Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

[treyhaislip]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I guess my approach is that since I typically play at a lower volume than my amp breaks up (exception being a little Blues Jr. but I prefer the tone of my Hot Rod Deluxe, the Hot Rod Deville would have done damage to my windows lol) that I use pedals to achieve the gain I'm after. I look at gain pedals as different flavors to add to my clean Fender tube tone.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

My OD is set just to slam my amp harder (level 10, dist 0), I would say 90% of my distortion comes from my amp alone

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I use amp(s) distortion almost exclusively. I rarely if ever use a pedal. Since I built a JTM45 clone years ago this is really a fun way of playing: The dynamics of pick attack and volume knob riding opens up a whole wide range of great tones. However, I may need to find a good pedal so I don't need to run it quite as loud in some situations. I'm thinking about trying out the Soul Food but the JTM45 is picky about pedals. Many just don't work.

I don't know if using a Silver Jubilee's awesome gain channel counts here, but it is really dynamic in its own way too.

I have found the key to this approach is NOT using high output pickups. Even with both types of amps. The output of the WLH set is about the max needed and perfect for this approach.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I prefer Vox or Fender amps for their cleans that breakup nicely into overdrive. I need an amp to have good cleans. I prefer a good amps natural overdrive but I can make do with dirt pedals. But I have a cleaner tone than most do I have it a bit easier.

Yup, with the old amps, a good clean tone is the foundation, and Fenders and Voxes are the most superb. If you can crank them, they give up some beautiful sounds. Sometimes you can't quite get them to that level at the gig, and just some mild boost from a low-gain overdrive will make them rock and sing without sounding harsh or artificial.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

Well... considering that my primary rock amps right now are a Friedman Dirty Shirley and Splawn Quickrod... that would be a big YES!!! So far, I haven't found an OD pedal that I prefer to those amps' distortion.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

When I can turn it up I'm fine with amp distortion. If I'm just using the gain/master volume in my condo, might as well throw a pedal on.

 

[BenPerkins]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

Orange OR15 - I used to use a treble booster until I put a SD '59 in the bridge. Now I get the perfect amount of treble, no pedal needed. Just the amp's gain.

Egnater Tweaker 15 - Just a treble booster is used


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[Mincer]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I dig power tube distortion the best, but rarely do I ever turn up the amp that loud (even if it is only 18 watts). I use an amp model now so it is a lot easier to get the sound I like.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I guess my approach is that since I typically play at a lower volume than my amp breaks up (exception being a little Blues Jr. but I prefer the tone of my Hot Rod Deluxe, the Hot Rod Deville would have done damage to my windows lol) that I use pedals to achieve the gain I'm after. I look at gain pedals as different flavors to add to my clean Fender tube tone.

It's all about different flavors for me. A good amp might have one or two good sounds, but a good pedal collection can cover a lot more territory. I fully expect that one day I'll find the right amp in a place where I can really open it up, and I'll change my mind about all this.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

It's all about different flavors for me. A good amp might have one or two good sounds, but a good pedal collection can cover a lot more territory. I fully expect that one day I'll find the right amp in a place where I can really open it up, and I'll change my mind about all this.

It really does depend on what you want to do and what type of music you play. If you're in a band that covers a ton of ground, it's impractical to carry 3 or 4 amps to a gig to hit all the tones you might need in a given night. But a good pedal collection into a clean amp can get you there easily.

Conversely, if you are in a band with a really tight focus and only need one or two sounds, amp overdrive is tough to beat.

Personally, I think the best approach is a mix. Use the amp distortion if you can, but supplementing that with pedals can open a world of tones to you.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I have spina modded TS9, that I love, but for most of what i play now - Laney does everything. There is one tune coming up where I will have an "acoustic" verse, so may be I will drop the gain and use TS9 + Volume knob on the guitar to switch to the "clean" ...

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

Given the broad range of amps available as well as the broad range of players on this board, the question as-is lacks context.

I'm not getting anything beyond Screaming For Vengeance or Number of the Beast with a stock 100w Marshall JCM800 using just the amp, even with both Gain and Volume on 10.
However, that's just too much for Creedence, Commodores, Stones, or Larry Coryell stuff.

I'm not really seeing a need to step on a pedal with my 150w Mesa TripleRec when the Gain and Volume are on 10, but again, it's too much for anything other than Mesa-based Metal-on-10.

 

[LLL]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I agree that all ODs/Dists I've tried - none of them have been fantastic when relied upon solely for their clipping (e.g. into an amp set clean).

When used as a boost or "cherry on top" into a "just about ready to explode" tube amp, then it works great.

I sold all mine... I now have zero OD/Dist pedals. At one time I probably had 5. I now only use either a preamp (true EP-3 or AIWA 1011) or an EQ in front.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I prefer the amp's natural overdrive but I like having an OD pedal out front to give it "more" when I need it. I tend to dial the amp back for so it's not over the top saturated, a nice crunchy rhythm that can cover a lot of ground, and clean up with the guitar volume rolled back.

 

[IM4Tone]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

Yes, volume is the issue when running your amp for power tube distortion. Even though I prefer that sound, I can't always get it at the volume needed. Plus, I do like to have a couple 'flavors' of distortion, so pedals are the easiest to deal with.

 

[DMR]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

I mainly use my Mesa single rec's natural gain, which is plenty. That said, I still put an OD in front to boost/shape it a bit more.

 

[MakerDP]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

As with all things Electric Guitar and Rock-n-Roll...

There are no rules. Let your ears be your guide.

If you like the overdrive you get from your amp, use it.

If you don't like it and you have $$$ to burn, buy the amp that gets the sound you like OR just use pedals.

If you don't like it and you can't afford the amp that gets you what you do like, then pedals are an inexpensive (comparatively) way to get at least close to there.

The point is... if you like it who cares how you got it! Plug in and have fun! :arms: :headbang:

 

[DeadandBuried]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

Before I got my first proper tube amp I would use pedals to get my distortion sound on the clean channel of an amp (whatever was lent/provided to me).

But since I acquired my amp heads its always been the red channel on the amp, with a tubescreamer to tighten things up and give a bit of extra kick. Prefer 2 channel amps too so I can switch between clean/dirty, I'm a pretty straightforward plug in and play guy, and don't really use any effects in the bands I've been playing in for the past 6 years. Usually been lucky enough the other guitarist in the band is the lead guitar and does all the effects.

 

[philthis]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

my distortion amp is a EVH iii 2x12 combo. I get my lead tone set on channel 3 till its just where I like it. Then I just dial my guitar volume knob down to 6 and I get plenty of chuncky chords for my rythm tone and when I jump to a lead fill or solo I push my guitar volume up to 10. People always say but dont you lose highs off your signal with your guitar volume on 6? Well ya, thats the idea, when I'm playing rythm I dont want blaring treble in the way of the singer. The amps distortion to me sounds much better then trying to jack it up with pedals. Some amps are made to do it with pedals and some guys get great tone. I get great tone and fat rythm by doing what I do. Each to their own.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: Using Your Amp's (Natural) Distortion

Absolutely I do. Any song I've played heavy guitar on, I can guarantee it's always been the amp providing the distortion and not a distortion pedal because that's the sound I like the bet. It sits in the mix right, has the best note definition. Sometimes I'll blend two amps together and occasionally I'll use my custom "Cornhole" overdrive which has a 120db clean boost built into it but seldom do I need external overdrives. I modified my Dual Rec to quasi-Rev C specs for that very reason.