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Question: Should I use guitar effects!?
I'm really trying to decide how I should get my guitar tone!. My two choices, go with a marshall vintage modern and add a wah!. So a real simple vintage style setup!. Or get a great clean sounding amp and add a bunch of pedals for my main tone!. Eventually moving on to a rack system!. My main reasons I personally think the vintage method will sound better (maybe I'm wrong) because everybody says amp distortion sounds better than any pedal distortion even tube distortion pedals!. But at the same time I like the flexibility and convinience of using effects pedals, also can anybody tell me how I could plug my electric guitar after all my effects into the PA!? Maybe a DI box!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
This is my perspective!. After playing live for a couple of years, through a lot of gear changes, and having pretty much everything that could go wrong go wrong, my final conclusion is that it's best to keep things as simple as possible!.
Anticipate things getting bumped!. Anticipate batteries dying, power supplies failing, cords shorting out!. If you assume that just about anything can go wrong, and prepare for it, you'll be in a lot better place than many others!.
Don't use a DI box at the end of a path of guitar pedals - it won't sound very good!. Part of the function of the amp/speaker interaction is that they not only give you your volume and flavor your tone, but pumping your signal through speakers rolls off high-end frequency that would otherwise be hissy, shriekey, statickey, etc!. Roll of that high end and you're left with that great sound we all love!.
I've heard at least a few different ways of getting great tone without having to lug around a big ol' tube amp!. (i own a mesa boogie tremoverb, they are very heavy!)
One, you could use a smaller tube amp!. This would help you crank those power amps to get that thick saturated sound, but you could still use your fx pedals!. The epiphone valve jr can push a 4x12 stack, and it's only 5 watts, for instance!. By limiting your watts you decrease your max volume, but you also lower the point at which you start getting that cranked tone!. Try a couple, but you shouldn't need more than 50 watts of tube amp for just about any gig - the larger ones are all mic'd anyways!.
Two, you could use a solid state amp!. Look, Dimebag did it, so could you!. Tubes can break or blow, solid states are usually pretty durable!. A buddy of mine plays a Marshall MG!.!.!. while I don't think it sounds as good as my mesa, it's a *lot* less complicated and easy to use!. No tubes to worry about!.!.!.
Three, you could use some form of digital modeling!. I've used a couple, myself, umm!.!.!. Boss Gt-3, Line 6 Pod and Pod 2, Behringer Vamp Pro, a Digitech from back in the day!.!.!. Usually these things sound best when put through a power amp into a full-spectrum speaker, not a guitar speaker!. I've had some success putting them through my amp's fx return jack, too, so they aren't colored/cramped by the preamp!.
You can use a combination of a few of the above ideas - a multifx into a tube power amp, or a solid state into a speaker simulator!. SS into a spkr simulator into a tube power amp!.!.!. hmm!.!.!.
I mention tube power amps because the best heavy guitar tones I've ever heard came from a Helmet concert - they've got multiple amps and effects going into tube power amps, and it sounded soooo sick!.!.!.
Personally, I may just end up having to build what I want myself!.!.!. homebrew myself a preamp and cab simulator!.!.!.
Good luck, no matter which way you go! Don't forget to test drive a few different rigs so you know what you like and don't like!
SaulWww@QuestionHome@Com
Amp distortion better than Pedal Distortion!?!? Well it depends on the amp of course and the pedal but with a few exceptions of amps (Marshall, Randall, and Line 6) I've found that you can get a better and heavier distortion with lets say a Boss MT-2!. There's also way way way more tones you can get out of a pedal distortion than just a amp distortion!. As for the PA thing no clue
Only way I get my sound throught the PA is micing the ampWww@QuestionHome@Com
I assume that you are in a band!.
I had seen bands where guitarists use pedal racks with 5 or 6 pedals!.!.!.and guitarists who only use one!.
There are problems with separate pedal racks, for instance, you use 5 different pedal effect devices!. You need to know which pedal effect you need from one pedal and another one from another!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.They are often too bulky to set up and set down during gigs!.
Therefore!.!.!.!.!.
Best to have one multiple-pedal device, with each pedal giving off at least one different effect!. This will be less cumbersome to carry especially when you are touring a lot!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think that simple is the way to go!. A good clean amp with a distortion pedal and a wha is good!. The problem with amp distortion is your amp has to very loud!. I use a 50 watt Marshall tube amp!. I set it fairly clean and add a Ratt distortion pedal in front!. On plugging your amp into a P!.A!. use a microphone!. Have it pointed at one of your speakers!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
not neededWww@QuestionHome@Com
There are a million options!.!.!. You can go with all-in-one setups, like the Line 6 Pod XT Live, which I use!. It provides dozens of amp models, cabinet models, and effects, and has great tone!. Or you can go with a combo amp that provides a bunch of effects!. Or you can go with a simple amp, with or without distortion, and add as many pedals to the setup as you like!. You'd certainly need more that just a wah, though!. As far as plugging into the PA, it depends on what you're trying to do!. You can either mic your amp, or you can line directly out from most amps!. Don't think you'd want to use a DI box for this!.!.!. Whether you got an amp or a digital modeler like the Line 6 stuff, usually you put all the effects pedals in front of the amp in the signal chain!. Anyway, whatever amp you use, I think should at least have some distortion built in!. And you can also add a distortion pedal on top of it!. I recommend the BBE Green Screamer for distortion!. Everyone needs an MXR Phase-90 phaser!. Chorus and delay always come in handy!.!.!. I like the Visual Sound pedals for that!. Put a Boss Noise Suppressor in the chain right before the amp to cut out all the hiss and extra noise & you'll have a great tone!.
Can't go wrong with a Marshall, Mesa, or Orange amp, if you wanna go that route!. But I like Line 6 cause they give you the most variety for the price!.Www@QuestionHome@Com