Why use pedals?

fretmeister

If you play an electric instrument then the entire signal chain is part of that instrument.
Why?

Because a Telecaster and a Fender twin will never sound like a Les Paul and a Marshall.

WiresDreamDisasters

Rocker said:

Simply put, my question is: why use pedals

It's like paints. Yes, you can take red, green, and blue, and come up with all the colours. Or you can just buy that special maroon colour you've been looking for.

Dan_Halen

... because I might be using the provided back line and need to get the required tones from a random amp?
... because I need a bunch of different types of gain e.g. overdrive, distortion, fuzz, boost?
... because I need different gain stages?
... because the venue might have a limiter and can't get the right level of gain at restricted volume?
... because I want great cleans as a base and only need occasional drive?
... because I can't fit a 4x12 in the car?
... because I like the sound from the pedals I have?

Sure there's loads more.

Not everyone plays in a band when 1 tone gets you through the whole set. Oh, I've played through big amps loud, on big stages and yes it's fun. It's a lot more useful though to have control over your volume and to slot into the mix perfectly and unless you have something with a great MV then you're screwed. Give me a good combo and some decent pedals any day of the week.

Cookiemonster

Rocker said:

I don't want to sound like someone else so I prefer the sound of a guitar/bass plugged straight into an amp.  So why do you use a pedal or pedals and have you ever tried playing without the crutch of a pedalboard stuffed with pedals?

Clapton uses a boost from his guitar, Hendrix used a FX, Rory used a treble booster.
So which guitarist are you thinking of that uses nothing ?
Even Angus has some time shaping from his wireless system

dogload

I am enjoying this thread!

TTBZ

Also it's not exactly shocking that a Marshall sounded miles better than an MXR distortion into a Carlsbro amp a decent drive pedal into a decent amp would have probably sounded better too. 

fatherchewielewie

Is that you, Joe? Yeah...... to the Cholera with pedals. I've stopped using scales and chords too. "Crutch"...... ffs.

tekbow

I left the whole 'pure tone' trope behind a long time ago once I started playing around with recording etc.

Unless you have some mad drastic settings applied, theres nothing that inherently changes the core tone of a particular sound dialled in on an amp when you layer over an OD pedal or whatever on amp gain.

And beyond that, if we're gona argue 'pure amp tone' then basically every tone you heard on an album you like, or that's come through a P.A. at a concert or gig was a result of cheating.

Even the the most 'organic' sounding tone you've heard on an album has had some kind of mild cleanup EQ applied to get rid of unpleasant resonances and other undesirable traits, from tightening up a looseness that couldnt Be achieved on the amp EQ to pushing a set of frequencies you couldnt isolate with the same EQ.

As for delay etc, I find dry guitar sounds in a small room rather uninspiring, from any amp.

To me, it's all just ways to sculpt the sound in your head. If the sound in your head is that amp in isolation, then that's good too.

Example:

Kiss of Death re-amped 3 times with my Gower.

First is straight up with the extra tube gain stage switched in.

Second is same as first but with the low gain diode clipping engaged, and the input sensitivity on the interface brought up to volume match.

EQ Was the same in both those.

Third is using the plexi example EQ settings Dan gave me, then layering the the extra tube gain stage over the top.

There was reverb, delay, possibly a touch of the built in 5 band eq From Wall of sound applied, and some light multiband mastering compression applied from one of Reapers presets.

And all of it served to improve and polish the core tone.

Now I just hope to hell the soundcloud link works because it never seems to when I post from my phone..

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/8ekK

thecolourbox

How on earth does one use an MXR distortion playing Johnny Cash songs?

Like with many things, and I'm guilty of this also, using stuff incorrectly does not make the thing you are using inept, it just means you're not using it correctly

Lestratcaster

I've always believed the main creator of your tone is in your hands, the guitar and your amp. Using pedals will only enhance the tone, not give you the tone. But then again I'm not a massive effects user anyway, and am very basic esp with a live setup, tuner, noisegate and some sort of overdrive (as I usually just play rhythm in bands). My 2 sounds come from the amp which I can switch with a channel changer. I don't want to be that guy on stage mid-song with a backline problem (90% of the time its pedalboard linked) on his hands and knees in the dark trying to diagnose the fault whilst the band are still playing.

But certain pedals do have their uses, for example playing the Come As You Are by Nirvana riff sounds crap without that wobbly/watery chorus, or the Comfortably Numb solos without delay and the various other things Davey G uses. 

At home its quite fun experimenting with tons of effects but live I keep it simple.

Cranky

I never owned a pedal until maybe a year ago.  Now I just think they're fun.  To me, it has nothing to do with trying to sound like something or somebody else.  Sometimes I just want to go loud with fuzz or overdrive, sometimes I want to trip out with a good reverb-delay blend, etc.

Not a crutch.

shady

Not a crutch.

More a luxury hammock, surely. 

Philtre

What would Dan & Mick do without pedals? Wouldn't be the same watching "That Show" would it?