The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
- Thread starter sosomething
- Start date
jon the art guy
Nerdy Nerd
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
There's something else for me, actually. I like the grind of distortion pedals with minimum amp and cab emulation. Nothing smooth about it. It's very, very hard to get that horrible sound from an amp unless it's solid state. even then the tone is going to be filtered through the speakers.
There's something else for me, actually. I like the grind of distortion pedals with minimum amp and cab emulation. Nothing smooth about it. It's very, very hard to get that horrible sound from an amp unless it's solid state. even then the tone is going to be filtered through the speakers.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
Well, the 100-watt tube head in a heavy metal / rock band is my scenario, but I suspect it's not the only one in which a player wouldn't need or want a distortion pedal.
But I also see there are a lot of people for whom versatility and portability are really paramount advantages to getting most of your tone from pedals. That's perfectly valid to me.
I admit that I could probably get away with using a 50 or even 40-watt amp and be fine, but the tone in MY head (so to speak) comes from a 1999 Splawn Pro Mod and it is what it is. I'm very attached to that thing, almost like you would be to a sentimental guitar.
I don't really care about versatility of multiple distorted tones very much at all. I have the one I need and prefer. And I play in a 2-guitar band. All the nuance of various overdrives pretty much goes out the window once the rest of the band starts playing and the rubber meets the road.
Well, the 100-watt tube head in a heavy metal / rock band is my scenario, but I suspect it's not the only one in which a player wouldn't need or want a distortion pedal.
But I also see there are a lot of people for whom versatility and portability are really paramount advantages to getting most of your tone from pedals. That's perfectly valid to me.
I admit that I could probably get away with using a 50 or even 40-watt amp and be fine, but the tone in MY head (so to speak) comes from a 1999 Splawn Pro Mod and it is what it is. I'm very attached to that thing, almost like you would be to a sentimental guitar.
I don't really care about versatility of multiple distorted tones very much at all. I have the one I need and prefer. And I play in a 2-guitar band. All the nuance of various overdrives pretty much goes out the window once the rest of the band starts playing and the rubber meets the road.
xxxplorer
New member
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
I chased od pedals to goose my 800 for years and spent way too much money always feeling 'meh'. Closest I got was a klone. I then just said a prayer and annoyed the heck out of Bruce Egnater and spent a month tweaking my amp and goosing it and $20 in parts later, I ditched all my dirt pedals (minus a fuzz face... That's different) and now get a crushing heavy sound straight in and the best part is I can jump all over the stage and not have to worry about having to be close to the lil booster pedal... AND my dynamics and feel are better... Plus... Less noise... More beer money and all the guys with 5150s and rectos are confused lol.
I chased od pedals to goose my 800 for years and spent way too much money always feeling 'meh'. Closest I got was a klone. I then just said a prayer and annoyed the heck out of Bruce Egnater and spent a month tweaking my amp and goosing it and $20 in parts later, I ditched all my dirt pedals (minus a fuzz face... That's different) and now get a crushing heavy sound straight in and the best part is I can jump all over the stage and not have to worry about having to be close to the lil booster pedal... AND my dynamics and feel are better... Plus... Less noise... More beer money and all the guys with 5150s and rectos are confused lol.
gripweed
Jolvisologist
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
I do not understand why so many players are so snobby about pedals. If you don't like them, taking up the friggin acoustic guitar and stop b***hin about them. Just make sure you give me all of the boutique pedals you own but apparently have no use for.
I don't care for firebreathing amps or super hot pickups. I also don't play metal. But I don't gig as often as all you road dogs do.
I do not understand why so many players are so snobby about pedals. If you don't like them, taking up the friggin acoustic guitar and stop b***hin about them. Just make sure you give me all of the boutique pedals you own but apparently have no use for.
I don't care for firebreathing amps or super hot pickups. I also don't play metal. But I don't gig as often as all you road dogs do.
SirJackdeFuzz
New member
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
. . . no, you are not alone mate !
. . . no, you are not alone mate !
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
There are a lot of different ways to get the job done is this biz, and what works for some probably won't work for me. The important part is that I learned what works for me, but I also try to keep an open mind, waiting for that occasional "AHA!" moment to pop into my head.
When I did a solo act back in the '70s and '80s, I used a SUNN Solos II solid state 212 combo. It did the job; I paid the rent with it. That wasn't a cheap amp either back then--they actually sold for more than a Twin. It's a good sounding amp, but when I started playing with a band in the early '90s I found it limiting. I'd owned a BF Bandmaster set that was stolen before I got the SUNN and liked Fender amps. So I went through a series of Fender amps, and Marhshalls, and even an old Acoustic 156 610 stack--none of which satisfied me, until I found my first Mesa Mark III around 1994. I've been a Mesa guy ever since. (Please note that the "Boogie" in my screen name comes from something else entirely though.
) Still, over the years, I've collected a really nice stable of amps: three Mark IIIs, a IV, and a V; a pair of Maverick 212s and a DC-3 112. Depending on my whims at the moment and the venue, I can cover just about any gig. And, I'm HAPPY.
I've had some dirt boxes over the years, but to me, they just don't sound good at all. They don't distort like a tube amp, IME. That said, if there is one pedal I want for my current rig, it would be a pedal that gives me more of a Marshall tonality. I haven't done a lot of searching yet, but I have some ideas. I'm not sure that I can find what I'm looking for in a pedal, but we'll see.
The boutique pedal industry is interesting to me. When I look at some of the pedalboards featured in the guitar mags, I realize that there are very few boutique pedals on those boards of touring pros. There are instead, a lot of Boss, MXR, Dunlap, Line 6, Vox, Digitech--mainstream companies. If you're in the biz to pay the rent and make some money, there's something to be said for using the cheapest equipment you can find to the job done. If you're doing bar gigs, you could probably get by with a Squire guitar and a Peavey Bandit--certainly the drunk at the back of the room who's playing pool and trying to get laid doesn't care what kind of gear your use, and couldn't tell the difference if you put a gun to his head. You really think he can HEAR the difference between a Tim and a DS-1? So tell me again why you need that $400 distortion pedal?
Most of us aren't working pros, running our music careers as a business--no, we are ARTISTS. Image is certainly important--Spinal Tap simply HAS to show up with a wall of Marshalls--a BF DR on a folding chair just won't cut it. I suspect that Gene Simmons has a room full of vintage basses, but he's going to be stuck gigging with his AXE bass until they put him in the ground. It's his image. Picture SRV playing a shiny brand new strat--nope, it don't LOOK right...that's not what a Texas Bluesman would play...it has to have the MOJO of a 1,000 sweaty bar gigs ingrained in it. Anybody doing jazz gigs with a Dual Recto? Didn't think so. Image is an important thing. And we do need the tools to create out art...but I wonder...did Da Vinci obsess over his paint brushes? Or his easel?
Because we are artists, we're allowed to "chase tone". Though sometimes I think the tone is chasing us. I know very few guys any more that just love to get up and play who are happy with the way they sound. Why is that? Why aren't we investing more into ourselves and less into these little boxes? Getting a new toy--we THINK they are going to make us happy--but it doesn't really do that, and when it does, it's temporary.
I found that I'm happier getting my tones from a Mesa amp. Pedals don't make me happy.
Expressing my soul through my music does.
Bill
There are a lot of different ways to get the job done is this biz, and what works for some probably won't work for me. The important part is that I learned what works for me, but I also try to keep an open mind, waiting for that occasional "AHA!" moment to pop into my head.
When I did a solo act back in the '70s and '80s, I used a SUNN Solos II solid state 212 combo. It did the job; I paid the rent with it. That wasn't a cheap amp either back then--they actually sold for more than a Twin. It's a good sounding amp, but when I started playing with a band in the early '90s I found it limiting. I'd owned a BF Bandmaster set that was stolen before I got the SUNN and liked Fender amps. So I went through a series of Fender amps, and Marhshalls, and even an old Acoustic 156 610 stack--none of which satisfied me, until I found my first Mesa Mark III around 1994. I've been a Mesa guy ever since. (Please note that the "Boogie" in my screen name comes from something else entirely though.
) Still, over the years, I've collected a really nice stable of amps: three Mark IIIs, a IV, and a V; a pair of Maverick 212s and a DC-3 112. Depending on my whims at the moment and the venue, I can cover just about any gig. And, I'm HAPPY.I've had some dirt boxes over the years, but to me, they just don't sound good at all. They don't distort like a tube amp, IME. That said, if there is one pedal I want for my current rig, it would be a pedal that gives me more of a Marshall tonality. I haven't done a lot of searching yet, but I have some ideas. I'm not sure that I can find what I'm looking for in a pedal, but we'll see.
The boutique pedal industry is interesting to me. When I look at some of the pedalboards featured in the guitar mags, I realize that there are very few boutique pedals on those boards of touring pros. There are instead, a lot of Boss, MXR, Dunlap, Line 6, Vox, Digitech--mainstream companies. If you're in the biz to pay the rent and make some money, there's something to be said for using the cheapest equipment you can find to the job done. If you're doing bar gigs, you could probably get by with a Squire guitar and a Peavey Bandit--certainly the drunk at the back of the room who's playing pool and trying to get laid doesn't care what kind of gear your use, and couldn't tell the difference if you put a gun to his head. You really think he can HEAR the difference between a Tim and a DS-1? So tell me again why you need that $400 distortion pedal?
Most of us aren't working pros, running our music careers as a business--no, we are ARTISTS. Image is certainly important--Spinal Tap simply HAS to show up with a wall of Marshalls--a BF DR on a folding chair just won't cut it. I suspect that Gene Simmons has a room full of vintage basses, but he's going to be stuck gigging with his AXE bass until they put him in the ground. It's his image. Picture SRV playing a shiny brand new strat--nope, it don't LOOK right...that's not what a Texas Bluesman would play...it has to have the MOJO of a 1,000 sweaty bar gigs ingrained in it. Anybody doing jazz gigs with a Dual Recto? Didn't think so. Image is an important thing. And we do need the tools to create out art...but I wonder...did Da Vinci obsess over his paint brushes? Or his easel?
Because we are artists, we're allowed to "chase tone". Though sometimes I think the tone is chasing us. I know very few guys any more that just love to get up and play who are happy with the way they sound. Why is that? Why aren't we investing more into ourselves and less into these little boxes? Getting a new toy--we THINK they are going to make us happy--but it doesn't really do that, and when it does, it's temporary.
I found that I'm happier getting my tones from a Mesa amp. Pedals don't make me happy.
Expressing my soul through my music does.
Bill
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
Haters gonna hate. Ignore them, bro. Keep your ME-70.
About the only amp I've used that I could go with solely would be the Fender Supersonic, probably one of their most underrated amps. Two different internal amp circuits, two channels each with clean.
Ever seen an amp that could do everything? Nope. 'Cause they don't exist. That krappy Crate half-stack can't do fuzz like Hendrix, its cleans mostly suck, and its channels are so predictable and stereotyped that it's pointless to own one unless you're a beer-chugging "just in it for the chicks" amateur musician. Most those go nowhere.
It's not surprising that many, when they finally have enough money to buy whatever gear they want, throw away their Crate half-stack and get a lot more gear. Look at the pro musicians out there and their gigantic pedal boards. There's a reason: because no one piece of equipment does everything.
So I say, respectfully: who gives a krap? Play what you like and what sounds good to you. Jack White was using krappy gear that sounded good. So what? I respect that. Now he has nicer stuff, but it's worth noting that he was able to make it work for him, which is really the point at the end of the day: does your gear sound how you want it to in your head, and does it work for you? If the answer to both is "yes", then you're good to go.
Haters gonna hate. Ignore them, bro. Keep your ME-70.
About the only amp I've used that I could go with solely would be the Fender Supersonic, probably one of their most underrated amps. Two different internal amp circuits, two channels each with clean.
Ever seen an amp that could do everything? Nope. 'Cause they don't exist. That krappy Crate half-stack can't do fuzz like Hendrix, its cleans mostly suck, and its channels are so predictable and stereotyped that it's pointless to own one unless you're a beer-chugging "just in it for the chicks" amateur musician. Most those go nowhere.
It's not surprising that many, when they finally have enough money to buy whatever gear they want, throw away their Crate half-stack and get a lot more gear. Look at the pro musicians out there and their gigantic pedal boards. There's a reason: because no one piece of equipment does everything.
So I say, respectfully: who gives a krap? Play what you like and what sounds good to you. Jack White was using krappy gear that sounded good. So what? I respect that. Now he has nicer stuff, but it's worth noting that he was able to make it work for him, which is really the point at the end of the day: does your gear sound how you want it to in your head, and does it work for you? If the answer to both is "yes", then you're good to go.
Last edited:
dominus
King Midas to Cheap Guitars
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
Those Crate half stacks do death metal just fine.
The band playing them seems to do just fine.
Those Crate half stacks do death metal just fine.
The band playing them seems to do just fine.
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
LesStrat
Reining PunLowered
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
Meh. Don't listen to me. I play a POD most of the time. I like the versatility. There are several songs that we do in which I use acoustic, clean, crunch, and lead sounds in each one. I also sing lead. I don't have time for a pedal dance or instrument switches. I have a bank with those sounded, and it takes pressing ONE button to switch between each.
:yeah:, I also have switchable effects in each channel, too.
35
Meh. Don't listen to me. I play a POD most of the time. I like the versatility. There are several songs that we do in which I use acoustic, clean, crunch, and lead sounds in each one. I also sing lead. I don't have time for a pedal dance or instrument switches. I have a bank with those sounded, and it takes pressing ONE button to switch between each.
:yeah:, I also have switchable effects in each channel, too.
35
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
Thanks for keeping the conversation civil, guys. A lot of people can really internalize their gear choices and take it personally when somebody else prefers different stuff. I don't really see any of that in this thread and I appreciate that.
I think the obvious moral of the story here is that there's no wrong way to get it done when it comes to making music. It's nice to see that attitude reflected here.
Thanks for keeping the conversation civil, guys. A lot of people can really internalize their gear choices and take it personally when somebody else prefers different stuff. I don't really see any of that in this thread and I appreciate that.
I think the obvious moral of the story here is that there's no wrong way to get it done when it comes to making music. It's nice to see that attitude reflected here.
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
I said everything, not one thing.
I said everything, not one thing.
crusty philtrum
Vintageologist
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
I've never used a distortion pedal. An overdrive into a tube amp can get me plenty of dirt, and i never crank the drive levels on the OD pedals either. The less dirt, the bigger the sound.
I've never used a distortion pedal. An overdrive into a tube amp can get me plenty of dirt, and i never crank the drive levels on the OD pedals either. The less dirt, the bigger the sound.
dystrust
New member
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
That reminds me of watching a video of Megadeth from the European Monsters of Rock Tour in 1992. They sounded huge, and I almost couldn't believe how clean Dave's guitar sound was.
That reminds me of watching a video of Megadeth from the European Monsters of Rock Tour in 1992. They sounded huge, and I almost couldn't believe how clean Dave's guitar sound was.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
Guitarmanclature aside, overdrive IS a form of distortion.
Guitarmanclature aside, overdrive IS a form of distortion.
Aasinsilta
New member
Re: The distortion pedal - why are they still so popular?
When I was using my Vox VT30 as my main amp, none of the distortion channels really had the midrange I was looking for. The TubeScreamer boosted it nicely, and it also makes the trip with me to rehearsal studios in case I need to help boost the amp there. It also helps because I can use a lower distortion on the amp, so I can get more use of my volume knob for cleaning up if I turn it off.
Since I've gotten my Orange Dark Terror though and expanded my pedal collection, it's seen much less use at home. The Orange responds better to my volume knob, and there's too much footwork if I want to turn off my POG and turn on my TubeScreamer at the end of a clean section. The TubeScreamer also seems to be the culprit of my tone loss when I use it with my Phase 90 and aforementioned POG, so it hasn't seen much action in the house lately. When I was playing through my Vox though, it was godly.
When I was using my Vox VT30 as my main amp, none of the distortion channels really had the midrange I was looking for. The TubeScreamer boosted it nicely, and it also makes the trip with me to rehearsal studios in case I need to help boost the amp there. It also helps because I can use a lower distortion on the amp, so I can get more use of my volume knob for cleaning up if I turn it off.
Since I've gotten my Orange Dark Terror though and expanded my pedal collection, it's seen much less use at home. The Orange responds better to my volume knob, and there's too much footwork if I want to turn off my POG and turn on my TubeScreamer at the end of a clean section. The TubeScreamer also seems to be the culprit of my tone loss when I use it with my Phase 90 and aforementioned POG, so it hasn't seen much action in the house lately. When I was playing through my Vox though, it was godly.
