need a pedal but since that isnt always the case i have a large collection of drive boxes. a cranked amp is a beautiful thing though!

[LLL]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

a cranked amp is a beautiful thing though!

Yes.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

Perhaps they took their Colbert pay checks, cashews them at a sleazy check cashing place in Yonkers, & decided that they wanted to spend them on 335’s & Marshall’s??? Maybe some coke, cuz you know “while you’re there”, & you’ve got yourself one heck of a weekend!!!

I’m just kidding... Obviously after buying a new 335 & a new Marshall you wouldn’t have any coke money left....

YEAH, Cocaine and 335 w/ Marshall stacks are inversely proportional -unless you have a top 40 hit.

[Mincer]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

I rarely can crank an amp live to the point where it sounds good to me. Even lower wattage amps (my Mesa is 18 watts) get too loud- it has to be loud for power amp breakup, though. I am using pedals professionally most of the time.

[Diego]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

If your playing in a band I suggest picking amps based on the overall mix and sound of the band -not individual tone decided in a vacuum.

I saw a band in Philly last year -actually a really well known one that had all 3 Guitarists playing 335 through Marshalls which ended up sounding like mud because they are all on top of each other.

Hard to believe a band that was on Colbert the night before wouldn't know that.

Reminds me of when I saw QOTSA live. Three guitar players with fuzzy, heavy on reverb tones, AKA a mudfest.

[dystrust]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

Reminds me of when I saw QOTSA live. Three guitar players with fuzzy, heavy on reverb tones, AKA a mudfest.

+1

longcat and I saw them in the Fall of 2017 and it was probably the worst sounding pro-level show I've ever seen. The kind of sad thing is that longcat won tickets to see Iron & Wine the same night from a radio station here and we turned them down. In hindsight I wish I'd sold the QOTSA tickets and gone to the other show. I probably would've enjoyed it more.

[El Dunco]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

If your playing in a band I suggest picking amps based on the overall mix and sound of the band -not individual tone decided in a vacuum.

I saw a band in Philly last year -actually a really well known one that had all 3 Guitarists playing 335 through Marshalls which ended up sounding like mud because they are all on top of each other.

Hard to believe a band that was on Colbert the night before wouldn't know that.

Seems we're in agreement.

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

+1

longcat and I saw them in the Fall of 2017 and it was probably the worst sounding pro-level show I've ever seen. The kind of sad thing is that longcat won tickets to see Iron & Wine the same night from a radio station here and we turned them down. In hindsight I wish I'd sold the QOTSA tickets and gone to the other show. I probably would've enjoyed it more.

I definitely would have gone to the Iron & Wine show! It’s not very “Rocky” & you probably wouldn’t have seen many electric guitars there but dude can definitely write a song!!!!

[Diego]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

+1

longcat and I saw them in the Fall of 2017 and it was probably the worst sounding pro-level show I've ever seen. The kind of sad thing is that longcat won tickets to see Iron & Wine the same night from a radio station here and we turned them down. In hindsight I wish I'd sold the QOTSA tickets and gone to the other show. I probably would've enjoyed it more.

At that same venue I've seen:

Judas Priest + Whitesnake
Bob Dylan
Megadeth
ZZ Top

QOTSA was by far the worst sounding overall. Even their opener (Alain Johannes Trio) sounded killer. It was fun, but a mess.

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Overdrive/Distortion Amp vs Pedals

At that same venue I've seen:

Judas Priest + Whitesnake
Bob Dylan
Megadeth
ZZ Top

QOTSA was by far the worst sounding overall. Even their opener (Alain Johannes Trio) sounded killer. It was fun, but a mess.

Ehh, it’s even worse when the opening act for the opening act blows the headliner off the stage!!!

When I saw Iron & Whine it was in a very intimate setting & it was actually probably one of the best singer-songwriter shows I’ve have ever seen!!! Even bought a copy of Passing Afternoon to have signed afterwards! I think it was the first CD I’d bought in 10 years & I haven’t bought one since!!!

Great stuff to bring your girl to on a date night in any case! I couldn’t even keep my girl off me until we made it home that night!!!! That was not safe driving at all!!!!