Pedals into Clean Amps or Multi Channel Amps

[mikef09]

Just curious as to how everyone runs their setup lately. I've gone back and forth multiple times on my rig going from multi channel amps to pedals into a clean amp more times than I can count.

I finally ended up running my board into my favorite amp, which is an early Marshall DSL50 JCM2000 with Drake Transformers into an Orange PPC212 w/ V30s and I couldn't be happier. How do you run your rig and why?

Signal Chain: Polytune 2 > Looper In > Vortex > Timmy > Modded SD-1 / Sentry > Channel Footswitch > Looper Out to Marshall DSL50 Input > Effects Send into Timeline > Flint > Effects Return

 

[doghouseman]

I keep going back and forth too. I think a clean amp with pedals will give you a more consistent sound night after night. With a multi channel amp, if you play out a lot, you have to really make sure your tubes are matched, biased, and not worn out, or your sound will turn to mush. I think the multi channel amp, when properly set up, gives you the better sound. But the clean amp with pedals is not far behind.

 

[demea26]

My rig is almost identical to yours. Les Paul-->Pedalboard with a Keeley SD-1, OCD (and a bunch of others)-->DSL 50 through either a Marshall 1936 w/ V30's or a 1960AV.
Although I must say I'm growing a little bored with it and am exploring an AC30

 

[sleewell]

I can and do use either. I have single channel amps, 2 channel amps and 3 channel amps that have boosts for each channel.

I learned you can get a lot of sounds with just a boost pedal and by using the volume knob on your guitar.

 

[doghouseman]

Actually, just looking at your set up. I have a DSL100 head with a 4X12 cab that sounds awesome for crunch and solos. I switch to a Vox for clean. The 4X12 is wired in stereo so I can run both amps into the same cab and I have different speakers on each side of the cab and I switch back and forth. Like I said, as long as the glass is good, it sounds great, once the glass starts to go bad, it sounds like mush.

 

[mikef09]

My rig is almost identical to yours. Les Paul-->Pedalboard with a Keeley SD-1, OCD (and a bunch of others)-->DSL 50 through either a Marshall 1936 w/ V30's or a 1960AV.
Although I must say I'm growing a little bored with it and am exploring an AC30

See that's what happened to me when I had a Blackstar and Midi rig, I bought an AC30 variant (New Vintage MK36) and it's an AMAZING amp, but I couldn't get the tight and aggressive high gain I loved (like a Marshall). So my cleans are pretty AC30ish with the gain at about 3 o'clock on the clean channel and I personally couldn't be happier. I've just realized I'm a 2 channel guy!

 

[draelyc]

I voted multi-channel, because that's what I currently have, but truth be told I tend to stay on the gain channel &a ride my guitar's volume as on a single channel amp. My clean channels are more like bonus features that are cool to have.

 

[demea26]

See that's what happened to me when I had a Blackstar and Midi rig, I bought an AC30 variant (New Vintage MK36) and it's an AMAZING amp, but I couldn't get the tight and aggressive high gain I loved (like a Marshall). So my cleans are pretty AC30ish with the gain at about 3 o'clock on the clean channel and I personally couldn't be happier. I've just realized I'm a 2 channel guy!

Yeah I go back and forth with this, too. I love the crunchy tight Marshall sound for rhythm and some leads, but then find myself needing a clean/edge of breakup sound that I'm not getting with the Marshalls. Even with the green crunch mode its just not there. It just gets lost in the mix with my other guitars players Vibroking. I've used clean platforms before and found a few pedals that worked well, but its exhausting (and expensive) chasing the next greatest MIAB

And I DONT want to run two amps if I dont have to. That get s a little nutty for corner bar gigs

 

[lowpaygigs]

The best sounds come from utilizing different amp channels or amps in combination with pedals, here and there. The best utility setup for gigs or jamming is to use a solid clean with a choice set of pedals, imho.

 

[kwicked]

1 amp for sure and pedals into clean for sure, but a 2nd (od) channel is great for versatility. Example- a Timmy pedal set for light overdrive into a Supersonic 60. With one pedal and not changing settings you get clean (off), light od on clean channel, whatever you have amp OD channel set to, Timmy into OD channel. 4 distinct settings with one pedal.
Actually with the Supersonic you get another clean setting for two more options, but you get the point.

 

[blackie59]

Except for a delay and chorus pedal in the FX loop on my Mark V, I never need any dirt pedals at all anymore.

 

[rawkguitarist]

This subject has been hit lots of times, but I’ll chime in anyway.

I use multiple setups and multiple amps. But I voted for clean amp with pedals, because that’s what I use most for gigs.

For ease of setup, great sounds and versatility plugging pedals into my Dr. Z Z28 combo with a Scumback H75 is what I use 85% of the time. Same pedal setup into a Dr. Z KT45 running a little squishier than stock with rectifier and bias tweaks, into a Dr. Z 2x12 open back with 2 Scumback J75’s.

BUT, I also have an amazing channel switcher… it’s a Carol Ann Tucana 2 one off using the OD2/3 6L6 power section. This is a sick, crazy versatile 3 channel amp. The only drawback to this amp is that it takes a bit more time dialing in the multiple volumes and gain controls. I’d be better at it though if I did it more often… point is, I like this amp so much I’d rather leave it set up at home, so that’s where it stays most of the time. If I’m doing a special gig though, I usually grab this amp and run it through my Forte 3d cab or the 2x12 Z cab depending on the volume/stage requirements.

All that said… I can get very close to the Carol Ann, to my taste and needs with my Barber OD/Distortion boxes into the Dr. Z’s. The point is, the Z’s with their really unique EF86 preamp circuits and the Barbers are heads above any clean amp/pedals combination I’ve ever tried, heard or owned.

For recording, definitly the best sounds come from running whatever amp is called for, getting all clean to dirt right from the amp.

 

[Multicellular]

I voted clean. But I really do some of both. Clean platform saves many headaches live cause I can use it at any volume. But in the studio I might do anything, just depends on the song.

I actually prefer the overdrive of certain pedals to any tube overdrive I've heard. But a combination of those overdrives and a little tube breakup is sometimes better.

 

[myaudiodna]

I'm a single channel amp + volume knob guy. I have a TS Mini, but it hasn't been on my board for a while now and I haven't seen any need to bring it back yet.

Edit to add that one of the reasons I like this setup so much is I'm not dependent at all on my pedal board, all of my pedals are just for flavor. I could just as easily leave my board at home and plug straight into my amp.

 

[Bucksears]

I thought I was going multi-channel with the Egnater/Synergy modular stuff, but have to agree with the comment made about clean amp/pedals being more consistent.
I recently ran some of my old JFET pedals into my SRRI and was pleasantly surprised with how much easier it was to control the sound; harmonics jumping out no problem, tight rhythm sounds, more focused leads.

 

[Leep Dog]

I'm all about simplicity so I voted for clean amp and pedals.

 

[Rhythm Rocker]

Ideally it would be a 50w Marshall Plexi with the Power tubes cookin' and just using the vol on the guitar.

 

[BMX]

Ha, I have a few rigs in the basement, but last night I was playing an SD-1 into an older/drake transformer DSL50 through an Avatar Vintage 2x12 with Vintage 30s. Sounded great! Something about the sd-1 into a DSL50 and vintage 30s that's works so well together.

 

[draelyc]

Out of curiosity, if folks are running a couple different dirt pedals into a clean amp, does that track as having more simplicity as a rig than running n a 2 or 3 channel amp rig?

I don't mean that to sound snarky in any way -- I've just seen a few posts talking about the simplicity of clean amp + pedals & it made me wonder.

 

[mikef09]

Ha, I have a few rigs in the basement, but last night I was playing an SD-1 into an older/drake transformer DSL50 through an Avatar Vintage 2x12 with Vintage 30s. Sounded great! Something about the sd-1 into a DSL50 and vintage 30s that's works so well together.

Yeah, the SD-1 into that amp sounds particularly amazing. Definitely better than other ODs I've tried through it.