heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

[MetalMike_II]

anyone left in the world who prefers amp gain only, with no pedals or boosters in front to push it?

yeah I know, even SRV pushed the front with a tube screamer (from what I've gathered). Did he do that even with his Dumbles? Just seems like sacriledge.

The only guy I know for sure (I *think*) who always avoided OD/distortion pedals in front and preferred amp gain only is EVH, and that's even with a mellow pickup. Yeah, I know, "but Mike, variac, slaving, superloud." Never mind that stuff, though it's hard to.

am I all by myself on this one? sounds like the whole forum uses a pedal and lowers the amp gain. So, this is *not* a metal players only thread. Don't let my username throw you; I play and enjoy all styles.

the question assumes we're using amps with "good" distortion and plenty of it available. also, please know that if I was using a JMP/800/Fender, of course I'd use a pedal -- I am not talking about that kind of sitchyation. I mean, if you have an amp with a lot of good distortion on hand.

also, another qualifier to my question - I am *not* asking about preamp distortion vs. output transformer saturation vs. speaker overdrive and such.


Don't taze me bro!
AAAAUUUGGGHHH!

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

I do not care what is used....just as long as it is anything that is useable...
Then it can be done with windmills for all I care!

 

[suislidE03]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

I plug my Jackson into my 6505+ without using the SD1, but that is after I got rid of the full shred. This amp loves the bill lawrence. Too bad I just sold it.. picking up a Mesa.

 

[firebirdV]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

I do not care what is used....just as long as it is anything that is useable...
Then it can be done with windmills for all I care!

And being from denmark, it's likely that your power comes in some part from windmills. Coincidence?

 

[firebirdV]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

As for the actual topic, I've never owned a pedal. I've been thinking that something like a tremolo might be fun to mess around with, but I don't actually use any distortion pedals; mesa boogies don't really need them in my opinion.

 

[MetalMike_II]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

I do not care what is used....just as long as it is anything that is useable...
Then it can be done with windmills for all I care!

ok that's great
what do you do usually

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

Mattias Eklundh never puts anything infront of his VH100R ... I dont know if you care for his stuff.

 

[Pierre]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

EVH did use an SD1 quite a lot.


I don't give a darn what famous players do, or what others do. I have a boost in front of a dirt channel 99% of the time.

It brings out more harmonics and a richer sound alltogether.

 

[MetalMike_II]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

mesa boogies don't really need them in my opinion.

this gets to the heart of my question. It's not about the amp *needing* them, but some players prefer pushing the front and lowering the gain on them anyway. Even with Mesas, 5150s, Bogners. These amps have lots and lots of distortion, but some folks don't use as much of it, and they stick an OD pedal in front.

Virtual_Kevorkian is one such player, but his avatar scares me and reminds me of every zombie movie ever. He has stated to me why he does it that way, but I want to ask others why. If a bunch of people (like everyone except for you, me, and Edward Van Halen apparently) say the same thing as V_K, then it might cause me to re-evaluate and do some exploring.

 

[MetalMike_II]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

EVH did use an SD1 quite a lot.


I don't give a darn what famous players do, or what others do. I have a boost in front of a dirt channel 99% of the time.

It brings out more harmonics and a richer sound alltogether.

thanks, now we're getting somewhere. This is what a lot of others seem to be saying.

Pierre, you don't think the pedal, uh, compromises? yer guitar tone or amp tone? Making it sound like the pedal more than anything? This is why I have not really done it too much. It sounded less pure to me, less like the guitar, less like the delicious preamp I spent so much money on, etc. More like the pedal itself, but magnified.


which pedal, which amp?

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

Most of the time...because I do not like tubedistortion much...really...
It needs alot of filtering to be pleasing, or have some really nice speakers....
I know that it is no popular opinion to have, and that mostly I just do not care much about it!
Tubes on their own are simply way to fickle and inconsistent, that said, it is mostly modern amps I do not like much....old simple stuff on the other hand....that I can use.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

for me using a pedal in front of a distorted amp is only if i can not get the gain out of it i need.... or a solo boost....

I prefer my 5150 head the most.... 2 channels of nice gain tones.... i don't use any OD or Distortion boxes with those....

But for some of my other set ups like my C30 combo i use an overdrive to push the front end for solos...

then there is other set ups where i use pedals into clean channels and never mind amp distortions..

it all depends on the amp i'm using

 

[millsart]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

Why not the sound of both together ?

I personally find nothing better than the tone of a Plexi, or maybe even a JTM45 or 800 thats cranked and then hit with an OD to really push it over the edge

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

Awhile back, I heard Gearjoneser say he thought the best distortion tones came from a balance of amp and pedal distortion. I decided I'd try it, and haven't looked back.

Anymore, I use a modded DS-1 set to very low gain in front of a dirty amp. When I want serious gain, I kick on my Tweak Fuzz. It should be said that I'm not really a metal guy anymore, though.

 

[benji657]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

an advantage of an OD pushing an amp is that it tightens up the low end a bit...

i combine amp and pedal too...

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

That's the thing...my amp gets 'enough' gain on it's own. My DS-1 with the gain on 0 just makes it 'crunch' the right way.

It's not so much about using the pedal to boost the gain, as it is to shape the tone.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

It's not so much about using the pedal to boost the gain, as it is to shape the tone.

Yeah, even if I'm going after a clean tone, I still have a pedal on.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

I prefer Amp distortion..Modern tones with well balanced power and smooth saturation..But sometimes ,i need an OD infront of the amp to get some tighter sound...It's only for tightness ,nothing else!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

I am a fan of my amps' gain straight or augmented with fuzz, but I don't ever use ODs, Boosts or Distortions in front. I feel like I'm missing out on a world of tones, but with my limited ODs (MXR Wylde, SD-2) the dynamics get really compressed and the tone sounds hollow. Both of my amps are high gain though, it's not like they are blackfaces that need more dirt.

 

[MetalMike_II]

Re: heating up the front vs. amp distortion only

huh
well this is all so very.

I've not had the same results. I get the idea of what people are saying: the pedal is not for gain necessarily, just heating up the front-end. I know. I was just wondering how many do and don't.

Every amp I've owned and tried with a pedal in front sounded way too thick and noisy. Yes, with the pedal gain on nothin and the amp gain backed off. Even with the half-dozen boost pedals I've tried. Often, I pick up radio stations that way.

Always end up going straight in. Just sounds better to me.


So I guess it's me, this guy: Mattias Eklundh, Edward Van Halen, Paul Gilbert, Firebird the Fifth, suislidE03, and D BBQ sometimes...

...against everybody else in the world.