Why use pedals for distortion?

[fusionid]

Originally posted by L6Sguy say goodbye to your wallet. and rather than 'forumites,' you may just wanna call us 'enablers' from this point on what amp are you using?

or gassers, gas initiators etc

[YourHerodDGC]

I just sold a peavey 5150 II. Amp distortion is so boring.

[JM350]

Originally posted by thor653 I really don't get it. Everyone seems to use pedals for distortion... Why not just buy a good head with the distortion you like rather than driving the amp into overdrive with a pedal.

 

 

 

Since the mid sixties many guitarists have made use of pedals to either hit the amp harder to push it into distortion, or to make the distortion itself before the signal even gets to the amp, or some combination of the two.

 

As time went on manufacturers made hotter pickups and amps that had more gain and distortion.

 

Some guitarists were happy to go without pedals to get heavier sounds, others prefered the older method while yet others used high output pickups, higher gain amps or both along with pedals too.

 

Today you have all these choices plus digittal moddeling to create distortion effects. There are many paths to get you there, they all have pro's and con's and they all sound a bit different.

 

 

 

 

Originally posted by thor653 Are the people using the overdrive pedals into lighter types of distortion or heavier stuff?

 

 

Both, some use a pedal to just put the amp a little over the edge while others are boosting like mad.

[orourke]

Originally posted by endo23 Also, they, uh... sound good? I've cranked my amp wide open before and I greatly prefer the sound of pedals hitting it half-cranked. Totally different sound/feel. And when you start stacking ODs, yow! Sustain... harmonics.... etc. And sometimes I want my Fender to sound like a cranked Marshall... or an AC30... or a wall of FUZZ. Sometimes I want to achieve these sounds at quiet rehearsal levels... Sometimes I want all of these different sounds within a single song... All these reasons and more.

 

 

Exactly.

 

I've got a bunch of tube amps including a Mesa Mark IV, but I prefer the overdirve and distortion I get from a Keeley TS-9, Keeley DS-1 or a MJM Foxey Fuzz to any of the dirt I can get from channel switching the amp.

 

I love the Mark IV for it's clean channel, and all the options I have with it for recording, gigging and jamming. But for a live shows or rehearsals I like predictability, and warm sound of a good dirt box.