How many play directly into an amp- no effects?

[Keef Wichards]

I really only play directly from my guitar to my amp, mainly for three reasons:
1. It keeps the signal strong going into the amp for superior tone
2. A lot of my favorite players from the 50s-70s didn't use em
3. I'm too poor to afford them

That being said, I do own a couple, I just rarely use them.

How do you guys do it?

 

[Keef Wichards]

Yeah not sure what's going in with the first two poll options... I didn't put them there...

 

[David Garner]

I'd love to go direct, but honestly, I'd have to figure out how to get the cable run short enough to include a tuner without using a buffer (because what's the point if you are going to use a buffer anyway -- might as well throw in some pedals).

I barely use any effects at all. One day I might go with clip on tuners or something for between songs. Or just use a short cable from the tuner to the amp and maybe a 15 footer from the tuner to the guitar.

 

[Funky54]

I enjoy plugging right in, but I don't find that practical at all. No gig I play allows me to turn up to those volumes. I also feel pedals make the Experience much more pleasant for an audience. I have my board (stereo and wet dry wet) configured so I never have more than three pedals in the path and all are TB with never more that 25' of total chord length between guitar and amp.

 

[Flugel]

Does a compressor count as an effect?

 

[Neopolitian]

Plugging straight into an amp is what I would LIKE to do. I got tired of choking this THD Univalve down to apartment levels and now use a multiFX more drive at low volumes.

 

[smcgov]

I use an LP Trad right into egnator rebel 20. I recently added a TS clone just for lead boost. Clip on tuner. Sounds good and crisp, occasionally use my LP Jr for a night.

 

[conanb]

Rick 325 or Gretsch 5422 straight into Fender Blues Jnr. Both guitars have such beautiful tone it seems a shame to do anything to them. The amp has overdrive facility if I need it. I've got a Jekyll & Hyde and a Barber Tone Press that I sometimes use live for quicker control over volume/dynamics in which case I keep the amp clean with no overdrive. But that's it. I don't need much for the music we play. Raw is best in my particular situation.

 

[metropolis_4]

For me it's all about what the gig calls for. Right now I'm playing a production of West Side Story; the electric stuff is all '50s jazz/bebop/showtune type tones. There's no need for effects, so I'm just going direct from guitar to amp.

A few months ago I was playing an original show featuring music and choreography that consisted of a lot of post-modern textural and ambient guitar lines as well as some pretty industrial electronic sort of tones. That one required a lot of pedals to get the correct specific tones needed.

Going direct to amp is only a superior tone if that one tone happens to be the only tone you need

 

[EADGBE]

It sounds better played straight in.

 

[ef_in_fla]

Hardly.

Guitar > Compressor > OD > Delay > Distortion > Amp

Sounds like a pipe organ when I'm done.

 

[Jo-Jo Beans]

For clean tones I go straight in. I've found some killer settings on the Twin Reverb model on my Mustang III that are really sweet and sparkly. I don't like any of the dirty amp settings too much, so I use a Tube Screamer, Fuzz Face, or Big Muff for some dirt. I play mostly bluesy stuff with a little dirt and I occasionally do modern blues-rock stuff with lots of grit.

 

[27sauce]

I don't know, I've never seen plugging straight in to an amp as "no effects". The amp/preamp just as much as an "effect" as a pedal.

People who do seem to be very proud, though. I went years with "no effects", I've used a ton, hell, I've even played with no amp!

 

[cap10kirk]

I plug straight into the amp, LP into Fender amp. I may add a pedal or two when I get a tiny terror head, but for now I'm happy with the sound straight into the amp.

 

[misterturtlehead]

I am not against using effects stompboxes on gigs. But I have found from years of experience that I can get the sounds I need for the tunes I play with working bands by just plugging straight into the amplifier. My amplifier usually has reverb. And when I turn it up I can get some overdrive when I need it. It also means that it only takes me five minutes to set my stuff up.

 

[SPROING!]

I rarely use any effects but, then I'm not playing cover songs. I don't see how you could cover much apart from some straight blues or barroom rock without them.
In my case, it's simply the way I write. I have nothing against them.

 

[rublalup]

I would like... I dig the "use the volume pot" to control tone, but the difference in volume between where the guitar stays clean and when its overdriven is not practical in a band context IME... also a nice delay / reverb here and there is nice

When practicing I love to do it.

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Usually straight in.


If I'm going to play a long time, I'll slap a delay and fuzz pedal in there.

 

[Cal Webway]

Just o' touch of amp 'verb

.

 

[guitarnut_1]

guitar->tube screamer->fender blues deluxe with a Celestion G12-65

occasionally I may use a Boss Chorus pedal if playing Jazz. I then only play clean.