Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

[JRSOLDJA]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

Back in the day I used to use nothing but a solid state halfstack with a Line 6 Uber metal distortion pedal. Then I finally upgraded to high gain tube amps without the need for a pedal. I had the Peavey 3120 which I was forced to sell a few years back. Then I tried the Ironheart....which I didnt care for (not enough gain saturation) Now I have the 5150III 50watt..which is a damn nice high gain head. Granted I wish it was a true 3 channel amp, but oh well...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

if i can crank my amp then i dont usually use a pedal. frequently i cant do that do i have a little board with timmy, dls mkII, and deja vu and that will get me what i need if im running the amp clean.

 

[Kais]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

if you look at my post history you'll see me on an endless search for a dirt box that suits my needs. The thing I needed all along was the right amp. That's why I stopped being cheap (for a moment) and bought a Marshall JVM410h. I now have no desire to buy any dirt box, and I only kept 1, my big muff.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I always use the Dual Rec straight in. I changed some caps and pots for more useable gain and clarity. It's based on the mod that is supposed to change it to Revision C specs. I doubt it does all that because some of that sound comes from the transformers but it is a huge improvement and now it's kinda unique (but still sounds like a DR). The Marshall JVM doesn't need anything as far as external gain boosts unless I want to give it some more compression for leads. I modded that too. I have an old fuzzy Randall prototype which is pretty badass but just needs a touch of kick from an overdrive (I use a Wylde overdrive) to send it over the edge. Most of my other amps are vintage geared except for my rack pre/power amp combos.

 

[GAS-a-holic]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

if i can crank my amp then i dont usually use a pedal. frequently i cant do that do i have a little board with timmy, dls mkII, and deja vu and that will get me what i need if im running the amp clean.

+1
I run a Marshall JMP 2204 into a pair of V30s.
If I can get the MV up around 7 live, then no dirt pedal needed; if I have to run it around 4 or 5, then I use a Timmy to get over the top. For recording it's just guitar and amp.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

Its always been my intention. Ive been down the "faux" tone road...pedals as sole gain stage, modelling, etc. Doesn't do anything for me (though a Bogner Blue pedal slaved into a tube power amp section is pretty good).

I am running an OR15 now, and havent been this happy with my tone in 15 years, in fact I keep tweaking it better instead of the honeymoon being over. I run the Orange Master at 2-3 oclock, gain just under noon. M/B at 1 oclock, Treble @ 2. In 7w or 15W same same, and its a loud 15w: Noticably more than my TM18 was through the same cab which is a EVH 2x12 cab, one EVH G12M, one 70th Anniversary H30.

I do run my guitar volumes at 6. And set the amp to that. I run a Catalinbread Belle Epoch in trails mode so it is always providing the color of the pre-amp For lead boost, I crank up the guitar volumes or hit my Dunlop Echoplex Preamp. They sound different, so I get a bit of variation there. Phaser, chorus, and the aforementioned delay all go into the front. I don't like loops for modulations and such. Its the way I like things and have so since I was kid/teen. Only difference is now I just fart around at home with this stuff.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

My basic tone will always be the front end of my amp pushed naturally, I do like to use ods, distortions, and fuzzes though. The band that I played in years ago was a post rock style band with extreme elements...Think Isis but with pinches and blast beats....

I had a set tone with typically just the amp, I had some riffs that demanded a little more than that so I would use a distortion with my bridge pup and a fuzz with the neck (that's just personal preference) for the more chaotic feel that those songs demanded...

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

This is for (insert yiddish word for talk/banter: "shpil").

How many out there primarily use their amp's natural distortion (and not a stompbox) whenst playing live/recording?

Describe your rig.

===

My amp is a Marshall JTM45RI which I last modded to be similar to a late 60's plexi Superlead. Non-master-volume.

I have the volume anywhere between 8-9 for typical usage; which is distorted.

I "spice up" the amp's natural distortion with either/combination of...

- EQ
- EP-3 preamp
- AIWA 1011 preamp

...in front of the amp.

Not to mention I typically run a slaving configuration which by itself gives a little more gain.

I like to run my two amps in (((stereo))) with no outside help, especially NOT overdrives, as they tend to tighten the amps natural clipping tone - a characteristic of OD's that i do not like.

I'm a big believer in finding the amp that sounds the way you like. Pedals are great and all but it's not me. I know they're useful to make your basic rig more versatile and all though but that's not what I need from my gear.

Orange Thunderverb 50
2203 I built
Mesa Rectoverb
Hiwatt DR503 I built
tweed Deluxe I built

With these I can get pretty much anywhere I want without any pedals. Maybe a boost or OD will be the most you'll see besides my footswitch.

I agree 101% with you on that one.
The way i see it - i buy amps for their dirt tone.
Any amp can do clean, but every amp has it's own unique dirt voice.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I agree 101% with you on that one.
The way i see it - i buy amps for their dirt tone.
Any amp can do clean, but every amp has it's own unique dirt voice.

Great minds and all huh?

But seriously, I guess that this is because we both use dirt tones a lot and quite dirty ones at that (speaking for myself of course)... If an amp doesn't give me the dirt I'm after then I'd rather sell it than mod it or put a bunch of pedals before it. Guys who use cleans mostly will definitely be more discerning with their clean tones and, incidently, they'll also (IMHO and IME) be the guys who'll use more dirt boxes for the occasions where they do need some dirt and it's usually not that much dirt either.

2 sides and everything....

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I play in Church and don't every get to crank my amp loud enough to get its "natural" distortion sounds. Its a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with a modded gain channel, sounds much better than stock and the Rat, Rat Solo, Boss DS-1, Vox Satchurator, EHX Soul Food, and Joyo US Dream give me all sorts of drive tones without getting kicked out of Church

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

My main gigging amp is a 5E3 clone (headbox) that a buddy of mine did for me. I am running into V30 1960, and it roars! I love that amp! I am using a boost pedal (copy of a 18V Colorsound Power Boost) and a TS (EHX East River). But essentially it is the tone of the amp, and not the dirt tones of them pedals. In fact, the only real pedal that changes the tone is my giggity which I am using to "unboost" the amp and to get some cleaner tones for rhythm stuff.

B

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

Great minds and all huh?

But seriously, I guess that this is because we both use dirt tones a lot and quite dirty ones at that (speaking for myself of course)... If an amp doesn't give me the dirt I'm after then I'd rather sell it than mod it or put a bunch of pedals before it.

Guys who use cleans mostly will definitely be more discerning with their clean tones and, incidently, they'll also (IMHO and IME) be the guys who'll use more dirt boxes for the occasions where they do need some dirt and it's usually not that much dirt either.

2 sides and everything....

Indeed . . . just look at the 'Indie' guys !

Their Jazzmasters / Jaguars plugged into a Fender with 6 or more dirt boxes

 

[jeremy]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

My main gigging amp is a 5E3 clone (headbox) that a buddy of mine did for me. I am running into V30 1960, and it roars! I love that amp! I am using a boost pedal (copy of a 18V Colorsound Power Boost) and a TS (EHX East River). But essentially it is the tone of the amp, and not the dirt tones of them pedals. In fact, the only real pedal that changes the tone is my giggity which I am using to "unboost" the amp and to get some cleaner tones for rhythm stuff.

B

i used to use timmy like that. id run my 5e3 with all the knobs on 9 or 10 and use timmy to pull the gain way down and even out the eq for cleaner stuff. worked really well

 

[ErikH]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I prefer to get overdrive from the amp and for a majority of the time I do. I'm running either my Marshall JCM 900 MkIII, Marshall MG30 practice amp or Vox Valvetronix AD50VT for most of my gigs. Any extra I use the Fulltone OCD out front. I like overdrive pedals and the OCD impresses me the more I use it. Even in to a clean channel with little to no breakup it sounds great. The rest of my signal is just a Boss BF-2 Flanger and Polytune. Nice and simple.

Granted, one of those is a modeler and the other solid-state but each has a clean setting too. Thankfully, they have good dirty tones too.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I would love to be 'amp only'.

But amp drive usually (read always) sucks at bedroom volumes, whereas dirt pedals into clean amp seem to emulate cranked amp better.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I never use a dirt pedal on my rigs.
I own several rigs right now 2 old 1990's era Boogies and my prized Zinky Blue Velvet are my main play out rigs.
The Zinky in particular is my #1 and if some thing ever happened to that amp I would be frantically looking for another one!! The little beast has more gain than my Boogies but is super organic and touch sensitive. I rarely run it clean ( although the cleans are REALLY nice) it cleans up so nicely with the guitar volume and touch.
Here she is unmiced on a live set running nothing but a wah and delay and I never come off the dirt channel.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I would love to be 'amp only'.

But amp drive usually (read always) sucks at bedroom volumes, whereas dirt pedals into clean amp seem to emulate cranked amp better.

Depends on the amp. My Zinky Velvet will pull amazing tones at levels so low you won't believe. Here I am playing a set with an acoustic player and the hiss you hear in the recording is air hitting the camera mic the level is so high on the auto level. I am running nothing but a delay the amp and my guitar unmiced and room level was around 85 db here.

But don't think for a minuet the little beast won't also CRANK when needed. This is in the lobby of a former Hospital the amp is unmiced the camera on the floor above us looking down and the room I'm in is 4000 SQ ft or so of open space.

 

[formula73]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

I'm looking for a Russian Big Muff/clone to use on my clean channel but aside from that, I'm Gibsonesque guitar w/hums or P90s straight into a FJA modded Metaltronix M1000, Weber Mass 100 attentuator, Metaltronix Killer Kab. Ugly, yes, but onboard dirt to die for.

I just want the fuzz pedal for that big, wooly stoner rock tone on occasion.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

i used to use timmy like that. id run my 5e3 with all the knobs on 9 or 10 and use timmy to pull the gain way down and even out the eq for cleaner stuff. worked really well

I haven't tried my timmy like that... I will!



B :beerchug:

 

[p4vl]

Re: Primarily Using Your Amp's Natural Distortion

If you want to hear natural guitar tone, listen to Segovia. The distortion that comes out of your amplifier (which requires electricity from a socket in the wall) is just as natural as the kind found a box full of circuits, resistors and PC boards (also requires electricity from the wall or a battery).

Sorry, I just see too much use of the word 'Natural' in marketing and it pisses me off.

Amp and pedals, both to boost my gain channel(s) and in front of the clean channel.