Overdrive or Distortion pedal to replace Gain preamp?

[pedecamp]

A Dark Terror set clean is a "dirty channel set clean", therefore you would only need an OD pedal to boost it into distortion, for a lead volume boost put a boost pedal in the fx loop.

[fiveightandten]

There is no "right" or "wrong" here, but I'm always surprised by how many players aren't familiar with (or comfortable with) using their guitar volume knob to vary the input level.

With a small amount of practice, you get so fast and accurate with the guitar volume, that you reach down instinctively and adjust things whenever it's needed. It takes a split second. I personally find stepping on pedals or channel switching very limiting. Music is dynamic. By using the volume knob, you have complete control over the entire dynamic range of your setup. Without it, you're stuck in the confines of the settings on your amp/pedals.

These days I have a few gain levels:
-Bottom: I use the guitar volume to dial in anything from clean to the gain limit of the amp. This is not necessarily all the gain the amp is capable of, but the gain range that sounds good. I set the amp to distort as much as I'd need it to in any normal situation.

Middle: Step on an overrrive pedal. I use an EH Soul Food, and the level/gain is set to add a little dirt while remaining at the same volume as my wide open guitar volume into the amp. When kicking this on, I may also use the guitar volume knob to vary the dynamics. I often use this for distorted leads when the rest of the band isn't loud. It gives me more gain without a volume increase.

-Top: Step on clean boost. I use a Seymour Duncan pickup booster. This is to go the extra step up for maximum volume.

This offers huge dynamic range, anything from whisper quiet clean, to blaring Overdrive, and everything inbetween, on tap at any time.

At any given moment my levels depend on what my ear is telling me. I'm not at my "top" level for every lead or solo. It depends on the volume of the rest of the band around me. I use a combination of the guitar volume and the 2 pedals to vary my volume and saturation so I'm in the right place in the mix at any given moment.

After taking this approach, I couldn't imagine being stuck with 2 channels on an amp and never touching my guitar volume knob to adjust things on the fly.

Just my 2 cents.

[adkguy07]

fiveightandten,

One of the best simple explanations of how to utilize a guitar's volume knobs; that
I've read anywhere. I believe you are referring to single-ended amps, yes? Which of those
two pedals comes first? The SD booster or the Soul Food? You have them in the amp loop?


adkguy07

[fiveightandten]

fiveightandten,

One of the best simple explanations of how to utilize a guitar's volume knobs; that
I've read anywhere. I believe you are referring to single-ended amps, yes? Which of those
two pedals comes first? The SD booster or the Soul Food? You have them in the amp loop?


adkguy07

No, push and pull amps work just the same as single ended for this. In fact, all my gigging amps are push and pull.

I run the SD after the Soul Food, pretty much the last thing in the chain before the amp. Most clean boosts would make sense to run after an overdrive pedal, but it also depends on what you want out of the boost (Duncan actually recommends that the Pickup Booster pedal be plugged directly into the guitar. Though, that's more so the resonance switch on it works as intended (I leave it flat anyways)).

I guess my main point is that using the volume knob in conjunction with these things gives you huge infinitely variable dynamic range. Whereas just using a channel switcher or pedal only lets you toggle between 2 or maybe 3 levels of gain/volume.

-Nick

[a.hun]

My take on what Nick was saying on controlling it all from the guitar...

Yeah, I'd suggest getting used to using the controls on your guitar first, just like they did 'back in the old days'. Some of us still prefer it to just stomping on a box anyway...

Basically you use the volume on the guitar to control gain. Then you adjust the tone control to suit for any particular level of gain.

For cleaner sounds you probably want to open up the guitars tone control near full. When you go for more drive though, try backing it off a bit. It's a balancing act, but there is always a 'sweet spot' there between gain and tone. Generally the higher the gain, the more you have to back off the tone to find it.

Set the amp with enough treble so that it sounds good clean when you back off the guitars volume and open its tone control. Thats when you'll probably need most treble from the amp. As you hike the guitars volume control for more gain you can always cut treble as required from the guitar. You'll find working this way opens up a whole spectrum of fantastic sounds to you and really is a great way to drive a simple but responsive valve amp.

And yes, like him I'll set the output levels on pedals creatively. Very often I'm aiming to change the drive levels but keep similar volume levels when switching. But the main thing is always tweaking the volume and tone controls on the guitar to find the 'sweet spot' at different gain levels. It does indeed become second nature with practice. (That and little things like shifting my picking position along the strings to fine tune the tone.) Doesn't matter which guitar or bass, amp or pedals I'm using, that is always the basis for finding - and fine tuning - the very best tones.


Andy.