Post by skinvoyager on Oct 11, 2013 7:28:16 GMT -7
I got my original M12 combo a few months after they were released, and I absolutely loved it. However, I was still going through pedal anxiety, always thinking there was better overdrive out there. Every time I saw something new, I wondered if it was the "one." So, I decided the only way to stop this anxiety was to cut out pedals completely and get my tones straight from the amp. Since Dr. Z doesn't really have any higher gain switching models, I went back to Bad Cat, and sold a lot of my drive pedals.
First, I tried the Hot Cat 30R, an amp I had years ago. However, the new model has been updated with things like channel switching, dual master volumes, a midrange control, etc. Very functional improvements. I dropped the cash and when I fired it up in my garage I was in the love with the raw rock tone. However...on my first few gigs with the Hot Cat, it sounded fizzy and overly compressed. The clean channel sounded great, but the whole point was to get my drive from the amp. This went on for several weeks: sounded great at home, not so great live. It wasn't just me. My other guitarist and soundman said the same thing.
So, I sold the Hot Cat and got a Black Cat (which I had also owned years ago). This was much more my style, as the gain never got too fizzy or compressed. However, it wasn't hot enough without a boost. Using an OCD and a Tube Screamer in front sounded really good, but now I was back to pedals. This is a two-channel amp with lots of knobs. One channel has a 12AX7 preamp; the other an EF86. So now I had an OCD, a Tube Screamer, and two channels. Honestly, it was overload. I thought I'd like having all those options, but playing live it just added more anxiety. I kept switching channels with this pedal or that pedal trying to hear the subtle differences and tweaking the knobs. It was stupid. I should be focusing on playing and enjoying the show.
Last week I got another 12" Greenback combo from Humbucker. It was like having an old friend back. I think I've finally decided it's OK to use pedals. In my head, there's always been some sort of mojo or pureness about getting all your tones straight from the amp, but it just hasn't worked for me. In reality, most of those classic tones I've been chasing can only be had by cranking a Marshall to deafening levels, or using pedals. And now I'm ok with using pedals.
Incidentally, I A/Bed the Black Cat and the M12 (sorry, no clips). While the Black Cat is a GREAT amp, it didn't sound as lively as the M12. The M12 just had more presence and a more in-your-face tone, and was less noisy to boot. And volume-wise, it held up against the Black Cat's 30 watts. Seriously.
The funny thing is, I've landed on the following signal chain: Budda Wah, Xotic SP compressor, OCD, Tube Screamer, and MXR Super Badass Overdrive. These aren't really "boutique" pedals, but man, they sound good with the M12. I've especially rekindled a love affair with the Tube Screamer. I used to write it off because of the midrange hump and lack of being true bypass. Well, I'm over the true bypass thing now and the "hump" gives my tones a thickness that cuts through, making my tones much more 3-dimensional. The SP and the OCD are almost always on (I turn off the OCD for super-clean tones), and the MXR Super Badass is an amazingly versatile pedal that gets me anywhere from Marshall crunch to scooped metal (though that's not really my thing). And for a solo boost, I've landed on a plain ol' Boss GE-7 EQ pedal. I tried the boutique boosters, and half the time they just made my sound have more gain but not enough of a volume boost for leads. With the GE-7 I can goose the mids a bit and raise the level slider. As an added benefit, if I ever need any oddball sounds, the GE-7 is an amazing tone-shaping tool to get me there.
Anyway, the M12 has ended the knob-anxiety, and I think I've come to terms with the pedal anxiety. I think now I can focus on playing and less on gear. We'll see!
First, I tried the Hot Cat 30R, an amp I had years ago. However, the new model has been updated with things like channel switching, dual master volumes, a midrange control, etc. Very functional improvements. I dropped the cash and when I fired it up in my garage I was in the love with the raw rock tone. However...on my first few gigs with the Hot Cat, it sounded fizzy and overly compressed. The clean channel sounded great, but the whole point was to get my drive from the amp. This went on for several weeks: sounded great at home, not so great live. It wasn't just me. My other guitarist and soundman said the same thing.
So, I sold the Hot Cat and got a Black Cat (which I had also owned years ago). This was much more my style, as the gain never got too fizzy or compressed. However, it wasn't hot enough without a boost. Using an OCD and a Tube Screamer in front sounded really good, but now I was back to pedals. This is a two-channel amp with lots of knobs. One channel has a 12AX7 preamp; the other an EF86. So now I had an OCD, a Tube Screamer, and two channels. Honestly, it was overload. I thought I'd like having all those options, but playing live it just added more anxiety. I kept switching channels with this pedal or that pedal trying to hear the subtle differences and tweaking the knobs. It was stupid. I should be focusing on playing and enjoying the show.
Last week I got another 12" Greenback combo from Humbucker. It was like having an old friend back. I think I've finally decided it's OK to use pedals. In my head, there's always been some sort of mojo or pureness about getting all your tones straight from the amp, but it just hasn't worked for me. In reality, most of those classic tones I've been chasing can only be had by cranking a Marshall to deafening levels, or using pedals. And now I'm ok with using pedals.
Incidentally, I A/Bed the Black Cat and the M12 (sorry, no clips). While the Black Cat is a GREAT amp, it didn't sound as lively as the M12. The M12 just had more presence and a more in-your-face tone, and was less noisy to boot. And volume-wise, it held up against the Black Cat's 30 watts. Seriously.
The funny thing is, I've landed on the following signal chain: Budda Wah, Xotic SP compressor, OCD, Tube Screamer, and MXR Super Badass Overdrive. These aren't really "boutique" pedals, but man, they sound good with the M12. I've especially rekindled a love affair with the Tube Screamer. I used to write it off because of the midrange hump and lack of being true bypass. Well, I'm over the true bypass thing now and the "hump" gives my tones a thickness that cuts through, making my tones much more 3-dimensional. The SP and the OCD are almost always on (I turn off the OCD for super-clean tones), and the MXR Super Badass is an amazingly versatile pedal that gets me anywhere from Marshall crunch to scooped metal (though that's not really my thing). And for a solo boost, I've landed on a plain ol' Boss GE-7 EQ pedal. I tried the boutique boosters, and half the time they just made my sound have more gain but not enough of a volume boost for leads. With the GE-7 I can goose the mids a bit and raise the level slider. As an added benefit, if I ever need any oddball sounds, the GE-7 is an amazing tone-shaping tool to get me there.
Anyway, the M12 has ended the knob-anxiety, and I think I've come to terms with the pedal anxiety. I think now I can focus on playing and less on gear. We'll see!