Excellent, I have my gain stage like this: Rockett Archer (clean boost), JHS Superbolt (soft gain), Benson preamp (medium gain) and JHS The Kilt (almost high gain), and I use the Archer to add more saturation and volume in some lead parts, Greetings from Ecuador
I used to have three overdrive pedals, one of which had two channels so really four. I took that one off so now I have two, and I am amazed by how much better it is. I realized I was so overwhelmed with having all those options that I am much better off now with just two (Brad paisley drive and OCD drive)
So glad to hear that! 🙌🏻 The in-ear monitors I use are the kz zs10 pros, I think I have them linked in the description if you want to see some more details about them
Thanks so much for the kind words John! Yeah for my drive chain I'm running the Benson first, then the kilt, then the Ruby Red last, mainly because I like having the boost at the end of my drive chain. Hope that helps!
Really good video Sam! I've been struggling recently trying to get some good tones (getting away from the 80's rock mid push sound)... I like the Lollar Pickups in your tele, I have the stock Noiseless N2's in mine which are good but want your opinion whether to upgrade them or not?
Thanks! It's hard to say, I've never personally tried those types of pickups. I will say though that I noticed a massive difference when upgrading to the Porter pickups
There’s so much that I’ve learned from watching your videos man! I’m very appreciative for the insight, and I’m excited for what’s in the future. Also, quick question how do you set up your IRs level, treble, and bass in the editor?
Thanks Allen! So glad these have been helpful 🙌🏻 So I actually don't touch any of those settings in the editor! I just run them all flat, and then make any needed EQ changes on the pedal.
Hi Sam, just discovered your channel and i love the content. Sincerely, it's a lot of really helpful information. Your video on delays and reverb helped me out immensely. I wouldn't mind seeing a dedicated video on the Benson Preamp. I currently use a Greer Lightspeed for low gain and Greer Southland for higher gain, and stack them together for a lead tone. The stacked lead tone could definitely be better so I'm curious if the Benson would be a good fit for that role
Hey Jeremy! Thanks for the kind words, really glad that these videos have been helpful. I'll sing the Benson's praises all day and definitely is great for lead tones. I guess my question is what aren't you liking about the Southland?
@@SamWittek both pedals on their own sound amazing but i think it would be good to go with your strategy of having 3 separate drives for the different gain stages. I run the Lightspeed for low gain, Southland for medium gain and both sound amazing. But, if i run the gain too high on either pedal, when i stack them for a high gain lead tone i get an awful high pitched squeal. A single pedal that handles the high gain lead tone would be beneficial i think
@@SamWittek both pedals on their own sound amazing but i think it would be good to go with your strategy of having 3 separate drives for the different gain stages. I run the Lightspeed for low gain, Southland for medium gain and both sound amazing. But, if i run the gain too high on either pedal, when i stack them for a high gain lead tone i get an awful high pitched squeal. A single pedal that handles the high gain lead tone would be beneficial i think
@@Aevyn Ah gotcha yeah I think that would definitely help! Or maybe even just a clean boost to throw on either of them if you already like the tones they're giving you. Lots of options!
Thanks so much! Yeah I've needed to take a break for the last few months but I actually am currently working on a new video so that should hopefully be out in the next week or two!
I’ve just started watching your videos, and so far, it’s super helpful. I just wanted to mention one thing that cracks me up. Clean tone! People always talk about their clean tone first but to me, it always sounds like it’s already in overdrive mode. Edge of the break up, they say. I say you’ve gone too far😂 my clean tone is sterile. You know, clean. I like it that way to start.
Haha yeah I totally get that. I prefer to call it my "core tone" for that reason, but I think that's less universally understood than "clean tone." Everyone has their own preference for how that's dialed in though!
Love your video man, I’m a bit confused about the signal chain for the drive pedal. In the video, the Ruby Red is shown at the beginning of the chain, but you mentioned it’s actually at the end. Could you clarify where it should be placed?😮
Nice tones! The only thing your lacking now is a Gretsch of some sort. I have a Sparkle Jet I just added to my collection and it does that Gretsch thing like nothing else.
I use the JHS double barrel pedal along with a tube screamer. Left side of the JHS DB is my almost always on gritty yet sparkly tone. Right side kicks it up another stage. I will use my tube screamer a lot of times as a boost with the drive side at level 1 but if I need heavy grit that drive usually gets set around 5 or 6 in line with the DB. Thats plenty for me right there.
Hey sam! Stupid question, but how to you equalise the volumes of each stage so that it only increases by abit? The most obvious way is just using your ears, but is that how you do it too? Or is there a way to measure decibals so that it’s really a gradual increase with each stage?
Hey man not a stupid question at all! I mainly just rely on my ears, but sometimes if I want to be more precise I'll go into my DAW and actually look at where the levels are to see exactly how much of a volume increase I want. Hope that helps!
Would you say a benson preamp is better first stage overdrive than morning glory? In the context of a guitarist who likes to use the guitar volume knob to clean up and get clean sounds. I want something that I can keep as “always on” and cleans up well for clean riffs that still has a lot of presence and beef.
Having played both I honestly feel like both pedals can do either one really well! For me personally I prefer the Benson for dirtier tones compared to clean tones, so I would probably run MG as my 1st stage and Benson as my 2nd stage, but it really comes down to personal preference!
@@SamWittek hmmm sounds like benson preamp is more versatile then? I might choose benson for the sake of “future-proofing” my rig. AKA having a pedal that I know I will keep for a long time and can be used as different stage drives if necessary.
@@erickdiaz6152 Ah gotcha, yeah I mean it really does come down to personal preference, but in my experience the Benson has been super versatile. Works great for everything low - high gain!
You keep saying sparkly and bright, but it’s actually pretty warm in my speakers. Do you have troubles sitting in a busy mix with piano, acoustic, pads, etc.?
You can really do it in any order you prefer! Ideally I like to have my lower gain pedals earlier in my drive chain, and my heavier gain pedals later in the drive chain, and then a boost at the end
Sam, did you change the string gauge on your Tele? I bought mine 6 months ago, and I wouldn't say I like using 0.9 strings. I want 0.10, but I never calibrated before. You can play those chords so solidly, and it looks like the tension of your strings is good enough to not sound distance.
Hey JC! Yeah so I actually use 0.11s. I think it's definitely a feel thing, but for me I like how rigid and strong they feel, especially since the tele can sometimes sound kinda thin by default.
Appreciate the content. Honestly, I dont hear much of a difference between any of the drives, how you have them set.. I get your idea but ive noticed more and more, these small differences are lost in the mix and esp the congregation. I get more milage from stacking boost and/or EQ, before or after different overdrives to vary dynamics and grit. Seems I am more of a stacker than you but we are both accomplishing same goal.
Hey Daniel, thanks for sharing your thoughts! Yeah there really are a handful of ways to accomplish the same goal. The biggest thing is really finding what works for you and your church!
Exactly! That's why sound is so subjective 😊 it's the little intricacies of tone that make a huge difference! So even just a little difference each makes, it's the secret sauce that makes that tasty tone come through!❤
I like having the flexibility of the 3rd drive to dial in more "catch all" drive tones in case they're needed, like if I need more of a distortion or fuzz tone. I tend to change up the 3rd drive pretty often
@@SamWittek right on. I haven’t added drives to my worship rig yet but for my everyday rig I use 2 tube screamers into a Ross compressor… I have 2 channels on the amp too so there are lots of options for different tones. I really love both screamers on and dialing back the volume on guitar to clean it up.
Excellent, I have my gain stage like this: Rockett Archer (clean boost), JHS Superbolt (soft gain), Benson preamp (medium gain) and JHS The Kilt (almost high gain), and I use the Archer to add more saturation and volume in some lead parts, Greetings from Ecuador
Nice that's a really solid drive section! 🙌🏻
I used to have three overdrive pedals, one of which had two channels so really four. I took that one off so now I have two, and I am amazed by how much better it is. I realized I was so overwhelmed with having all those options that I am much better off now with just two (Brad paisley drive and OCD drive)
Yeah sometimes going simple is the best way to go! 💪🏼
What a beast. Love the tone!
Thanks J!! 👊🏻
Beautiful video bro, thanks for this! God Bless you!
Thanks man! 🙏🏼
Learned so much from this video man! Thank you!
question tho, what in-ear monitor did you use for this video?
So glad to hear that! 🙌🏻 The in-ear monitors I use are the kz zs10 pros, I think I have them linked in the description if you want to see some more details about them
Great and useful info. Thank you! Would love to see a video featuring the Benson.
Thanks Kevin! I do have a video coming out pretty soon on an overdrive that's not the Benson, but I'm pretty pumped about it 👀Stay tuned!
love your videos man, Gods really gifted you! was wondering when your signal chain is like, do you run the kilt last with bento before or after?
Thanks so much for the kind words John! Yeah for my drive chain I'm running the Benson first, then the kilt, then the Ruby Red last, mainly because I like having the boost at the end of my drive chain. Hope that helps!
Really good video Sam! I've been struggling recently trying to get some good tones (getting away from the 80's rock mid push sound)... I like the Lollar Pickups in your tele, I have the stock Noiseless N2's in mine which are good but want your opinion whether to upgrade them or not?
Thanks! It's hard to say, I've never personally tried those types of pickups. I will say though that I noticed a massive difference when upgrading to the Porter pickups
There’s so much that I’ve learned from watching your videos man! I’m very appreciative for the insight, and I’m excited for what’s in the future.
Also, quick question how do you set up your IRs level, treble, and bass in the editor?
Thanks Allen! So glad these have been helpful 🙌🏻
So I actually don't touch any of those settings in the editor! I just run them all flat, and then make any needed EQ changes on the pedal.
Hi Sam, just discovered your channel and i love the content. Sincerely, it's a lot of really helpful information. Your video on delays and reverb helped me out immensely. I wouldn't mind seeing a dedicated video on the Benson Preamp. I currently use a Greer Lightspeed for low gain and Greer Southland for higher gain, and stack them together for a lead tone. The stacked lead tone could definitely be better so I'm curious if the Benson would be a good fit for that role
Hey Jeremy! Thanks for the kind words, really glad that these videos have been helpful. I'll sing the Benson's praises all day and definitely is great for lead tones. I guess my question is what aren't you liking about the Southland?
@@SamWittek both pedals on their own sound amazing but i think it would be good to go with your strategy of having 3 separate drives for the different gain stages. I run the Lightspeed for low gain, Southland for medium gain and both sound amazing. But, if i run the gain too high on either pedal, when i stack them for a high gain lead tone i get an awful high pitched squeal. A single pedal that handles the high gain lead tone would be beneficial i think
@@SamWittek both pedals on their own sound amazing but i think it would be good to go with your strategy of having 3 separate drives for the different gain stages. I run the Lightspeed for low gain, Southland for medium gain and both sound amazing. But, if i run the gain too high on either pedal, when i stack them for a high gain lead tone i get an awful high pitched squeal. A single pedal that handles the high gain lead tone would be beneficial i think
@@Aevyn Ah gotcha yeah I think that would definitely help! Or maybe even just a clean boost to throw on either of them if you already like the tones they're giving you. Lots of options!
Awesome! Honestly amazing content and underrated channel. Will you be planning to post anymore in the future? haven't seen recent videos
Thanks so much! Yeah I've needed to take a break for the last few months but I actually am currently working on a new video so that should hopefully be out in the next week or two!
I’ve just started watching your videos, and so far, it’s super helpful. I just wanted to mention one thing that cracks me up. Clean tone! People always talk about their clean tone first but to me, it always sounds like it’s already in overdrive mode. Edge of the break up, they say. I say you’ve gone too far😂 my clean tone is sterile. You know, clean. I like it that way to start.
Haha yeah I totally get that. I prefer to call it my "core tone" for that reason, but I think that's less universally understood than "clean tone." Everyone has their own preference for how that's dialed in though!
@@SamWittek ‘core tone’. I like that.
@@SamWittek seriously, though, your videos are really helpful. Keep up the good work.
@@gratefulpipeandcigar3239 Thanks man, glad they're helpful! 🙌🏻
Love your video man,
I’m a bit confused about the signal chain for the drive pedal. In the video, the Ruby Red is shown at the beginning of the chain, but you mentioned it’s actually at the end.
Could you clarify where it should be placed?😮
Nice tones! The only thing your lacking now is a Gretsch of some sort. I have a Sparkle Jet I just added to my collection and it does that Gretsch thing like nothing else.
Thank you! Haha I totally agree I would LOVE to own a Gretsch, I've loved every single one I've picked up. Those Sparkle Jets are awesome!
I use the JHS double barrel pedal along with a tube screamer. Left side of the JHS DB is my almost always on gritty yet sparkly tone. Right side kicks it up another stage. I will use my tube screamer a lot of times as a boost with the drive side at level 1 but if I need heavy grit that drive usually gets set around 5 or 6 in line with the DB. Thats plenty for me right there.
I had the double barrel for a couple of years and I agree, it has soo much usability packed into that enclosure. Great pedal!
Hey sam! Stupid question, but how to you equalise the volumes of each stage so that it only increases by abit? The most obvious way is just using your ears, but is that how you do it too? Or is there a way to measure decibals so that it’s really a gradual increase with each stage?
Hey man not a stupid question at all! I mainly just rely on my ears, but sometimes if I want to be more precise I'll go into my DAW and actually look at where the levels are to see exactly how much of a volume increase I want. Hope that helps!
Would you say a benson preamp is better first stage overdrive than morning glory?
In the context of a guitarist who likes to use the guitar volume knob to clean up and get clean sounds. I want something that I can keep as “always on” and cleans up well for clean riffs that still has a lot of presence and beef.
Having played both I honestly feel like both pedals can do either one really well! For me personally I prefer the Benson for dirtier tones compared to clean tones, so I would probably run MG as my 1st stage and Benson as my 2nd stage, but it really comes down to personal preference!
@@SamWittek hmmm sounds like benson preamp is more versatile then? I might choose benson for the sake of “future-proofing” my rig. AKA having a pedal that I know I will keep for a long time and can be used as different stage drives if necessary.
@@erickdiaz6152 Ah gotcha, yeah I mean it really does come down to personal preference, but in my experience the Benson has been super versatile. Works great for everything low - high gain!
Sounds Excellent
Thanks Jacob! 🙌🏻
Sounds great man! Just got the iridium with the DH ir’s . What ir are you using?
Thanks man! I'm using the DH G10V 545(3) 121(3-4) 70-30 mix and the G12 545(3) 121(3-4) 70-30 mix, and running that on the Chime setting
Are you saying the boost is at the end of your total signal chain? Or just the end of your overdrives
Just the end of the overdrives!
You keep saying sparkly and bright, but it’s actually pretty warm in my speakers. Do you have troubles sitting in a busy mix with piano, acoustic, pads, etc.?
Hey Joe, I don’t! If anything, sometimes I struggle with cutting through the mix too much with such a bright guitar
Hello sir, Please please try to make worship patches in g1x four zoom new subscriber here.
so the 1st overdrive should be infront of the 2nd overdrive and then 3rd overdrive????
You can really do it in any order you prefer! Ideally I like to have my lower gain pedals earlier in my drive chain, and my heavier gain pedals later in the drive chain, and then a boost at the end
Sam, did you change the string gauge on your Tele? I bought mine 6 months ago, and I wouldn't say I like using 0.9 strings. I want 0.10, but I never calibrated before. You can play those chords so solidly, and it looks like the tension of your strings is good enough to not sound distance.
Hey JC! Yeah so I actually use 0.11s. I think it's definitely a feel thing, but for me I like how rigid and strong they feel, especially since the tele can sometimes sound kinda thin by default.
@@SamWittek 0.11 would be ideal! I need someone to help me calibrate the guitar to use it like that. Thank you!
Appreciate the content. Honestly, I dont hear much of a difference between any of the drives, how you have them set.. I get your idea but ive noticed more and more, these small differences are lost in the mix and esp the congregation. I get more milage from stacking boost and/or EQ, before or after different overdrives to vary dynamics and grit. Seems I am more of a stacker than you but we are both accomplishing same goal.
Hey Daniel, thanks for sharing your thoughts! Yeah there really are a handful of ways to accomplish the same goal. The biggest thing is really finding what works for you and your church!
Exactly! That's why sound is so subjective 😊 it's the little intricacies of tone that make a huge difference! So even just a little difference each makes, it's the secret sauce that makes that tasty tone come through!❤
Is there a volume boost when you are dialing in your drives?
I try to add a subtle volume increase for each gain stage
Us atheist heathens love that Benson too. Great video! :)
Haha thank you!
Why have a 3rd OD instead of just stacking the first 2?
I like having the flexibility of the 3rd drive to dial in more "catch all" drive tones in case they're needed, like if I need more of a distortion or fuzz tone. I tend to change up the 3rd drive pretty often
@@SamWittek right on. I haven’t added drives to my worship rig yet but for my everyday rig I use 2 tube screamers into a Ross compressor… I have 2 channels on the amp too so there are lots of options for different tones. I really love both screamers on and dialing back the volume on guitar to clean it up.
@@phunkyjunkee Nice! Yeah it's nice to have the option to access more tones on the amp. Especially with the screamers too, those are great!
Let's talk about that empty cup...
Haha believe it or not there actually was some coffee in there! 😂
The way the video is edited makes it so frustrating to watch. The video cuts at practically every sentence he completes.
Figured you'd rather not want to listen to all my "ums" and "uhs" 🤷🏻♂
@@SamWittek makes sense. Thanks for putting the work in.
Idk man I’ve seen much worse lol
Sooo? His ideas makes sense and he explains it well