Amp vs Pedal Distortion

[smooth55]

I'm wondering who prefers amp to pedal distortion or vice versa and why?

[jb4674]

It all depends on the kind of sound you're after. IMO, an amp's distortion sounds better than that of a stomp box. If you're talking in terms of overdriving an existing distortion channel, that's a completely different ball game.

Jimmy

[rvai]

to my ears, a tube ampīs distortion is like more natural and warmer, and the pedalīs dist feels like more harsh, I like pedals for stuff like pantera

[Foulacy]

amps all the way. but you have to have a great one. you can make great amps sound even BETTER with a good pedal too. but you can't make an average amp sound great with a pedal like a metal zone or something.

[GuiltySparc]

Originally Posted by Foulacy

amps all the way. but you have to have a great one. you can make great amps sound even BETTER with a good pedal too. but you can't make an average amp sound great with a pedal like a metal zone or something.

Word, my keeley SD-1 turns my marshall into a face melting machine.

[Mr.WizardNeck]

Both. I get my sound from an amp modeler (Zoom G9) and I'm happy.

[texshred777]

I prefer amp overdrive most of the time, but a pedal can be great, too.

[Darin]

I use an OCD and BD-2 to get sounds the amp wont. Good to have options.

[nickcoumbe]

Depends on Volume, amp (Quality and also tube or transistor) and aplication for me.

Personally for loud playing then a cranked tube amp is hard to beat, particulalry if it has tubes in the pre-amp as well.

[screamndemon69]

Amp distortion is USUALLY more natural but tends to also be noisier in my experience. I use a Tone Bone Hot British in front of all my amps and it has less noise than ANY of my amps and is far more adjustable than any amp distortion I've ever run across. To me, it depends on whether you want to get your FX thru an FX loop or running direct IN, which is two completely different sounds when using amp distortion compared to a stomp box. Just my cents.

~Bones

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by screamndemon69

Amp distortion is USUALLY more natural but tends to also be noisier in my experience. I use a Tone Bone Hot British in front of all my amps and it has less noise than ANY of my amps and is far more adjustable than any amp distortion I've ever run across. To me, it depends on whether you want to get your FX thru an FX loop or running direct IN, which is two completely different sounds when using amp distortion compared to a stomp box. Just my cents.

~Bones

I think amp distorton is usually better, but I agree with demon, it depends on your set up. I used to run a mesa and never bothered with stomp boxes. But after selling everything and moving across the Pacific I had to re build my tone. Now I use a pedal (Vox Bulldog) and I achieve a pretty good sound. It lacks a little compression and chunk when compared to a power amp running hot, but it's quieter and what's more it's loads cheaper.

I now I like to run with a super clean amp and then add my distortion via the Vox. I like it this way because as Jim777 said before (I think it was him) "there is no such thing as a clean pedal," so this way I have a lot more control over my tone for the price. Whereas if I had my old recto I had some of the best metal toens you can buy, but that was it. The clean was bland and the crunch just sounded like it should have just been made into the distortion channel of a slightly less high gain amp than a recto.

Don't get me wrong I loved that amp but now I can have some of the best clean ever (I use a Roland JC120 but I want to get a Vox AC30) and I can get a good crunch and a killer lead tone. It's hard to duplicate an uber distorted metal monster amp due to the compression and bass responce of the distorted channel. But for rock and old school metal I'm fully capable and equiped.

Just to continue my enormous and very easy to ignore post, I have to say that you yourself have a lot to do with your tone, physically. Everything about how your fingers touch the strings, your right hand technique and your control make more difference than the gear companies want you to know. A case in point. I auditioned for a band and the other guitarist was using a Bogner XTC and because he was inexperienced and had no concept of what to do with his gear my ￥14000 ($140 US) Vox pedal pumped out a far better tone than his ￥640000 ($6400 US) amp. Now of course in the right hands there would be no comparison and that amp could produce amazing tone, but remeber in the right hands it could. Just to mention, I'm not a great guitarst BTW but I was 10 years more experienced and I have practiced a lot in comparison to that gentleman.

So I say, don't be afraid to try both ways (or others) of getting to your tone. Your hands tdo more than you think when your playing. And many great tones come from both strategies. Examples:

Satch: clean amp with pedals.
Petrucci: huge amp distortion. And on and on.

[smooth55]

The general consensus from the thread and on the forum seems to be that amp distortion is preferred while pedals offer versatility. I assume we're talking about tube amps in this case, which means we're also talking about volume for the most part. What about in lower volume situations, which do you prefer then and why? I also want ask, do you find it easier to tame a high gain amp for bluesy stuff by overdriving the clean channel, or beef up a lower gain bluesy amp by using a more high gain pedal?
Personally, I find it works better to boost clean channels on high gain amps and get that vintage-y kind of sound.

[smooth55]

I'll agree with you on the fact that it's all in your hands. I sound like me regardless of what amp I'm playing through, though with some amps that's more satisfying than with others. Still, I'm talking more about differences, or perception of differences, in the distortion, and how you achieve that versatility with your gear. I'm not trying to pinpoint which direction would be better. I totally agree with the Satch/Pettrucci comment that both paths are viable.

[kotornut]

I think for lower volumes pedals are better. Tube amps almost always sound there best cranked and unless you are using a 5 watt amp, that means you have to generat a lot of volume. Of course some amps sound better than others at low volumes, but none sound best at low volumes.

[waylay00]

I use 70% of my distortion from amps. When I need that extra kick, I'll kick on a nice OD pedal.

I'm a firm believer in using the amp's distortion as a base, and using pedals to color it, adjust it, boost it, or do whatever to suit your needs.