recomended pedals\amps

stratfloyd · July 27th, 2008, 02:21 AM

just got a very nice strat, its an '03 arctic white with a white pickguard
(with "whammy" bar)
got it yesterday, still had the plastic on it
could only find a tiny scratch on the bottom right

came with professional set-up, so it sounds awesome

like playing mostly pink floyd, pink floyd sounding things, blues and cream sounding things, and sometimes some nirvana and sublime

any recommendations for amps\pedals, without "breaking the bank"

stratfloyd · July 27th, 2008, 02:23 AM

oh yeah, got it for $400

bobthecanadian · July 27th, 2008, 03:14 AM

stratfloyd,

how do you want to use the amp? home practice? gigs? depending on what you want to use the amp with and what effects/sounds it has built in will help determine what kind of effects. If you already have an amp, what do you have?

bob

Axis29 · July 27th, 2008, 06:42 AM

Fuzz and a Delay...

I like my Fulltone 70 for a fuzz, but it's kinda pricey (150 or so). I think the Voodoo Labs Superfuzz is a good one as well as the Dunlops. All a little less expensive and can be had on eBay. Fuzz'll get you the cream sound and if you get a decent one will clean up nicely as well.

For delay? Digital will give you longer more accurate repeats which would be more Gilmore-like. The Boss DD-3 should get you there, for a not too pocket emptying price, but there are others out there. Some of the newer ones like the Eventide or the Line6 stuff gets very good reviews, but you can quickly drop massive dollars.

As for amp? well, like Bob began asking... There're a lot of options and alternatives

Welcome to the addiction.....

stratfloyd · July 27th, 2008, 11:58 AM

thanks =) i dont plan on going cold turkey any time soon

just home practice for now

bobthecanadian · July 27th, 2008, 12:47 PM

home practice amp... well, you can't go wrong with a Roland Cube. Good sounds and very versatile. If I didn't already have an amp i would have bought one. When I was looking for a practice amp it was important for me to find something that very good clean sounds. I could either get an amp with a lot of bells and whistles or buy a simple amp and shape the sound with pedals/fx. I have a simple amp set up and a few pedals that I really like.

I really like the Blues Driver that I modded. Along with that, a DD-3, RV-3 and TU-2 tuner, I am a pretty happy guy.

Basically, go to your local shops and try as many different kinds of amps and pedals as you like. When you find what you like, then buy it. Knowing what you want and how much to spend is always a good way to start.

Oh yeah, some folks say that the amp is even more important that the guitar for good tone.

Cheers!

Bob

Axis29 · July 28th, 2008, 03:59 PM

I'm a big fan of the Super Champ XD by fender for a nice small practice amp that actually can scale up to live playing with a less then huge loud drummer. Is got a few built-in effects, but they're so-so... but the amp itself is pretty darn good for just under 3 bills.

If it's too loud see if you can score a vibro champ at just under 250 bucks it's sweet as well.

gcconspiracy · July 29th, 2008, 11:23 AM

Over a year ago I bought a VOX AD30VT (30 watts, solid-state pre-amp/tube power amp, 1x10" speaker, approx 250$-280$), and it has been a dream come true... I swore I'd never get a modeling amp, but this one is unlike any other modeling amp I've ever played! Honestly, for the price, I don't think you can go wrong (and it comes in different sizes if 30 watts is not your fancy).

-gcc

jmasin · July 29th, 2008, 12:00 PM

As far as pedals, I only have 2, a wah and the TS-9. I couldn't live without the TS-9. I've had it for 15 years, and other than swallowing batteries, it's great. It's a great "blues" pedal IMHO and sounds great through my Bassman (i.e. a clean amp).

Cheers.

djinn1973 · July 29th, 2008, 12:41 PM

For an inexpensive blues overdrive its hard to beat a Bad Monkey.

Axis29 · August 2nd, 2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djinn1973

For an inexpensive blues overdrive its hard to beat a Bad Monkey.

Yeah, them little suckers jump around from branch to branch fast-like... you gotta be quick with the bat!

Sorry couldn't resist....

terminal3 · August 2nd, 2008, 05:14 PM

you gotta have a univibe clone of some sort to do gilmour tones, that first chord to 'breathe' won't sound the same without it.

personally, I use a Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe Jr. I think Dunlop makes the cheapest ones, but I've heard they don't sound that hot. might be worth listening to some demos online and then seeing if you can audition a few in a shop.

ToneMonkey · August 2nd, 2008, 05:39 PM

I've lot's of stuff in my rig, but the other day when I needed to head to a short notice jam, I grabbed, almost sub-consciously:
Crybaby
TS9
Bixonic Expandora II
Blues Jr
So I guess that covered all my bases from Crossroads to Hey Joe, with a bit of Tush!
You won't go wrong with any of those items.

stratfloyd · August 3rd, 2008, 02:45 AM

thanks guys =D

thaus · August 16th, 2008, 06:44 PM

I've mentioned this elsewhere but you just can't beat an OCD by Fulltone driving a good tube amp. Love this pedal and it's the only one I have...........

raf66 · August 23rd, 2008, 08:50 PM

I second gcconspiracy's recommendation of the Vox AD30VT. I've had mine about a year and a half and it sounds great. It's got tubes (I think in the preamp stage, not sure) so it's got a nice warm sound to it. Plus some of the amp models are so good you likely won't even need a pedal, except of course if you want to switch channels.

gcconspiracy · September 8th, 2008, 01:01 AM

raf66,

thanks for the seconding! I always love finding other Valvetronix fans. I've had mine for almost 2 years now, and I have yet to find another amp as economical, warm, versatile, and portable! I still can't get over the tone I get out of my vox compared to others solid-state amps in the same price range. I've finally found an amp in my price range that I can honestly say I'd replace in a heart-beat!

-gcc

PS - as for where the tube is in the signal path, I've been doing some research on the vox website, and I think it is actually in the power-amp (although it is amplified further by a solid state circuit of some sort)... Kind of confusing stuff, as I'm not too technically minded; all I need to know is my amp has the tone I love!

Carlsoti · December 24th, 2008, 07:35 PM

I've just come upon one of the baby vox's. an AD15vt. It's by far the best "practice" amp I've had.

Kuroyama · December 29th, 2008, 12:45 PM

Boss SD-1 (Super Overdrive). Buttery, Crunchy, not too hard on the wallet, and apparently a popular platform for modding. I run it into a Marshall AVT20 I like everything about that amp except that it has no footswitch... which has become a bit of a dealbreaker lately...

But like the others have said... you gotta take your guitar to the store and TRY it with the pedal and amp you want. Different combinations will sound different. So you want to try the closest combo to what youll play at home. (Which again, means either taking your guitar to the shop, or using the same model from their stock)

Good luck searching. Youll likely find this search to lead you to buying many many pedals and amps over time. Sorry. Thats just how it is. Aint no cure 'cept ta buy more gear.

gcconspiracy · December 29th, 2008, 01:57 PM

Just got a bad monkey for Christmas... now I know what all the hype is about!!! The tone is amazing, and the bottom end is more than sufficient... Definitely worth the very low asking price!

dtfan4ever · January 2nd, 2009, 12:09 AM

MXR Carbon Copy

Kuroyama · January 2nd, 2009, 11:19 PM

Boss DS-1 (Distortion). Not too hard on the wallet, and apparently a popular platform for modding. I think Im done with crunch pedals!! It takes a little tweaking to get the sound you want, but with only 3 knobs a little tweaking is all it takes! Just remember to back down "tone" on the amp, the pedal or the guitar... if you leave the tone all trebled out, the pedal will sound thin and scrabbly (just made that word up!!). This is why I didnt like it the first time I tried it in store.

But if you back down the tone to less trebley, the DS-1 fattens up pretty nice! Also shops like Analogman or Keeley can really put steroids into it and really fatten the bottom end of you wanna go that route. For today though, this pedal suits me just fine!

But like the others have said... you gotta take your guitar to the store and TRY it with the pedal and amp you want. Different combinations will sound different. So you want to try the closest combo to what youll play at home. (Which again, means either taking your guitar to the shop, or using the same model from their stock)

Good luck searching. Youll likely find this search to lead you to buying many many pedals and amps over time. Sorry. Thats just how it is. Aint no cure 'cept ta buy more gear.

badmelonfarmer · January 3rd, 2009, 10:20 AM

Personally to get started for home use I always recomend the Line 6 Spider Jam amp. it has various amp and effects models, including some presets for Pink Floyd and Cream.

It is a great practise amp as you can Jam along to the built in tracks or ones you load onto an SD Card. you can also record your playing.

For the gilmour sound you should check out :-

Gilmourish

there is LOADS of great info on there.

I dig the Electro Harmonix Big Muff, into a nano small stone Phaser into Digital Delay for the basic gilmourish sound.

The new Big Muff with Wicker is a the best small sized muff of the moment IMHO, but the Little Big Muff is a great pedal for a bit less. not so keen on the nano muff.

But to nail that sound you have to play very loud, just below feedback to get that harmonic sustain he does so well.

Cheers

BMF