virgin

[johnboy8]

hi, i am looking for a little advice.i am an amature guitarist an want to start getting some pedals.at the moment i am using a vox ad50 vt and find it a bit fiddely(so i am going to get a different amp maybe the vox ac 30)and start building up some effects.so basically i want to know if its better to get seperate stomp boxes or buy multi efffects(i like the amp models on the vox ad50vt)can you get these sounds twiddeling knobs on a good amp or do you need a amp modeller.anyway any advice would be helpfull.(i know you have to try out these things for yourself)but i am just looking for a few pointers.thanks.ps i am new to the forum(hello from dublin ireland)and love it hope i this is not a question that has been asked a million times

[mrweems]

vox ac30 is a great amp.

 

seperate stomp boxes.

 

multi effects proccesors. pending on which one you get can be limiting.

[johnboy8]

multi effects processors for the amp models?

[TeleMan1985]

Multi-effects Advantages:

* Cheaper than lots of stompboxes
* Lots of sounds in a small piece of kit
* Easy to set up for gigs and stuff
* Reliable
* Can often store lots of presets

Stomp Box Advantages:

* More choice
* Can buy individual stompboxes to taylor your sound to your taste
* Often analogue, meaning nicer and less digital sounds
* Can tweak settings easily and quickly
* Stompboxes just have more mojo and coolness!

[johnboy8]

thats sounds great teleman thanks,so any recommendations?

[ninjaaron]

Everyone on the FX board, including myself, probably prefers stomps. However, we probably rely on effects more for 'our sound' than the average guitarist. If it's important for you that your effects be highly customizable, you need pedals.

 

If you want to use effects in fairly standard utility ways, a multi is good. However, If you have a multi, it becomes complicated to incorporate pedals into your rig if you decide you want them.

 

Really, if you're just getting into effects, I would almost say to start with a decent mutli (Boss ME 50 is very cool), and then hoc it and buy pedals if you begin to feel that it is too limiting.

 

That's what I did. Had (have) a couple of multies, began getting more and more pedals until finally I only used the multies for one or two effects. Now, I barely use them.

[TeleMan1985]

thats sounds great teleman thanks,so any recommendations?

 

 

Well, if you're gonna get a Vox AC30, which is a ridiculously nice tube amp, I would start with a few good stompboxes. They probably won't sound as good with your ad50vt, because it's part digital, but will sound great through a tube amp. So maybe start with a good overdrive, something like a Boss SD-1, an Ibanez TS-9 or a Digitech Bad Monkey or something (be careful here - Vox amps are very picky about which sort of overdrive's they like). Maybe a fuzz, like an EHX Big Muff or something and a half decent delay, like an Ibanez DE-7 or a Digitech Digidelay or a Boss DD-3. This should get you started nicely...

[mike.sartori]

I think it's good to buy stomp boxes slowly, only buy one or two, figure out how to use them well, then add another one. This helps people to aviod that tone that you get with effects overload, I hear a lot of people with multifx who play with gain, more gain, delay, phase shifting, and flanging - and it sounds bad. Master 1 or 2 pedals to start, then add on as you see fit.

[johnboy8]

thanks everyone,thats a great start.

[Monkeybot]

After years of collecting stuff, moving up, moving away my best advice is settle (as much as possible) on yr main guitar and yr main amp.

 

Took me years to get down to what I like in terms of guitars - I dig single coils (Jazzmaster, Tele, Casino, etc.) through a DRRI - Finding the DRRI was the best thing I'd ever done. I managed to match up the guitars to the perfect amp - That being said -

 

I went from tons of pedals to just a few simple ones that work best with my particular guitars, style, and amp - I spent years collecting only to back down - A lot of complicated pedals don't make any difference unless you have some idea of where you want to go - For all of the convenience, there was just as much frustration - So here's what I ended up with:

 

Volume (Ernie Ball)

 

Rat/TS808RI/Sans Amp - For dirt, OD, and more OD.

 

DL4 - For delay effects

 

Holy Grail - For reverb (For recording mostly - I live next to a couple of huge broadcast towers and the reverb (although beautiful) in the DRRI tends to be a bit noisy -)

 

Small Clone/MXR Phase 90 - For mod effects

 

Crybaby/Morley Wahs - The Crybaby is for more lead stuff and the Morley is for sweep coloring -

 

That's about it - All are simple and do what they do. I swap stuff up and out all of the time - I also have a couple of loopers, a MicroSynth, etc. for fun - (Oh, for goofing around and writing I have a Pod - another story)

 

Point - Simplicity - It is so tempting to rush out and and get anything that makes a cool sound - If you start out knowing where you want to go and relying on your playing - the rest is gravy. Good amp, good guitar (that you've bonded with) and a handful of pedals to add to that and you'll be happy (and a better musician).