Dirt: Pedals or Amp

Dirt: Pedals or Amp

  • Pedals

    Votes: 4 6.5%

  • Amp

    Votes: 17 27.4%

  • Both

    Votes: 39 62.9%

  • Other

    Votes: 2 3.2%
  • Total voters
    62
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

I was surprised lately by what a boost can do to a clean-ish signal ... it stayed clean, but was made, uh ... more "rich" or something. More harmonic content, I don't know the words. I am intrigued by the "super-good drive pedal into a super-clean amp" idea, more and more, thanks to you SOBs. But I don't own any dirt pedals right now. Nor a super-clean amp.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

I set the amp for a light break-up, and then use a pedal. The Eternity, Ezekiel, and Purple Plexi are all great, and each has it own unique character.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

Depends on your playing style. Pedals are great for most everything except high gain tones. I don't know of any pedal that can reproduce the heavy that a great high gain amp creates. But with that being said, most high gain amps sound even better with a tubescreamer out in front.

Pedals are good.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

I like using the clean channel of the amp then running the overdrive/distortion pedals into it.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

I'm still working on getting the right tone. My tube amp is naturally very warm, so I use a pedal to drive it and to control the lower mids.

I think the overdriven tones from solid state amps are useless, unless they have onboard effects. Which means using a pedal.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

Lake Placid Blues said:
I'm always disapointed by the distortion tones of pedals. Even pre-amp based amp distortion comes across as more authentic and less fake than pedals.
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Big +1 from me. I have a lead boost pedal I use sometimes which colors the tone a bit, but with that exception 100% of my gain comes from whatever amp I'm using.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

How about you Fender guys? Do you just push the amp volume up on something like a DRRI until you get dirt and then hit it with an overdrive for more? Even at 22 watts it seems like that thing would be way too loud for playing at home that way, at least in my opinion. I generally try not to share my guitar playing with the whole neighborhood. :)
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

I like the gain on my amp, but sometimes I want the sound that my pedal gives me through the clean channel. It's just a different flavour.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

greatbob6 said:
I generally try not to share my guitar playing with the whole neighborhood. :)
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Why on earth would you want to be like that? Thats rather selfish...I make a point of sharing with my entire neighbor hood three or four times a week, haha...Band practice at least. My neighbors actually come over and compliment us, haha...


Anyways...When playing out I generally use a Swollen Pickle MkII into a Fender Amp (either an 83 Concert, or SF Bassman 70), either completely clean, or just on the edge of breakup. The sound of a Cranked Amp is great, but wouldn't work in the context of my band, its just not the right sound.
When recording though, I try to use as many possibilities as possible, to get the sound that the song needs.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

greatbob6 said:
How about you Fender guys? Do you just push the amp volume up on something like a DRRI until you get dirt and then hit it with an overdrive for more? Even at 22 watts it seems like that thing would be way too loud for playing at home that way, at least in my opinion. I generally try not to share my guitar playing with the whole neighborhood. :)
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IDK how anyone overdrives those bigger 20+ watt and 2x12 amps. I have a pro junior as my main amp and by the time I get it really cranking its just too loud... and thats 15 watts through a single 10 inch...
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

Andrew Lamprecht said:
IDK how anyone overdrives those bigger 20+ watt and 2x12 amps. I have a pro junior as my main amp and by the time I get it really cranking its just too loud... and thats 15 watts through a single 10 inch...
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Because

1. 15 watts is only half as loud as a 150 watt amp if you could put them into the same speaker. Ergo, a 40 watt amp is only a couple of db louder than your Pro Jr.

2. Not everyone's definition of too loud is the same. My definition of it might freak you out with the volume, but not even keep up with some of the really hard hitting drummers out there.
 
Re: Dirt: Pedals or Amp

I'm old school. Give it to me from the amp. I do use a mosfet boost out front to give me a little "more" when I need it. My setup is very simple compared to most.
 
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