I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

[SoCalSteve]

Well, after my various forays with a handful of amps over the past year, I believe I'll just get a couple of distortion pedals that I found a liking to and end all of this "searching". I've had a Traynor, Aiken, Fargen, Splawn and probably one or two others that I forgot about along the way and have settled down with a Palomino V32 and have an MI Audio Crunch box on the way, which I loved through the clean channel of the Traynor.

Now the question is, how long will I last with this setup? :smack:

 

[loudriver23]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I feel your pain brother!!!
I think we've all been there at one time or another. Just when you think you have nailed "Your Sound" your tastes change, or the honeymoon ends, or you remembered how much you love Floyd and now you're gassin for a Hiwatt.
I don't wanna Jinx myself, but as of now I'm happy with my Booger Mark 4.
Of course now I'll have 2 sell it and get a Bogner, or maybe a twin...
AAAAAAhhh
Yeah..... I feel your pain

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

YUP! I've pretty much have resigned to this. Every channel switching amp I've owned so far ,At least one of the the channels have been either useless or I grew out of it. Right how I'm using a HRD (Clean channel only) w/t a SFX-03. The honeymoon is over and I'm still loving it.:banana: I call it my Taco Bell of Tone... Cheap and effective.:laugh2:

 

[Christobevii3]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

That amp sounds pretty good overdriven though...

 

[aleclee]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

Nothin' wrong with that. Personally, I'm not a big fan of most dirt boxes but I've played some good ones.

Whatever works for you, works for you. That's the bottom line.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

Cheaper than buying a bunch of amps :smack:

 

[drpietrzak]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I have done the same thing a couple of times now. A friend of mine and I have discussed this a lot. We have bought a tone of stuff over the years. We always were looking for something we thougth we did not have in some way. I would still love to the find the perfect 3 channel (or 4 channel) amp. But, I have really decided it does not exist. He has I decisided we are probably more facinated with the search and thus never satisfied with the find.

I have come to the same place you describe. I just hit on a 2 channel amp is all. My favorite amp is an El Diablo and with pedals it has 4 or 5 channels which really does everything I want for tone.

 

[JeffB]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I've had a Traynor, Aiken, Fargen, Splawn.....

Wha???:eek13:

You mean that the MG30DFX did not CRUSH all of those and end your QUEST FOR UNGODLY TONE ??? :eek13:


:laugh2:

Good Luck Bro. I'm not really a pedal into a clean amp sorta guy, but def there are some great peds out there nowadays that sound very very good (Give Rids a try if you have not)

Also don't overlook the Vox VT modellers. With a good speaker, they sound awesome, And they will take peds well. Just an idea if you need more tone options than the Crate can give ya.

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

Well, after my various forays with a handful of amps over the past year, I believe I'll just get a couple of distortion pedals that I found a liking to and end all of this "searching". I've had a Traynor, Aiken, Fargen, Splawn and probably one or two others that I forgot about along the way and have settled down with a Palomino V32 and have an MI Audio Crunch box on the way, which I loved through the clean channel of the Traynor.

Now the question is, how long will I last with this setup? :smack:

If you throw in a Bad Monkey, you have the rig I use.....very functional and cost effective. You will like the Crunchbox through the Palomino, pretty good marshall type tone.

 

[Closed Eye]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I thought so too...then I bought a Traynor 50Blue!

Different strokes for different folks I guess...

Although to echo bugalowbill I always find that a good OD combined with a killer dirt box make up for any amp distortion short comings.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I've found that it's fun discovering natural sounding OD pedals, and then narrowing it down to 2 or 3 of the best, and using them on any amp you plug into. I still like different amps, and almost always British toned ones. However, with the Klon that sounds fat and smooth, the Fulldrive II that sounds like all the Tubescreamers, and a T Rex Mudhoney that handles extreme gain, I can cover all the sonic possibilites of gain through any amp.

Lately, I've mostly been using the Klon or FDII into the Gibson Goldtone 30RVS. Mostly strats, and sometimes the LP w/Seth Lovers. That little 2-12 combo sounds as big as a halfstack. Plus, the amp has stereo tube reverb, so it's lush and huge sounding.

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

Wha???:eek13:

You mean that the MG30DFX did not CRUSH all of those and end your QUEST FOR UNGODLY TONE ??? :eek13:

:bsflag:
Bullcrap, even the distortion of the MG15DFX is crushing according to a quote of Zakk Wylde on the Marshall Website... you can't tell me the 30W beast isn't even moreso intimidating!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I guess I gave up on "real" amps for gigging as well.

I've gone to the other extreme though: a high quality digital modeller/FX processor into a high quality tube power section. the funny thing is, I only use 3 basic amp tones:
Clean: Twin
Crunch: Marshall Plexi
High Gain: Triamp Lead

I guess I'll eventually try out a H&K Triamp Mk II, but it'll be a while before I give up my GT-8/Mesa 50:50/Marshall cabs.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

i use pedals thru clean amps all the time!!! i enjoy picking different distortion boxes to get a good collection of different sounds out of a single amp... I mostly use a C30 combo and a few pedals.... i switch between the amps own distortion channel and the clean channel with pedals in front of it for different tones... it's amazing how many different sounds can come up with a small compact rig like i have..

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I've yet to find a distortion pedal that can get anywhere even close to the sound of a Mesa Boogie Mark III or Mark IV Lead Channel.

Bill

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

The deal is to use whatever gets the job done!

I have several amps right now and no matter which one it is I still end up using a pedal with it...tht might mean a rel nasty pedal into a dead clean amp or a more mild pedal into an ampm that is getting dirt on it's own...I just feel like I have more control with a pedal, I also prefer non master. non channel switching amps so it makes my amps more versitile.

 

[claytonc]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

IMO you have reached the end of the evolutionary chain.

It looks like you are a fan of David Gilmour, He has the same philosophy. I ended up at the same place, that is why I am a HIWATT fan. I decided that Gilmour and the edge were on to something by starting with a Great clean tone for a foundation and adding to it.

Kind of like a huge Ice Cream sundae bar. You can add a sprinkle of this or a bunch of that and your only limits are your imagination and your wallet.

Clayton

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I like oldschool amps, no channel changers here thanks you!
My Hiwatt, the CM 55 Rooster(a mix between a Hiwatt and a marshall), and the Vox clone 15 watter I have, all like pedals, and they also sound great great on their own when they are overdriven.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I've always said when it comes to guitar tone, it's the result that counts, not how you get there.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: I think I've resigned to being a "pedals through clean amp" guy

I've said it on various other forums :

I LOVE the sound of my Big Muff & Custom RAT, and will buy the amp that can recreate those tones, in a heartbeat !
(...no matter what the cost !)

Problem is, there is NO such tone monster !
Hence me using a single channel amp at this time !
(still, would love to try-out the Orange Tiny Terror !)