Effects...heaven or hell????

[Vinny]

You may find me a complete jurk, but today I made the reflection about using effect pedals.... Yesterday I picked up me EDS and the guy had a huge collection of wonderful guitars. He let me play akk of them...Cunnetos,L5,ES,SG,LP59Ri,Brian May....a LOT!!!! They all had a wonderful sound,one by one! So when I came home I questioned myself about some things....aren't we using too much effect-pedals nowadays.... Where are the good old days off the 70's where it was just the guitar and a good overdrived or clean amp setting.... Those were the best sounds for me...now I think we use too much! Everything has a pedal now!! We all want to obtain a certain sound and buy some pedals,than noise reducers because we have too much of them....

Sometimes we just forget the importance...the sound,our sound,our originality!!!

You know, sometimes you don't hear the sound of the guitar or amp anymore, you just hear the effect!

What a pity...we buy so good guitars,hand-made by the finest craftsmen and we don't hear them anymore....Smell the wood,feel the wood,hearing the wood through the guitar...the windings of the pups.... honestly can you hear the difference between a custom LP and an epiphone after it has passed all kind of effects,digtal or not and then into a digital pre-amp amp????

I CAN'T anymore!! So today I played the whole day whithout ANY effect...and it was heaven, just me and my guitar---->amp!!!!

It's a thing we all should consider from time to time....

[Twiz]

Hey man, welcome to the forums. I like using both effects or just plugging straight into an amp. You're right though, guitars tend to sound a lot different when they are plugged directly into an amp. When I'm playing with my band, I use an old Peavey 5150, and that thing is really a gainy amp. It's cool for what my band plays. But last year I bought an Epiphone Valve Jr to practice with. One day (when my neighbors were gone) I turned the knob all the way up on that thing so the tubes could do their job, and it was like hearing my guitars for the first time again. Very cool. Cheers.

[pohatu771]

I don't have any pedals, and in the studio I use very few effects on the guitars. Different guitar sounds come from different guitars, amps, and mics, for the most part.

 

Unfortunately for me, that means I need to figure out a way to get all of those amps sounds out of one amp playing live. There's a mod for the Valve Junior that is supposed to add Fender and Vox-like tones to it, so I'll probably invest in that while waiting for a mis-marked Hot Rod Deluxe and AC15 to fall into my lap.

[Thundergod]

Hey Vinny, welcome to the forum. I use pedals when I need them but I don't consider them an integral part of my sound, they can shape it when I need some extra stuff like delay, chorus (rarely used by me) and other more psychadelic stuff, but most of the time I go guitar->amp. At most I use an OD box as booster.

[Californiaman]

We had a great discussion on the value of small tube amplifiers a while back.

While some people love all the effects you can throw in front of an amp, some are more basic in their approach.

I like variety. I don't mind effects at all, but sometimes, the tone of a couple tubes pushed to the boiling point suits me just fine.

Welcome to the lounge.

Stay a while.

Big Tone Small Amps

[FirstMeasure]

For me, this is one of those "Both are Good" questions. Yes, too many effects will kill you guitars tone. But then a Guitar plugged straight into an Amp (with no onboard effects) can't start Flanging, can it? Hard to get that Leslie Sound without a Chorus or a Leslie.

 

But then, it always makes me laugh when someone uses a Multi Effects Possessor to get a Claptons 70's Tone . A Strat into almost any amp, Turn the gain up till it starts to break up, then twiddle the Treble and Mid knobs till it's punchy. So much easier and purer than a Digitech Crossroads Pedal.

[Blackie]

.........AND, NOR and OR................

[rockman82]

I'm a traditional guitar-->amp guy. I don't care much for effects. All of the pedals i've tried never satisfied my ears. It's always been my sg and my little fender amp.

[NeoConMan]

Good guitar --> good cable --> good tube amp = Tone heaven.

 

 

Sound's not what you're after?

Get a different guitar, or plug into a different tube amp.

 

I swore off pedals in 1982, and only last year finally got a Fulltone OCD.

I love the pedal to boost the signal instead of "onboard" distortion on the amp, but my Fender Hot Rod DeVille

does the job rather nicely with nothing in the signal path.

 

 

I don't play much of anything that requires flanging, phasing, delay or any other extraneous bullsh!t.

Then again, I play more rhythm and I rarely play gigs.

To each their own, but in my experience pedals too often become the tone - or lack of....

[canon_mutant]

Interesting topic. I find myself only using effects when I am playing specific songs by others that used those specific effects.

 

When I am working on my own stuff or just playing, it's just me and the amp, clean or dirty, with just a touch of reverb coming from the amp.

 

That's why I'm loving this little Egnater Rebel 30 so much.

[Dub-T-123]

I'm kindof funny about effects. I don't like the big ones like chorus or flange but I'm a sucker for synthy analog units. I also like really basic effects like tremelo. Even though I like effects, I NEVER use them. I always plug my SG straight into my Vox. And I really love it. When I try to use effects I just feel like it isn't my style. I sound better without effects.

 

I really love listening to music with cool effects though.

 

With my band when we need some crazy sounds we head straight for the Moog Prodigy. We run the Moog through a delay and a Moog ring modulator in case we need some extra tones. The delay sounds awesome with the right settings. It nails "Any Colour You Like".

[charlie brown]

I use pedals, very sparingly. Only, for what is needed, and not to get "my sound!" I do that, First...

using only the guitar, and amp settings. I do enjoy messing around with various pedals, but I always

come back to, only what is needed. "Live," I use Wah-wah, Blues Driver (sparingly), and a Compressor,

for my Ric 12-string, mostly. I have recently started using the Rotory speaker simulator, for the few

songs we are now doing, that require that sound. But, there's nothing like, just a great guitar, into a cranked

tube amp, at their "sweet spots!"

 

CB

[Vinny]

Interesting answers from u all!!!!!

In fact, I own several pedals, mostly EHX....

But after I went to pick my EDS, I must be honest to myself and say that I also was looking for 'that'sound, but in fact never found it and never heard my guitar anymore!!!!

So I'm going to cool down on the effects and sell some...

Maybe I buy with that money a Marshall class 5 tube amp or a Danelectro DC 59

Anyone plays one like these new danelectro Reissues from 59????????

[pippy]

...When I try to use effects I just feel like it isn't my style. I sound better without effects...

 

That's exactly how I feel.

 

I used to have an EH Big Muff Pi until about '83. Since then; nothing.

 

My amp (Music Man 2x12) is essentially a Twin-Reverb with a master vol so it has a great sound' date=' reverb built-in, a built-in vibrato circuit and, with the channel-vol/master-vol thing, I can get a good o/d sound at low volume if I want some 'crunch'.

 

More than meets my needs. In fact I think the Vibrato has been fkd since the mid-eighties. I don't miss it!

 

I've no problem at all with all those sounds some folk get using FX but, for the music I play, I [u']much[/u] prefer Neo's approach;

 

Good guitar --> good cable --> good tube amp = Tone heaven.

 

Sound's not what you're after?

Get a different guitar' date=' or plug into a different tube amp...[/quote']

 

Then again, as I've said on a similar thread, I don't play professionally. If I did I might find a few pedals would help me out.

[RichCI]

I use pedals to achieve sounds that aren't the same old tones I've heard for decades and that's part of how I achieve my OWN voice instead of some warmed over derivative of Hendrix/Page/Kossoff/whoever. I love effects and make no apologies about it.

[Big Bill]

I use pedals to achieve sounds that aren't the same old tones I've heard for decades and that's part of how I achieve my OWN voice instead of some warmed over derivative of Hendrix/Page/Kossoff/whoever. I love effects and make no apologies about it.

 

 

Dang Rich.

 

 

 

[biggrin] [biggrin] [biggrin]

[RichCI]

I'm a little hurtin' this morning so I have my cranky socks on.

[Corrosion of conformity]

I enjoy using effects. More sounds, more creativity. I'm not going to pretend that I like the "pure" tone of my amp better. I use pedals for almost all of my distortion sounds, and I am very satisfied with my tone. I run seven or eight pedals at a time, I'm still satisfied. I don't see the point in limiting my sound options. If I plug straight into the amp, I have two options, overdrive or clean. If I plug into my pedals, I have countless options.

[pippy]

...If I plug straight into the amp' date=' I have two options, overdrive or clean...[/quote']

 

Not wishing to start a bunfight, of course, but whilst I accept and fully understand the vast range of effects and tones FX boxes enable a player to attain I nevertheless feel that the above quote is putting the case far too simplistically.

 

There is an enormous range of 'voicings' to be found lurking within the depths of the tone / vol circuitry of any half-way decent amp.

 

From pure Country twang through soft Jazz velvet to AC/DC crunchy-creamyness and beyond...

 

No?

 

[Corrosion of conformity]

Yes. That is true. I think you're picking out a pretty small part of my post. There is a wide variety of sounds to be obtained from just an amplifier, but every little variety I can get out of my amp I can keep while I use my pedals. As I said before, pedals only contribute to my sound.

 

I'd also say that it would be impossible to change sounds for a live application without adjusting the settings on the amp. I can get my country twang, my jazz, and my AC/DC sound while I keep the amp on the same settings. I wouldn't be able to do that without pedals.

[pippy]

...I'd also say that it would be impossible to change sounds for a live application without adjusting the settings on the amp. I can get my country twang' date=' my jazz, and my AC/DC sound while I keep the amp on the same settings. I wouldn't be able to do that without pedals...[/quote']

 

Yes, of course. I agree with you totally.

 

As I mentioned in my first post; I only have to amuse myself with my playing. If it takes me some time to adjust my levels there's no one around to start the 'Slow Hand-Clap' routine! 'Time' is something I have on my side - as is getting it wrong! Not a luxury enjoyed by a musician in a 'live' setting.

 

And again, as I intimated earlier; if I were to be making money as a paid performer I'm pretty sure I'd find some FX pedals very useful for both the sounds they can create as well as the very good point you make above.

[therookie_123]

Vinny!!! haha. I love what this guy has to say. Guitarists who actually use like 5 or 6 pedals at the same time, can sometimes sound "over produced". I play blues, and the only pedals I ever use, or will probably ever need, are a modified Ibanez Tubescreamer and a modified Cry Baby Wah. And for a simple Bluesman like me, thats all I need. However If Im playing without a Band, I use a BOSS RC-2 Loop Station [bEST PEDAL EVER. Buy one now. For those of you who dont know, you play a rhythm or small riff and record it with a simple press. Then solo for HOURS. Trust me my nieghbors have all heard haha.]

 

Another pedal that I use is a Mini Deja Vibe 2 or MDV-2, made by Fulltone, when I want a menacing guitar riff to sound even more interesting. It's basically a modern Univibe Pedal. Listen to "Bridge of Sighs" by Robin Trower, best song to demonstrate a Univibe like pedal. Another is a MXR Fuzz when I really want a distorted sound to break up when playing faster, which holds value when trying to achieve the fuzz tone like Hendrix, or Clapton's famous "Woman Tone". However I hardly ever use Fuzz anymore.

 

Im not a big pedal person. If you are, great!!! You do your thing I'll do mine haha.

 

 

PEACE!!!

[Spike~]

I did a double take since you copy-pasted this exact same thread title and message over at MLP. :-

[retrosurfer1959]

I think it depends on what your doing and why - using pedals to cover a lack of ability is always very obvious but if you want a specifc sound and a pedal works why not. I rarely if ever perform using pedals other than a little bit from a OCD or Box of Rock and when playing solo acoustic I use a Boss Looper to help fill thats about it.

 

Now for goofing off in the home studio totally different story, then I have a full pedal board and try everything just to see what I can sound like I even have a Roland synth I push with a Godin Roland ready guitar that I use for drum and piano sounds why not that's part of the fun in music?

[SHO]

I need them to hide the fact I can't play. :-