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distortion pedal or volume pedal

ucsbucsb Posts: 58
edited February 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
aite guys i need a lil bit of a kick because i have a GH 50 all tube Laney head with like one channel...but there is an overdrive on it. so as far as the clean and distortion i am really happy with the amp....the only thing is i kinda wished that there was like a third channel just for a boost not for tone..for leads....so the thing is what should i do.....i dont want to get a dist. pedal cuz i dont want to alter the tone at all.....and i dont really want a dist pedal....just a increase in the volume....the only thing is i think an overdrive or something is a better idea than a volume pedal....so gimme ur oppinion!
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Comments

  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    does it have an effects loop? you could put a slight volume boost in the effects loop using a straight boost pedal like a microamp.
  • MissYouAllDayMissYouAllDay Posts: 939
    Yah there are some overdrives that can also work as a good clean boost. Such as the tube screamer.
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  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Volume pedals are basically like the volume knob on your guitar, only in a pedal... they don't add anything, they can just take away (the nature of passive electronics).

    I'd look at either a clean boost (Micro Amp, etc) or a Tubescreamer (TS-9, etc). With a Tubescreamer, you'd just keep the gain down and push the volume and adjust the tone to taste. Either one would work. I'd use it out front, not in the FX loop, but that's arguable.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • BeavBeav Posts: 223
    I've never acually tried this but an EQ pedal might do the trick.
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  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Beav wrote:
    I've never acually tried this but an EQ pedal might do the trick.


    If nothing else, an EQ pedal would have a volume boost.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • 62strat62strat Posts: 638
    mccreadyisgod wrote:
    Volume pedals are basically like the volume knob on your guitar, only in a pedal... they don't add anything, they can just take away (the nature of passive electronics).

    I'd look at either a clean boost (Micro Amp, etc) or a Tubescreamer (TS-9, etc). With a Tubescreamer, you'd just keep the gain down and push the volume and adjust the tone to taste. Either one would work. I'd use it out front, not in the FX loop, but that's arguable.


    so argue it with greg, the micro amp out front, or to the side with the fx loop...

    what would the difference be?

    and then if in the pedal board, where would one put it in the chain?
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    A boss GE-7 EQ might do the trick.

    other than that, some kind of clean boost. it just depends on how loud you want to go and how much compression you need.

    likely you'll have to try 2-3 or maybe even one or two together before you find the character you want.

    I'd even look into a treble booster. Tony Iommi used rangemasters on Laney's in his black sabbath days.
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  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    any volume boost in front of the preamp is just going to push the preamp more and result less of a volume boost and more of a distortion increase.

    a volume boost in the effects loop after the preamp is going to (assuming the power amp isn't saturated) simply bump the volume without affecting the tone coming out from the preamp.

    the equalizer pedal is a good idea if you can find one that doesn't hiss. then you have some tone shaping options which is a bonus in this application as a lead boost.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    exhausted wrote:
    any volume boost in front of the preamp is just going to push the preamp more and result less of a volume boost and more of a distortion increase.

    a volume boost in the effects loop after the preamp is going to (assuming the power amp isn't saturated) simply bump the volume without affecting the tone coming out from the preamp.

    the equalizer pedal is a good idea if you can find one that doesn't hiss. then you have some tone shaping options which is a bonus in this application as a lead boost.


    Everything you said is correct...

    And, if you were using a transparent clean boost, or an EQ pedal, I'd put it in the FX loop. But if you were using something like a treble booster or other form of volume boost, I'd throw it out front. Let the preamp smooth it out a little.

    That last part, about shaping your lead tone with an EQ, is a great advantage. You can give yourself a more present tone when you kick into leads.

    The biggest difference I see between putting the boost out front versus an FX loop is: 1) do you have an FX loop? and 2) you'll have to run two cables to the boost, as opposed to just putting in the pedal line.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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