I've been using a Boss ME-70 for maybe two years, before that an ME-50. For me the ME-70 is a little more versatile than the 50. I like the fact that they are laid out like stompboxes, and are easy to use for someone as techno challenged as me.

I don't use the factory presets, like most multi effects they all seem pretty cheesy to me, I prefer to make my own presets, which is really simple. When I play out I run my 70 into either a Hughes and Kettner tube amp, or a Vox Night Train head and Egnater cab, depending on the size of the venue. I play in Church on a regular basis and stage volume is an issue so I run my 70 into a Sans Amp and into the board. I get great sound either way.

A friend of mine has a Line 6 HD500 and he gets some really great sounds but he spends literally hours fooling around with that thing. As for me I'll keep my ME-70 it's simple and effective and rugged.

The RP-7 has been discontinued for years. I had one for quite a number of years too and liked it. But I mostly used it for recording direct into my old Tascam MKII 414 cassette multitrack recorder.

Multi effect pedals can be great but then again, some have their own unique quirks and WILL NOT play nice with certain amps, whereas single pedals can be mixed and matched to do whatever you need.

That's an interesting concept. Get rid of the amp modeling and just bundle the pedals. Most of the amp models on both of my pedals are just crunch monsters anyway. They'd be great if I decide to start playing death metal.
I bought a Boss 7 band EQ. Monday at rehearsal I'll see if it helps and I'm going to try one of the other available amps, a Fender Supersonic. I'll get my tone one way or another.

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'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

Drew I have years of experience with a Line 6 podX3 live direct thru the PA at Church. I've found the softer you attack the guitar on the clean settings that you get a fuller sound with better lows and mids. I think that the problem lies in the digital model compressing the signal the harder you play. I don't know if this is true for all digital modeling but the more powerful the proccessors the closer to the real thing you can get. That explains the price difference between say a Boss ME-70 and an Ax-fx Ultra. The new HD500 is on my wish list. The amp modeling is much more responsive to my attack the way a tube amp would react. If you try playing direct and you have a good sound man use a direct box or boxes to split your signal wet and dry. You might be surprised at how good the dry signal from your guitar sounds thru the PA and if blended right it can make the cleans a little cleaner.

Bottom line there is no replacement for the real thing. Find a good old Fender with some 6V6s, a reverb tank, and a couple of 12 inch speakers. Lots of headroom just dial it in. If money is no object find a Matchless 2/12 combo. Throw some analog pedals with a noise gate in the mix. Hump all that equpment to your rehearsals and gigs, or compromise like I did and just carry a guitar and a shoulder bag to the jam... 95% of the people listening will never know the difference. The problem is the 5% who do and can't wait to tell you...

Not sure how your units work, but when I had my boss gt-10 there were several output settings. Depending on how you were playing there were outputs for headphones, combo amp, stack amp, etc. there was a huge difference in sound when you say for example had it set on a combo output vs. a stack output, etc. I never used the amp models through my amp in live settings, only through headphones. Anyway I ened up selling the unit, because i prefer the sound of analog stomps. I did keep my zoom so I could practice at night with headphones. check you manual if there are different settings for outputs based on what you are playing through.

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"Where would rock and roll be without feedback?"

Arnold; that's a good point. My Tonelab has output settings for Marshall, Fender and Vox. There is some differences in sound. The amp I usually use a practice is a Line 6, and I keep forgetting to try the different output settings. I'll try it tomorrow night. Thanks.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

Update: User Error, User Error!!!

Arnold reminded me I have four output settings. I played around with all of them and was able to tame the ice pick edge considerably. Plus, I switched to a Fender Bandmaster and that helped also. I still like the idea of the Boss pedal not doing any amp models and just giving you a bundle of pedals. But, for the time being, I'm good to go with this Vox. If my show this weekend goes okay, I'll post a clip of my sound. Of course, if we suck, I won't.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

Glad to hear it worked out. Always remember when in doubt....RTFM! Forget the amp models, just set your output correctly, tweak in your souds for you patches, and set your amp volume. Have fun with it.

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"Where would rock and roll be without feedback?"

I did a show yesterday with a three piece. I edited some lead parts from video that my daughter shot. You guys can critique my tone (or say my playing sucks, that's okay).
I'm using my Les Paul Faded, into a Vox Tonelab EX, into a Fender Supersonic amp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m81lA1b-N7E

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

Sounds like you had fun Drew but its hard to shoot the Sheriff with humbuckers. Might try to dial back the crunch and play that a little cleaner. The tone was mid heavy needed some bottom, and top sparkle. The second solo was much better. Sounded like you had the guitar dialed in and the band was tighter. Kudos!, and where did you get that bling?

I'm still learning about all of the effects. I had a Vox V845 Wah effect on for ISTS. I had trouble getting a good mid tone. It was either too low and muddy or too high and ready to feedback. I probably should have not used it but I thought it sounded kind of cool during rehearsals, when I could get it right. Our version of ISTS was a bit unorthodox anyway, the bass player spoke the words Leonard Cohen style, so I wasn't worried about not matching the previous versions. Thanks for listening.
The bling I found in a halloween store.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

I recently started using the BOSS ME-25 Multiple Effects Box and am very happy with its capabilities. actually it has far more capability than I need right now but that is a good thing as the last thing I want to do is buy a box that is going to fall short for me anytime soon. I did a complete review of the BOSS ME-25 Multiple Effects Box at the link below if more details that are too numerous to go into here would help.

http://www.geezerguitar.com/boss25rvu.html

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Tom Hintz, owner
Geezerguitar.com
NewWoodworker.com
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If I was looking for clean I would turn the effects off, just straight amp. I did the classic rock thing for years. All I used was my amp (Fender Ultimate Chorus) a wah and a fuzz pedal. I am not one to replicate someone elses sound. If the song was clean, I used what clean channel I had. If the song had crunch, I used the amps drive channel. I used the fuzz for lead boosts and the wah for fun. Thats it.

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