What’s your basic setup?

[wannaplayblues]

Just curious to know how various users create their sound.

Me, I keep it pretty simple. Two pedals into the amp:

Overdrive -> spring reverb -> Valve amp

I don’t like the chain over complicated.

"I hear you talkin' son, but you 'aint sayin' nothin'" - Will McFarlane quoting Muddy Waters hearing a really fast guitar player

[charjo]

Hi WPB,

I’ve got valve amps but I’ve been using a Katana Artist over the past few years for ease of use. The Tone Central software offers several variations of drive, reverb, delay and all modulation effects like tremolo, uni-vibe, phaser, chorus, rotary etc. all from my desktop.
My basic sound would be overdrive, reverb, slapback delay. Sometimes I add compression in the DAW or alter the EQ slightly.
Even when using my valve amps I typically add slapback delay with a delay pedal.
John

[Tremelow]

I like to keep it as simple as possible. Until recently, I played through my Blackstar valve amp with Boss Super-Overdrive SD-1 and a tc electronics flashback (reverb and delay). That was the best sound ever, even when attenuated with 2 Watts.

I stored that amp away now, because it was too big and it didn’t sound too impresive at low volume.

That’s why I got a Yamaha THR-10 amp. It sounds great at low volumes, it’s very small and the built-in sound effects are good enough for me.

[San Luis Rey]

Hey WPB,
I play mostly thru a Deluxe Reverb tone master although I have a Katana that has a good acoustic channel. My pedalboard has a Blues Driver, a Tube Screamer ts808, looper, a delay and a clean boost. I leave the delay on with just a bit of slapback. The clean boost is on most of the time also. The two overdrive pedals are nice at times but I can get the breakup with the amp. The attenuator on the Deluxe makes it a perfect bedroom amp from loud to quiet keeping the same tone.

Mike

[Dieter]

I still have my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp, but I rarely use it anymore. Over time, I’ve collected a lot of effects pedals, which I connect as a “chain” to my Strymon Iridium or UE Dream amp modeler. I use Yamaha studio monitors for listening and a Blackstar Polar audio interface for recording. The setup can be a bit complicated at times, but it’s worth the effort. These devices have the advantage of being small and not needing to be turned up very loud to sound good.

Dieter

[sunjamr]

Depends on who and where my audience is. Am I just playing for myself? In that case, I’m not chasing tone, just trying to get better at licks, phrasing, and general technique. So it’s quick and easy to just plug into my Scarlett and use my studio monitors for sound. The Scarlett, of course, feeds into my MacBook, where all my hundreds of jamtracks live. I access those jamtracks using the Anytune app, where I can change the tempo, create loops, etc. Easy peazy.

If I want to work on a new composition, I may plug into my Boss RC-300 loop station, which feeds into my Blackstar modeling amp. The loop station includes lots of drum beat patterns and effects, so no pedals needed. With separate pedals for stop and start, it allows for quick and easy noodling.

Ronnie Earl, the great slow blues master, says it’s important to practise sometimes with your electric guitar unplugged. That way you are forced to focus more on your finger movements, and don’t get distracted by the amp sound. You can do some bends and slides and watch closely to see exactly how your fingers are behaving, listen for any fret buzz, etc.

If a friend is coming over for a jam session, we each just plug into one of my Blackstar amps. If it’s my bass player friend, I give him the tube amp, because the bass sounds much better on a tube amp.

Sunjamr Steve

[Garry]

Hey wpb,

I’m pretty must the same as you:

Supro Delta King 10 Valve Amp (with Reverb Knob on 5)

MXR Carbon Copy Analogue Delay & (Depending on Song) Ibanez TS 808.

All the best! 😎🎸😎

[Alan L]

My regular use amp for practice and recording is a Spark Mini. I also have a Champion 20 for the basement if I wanna crank it a little. Both amps are digital, but I keep a simple signal path of light OD and Reverb and/or Delay.

[Author]

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