Gear which require specific combinations to work well for you

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Kraku

New member
Do you own some piece of gear which you always must use in some very specific combination with other gear for it to sound really good. If it's not used that way, then it sounds shit and you won't use it?

I've noticed this effect with how I prefer to use my wah pedal in combination with distortion and humbuckers:

Couple of days ago I was wondering if I want to keep my wah pedal or if I should just sell it as I very rarely seem to be using it. I plugged my Strat into it and didn't like the wimpy sound. Then I remembered that I always put a distortion/fuzz before the wah. So I tested the wah after distortion and it still sounded like shit. At this point I wondered how I ever thought I liked that sound at all. Then I remembered that I always used it with my other guitar which has humbuckers. So I switched the Strat to my other guitar and whoa! There's the powerful cool sound I fell in love with before. It was a quick and easy decision for me: I won't sell the wah, even though it seems to very rarely get any use. I really want to integrate that sound into some of my songs.

So my specific gear combination is: humbuckers --> distortion/fuzz --> wah pedal
That distortion/fuzz can come from guitar amp if you like. Just plug the wah pedal into FX loop.

What about you? Do you have similar observations how to make some specific piece of gear work for you?
 
Yes

Particular guitar strings, certain pickups, front end pedals, preamp tubes, loop pedals, speaker cabinet, speakers.

DR 11s, Duncan Custom'ish, boosts-aby-tc mimiq, chinese square getters or JJs, EQ pedal, mesa or splawn, C30s or small blocks.

Start removing those things and sad face
 
I used to go thru Fender Strats and buy and sell every few years. I finally got a rosewood fretboard and great humbucker in the bridge and that is how I like Strats.
 
Wah in the effects loop? Yuck.

In general, no. Maybe I’m lucky, but I’ve been able to get great sounds out of a lot of different guitars, amps, cabs, over the years.
 
Ernie ball strings and gravity picks. They’re a must. I have to have both to play - anything else and I’m limited from the start. I can’t say how much of a game changer gravity picks are a part of my playing and I just like the feel and tone of Ernie ball strings even if they’re dead.

12AX7LPS for phase inverters. Literally nothing else comes close IMO.

4x12 cabinets and 100W+ heads. I can’t do lunchboxes and I can’t do modelers. I need the feel of a tube amp under my fingers and I want to be able to crank my shit after a rough day and it sound bigger and more badass, not thinner and like ass.
 
Kraku said:
Do you own some piece of gear which you always must use in some very specific combination with other gear for it to sound really good. If it's not used that way, then it sounds shit and you won't use it?

I've noticed this effect with how I prefer to use my wah pedal in combination with distortion and humbuckers:

Couple of days ago I was wondering if I want to keep my wah pedal or if I should just sell it as I very rarely seem to be using it. I plugged my Strat into it and didn't like the wimpy sound. Then I remembered that I always put a distortion/fuzz before the wah. So I tested the wah after distortion and it still sounded like shit. At this point I wondered how I ever thought I liked that sound at all. Then I remembered that I always used it with my other guitar which has humbuckers. So I switched the Strat to my other guitar and whoa! There's the powerful cool sound I fell in love with before. It was a quick and easy decision for me: I won't sell the wah, even though it seems to very rarely get any use. I really want to integrate that sound into some of my songs.

So my specific gear combination is: humbuckers --> distortion/fuzz --> wah pedal
That distortion/fuzz can come from guitar amp if you like. Just plug the wah pedal into FX loop.

What about you? Do you have similar observations how to make some specific piece of gear work for you?
Click to expand...

This is why it's super common on high end wahs (and as a mod for wahs) to have an "input level" switch or pot to make up for the pickup differences.
 
A treble booster comes to mind. When used correctly they are great, when not they are total junk. For a treble booster to work, the amp has to be dark and starting to break up and put first in the pedal chain. You do those things and it works well. But if you try into a loafing clean Fender BF amp, watch out!!!! Yuck!
 
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