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Post by Colchar on Dec 13, 2015 5:50:54 GMT
Alright, I need some help as I don't really use pedals so don't know much about them. I am grabbing that Class 5 from a friend this week. It has the low power switch and that might work for me when it comes to getting overdrive at low volumes. If it doesn't, I am going to have to use a pedal. But I don't know squat about them  What I want to do is to push the amp into a bit of overdrive without increasing the volume (or without significantly increasing it). Is this possible? If so, how do I go about doing so? Am I better off using a clean boost or should I use an overdrive pedal for more versatility? If so, should it be a transparent overdrive? And am I right in assuming that a true bypass pedal is the way to go? And does anyone have any recommendations? Since I am only a bedroom player I don't want to spend a bunch of money. Because it is such a classic pedal I was looking up info on Tube Screamers. In doing so I realized that the cheap clone from Joyo gets a lot of love with many saying it is actually better than a real TS (it seems that many of the TS clones, even the cheap ones, are considered to be better than the TS itself). Their Ultimate Drive, which is a clone of the OCD, also gets a lot of love. I was reading about the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food pedal as well. When I first looked up reviews of it I did so because of its price (about $95 new) and had no idea that it was a clone of that Klon pedal. I haven't a clue what that Klon thing is and whether it really is amazing or whether that is all hype so I wasn't looking for a similar pedal, but I must say that I have liked how the Soul Food sounded in the videos I have seen. If I remember correctly, someone over in the MH thread had a Klon. But back to my original issue - is it possible to goose an amp without significantly increasing the volume? If so, am I better off with a boost or an overdrive? If an overdrive, what are your thoughts on the ones I have mentioned? If I understood it correctly, the Soul Food is both a boost and an overdrive so maybe that might be the way to go especially because I like how it sounds? Or are there any other pedals that people here would recommend, keeping in mind that the Class 5 can be a little bass heavy. |
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 13, 2015 7:15:48 GMT
I'd wait until you get the amp and see what all it will do....
I like a boost on a Fender type preamp (or any tube pre pretty much)...
A pure boost is simply that, increase in signal level. It will push the preamp tubes harder.
I think of it as fattening the signal and making it greasy....spanky stank...
Any distortion is NOT coming from the pedal, rather in the preamp stage in the amp. The pedal increases amplitude of what comes in with no coloring/alteration.
You can have the amp clean and when you need stank, kick the boost to shove the preamp over the cliff a bit. The output is a bit distorted but nowhere near the level of kicking a rock and roll nuclear stomp... Just fat and sassy...
With a distortion stomp, you are actually distorting the guitar signal in the stomp and the already distorted signal goes into the preamp stage of amp which may distort it even more depending on settings...
A lot of folks use just boost to spank the preamp. That gives them a fat ass tone without killing folks and small animals out front.
Everybody needs to be in front of a Super Reverb once or twice when cranked enough to really break up.... You'll hear whistling in your ears for a couple days....
With a boost stomp kick it on a solo, you get hot & nasty at much much lower volume... and it sounds natural because it IS natural thick tube gravy on the signal...
Remember, the standard Fenders ain't got nary damn Master Volume. Booster is da Rooster on a Fender...
Some may disagree, don't care... Just how I sees and hears it, mang...
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Post by Colchar on Dec 13, 2015 7:41:33 GMT
Oh yeah, I am definitely waiting until I see what the amp is like with the low power switch engaged. I was just bored and was reading/watching reviews so figured I would post the thread.
While the Class 5 is a Marshall, it doesn't have a master volume either.
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Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 13, 2015 16:30:32 GMT
Also remember there are a few other elements in an overdriven sound. There's preamp drive and power amp drive. The signal fed to the preamp mainly determines that drive, whether it's 'over' loaded or not that is. The overall volume of the amp determines how hard the power tubes are working. Which is the main reason lower wattage amps are preferred by some. (Me included). Then there's the amount of treble boost or cut going into the preamp. Brian May for instance uses treble boost If I remember correctly. I personally like using a graphic and/or a parametric EQ going into the preamp. That I think gives you much more control of the frequencies that are clean or overdriven. Too much bass for instance can muddy up your overdrive. And an eq can get so much more out of any overdrive or distortion pedal. The thing you want to decide is, do you want primarily the overdriven tone of the preamp itself, or the character of what a pedal provides. then of course...there's speaker strain and flap.....  Btw. The Blues Deluxe does have a master volume. Between that, the reverb, and an efx loop...it's why I chose it over some other Fender amps. |
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 13, 2015 17:08:23 GMT
I prefer that speakers not enter into the equation other than to be transparent... Zats why I be lovin JBLs...
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Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 13, 2015 21:44:04 GMT
Shut up
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Post by Colchar on Dec 13, 2015 22:53:57 GMT
Oh no, Friggsley is picking a fight with a mod!!! sFun_slapfight_zpsxfyov2nv |
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Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 14, 2015 0:34:12 GMT
He contradicted the Very Important Pie. Why should I put up with that shit?
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Post by Colchar on Dec 14, 2015 1:56:20 GMT
He contradicted the Very Important Pie. Why should I put up with that shit? Because, unlike you, he comes to this fight armed  |
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 14, 2015 1:58:39 GMT
I can't, I'll explode..... |
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Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 14, 2015 2:00:34 GMT
Dec 13, 2015 20:56:20 GMT -5 colchar said:
Dec 13, 2015 19:34:12 GMT -5 mindfrigg said:
He contradicted the Very Important Pie. Why should I put up with that shit?
Because, unlike you, he comes to this fight armed
In this case you are correct. However in a battle of wits it's a different story all together.
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 14, 2015 2:30:26 GMT
I ain't be knowin nuttin....
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Post by Colchar on Dec 14, 2015 6:08:18 GMT
In this case you are correct. However in a battle of wits it's a different story all together. Correct. In that he comes with a nuclear arsenal. You? Not so much  |
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Post by Colchar on Dec 14, 2015 6:08:52 GMT
I ain't be knowin nuttin.... Perhaps not, but compared to Friggsley you are Stephen Hawking. |
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 14, 2015 14:53:03 GMT
I ain't be knowin nuttin.... Perhaps not, but compared to Friggsley you are Stephen Hawking. hahahaha.... I just spit coffee.... |
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Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 15, 2015 1:14:15 GMT
I ain't be knowin nuttin.... Perhaps not, but compared to Friggsley you are Stephen Hawking. Ain't it the truth. He drools on himself often. too far? |
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Post by Colchar on Dec 15, 2015 1:26:45 GMT
Perhaps not, but compared to Friggsley you are Stephen Hawking. Ain't it the truth. He drools on himself often. too far?  I just snarfed my coffee. Well played Sir, well played indeed. |
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 15, 2015 1:55:48 GMT
I see how y'all gonna be... |
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Post by Mindfrigg on Dec 15, 2015 1:59:28 GMT
Ah now. You know it's all just indian burns and wet willies. And atomic wedgies.
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Post by melvindale on Dec 16, 2015 16:22:47 GMT
Did you get the amp yet? and . . . . . .
I've got some ideas, but wanted to see/hear what you thought of the amp - what it does and doesn't do for you.
Looking for more edge or dirt, etc.
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Post by Colchar on Dec 16, 2015 22:36:36 GMT
Did you get the amp yet? and . . . . . . I've got some ideas, but wanted to see/hear what you thought of the amp - what it does and doesn't do for you. Looking for more edge or dirt, etc. Yes, I got it yesterday. It sounds good (there is a noise issue though...I will post another thread about that in a little while) but even with the low watt switch engaged it is still too loud to get any real overdrive without disturbing other people. I think a pedal is going to necessary. |
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 17, 2015 2:04:23 GMT
Get a good stomp and start with kicking the boost level with no distortion and see if you can shove that preamp over the edge to get that real spanky stank... Somebody may have that yellow DOD on sale for 49.00 somewhere..I bought mine from Mus Friend. GC had 'em on sale a week or two back...... Does ok... www.amazon.com/DOD-Overdrive-250-Analog-Preamp/dp/B00GTYDBVG |
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Post by melvindale on Dec 17, 2015 20:46:30 GMT
Did you get the amp yet? and . . . . . . I've got some ideas, but wanted to see/hear what you thought of the amp - what it does and doesn't do for you. Looking for more edge or dirt, etc. Yes, I got it yesterday. It sounds good (there is a noise issue though...I will post another thread about that in a little while) but even with the low watt switch engaged it is still too loud to get any real overdrive without disturbing other people. I think a pedal is going to necessary. It's an amplifier Colin - it's supposed to make noise - that's the whole purpose . . . . sheesh
With what you have posted I don't think any sort of boost is a viable option, so I'll stick to OD (which still may not be enough) Yes - The Soul Food is a great little pedal and may be enough, I also like the very tiny Dano 'Pastrami' Overdrive.
The only issue with that pedal is you may have to kiss a couple of frogs before you find a prince.
The larger Daddy-O series from Danelectro is also extremely versatile and goes from mild to pretty wild for an OD (used are fairly cheap - they take up a lot of pedalboard space and I think that's why)
Lastly in this category is the ever trusty Blues Driver from Boss - I have both the Keeley mod as well as stock (to be honest stock is fine)
I'm not a big (like never) user of distortion, so I'll leave that to others - I do have a T-Bone Distortion pedal from Dano, and if you lived closer . . . well.
I'm keeping this on the low end of the money spectrum - I use a Blackstone, but even used they're about a buck and a half.
Good luck on your ToneQuest
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Post by thumpalumpacus on Dec 19, 2015 13:12:13 GMT
I personally like using a graphic and/or a parametric EQ going into the preamp. That I think gives you much more control of the frequencies that are clean or overdriven. This. My first amp was an early 50s Harmony H303 that wouldn't distort for love nor money ... so I got a Boss graphic EQ pedal and kicked the shit out of the front end of the amp. |
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Post by Maxwell on Dec 19, 2015 13:16:27 GMT
They can sound sweet when you boost the signal and bitchslap a tube preamp stage...
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Post by Schidney on Dec 19, 2015 13:35:37 GMT
I personally like using a graphic and/or a parametric EQ going into the preamp. That I think gives you much more control of the frequencies that are clean or overdriven. This. My first amp was an early 50s Harmony H303 that wouldn't distort for love nor money ... so I got a Boss graphic EQ pedal and kicked the shit out of the front end of the amp. Used to have a Boss EQ pedal meself some 20 odd years ago. Hell of a racket when I stumped on it through my 300 watt Dynacord rig. A bit overkill. My hearing was never quite the same afterwards. |
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Post by Colchar on Dec 20, 2015 23:54:46 GMT
It's an amplifier Colin - it's supposed to make noise - that's the whole purpose . . . . sheesh  That is one that is definitely on my list, as are a couple of other Boss options. Do you find yours to be bass heavy? I've seen comments that they can be bass heavy so figured I would ask. Thanks. I was in the store today and briefly discussed pedals with a friend who is a sales guy there (the one who used to own the amp). He said that the Soul Food is good, but that it might not be enough. He said I could consider Tube Screamer/TS clones but that there were plenty of other options as well (I am the one who brought up TS/clones). He also said that the TC Electronics Mojo (I think it is actually Mojo-Mojo) overdrive was really good for less than $60 new. In addition, he said that he would keep his eyes open for anything interesting that comes into the store on trade. If it is something he thinks I might like, he will put it aside for me to come in and try. The chain also has their inventory blowout sale the first week of February and it might be an idea to hold off until then because, depending on what stores are trying to get rid of, it might be possible to pick up 2-3 decent overdrive pedals for very little money. That would enable me to take my time deciding what I like and I can either keep or sell the others. |
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Post by Grand Toad on Dec 21, 2015 0:19:31 GMT
Also check out the MXR Custom Badass Custom Modified O.D. I have one. It' like Tube Screamer, but it has a switch to take out the midrange "bump." I like it a lot to drive my Bugera V22.  |
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Post by 79standard on Dec 21, 2015 0:53:39 GMT
Alright, I need some help as I don't really use pedals so don't know much about them. I am grabbing that Class 5 from a friend this week. It has the low power switch and that might work for me when it comes to getting overdrive at low volumes. If it doesn't, I am going to have to use a pedal. But I don't know squat about them What I want to do is to push the amp into a bit of overdrive without increasing the volume (or without significantly increasing it). Is this possible? If so, how do I go about doing so? Am I better off using a clean boost or should I use an overdrive pedal for more versatility? If so, should it be a transparent overdrive? And am I right in assuming that a true bypass pedal is the way to go? And does anyone have any recommendations? Since I am only a bedroom player I don't want to spend a bunch of money. Because it is such a classic pedal I was looking up info on Tube Screamers. In doing so I realized that the cheap clone from Joyo gets a lot of love with many saying it is actually better than a real TS (it seems that many of the TS clones, even the cheap ones, are considered to be better than the TS itself). Their Ultimate Drive, which is a clone of the OCD, also gets a lot of love. I was reading about the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food pedal as well. When I first looked up reviews of it I did so because of its price (about $95 new) and had no idea that it was a clone of that Klon pedal. I haven't a clue what that Klon thing is and whether it really is amazing or whether that is all hype so I wasn't looking for a similar pedal, but I must say that I have liked how the Soul Food sounded in the videos I have seen. If I remember correctly, someone over in the MH thread had a Klon. But back to my original issue - is it possible to goose an amp without significantly increasing the volume? If so, am I better off with a boost or an overdrive? If an overdrive, what are your thoughts on the ones I have mentioned? If I understood it correctly, the Soul Food is both a boost and an overdrive so maybe that might be the way to go especially because I like how it sounds? Or are there any other pedals that people here would recommend, keeping in mind that the Class 5 can be a little bass heavy. Get the amp first, as brother Ebbs has counseled you, and get to know that little tiger somewhat before ya start force-feeding it. Then, sure, I think you could get some great results. In my experience, even solid state amps can get at least an entertaining sound by using a clean boost to drive the pish out of the amp's front end. Hitting it with a dirt box is just not the same. Not bad, but not IMO as fun as what a booster can deliver, namely YOUR sound, just bigger. |
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Post by 79standard on Dec 21, 2015 3:30:02 GMT
Also remember there are a few other elements in an overdriven sound. There's preamp drive and power amp drive. The signal fed to the preamp mainly determines that drive, whether it's 'over' loaded or not that is. The overall volume of the amp determines how hard the power tubes are working. Which is the main reason lower wattage amps are preferred by some. (Me included). Then there's the amount of treble boost or cut going into the preamp. Brian May for instance uses treble boost If I remember correctly. I personally like using a graphic and/or a parametric EQ going into the preamp. That I think gives you much more control of the frequencies that are clean or overdriven. Too much bass for instance can muddy up your overdrive. And an eq can get so much more out of any overdrive or distortion pedal. The thing you want to decide is, do you want primarily the overdriven tone of the preamp itself, or the character of what a pedal provides. then of course...there's speaker strain and flap..... Btw. The Blues Deluxe does have a master volume. Between that, the reverb, and an efx loop...it's why I chose it over some other Fender amps. I had a master amp builder tell me with all the confidence in the world that power tubes do not distort and have never done so. He claims it's the phase inverter tube breaking up, and we all are too dumb to know the difference. He makes tremendous amps, but I STILL think he's full of shit.  It's Ben Carson syndrome... Mister Carson is smart enough to be a really good brain surgeon but still thinks the pyramids were built to store grain. And this amp builder knows how to make amps that can truly give a Dumble a run for the money, at 1/10 the cost, but I still think he's full of shit on this particular topic. |
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