More important: amp or pedals?

[paisleywookiee]

What kind of bleak hellscape is this, that I have to choose?

 

[V|J]

The more I read, I’m somehow agreeing with everything. Zoink!

 

[yeky83]

Yeah, I’m trying to imagine what these results would be in the pedal section of the other place!

I’m in the amp camp, myself. I feel like I’d rather deal with dialing in pedals I don’t know well to work with an amp I do know well rather than vice-versa. I don’t find a pedal into any amp’s clean channel/speaker gives at all predictable results and is for whatever reason more disorienting to me than adapting my expectations of my amp to deal with whatever turd OD I’ve been given.

It’s also a numbers game…? I don’t want to deal with figuring out and dialing in 7 random pedals to work nicely with each other on the spot for whatever hypothetical situation this is. I’d rather deal with an amp or an EQ pedal.

Like, give me a metal zone and it’s game over. I guess I can make use of it as a clean boost?

 

[HotRats]

#1. Once I have my amp pedals are just an additional color I might or might not use.

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

Given the 2 choices, I’d be fine either way I’m versatile

 

[DrewJD82]

What kinda gig is it?

If it’s metal, I go with option A, if it’s not metal, B.

I’m sure there’s one out there at this point, but I haven’t played through a pedal yet that does a modern metal tone into the front end of an amp. I suppose Ola’s Chug pedal is meant just for that, or into the Return, but I haven’t played it yet.

 

[Bob Zaod]

What kind of bleak hellscape is this, that I have to choose?

The joints where "We have backline amps" means we have a couple Marshall MG heads that work...most the time.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

The joints where "We have backline amps" means we have a couple Marshall MG heads that work...most the time.

Sounds like a place you’d feel right at home, Bob!

 

[Whizzinby]

What kind of bleak hellscape is this, that I have to choose?

In the internet gear forum simulation, there are no solutions, only compromises.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Changed my vote to reflect gigging reality

 

[Bob Zaod]

Sounds like a place you’d feel right at home, Bob!

Sounds like a place you’d feel right at home, Bob!

I spend where it's needed. I sold off my Mark V, Tremoverb, Mark III, JCM 800 2203, DR, 70's Twins, Hot Cat 30R all because I'm a player not a collector and I can get great tones out of just about anything. NOT an MG amp though. That is pure junk. If someone can't spend 500 on an amp and make it sound great then the problem isn't the gear.

 

[la szum]

Them there's fighting words, Bob.

 

[Bob Zaod]

Them there's fighting words, Bob.

 

[Whizzinby]

 

[metropolis_4]

If I knew I was going to face one of these scenarios I would absolutely go with I pick pedals somebody else picks amp!


If I pick the amp the only thing I have control over is the color and texture of clean and gain.

If I just assume some basic clean tone out of any amp I can put together a pedalboard to control everything I need: compression, EQ, clean and gain textures and colors, reverbs, delays, mod, pitch, etc.

Picking the pedals gives me more control of more variables by far than just picking the amp

 

[jellodog]

I've still never owned a Katana. My Katana opinions are only formed by what I've read on forums like this.

I feel like I've probably missed out on an important coming of age moment.

 

[Bob Zaod]

I've still never owned a Katana. My Katana opinions are only formed by what I've read on forums like this.

I feel like I've probably missed out on an important coming of age moment.

I had a MKI for a few years then went without for a couple years then bought a MKII and though it's an ok catchall solution, there's nothing exceptional about anything it does. Mine just collects dust these days. I have lent it out a couple times and thats it.

 

[la szum]

I've still never owned a Katana. My Katana opinions are only formed by what I've read on forums like this.

I feel like I've probably missed out on an important coming of age moment.

Me either. Not like a Katana is a Bar Mitzvah or something.

 

[Mooselake]

That's a tough one. If I could specify a 15W 3-channel amp with built in reactive load and IR loader I'd choose option 2. Otherwise, I'd pick option 1.