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Post by wraparound (Steve) on Jul 10, 2013 18:49:06 GMT -7
I actually admire players who know how to skillfully use effects. C'mon they're tools! I do use a Chandler Stereo Echo set for barely there, and it is on all the time. After that, maybe some wah and tremolo (hey I cut my teeth on Fender's). Don't use overdrive anymore now that I have the Galaxie and can channel switch. But in my view a totally dry signal off a stage is a tone that will snap some heads around. But ya have to be big, crunchy, and "locomotive breath" loud! Do it if you can, 'cause it's a dying art form.
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Post by Russell B on Jul 11, 2013 4:49:05 GMT -7
Don't get me wrong, if I have to use an effect on a song, I'll break down and use it. With that said, I have come to really appreciate the greatness of Doc's amps with no effects.
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Post by wraparound (Steve) on Jul 11, 2013 12:21:17 GMT -7
They are beauty! Love my Galaxie.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2013 7:10:53 GMT -7
I like the idea of going no pedals, but I last about 10 minutes before I turn the amp back down, and go back to pedals. I still use the GV, but less so than amp on "10", and no pedals.
Adam
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2014 9:01:37 GMT -7
I have a fairly modest pedal board, but it is necessary for playing covers or a venue where you can't turn up enough to get to your amp's sweet spot. That being said, I played a gig Sunday night with my ASAT Classic and the best tone of the night I got was bypassing my pedals and hitting the front of my '65 Princeton Reverb Reissue with those MFD pickups! I guess you could call the reverb and tremolo I was using effects, though?
P.S. The only reason the Stang Ray stayed home that night was because the bar we played was about the size of my living room!
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Post by digs57 on Feb 13, 2014 9:38:24 GMT -7
I had asat classic some time ago...those pickups could drive nails.
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Post by southmusic70 on Feb 13, 2014 13:22:35 GMT -7
Since my post above, I've acquired two more Z heads, namely a KT45 and a Route 66. After experimenting with my guitars into various of my Z amps, I've made them almost guitar-specific, to wit: Heritage Golden Eagle into KT into 2x12 cab w/ Vin30s, Gibson CS336 into Route into Mesa 1x12 cab with C90, Guild Blues Bird or Tele into Rati v2 into either 1x12 or 2x12 or both. In the case of the Rati and my Z28, I'll use effects because I play the amps for rock/ blues in a four horn band that I lead and write for, but they are usually just a small dose of compression and reverb. I use the the KT for big band jazz, no effects, and the Route for smaller jazz groups, no effects. Where I am with all of this is that, having grown up without effects (I'm 4 months older than zpilot), I think that it's important to get your basic guitar sound down to your liking BEFORE you start adding effects, and when you start adding them, do it in very small increments so you don't destroy your basic sound. When you invest serious money in an instrument, sometimes the best thing to do is leave it alone, "as is," so to speak; this is certainly true of my Heritage and 336. I think that if you're going to use effects, use ones that are transparent and can be subtly employed, like compressors or mod effects with mix controls, where you have the option of a very measured effect on the sound - or not. Too many people try to hide bad playing behind effects, but the truth is that you can run but you can't hide forever. I applaud guys who go straight in; if it turns out that they can play, then it's not false bravado, but self-confidence.
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Post by Buzz Fretwear (Ignatius) on Feb 13, 2014 15:14:29 GMT -7
For me it's just a matter of the right tools for the gig, whether it's a guitar plugged straight into to a Z or an $89 Squier running through a cheesy multi effect into a crap amp.
It's really a simple as that.
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Post by muZician on Feb 13, 2014 23:05:39 GMT -7
a good guitar and pure Z tone: that's it
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Post by El Gato Blackie on Feb 14, 2014 10:27:23 GMT -7
I love the way my Maz 18 sounds without effects. I love the way my Red Witch Empress Chorus sounds through my Maz 18, I love the way my Velvet Fuzz sounds through my Maz 18, I love the way my Red Witch Fuzz God makes my Maz 18 go crazy, etc... I guess I like all kinds of guitar noises.
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Post by Paul (TRANE) on Feb 14, 2014 10:37:59 GMT -7
The only effect I use now is a wah pedal. I may add a Beano treble boost to my stuff with my old 4 input plexi style amps.
Sent from my SM-N900V using proboards
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2014 21:42:24 GMT -7
I get my best tone just plugging straight in no effects. To me it just sounds and feels more pure. This weekend was the first time I used my effects board in about a couple months and I have to admit it was fun and I was getting some really great tone as well. I have downsized my board quite a bit now and really do not rely on my effects as much as I used too. I figure when you have a great handwired tube amp and a nice guitar thats 99.9 per cent of your tone right there. Anything else in the signal chain is going to alter it. Its not a bad thing at all but I notice a big difference in the feel of the guitar and amp when using effects apossed to plugging straight in. Def cuts through the mix better straight in.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2014 22:53:21 GMT -7
No thank you. Sounds good on it's own but, for the style of music I play, it doesn't sit in the mix well. I need the spatial flexibility that a good reverb pedal/unit will give me and I use delay quite often too. Always have my compressor on to smooth out the tone a bit too.
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Post by dixiechicken on Feb 27, 2014 15:43:57 GMT -7
DC here!
I frequently run my Warmothe Tele direct into my Route66 with no pedals. I never use pedals on the monthly blues jams we have. I seldom use when rehearsing with the two bands i play in. Very sparingly with other gigs as well.
Cheers: Dixiechicken!
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Post by Danny on Feb 27, 2014 17:15:31 GMT -7
Among the best-sounding bands in the history of music are those that have gone mostly guitar --> amp: Television, Big Star, The Who, and most guys playing through Marshalls in the late 60s & early 70s.
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Post by zpilot on Feb 28, 2014 2:56:29 GMT -7
Among the best-sounding bands in the history of music are those that have gone mostly guitar --> amp: Television, Big Star, The Who, and most guys playing through Marshalls in the late 60s & early 70s. Ah, those were the days. We played at high enough volumes that you could get that good natural OD from the amp alone. Very different from playing the amp clean and getting the dirt from a pedal. My first experience with an overdrive device of any kind (not counting fuzztones, which doesn't really qualify) was a little crummy Electro-Harmonics box called the LPB-1 that had one gain knob and an on/off switch and plugged directly into the amp. Not even a stomp box. I used it to push the front end of my Fender Dual Showman. It moved so much air that the speaker cabinet would actually move around the stage so I had to block it in place. Thank heavens that the Doc and others now make nice 18-watters.
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Post by Danny on Feb 28, 2014 12:41:19 GMT -7
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Post by daveyk on Mar 7, 2014 0:19:22 GMT -7
When I first got my Maz 38 NR I felt a little overwhelmed first of all because of the power, but mainly because of so many EQ possibilities. I was used to really simple setups like my deluxe reverb and jazz chorus, so the only way to really wrap my head around the Maz was to plug straight in. I really liked this approach and it really helped me to appreciate the amp and it's true voice without all the manipulation of effects. Every once in a while i still like to just plug straight in, no effects, and let her rip (my face off because it's so damn loud). It's really grounding playing with nothing but you, your guitar and amp.
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Post by fishman on Mar 8, 2014 21:19:00 GMT -7
Not sure I could go all the way, I can and have used my MAZ38NR, Strat, and a RotoPhaser, essentially the top half of a leslie....with just that I can do a whole lotta stuff...I think I would have no problem playing straight in with nothing in more of a country band sorta thing...
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Post by lowbudget on Jul 18, 2014 9:12:08 GMT -7
Russell, what do you (and others) do when a song calls for say tremolo and you don't have it? Just play without it and hope it goes unnoticed? I'm considering adding a trem pedal but I really prefer the minimalist approach too. I'm kinda thinking that with a good toneful amp like a Z you might get by without it.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2014 20:20:30 GMT -7
I don't need pedals. I do like them a lot though.
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Post by "Z" Steve on Jul 18, 2014 20:35:30 GMT -7
I don't need pedals. I do like them a lot though. DRY is an effect!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 13:13:45 GMT -7
I don't need pedals. I do like them a lot though. DRY is an effect! A very effective effect indeed.
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Post by lowbudget on Jul 20, 2014 13:28:13 GMT -7
Well, I just broke down and ordered a Demeter Tremulator for my Maz 18 Jr. and I guess that'll be my pedalboard. Dr. Z amps typically have so much natural ambience that you can get by without reverb (at least playing out) but there's just no way I know of to fake trem.
Hopefully it'll live happily in the loop and I'll run it off a battery to simplify things.
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Post by nmz on Jul 20, 2014 13:30:49 GMT -7
Well, I just broke down and ordered a Demeter Tremulator for my Maz 18 Jr. and I guess that'll be my pedalboard. Dr. Z amps typically have so much natural ambience that you can get by without reverb (at least playing out) but there's just no way I know of to fake trem. Hopefully it'll live happily in the loop and I'll run it off a battery to simplify things. Just put my tremulator back on my board. Great trem!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 15:44:43 GMT -7
No effects is the new effects. Or something.
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Post by Easyrom on Jul 21, 2014 4:28:36 GMT -7
I don't use any effect. I use a wah, a fuzz and a delay, but effects, no thanks!
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Post by Russell B on Jul 24, 2014 4:40:35 GMT -7
Russell, what do you (and others) do when a song calls for say tremolo and you don't have it? Just play without it and hope it goes unnoticed? I'm considering adding a trem pedal but I really prefer the minimalist approach too. I'm kinda thinking that with a good toneful amp like a Z you might get by without it. Sorry that I'm late getting back to this. I would dig out the tremolo and use it. My situation was because of the type band I was playing with. They wanted "Albert King" style playing. So, I didn't need effects. BUT, if I had to use one, I would. That didn't happen very often though, if any.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2014 8:26:05 GMT -7
I'm looking forward to some straight-in playing when my Therapy arrives--with the master volume and 6L6 power section, it seems like and amp that's designed to give up some seriously rich overdriven tones at reasonable volumes. Maybe a skosh of 'verb or delay and a clean boost, and bang, you're good to go. That said, in the past few years I've acquired some crazy good OD/dist/fuzz pedals, which do stuff that none of my amps can do alone. I like those tones, and so it's also a good thing to be able to set an amp like the EZG clean and let my Velvet Fuzz or GS 124 do its thing. THAT said, nothing puts a smile on my face quite like my Z-28 at 3/3/3.
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Post by Christopher on Jul 24, 2014 14:43:54 GMT -7
When I go to the local open mic I love playing straight in and riding the gv for leads. There's an honesty there that you plqy what's best bc there's nothing to hide behind. I prefer the tone of gtr cable amp but when I'm working the nano goes out w a cpl xotics, tuner and a delay. Simple works best for me. Ymmv
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