Pedalphobia

[rocknrollrich]

Many of us consider that amp with multiple channels, clean dirty more dirty multiple MV and reverb; to be far from simple and even more complicated that a board with dirt pedals and reverb into a one channel one sound amp!

I had a MKIV Boogie and even that was annoyingly complicated for me, though back then I did not use pedals and boards had not yet become a thing.
There was a time when clean dirty and more dirty was all built right in to the guitar colume knob IF you had a simple non MV amp that was not preamp distortion based.
Once amps started simulating cranked amp dirt in multiple preamp sections, amps got VERY COMPLICATED!

Even if the player does not think a well laid out multi channel amp is complicated because each channel has a full set of familiar controls, inside the thing it is VERY complicated.

I am in the market for an amp like that right now and the problem for me is that the dirt channels are as individual as dirt pedals and really kind of the same thing, preamp dirt simulating cranked amp dirt.
If you find an amp you like two or the three channels on?
Can you swap out the channel you do not like for one you do?
A few amps yes, channels are modules.
But most you are stuck trying to make a channel sound right, or else you ignore it and try not to step on the wrong foortswitch button.

Truly simple is straight into a one sound amp and either making the same sound all night or riding the guitar volume for different sounds.

Yes ^^ all true.
If I really could get away with it, I would use (and have used) a great single channel amp and the guitars volume knob.
It's absolutely my favorite way to play. Cleanish.... to crunchy...to meltdown, all with the twist of the guitar volume knob.
The reason I abandoned that is because often times, I need to have pristine clean or jazzy clean sounds. In the same song I may have to melt faces with a lead. Too tall an order for a single channel amp.

 

[92 Fiesta Red 62]

I’m bi-pedalist.
I go both ways—complicated and simple.


Unfortunately, I can’t get amp breakup at lower volumes…I’d be melting the faces of the front row of the audience before my Vibroverb would overdrive/distort. I have a Dr. Z’s Brake Lite attenuator installed (and I like it) but I like the sound of my pedals into my Vibroverb better.

 

[Mouse]

When I gigged I tailored my board based on what I needed for that night’s songs. I don’t think I’ve ever had more than 6 (including tuner) and as few as none; relying only on my amp’s dirty channel.

 

[Gonflyn]

Lotsa good views. The more I think about it I guess I'm already managing pedals to a certain degree with the Boss Katanas footswitch with 8 programmable channels, a panel select and ability to turn any effect within a channel on or off. I'm thinking if I can't get a sound with this amp I don't need it, presently just using a touch of delay and reverb and three levels of clean to dirty.

The Marshall dsl 40cr is a different story, but even that has the six button pedal - four channels, master 1and 2 and effect loop on/off, so you can coax a wide range of sounds from clean to crunchy but, other than that no frills, except for some reverb which is surprisingly weak even when pegged. If I want a touch of delay like I set on the Katana it's going to require a pedal. Fortunately the unadulterated sound from the Marshall is full of chunky fullness as is. Anyway, I feel thats all gonna keep me busy enough for now, hard for me to want any more stuff underfoot at the moment.

 

[Bladesg]

May I borrow it?

Of course you can. Might get expensive to ship though

 

[6stringslacker]

Is it just me or does anyone else prefer simplicity in their setup?

Seems like everyone I jam with has an industrial size pedalboard with enough wires and doodads to make me feel anxious just looking at it, let alone managing it all while trying to play.

I've got a couple of amps that can do clean, dirty and dirtier, with maybe a little reverb and the ability to switch between two master volumes for solo boosting and that's basically it, aside from a compression/sustain pedal for that occasional extra push over the cliff.

I'm a simple man really.

Know thy amp well (along with the myriad of knob/switch settings on your guitar(s)).

 

[Butcher of Strats]

Lotsa good views. The more I think about it I guess I'm already managing pedals to a certain degree with the Boss Katanas footswitch with 8 programmable channels, a panel select and ability to turn any effect within a channel on or off. I'm thinking if I can't get a sound with this amp I don't need it, presently just using a touch of delay and reverb and three levels of clean to dirty.

The Marshall dsl 40cr is a different story, but even that has the six button pedal - four channels, master 1and 2 and effect loop on/off, so you can coax a wide range of sounds from clean to crunchy but, other than that no frills, except for some reverb which is surprisingly weak even when pegged. If I want a touch of delay like I set on the Katana it's going to require a pedal. Fortunately the unadulterated sound from the Marshall is full of chunky fullness as is. Anyway, I feel thats all gonna keep me busy enough for now, hard for me to want any more stuff underfoot at the moment.

No frills?
No frills???

Sorry but those are frilly rigs!

Here is a frilly sound.
Delay pedal not shown, this is my late night wife asleep low volume rig.

 

[Oldiemurphy]

I've never had even a moment of pedalphobia. There have been times that I've been annoyed at a worn-out switch or a patch cable with a short. And I have certainly had my share of pedals that haven't worked out or don't sound good to my ears. But they're just tools, like anything else.

The first effect I ever had was a wah pedal in the early 70s. The second was a treble booster. I continued to pick up things along the way and if I liked the sound, then cool. If I didn't, that's cool too.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong, and there shouldn't be any phobia. Sometimes I plug straight in. But more often, I'll use pedals. I've got a bunch and I enjoy trying different things.

 

[StratUp]

Back in the late ´80s they all had those big racks (we called them "Kühlschrank" - refrigerator) with at least 1 square meter of pedalboard switches and wah like digital/analog pot pedals.
The funny thing was when they changed to the next song and the drummer was too fast start counting it looked like the guitar player tried to stop a bonfire by dancing and kicking the floorboard
We called it "Regentanz" (rain dance).
By the way I used no pedal at all or sometimes the BOSS SD1 overdrive(JCM800 or LANEY AOR with no pedal at all) on stage.

Good old times,
Robin

This is where modeling prevails. I set up the sound I need long before I get to a show. Push a button to select a stored setting and I'm on the next song. I also still have buttons to turn effects on and off within the model - or if it's a dramatic change, I'll just store another collection of settings as the next model up and I'm back to a one button press.

Admittedly, I don't use a lot of pedals, I'm not even semi-pro, and I don't believe that the audience cares that much about the sound - see what @rolandson mentioned about crowds and pants. With the rest of the band playing, that little 1/16 turn of a knob that got me perfection back in the lab doesn't make a hoot of difference to anyone but me.

 

[crankmeister]

When I hear “programmable,” that’s when I tune out. That is complicated to me. It’s a different part of my brain that I don’t feel like using when I’m in “music mode”.

Cables and on/off switches? That’s easy and simple.

 

[StratUp]

When I hear “programmable,” that’s when I tune out. That is complicated to me. It’s a different part of my brain that I don’t feel like using when I’m in “music mode”.

Cables and on/off switches? That’s easy and simple.

That depends a lot on the modeling / pedal. When they start using the same knob to do multiple functions, that often pushes it over the line. I'm OK with "these knobs do this" and then flip an A/B switch and "these knobs do that" - and it's always the same - but some pedals (modelers) have very few knobs doing very many functions depending on some other multi-parameter selector. Painful to use and worse if you're actually playing live.

 

[Chont]

lol..I've had to take a second look at the subject line like 3x already this morning thinking I saw something else.

You’re not alone LOL

 

[crankmeister]

You’re not alone LOL

Same

 

[Chont]

When I hear “programmable,” that’s when I tune out. That is complicated to me. It’s a different part of my brain that I don’t feel like using when I’m in “music mode”.

Cables and on/off switches? That’s easy and simple.

I’m the same way and I agree. Which is why I was very reluctant to get the pod go. But it’s stupid easy for me. I have a couple of small tube amps when I want but having the Pod Go is really handy too.

 

[Gonflyn]

.

 

[Gonflyn]

No frills?
No frills???

Sorry but those are frilly rigs!

What I meant was that compared to the Boss the Marshall has minimal effects, just overdrive and some reverb really.
The Boss is definitely not no frills.

 

[GrooVey]

 

[guitarchaeologist]

May I borrow it?

for the lap steel?

 

[Neil.C]

I don't have many pedals (four) but they certainly do what my amp can't on it's own so I'm quite fond of them.

I usually use them one at a time and of course you can turn them off.

Wah- O/D - Fuzz - Flanger.

 

[Butcher of Strats]

Seriously though, for those who have amps that include a bunch of different preamps all jammedminto the chassis, plus in some cases built in FX?

Those rigs give me over complicated high voltage PCB phobia!

Because I tend to do some of my own amp repairs and come from the era of hand wired tube amps, I used to always pull the chassis and inspect the condition of the guts when considering an amp purchase.
Filter caps are expendables like tubes, and in an old Marshall or Fender amp, they are really easy to replace if you do that stuff.
Often like half an hour job.

On a modern multi channel tube amp with a PCB, it is common to have to detatch all controls and jacks off both front and back panels, detatchnthe board from a bunch of standoffs, lift the board with all those componenets hanging off it while it is stck down at one end by the massive knot of wires to the PT, squeeze under it with the soldering iron and hope you do not melt any important parts.

THAT is my phobia.
The more preamps and FX you cram into a chassis, the more problems you deal with down the road when it gets older.
Actually even quality amps like Mesa have been turning up disposable as normal service becomes inpossible when the dense PCB traces stop holding up under use and/ or repair stress.

Many modern multi channel do all amps are nearly disposable, in terms of the cost of repair do do all that disassembly along with often fragile board mounted pots that can tear the traces off the board if handled roughly OR if knobs get bumped loading into a van etc. A $300 repair to a $200 used amp makes it basically disposable.
But modern society no longer looks at purchases as things that will last several lifetimes.