Pedals vs no pedals

flying_pie

I sometimes just take my guitar to rehearsal, particularly if it's working on songs that don't need pedals. It's nice to just plug in and have to rely on your guitar controls /technique. 

But when it comes to gigging, as a guitarist and vocalist, I find using a multi FX with amp channel switching to be much more practical. Often I'm concentrating more on singing/frontman duties and knowing what sound you have with any given stomp is much more useful than fiddling with volume controls. 

timmysoft

I’m going to do a whole rehearsal tonight without any effects or switching, if I can do the whole set without crying then I’m going full on amp only.

AlexC

I’m one of those annoying sods who tends to change their sound for every song. (Obviously I use a tone more than once.) But I only have 8 pedals - 1 of which is a tuner, 1 of which is a looper. Because I have a modelling amp. Which many players don’t like, but I love it. Peavey Vyper. Even got reverse and a ring mod built in.
but yes - I also agree that plugging straight in and getting on with it is a joy. Especially if you’re just rocking out, or playing clean. I’ll often practice and write using an acoustic anyway, which negates the whole issue.

rico

I have gone through a number of drives and fuzzes only to get a Matamp and they have all been rendered useless. The drive is sensational. 

Anacharsis

Depends. I have a lot of drive pedals. I keep them because I don't compare their sounds to amp drive. Pedals have a certain edge to them that some dismiss as inferior, but I love. So they provide sounds I don't get from an amp, while not replacing the drive I could only get from an amp. Also, switching between sounds in real time is simple with pedals. With amps, you get into multiple channels, likely needing their own EQ, and so on.

BUT...I've known many a player who are guitar - amp only. It really depends on what you play, how you play, and what you like to hear when you play.

simonbeckwith

@timmysoft how did it go? As you know with my change of amp, last practice I used two pedals.... A TU2 and a NS2. Didn't feel the need for my Carbon Copy or TS9. I'll never not have a wah though. 

timmysoft

simonbeckwith said:

@timmysoft how did it go? As you know with my change of amp, last practice I used two pedals.... A TU2 and a NS2. Didn't feel the need for my Carbon Copy or TS9. I'll never not have a wah though. 

It’s a difficult one, my amp sounds fantastic either direct or with my board in front. The board definitely gives me more versatility and I can add stuff into the songs but the amp on its own just delivers raw aggression and it’s great fun to play! 

Still undecided. 

simonbeckwith

Not a bad thing if it gives versatility, just balancing playing and tap dancing! 

timmysoft

simonbeckwith said:

Not a bad thing if it gives versatility, just balancing playing and tap dancing! 

It happened last night, my choice was to play straight in and it just worked so much better. 

Theres something about the interaction that I just don’t get with pedals, it just feels better without them.

pedals getting removed from board and put on eBay tonight! 

stickyfiddle

Why even bother with an amp? Just mic up your guitar and turn the PA up. Or use a dreadnought if you need more volume? In fact, with modern microphones & PAs you could even go to a nylon-string acoustic for ultimate connection between your fingers and the sound. Because that's the end-game of refusing to use pedals in the name of purity, isn't it?

Or maybe... it doesn't matter as long as it sounds good? 

timmysoft

stickyfiddle said:

Why even bother with an amp? Just mic up your guitar and turn the PA up. Or use a dreadnought if you need more volume? In fact, with modern microphones & PAs you could even go to a nylon-string acoustic for ultimate connection between your fingers and the sound. Because that's the end-game of refusing to use pedals in the name of purity, isn't it?

Or maybe... it doesn't matter as long as it sounds good? 

I’m definitely not after purity. I want my guitar to sound like a slut 

viz

This is the way I think of it. Pedals fall into two categories - tone enhancers and special effects. 

Tone enhancers: OD, EQ, boost, maybe compressor. 

Special effects: phaser, wah, flanger, chorus, pitch shift, delay, tremolo, univibe, ring mod, reverb ...

Tone enhancers are really an extension of the instrument (meaning the end-to-end chain from instrument to amp). Aspects of them already naturally occur in amp design, intentionally or unintentionally and altering the settings on your OD or compressor is a bit like tweaking the capacitances or resistances at various points in your pickups, cable or amp. Even though they alter the tone they sound (or should sound) transparent and natural. Many of them will qualify as ‘always on’ effects. 

Whereas special effects add something but they also take something away. It’s a bit like putting sunglasses on. They can seem interesting but you can get weary of them and sometimes it’s nice to take them off again and see the world as it really is.

Some of the special effects are more natural than others - analogue delay and reverb for example let the original sound through as well as an affected sound.

stickyfiddle

timmysoft said:

stickyfiddle said:

Why even bother with an amp? Just mic up your guitar and turn the PA up. Or use a dreadnought if you need more volume? In fact, with modern microphones & PAs you could even go to a nylon-string acoustic for ultimate connection between your fingers and the sound. Because that's the end-game of refusing to use pedals in the name of purity, isn't it?

Or maybe... it doesn't matter as long as it sounds good? 

I’m definitely not after purity. I want my guitar to sound like a slut 

That's absolutely fine. I was being a little silly on purpose (obviously, hopefully!)

The point is there's more than one way to skin a cat, and the "how" isn't important as long as the end result is good. People get far too hung up on this stuff. 

That's not to say I don't have a healthy obsession with dirt pedals, but that's because they're fun, not because I'm under any illusions that they makes the music inherently better by themselves.

sgosden

stickyfiddle said:

timmysoft said:

stickyfiddle said:

Why even bother with an amp? Just mic up your guitar and turn the PA up. Or use a dreadnought if you need more volume? In fact, with modern microphones & PAs you could even go to a nylon-string acoustic for ultimate connection between your fingers and the sound. Because that's the end-game of refusing to use pedals in the name of purity, isn't it?

Or maybe... it doesn't matter as long as it sounds good? 

I’m definitely not after purity. I want my guitar to sound like a slut 

That's absolutely fine. I was being a little silly on purpose (obviously, hopefully!)

The point is there's more than one way to skin a cat, and the "how" isn't important as long as the end result is good. People get far too hung up on this stuff. 

That's not to say I don't have a healthy obsession with dirt pedals, but that's because they're fun, not because I'm under any illusions that they makes the music inherently better by themselves.

not sure pedals would help skin a cat. most are pretty blunt. much better for bludgeoning...