Straight into amp

[Silenced Fred]

For myself, when I am working on stuff, writing stuff, playing my own music, I go directly into the amp. Cover songs, I use effects, but I don't seem to find them as useful for my own material.

 

Anyone else just go straight into the amp? Lots of talk about pedals, I like it simple

[rocketman]

I go straight into my amp too, but since I now mostly use my Line 6 Vetta II modeling amp (go ahead throw your punches at me) I don't think we are talking about the same thing...

[Silenced Fred]

I go straight into my amp too' date=' but since I now mostly use my Line 6 Vetta II modeling amp (go ahead throw your punches at me) I don't think we are talking about the same thing...[/quote']

 

Hey, whatever amp works for you.

 

I use the Sunn, 2 channels, and on my LP, I mainly use the Pickup selector to change sounds

[Dub-T-123]

Lately I've been a total straight into the amp guy.

 

I have a Big Muff, Dunlop Jimi wah, BOSS ce-3, a BOSS delay, a Digitech rackmount multiFX unit, and a BBE Sonic Maximizer rackmount unit. I hardly use any of them ever. I never use the rackmount stuff.

 

Most of the time I feel that the effects take away from what I'm playing. Maybe I'm just not good at using effects. I am open to getting some choice effects pedals and using them in the future. The only pedal I have that I actually picked out and bought is my Big Muff. My dad gave me a bunch of his old gear.

[ledzep59]

I plug straight into my Egnater rebel 30 also. I also only tend to use effects if I am trying to cover a song or get that famous guitarist's tone. When I play my own stuff, I just let the LP sing with some reverb.

[Andre S]

I used to be like that, I'm not dependant on my effects now, I can get by without them...only a wah pedal now though...not big on chorus etc etc...only overdrive, fuzz, delay, wah

[rockman82]

i go straight through the amp too. I don't the money for many pedals, and besides, i love the sound of my guitar and amp alone. I do want a digitech whammy pedal though

[DAS44]

I only ever plug straight in, never any pedals for me. It's just how i work.

[ledzep59]

Plugging in straight really helps you begin to acquire an understanding of the nuances of tone and gives you a type of foundation to build off of. Sometimes effects just seem to get in the way.

[NeoConMan]

I agree 100%.

Learn the guitar in every configuration, then learn the amp the same way.

 

 

 

Straight in - for 30 years.

 

I always said I was allergic to effects pedals.

 

Just last year I got a Fulltone OCD, it changed my mind.

I don't use it all the time, but I love it going into the clean channel on my Fender Hot Rod DeVille.

 

But I'm not gonna panic without a pedal board, I still like the "organic" simplicity of plugging straight in.

[Rocky4]

I actually like the sound of a guitar so I go direct. I have a few pedals, but rarely use them.

[jamman]

I have a few pedals which i almost never use. I sometimes wonder why i bought them. I find that useing different setting on my guitar and amp will give me what i want. + some reverb. I have found that of you don't use pedals you will find you own sound , and learn how to play more cleanly.That's a big part of playing well, imho.

[milod]

Believe it or not from the old guy <grin>, I do use that Zoom 707II most all the time with the acoustic amp. I don't use it so much for "effects" as to thicken things a bit to kinda make up for using lighter strings. I think that I'm getting with that something close to what I get outa the tube amp and messin' with the eq. I just don't like hauling the big amp around.

 

Then, too, I have that Leslie emulator and it's for when I'm in a B3 sorta mood. I've used it in some blues settings and it can kinda function like a keyboard in some blues stuff if I'm playing with a couple guys I know. I don't have time to go do the gigs they do, but on occasion we've gotten together in a saloon to pick for fun.

 

A former road musician friend sez I run too much mids, though. I blame it on old ears that have taken a bit of a beating over the years.

 

But really, it sounds to me as if you've found your own voice for what you wanna do at this time and place in your life. I figure that might change a dozen times or so by the time you're my age, as has happened to me, so just do it.

 

So... I'd say do what you wanna do and that sounds "right" to you and if others don't care for it... what the heck...

 

m

[Silenced Fred]

I've found that spending time just with a guitar and amp, you can coax some amazing sounds out of it. People have asked "what effect is that?" And I just respond, "Me".

 

I have been able to get an "octave" effect out of my LP by palm muting and turning the tone knob all the way down on the bridge, I mainly use amp distortion and pick attack to give me overdrive sounds. I have a Super Overdrive, a Boss Distortion pedal, and just bought a fuzz pedal. I really like the fuzz, but I don't use it for my own music. It's a really cool effect though, I kind of want a Multi FX, such as the Vox Tonelab, for recording or just to have, not sure yet.

 

With all of these effects posts, and how much people get into effects pedals, I didn't think there were as many people into just the amp.

 

I figure I spend all of this money on an amp, all this money on a guitar, why don't I wanna hear it?

[Mr. Robot]

I'm a Straight Shooter too.

[deepblue]

I like a Leslie sound in moderation just to add dimension to the notes.

 

I do have a TS808 up front with a volume & wah, but only use those when needed.

[RichCI]

I'm neither here nor there when it comes to the philosophy of using pedals or not. At home, I usually play straight into an amp and with a pretty clean tone just because I enjoy it and it keeps the livingroom less cluttered. With my band I have four pedals strung together between the guitar and amp - two of them are pedals that boost one way or another and the others are a flanger and a Univibe clone. The way I see it, if a song will sound more interesting with some sort of effect on it I use that effect, if it sounds better with no effects then I don't use any. To me, it's all about the song.

 

I know some people like to think of themselves as purists and others even look down on pedals as being some sort of crutch, but I think those folks should be ripping the reverb tanks, gain and master volume and tone controls out of their amps or just buy an acoustic. When you get right down to it, the amp, pickups, picks, etc. one chooses are all based on wanting to effect the tone of one's guitar in some sort of fashion. Electronic effects simply open up more sound options - just ask the Jimmies (Page and Hendrix).

[Riffster]

I agree with Rich, no philosophy about either or.

 

Sure, I play direct into my amp 90% of the time but I have a Mesa 5:25 with endless sound options.

 

I have two 1-knob amps, I use them once in a while, if you have any more knobs than 1 in your amp you are using some sort of effect if you will.

 

Learning how to play straight into an amp is just as important as knowing how to use effect pedals, the fact that you have a pedal does not mean you already know how to use it or that you sound good, a lot of pedals are pretty interactive just like a tube amp is and you have to learn how to use them effectively.

 

It cracks me up when a "purist" has a 20-knob amp.

[pippy]

Around 30 years ago I would occasionally use my brother's Big Muff Pi when I was gigging but gave that up in about '85.

 

Since then i've always plugged straight in.

 

Then again; I don't play professionally. Perhaps if I had to make my living in front of a paying audience I might find some pedals useful.

[MojoRedFoot]

I have not used any pedals in a long time. I plug straight into my half stack. I'll use the reverb on it for a little extra sustain for some leads but that's it. On occasion I'll play w/ my Boss OD-3 and PH-3 when I'm feeling spacey.

[Riffster]

I actually like the sound of a guitar so I go direct.

 

Actually what you hear out of an amp has been processed through the preamp. You do not hear the guitar in its pure form. You hear the guitar and the signal being processed by the amp.

 

If you have a tube amp and plug your guitar through the effects loop "return" that sound would be closer to what the actual sound of your guitar actually is. Pretty weak actually. Without a compliment an electric guitar is just a plank of wood with microphones and strings on it.

[zigzag]

I do use that Zoom 707II ...

 

Yeah, I got the ZOOM G1u with pedal, and a fuzz box, Cry Baby, and another box that I haven't used in so long I don't even know what it is. I learned how to use the ZOOM box, but it's been so long since I used it, I can't even remember how to use it. I get all I want out of my amps, and my MESA Express 5:50 has some great chorus, reverb, and overdrive options that really give me all I need.

[milod]

Actually when I first got B3 fever I hauled around a big Fender Leslie speaker. Heeeeeavy.

 

The little pedal jobbie may not have exactly the sound, but it's a lot easier to haul.

 

Jocko... Steal any lines you might wish. I'm flattered.

 

I agree with Stiffhand and have written a number of times that there ain't no "pure" electrified guitar sound if one uses either an amp or even a flattop with a mike and PA. If that were not true, we'd not have such interesting discussions about amps, mikes and PAs on the forum.

 

I'd even go further and suggest that where you sit listening to a pure acoustic guitar does make a diff too.

 

On many occasions I've "shot" concerts of all sorts and it's surprising how different things sound in different locations depending on the venue, etc. So if I sound "sour" on "finding a pure sound that I like" on occasion, it's because I don't believe in it. A good sound that makes you pretty happy and carries the piece well, yes. That goes for purely acoustic instruments, too. And... ever notice two acoustic pickers can play the same guitar and the tone's a bit different?

 

m

[deepblue]

Actually when I first got B3 fever I hauled around a big Fender Leslie speaker. Heeeeeavy.

 

I know whats thats like my friend. 150 Lbs of mojo....cant beat it though.

[chewy60]

yeah, i don't like pedals at all. too many cables in the chain suks volume. i prefer having effects contained in the amp and guitar, so i can use just one cable in between.....