Overdrive/distortion : amp or pedal (drive block) ?

what do you prefer ?

  • Total voters
    40
S

stef herbuel

Inspired
as there are different "school" about distorted sound, i'm a bit curious about this.
i know some always prefer make their dirty sound by the amp himself ,but, i also noticed that like andy summers , scott henderson etc like to take a clean amp and make their distortion only via pedal.in this case the sound seems more focused, more modern ...
(summers only used the od100 clean channel with pedal)

how do you in the axe ? if with pedal what is your favorite distortion ?
just curious :lol:
 
With my "real" amp (Rivera 2-12 combo) I always preferred a Tonebone Classic in front of the clean channel (Fender-voiced), but I think that had a lot to do with the fact that the drive channel on the Rivera is voiced similarly to a Marshall (800???), which isn't my thing.

With the Axe-FX, I find that the models that are known for OD sounds e.g. CAE, Solo, etc. are my favorites for distorted tones.

My very fav tones, however, are those that are just over the edge with a bit of added hair & harmonics.

But what do I know?
 
I've always been an amp distortion guy, so I've been using the Axe-FX the same way. But like with pretty much everything else about the Axe-FX, maybe I should rethink what I think I know about that. It could be completely different with the Axe-FX for all I know. I'm interested to see how this turns out. Hoping I can learn some stuff.
 
I always used pedals with a clean amp in my tube rig. I started doing that with the axe when I first got it but lately I have found my self using the amps like the soldano 100 and 99 for my high gain sounds and the eggy for my lower gain stuff and I love thr Dr z for clean
 
I almost never use the drive blocks for overdrive/distortion into a clean amp model. If I use them they are for boosts only (and often times I'll use a null filter instead).
 
jarrett said:
I've always been an amp distortion guy, ...
Click to expand...
Same here. But I try the drive/boost pedals to fatten/improve the signal. Still tweaking, but it already works for me.
jarrett said:
Hoping I can learn some stuff.
Click to expand...
That's one of the main things with the AXE: It's the hard and the fun part at the same time: You can learn so much about sound and different ways to get it done. It's u n b e l i e v a b l e!

Micha
 
thanks for your answers
that's really interesting , as many guitarists who cares a lot about tone prefer use pedals (i'm thinking scott henderson, mike :ugeek: landau, andy summers ,etc)
 
My usual "clean" sound is just a roll back on the volume knob on the guitar...so I am still on a somewhat overdriven amp setting and then use a drive block to boost.
I don't use a drive block on my actual clean patch...
 
My usual "clean" sound is just a roll back on the volume knob on the guitar
Click to expand...
+1
I use a NewRecto, PVH5105 or CA3LD and set the drive so that it sounds clear and with a bell like tone, not fuzzy.
When I roll back the volume on my guitar, I get a somewhat clean sound.
I have treble bleeds on all my guitars.
I mainly use a T808OD as a boost but lately I've been experimenting with a compressor (pedal) block.
With low gain amps, turning up the master volume can also add distortion.
I never used a pedal and clean amp but I'll look into it.
This is certainly one of the advantages of the Axe-fx.
 
I do both, so I can't cast a vote here I guess. It really depends on the amp and the type of distortion I'm after. Some cleaner amps only "dirty up" to a certain point and just sound like crap after that, in those cases a pedal works well. Also, sometimes I just want a quick way to get dirty without compensating for volume boost, etc, and in that case drive pedal works well. And finally, when you want clean->gritty->dirty it can be easily done with variable gain in conjunction with a bypassed Drive pedal in front.

Most of the time I try to get the tone I'm after with the amp first, and then start playing with Drive pedal options in front of it.

My personal favorite as far as distortion pedals go is (obviously highly subjective) is the TR808, it mates well with the lower-gain sounds I use most often. I usually have the drive set somewhere in the 2-3 range.
 
I didn't vote in the poll because I'm unclear if you're asking which I prefer when using "real" amps and pedals or when I'm using the AxeFx (for pedal sims and amps)? They are very different things to me, mainly because of the pedal sims. My favorite sound is a clean Fender amp with pedals for gain. I prefer this sound with real pedals and real amps.........I'm also just as happy with this sound when using real pedals and amp sims in the AxeFx. When using the pedal sims in the AxeFx though the results aren't as good for me (with a real amp or with AxeFx amp sims) because I just can't get the pedal sims to sound or react the same as my real pedals.

I like the AxeFx pedals sims acting more as a boost into an already dirty amp, but not as the sole source of gain into a clean amp (or amp sim).

p
 
Peter Hundley said:
I didn't vote in the poll because I'm unclear if you're asking which I prefer when using "real" amps and pedals or when I'm using the AxeFx (for pedal sims and amps)?
Click to expand...

it was in general , axe-fx or not :cool:
 
stef herbuel said:
[quote="Peter Hundley":10hj469y]I didn't vote in the poll because I'm unclear if you're asking which I prefer when using "real" amps and pedals or when I'm using the AxeFx (for pedal sims and amps)?
Click to expand...

it was in general , axe-fx or not :cool:[/quote:10hj469y]

Ok then, I just voted for gain pedal into a clean amp. :D

But NOT with the gain pedal sims in the AxeFx, they just don't work for me.

p
 
Depends on what I want.

On the softer side of distortion, If I want a Hendrix type blues sound, it's most likely a stomp, if I want a Page type blues sound it's most likely all amp.

On the heavier side of distortion, If I want an Incubus type heavy rhythm, it might be a little of both, but then again If I want a Tool type grind it's definitely ALL amp.

However, if I'm just going for "all me" then I just go with whatever gets that sound in my head to the speakers, or with whatever works with the mix.
 
stef herbuel said:
thanks for your answers
that's really interesting , as many guitarists who cares a lot about tone prefer use pedals (i'm thinking scott henderson, mike :ugeek: landau, andy summers ,etc)
Click to expand...

Seems like you might be suggesting that these players use pedals because it gives them better tone. I would say that most players do this because it gives them much more versatility. There is only so much you can do with cranked amp distortion, while using different pedals into a clean amp gives you more options. Before the Axe-Fx, I was a pedals into clean amp guy or at least a channel switcher. Now I prefer to crank the amp sims for distortion and use the drive for boost for less distorted sounds. I love the sound of Dr. Z with an OD boost in front.
 
Gizmo said:
Seems like you might be suggesting that these players use pedals because it gives them better tone. I would say that most players do this because it gives them much more versatility.
Click to expand...

well i don't really know , but scott henderson discussed a lot about why he didn't like much distortion with preamp and valve ("muddy sound" he said i think) , mike landau use both (cae preamp or maxon sd9 etc) , and andy summers was in one of the last band (the police) where he can travels with LOTS of gear (he was in wet dry wet etc) , so if he wanted a crancked amp for dirt he could have.idem for the edge from U2. of course all these guys plays "medium" gain, not "hi gain"....but i don't know if versatility is the "key" for them ... it's seems to be a "tone" choice...
so i don't say it's better or not, i'm really curious about how many are using this way to do dirty sound.the poll shows that there are not so much :!: interesting !
 
stef herbuel said:
Gizmo said:
Seems like you might be suggesting that these players use pedals because it gives them better tone. I would say that most players do this because it gives them much more versatility.
Click to expand...

well i don't really know , but scott henderson discussed a lot about why he didn't like much distortion with preamp and valve ("muddy sound" he said i think) , mike landau use both (cae preamp or maxon sd9 etc) , and andy summers was in one of the last band (the police) where he can travels with LOTS of gear (he was in wet dry wet etc) , so if he wanted a crancked amp for dirt he could have.idem for the edge from U2. of course all these guys plays "medium" gain, not "hi gain"....but i don't know if versatility is the "key" for them ... it's seems to be a "tone" choice...
so i don't say it's better or not, i'm really curious about how many are using this way to do dirty sound.the poll shows that there are not so much :!: interesting !
Click to expand...

I don't prefer either. It depends what I am playing. Right tool for the right job.
 
stef herbuel said:
well i don't really know , but scott henderson discussed a lot about why he didn't like much distortion with preamp and valve ("muddy sound" he said i think) , mike landau use both (cae preamp or maxon sd9 etc) , and andy summers was in one of the last band (the police) where he can travels with LOTS of gear (he was in wet dry wet etc) , so if he wanted a crancked amp for dirt he could have.idem for the edge from U2. of course all these guys plays "medium" gain, not "hi gain"....but i don't know if versatility is the "key" for them ... it's seems to be a "tone" choice...
so i don't say it's better or not, i'm really curious about how many are using this way to do dirty sound.the poll shows that there are not so much :!: interesting !
Click to expand...
To me it definitely is a tone choice. Sounds bigger to me when mixing both worlds. Never liked the super high gain channels of modern amps. I'd rather do it with a cleanish Marshall and a drive pedal in front. Just my opinion, nothing more, nothing less :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom