For the past couple of years I've done a lot of experimenting with pedals. I've tried all kinds, from inexpensive to boutique, found ones which fit my rig and ones which didn't as much. From this experience I know now what I like and what to look for, but what I've learned most of all is this bottom line: there is no substitute for plugging straight into the amp, and letting that tube amp cook!

There are some nice distortion/drive pedals out there, but they're really only approximating the sweet natural power amp distortion of a cranked amp, and many don't even come close. To even use a couple of pedals means adding usually at least another 10 feet of cable before the amp, which I notice makes a helluva difference for the worse.

I've got a small pedalboard together holding a few "keeper" pedals, but lately I only dig it out once in a while for kicks. Nowadays a strat through a nice tube amp is enough to keep me happy.

Hi Toronado: I SO agree!

I don't use too many pedals at any time, and the less the better, to my mind. And what's best of all is when you have the right amp that just sounds so gorgeous on its own you can play for hours of sheer tubesome joy without even thinking of adding other flavours.

'Course, which is the right amp, well that's a whole other thread...

Cheers - C

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I'm just getting into pedals myself. I'm using 5 right now, not including a tuner. I agree, I get real nice tone just switching between the two channels of a good tube amp. Pedals are a way to be lazy. You know when the solo comes around and you hit that button, you're going to get something different. And different is usually good, for a while. But some of these suckers are expensive and when the drummer starts beating, the difference between a $400 pedal and a $100 pedal, isn't quite as critical.
Eventually, I'll probably spring for a high quality amp, and just stick with that as my sound. Right now, I'm having fun with my pedal fetish.

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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

Fully agreed!!
Though I have to admit that I couldn't do without reverb, chorus and delay.
I also use an octaver but I use it very seldomly.

Once you've found an amp which you like, there's absolutely no need for any distortion pedal anymore, unless you wanna play on bedroom level or the amp doesn't have distortion at all.

My really good ProCo "You Dirty Rat" pedal is collecting dust!
Everything else got sold.

Well, some might be nice for additional boost, like the Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor and similar ones but actually you don't really NEED them.

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

I don't know how many people saw the recent Guitar Center Sessions concert/interview with Joe Walsh, but this is the second time I've heard him say in the past few months that the main advice he gives to aspiring guitar players is to forget about the racks of effects and "just plug your guitar into your amp, turn it up, and play!" Sound advice. He also revealed that his signature sound from "Funk 49" was just a Fender Telecaster played through a Fender Champ. He then went on to say some really interesting things about how the Champ has such a distinctive sound because it uses an 8-inch speaker instead of the far more common 10's and 12's.

Joe is a very thoughtful musician and had some really interesting things to say about modern digital vs. analog recording, as well as revealing what is the most challenging Eagles song for him to play well...every time! Any guesses?

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Most profound blues lyric, from Robert Johnson's Hell Hound On My Trail:

"If today was Christmas Eve, if today was Christmas Eve,
Tomorrow would be Christmas Day..."

I gave up on pedals sometime last century. I found they sound just good enough to make you want to buy them, then after a month or so the thrill wears off and they just start taking up space. For stuff like delays and reverbs I'll stick with my ancient Quadraverb, any other sound I want is just varying levels of compression, drive and EQ which I've got from my MIDI tube preamp.

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my stuff on soundcloud

Y'all seem to be advocating for my Mustang IV amp. Fake any pedal you want for a while. The 3 button switch gives you 3 options at any one time. Clean and 90s grunge, for example. Meantime treat it like a real amp. 2 by 12 Celestian speakers, 150 (solid state) watts. It's a 65 deluxe reverb, a twin, and a Marshall and everything in between. I don't yet have a place where I can turn the master volume past 2. Seems like I could challenge J Mascis himself in a volume contest if I turned it up a little.

Choose one option

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my stuff on soundcloud

touche!