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Distortion Pedals vs Amp distortion

Lukin_ozLukin_oz Posts: 257
edited July 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
I just had a few questions regarding distortion... why do people tend to avoid using the amp distortion effects? Also if you were to run a distortion effect, what channel would you use? I find that my lead channel puts out more volume than my clean channel is all... and finally could anyone recommend any distortion pedals to run with a tube amp for some nice crunch?
Those who dance are called insane by those who dont hear the music
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • likepilatelikepilate Posts: 12
    I love the Ibanez Tube Screamer...this has proven to be my absolute favorite for distortion. It's a simple pedal and it sounds great.
    "...sarcasm and compassion are two of the qualities that make life on Earth tolerable." -- Nick Hornby

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  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    In a word, compression levels. Some people prefer a less compressed more open crunchy gain channel. Other people prefer a more tailored heavily compressed gain channel with lots of bottom and top end. (People who play Mesa Boogie amps (especially the rectifier series) mostly use amp distortion) essentially Mesa Boogies are almost infinately tweakable so you can pretty much get what you want from tweaking the amp.

    Marshall users are mixed. In the Channel Switching variety (JCM 800's to the present JCM 2000's) many players use a combination of both amp channels and external distortion pedals.

    If they want a mostly clean tone they will use the amps clean and an external boost to add a bit of grit to the sound and make them stand out in the mix. Then they might use any combination of overdrives and distortions on the crunch or lead channels to get the desired sound. It's trial and error.

    It depends on the person and the amp as to what they use.

    There's a whole other camp that says channel switching is clutter and garbage and they prefer the single channel amp, simple as possible.


    check out http://www.musictoyz.com also http://www.pedalgeek.com and look around, you'll find some cool stuff there.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Mike McCready uses a Tubescreamer. You DO want to sound like Mike McCready, don't you?
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    Mike McCready uses a Tubescreamer. You DO want to sound like Mike McCready, don't you?


    I just want to be Mike McCready's friend so I can jam with him and try and pick stuff up and then there's the sunburst Strat. Yeah, so I want to look like him too.......

    and I drink gatoraid......
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    My name is TAFKAMIG, and I bought a Tubescreamer because Mike McCready uses one.


    Any others want to confess?
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • C-minorC-minor Posts: 77
    I did.
    I dont use it as much as i thought i would.
    But my MXR dist + is my new bitch now and its NICE.
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  • LemonYellowSunLemonYellowSun Posts: 90
    Currently have a cheapo Ts-7 because I was looking for "The Sound" for little dinero. I am gonna order a Shannon OD pedal from Telesonic in the next couple of days, so I can't wait. You get what you pay for......save up some money and go quality!
    Cause I'll stop trying to make a difference. I'm not trying to make a difference. I'll stop trying to make a difference. No way!
  • Lukin_ozLukin_oz Posts: 257
    Is there much difference between the tube screamer re-issue and the original? I used to own one (a reissue) and wasnt that impressed... however i was a lot less experienced so that was probably the problem... but do the reissues hold their own?
    Those who dance are called insane by those who dont hear the music
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by Lukin_oz
    Is there much difference between the tube screamer re-issue and the original? I used to own one (a reissue) and wasnt that impressed... however i was a lot less experienced so that was probably the problem... but do the reissues hold their own?

    Well, Ibanez has put out several different Tubescreamers. The original is the TS-808, very pricey. Next was the TS-9, the TS-10, the TS-7, the TS-5... all of these are Ibanez Tubescreamers. Most people refer to either the TS-808 or the TS-9. The TS-9 is most commonly referred to as the "reissue," but Ibanez has recently reissued the TS-808, further adding to the confusion.

    The key thing to mention here is that any tubescreamer sounds best in front of a tube amplifier. Tubescreamers are meant to push a tube amplifier into overdrive, so that the actual overdrive is induced by the pedal but created within the amplifier. Solid-state transistor amps just don't react the same way.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by Lukin_oz
    Is there much difference between the tube screamer re-issue and the original? I used to own one (a reissue) and wasnt that impressed... however i was a lot less experienced so that was probably the problem... but do the reissues hold their own?

    buy a Barber Direct Drive. 99 dollars. Pretty damn close to the original TS-808 with a little extra. If you want to tweak it the SS model is 30 bucks more. If you want a better version our own telesonic makes one for slightly more.

    check it out. http://www.barberelectronics.com



    Jason Barkers review and soundclips.

    http://www.steelbender.com/spotlightdirectdrive.html#audio
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    If you want a better version our own telesonic makes one for slightly more.

    http://www.shannon-effects.com

    For pretty pictures...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • Lukin_ozLukin_oz Posts: 257
    yeah my original amp i used it with was a shitty amp... i only recently upgraded to the valve. So do you guys with multi channel amps play the effects through the lean channel or gain channel (with the gain turned to down)?
    Those who dance are called insane by those who dont hear the music
  • LemonYellowSunLemonYellowSun Posts: 90
    I usually play any Overdrive pedal through the clean channel on my amp, unless I am going for a gain/volume boost, in which case I use it on the dirty channel or with another pedal on the clean. I find that it's hard to get the "slight" breakup sound to sound good on the dirty channel....IMHO.
    Cause I'll stop trying to make a difference. I'm not trying to make a difference. I'll stop trying to make a difference. No way!
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    I have three primary amps, and they're all single-channel. Distortion channels on anything but a Mesa Boogie are shite. I do own a Marshall tube (valve, whatever) 2-channel combo amp (haven't seen it in years, but it's mine), and I just drove my pedalboard into the clean channel.

    The problem with distortion-channels in tube amps is they try to get preamp tube distortion without that balls-out power tube compression and saturation. It ends up sounding like a bad distortion pedal into a transistor amp. That is, sterile, weak, and boxy.

    If you want good overdrive, get a slightly smaller amp and make it work slightly harder.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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