Average Age of "Amp Only / No Pedals" Crowd?

[lawrencedesigns]

(Putting on my best geezer voice) When I started the only pedals we had were GAS pedals!
Humpph! I'm 63.

My pedaltrain has 8 pedals

 

[IGuitUpIGuitDown]

I really don't see a two channel amp, or one with a master volume as any different, or mature than using pedals. YMMV

-32 year old pedalphile.

Many amps have built-in spring reverb. THAT'S technically a pedal, an effect, right?

 

[27sauce]

Many amps have built-in spring reverb. THAT'S technically a pedal, an effect, right?

Absolutely.

 

[joelster]

I'm 46. I've got an 80 pound pedal board that stays off much of the time. I do enjoy the times that straight into an amp (especially if there's reverb) but I love variety (read: toys) a little too much.

 

[scott]

I'm 40 and been playing most of my life in one way or another.
I use a Marshall clone set to ACDC crunch and boost it with whatever....usually a Timmy.
For years I played straight in and for years I played using pedals. I never got all my gain from the pedal it was always boosting the amp over the edge. I've used a wha, univibe, trem, delay, tube screamers, blues drivers........lots of pedals but never at the same time. Right now I have a board with 5 pedals(that's big for me) but I usually only use the Timmy.....I bring it cause it has a tuner on it...lol.
I can do either at any gig and I'd have no problems.

 

[ChampReverb]

56 and love my pedals. I use them all but in a reasonably subtle manner to serve the song.

I set my amp clean and play in a low-volume, 7 person, folk/rock, acoustic/electric band and different pedal flavors help me to add a variety of textures to the mix.

-bEn r.

 

[Peteyvee]

I didn't use pedals for almost 20 years and now at 56 I'm using a few again. Of course, 90% of them are ODs and boost pedals because I can't crank my amps anymore, but you get the idea...

Sometimes at a jam, I'll plug straight in and crank my old Super Champ...then again, that little thing can get loud quick. Thank you Paul Rivera...

 

[bluesjuke]

I only every once in a while play my Original da Vinci Fuzz Pedal.

I'll be 492 in June.

 

[xjojox]

52.

Earliest garage bands (early 70's) I used a little muff and a small stone and a wah. At 14 I took a year of classical lessons with a guy whose electric style was down on pedals and all about working with the amp, so I learned to find the sweet spot and ride my guitar knobs.

Funny thing, when I wanted more types of gain available I started using multi-channel amps but never went back to distortion or OD pedals. I eventually went to preamps, then midi'd up the preamps, then went to full-on rack systems with midi preamps and all kinds of time-based effects in the loop... but I never went back to pedals to goose the front end. Always amp distortion (closest to that was putting a Scholz compressor in my rack and slamming the front end of a Boogie Quad Preamp with that). Odder still, most of the tones I liked listening to were made using pedals.

Even with my Axe FX, I have no patches that involve distortion pedals. All of the gain comes from the amp models. But I do use lots of other FX and of course a wah.

So even though I'm digital, I guess I'm still old skool.

Disclaimer, I do have a few pedals and a few combos, and I do set up with those once in awhile for fun or to rehearse if for whatever reason I don't have my Axe FX rig up and running.... I mostly rely on a blue Fulldrive II with the flat mids switch, a Teese Real McCoy wah, and a simple delay in the loop. But 99% of the time I just fire up the Axe.

 

[germs]

30

guitar -> wah -> M9 -> front of amp

these days. it changes...

 

[RRfireblade]

Hmm....

Either way I almost never have used pedals. Either I'm full rack effects OR dead straight in the tightest most unforgiving tube amp I can find.

Not trying to offend anyone but most people I've run into can't pull off playing direct line into dry amp. Seems like most of the full pedal board guys crutch off of all the misdirection the boatload of pedals and effects provide.

But back to the OP , currently I play straight into either a VHT/Fryette CL (50 or 100w) Pittbull or Fryette Deliverance 120.

And I'm 29 thirteen. With about 35+ years under my belt so far.

 

[Plaid Sabbath]

Almost 43. I've decided to get off the pedal merry-go-round. The whole thing got tiresome...chasing that tiny bit of difference from one pedal to another. Only pedal I have is a tuner.

Tele--->Tuner--->Orange Amp.

Yes, I'm a knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing Neanderthal.

 

[stratfish]

So basically, some use pedals, some don't, yet most everyone is old-ish here

So what happens when young rockers get old? Why do some of them dump all the circuitry and distortion?
I realize from reading some of this thread that many do not - but I did and here's why...

When I was young in the 70's: I gigged more, played as loud as possible as fast as possible. Feedback, distortion and speed were more important than tone and technique. That was what was "in" back then.

30 years later: I'm not not gigging as much, and seldom play with a drummer. (Wish I did...miss it!) Doing more home studio work and low volume venues. Things start to quiet down. Solos take on more emotion and don't have to have as many notes per measure as humanly possible. I stopped living on the bridge pickup about 10 years ago.

When the noise level is reduced and the guitar goes straight into the amp you hear things you never heard before! You start to hear what your hands are actually doing... without the signal being mangled and polluted, you hear things you were not able to/didn't care to/was in too much of a "hurry" to hear before.
Wood & Strings mean more than wattage and effects.

I think that most players kinda "evolve" to this and that takes time = why we are "oldish."

A recent example from my life: My youngest brother is 4 years younger than me, a huge Jimmy Page fan and a good player. He recently visited - and I could wait to show him my favorite guitar: a korina Les Paul replica that sings acoustically and when amplified.
He plugged it into his little travel amp (a solid state Peavey with built-in effects) and played for a few minutes. Even through all the effects he had programmed into his base sound I could hear the wood tones sneaking through. He didn't notice any difference, and handed the guitar back.

Guess he ain't old enough yet. HA!

 

[Retired_Colonel]

Age 66...when I was younger I had a huge pedalboard filled with all the latest Boss pedals. Now I am pretty much straight in...occasionally throw in Timmy and/or Carbon Copy.

 

[bluesjuke]

I'll bet most of us that usually do plug straight in use no more than one pedal when we do use one at all.
I'll also bet the majority of the time it's something to just give a little push.

 

[guitrr]

Usually 5 or 6 pedals on my pedalboard for a cover band or country gig.

2, 3, or none for a blues gig; it depends on the instrumental composition of the band - generally, as the number of pieces goes up, my pedal usage goes down, since there is less sonic space in which to operate and fill.

My favorite setup is probably guitar - clean boost - amp, and using high quality cables.

I'm 51, been gigging for 46 years.


Kane

 

[aT19er]

I did it for a while at 16.

 

[Guitarchaeologist]

Although I have a rackmount effects unit, I could live without it and be happy plugging straight in to the amp. I'm 23.

 

[Retired_Colonel]

So what happens when young rockers get old? Why do some of them dump all the circuitry and distortion?
I realize from reading some of this thread that many do not - but I did and here's why...

When I was young in the 70's: I gigged more, played as loud as possible as fast as possible. Feedback, distortion and speed were more important than tone and technique. That was what was "in" back then.

30 years later: I'm not not gigging as much, and seldom play with a drummer. (Wish I did...miss it!) Doing more home studio work and low volume venues. Things start to quiet down. Solos take on more emotion and don't have to have as many notes per measure as humanly possible. I stopped living on the bridge pickup about 10 years ago.

When the noise level is reduced and the guitar goes straight into the amp you hear things you never heard before! You start to hear what your hands are actually doing... without the signal being mangled and polluted, you hear things you were not able to/didn't care to/was in too much of a "hurry" to hear before.
Wood & Strings mean more than wattage and effects.

I think that most players kinda "evolve" to this and that takes time = why we are "oldish."

A recent example from my life: My youngest brother is 4 years younger than me, a huge Jimmy Page fan and a good player. He recently visited - and I could wait to show him my favorite guitar: a korina Les Paul replica that sings acoustically and when amplified.
He plugged it into his little travel amp (a solid state Peavey with built-in effects) and played for a few minutes. Even through all the effects he had programmed into his base sound I could hear the wood tones sneaking through. He didn't notice any difference, and handed the guitar back.

Guess he ain't old enough yet. HA!

+1 Best dissertation on how I evolved into an old guy, too!! Thanks for explaining what happened!!

 

[Indy Mark]

Well said. Old guys rule!