The Minimalist

[granite]

Doesn't anyone just plug straight into their amp anymore??? Do we really need a zillion stomp boxes? I'm gear crazy just like everyone else, but I'm starting to find that I enjoy the sound of just my amp and guitar a lot better nowadays. Could YOU still play and enjoy yourself without your pedalboards?

[slowburn]

I've only got 2 pedals, and it's not like they're always on, so I like to consider myself a minimalist.

[gururyan]

Pedals are like clothing to me. I like wearing different things, but I'll never give up being naked...it's always a good time.

[apalazzolo]

yes

[granite]

Originally posted by jeffnmoe
A real minimalist doesn't need an amp.

Air Guitar?

Depends on the style of music you play. As a rock/blues/roots guy myself, I play guitar>amp a lot, or maybe with a booster.

[TaronKeim]

I have a HUGE selection of pedals... but I play straight into my amp whenever I'm having a jam and even sometimes when I play out and get just a blues/classic rock gig. Even when I'm at home, 90% of my practicing is pedal free, but when I'm recording, or working on my original material with other musicians or song writing, BAM out come ALLS THE TOYS!!! However, nothing really beats my PRS>HG Lyrics Cable>Germino LV55 for solid tone and feel, its amazing.

-TJK

[cubba65]

I love it when one of the George-L's on my board goes south at a gig or jam and then I have to plug straight into my amp!
I just love that tone and the challenge of it...
for about 2 or 3 songs and then I miss the pure fun I get from my pedals!

(and then proceed to find the shorted bugger)

[monstermike]

Straight in these days, but I'm missing a pedal tuner. I have a Strobostomp coming, which is true bypass, so it's just a matter of keeping cable lengths short.

M

[Occam]

There's a sort of inherent push I feel creatively when I plug straight in without my pedals. Sometimes having fewer options forces me to try harder to make things interesting. I do much of my writing without effects. However I do have a large and I think very nice pedalboard full of goodies. I'm the only guitar player in the band and we have no synth/organ guy and much of the sound I want just needs a bit more than the guitar--->amp combination can provide. It's good to mix it up though and many of our songs just have a clean boost on them.

[LavaMan]

I plug straight into my Mesa Mark IV every week at my local blues jam - every once in awhile I will plug in my Keeley compessor...

[roknfnrol]

I used to plug my tele into a tweed deluxe, but then I needed a louder amp and the occasional clean tone so I had to bring in a pedal or two. I like a little analog delay sometimes too...

[John Phillips]

Originally posted by granite
Doesn't anyone just plug straight into their amp anymore??? Do we really need a zillion stomp boxes? I'm gear crazy just like everyone else, but I'm starting to find that I enjoy the sound of just my amp and guitar a lot better nowadays. Could YOU still play and enjoy yourself without your pedalboards?

Yes, absolutely - and in fact I very often do when I'm just amusing myself. Possibly even mostly.

But I prefer the more complex sounds I can get using effects when I'm playing arrangments of my songs with the band. I still do play quite a bit with no (or very minimal) effects on there too, but it enhances the music enormously to use textures that you just can't with a guitar and an amp, even if you allow distortion and reverb (andeven tremolo) from the amp, which are all effects too.

The funny thing is that I can play the same songs with just an acoustic guitar and still enjoy them, in a different way.

[roknfnrol]

I gigged last night without my pedalboard (Fulldrive, analog delay, boss tuner) and I got along fine without it except that I missed the added compression from the fulldrive, I felt like I was fighting my amp. I also missed the ambiance from the analog delay, especially since I have no reverb. I ended up using the pedalboard for the last half of the show. Oh well, I tried.

[Gril Grissom]

the mooroons I play for go gaga over anything that makes strange sounds...I think I'll go to Tao Bell and give
sounds 'n sm*lls.
Fockers! They wouldn't know a REAL guitar player

But yeah, plugin in straight to a great amp is heavenly!
IF the people you work with don't have a.d.d., and get easily board with normal guitar sounds