Amp In A Box Pedals Vs ‘Normal’ Overdrive & Graphic EQ [And A Couple Of Cranked Amps]

Can a pedal ever sound like an amp?
Life too short for long KZbin videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.
Welcome to the show! Amp-in-a-box pedals are marketed as a great way to invoke the character of a classic guitar amplifier… without actually needing the classic guitar amplifier. We put that premise to the test in this video, with a selection of such beasts. Importantly, we also ask: ‘How close can we get with a ‘normal’ overdrive pedal, an EQ and maybe a compressor?'
Now clearly, there are many hundreds of pedals we could have chosen instead of these, so don’t get too twisty-wristy about our choices today if your particular fave isn’t featured (probability says it’s almost certainly not). Instead, consider-ye the bigger question.
Anyway schmanyway, by the time we’ve all got annoyed about the pedal choices and argued that this one really //does// sound like an amp… at the end we do actually crank a couple of ‘classic’ guitar amps to sorta, kinda prove the point that AIAB box pedals can only go so far! Do you agree?
Enjoy the show!
Pedals & stuff used in this video
• TheGigRig Three2One
www.thegigrig.com/three2one
• Sonic Research ST-300 Mini Tuner
Australia: bit.ly/2mR1s8c
• ZVEX ’59 Sound
www.zvex.com/guitar-pedals/59...
• Crazy Tube Circuits Crossfire
crazytubecircuits.com/crossfire
• Wampler Plexi Drive Mini
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: bit.ly/3z7FJAQ
• Boss GE-7 Equalizer
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: ttps://bit.ly/3m5XYPe
• Nobels ODR-1
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: bit.ly/3PTJcJd
USA: imp.i114863.net/DVGQ0n
• Xotic SP Compressor
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: bit.ly/2FcjbSW
• Source Audio Collider Delay & Reverb
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2HwaALt
Australia: bit.ly/323SzgS
USA That Pedal Shop: bit.ly/3ozRtX3
• TheGigRig G3
www.thegigrig.com/g3
Interesting bits and go-to sections…
0:00 Intro playing
3:24 What are we doing today?
4:55 We have a problem with it
5:37 Today’s pedals and premise
8:00 Today’s amps
10:56 ZVEX ’59 Sound
14:57 ODR-1 & EQ?
25:50 CTC Crossfire amp side
35:25 Crossfire OD side
38:50 Wampler Plexi Drive Mini
49:40 Thoughts so far
50:45 Cranking the Deluxe Reverb
54:00 Cranking the Bass Breaker (Bassman)
57:12 Closing thoughts
Guitars in this episode:
• Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster - watch Dan’s video here: • That Pedal Show - Our ...
• 1970 Fender Stratocaster - no video yet
• Gibson Custom True Historic 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Murphy Aged - no video yet
• 1961 Gibson Les Paul Junior - watch Dan’s video here: • That Pedal Show - Our ...
Amps & cabs in this episode:
• Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue
• Supro Black Magick 1x12 combo (no reverb)
• Fender Custom Shop Bass Breaker (c2002)
We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel.
You can buy TPS merch to support our efforts www.thatpedalshowstore.com
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/ thatpedalshow
Please visit our preferred retailers!
UK & Europe: Andertons Music bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: Pedal Empire bit.ly/2mWmJQf

[@Millerocalypse]

It’s easy to get guitar pedal fatigue after years and years of cycling through pedals so it’s really nice to see Mick invigorated by tones he connects with. A smile never lies…

[@brittmurray9818]

I always enjoy the "discuss-a-few-pedals-on-the-board-based-on-a-theme" episodes. :)

[@pauldavid2407]

Same 😀

[@ETILHK54]

So do i!

[@petercarparelli]

Love you guys. This is exactly the kind of cool, informative stuff I was hoping to see in a video from you both. As always, amazing job gents. Keep it up, cheers.

[@jonlewis63]

As someone that lives vicariously through you guys .Can i say what a joy it is to watch you swang away at surround damaging volume !!

[@mantashaft]

As I sit alone in my room recovering from Covid I am very thankful to have this episode to enjoy. I’ve been so busy I’ve missed so much of late. Thank you

[@ThatPedalShow]

Be well Erik, hope you’re back to not normal soon! (Nobody wants to be normal)

[@medor6635]

You guys are the only reason why I’m still watching KZbin! Outstanding videos again.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Hooray! THank you!

[@danielherbert8060]

Been playing for more than 30 years and bought my first tube amp (65 prri) bc of you guys. Luckily, am able to crank it while the cats are away. Still working on recording it the way I hear it....until then, faux amps for recording, Princeton for jamming

[@markandclairethomas2062]

Fantastic show today ! I think another important thing to add into the conversation is a lot of these amp in a box pedals are designed to sound decent at relatively medium to low volumes as I suppose that is the market they are aimed at . Bedroom players or those that play in pubs and small clubs . As you guys always point out there’s no way you are going to replicate the sound or experience of really cranked amps from a pedal or even the most expensive modeller in a live “ amp in the room “ situation . It really is a whole new level and a beautiful thing 😀.

[@JohnShalamskas]

It is amazing how much better my OD and dirt pedals sound with a clean boost after them. The amplifier-like tone I was expecting to hear suddenly appears! There's also a minimum volume level on my clean power amp that is required to avoid excessive compression of the overdriven tone. So, even though pedals are meant to give overdriven amp tones at bedroom sound pressure level, you still need some minimum amount of headroom to avoid massive unwanted compression.

[@agriff4795]

At my very first blues jam, I got to plug into a 59 Bassman, turned up to about 6, so good headroom with great crunch using my Les Paul. I was so happy, it went on my list of desired amps immediately!!!!! I also agree with Dan, if you haven't played one cranked, you haven't lived!

[@DadRockAndGuitars]

I have two amp in a box pedals (Plexi Drive mini, Formula No. 55) and love using them. While there's nothing like cranking the real deal, they get me close to the amp they are "replicating" and that's all I expect from them. I only have one amp, so it's really nice to get some other sounds that my amp can't really do. There's a lot to be said for the difference in breakup character as well. Good experiment fellas 👍

[@ArchitexMaze75]

Intro jam epic, massive sounding thing of loveliness! Nice work mick

[@brianmckenzie1318]

You guys are awesome, loved this AIAB vs OD episode!!! I "thought" I knew the differences, but this brought clarity! As a side note, love watching you guys play! Dig your styles and it inspires this old guy!

[@markandclairethomas2062]

Funny , I’ve got a Vox Tone garage flat 4 pedal from years ago . Its a kind of boost come light Od pedal with a valve running at 200v . When they came out they were dismissed or not even looked at by many reviewers due to the name and looks . To be honest it’s a superb pedal in my view , a little bright but can do wonders boosting an amp or even as a standalone low breakup drive .

[@1rondark]

Listening on my primary audio system for the first time( it is very good) and I’m very impressed with your mix. The guitar sounds are a revelation. Well done Mick

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you Ron. We’re continually improving it. No plug ins at all now. Just nice mics and good pres. Happy days!

[@jcugnoni]

You got great results with the eq/compressor approach. Actually, in electronics, non-linear circuits are commonly considered as a series of pre-filter, soft non linearity (compression) and clipping followed by a post filter. A tube amp has the same structure: pre-filter = coupling and bright caps, treble peaker and cathode bypass caps of the first stage; compression/clipping = non-linear response of the tubes and power rail sag, post filter = tone stack, power amp and speaker/cab. The pre filter controls which frequencies are clipping first, the non linearity give you the volume conpression and harmonic content and the post filter gives the overall frequency response. In fact all pedals (drive or amp in a box) follow a similar structure and all digital modeling stuff does exactly that too. For example the Kemper or other profilers, do an automatic pre-post filter & nonlinear response identification too.

[@iwiggs6870]

There needs to be significantly more of that P90 SG (Les Paul) on this channel. Good lord what a killer sounding guitar.

[@Upside_Down_Guitar_Guy]

Right? That and the gold top p90 have brought out some of the best of their playing. I remember watching one of their old videos with that p90 SG and being blown away by the sort of “balanced bite” sound

[@ThatPedalShow]

Mick here. It’s Dan’s guitar and it’s probably the best sounding guitar we have between us. Just a MAGIC thing. :0) But it’s a sod to play in tune, and at heart he’s Tele to the bone. :0)

[@dirkstaudt4341]

I 100% agree! When Dan played this guitar at the Strymon Deco video using the through zero flanging setting I was blown away by the tone. In my opinion this guitar is a very underrated version of the Gibson SG guitar.

[@miguelteixeira1979]

Great show! Right at the end you got to a place I think it needs to be explored. Dimme an amp to the top most amount of gain you will use and then subtract from there using your guitar volume controls to get your "clean tones".

[@davidkieltyka9]

Fun episode! The ‘59 pedal sounds really good. Mr. Vex! The tweed Bassman at 4 sounds a *lot* like my ‘67 Bassman at 4. Somewhat different EQ curve, of course, but the amount of breakup is nearly the same. That’s where I like to run the amp, controlling overall volume from the guitar.

[@yobaby14]

Perfect timing! I don't have a compressor, but I'm experimenting with running a graphic EQ into my ODR-1 for this very same experiment/purpose.

[@shckltnebay]

MOOER Yellow comp is good choice imo

[@eaglerayrob]

Good episode, I really enjoyed it. Lots of inspirational tone from these pedals. The playing and production quality were stellar and that is inspirational too. I could watch this video with no sound and be able to tell, by body-language, when Dan and Mick are playing to the cranked amps. You can see they're connected with the music. Whatever connects you to the music, do more of it. Do it until stuff is falling off the wall! Thanks Leg-Ends!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you Rob!

[@rehkram]

I second that emotion. Fortunately I have a Deluxe Reverb 65 Reissue sitting at my feet so my prejudices were confirmed. I use a Mustang Micro for practicing at home and wouldn't be without it.

[@TraneFrancks]

The Deluxe cranked was GLORIOUS. Oh, boy. And that Crossfire also really was something. Lovely tones today, guys. Also loved that '59. Which, I think, tells me I'm missing a Fender amp in my life.

[@howardbwade]

The gain stages on my main board are: Sunface Red Dot; Catalinbread Formula 55 (5E3 amp in a box); Bad Bob Boost; Benson Preamp. So Two amp in a box types. I run into a 5E3 deluxe (dry amp) and an Alessandro Boxer (wet). The 5E3 is set to just break up. I use the For. 55 for heavier gain (ala Neil Young) and the Benson as a medium overdrive. I really like the amp type pedals. They have unique characters. I don’t really think of them as sounding like amps but rather as “character” overdrives. Nice show. Very interesting as usual. Cheers.

[@RobertFisher1969]

I think you guys could make a whole episode around using EQ both before & after drive. Use the EQ before to voice how much each band gets driven, but then use EQ after to balance the bands independent of that.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Agree. I love my Boss EQ7 but I am always tinkering with where I like it best in the chain.

[@MFJord1]

Mick, it's awesome to see you connect with your new strat, some magic is happening there!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks so much Jord! I think people get totally confused when I bang on about how Blue can be better and all that…. Because I don’t have the langauge to explain it. And then a guitar comes along, the notes come out and I don’t have to explain it. Thanks man!

[@LostPlanet2024]

First in!! Ahh the Friday morning routine. TPS coffee mug in hand. Great intro Mick! I have an analog DIAB in my Ethos Preamp Over drive use it as the wet preamp portion of my W/D\W rig. It sounds just like the Silverface Deluxe (dry) in the middle. It sounds nothing like a Dumble though lol .

[@ferrinbonn]

Idea for future episode... Do something similar to this but using EQ, boost, or compressor pedals to change or replicate the tones of different types of guitars. It would be useful for many people who play live. Maybe you need to make your Strat sound LP like for a song or two when doing covers, or you want to even out tones when swapping between guitars during a set so you don't have to make amp adjustments every time you swap instruments.

[@kevinjohnbetts]

Back when I had a Victory V40 I used AIAB pedals to give my sound character. The amp itself was, to my ears, a little bit flat sounding (making it a perfect 'pedal platform') and I found things like the Marshall Drivemaster, Xotic SL Drive, or Catalinbread Formula 5F6 really added to my sound-scape. Switching to the Victory Sheriff 44, and then to the VC35 'Copper', I found 'traditional' overdrives more useful because those amps had far more inherent character. I sold most of my AIAB pedals and then went and bought a Victory V4 Duchess (are you seeing a pattern here Mick?) to keep as a spare in case valve prices went through the roof. Fortunately I'd kept a pre-ThorpyFX Thorpy clone of a Zvex 'Box Of Rock' which functions as my crunch channel with the Duchess. I do have a Victory V4 Copper pre-amp pedal that I could hook up to it but that pedalboard is big and heavy already. But I digress. AIAB pedals are great if your amp lacks character. In other circumstances you're as likely to be subtracting from your core tone as you are adding to it. My experience anyway. 🙂

[@ThatPedalShow]

Interesting Kevin! I know all of those amps extremely well, as you know, and I think a big part of the character you’re talking about is high end response. The standard V40 can be verrrrry smooth sounding, whereas all the others have more bite, and that makes perfect sense when you talk about your pedal experience with each of em. Thanks for the thoughts!

[@Parariddle]

DSM great episode guys. I have just got a DSM silver linings which is a preamp drive pedal to go into my stompman as a power section and it sounds fantastic. One day I will get that cranked bassman. Also seen some clips of you down in Lyme Mick. You sounded vocally and rockingly superb. Have a great weekend chaps

[@nilsx3020]

Great to see you feature the Zvex 59 Sound. It’s my mainstay pedal for boost and overdrive for years. Nothing gets it off my board, and I prefer it over my Box of Rock. Now you’d need the big daddies of AIAB pedals, more UA amp emulator ones. Kiddddding - another one on your show would be a fiasko, as it’s not your thing. I’m loving my Ruby more each day though. ;-)

[@andrewmasterman2034]

I must have overlooked the 59 sound but I do like what I hear, I also had a box of rock many moons ago but didn’t love it, for me it was one of those pedals that would rip on a very loud stage but always felt restrained otherwise, is the 59 like that?

[@nilsx3020]

@@andrewmasterman2034 They’re very similar. For me it works also in all different kinds of settings.

[@jonathanyork3636]

This is a fine show- all well and good and polite- and then you guys decide to crank the amps- and it's like - whelp- forget what we've been doing- THIS is what's up! That deluxe cranked- honestly- sounded like what I would think is a cranked Marshal- just killer-

[@johncurtiss46]

Y’all’s playing is always great.. today it was noticeably terrific

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you John!

[@wspeed657]

This is such a cool and practical idea. Well done!

[@srh361]

My God, the cranked Deluxe Reverb at the end was worth the price of admission, beats a pedal any day but I understand not everyone has the pleasure of cranking amps to the sweet spot. Again,my God that sounded absolutely amazing.

[@stanislavmigra]

Interesting thing, in lot of demos, many people cant get vintage low gain Marshall sound from Plexi drive. But you did beautifully here. Nice vintgae plexi tones with Strat, Junior and Les Paul. Good work.

[@russellstauffer1626]

If a year ago you told me I’d be watching videos of a couple talented guys turn knobs on guitar pedals endlessly, I’d have laughed. Yet here I gladly sit hour after hour and can hardly wait for the the next video to drop! Thanks gents.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Ha! Thank you Russell!

[@lincolndaugherty]

This one was awesome! Thank you so much for the content gentleman.

[@kurtschmidt4291]

Dan, that shirt is EPIC!!! As skateboarder since 1990 and a guitarist this ticks all of my boxes!!!!

[@LemonHolidayProd]

I think where we look for amp-in-a-box pedals is in the case of rental backline. I need a pedalboard that I can plug into a plexi, a hot-rod deluxe, a blackface twin, or a rockerverb and convincingly recreate the sound of a tweed deluxe or a jcm or a Mesa mark V in my set. It's not about the ideal circumstance for a lot of us, rather being able to react to whatever questionable backline we may encounter. Ps, the cranked noises at the end were fantastic. The sound of the collider in front of the collapsing bass breaker was magical

[@thurstonhowls7723]

Is it just me or was Mick’s playing on another level in this episode? Nice!!!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Thurston. When the tone is to my liking and it’s loud, I play better. Simple as that!

[@musicmann1967]

First thing I noticed with the first one up, (the '59 Sound), is that even when EQ was kinda close, the breakup characteristics were different.

[@thelongplaylp]

Good episode, gentlemen. My ears agree, EQ/OD/comp gets 60-80% of the way to the AIAB sounds... and in a lot of situations, that'll do the job! But the AsIAB have their own cool thing, too, when you want to get closer.

[@chedhead3278]

Cheers guys, fascinating stuff. I really liked what the 59 Sound was doing ... until you turned up the Deluxe with the SG Junior, what a cracking tone. :)

[@mr501mc]

This is excellent. I love how on the first try I could hear the difference on my phone. I wish I'd seen this video. I'm here after doing my own trial and error💸

[@robertprice5039]

I have moved away Amp in a Box pedals, and I have settled on the Protein Pedal, using the green side as my mid gain OD, and the blue side as my low gain OD. If I need more, I smack the Protein with an EP style boost, or a fuzz. I prefer my amp's sound, and am using the Protein to get more out of it.

[@leemichaelgeller4420]

I am sure I am not the only one doing “Listening Detective” whilst Dan is switching back and forth between the Crossfire and the ODR-1/EQ w/green mid hump side of said Crossfire. I’m watching in my living room and it’s sounds flipping great!

[@galogamoth]

The Crossfire sounded particularly great in this episode, I thought. The CTC guys make amazing stuff, I recently got one of the CV7003 Constellations and it’s both my favourite fuzz face and 3 favourite tonebenders that I own

[@jrdelapierre6008]

Its funny how Dan’s playing really shines when the amps (real) are cranked and cooking. Its like you can almost see the switch tripping and its glorious!!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Yep. We try to explain it, but perhaps just demonstrating it is the easier way. :0)

[@jamesunderhill1603]

@@ThatPedalShow could you EVER explain Dan...

[@robinjgill]

Great vid. Yes, you can feel the amp at loud volumes. Bringing fuzz into the equation would be interesting. A germanium fuzz face, or TB MK 1.5

[@deadrituals]

When the amp is so loud stuff begins to fall of the shelves you know you're rocking out

[@zwidawurzn9423]

Fender Bassman yes, i mean i'm usually more into modern hi-gain amps but a band mate has some reissue Bassman combo and it's just such a versatile amp, perfect pedal platform for Bass, Guitar and with a Revv G3 in front it does the hi-gain thing aswell.

[@jeffallen3382]

I *LOVE* that Crossfire pedal! I saw a review of that pedal week from RJ Ronquillo last week. Sounded amazing!

[@timchalmers1700]

Thank you for using the ODR-1 to approximate the sound of the "amp" pedal. My biggest problem is that I have never heard any of those iconic amps cranked and I don't have a huge budget for buying "amp" pedals. But then, maybe I'm the only one.

[@mickeydt17]

Mick, your Strat playing and tone at the start were awesome! 💚

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Mickey! We say thanks to Jimi and Stevie. ;0)

[@houseofshred3725]

I very regularly use a Marshall Shredmaster clone (BYOC Shredder). I can't get any of my "regular" dirt boxes to do what it does in terms of feel and response. I couldn't say, however, that it's due it the Shredmaster being "in a box." The cranked amps slayed the pedals, BTW. Great show as always! P.S.- 56:08 The falling wah discussion from the last video makes more sense now, lol. P.P.S.-54:44 Mick, don't forget to turn yer phone light off!

[@annikinstarkiller600]

Menatone makes sublime amp-in-a-box pedals. I hope to see some of them featured soon

[@robertlewis8024]

Very fun and interesting show. And love the Crossfire.

[@MyriadOfHoops]

Gratuitous shoutout to MENATONE ! One of the largely unsung pioneers of amp in a box pedals (probably because he doesn't ever engage in any marketing). Besides the Red Snapper overdrive which we've seen a couple of times around here, he's done multiple versions of any type of amp you can think of and I've never not loved any of his pedals I've tried over the years.

[@Sensates85]

Sometimes I like his pedals more than the real amp!

[@MyriadOfHoops]

@@Sensates85 Ha! I actually can believe that

[@conwaycampbell1082]

The Box of Rock (slightly higher gain version of the ‘59 Sound) is my go-to for the AIAB application. i have the overdrive (drive set 10:00-12:00) and boost channels on as an always-on “preamp” for my D-Style amp set as a clean platform. Run your dirty boost of choice into that and it’s OVERDRIVE HEAVEN for my purposes. Give it a try😎

[@McBenNC]

Wow Mick’s playing was especially on point today. Damn good SRV vibes buddy

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you Ben. That was my entire thing once upon a time. Nice to go back to the old haunts. :0)

[@CommissionerManu]

On the topic of this video, it’d be really cool if you guys had a look at the Vox Valvenergy pedals sometime! Could be an interesting follow up video seeing as they can be overdrive pedals, pre amps, or complete “amp in a box”s depending on the setting.

[@simonpark843]

I've got a Way Huge Supa Lead pedal that I use as an overdrive...but I didn't expect it to be able to simulate the sound of an actual amp. It's a pedal I really like the sound of and that's all it needs to be.

[@JoshLikesFuzz]

Really interesting, the 59 sound sounded great. You sounded close with the ODR and EQ but every time you went back to the 59 sound the tone suddenly grew stubble, started smoking and went to greasy town.

[@ThatPedalShow]

It’s a lovely thing. I gigged it yesterday - Mick here. Had it on all set!

[@mattiv1]

I wasn't a big fan of Wampler products, but Plexi-Drive Mini is absolute kiiiiiller Marshall-in-a-box pedal. It blew me away that much I sold much more expensive unbeaten so far VDL Il Distorsore. Brian nailed this one.

[@mikedr1549]

Mick's Strat into that Deluxe Reverb is magical!

[@darwinsaye]

Love this experiment you’re doing here! Since I first heard of and started looking at AIAB pedals, I’ve been unable to consider them to be anything other than just overdrive pedals. Right off the bat, so many of them have the volume /gain /tone format. Unless you’re trying to emulate amps from the early 60s or older, how can that be considered an amp emulating pedal? There are a (very few) pedals that go to the extra effort and replicate to some degree, the actual amp topology, like the Marvel Overdirive which has the normal and treble volume controls and presence control of a Plexi (but still lacks a proper bass/mids/treble tone stack). I’ve found myself honestly just disappointed in overdrive pedals in general, and always have to run EQ pedals before or after them to get sounds I like. The best actual “amp in a box” pedals I’ve found are preamp/DI pedals. Even the cheapest Joyo (Tech 21 clones) ones tend to a better job at emulating amps than any overdrive type of pedal I’ve ever worked with.

[@johncooper16]

Great episode as ever. It was interesting how you could get pretty close but not quite there with the Nobel, GE-7 & compressor but there was definitely something nicer about the Crossfire and the 59 sound. That said, the best sounds were the Deluxe Reverb at around 7 and the Bassman at 5. Both were spectacular.

[@nedim_guitar]

The intro playing was really good!

[@colmkelly5524]

The Benson Preamp and the Wampler Plexidrive are very similar circuits, the main difference being that instead of a tone control the Benson has high and low pass filters. One is advertised as being a preamp pedal, the other as an AIAB, though arguably both are just flavoured overdrive pedals.

[@ThatPedalShow]

And they sound wildly different!

[@ionobelisk]

Gosh, it's been a week already. Thanks for the photos, even though I mostly look like a gnarly old troll that's been dragged out of the bottom of the tone hedge🤣

[@davedavem]

The Junior into the Bassman at 4 was bang on!

[@DavidDyte1969]

I have the Crazy Tube Circuits Falcon, which is along similar lines to the '59 Sound, and is glorious run into any amp I have set clean. But for sure the character changes with what you run it into. I don't know how it compares to a Bassman or whatever, but it sounds great anyway and makes me happy.

[@Ray-Angel]

I think this may be my favorite show from you guys. I used to own an old Bassman but now a plug into a Boss Katana Artist and, for a number of reasons, I like it better than my old Bassman. But I also like the convenience of amp in a box pedals.

[@SergeiVlassov]

What are those reasons?

[@Ray-Angel]

@@SergeiVlassov let's start with the old Bassman being really heavy. The Kat is less than half the weight. Second, the Bassman was inconsistent. It sounded different after 2 hours of playing or if I played an outdoor show in the Texas summer heat it didn't do well. Reliability, the Kat is about as reliable as a brick. I had to replace tubes in the Bassman every 6 to 9 months. Versatility, the Bassman had a great sound, but it was just one sound. The Kat can do anything the Bassman did and a whole lot more. It also has great sounding effects built in! So it also consolidates my whole rig because I don't need to carry a bunch of pedals. I could go on but I think the point is made.

[@SergeiVlassov]

@@Ray-Angel Thanks for the response! I am kind of shocked about so frequent tube replacement! That is a lot of money every year!

[@Ray-Angel]

@@SergeiVlassov it was 1960s technology. When I was a kid we had the same trouble with our television. That's another reason to get a modern amp. Modern tech.

[@SergeiVlassov]

@@Ray-Angel yes, I agree, but still - I had / have many tubes amps in 20+ years of playing, and had to change tubes few times (maybe even just 2) only.

[@MizzouCus]

Was cool to see how close the pedals could get...but the cranked amps at the end were incredible. Every video should end with jamming into a different cranked amp from now on.

[@periloustemple8290]

I enjoyed every second of this. Those are some powerful pedals. It made me finally commit to ordering a Kingsley Squire - once I considered the price of some of those. It's ok. I'll wait - and anytime I can support Simon, hurray. I've had a Page ODS for a long time so he's got to be the guy. I want the Juggler, but I don't know if I could stay married if I went for that at this time in life. 😍 And, the bassbreaker cranked ended up my fav - even though I love all of those pedal makers.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Totally -Simon is THE Man. Enjoy that Squire!

[@markandclairethomas2062]

Just wanted to add I’ve had an XOTIC XL drive for years . Set on Super Bass it’s just a beautiful thing that works with all my guitars . I think Mick said he gigged with one of these for years . Be interesting to maybe revisit it one day ? 😀 Nobels od1 , wampler , bluesbreaker and a myriad of different OD’s have come and gone with me , but this pedal is just class and remains .

[@colourcascade7600]

Mick your guitar playing is getting to a seriously good level,,,can we get close up camera shots of some of your playing instead of the pedals please 😀

[@DJBuglip]

Had a 68 bassman just a few years back. They are glorious.

[@stratcatfenderbender]

I saw Ryan Adams and the Cardinals back in ‘07 and again in ‘08. Ryan and Neal played Gibson guitars into blackface Fender amps and I couldn’t believe how much it rocked. Until those shows, I never knew blackface Fenders could crunch like that. Super dynamic too.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Yeah man! That’s THE sound. Nobody cranks em any more because nobody plays like that any more. Bands have to sound like records now. Meh.

[@BigMikeGuitar]

I'm intrigued by the emerging "amp-less" trend, with products such as the Humbolt Simplifier, including putting an IR loader/EQ/power-amp simulator such as the "JOYO Cabinet Modeling and Amp Simulator Effect Pedal - Cab Box R-08" after an overdrive/distortion. Essentially, this enables turning any overdrive/distortion into an "amp in a box," including a table-top recording rig. I can see a lot of old overdrive/distortions getting dusted off, and regaining usefulness and value.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Great point Mike. Thanks!

[@mark.guitar]

You could use the EQ pedal on the drive you are trying to emulate. You can then identify the frequency bands that you are interested in .

[@BlueSkyDogs]

I love Fridays. Thank you gentlemen for another great show. One quick question.... How do you set your graphic eq to 2 o'clock?!

[@hoboroadie4623]

The gain can go there, the tones usually start at Unity, then its "to taste", you can try starting 30% up or something. I don't really know, mine goes to +15 dB I think. The Kit is way above my rating.

[@GiovanniBottaMuteWinter]

The 59 sounded ace! Great episode guys!

[@hoboroadie4623]

The Mark 1 Brotary has a seven band Parametric EQ feeding the dry and wet sides, all the channels currently going through amp-in-a-box overdrives. I don't want to give that up, but the lead channel of my main tone chorus is actually the amp and pedal combination that those pedals attempts to simulate. I reckon now I need to buy yet another of those EQs to try monkeying with that tone. You guys usually don't hit the budget like that, but now I have to hear it. My core tone is four of the same amp-in-a-boxes feeding similar amps, with Tremolo, Vibrato, and Phase separately to three of them. I like the idea of an amp simulator feeding the real thing, it seems that the pedal is easier to dial up than the amp. It could just be that all of the excessive superfluous dineros make me think that it sounds better, who really cares?

[@hoboroadie4623]

I have a couple Amps with quads of 6V6s and a couple with Quads of EL34s and a couple with Pairs of 6L6s, I might even need to find out what they can do with a couple of those ZVEX '59 pedals.

[@nickharrington12]

Great sounds today! The Crossfire pedal was pretty special. Mick, time to break out the tape measure. I'm curious as to the dimensions of the TPS studio and the distance the db meter is from the amps and where you sit in relation? I'm interested to know if what I experience at home with an amp cranked is in anyway similar to what you guys do. I understand this is a drastic generalization, and all the variables in the room matter. I'm just going for a "how similar is my space to yours". Thanks!

[@lichen8855]

I love overdrive pedals. I build them. They can be fun and useful. But nothing beats being in the room with a cranked amp. Got chills when you cranked the deluxe reverb. I'll let you know when a pedal does that.

[@ThatPedalShow]

I think the trap a lot of people fall in to (not helped by this video) is that we’re asking the question, Pedal Or Amp? And it’s not the right question, because the best sounds for me anyway, are pretty much always, the right pedal //and// the right amp. Eg, all my favourite guitar tones/players ever. Cheers! Mick here.

[@floridaman7079]

perfect timing friday night in freezing sydney, watching this with a Tim tam and a cuppa,

[@adrianmiller1971]

The only thing better would be a Nabisco Coffee Scroll biscuit from ye olde days :) Waves from Redfern :)

[@samcartermusic]

13:14 Love the '59 Sound. Suits Mick's playing very well! Interestingly (to me at least) the circuit is essentially 3 of Zvex's SHO circuits in series with some tone shaping. It's based around 3 BS170 MOSFETs just like the Box Of Rock / Distortron.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Oooooh, nice. I gigged it this afternoon. I’m a FAN! Mick here. The 59 Sound, that is.

[@jwmcmillenii]

Gotta love that crackle. So, is it an Electra circuit, modified? Like 90% of Lovepedal's brilliant output? I know I adore my LP JTM and CoT50.

[@mikeh892]

@@jwmcmillenii Different sort of clipping. The Electra and COT use diodes, whereas the Zvex is the sound of Mosfets being pushed into distortion. Fets tend to have a more tube-like response than the bjt transistors used in the Electra type circuits.

[@markandclairethomas2062]

Would be really interesting to hear how this compares to Vs audios Blacbird which does a similar thing but has both black and silver faced tones that are switchable . I see Chris Buck has been using one lately which is a good enough endorsement for me 😀👍

[@Kevin-the-Just]

Fascinating. Although, I was relieved that you didn't manage to completely undermine the case for buying more pedals. 😂 My fave AIAB is the J Rockett 45 Calibre, which I believe is supposed to be like a JTM45. I use it with a '73 Twin and a Marshall 1974x and it sounds fab.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cooool! We love everything J Rockett does. :0)

[@sanman757]

Nice one gents. Mick that intro jam was tasty.

[@gordonrankin3995]

Thanks guys, great show!

[@StahlsBlues]

Love to my two favorite guys on KZbin! Hell yeah!

[@maxtilley8357]

This is really making me think about ditching wet/dry and having one clean-ish and one cranked amp with an AB switcher between the two.

[@markandclairethomas2062]

I’ve always thought the same thing . If you’re in a covers band or play more than one style you need the flexibility of going from very clean to heavy overdrive and all in between . Sometimes using an overdriven amp and using your guitars volume to get you’re clean tones doesn’t cut it . This gives you so many options . Good call 😃👍

[@grosebud4554]

The chase bliss preamp is my favorite OD for the simple fact of the parametric EQ pre or post. That’s why you can Mimic other pedals with it. I can’t wait for more pedals incorporate it because the core tone of the preamp while great, does have a certain hi fi sound that can sound great but not ideal for everyone.

[@Kaisermb1]

I concur on the AIB being approximations and having limited use as a replacement for a particular amp, but did find that they fit really well with the amp they are emulating. It seems counterintuitive to add a plexi-drive to my plexi or my Catalinbread RAH to my Hiwatt type amp but it works beautifully. I have a Dude that is the primary drive with my Dumble-style amp.

[@ThatPedalShow]

I think it makes a lot of sense Jeff. When you can’t crank the amp, use the pedal to simulate it. To my mind, that’s going to sound much more like what it should than sticking a Dumble AIAB into a Vox. Just never gonna happen with EL84s!

[@billgreen3629]

To me, the point of an amp in a box pedal is the tone shaping. Like you demonstrated, they don’t replace an amp, but they do something that can be very hard to replicate with an EQ pedal. I then use an EQ to push or reduce frequencies to taste.

[@hoboroadie4623]

I have an amp-in-a-box pedal that I have inserted right into the Pedal-Amp combination that its built to emulate, now I have to get a new EQ to add in there. Tone Compulsion is actually a different affliction than Gear Acquisition Syndrome, after I hear it I will keep or discard the bits as wanted.

[@Les537]

Perfect timing boys. I'm looking for a headphone/late night amp. I bought a Simplifier analog thing and I absolutely hate it after trying very hard to like it. Thinking about that UA Dream 65 thing.

[@joequintana5546]

Tech 21 makes a pedal that totally amazed me. I couldn't believe it. The Hot Rod Plexi. Wow!

[@sowhulljnr]

I have a Mad Professor Super Black pedal (Fender "black panel" style) which is great into the effects return of an amp as well as in the front end. It has 3-band eq, gain, volume, presence and bass cut, so lots of tone shaping possibilities. It would have been interesting to compare the Deluxe or Super Reverb to something like the Super Black pedal running into the Boogie power amp rig. Added bonus is it also has the sweet honey overdrive and a compressor built in.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

The Keeley El Rey Dorado into a clean Blues Jr does a pretty good cranked Marshall at relatively low volume. Definitely benefits from some vintage style humbuckers.

[@Les537]

Crackling is a mosfet. My zvex Channel 2 does that because it's adjusting gain and bias at the same time. Love a good mosfet drive.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Ah, awesome. Thank you!

[@hoboroadie4623]

I remember hearing of a pedal using a Rheostat to adjust bias and that was a crackler.

[@jackhowell8708]

The EQ business is powerful. My GE-7 was very noisy, and when I looked into modding it, turned out I was late to the party having bought a recent, surface-mount unit that is apparently not mod-able. A much better solution was the Rockaway Archer, which is dead quiet, every bit as effective an EQ as the GE-7, and a nice klone to boot. For what it’s worth . . .

[@nedim_guitar]

I had the same problem. I traded mine for a DigiTech Hardwire RV-7 Stereo Reverb pedal, which is objectively worth the double than the GE-7. I sold the RV-7 the same day and a few days later I found a used MXR Six Band EQ. Score!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Yah yah, or try to find an Analogman mod one. They’re ACE!

[@mbg4041]

My old danelectro fish n chips is dead quiet with reasonable settings, dirt cheap and modable.