Pedal Order - EQ Before or After Overdrive?

Dave demos the consequences of putting EQ in front of overdrive or behind it, so you can hear the surprising difference!

[@Mr.ABartley]

This was very helpful. My ear was attracted to before.

[@MrMd5555]

Who else was dying to hear the tone with both eq pedals on pre od & post od at the same time?

[@thierry8383]

me, and i'm still waiting!!

[@guitarbaxter6184]

Yes! I was! Lol

[@choadcityusa]

i was just about to ask about that. youre psychic

[@chelericarte]

RIP hahaha

[@carminelombardi9575]

I was looking for a demo exactly like this, now I understand the differing tones pre and post distortion. Very much appreciated.

[@royfulton]

Great demo, lovely tone/s and very tasty playing! Thank you.

[@markusaurelius777]

Dude, your vibrato and playing is super awesome. Nice !!!! :O

[@darwinsaye]

My understanding is that Fender places their EQ before preamp tubes, and Marshall places it after them. This explains why a Tweed Deluxe has a fuzz like sound when cranked up, as the lows are driving the preamp tubes into full compressed flubbing out, whereas a Marshall tends to have lows tighter lows since the EQ is only boosting lows *after* the tubes are driven.

[@RobSmith-rn3ie]

That makes sense because I was going to say, in the first example with the scooped mids here it sounds like a 70s blues-rock tone, but placed afterwards it sounded like hair metal to me.

[@Scooby743]

Excellent and Informative!

[@federicoiribarren3335]

Excelente test. Suena mucho mejor antes del overdrive.

[@BadMofoMusicCritic]

Pre sounded best to me each time. In a mix it could be different of course. Just got a ge7, think I'll start with it front of chain.

[@danieljbdj]

excellent video showing varieties and textures other than timbres there is no better or worse, what exists is taste and for what purpose we want it

[@huka83]

So informative.... thank you!

[@britneylauer6773]

I use two of them ... One in front for boosting the overdrive and the second one for tone shaping . Usually both are on

[@garycrouse1918]

perfect demo thank you

[@Xxmeca421xX]

I love that you have two and don't have to stop to switch them lol. Where would you put it on a board with OD, DISTORTION, FUZZ, DELAY, FLANGER, CHORUS, REVERB? I HAVE IT AT THE END OF MY CHAIN

[@RHINOSAUR]

THANK YOU!!!

[@martinthibodeaux4628]

Before seems good for tailoring the way the overdrive distorts the signal, without a huge change in the overall tone of the pedal. After seems better for tailoring the tone of the pedal, without changing the way the overdrive distorts the signal. If I could only have one EQ pedal on my board, I'd put it after the drive. That way I could do tone shaping into whatever amp/speaker combo I'm using. It seems like the more versatile of the two options.

[@mikeroadblock]

True.

[@craigdaker123]

In my experience EQing after distortion or overdrive can quickly make things really muddy or harsh, so you have a lot more room to make adjustments if you put it before

[@martinthibodeaux4628]

@@craigdaker123 EQing either before OR after overdrive can quickly make things muddy and harsh. In my opinion, EQ should be about subtle tone shaping. Once you're to the point where you're cutting or boosting frequencies by more than a few db, I feel like its time to maybe adjust your amp settings or get a new OD pedal.

[@craigdaker123]

@@martinthibodeaux4628 It’s always useful to cut use EQ to cut everything below 75hz and everything above 16k. Can’t get that with most amps. I agree with your comment about how much you should boost but buying a cheap EQ pedal to shape your overdrive either before or after is a much more economical idea than buying every OD pedal until you find one you like

[@martinthibodeaux4628]

@@craigdaker123 I would agree that it is sometimes useful to cut those frequencies, but I wouldn't say ALWAYS. That's really situation dependent. If you're in a full band situation, then yes. Cutting those bass frequencies allows the bass guitar to occupy that space without creating mud. Cutting the high frequencies gives space for the cymbals to occupy those frequencies. Cutting out certain mid frequencies helps the keyboard to occupy that space. But in the scenario where you're not in a full band situation, cutting all of those frequencies out could make your guitar sound quite thin. But I think we're agreeing with each other more than disagreeing. Cheers!

[@user-gm6fl3sr1h]

Thanks. Very good.

[@sterlingmcvay2469]

I Like Before, mostly, as it Pushes the Tone UPFRONT a bit more, but I can see actually, using 2, the one After, puts bit a bit more in a kind of, BACKSPACE - which you could Enhance with a REVERB, as sometimes you Want the Guitar Part Back Somewhat, especially if there is a Vocal going on, at the Same Time...

[@Roosterboi21]

I liked the scooped sound after and the mid boost before.

[@TimMilliken]

I use one pre(1st) in chain to fix a guitar like a muddy hollow body. I use one post(last) to fix a dull amp or gas it.

[@Mako47]

Just…yer tone! Wow man. Slick.

[@muhammadajikusuma300]

eq before the distortion pedal of course 👌🏻

[@drydreams8513]

I’ve never given it much thought I have been playing for years since day one of owning both a eq and overdrive pedal . I mixed it up after watching this video and idk don’t like post overdrive but it’s a good chance that I’m not used to it ,it’s totally out of the norm for me. But I like getting my eq sound clean with the right tone I want then adjusting and shaping the overdrive to compliment it’s tone not just drown it out. I run a Demonfx microtubes D7k ultra as my EQ / preamp section and a demonfx alpha omicron distortion pedal straight to the FX return . I’ll be trying it again ya never know it might grow on me with some experimenting I’m playing a rickenbacker bass with a ashdown electric blue amp it’s only 180watts 1x15 cab and 4x10 cab speakers but it will rock the house

[@mikeroadblock]

Make more of these please?

[@johnsmith-sm6mh]

Before for me gets the tone of the guitar “IMO” 🎸🎸🎸

[@everonlyallforthee]

Great vid. Some here are saying EQ before drive sounds better, and it does, but that's not the point; he's got great tone to begin with. Seems the general rule is: EQ before drive does more to preserve the tone of the guitar, but is limited in its ability to do dramatic tone shaping. EQ after drive allows for dramatic changes in tone, but EQ changes are more pronounced and may end up messing with the good parts of the dry tone.

[@RobSmith-rn3ie]

The change in character is surprisingly pronounced. Definitely sounds better to me *before* the OD in all of the examples. Here's my question though. If I also have colored clean boost before my overdrive (boosts the low mids)...should my EQuator go at the very beginning or in between the clean mid booster and the overdrive??

[@richardpierce7819]

I always put mine after the dirt pedals just before my hush pedal then into the amp. I also use a boost pedal before the dirt pedala.

[@TheJamSpace]

Thanks ToneShapers, this helped me decide where I’ll be putting the EQ on my board. I’ll be putting it after my Tube Screamer mini and before my JHS AT+ (distortion pedal with Andy Timmons TS-808 pre-boost). I didn’t realize the pre-boost was Tube Screamer based when I bought the AT+ but for now by placing the EQ pedal between the TS mini and the AT+ I will have more ways/options to differentiate their tone from each other. If you’re curious how it works out there will be in a future video in my ‘Rescue My Rig’ series that covers it. I subbed your channel and if you’re at all interested in doing the same for me then I thank you. Cheers and Rock on! - Richard

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[@matthewisaias9906]

@Omari Thaddeus Instablaster :)

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[@matthewisaias9906]

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[@wooryumsimonedes9851]

Somebody had to do this - thanks, you're the man! Kudos.. (pre is better)

[@zoso2850]

I like it before the boost really shapes the tone

[@dimitrioskarypidis2774]

Before + After IMO [Subtractive EQ (LPF/HPF, Frequency cuts) PRE GAIN < Compressor PRE GAIN < Additive EQ (Parametric, for best results) POST GAIN]

[@mikeroadblock]

Nice. It’s what you need to explore so you can get what you want from it. All things work in all positions, just used in different ways. Cheers!

[@kicikocani1]

when i use screamers i use it before i tried after shuts down the tone dont know why but i ehat about the loop ?😊

[@judgedonald2325]

I got the opposite. Mine acts as a huge boost after my distortion.

[@frantisca]

Funny how results are so different: compressed, enhanced, cocked wah, nasal... noticed that there is quite a bit of hiss when the EQ is placed before. I have an OD/Boost pedal with 3 stages of clipping, 3 bandwith EQ and independent boost. Very efficient ! Cheers guys 🎸

[@mikeroadblock]

What are you using kind sir?

[@frantisca]

@@mikeroadblock I use a Super Signa from CmatMods

[@jacobbockover1628]

Ive always had my eq after drives. Maybe ill put it in the middle of them or in front of all of them like a wah sorta thing

[@iamnoone4046]

Before

[@thehockeyheathens238]

How about just in the fx loop...and where at end or beginning??

[@greggallo5352]

What is that overdrive pedal that your useing?

[@Mystninja]

What if you had both on at the same time. Will it create the Higgs boson?

[@jasondorsey7110]

Disclaimer: may cause ripples in the multiverse

[@Samana009]

I like before better

[@philipbeer6846]

What overdrive pedal ?

[@TylerRoyMusic]

Very bluesy and Gary Clark Jr feel after, although, I prefer before

[@lemparpisauolahraga6350]

Tube screamer before the best

[@squirelova1815]

"After after."

[@paradox7743]

O k- I found that the EQ works best in the FX loop...

[@gojero732]

Hi, I figured this out for myself too. I thought my guitar was the problem because the sound was dull on my amp. But with the EQ before I was totally not impressed at all. After a week or so I realised that my guitar sounds beautiful on my guitar teachers amp! So I tried the FX loop. Wow, that was an eye opener! My tiny Marshall DSL5R came alive. Even the distortion channel is useable! It is worth to try ‘after pedal’ again. I see some ideas that might work. But yes, EQ in the FX loop did the job!!!

[@okepoi]

Before for rhythm, After for lead

[@digikaininja5]

the tone I'm going after is MESHUGGAH (for life) and bass tuned @ 432 hz (forever) Bass tuned to (u guessed it) Meshuggah tuning F A# D# G# C# Bass to 1) Boss TU3 Tuner, to 2) Ebs compressor, to 3) Boss Metal zone (after this video) (high gain closer to bass), to 4) Ibanez Tube Screamer (guitar) to' 5) DOD Death Metal Pedal, to 6) Darkglass B7K,to 7) US Metal 21 rectifier to 8) Ibanez Bass Tube screamer (TS9B),to 9) Boss Bass Overdrive, to 10) Boss Bass Equalizer, to 11) Zoom B3 bass processor, to 12) Noise gate and finally to 13) EBS Amp / headphones. I still have to tweak this up a bit, rearrange the order and let' 's see how that goes.

[@TheJasperfarstreet]

after all, i like it before.

[@humro5960]

It sounds better without EQ

[@Xxmeca421xX]

Well he's not fine tuning the adjustments. He's doing dramatic changes so we can really hear the difference

[@brucedick1506]

What drive petal do you have there?

[@georgeellison926]

Analogman King of Tone

[@wce74wce15]

clearly better infront

[@paisteplayer1040]

EQ in the loop....

[@kyledrumm7093]

Post. 100%

[@reereelization]

Neither.Effects loop.