Moving away from pedals to straight into amp

  • Thread starter Thread starter innogator
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Depends on the amp and pickups for me. If the amp needs a boost I use one and if it doesn't I don't.

Into an 800 I need actives and a boost to get where I need to go. On a Recto pickups don't matter but I need a boost. Boogie Marks, 5150s, most Diezels, no boost required.

All are good to me and just different paths to get to a tone/feel that you like. The 800 is the most engaging to play but that's entirely due to it being a single channel, relatively low gain and giving me a reason to actually use the volume knob on the guitar for cleanup.
 
innogator said:
It's funny how different communities are. Just being on Reddit for so long you start thinking a Blues Junior with $20k in pedals is the ultimate setup.
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That's because Redditors are all bedroom warriors who started playing guitar during covid 4 years ago, and have no real knowledge or experience 😬
 
Torgo2003 said:
Depends on the amp and pickups for me. If the amp needs a boost I use one and if it doesn't I don't.

Into an 800 I need actives and a boost to get where I need to go. On a Recto pickups don't matter but I need a boost. Boogie Marks, 5150s, most Diezels, no boost required.

All are good to me and just different paths to get to a tone/feel that you like. The 800 is the most engaging to play but that's entirely due to it being a single channel, relatively low gain and giving me a reason to actually use the volume knob on the guitar for cleanup.
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Yeah this is a solid take.

I didn't need a boost with my larry or MOAB+, but i certainly need one with my engl 653 - it literally just varies from amp to amp and what tone youre trying to accomplish.

I don't think it's "better" or worse either way, just different. Some amps need a boost, some don't. Some amps need super high output pickups, some don't. I certainly don't think it's a hard fast rule that plugging straight in always sounds better, but yeah some amps shine that way.
 
I primarily go straight into my amp, though I have an absolutely wonderful board now! Even if I am running through my pedals, I tend to only have one or two in at most at a time. Something like a delay or a bit of OD or something like that but most of the tube with my beautifully dynamic amp, I can get everything I need from cleans to roaring leads with touch dynamics, volume rolling, etc.

Also, going straight into a good tube amp allows you to better hear the nuances and how changes can affect the overall sound/tone of the setup.

For example, my amp specifically loves old RCA long black plates. It really sings with them. I never would have learned that leaning in pedals, which i basically had none of at the time.

When it had stock tubes, it didn't sing quite as much. Instead of looking to pedals, I looked to the amp, as I was just running direct.

Any pedals I use are like sprinkles on top, not the core or even the icing, all that comes from the amp, guitar, pickups, etc.

I find it easier to drop off pedals with a wonderful tube amp. I have some solid state stuff I love but it is not the same for me.

Tube amps really blew my mind, as it took years and years before I would actually get a nice one. Life changing.
 
GuitarGuy08 said:
Tube amps really blew my mind, as it took years and years before I would actually get a nice one. Life changing.
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I remember my first "holy shit" moment too. My bedroom practice "Rig" at 14 consisted of an ibanez slam punk soundtank pedal and a 50w 1x12 peavey keyboard amp. (Don't remember the model; it was a blue stripe era though. both salvaged from estate sales; my dad was an antique dealer)

My dad convinced me to jam with our mailman Carlos, who was really cool, and had what I would guess was an early 70s metal panel superlead and 4x12w greenbacks. As a teenager it was literally life-changing to play that shit at volume

Especially the touch sensitivity and dynamics were mind blowing at the time

I don't think those dynamics are what's called for on all types of music though. At the same time, i think people depend way too much on pedals nowadays
 
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innogator said:
I focused on building out a pedal collection for years, trying every new big deal overdrive that came out. Just had a couple good pedal platform amps. As I started to try higher gain amps, I realized I preferred that to pedals, especially when the amp is dynamic and can go from clean to mean with guitar volume. Been clearing out pedals to make room for more amps ever since and most of my drive pedals have sat unused. Wish I would've started with amps in hindsight. Anyone else transition away from or to more pedals on your rig?
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The older I got the more of my pedals I sold off. I still have a couple around for nostalgic reasons mostly. Like my '78 Script logo D+. ( as well as about 4 other vintage D+s). Also a Team Awesome Fuzz Machine with gate mod. Old Ibanez Flanger.
 
DanTravis62 said:
My dad convinced me to jam with our mailman Carlos, who was really cool
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I went the opposite way, sort of.

I was more or less a straight into the amp guy for the longest time. Played many shows with nothing but an od808 for lead parts & my guitars volume knob for cleans. It's only been recently that I've come to appreciate having a nice pedalboard and an amp that plays well with it, mostly for playing at home in my case. Having a lot of sounds I can switch to motivates me to practice a little more, and I can do so pretty quietly.

At the end of the day though, amp tones are still where it's at for me.
 
cobrahead1030 said:
I went the opposite way, sort of.

I was more or less a straight into the amp guy for the longest time. Played many shows with nothing but an od808 for lead parts & my guitars volume knob for cleans. It's only been recently that I've come to appreciate having a nice pedalboard and an amp that plays well with it, mostly for playing at home in my case. Having a lot of sounds I can switch to motivates me to practice a little more, and I can do so pretty quietly.

At the end of the day though, amp tones are still where it's at for me.
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Yeah. One of my easiest recording setups is Neural. I can get shit recorded fast and simple. I have a lot of presets that I can use for different toans. But damn is it uninspiring compared to my actual tube amp. And I listen back and it hurts my damn ears.

The amp is first and foremost. Using a pedal doesn't lessen the amp. But using a shitload might. I think that not being rigid is important, and if the pedal adds and doesn't subtract, don't overthink it.
 
You 80's guys are pussies!
In my gigging days 70s and 80s it was pedals into an amp. You found ways to make it work.
Until around 1975 when the first MV Marshalls came out. JMP's with a DS-1. That ruled. I saw Randy Hansen w/ the same setup.
 
cobrahead1030 said:
I went the opposite way, sort of.

I was more or less a straight into the amp guy for the longest time. Played many shows with nothing but an od808 for lead parts & my guitars volume knob for cleans. It's only been recently that I've come to appreciate having a nice pedalboard and an amp that plays well with it, mostly for playing at home in my case. Having a lot of sounds I can switch to motivates me to practice a little more, and I can do so pretty quietly.

At the end of the day though, amp tones are still where it's at for me.
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Pretty much did the same thing and still do that. Nice guitar, nice amp, nice OD. good to go. I like to travel light.
 
I dabbled in pedals off and on from 85' to about 2011 or so. Then I got a Fractal Axe-Fx and thought I'd cured it. Me and Keeley reconnected and he started making these cool designs and then I was back in the arena. Now I have two pedalboards, lol.
 
I have some lower gain Marshall’s and it took me forever to realize why people played klon or klon clones with them. I use that and some reverb/delay and that’s it.
 
VonBonfire said:
Pretty much did the same thing and still do that. Nice guitar, nice amp, nice OD. good to go. I like to travel light.
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stephen sawall said:
I usually prefer no pedals or just a wah. But pedals can be very much useful depending on the rig
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I could probably get by fine with an OD and a wah, but my opinion has shifted the last couple of years, especially playing originals

Having a wobbler and an echo are insanely versatile and nice to have for different colors - it's like having exclamation points, semicolons, italics, and bold at your disposal, as well as caps and lowercase
 
Both lol.
I'll echo all of the thoughts about using distortion from the amp. But when I wanna do stupid noisy shit and need 37 delays and reverbs on, I turn to my 4 pedalboards and ask for advice.
 
DanTravis62 said:
I could probably get by fine with an OD and a wah, but my opinion has shifted the last couple of years, especially playing originals

Having a wobbler and an echo are insanely versatile and nice to have for different colors - it's like having exclamation points, semicolons, italics, and bold at your disposal, as well as caps and lowercase
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I have been using a Boss DM-101 and CE-2W a lot lately.

Ibanez PTEQ in the loop I can recommend.
 
stephen sawall said:
I have been using a Boss DM-101 and CE-2W a lot lately.

Ibanez PTEQ in the loop I can recommend.
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I don't really need an EQ pedal, I have all the master volume, eq, and gain versatility any human could ever wish for footswitchable, but how do you like the 101?

I am downsizing all my stuff but god damn that thing is tempting
 
DanTravis62 said:
I don't really need an EQ pedal, I have all the master volume, eq, and gain versatility any human could ever wish for footswitchable, but how do you like the 101?

I am downsizing all my stuff but god damn that thing is tempting
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I love it. It just sounds good. Sounds a lot like a DM-2 but obviously a lot more versatile. Sounds great out front of the amp. But usual use it in the loop. I am using all the modes in mono. I hooked it up stereo. But I use a mono rig with the band. With things like the 4 head mode it just goes way beyond other analog delays I have used. I have a DD-500 too. There is just something about that analog warmth that sounds so natural. Not for everyone. Definitely fits me.
 
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