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Does a cranked clean tube amp (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for example) with an excellent distortion pedal sound better or equal to a regular Marshall, Mesa, etc.? Would it give you ample distortion and your own vibe because it's just plain different?

it really depends on your liking . . . me personally, for any blues gigs i would do, i would prefer a cranked fender tube and use my fulldrive to boost it. However, if I was to play any rock type stuff, Id be all over a cranked up marshall plexi, what kinda style do you play?

You pretty much still need a Marshall to get a Marshall tone,but yes,a great pedal through any great sounding tube amp is icing on the cake!

yeah you cant achieve a marshall tone through a fender tube amp, but it still sounds cool in its own right.


Originally Posted by GandLManit really depends on your liking . . . me personally, for any blues gigs i would do, i would prefer a cranked fender tube and use my fulldrive to boost it. However, if I was to play any rock type stuff, Id be all over a cranked up marshall plexi, what kinda style do you play?

Mainly Rock/Hard Rock. I just thought about doing something different when I saw that STP post about Dean DeLeo. He's got his own thing going and I'd rather have something unique than your usual Marshall/Les Paul or whatever combo.

well, for me, i choose fender amps as a platform for pedals because pedals seem to sound the best when put through a fender clean/mildly distorted sound

with an open back 1x12, you will NOT achieve a good hard rock tone, it's just not possible

with a deville, given you had a closed back extension 2x12, eh, yeah i could see that; it's definately possible, maybe v30's in the deville amp; g12t75's in the extension, or an x pattern, or the 75's all across

that would be the route to go if you wanted to use a hot rod, then crank it till it's mildly overdriving, and use stuff like a tubescreamer amp; ds-1 amp; marshall guv'nor to get more crunch. Playing with the volume settings on each pedal will also play a big role. For a hi-gain pedal, you'll pretty much want as little amp overdrive as possible (in my expirience, anyways), where as with the tubescreamer or a ds-1, it won't hurt to max out the level, or atleast boost it to taste


Originally Posted by STRATDELUXER97You pretty much still need a Marshall to get a Marshall tone,but yes,a great pedal through any great sounding tube amp is icing on the cake!

I don't believe the part about needing a Marshall for marshall tone. I've heard killer marshall crunch out of modded Bassmans.

It's funny you ask this because I just bought a Digitech Distortion Factory and the amp I tried it out on at GC was a Hot Rod Deluxe (clean channel). That pedal has 7 different distortions and made that amp scream. I bought the pedal based on that amp.


Originally Posted by twoheadedboyI don't believe the part about needing a Marshall for marshall tone. I've heard killer marshall crunch out of modded Bassmans.

Yes,but we weren't talking about modded Bassmans? We're talkin pedals through a stock Fender amp...

Are you talking BF Bassmans or a 59 Bassman/Marshall circuit?

If you want unique distortion stick a modded ds-1 into a super reverb, u can get bad ass distortion thats diffrent sounding then your every day crap modern sound. If u want marshall distortion and fender cleans get a modded bassman and a distortion pedal, either way u go its probably going to always sound awesome


Originally Posted by drew_half_emptywith an open back 1x12, you will NOT achieve a good hard rock tone, it's just not possible

thats not true at all. will an open back fender sound like a marshall? maybe... probably not... but to say you CAN'T get a good hard rock tone out of a open back 1x12 is just closedminded.

people have gotten great hard rock tones out of small wattage open back 1x8 amps in the studio so why is in not possible with a open back 1x12?


Originally Posted by Satch1222Does a cranked clean tube amp (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for example) with an excellent distortion pedal sound better or equal to a regular Marshall, Mesa, etc.? Would it give you ample distortion and your own vibe because it's just plain different?

with the basic designs of each amps adding a pedal i would say it would not be a dead on recreation... but it is possible to achive something that sounds simillar. experiment you might find somthing you like that fits into your idea of each amp but is all your own.

if you really want those tones you can always save for a mesa or marshall ect that meets your tone and power needs.

The best approach is to get exactly the type of amp for the tone you require. Buying an open backed 6L6 combo and a distortion pedal is the worst choice, when the tones you like are hotrodded Marshall tones (refer to whatever amp is most popular for your style).

If you want exact tones, similar to the tones you identify with most, just buy that same amp, or one with the same design. Trying to make an amp do something it wasn't intended for often leaves you uninspired when playing. Proof of that is that a player usually plays differently when they jump between 8 different amps. You have to find the one that makes your natural playing feel and sound perfect.

Yeah that is what most seems to forget when they buy stuff, focus on what you play and go for that sound.


Originally Posted by drew_half_emptywith an open back 1x12, you will NOT achieve a good hard rock tone, it's just not possibleI disagree. For one, if you're playing a gig with a small combo, ideally you'll be micing up (and even if you have a bigger cab, most people will be micing just a single speaker). You can get perfectly good tones.

I feel the same way about small combos even in a home or jam type environment, but that was my first and most glaring thought.

On topic, I really like the sound of a quality OD or distortion pedal in front of a nice clean channel. For the past, oh month or so, that's exactly what I've been doing. Right now I'm using a Zendrive for lower gain duties, a Mosferatu for mid to high gain rhythm and leads, and running the Mos into the Zen for a really thick and fluid tone. Basically a four channel setup right there.I said doodies.


Originally Posted by ericmeyer4thats not true at all. will an open back fender sound like a marshall? maybe... probably not... but to say you CAN'T get a good hard rock tone out of a open back 1x12 is just closedminded.

people have gotten great hard rock tones out of small wattage open back 1x8 amps in the studio so why is in not possible with a open back 1x12?

I assume you're reffering to weezer

the reason is; miking both sides of the amp, as well as doubling, if not tripling tracks, is all possible in the studio

live? well, maybe for some people, but around here, there are no sound guys, or even amp mics, so basically, you crank your amp amp; you go, and i used to own a hot rod deluxe, and yeah, not possible

I've gotten some really big and gutsy sounds using a Fender Twin and a G2D Morpheus (and a DS-1 at other times). I'd like to try it with a closed back cab sometime though...

I'm not really after the Marshall sound anyway, so it hasn't been an issue.


Originally Posted by drew_half_emptyI assume you're reffering to weezer

the reason is; miking both sides of the amp, as well as doubling, if not tripling tracks, is all possible in the studio

live? well, maybe for some people, but around here, there are no sound guys, or even amp mics, so basically, you crank your amp amp; you go, and i used to own a hot rod deluxe, and yeah, not possible

I wasn't referring to any band actually, just a general statement. Also, the studio and a live performance are COMPLETELY different animals. I tend to fault the HRD's gain channel more than the cabinet design in that instance.

As far as using a PA vs. just cranking up, to me that boils down to science really. Guitar amps and cabs are extremely directional, so if you have a little combo amp up on stage (and in reality even if you use a 4x12quot;) the people that are going to hear you the best are those right in front of your speakers. Everyone else will suffer an extreme loss of volume/dynamics/etc the farther off to the side they are. So of course you have to crank up in that scenario to be heard by everyone (at the expense of those right in front of the cab). I don't place the blame for quot;having to crank itquot; solely on the number of speakers or the wattage of the amp you use, there are many many factors at work.


Originally Posted by FretFireI wasn't referring to any band actually, just a general statement. Also, the studio and a live performance are COMPLETELY different animals. I tend to fault the HRD's gain channel more than the cabinet design in that instance.

As far as using a PA vs. just cranking up, to me that boils down to science really. Guitar amps and cabs are extremely directional, so if you have a little combo amp up on stage (and in reality even if you use a 4x12quot;) the people that are going to hear you the best are those right in front of your speakers. Everyone else will suffer an extreme loss of volume/dynamics/etc the farther off to the side they are. So of course you have to crank up in that scenario to be heard by everyone (at the expense of those right in front of the cab). I don't place the blame for quot;having to crank itquot; solely on the number of speakers or the wattage of the amp you use, there are many many factors at work.

i think that reply was mine... but you pretty much explained what i wanted to say.Originally Posted by drew_half_emptyI assume you're reffering to weezer

the reason is; miking both sides of the amp, as well as doubling, if not tripling tracks, is all possible in the studio

live? well, maybe for some people, but around here, there are no sound guys, or even amp mics, so basically, you crank your amp amp; you go, and i used to own a hot rod deluxe, and yeah, not possible

and i was not talking about weezer at all. i couldnt even tell you what gear weezer has let alone there studio techniques.

anyways you can get a heavy sound out of any amp. it just takes the right amount of dialing. will a fender sound like a marshal probabally not... thats not my point... my point is you CAN get a good hard rock sound out of an open back 1x12. all it takes is a little elbow grease.

you dont need a pa to sound heavy... you just need a pa to sound loud and to fill up the space for the larger shows. heavyness is all in how you dial it in. my previous amp was very clean tube amp. i would play and i didnt think it sounded very heavy... so i tweeked my pickup heights and adjusted my tones and *poof* instant heavy. did it sound like a marshal or a mesa nope... but it still sounded heavy. and it was an open back combo.

same thing for the new amp... its even smaller and it can get pretty heavy with some tweekage. i use it for recording mostly. generally its just one mic and one track running. no overdubs, doubling, tripling, quadrupalling, quintesing, ect.

btw... where are you at that there are no sound guys? i live in podunk and we have several. my band rarely played here in podunk but we still had them when needed.