Question about pedal platform amps

[BahamaDada]

What are some good clean pedal platform amps, that won't bust the bank?

Mainly looking for suggestions what to look into. Ideas. I have some kind of vision what I search/need in the OD sound of an amp, but never cared for the clean and how it plays with pedals.

Until now I only cared for the "built-in" OD tones of amps, but with a growing pedalboard I start to care more for how does the amp sound clean and how does it react to my dirt boxes.

Is a tube amp still the go-to here (like it would be for me when it comes to overdrive) or will a solid state like a Katana do the trick as pedal platform?

Use case: Mostly home, but if it could compete with an average drummer I wouldn't be mad.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Blackstar Amp 1

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[norminal]

No trying to sound like a dick, but you can hook pedals to any amp. Not sure what makes an amp a “pedal platform,” but in my 35+ years of playing guitar, I’ve yet to come across an amp that won’t “take pedals.”

Hell, my buddy uses pedals with his $99 BlackStar ID: Core amp.

 

[HomespunEffects]

No trying to sound like a dick, but you can hook pedals to any amp. Not sure what makes an amp a “pedal platform,” but in my 35+ years of playing guitar, I’ve yet to come across an amp that won’t “take pedals.”

Vox valvetronix vt40 will not take pedals with any sort of gain. My Marshall Vintage Modern didn’t like any boost until I modded the Body channel. Vox AC30 C2X is crap for boost up front or any instrument level pedal in the loop.

There are amps that don’t take pedals well.

OP, otherwise there are hundreds of other ideas. Are we to consider budget? Does it have to be a combo?

A used Marshall DSL40C (or CR) with an upgraded speaker is always a good suggestion. The clean channel is way better than something like a Fender hotrod Deluxe. If you want portability, a Bluguitar Amp1 Mercury (or Iridium) and a small cabinet is really great.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Fender is what most pedal companies voice their pedals to. A Hot Rod Deluxe would be fine, they're probably the most common "platform" amp in backlines etc.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Fender is what most pedal companies voice their pedals to. A Hot Rod Deluxe would be fine, they're probably the most common "platform" amp in backlines etc.

If the Fender Deluxe is within your budget it’s a really safe, great sounding choice. I wish I tried one years ago when a salesman suggested it to me. I wasn't using pedals then and looking for something with an onboard dirty channel. I honestly believe that most if not all pedal manufacturers use the Deluxe as one of the standard amps to tweak:test their pedals with. You can hardly go wrong with one. They are everywhere used if that helps get it in the ballpark of your budget.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Ugh, the hotdog Deluxe is the most toneless amp in the world. Totally insipid. It’s popular though.

 

[metropolis_4]

It really depends on what tonal qualities you’re looking for and what pedals.

Different amps respond to different pedals in very different ways.

I used to gravitate to Vox when I did this because the clean tones had so much more depth and character, and they added more of a flavor to drive pedals. Fender amps were always too clean, flat, and “polite” for me.

But I’ve heard guys say Vox amps are terrible with pedals and guys who say Fender are the ultimate pedal amps.

Some pedal makers also voice their pedals with a specific amp in mind, so you’ll find pedals designed to work best with a Fender, or a Vox, or a Marshall

 

[DrewJD82]

I consider “playing well with an amp” to mean I can just throw the pedal in front of the amp, not adjust the amp to accommodate the pedal and I’m good to go. I actually preferred the Hot Rod Deluxe over the DRRI exactly for this reason, the DRRI can be spikey in the treble and getting dirt pedals to play nice without dialing the treble back, sacrificing the clean tone, wasn’t as easy as it was with the HRD for me.

An unless it’s a boost for high gain, I’m not a big fan of other dirt pedals into the Peavey XXX or 5150 lineage. Haven’t tried it with my EVH head, but I’ve never been able to throw a dirt pedal in front of a Peavey without tweaking the shit out of the amp’s EQ.

 

[FuzzyAce]

It really depends on what tonal qualities you’re looking for and what pedals.

Different amps respond to different pedals in very different ways.

I used to gravitate to Vox when I did this because the clean tones had so much more depth and character, and they added more of a flavor to drive pedals. Fender amps were always too clean, flat, and “polite” for me.

But I’ve heard guys say Vox amps are terrible with pedals and guys who say Fender are the ultimate pedal amps.

Some pedal makers also voice their pedals with a specific amp in mind, so you’ll find pedals designed to work best with a Fender, or a Vox, or a Marshall

I've always enjoyed Fender, still do, but the older I get the more I enjoy Vox voiced cleans and/or a Hiwatt style front end. They just seem to break up in a very pleasing way and do sound great with drive pedals. Tweed Fenders are a different beast and I like those as well.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Fender is what most pedal companies voice their pedals to. A Hot Rod Deluxe would be fine, they're probably the most common "platform" amp in backlines etc.

I though it was a Princeton. Or is that just Howard Gee era Catalinbread.

 

[KingsXJJ]

I consider “playing well with an amp” to mean I can just throw the pedal in front of the amp, not adjust the amp to accommodate the pedal and I’m good to go. I actually preferred the Hot Rod Deluxe over the DRRI exactly for this reason, the DRRI can be spikey in the treble and getting dirt pedals to play nice without dialing the treble back, sacrificing the clean tone, wasn’t as easy as it was with the HRD for me.

An unless it’s a boost for high gain, I’m not a big fan of other dirt pedals into the Peavey XXX or 5150 lineage. Haven’t tried it with my EVH head, but I’ve never been able to throw a dirt pedal in front of a Peavey without tweaking the shit out of the amp’s EQ.

Mine is an LE DRRI which has a Jensen P12Q. Maybe that’s the difference. Sounds great. I use the normal channel. The only adjustment (and it works on all my dirt pedals) is treble on 4 instead of 5.

I have a LE Princeton with the same speaker and setting. It also sounds great. Makes it easy to switch amps with no fuss.

 

[HomespunEffects]

My hatred of the Hotdog Deluxe may be irrational. When I first started getting back into playing, I joined the church band and they bought one for me to use. At least they said they bought it for me. It sounded so bland that I was happy when the banjo player took it. I hate banjos, too.

 

[BahamaDada]

First of all thank you for the answers and suggestions. As I said I am looking for ideas and suggestions because this is a "branch" of amp types/uses I never considered to be viable for me. Or interesting at all. My OD tones came from the amp until now. Won't run to the next store tomorrow to buy an amp. An idea has to form in my mind about what I want/need and I need your precious insight for that. More on that at the end.

Trying to reply most stuff without quotes.

You could use any amp in the world, but sometimes it wouldn't sound good bc the amp won't take pedals well. My understanding of taking pedals well is it just sounds good with them.

Not looking in any particularly direction regarding combo vs. amp/cab. Both have their pros and cons.

There's no particular budget. The most tones for the least moneys I would say?

Tones I like and want to have: Marshally crunch (Xotic SL Drive) and just higher gain distortion (EHX Nano MetalMuff). Yet I am not searching 7string Drop A chugs. Drop C is the lowest tuning any of my guitars have , most of the time I play Standard E or Drop D. But if those Metalcore riffs in Drop C aren't as *authentic* I don't care. That's just for fun. Nice (heavier) crunch in all variations is the goal. Somewhere down the line I want a really gnarly Fuzz (Think "Devil In A Midnight Mass" by Billy Talent).

Just thoughts on this:
- Can I go the Katana route and just use something like that as a clean platform? Cheap as hell especially now with MKIII and all the cheap MKIIs.
- Would a cheap tube amp like the Harley Benton Tube 15 be enough? (You know, the Stageright Monoprice thing in the States)
- Is a tubey Fender (Deluxe) the go-to and can it do higher gain stuff? (as I said: No chugga chugga live). Wonderful cleans. Like to use it in my Helix.
- Would then a Tonemaster Fender be the ultimate weapon?
- Should I search in the Plexi kinda area bc at the volume I play Plexis stay clean and I guess it would pair nice with the SL Drive?
- Or would I rather just buy any popular tube amp (e.g. a Marshall DSL40) and use the solely the clean (and have a drive channel as bonus)

 

[FuzzyAce]

I hate banjos, too.

 

[HomespunEffects]

- Would then a Tonemaster Fender be the ultimate weapon?

Those are pretty sweet.

 

[Whizzinby]

I want another SLO, primarily to use as a clean pedal/effect platform.






File this under “posts that will not remotely help the OP”

 

[Whizzinby]

- Or would I rather just buy any popular tube amp (e.g. a Marshall DSL40) and use the solely the clean (and have a drive channel as bonus)

Actually not a bad shout. I had the 40 combo for a bit. Lots of good tube driven headroom. I really enjoyed the cleans I got from it with my pedalboard at the time. Plus you’d get all the gained up Marshall tones as a bonus.

Otherwise when I think of pedal platform I think of a blackface fender, AC variant or Jazz Chorus.

 

[BahamaDada]

I want another SLO, primarily to use as a clean pedal/effect platform.






File this under “posts that will not remotely help the OP”

Never played a real SLO, but the Solo Clean in the Helix is a very nice and bold clean channel, that can be dialed in in almost any way.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Maybe it's my distaste for most speakers used in Fender amps but I haven't played gain pedals into a Fender amp that really amazed me. I've only tried a few with Celestions and those were seemingly better.

Your Katana idea isn't a bad one simply because with all of the Pre and Post EQ options, you can make that blank canvas sound however you want.

Anything with a really good, really sculptable clean channel fits the bill for me.