What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

[misterwhizzy]

Some people get by with volume and tone only. I need more tweakability.

I think bass, middle, treble, gain, and master volume are the absolute minimum I require. I like having a presence and resonance knob as well. I recently discovered the hidden power in a depth control, and it is wonderful.

Can you get by with a much simpler setup?

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

My amp has two channels of volume, treble, bass. I use pedals when I can't crank it, but even those are just volume, tone, and gain. My tone tweaking tools aren't that extensive, but I get all the sounds I need with them.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

I need these things: Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Reverb

Anything more than that is just unnecessary.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

I can live with volume and tone, but gain/volume/bass/mids/treble really is all I need. I gigged an AMpeg Jet for years that had voume, tone, and controls for tremolo and reverb.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

I need these things: Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Reverb

Anything more than that is just unnecessary.

Yep that's about where I'm at--though sometimes I find an amp that doesn't make me miss a mid knob or reverb

Usually MV's and gain controls are deal-breakers

 

[Baltar]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

I need these things: Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Reverb

Anything more than that is just unnecessary.

depends on the type of amp.
for fender cleans, i like what you mentioned +BrightSwitch and Presence Pot
I find also a BassCut useful

but eg on a spitfire tone and volume is really enough (built mine w/o master), but ofcourse it lacks a bit of variety

 

[JOLLY]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

On.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

The less the better. I do prefer having separate EQ knobs for the channels though. Although I wouldn't mind just having a tone knob for the clean channel... not sure I need all standard three for the dirty channel as well.

A low-mid boost (depth?) might be a good thing to allow quick switching from humbuckers to single coils which usually have a little less bass).

 

[ErikH]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

Preamp Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Presence, Master Volume, Reverb, and of course Power.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

My PJ is my main amp. It only has volume and tone controls... I get a lot of good sounds with that amp just from the guitars 2 vol and 2 tones.

My bigger amps have a lot more and I use the extra knobs but don't really need them.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

My experience is very limited. As it stands I don't like too many knobs. I don't want Fender's S1 Switching on a Strat either.

That said, I have never owned an amp with a presence control, so what could I possibly know?

 

[briggleman]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

On.

Yep, me too!!!

and the Talent switch!:naughty:

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

My PJ is my main amp. It only has volume and tone controls... I get a lot of good sounds with that amp just from the guitars 2 vol and 2 tones.

My bigger amps have a lot more and I use the extra knobs but don't really need them.

Well, for now, you don't go out and gig a whole bunch, right? You'll find the uses for those extra knobs when you go to play a show, and the room is muddy, or boomy, or overly bright in one frequency range, and the PJ won't give up what you need.

 

[Animal]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

I removed all the volume and tone controls on my guitar and then hardwired it directly to the input of my amp, which also has no knobs. Anything more causes tone suck.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

I removed all the volume and tone controls on my guitar and then hardwired it directly to the input of my amp, which also has no knobs. Anything more causes tone suck.

Pffft. Don't you know by now that the amp causes tone suck, and that a guitar that resonates unplugged is all you need?:bling:

 

[Animal]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

^ I have considered replacing my guitar with a giant Church bell for it's superior resonance. I could have bragging rights for the most bell-like tone ever.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

A Volume knob needs to have existed at one time, but cranked to the max and broken off will suffice as well :headbang:

Everything else is icing and sprinkles

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

On.

What are you playing through? A lamp? What has a power knob?

 

[FuseG4]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

Volume, Bass, treble, and reverb. When I want more or less mids I... use a different guitar lol

 

[Tor]

Re: What knobs are essential to you on an amp?

I don't like tweaking. I sold an AxeFX and acquired a Hayseed with a control for volume, hi and low tone knobs, and a cut knob. And a master of course. The reverb comes from a pedal. I am really liking this simplicity.