GREAT video series.... I love it when I can still learn stuff about pedals and feel like I had NO idea, even though I make pedal demos every day.... well... there are great pedal channels and then there is PETE THORN....
i feel like this "thread" might know of a dude named ty segall if not.... he got a band called fuzz..... best described as OG black sabbath he also made some stuff under simply... "ty segall".... pretty "far out" but holy fuck i love it the album "melted"...... saw em live in missoula MT in 2012 or 13.... memory is "hazy" first time something really "turned me on" sense i was ~13 or so... was like playing playing led zep 2 and zz top eliminator for the first time.....after sneaking into my mothers vinyl collection "ya mean their are other types of music? its not just shit pop/rap on the FM radio in the car..... played threw paper speakers?" found nirvana and the meat puppets from my dads CD collection the meat puppets fucking rule..... what else can i say?
Your videos are always educational and very practical. I live and gig in the Philippines and I only bring my own amp when logistics allow so I'm always at the mercy of whatever amp the club I'm playing at has on stock. These tweaking/dialing in videos are greatly helpful!
Want a critique on a 1970 fender super tremelo reverb, carvin 50 watt micro amp (allen holdsworth) model. 50 watt tube jet city amp with soldano pre amp. Are they worth keeping.
Thank you Pete! Even for those of us with money and time, we seldom find all the boutique pedals we want to try under one roof, let alone finding a good amp with nobody around to annoy us and no noisy guitar-store-riffers. So this series is exceedingly helpful. Quality pedals in a studio environment with your great playing and experienced commentary brings out details we might otherwise miss. THANK YOU!
I think this video is a very good indication that while pedals have DEFINITELY come a long way, there is just something about a real amp opened up. It just has a compression and some frequencies that the pedals don't.
The Plexi pedal is much more organic and dynamic, and I guess it's designed to pull the brightness out of a flat amp. I prefer the Plexi (without the high boost) to the other one (with).
great tone is in the ears of the beholder.. and not everyone has a "core sound" they can refer to for dialing in their pedals.. so that's in my opinion why your RUclips video reviews are so helpful Pete.. you're an awesome player with tons of experience and a great set of ears.. thanks bro'! my TGP siggy: "the tone chase is never quite over.. but it does sound like you're closing in"
I tried that pedal and wanted to like it but something about it just sounded so thin, I went with the Friedman BE-OD pedal it might not have as much gain but it is an awesome pedal and can have you playing metal through a clean channel on your amp.
Love your video's - they are top notch quality with excellent content. I am an amateur musician and I really appreciate your professional insight. The video's with you and Tim P. are some of my favorite. This video made me laugh because I watched your OD #2 video first and you mentioned a gear page thread about the back-handed compliment you received at the Gear Page where you make pedals sound very good and you make the drive pedals sound the same. The smile came when you made your Atomic and Plexitone in this example sound very close to the PT-100 channel #2. They did sound AWESOME and they did sound the SAME. This made my morning with a smile when I heard this second video. We mere mortals are digging your sound - keep up the good work. I love the little nuances that you show in tuning various knobs (gain or treble) and these are helping me to achieve better sounds.
The Plexi Tone with the bright switch off is much closer of your amp's second channel than the XTS Atomic. I totally agree with the usefulness of having dirt pedals to achieve a reference sound we have on a distorded amp. My base sound is a Marshall plexi 50W clone with volume about 8, and to recreate this kind of sound on a clean amp, I found that the Zvex Distortron is the best pedal for that Marshall-style sound, more versatile than the Box of Rock because of the subs settings and high gain option. Awesome pedal. Thanks for the great demos Pete, keep on rockin' !
Freaking awesome bet you shut that troll up now! You the man keep on keeping on brother never had a problem or negative thing to say about any video you done!Rock on bro!🎸
For me - it was the XTS Atomic by a Mile ! I don't usually ever play with that sound, but in this Video, it sounded so very good (yes, with the bright switch on) while the Plexitone was quite dull (for me)
Thanks Pete. The big things I learned in the past few months, and confirmed by your last two vids, is that it's all about getting a good base tone first-- and volume is key. For the past couple of years, I have been trying to use my amp at volume 2 and purchasing pedals in hopes they will sound good. As soon as I began to crank the amp to 4-5, the base tone sounded better and all the pedals sound completely different. Even the controls became much more responsive on the pedals.
northof50now I'm getting an attenuator just so I can turn my Deluxe above 2. Even on 3 it blasts me out of the room. Can't wait to see how having the tubes cooking a bit more will help with better tone and better pedal tone.
Best of luck with that Babette. I've had that recommended to me several times...I think even by Pete in 1 post. The cost was prohibitive to me. For "bedroom" playing, I couldn't justify the price. I finally just turned up the amp and turned "off" the family yelling for me to turn it down. It was certainly a cheapest option :-)
I haven't received it yet, probably tomorrow. I'll let you know if it's awesome...for $40 I think it will be, lol! Yes, I've seen those pricy ones too. I'm sure they're fantastic to too rich for my blood. Carlscustomguitars.com if you want to check it out.
I really like the Plexitone into the clean channel. It's got a nice amount of compression that would be great for leads. The Atomic might be more dynamic for rhythm work. But the Plexitone is my kinda sound.
Thank you Pete! Finally i clearly understand the application and use of both od and distortion pedals. For many years i had no idea what i was trying to accomplish when tweaking my settings on my pedals and i just winged it. No more! I greatly appreciate you taking the time to provide us this information.
I have a PT100SE rig myself and theres just something about the clean channel that makes it work extremely well with OD and distortion pedals. That alone adds so much versatility to this already versatile amp!
Nice video. Billy Gibbons said: if you like to have a good tone - Marshall amps and Fender amps don´t suck... I use a Carl Martin OD and Marshall and I love the sound. Simple things sometimes work best.
I always kept the volume lower here at home. Thinking now that I need to go back and tweak my gear. I definitely like what I'm hearing here. Pete, your videos are just killer. Thanks so much for posting this for us.
Loved this video, some pedals sound better on a dirty amp, others a clean amp. And it matters what type of music you're playing. Rock & Metal are 2 different distortion levels, whether it's a layer of distortion over a clean amp or layers of distortion on dirty amp. It's really taken me too long to figure that out in this world.
I have never really been able to get a tone I like from an overdrive or a distortion pedal. That being said, what I do is the "colored boost" move, and I use everything from a Love overdrive to a Tube Screamer (TS-808) or even a Super-D, but I always dial back the gain to just barely above minimum on the pedal. Combine that with a good tube amp at high volume, gain on the amp to taste, and it works for me. I was playing Mesa Dual Rects but that lacked versatility, and lately I've been pretty consistent with JCM-800's and occasionally a Vox AC-30. I have a lead tone I developed with that one specifically. Plexi's work sometimes too, but I prefer the more smooth harmonics on the JCM-800. Great video as always, Pete! You make me want to experiment more.
This is a great series. Especially liked this one showing how to dial in the sound of a pedal to match the sound of an amp. Great trick for when you're playing someplace where that amp might be too powerful and unable to turn up to its sweet spot without deafening the audience.
Honestly, I was trying to figure out why my JHS Distortion wasn't doing it for me. But then you mentioned not running into even a slightly broken up amp and to pair it clean instead. Big help for understanding distortions.
I just discovered this series, and this channel. Really amazing stuff. I love the way you explain things. I can tell you are an absolute master of your craft, by how simply, thoroughly, and easily you are able to explain things. I just wish you were a metal player. Lol
Great tips here. Never thought about when trying a new gain pedal to try both a darkened amp setting and a bright one, and dialing up the pedal the opposite to see which sound better! Will be doing this going forward for sure.
Great new series Pete...! Be nice to see how some of your favorite dirt pedals react with different amps. In the past I've been really happy with my pedal format and choice 'till I plug into a different amp and struggle to get a tone I'm happy with...sure you've been there. Cheers..!
Odd comment, but as a Canadian, I love how you pronounce it versaTILE, not versatuhl like a lot of Americans do. Great channel, great video. Your voice reminds me of Alan Cross who does a show called the Ongoing History Of New Music here in Canada.
I feel the same way. If your amp already has distortion built in, like a Boogie or Bogner, you don't need a distortion pedal and it's just overkill to use one and you run the risk of your tone becoming sonic mush. I prefer to only use a distortion pedal on something that doesn't have a built-in pre-amp like a Fender Twin Reverb or similar. I got really great results with a FTR and an EHX Big Muff PI.
Thanks, Pete, I appreciate your efforts to show how things WORK, too many effect reviews just cycle through the settings and have the viewer listen. I can do that at home. You sort of give us a recipe for success in selecting what to pair with what else.
Great stuff, Pete and all very useful. Just a suggestion - Adding a compressor just before your distortion pedal on a clean channel will create a very close if not functionally exact sound as the naturally compressing high gain amp channel. So, if you don't have a high gain channel or amp, try this.
Thanks Pete, I very much appreciate both Part 1 & 2 of these videos. In depth tone secrets from musicians of your caliber are few and as such are so beneficial to the community of non professionals such as myself. Thank you very much!
I would love to see your take on high gain amps like 5150s and VH4s - maybe some tips on attenuation and how you manage volume for the studio? Love your videos!
Thanks for the tips! Ive always been confused when it comes to pedal order and effects loops and what pedal goes in front of which ever other pedal and all that jazz.
Hey Pete These videos are great. Really intelligently done and at a level of detail that's valuable to us intermediate level players that have been playing for years and still enjoy learning new things.
Totally agree with different pedals for different amps, I found that it also works well when using different guitars on the same rig. When I would use several guitars in a live setting, I would have several OD pedals dialed to the different guitars’ response. Anyway great stuff. Been a long time follower of your work.
Spot on, Pete! I've got a Port City Pearl 50w head. Wonderful cleans and a great pedal platform. My Atomic Overdrive definitely sounds better with the bright switch on. It's still good without it, but I get more punch/percussion on the attack when it's engaged. It's especially noticeable (to my ear) with the neck pickup. Increases the definition. Love it! Great video, Pete! Keep 'em comin'!
I bought the Atomic Overdrive after viewing your ealier video. It is perfect for my blackface deluxe reverb and sounds great with both humbuckers and single coils. My favorite is my SG with P90's to get that early Santana tone.
Pete, I'm a huge fan of your tone! I have the Thornbucker in my two personal builds, with Seymour Duncan Triple shot rings and I can get so many tones from that one pickup. My question? Your PT-100 Tone is excellent, and I was wondering if you could recommend a smaller amp that might get someone in your territory of tone in the 15 to 25 watt range. I'm on a limited stage volume wise, but I'm itching for that channel two tone you are playing. As always, huge fan here! Thanks
Great videos. I would love to see a video on your approach to time-based effects when using a plexi style amp. I always bounce around on various strategies when faced with that challenge.
Pete, have you ever tried running a very compressed sounding distortion(like a DS-1) into the front of a fairly crunchy amp? I found I can get something cool by running the level on the pedal lower than the volume of the guitar pickups and with a good bit of distortion dialed in. It gets a really cool EJ singing lead type sound with the tone rolled off and some delay added. Since the signal is already distorted and compressed from the amp, it just smooths things out and gives me a really squishy fat lead sound without losing any volume. Your mileage may vary!
With such a flexible EQ stack on the red pedal, I have to wonder whether it could have been dialed in more with the bright switch on the PT100 on, by messing with the mid control and the mid toggle switch. Also, in theory you might get good results by also making some adjustments to the tone controls on the amp. Similarly, for those of thus that can't afford to try a ton of pedals, if you have an EQ pedal like a GE-7 that can often be used to adjust the tone to compensate for whatever your distortion pedal isn't delivering.
Pete thanks so much for your videos! It's funny how you described your technique of AB ing a great tone and then trying to get that from a pedal. I totally agree and when I find a pedal that can do that I'm so happy. Then of course I run a modeled sound so I take my sound to a venue with a house PA and the crap shoot starts all over again. I use the RK5 as my reference tone because that thing sounds good through most set ups with minimal tweaking. I bought the RK5 after watching your video and it was the best. I'm trying to copy the sounds as you described using an AB and a zoom g5n. It's really close. We will see when I play live again. Thanks again for what you do Pete! Your passion is great! 🙏
Great vid Pete, should help lots of newbies with there pedal setup, as usually first pedals are distortion/overdrive. Look forward to more vids like this - always informative! Cheers
You know I never experimented with my Maxon O/D pedal I set all the control knobs to 12o'clock like most guitarist do, I did find the video most helpful especially capturing the SRV tone who would have thought the gain gets turned down while the volume output gets boosted, great video Pete thank you for posting. P. S. would like to see you demo different delay pedals say the Boss DD-3 and the Carbon Copy since they seem to be the go to pedals.
Thanks Pete - definitely supports the proposition that different pedals sound "better/worse" with different amp setting. Might I suggest you do the same type of demo showing how different speakers also support that proposition. Thanks again.
I can't believe how close they are-- the pedal and the PT ch2. I hear in the amp a little hint of the "clean" sparkle of the guitar sort of floating above slightly the drive. It adds definition without being that obnoxious "clean and dirty at the same time" thing that some ODs do at low volume (like in your TS9 vid).
That Plexi box is pretty accurate! Whilst not radically different from your 'reference' amp distortion, it has a really distinctive sizzle (that you mentioned), which is highly reminiscent of Malcolm Young's intro to, say, If You Want Blood You've Got It, off the Highway To Hell album... the muting the left hand automatically does when switching from chord to chord whilst the right hand is just chugging the riff, highlights that distinctive percussive sizzle; I'm impressed with that pedal! To be honest, I've never even seen one to demo, maybe its a rarity; I'm in Australia, but there's no shortage of pedal heads down here, so i'll keep my eyes peeled!
Hi Pete thanks for the tips and explanation > could please mention the amps CHARACTERISTICS play a very important part of the signal break up. for example BF Fenders crunch is smoother and fairly scooped while a Vox are chimey with lots of mids. So keep this in mind when your looking for a pedal, of course your sound is unique and the pathway to get there is a matter of taste.
Thanks for this Pete, as I feel that I now have a better handle on how to properly program the mixes of distortions built into my Fender Mustang. Fender doesn’t provide this level of insight in their manuals. It totally makes sense to “add” the overdrive, given an already “driven” amp. My “duh” moment of the day. Regards, Tom D.
Another great demo! Annoyingly, I liked the sound from the amp best and I'm a pedals guy. I was impressed with the Atomic OD though; any drive pedal with 3 band EQ allows much more tweaking.
I've had the exact same experience couple of weeks ago, running Bogner La Grange and Friedman BE-OD in front of a Cameron CCV's clean channel. Even though I could match the tones of both pedals and the amp, (using CCV's crunch as a "compare to" sound) I liked Bogner with the bright switch ON better then OFF and vice versa. They just feel/sound a bit better/worse for my taste, depending on the amp setting.
This is so much better than watching TV!
that one of the reason why i dont have tv !
RUclips has been the primary replacement of TV since 2010
Does it really matter which screen you're staring at? TV, Phone, Computer. All the same.
Lone Wanderer Yes, being able to not be hit with commercials constantly is invaluable.
Still get those fucking ads tho 😒
GREAT video series.... I love it when I can still learn stuff about pedals and feel like I had NO idea, even though I make pedal demos every day.... well... there are great pedal channels and then there is PETE THORN....
Hey thanks man! Was fun meeting you at NAMM!
Sei nicht vorlaut !
Jody Free
Totally
Henning Pauly
hard to beat AC/DC when trying to dial in a dist/overdrive sound, the guys set the standard. Nice job as always Pete!
Ha, gotta say, at 6:18 when you accidentally had amp channel 2 and the XTS distortion pedal on at the same time, it sounded pretty awesome to me!
Fuzz next, fuzz next!
Oh yeah bro..Fuzz!!
i feel like this "thread" might know of a dude named ty segall
if not.... he got a band called fuzz..... best described as OG black sabbath
he also made some stuff under simply... "ty segall".... pretty "far out" but holy fuck i love it
the album "melted"...... saw em live in missoula MT in 2012 or 13.... memory is "hazy"
first time something really "turned me on" sense i was ~13 or so...
was like playing playing led zep 2 and zz top eliminator for the first time.....after sneaking into my mothers vinyl collection
"ya mean their are other types of music? its not just shit pop/rap on the FM radio in the car..... played threw paper speakers?"
found nirvana and the meat puppets from my dads CD collection
the meat puppets fucking rule..... what else can i say?
he did, June 2019, how to get glassy clean using germanium fuzz and rolling back your volume knobs on your guitar.
Your videos are always educational and very practical. I live and gig in the Philippines and I only bring my own amp when logistics allow so I'm always at the mercy of whatever amp the club I'm playing at has on stock. These tweaking/dialing in videos are greatly helpful!
At 6:20 when you had the red distortion pedal on channel 2 by accident, that was the BEST sound!
like a stacked Marshall Roaring! full-bodied, open, moves air around. that's the sound ive been longing
Want a critique on a 1970 fender super tremelo reverb, carvin 50 watt micro amp (allen holdsworth) model. 50 watt tube jet city amp with soldano pre amp. Are they worth keeping.
Makes perfect sense to use a (distortion) point a reference to dial in a pedal. Saves a ton of time and energy! THANKS for sharing your wisdom.
Thank you Pete!
Even for those of us with money and time, we seldom find all the boutique pedals we want to try under one roof, let alone finding a good amp with nobody around to annoy us and no noisy guitar-store-riffers. So this series is exceedingly helpful. Quality pedals in a studio environment with your great playing and experienced commentary brings out details we might otherwise miss. THANK YOU!
Your channel 2 with the pedal actually sounded really good, super crunchy 1986-esque lead sound.
I think this video is a very good indication that while pedals have DEFINITELY come a long way, there is just something about a real amp opened up. It just has a compression and some frequencies that the pedals don't.
The Plexi pedal is much more organic and dynamic, and I guess it's designed to pull the brightness out of a flat amp.
I prefer the Plexi (without the high boost) to the other one (with).
E bravo christian...
chai ragione
great tone is in the ears of the beholder.. and not everyone has a "core sound" they can refer to for dialing in their pedals.. so that's in my opinion why your RUclips video reviews are so helpful Pete.. you're an awesome player with tons of experience and a great set of ears.. thanks bro'!
my TGP siggy: "the tone chase is never quite over.. but it does sound like you're closing in"
Thanks Pete. You've got a great ear and talent for communicating what works and why. I always learn a lot from videos, and enjoy your stellar playing.
Thank u!
Hi Pete, you made me buy the 5150 pedal and I want to thank you forever.
Cool! Good to know u are happy!
I tried that pedal and wanted to like it but something about it just sounded so thin, I went with the Friedman BE-OD pedal it might not have as much gain but it is an awesome pedal and can have you playing metal through a clean channel on your amp.
I'm happy to have an original plexitone. It really transforms your amp into a Marshall. Petes awesome video skills are just the icings on top
I heard it’s really hissy and has shrilly highs, have you found that to be true?
Love your video's - they are top notch quality with excellent content. I am an amateur musician and I really appreciate your professional insight. The video's with you and Tim P. are some of my favorite.
This video made me laugh because I watched your OD #2 video first and you mentioned a gear page thread about the back-handed compliment you received at the Gear Page where you make pedals sound very good and you make the drive pedals sound the same. The smile came when you made your Atomic and Plexitone in this example sound very close to the PT-100 channel #2. They did sound AWESOME and they did sound the SAME. This made my morning with a smile when I heard this second video.
We mere mortals are digging your sound - keep up the good work. I love the little nuances that you show in tuning various knobs (gain or treble) and these are helping me to achieve better sounds.
Pete, your Tone Secrets are fantastic! You've really helped me learn how to think about effects. Thank you so much!
The Plexi Tone with the bright switch off is much closer of your amp's second channel than the XTS Atomic.
I totally agree with the usefulness of having dirt pedals to achieve a reference sound we have on a distorded amp. My base sound is a Marshall plexi 50W clone with volume about 8, and to recreate this kind of sound on a clean amp, I found that the Zvex Distortron is the best pedal for that Marshall-style sound, more versatile than the Box of Rock because of the subs settings and high gain option. Awesome pedal.
Thanks for the great demos Pete, keep on rockin' !
Freaking awesome bet you shut that troll up now! You the man keep on keeping on brother never had a problem or negative thing to say about any video you done!Rock on bro!🎸
Thanks mark!
For me - it was the XTS Atomic by a Mile ! I don't usually ever play with that sound, but in this Video, it sounded so very good (yes, with the bright switch on) while the Plexitone was quite dull (for me)
Thanks Pete. The big things I learned in the past few months, and confirmed by your last two vids, is that it's all about getting a good base tone first-- and volume is key. For the past couple of years, I have been trying to use my amp at volume 2 and purchasing pedals in hopes they will sound good. As soon as I began to crank the amp to 4-5, the base tone sounded better and all the pedals sound completely different. Even the controls became much more responsive on the pedals.
northof50now I'm getting an attenuator just so I can turn my Deluxe above 2. Even on 3 it blasts me out of the room. Can't wait to see how having the tubes cooking a bit more will help with better tone and better pedal tone.
Best of luck with that Babette. I've had that recommended to me several times...I think even by Pete in 1 post. The cost was prohibitive to me. For "bedroom" playing, I couldn't justify the price. I finally just turned up the amp and turned "off" the family yelling for me to turn it down. It was certainly a cheapest option :-)
Thank you. Not expensive at all, I bought a thing called a Power Soak online from Carl's Custom Guitars. $39.99
Awesome! Never heard of it. Those I was researching were in the $900 range.
I haven't received it yet, probably tomorrow. I'll let you know if it's awesome...for $40 I think it will be, lol! Yes, I've seen those pricy ones too. I'm sure they're fantastic to too rich for my blood. Carlscustomguitars.com if you want to check it out.
I really like the Plexitone into the clean channel. It's got a nice amount of compression that would be great for leads. The Atomic might be more dynamic for rhythm work. But the Plexitone is my kinda sound.
I like these TS videos! Keep em coming Pete. Thanks!
Thank you Pete! Finally i clearly understand the application and use of both od and distortion pedals. For many years i had no idea what i was trying to accomplish when tweaking my settings on my pedals and i just winged it. No more! I greatly appreciate you taking the time to provide us this information.
Let's Get It Up?! Wow, that's a relatively obscure AC/DC song... quite unexpected, love it!
I have a PT100SE rig myself and theres just something about the clean channel that makes it work extremely well with OD and distortion pedals. That alone adds so much versatility to this already versatile amp!
Yessir! The clean channel is super versatile!
Nice video. Billy Gibbons said: if you like to have a good tone - Marshall amps and Fender amps don´t suck... I use a Carl Martin OD and Marshall and I love the sound. Simple things sometimes work best.
I always kept the volume lower here at home. Thinking now that I need to go back and tweak my gear. I definitely like what I'm hearing here. Pete, your videos are just killer. Thanks so much for posting this for us.
Loved this video, some pedals sound better on a dirty amp, others a clean amp. And it matters what type of music you're playing. Rock & Metal are 2 different distortion levels, whether it's a layer of distortion over a clean amp or layers of distortion on dirty amp. It's really taken me too long to figure that out in this world.
I have never really been able to get a tone I like from an overdrive or a distortion pedal. That being said, what I do is the "colored boost" move, and I use everything from a Love overdrive to a Tube Screamer (TS-808) or even a Super-D, but I always dial back the gain to just barely above minimum on the pedal. Combine that with a good tube amp at high volume, gain on the amp to taste, and it works for me. I was playing Mesa Dual Rects but that lacked versatility, and lately I've been pretty consistent with JCM-800's and occasionally a Vox AC-30. I have a lead tone I developed with that one specifically. Plexi's work sometimes too, but I prefer the more smooth harmonics on the JCM-800. Great video as always, Pete! You make me want to experiment more.
The setting on the plexi pedal is what I use on my TS9 into my JCM 800 - nice blend. stellar voicing
This is a great series. Especially liked this one showing how to dial in the sound of a pedal to match the sound of an amp. Great trick for when you're playing someplace where that amp might be too powerful and unable to turn up to its sweet spot without deafening the audience.
Honestly, I was trying to figure out why my JHS Distortion wasn't doing it for me. But then you mentioned not running into even a slightly broken up amp and to pair it clean instead. Big help for understanding distortions.
I just discovered this series, and this channel. Really amazing stuff. I love the way you explain things. I can tell you are an absolute master of your craft, by how simply, thoroughly, and easily you are able to explain things.
I just wish you were a metal player. Lol
Great demonstration. Thnx Pete. you & Andy Timmons are the greatest tone guys around.
Dude your signature PT -100 amp is insane! Love it
Why would you use a pedal on channel one to obtain the sound you already have on the second channel?
Great tips here. Never thought about when trying a new gain pedal to try both a darkened amp setting and a bright one, and dialing up the pedal the opposite to see which sound better! Will be doing this going forward for sure.
I have been playing guitar over 20 years but i still learn something from Pete's video's !
Great new series Pete...!
Be nice to see how some of your favorite dirt pedals react with different amps. In the past I've been really happy with my pedal format and choice 'till I plug into a different amp and struggle to get a tone I'm happy with...sure you've been there. Cheers..!
Great series, so many good points and tips. The low single notes on the AC/DC riff reveal a lot of the nuance differences.
Odd comment, but as a Canadian, I love how you pronounce it versaTILE, not versatuhl like a lot of Americans do. Great channel, great video. Your voice reminds me of Alan Cross who does a show called the Ongoing History Of New Music here in Canada.
Let's get it up!
That's what she said
I feel the same way. If your amp already has distortion built in, like a Boogie or Bogner, you don't need a distortion pedal and it's just overkill to use one and you run the risk of your tone becoming sonic mush.
I prefer to only use a distortion pedal on something that doesn't have a built-in pre-amp like a Fender Twin Reverb or similar. I got really great results with a FTR and an EHX Big Muff PI.
Thanks, Pete, I appreciate your efforts to show how things WORK, too many effect reviews just cycle through the settings and have the viewer listen. I can do that at home. You sort of give us a recipe for success in selecting what to pair with what else.
Wondering how it sounds with single notes, soloing
Thanks, Pete, for taking the time to produce these two richly informative videos on OD/Distortion!
Try the Van Weelden Royal Overdrive, one OD/Distortion that solves this bright / dark amp perfectly. Fits any amp.
Great stuff, Pete and all very useful. Just a suggestion - Adding a compressor just before your distortion pedal on a clean channel will create a very close if not functionally exact sound as the naturally compressing high gain amp channel. So, if you don't have a high gain channel or amp, try this.
Thanks Pete, I very much appreciate both Part 1 & 2 of these videos. In depth tone secrets from musicians of your caliber are few and as such are so beneficial to the community of non professionals such as myself. Thank you very much!
Very neat, practical demonstration of how to mess around constructively with pedals.
I would love to see your take on high gain amps like 5150s and VH4s - maybe some tips on attenuation and how you manage volume for the studio? Love your videos!
Sure, Lots of videos coming soon
Your positive attitude toward your videos is very inspiring to me. Love hearing you talk shop about this stuff!
Thanks for the tips! Ive always been confused when it comes to pedal order and effects loops and what pedal goes in front of which ever other pedal and all that jazz.
Great guitar tones. Is the sound of guitars in this video captured by the same mic capturing the speech voice?
FWIW, I definitely encourage you to make more such videos. Very insightful and helpful. Thanks.
Pete, these videos are great.
the amp that you used for the demo channel 2 made me wanna buy the amp . great sound!
another very entertaining demo thanks.
Great video! Really help me understand the relationship of pedal effects and amps. Newbie here
Very cool to hear your approach with dialing pedal tone. Thanks!
Hey Pete
These videos are great. Really intelligently done and at a level of detail that's valuable to us intermediate level players that have been playing for years and still enjoy learning new things.
Totally agree with different pedals for different amps, I found that it also works well when using different guitars on the same rig.
When I would use several guitars in a live setting, I would have several OD pedals dialed to the different guitars’ response.
Anyway great stuff. Been a long time follower of your work.
informative while being entertaining. your presentation is very appealing, keep it up.
Awesome 2-part video! Please keep these tone orientated nuggets of wisdom coming our way! Thank you Pete (if I may be so bold to call you Pete!)👍🏻
Spot on, Pete! I've got a Port City Pearl 50w head. Wonderful cleans and a great pedal platform. My Atomic Overdrive definitely sounds better with the bright switch on. It's still good without it, but I get more punch/percussion on the attack when it's engaged. It's especially noticeable (to my ear) with the neck pickup. Increases the definition. Love it! Great video, Pete! Keep 'em comin'!
Mr Thorn does it again. Awesome video as always!
I bought the Atomic Overdrive after viewing your ealier video. It is perfect for my blackface deluxe reverb and sounds great with both humbuckers and single coils. My favorite is my SG with P90's to get that early Santana tone.
great video! great to hear the fabulous AC/DC riff as well.
I followed the overdrive video and gave it a try. Such great advice.
Pete, I'm a huge fan of your tone! I have the Thornbucker in my two personal builds, with Seymour Duncan Triple shot rings and I can get so many tones from that one pickup. My question? Your PT-100 Tone is excellent, and I was wondering if you could recommend a smaller amp that might get someone in your territory of tone in the 15 to 25 watt range. I'm on a limited stage volume wise, but I'm itching for that channel two tone you are playing. As always, huge fan here! Thanks
Great videos. I would love to see a video on your approach to time-based effects when using a plexi style amp. I always bounce around on various strategies when faced with that challenge.
He kinda looks like Josh Brolin
he really di
Thanos with guitar
Josh Brolin meets Adam Levine
Yes he does
Very handsome man
Pete, have you ever tried running a very compressed sounding distortion(like a DS-1) into the front of a fairly crunchy amp? I found I can get something cool by running the level on the pedal lower than the volume of the guitar pickups and with a good bit of distortion dialed in. It gets a really cool EJ singing lead type sound with the tone rolled off and some delay added. Since the signal is already distorted and compressed from the amp, it just smooths things out and gives me a really squishy fat lead sound without losing any volume. Your mileage may vary!
Thanks a ton for these vids the last couple of weeks Pete. They have really been helping me dial in my tone.
With such a flexible EQ stack on the red pedal, I have to wonder whether it could have been dialed in more with the bright switch on the PT100 on, by messing with the mid control and the mid toggle switch. Also, in theory you might get good results by also making some adjustments to the tone controls on the amp. Similarly, for those of thus that can't afford to try a ton of pedals, if you have an EQ pedal like a GE-7 that can often be used to adjust the tone to compensate for whatever your distortion pedal isn't delivering.
Pete thanks so much for your videos! It's funny how you described your technique of AB ing a great tone and then trying to get that from a pedal. I totally agree and when I find a pedal that can do that I'm so happy. Then of course I run a modeled sound so I take my sound to a venue with a house PA and the crap shoot starts all over again. I use the RK5 as my reference tone because that thing sounds good through most set ups with minimal tweaking. I bought the RK5 after watching your video and it was the best. I'm trying to copy the sounds as you described using an AB and a zoom g5n. It's really close. We will see when I play live again. Thanks again for what you do Pete! Your passion is great! 🙏
Thanks Pete! These two videos were very informative. You unknowingly made an XTS Atomic commercial, because now I want one!! haha
Great vid Pete, should help lots of newbies with there pedal setup, as usually first pedals are distortion/overdrive. Look forward to more vids like this - always informative! Cheers
You know I never experimented with my Maxon O/D pedal I set all the control knobs to 12o'clock like most guitarist do, I did find the video most helpful especially capturing the SRV tone who would have thought the gain gets turned down while the volume output gets boosted, great video Pete thank you for posting. P. S. would like to see you demo different delay pedals say the Boss DD-3 and the Carbon Copy since they seem to be the go to pedals.
Thanks Pete - definitely supports the proposition that different pedals sound "better/worse" with different amp setting. Might I suggest you do the same type of demo showing how different speakers also support that proposition. Thanks again.
I can't believe how close they are-- the pedal and the PT ch2. I hear in the amp a little hint of the "clean" sparkle of the guitar sort of floating above slightly the drive. It adds definition without being that obnoxious "clean and dirty at the same time" thing that some ODs do at low volume (like in your TS9 vid).
That Plexi box is pretty accurate! Whilst not radically different from your 'reference' amp distortion, it has a really distinctive sizzle (that you mentioned), which is highly reminiscent of Malcolm Young's intro to, say, If You Want Blood You've Got It, off the Highway To Hell album... the muting the left hand automatically does when switching from chord to chord whilst the right hand is just chugging the riff, highlights that distinctive percussive sizzle; I'm impressed with that pedal! To be honest, I've never even seen one to demo, maybe its a rarity; I'm in Australia, but there's no shortage of pedal heads down here, so i'll keep my eyes peeled!
That was great PT , those of us that use single channel amps with no master volume can learn from this ! thanks again!
Damn it Pete!!! I just bought another pedal because of one of your videos. Will get the Atomic Overdrive delivered next week.
Pete what do you suggest for like using this as a lead boost? Shot the amp foot witch be the punch or should the pedal bring out the boost?
Hi Pete thanks for the tips and explanation > could please mention the amps CHARACTERISTICS play a very important part of the signal break up. for example BF Fenders crunch is smoother and fairly scooped while a Vox are chimey with lots of mids. So keep this in mind when your looking for a pedal, of course your sound is unique and the pathway to get there is a matter of taste.
Thanks Pete! I always enjoy what you share !!
Plexi Tone is soooo good in front of an old princeton!!! Pete nailed it
Thanks for this Pete, as I feel that I now have a better handle on how to properly program the mixes of distortions built into my Fender Mustang. Fender doesn’t provide this level of insight in their manuals. It totally makes sense to “add” the overdrive, given an already “driven” amp. My “duh” moment of the day. Regards, Tom D.
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos! Really great stuff
Killer pair of vids; demonstrating yet again that you're the consummate pro's pro Pete.
Fab video Pete..all of your vids are so informative and interesting. Cheers from Australia.
great overview. I appreciate you showing the pedal settings.
Another great demo!
Annoyingly, I liked the sound from the amp best and I'm a pedals guy. I was impressed with the Atomic OD though; any drive pedal with 3 band EQ allows much more tweaking.
ha! Yes, the amp distortion ALWAYS takes the cake but these pedals do get close, they do a great job.
Thank you for making theses Pedal videos, really enjoying them!
Just bought a plexi tone cant wait
I've had the exact same experience couple of weeks ago, running Bogner La Grange and Friedman BE-OD in front of a Cameron CCV's clean channel. Even though I could match the tones of both pedals and the amp, (using CCV's crunch as a "compare to" sound) I liked Bogner with the bright switch ON better then OFF and vice versa. They just feel/sound a bit better/worse for my taste, depending on the amp setting.
MONEY!! Great video, Pete! You have no idea how much this has helped me with floor pedals.