Setting Up Your Amp To Use With Drive Pedals

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In this episode, Daniel and Mick attempt to throw some light on how to think about setting your amp up for different drive pedals.
Bottom line, the gain and EQ structure of your amp has a huge influence on how your drive pedals sound, feel and react.
The guys begin with a late-1970s Fender Twin with EV speakers and a Mallard 18-watt Marshall clone through Greenbacks.
They use a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff Pi into both amps, to demonstrate the extent of just how different your pedals can sound, depending on which kind of amp you use - the difference is remarkable!
They then move on to an amplifier that sits between the classic Marshall and Fender schools in terms of gain and EQ structure, the Hamstead Artist 20, to explain how you might think about setting up your amp and drive pedal to get the sound and feel you desire.
There's a little bit of discussion on delay and reverb, but this is predominantly about drive and distortion.
Daniel is playing is Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster; Mick is playing his Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster.
Switching is handled effortlessly as ever by TheGigRig G2.
As ever, there are no answers - we're just trying to help you ask better questions in pursuit of your ideal sound!
For more on TheGigRig, see www.thegigrig.com

[@davejones8680]

I'm approaching 40, and started learning to play guitar when I was around 15. In between, there were a lot of years when I didn't play that much for various reasons (none of them very good). Anyway, over the last few years I've committed to rebuilding my rig and getting back into a passion that I've cared about deep in my soul ever since I was a kid. Finding this show is one of the very best things that's happened to me as a guitar player. It is the friendliest, most accessible set of explanations I've ever been able to find about pedals and amplifiers. From a Yank living in the cold, snowy American upper Midwest (Minneapolis), thank you guys for this show. I love it.

[@Subtle-System]

That's awesome dude... I love this show and most of the time they are great, but they are beig totally misleading here on how a Big Muff will sound on different amps without dialing them differently for each amp... That is absolute rubbish, but most other episodes are great... Not this one .

[@rmcunningham3874]

Same situation. Same experience. This channel has been such an inspiration. I can't believe how much more fun it is to play with sounds when I have some idea of what I'm doing! Highly recommend the Anderton's channel as well if you haven't stumbled across it. There's a similar positive vibe over there.

[@mattgilbert7347]

Same. Played from 14-24 then put it down for 15 years. Started getting serious again around 3 years ago. Love it.

[@mattgilbert7347]

Wampler is also a good channel.

[@utooberblooper]

STOP BEING AN IDIOT AND GET A LAUGH OUT OF IT,the twin sounds like ass.............. period......

[@herrlogi]

Man this video is perfect for showing people/my wife why I need to buy more amps!

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

It is a beautiful thing to reach point on the arc of life where appreciating the deep seated irony of a big muff into a fender twin is bound to cause spontaneous outbursts of merriment.

[@anthonyknight5114]

Ok guys, I love your videos. They are very insightful, but I just have one problem with this segment. This video was supposed to be about setting up your amp to work with drive pedals. To me, it seemed like the bottom line here was throw out your Fender and Marshall amps if you're going to use certain drive pedals, and get a Hamstead because it will seemingly handle everything better than the latter two. You demoed the Fender with the fuzz pedal and said it had a "bad sound". You also demoed the Marshall clone with the SD1 it also had a "bad sound", but my problem here is that you never gave any suggestion or insight on how to remedy these "bad sounds" if you happen to own these amps. I have a Marshall JCM 800 clone, but what I don't have is time or money to endlessly try and buy pedals to find ones that work best. I, like most I assume, have to make the best out of what we have so to that effect, it would have been nice for you to share some tips on overcoming the sort of flaws in these two amps in regards to using drive pedals.

[@Slothclawcolseslaw]

The moral of the story is pick the right pedals for your amps circuit. You don’t have to buy to try them out. Bring your rig to your local guitar store and throw some different things in front of it. Or just google which pedals work best with a jcm800 (cough tubescreamer cough).

[@davidbrookes9424]

@@wildbob I noticed the tone knob on the muff was all the way to the right which is very bright. If they had of turned the tone knob down a little it may have introduced some more mid range on the Fender.

[@josearalat]

Totally agree with you. What a waste of my time this video was.

[@dakn0x]

Professional, intelligent, insightful....putting other You Tubers to shame!

[@maxsalasr]

Guys, your vídeos are a masterclass. Loved them. Just so much info all together, so valuable. I just don't have words to describe how much I have learned lately with you guys. THANKS SO MUCH

[@TheGigRigDaniel]

max salas absolutely our pleasure Max, feedback like this makes it all worthwhile ;)

[@a21drs]

max salas I've watched almost every video from this guys, up until this day and indeed they are a masterclass. I got a lot better with my sound, based on their videos

[@jarrydee2799]

I love the videos also, sometimes way to much talking, but still good

[@michaelsnydermusic]

I learned more in this video than any other. It’s funny how everyone misses the obvious (in hindsight) key: the amp. Just like how so many people get caught up on tone wood, tubes and so on when it’s the speakers and how you mic them that has the largest impact on tone. Thanks guys!

[@regularnimnule9715]

"We're giving the back end more love" LOL!!!!

[@shaunm1983]

giving the back end more love........while Daniel plays with the big muff

[@GJSolo]

I see what you did there

[@ptrisonic]

Still going back through your old vids... This is one of the most informative you have yet produced and it should be compulsory watching/listening to anyone interested in so-called transparent overdrives or alternatively mid -heavy drives and how they relate to individual amp sounds and styles of playing. Great! Pete.

[@GingerLeftyGuitar]

Just stumbled upon this channel at the weekend. I love it. This is probably the most informative guitar related channel out there. Brilliant work.

[@rigorhead01]

This is a really great video explaining and showing why pedals sound so different in different amps, and how important it is to choose a pedal for a specific amp. It totally makes sense why Tubescreamer-type pedals sound so good in blackface Fender amps: Fender blackface amps are so mid-scooped and a TS pedal makes up for it. Great job guys! I always love your videos, but I believe that this one is one of your best!

[@Jaspertine]

That muff into the twin sound really takes me back to the days of watching noisy as fuck punk bands at all ages shows when I was a teenager. I have a startling amount of nostalgia for that awful, awful tone.

[@777Yoni]

Big Muff + Twin Reverb + Miku pedal = apocalypse?

[@Adipsia1]

In 1977 I remember being a budding 16 year-old rock-hero... and believing that I needed more watts in the same way that Blue Oyster Cult needed more cowbell on 'Don't Fear the Reaper'... in fact our band was called Reaper. ;) Sadly our band lasted just one gig because I went out and bought a Laney 100w head and 4x12 on the day, plugged my Carlsbro Suzz-pedal into it during the evening... and sounded like a very angry wasp in a jam-jar. I've been suffering from PTSD ever since... :)

[@bazjones7349]

Peter Marshall been there seen it done it,I had a sound city 120 ,2 4x12 ,flat out !!!!!!!,then bought a Hiwatt dr105 ???? used to drive to a gig in an old breadvan !!!!!,drove home in a rolls royce !!!!!!! right ear has no top end now !!!!!!!

[@frankie28web]

Hi Daniel, just wanted to say that this is one of the very best guitar channels! So much knowledge and good information! Thanks for the good work. Rock on...

[@rahachi]

Daniel, I love and appreciate your passion in helping and aiding guitarists in the creation of expanding our colors and palettes with the use of pedals. thanks for your dedication and enthusiasm, also you're a great player ! Kudos to you!

[@sliberty]

When I was a kid, I bought a Sam Ash Fuzztone. I brought it home, and it didn't make a fuzz sound. I brought it back to the store, and it sounded properly fuzzy. Took it home again, no fuzz. Based upon the demos in this video, I bet it was due to the differences in the amps I tried the pedal with. I certainly didn't understand that back then. Thanks for a great, instructional video. Always learn something from you guys.

[@adamannear]

It's 3 years on, and this video has helped immensely. Drummer of 19 years, focusing more on electric guitar now to increase theory, start writing and just cos I love it. I'm seeing there is so much too learn from guitar > from theory, technique, gain structure and electronics, eq etc etc.. love your work guys. Thanks so much.

[@marcelferencz6688]

great video, great show one of the best out there, lots of quality infos

[@TheGigRigDaniel]

Thanks Marcel :)

[@fangrocker]

I listened to this video twice tonight. Kudos to both of you. This had more information about OD pedals and amps than hundreds of other videos. Cheers!

[@schwag512]

First off, I'd like to thank Mick and Daniel for taking the time to explore the different tones available. I would like to express how incredibly hard it is to choose, the right tone a person would be looking for. I personally find it very difficult to think what setup would be right for me. With a limited budget and limited time to play, I want to get the most our of what I experience. I consider myself a very logical person, but with an infinite amount a variables it's easy to get lost. Keep up the good work. -Drew

[@petert7449]

Great show Guys. I accidentally stumbled on to your site. This is a great tutorial. Its people like you guys that keeps me interested in music. I really appreciate the time you guys put in to this stuff. Thank you.

[@GK-mm3nz]

Congrats guys. You've had a video on KZbin for a week, with over 11 thousand views and not one thumbs down! That says a lot. Seriously, keep up the great work.

[@cyberdel]

Dan's voice sounds different here.. I was like "who's voice is that!?"

[@gregclarkreasons]

Love that Marshall! That natural drive is glorious.

[@lcjg2013]

I LOL'ed so loud when the big muff went into the twin. xD Good vid, guys.

[@jtownguitar5]

Are you still laughing

[@mikeypaul4428]

You guys have the absolute best vids on KZbin! Hands down the most informative and clear descriptions. Thank you keep them coming! 👌👌👌

[@johngilley3518]

Really helped with the new pedal additions to my board. I also used something that I saw you do in another video, by using the volume on the pedal to push the amp into overdrive. Great job guys.

[@mikeroadblock]

I know I really appreciate all of your help and going through all of the little details guys. Thank you!!!

[@TravisKeenan]

I look forward to watching your videos every week, thank you for them! I'd love to see a video of the process you may use when 'setting up' an amp that you have never played before. How do you learn what EQ settings sound good to you, or the settings of master volume vs. the gain. Please keep the videos coming! :)

[@tfigmoney520]

Huge video, guys. Have spent the last few weeks going back and forth on the knobs bc I'll land on a tone that i think i like and then dislike it 4 days later. Hoping the amp tips you provided in this video clean up my tone direction for drives as I prepare to dive into reverb and delay on top of it. Thanks!!

[@TSRThom]

Great explanations. One of the best Descriptions I've ever heard. I'm playing since 35 years. A few of them as a professional guitarist. You nailed it perfectly . Thanks a lot. Greetings from Germany Thom

[@wendelllaffin240]

Thanks for the great videos. These are great demos. I am learning a lot about pedals... how to use them, where to place them, and how they sound dynamically different on different amplifiers. Keep them coming, i definitely look forward to more.

[@stvywndr]

Excellent information you guys provide! I've been playing a long time and still find your tutorials to contain tidbits I was not aware of and can utilize, thank you!!!

[@J0sA1Ac]

I subbed initially a few months back when you guys did the first "The Pedal Show" thinking it was just another channel to promote your gigrig products. But on the contrary, these are really some great informative videos. I love the honesty. That big muff into the twin sounded hilarious. Keep the honest videos coming. We enjoy them!

[@joehenry9787]

Lads that was a brilliant explanation about amps as well as overdrives. I pushed the mids beyond where I normally would and got the best sound I've ever had out of my amp. All these years!!

[@latigo66]

Absolutely fantastic, extremely insightful. A cut above the rest. Thank you.

[@mickbrenton]

As a budding guitarist with 45 years of gigging I have to say this video is the best on the subject that I have ever seen! Simply brilliant!!!

[@Giggity230]

this is the best show ever...i love you guys learning so much LOVE LOVE LOVE IT please give us more !!!!!!!!!

[@ruiseartalcorn]

I've watched this a few times but today (for some unknown reason) I decided to watch it again and actually got something new from it. Maybe before I was listening from a different perspective - I don't know but today some stuff just clicked! Thanks guys! :)

[@DerekLewisSuperStar]

Great video as always - with great points made and so much information - thanks! I would love to see where the Gain knobs on the pedals were set - as that also makes a huge difference. Thanks Dan and Mick

[@MCEnchilada]

This is by far the most helpful video that I have ever watched for guitar and tone. Thanks guys great job!

[@maham593]

Brilliant information as always, cheers!

[@Duds.811]

Guys, you rock!!! Congratulations!! Every video I watch, I learn a lot from you!! Best channel for guitar players on youtube, for sure!

[@phlopalopagus]

A lot of early Rivera amps like my r55 12 has the Marchell /Boogie on channel 1 and fender cleans on channel 2. I just switch which channel for what peddle. This video was very helpful as I couldn't figure out why my fuzz was so tinny as I had just assumed using the fender super clean was just the way to go for all the peddles. I switched it over and it was bad ass so thanks guys.

[@TheGigRigDaniel]

+Phlop Alopagus fantastic! Our job here is done ;)

[@jonlaughman4561]

Great show gents, so many questions answered that i have been struggling with. keep up the great work.

[@patrickteto]

Thanks guy's.Great posting.I played with my favorite amp and gained a bit of knowledge. Then with an amp I picked up on the cheep but set it up like my Marshall and wasn't impressed.Then switched out a peddle or two and now found a noise I really like. I had 3 or 4 pedals that were collecting dust and they have now found a home on what I was considering passing on...

[@TheGigRigDaniel]

+Patrick Teto excellent work Patrick :)

[@BobBob-rt1vl]

really enjoy your videos.. nice job all around. good points for beginners as well as advanced players.. which is hard to do in one video. entertaining as well. keep it up.

[@durkar3791]

Watching Daniel every time he puts the big muff into the twin is the funniest thing I've seen in ages lol. Really informative though guys well done.

[@gregclarkreasons]

Probably one of the most enlightening gear videos I've seen.. thank you guys.

[@guitaraholic83]

This video was extremely helpful for me. Thanks for clearing up something that was so confusing for me. You guys are awesome!

[@johnthelad]

Wow, how interesting this was. Learned a massive amount about a misunderstood topic regarding pedal sounds. will look more outside the box in future.

[@nlmal4]

I have learn again from this two guys. Thanks! Glad with you two guys! 🙂

[@caleshtcincredibles]

again spot on class on mixing pedals , Amps and tones .....thanks guys !

[@MrMalq]

A bloody fantastic episode guys!

[@timthomas9785]

Great show. I just went from a Traynor with 6L6 to one with el84 and you showed me how the correct pedal makes all the difference

[@LuisRadaAlean]

Great amp/pedal lesson!!! You opened my eyes! Thanks so much for shearing all that wisdom! Greetings from Colombia!

[@bojeb]

The best informative and entertaining videos. Great work...keep 'em coming!

[@yga]

Just found you guys as well! You seriously know your gear... very impressed indeed! Subscribed :)

[@Benhind]

Great video(s)!! I'd love to see a video about cabs and how different an amp sound depending on the cab you use. Keep the great work guys!

[@HolsingerE]

Really helpful video (as usual). It can be difficult to find demos with your own specific combination of guitar/amp so having some guidelines to consider is helpful in getting the desired results.

[@tombowman9463]

I've played a silver face 1969 Twin Reverb since the early 1990s. It's a wonderful but very challenging amp, especially for overdriven and distorted sounds. The amp reveals everything, but lots of pedals sound harsh and thin as Mick and Dan demonstrate so well. I've had great results with a number of pedals, though. For example: Fulltone "The 69 Pedal" (from the mid-90s) is a rich fuzz that really works. Zendrive and Zendrive 2 work great (and an Archer Icon into the Zendrive 2 is visceral experience!) because both pedals offer some compression and mid boost. Wampler Black 65 (with mid boosted and treble and bass down) sounds like an extension of the amp itself-very open and uncompressed. Wampler Euphoria works too with mid boosted but treble and bass down. Exotic RC Booster (fabulous) and BB Booster work. All of these pedals seem to preserve the openness and headroom that make the Twin what it is. Tube Screamers sound OK too (and maybe less revealing of every tiny detail and flaw in my playing), but at the cost of a lot of low frequencies. I'm still looking for a TS808-style solution. BTW, I tend to play Strats and Teles.

[@slavmeister73]

Daniel, what you said is spot-on correct. The question SHOULD be: "What effects are going to work better with my amplifier?". I know this through my own personal experience. For about 2-years, I played through a Fender Blues De-Ville 410 Reissue. Good amp, not the best. The 4 x 10 amps can sound toppy so I replaced the original Eminence speakers with Jensen's to make the amp project a warmer and rounder tone. I chose the 'Clean channel as my sonic 'canvas' and then set about finding good overdrive/distortion pedals. I must've tried out a dozen or so and the ones that worked well did so because of the way they interacted with the De-Ville's tone. I always paid attention to how the pedals sounded when I tried them out at the shops through other amps, but I had to know my amp well enough to hear how they would sound going through it. The importance of tone and EQ controls on the pedals was crucial. I had to be able to tailor the tones to work well with my amp. What I have discovered in the end was that the tonality and and flexibility of the pedals were the most important so that if one day I was to switch to another amp, the pedals would still sound great. I found a new amp (a very, very good one) and when I ran my old trusty pedals through it, the tone was amazing! I hope this can shed some more light on the subject.

[@olddogmusic1]

You guys are brilliant. Love the explanations. This makes so much sense.

[@TheGuitarShawn]

This is incredible stuff! You have a subscriber for life; thanks for taking a deep dive into why I love Fenders but hate them with (most) drives.

[@shaunoleary8740]

I just love your show guys. Keep them coming!

[@danp9554]

love the flow of this video. very informative. thank you from canada

[@alexguimaraes5445]

Hi guys, I've just discovered your channel, amazing amount and quality of information. I know I'm late to the party so to speak but keep up the great work!

[@DetroitWrecker666]

This is one of the most interesting and useful experiments I have ever seen on KZbin.

[@shamzamri3442]

Just infront of you for years without realising it..Thanks guys u re d best.

[@christianfrosio]

Thank you guys....I am learning a lot of things from you...and the most important thing, that I do it with happiness and emotion...thank you

[@dylanduke1075]

These videos are ridiculously helpful. Seriously cheers.

[@timfender0740]

Loved the sound of the strat the SD1 and that Marshall!

[@FRZNGLSRBM]

Thank you so much! Funnily I had the same problem as Mick but with my Peavey JSX. Thanks to this video I finally can put my Deluxe Big Muff to use. I tweaked my crunch channel (which I never use anyways) so it sounds almost like the Mallard in your video and now I have a decent usable Muff sound! Thank you so much!

[@TheGigRigDaniel]

+FRZNGLSRBM you're very welcome

[@mikeyclapis9819]

Damn, this video is so eye-opening! I've been playing for years with constantly shifting pedals and amps. I always consider how my pickups interact with pedals (particularly because I love octavers and had to know that those track better with humbuckers in the neck), but pedal & amp combination seem just as, if not more important.

[@goldtop362]

The most informative you tube video I have EVER seen! Thank you so much! Just put a Little Big Muff onto my board....

[@klewis2048]

Probably the best pedal video I've seen anywhere. Thanks guys.

[@avinaashmunohur1175]

Great demo guys!! I have also gone with a "clean platform with pedals" formula recently, it just gives you so much versatility. I currently use a Brunetti Singleman 35W combo (with a WGS ET-65 speaker), a great Blackface-type amp which also takes pedals like a champ. Watching your video has taught me how to really get that amp to work with the different pedals I have on my board... I have never really been a big pedal guy, but this setup has made me change my mind about using pedals, they can be sooooo much fun to play!!

[@Neverlast2010]

Love these vids, they're just really informative AND watchable. Oh and one day a G2 will be mine, oh yes!!

[@MsLuke08]

This video was eyes opening for me. Thank's a lot. Keep up the good work.

[@TheGigRigDaniel]

Cheers Alexander :)

[@YRUACNT]

Thanks for making me think about these questions.

[@FocusBeDrifting]

Thanks for making this vid, I have a fender twin reverb probs exact model you guys have and been trying to determine where I want to go with the tone in pedals etc, so thanks.

[@timwhite5562]

Love these guys videos.

[@_-Skeptic-_]

one of your best videos, a lot of useful great information. The least that I can say is thank you.

[@TheseusTitan]

I laughed my hind end off when you played the Big Muff through the Fender. On my computer speakers it sounded like you were playing it through a 7 transistor radio speaker. I have an original black face Super Reverb. I bought it back around 1969 or 1970 and it doesn’t sound anything like your Fender amp. I like the tone of mine a million times better. It isn’t as clean as yours either. I seldom use pedals… but when I do I use my Timmy and a few others. They all sound great through my Super Reverb. Thank God they don’t like pedals through your Fender - lol

[@johnmaseratis]

Thanks gentlemen - I found this really helpful (AND entertaining).

[@naminnooman]

Totally totally totally educational and invaluable! Love you guys!

[@bmorr6734]

Fantastic information, you gentlemen saved me years of pissing around. You guys are the best. Thank you

[@zacharyyoung2961]

Great video guys. Really puts things into perspective.

[@dougdixonhull]

Great video. after years of using cheap modelling amps (Line6 spider and Marshall MG) recently I bought a Blackstar tube amp. I was so surprised how different my pedals sounded. I also have a Vox AD30VT, so as an experiment I used a switch pedal to A/B test with my drive pedals. I was astonished how they (Mooer Green Mile,TC'S Dark Matter and TC'S Mojo Mojo ) sound completely different.

[@johno1405]

Great video. I could listen to this type of stuff all day

[@BlackheathBand]

Well done guy's very informative please keep up the great work .

[@MrAtoz-jq5ry]

You guys nailed it! I have been trying to explain the interaction of pedals to amps to my friends for years. Now I need you to do the same thing with speakers, cabinets, string gauge and (heaven forbid!) "tone" wood.

[@justinjuk]

Binge watching That Pedal Show and tweaking my board and amp. My tone is sounding all grown up. Thanks!

[@ShawnTBell]

@5:14 you nailed it! I called my '73 master volume silver face 'The Guitar P.A." Ha ha, so clear, and loud, but a bizarre pedal platform. It almost sounded like plugging into a Mackie board. It weighed about 70lbs.

[@Joe_Maysky]

Hi Guys, Just discovered the show and as an acoustic singer songwriter for years I am learning a ton of information that I'm taking audio notes of in my brain. I know it's a pedal show, but damn Dan I love your tele both in look & sound. Cheers, Joe

[@liam421]

An interesting and thought provoking episode, thanks guys.

[@LandonBalk]

Big muff sounds fantastic coming out of my Blues Deluxe, I didn't know it sounded so harsh through different amplifiers, thanks for these videos.

[@simonbland269]

+Landon Balk That is what the tone control is for.Some people dont know how to use them. I agree with you and i use an ac30 and 68 deluxe reverb...cheers from downunder

[@billd3692]

This was a real eye opener for me especially because I don't have easy access to multiple amps to do my own sound trade-offs.