Back to the basics!

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MartinSixStringCustoms

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As some of you may have already noticed, I've listed most if not all my pedals on the Trading section. I've been really thinking that going back to the basics, essentially, a Les Paul into a Marshall type amp is my prefered tone. I've spent so much time with pedals and tweaking them that I've lost sight of whats really appealing tone wise. Anyone see it the same?
 
Re: Back to the basics!

I feel you, bro.

There wasn't an amp that made me happy, until I played a VHT.

If I didn't play in a metal band, my simple but effective rig would be a Les Paul Custom into a VHT CLX or UL through a Marshall TV cab.

And after this, I've found that if you're using all kinds of pedals, EQ's and so on to get your tone out of an amp, then you're playing the wrong amp.
 
Re: Back to the basics!

jimmy said:
And after this, I've found that if you're using all kinds of pedals, EQ's and so on to get your tone out of an amp, then you're playing the wrong amp.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY!!!!!!
 
Re: Back to the basics!

Yeah, kind of. I've sold off or am trying to sell off all my pedals, but there's a few mainstays. My NS-2 and my modded Vox 847 wah will always be there, despite that I'm not a big wah guy. I use single channel plexi/vintage style amps mainly, so I dont get crushing gain without an overdrive pedal to goose the amp. So I need at least one of those. And a chorus pedal is a must to keep clean passages clean.

So my basics are a lot more complicated than yours, huh? :)
 
Re: Back to the basics!

joelap said:
Yeah, kind of. I've sold off or am trying to sell off all my pedals, but there's a few mainstays. My NS-2 and my modded Vox 847 wah will always be there, despite that I'm not a big wah guy. I use single channel plexi/vintage style amps mainly, so I dont get crushing gain without an overdrive pedal to goose the amp. So I need at least one of those. And a chorus pedal is a must to keep clean passages clean.

So my basics are a lot more complicated than yours, huh? :)
Click to expand...

Your not too awful far off from my plan bro!
 
Re: Back to the basics!

I used to have Digitech 2120 after my TS9 stock into JCM2000 and was never happy with it. Now I have what is in my sig and simply LOVE IT !!! I wanna add
a CS-9 Ibanez chorus with left knob up to 1 or two and right know all the way down down, an ISP deciminator to get rid of some of my filth, EQ so I could adjust to a crap hole that I play in, and maybe Ibanez FL-9 flanger for some lead stuff, and thats it. That's 3-4 stopm boxes and that's it. I really belive its all about your fingers, right axe with the right duncans and your half/full stock. Hail Zakk !!!! stomp boxes are just the icing.
 
Re: Back to the basics!

There's an interesting twist of irony in what you're saying. For the most part, I agree. But I still like having a variety of "tones" on hand. The ideal way to achieve that is by having a selection of guitars/pickups to choose from, and a wall of amps with a really elaborate A/B/C/D/E . . . etc switch.

I have the guitars, (albiet, inexpensive ones), and here's the irony - I have the "wall of amps" and switcher by virtue of a modeler. I never use any of the effects built in to the unit, but often select between different amps. They aren't perfect, but they give me that virtual "guitar/cable/amp" simplicity that you first mentioned.

My H&K SS amp sounds better, in its own way, but thats just at one setting: clean. For variety, I still have to go back the "J".
 
Re: Back to the basics!

ArtieToo said:
There's an interesting twist of irony in what you're saying. For the most part, I agree. But I still like having a variety of "tones" on hand. The ideal way to achieve that is by having a selection of guitars/pickups to choose from, and a wall of amps with a really elaborate A/B/C/D/E . . . etc switch.

I have the guitars, (albiet, inexpensive ones), and here's the irony - I have the "wall of amps" and switcher by virtue of a modeler. I never use any of the effects built in to the unit, but often select between different amps. They aren't perfect, but they give me that virtual "guitar/cable/amp" simplicity that you first mentioned.

My H&K SS amp sounds better, in its own way, but thats just at one setting: clean. For variety, I still have to go back the "J".
Click to expand...

Interesting. I've definitely got the variety of guitars:

Gibson LP 56RI w/ Stock P-90s
Gibson LP 58RI w/ Seths
Gibson LP Standard w/ APH/Custom Custom
Charvel Standard w/ Jazz/JB
GMW Strat w/ 59
Fender JV Strat w/ Antiquity's

(Damn, thats too many guitars!!! :laugh2:

But I think your absolutely right as far as amps, and having a variety of tonal choices.

I just found myself playing around with the effects more than "playing" if that makes any sense.
 
Re: Back to the basics!

I've always been happy with my guitar -> amp tone. I use an OD as a boost for solos, a chorus every once in a while for "shimmer" and very rarely a delay. Those effects are not used 90% of the time I'm playing.
 
Re: Back to the basics!

As much as I like to "color" things to "off-the-record" In reality, I mainly go for my standard distortion sound, a couple of basic eq settings, a clean channel, and a touch of verb. It's what sounds like "me"

You still do some Reverb - I mean, you didn't go dry?????? verb isn't an effect -it's a necessity!!!!!
 
Re: Back to the basics!

To be fair, my "best" tone definitely comes from plugging straight into my new H&K amp, but thats only one sound. (A great one, however.) ;)
 
Re: Back to the basics!

The only reason I use effects is because I have to cover a lot of tones and styles in the band I play in. We might play Johnny Cash then some Sabbath then do Joe ****er and then maybe "Unchained Melody".

I am sure that pure tone is where it's at, that is.... if you only need one good tone to get you through the gig. I wish I could use just a guitar, a cable and an amp.:)
 
Re: Back to the basics!

I basics too, it just makes every thing simple without all those crazy effects. There are just way to many combination of settings to try when their in the signal. I just use my guitars straight into my amp for a awesome distorted marshall tone.
 
Re: Back to the basics!

For about 5 years, my rig was:

Fender HSS Strat, sometimes a stock Tele
-> Boss BD-2
-> Dunlop Crybaby
-> Mesa DC-3

I had awesome tone, and I never really felt like I needed more stuff. Over time, I started really enjoying things like stereo chorus, stereo delay, digital reverb, and a variety of different types of gain. The Pod XT was the solution, because I simply couldn't afford all that gear in seperate pieces.
 
Re: Back to the basics!

i 90% of the time i use no effects besides some fuzz pedals into some amps.... I only use a Wah and Chorus effect here and there... i love messing with pedals and delays and getting all sorts of spacy tones here and there... But that is just fooling around to me. I've never been one to sit and program MultiFX and Tweak FX's.... I prefer plug in and Play

But when playing with a band or practicing for shows and stuff i use very little FX's... A Chorus i use hear and there... for some songs it comes in handy

But a great amp tone does not need any covering up.....
 
Re: Back to the basics!

bungalowbill said:
The only reason I use effects is because I have to cover a lot of tones and styles in the band I play in. We might play Johnny Cash then some Sabbath then do Joe ****er and then maybe "Unchained Melody".

I am sure that pure tone is where it's at, that is.... if you only need one good tone to get you through the gig. I wish I could use just a guitar, a cable and an amp.:)
Click to expand...


Poor ol' Joe ****er and **** Dale get no respect around here do they? Just the mention of their names is forbidden:chairfall
 
Re: Back to the basics!

My favs, as I have reiterated, are Pat Martino and Pat Metheny. You also have to pay homage to Wes. Wes is as basic as it gets! I mean straight into the amp and no distortion. Just a clean bell-like jazz tone.

I know some people don't like to hear the "J" word (Jazz), but I tell you this much! The clean jazz tone I have now works with so many genres of music that it will surprise the uninitiated. The stuff I'm doing now reaches across not only the standard jazz guitar repetoire, but also works well with Samba, Bossa Nova, Tito Puente style Salsa and even some light Fusion.

The next logical step for me is the overdriven no gain sound that was hot in the 60's and 70's Classic Rock era. The Carlos Santana tone is the cats meow for me as far as Classic Rock goes. He rarely ever used pedals other than an occasional whah or chorus pedal. He does however use multiple amps for different tones. Maybe sometimes he might even run them in parallel.
 
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