THIS Is Where Your Gain Should Come From!

What's the difference between amp gain and pedal gain? What is better? Let's let the tone speak for itself!
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[@RevvAmps]

If you all liked this video, drop a comment here about what Shawn should cover in an upcoming video. Also, hit the subscribe button for more content like this every week.

[@joelsmith4816]

Amp gain for the win always for me.

[@richierick96]

As I agree with this statement, I can pull off miracles with my G2 & G4 pedals tho 💪

[@DevonThornton]

Personally, I think the best answer is both! My absolute favorite way to play through my amps is on the high gain channel, with the gain set relatively low for how it sounds (usually not even halway up), and an overdrive hitting the front with the level boosted and the gain even lower than what the amp is set to. I let my amp do most of the work, then use my overdrives on my board like different sauces/seasonings to flavor the amp differently. It gives me that satisfying tube response with just a skosh of the tighter sound from the pedals. Then, once you account for the option of different volume settings on your guitar, different combinations of overdrives on your board, and the different chanels on the amp, it gives you access to a pretty wide pallette of tonal options

[@ShawnTubbs]

Agreed!!! We all tend to forget about the volume control on the guitar.

[@chrismijares488]

I currently got a similar setup going - I’m running an Ibanez Tube King, with the gain at about half, plus or minus depending on my mood. I got a Mr Black Deuce Coupe overdrive / boost in front of it that really fattens things up. It’s almost an “always on” pedal, I’m really digging it. I usually keep the levels fairly low on it - just enough for a little breakup on it’s own. Having those plugged into my the low gain channel on my Sovtek MIG 60 makes for a pretty good range of sounds in conjunction with my guitar’s volume knob. The little extra something something is my Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe - Adds a nice hint of old school color. But honestly, I can’t wait to get my Fryette Hundred CL fixed and back in action - IMO nothing beats a proper high gain amp.

[@SteveHubbardGuitar]

From my experience, drive pedals almost inevitably lead to a never-ending chase. I've spent thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to find the 'perfect' drive pedal, and it simply doesn't exist. The only context where I truly enjoy them is when they're going into an amp that's already breaking up... Even then, they sound and feel inferior to a cranked, dirty tube amp. If I look back to my rig from 15+ years ago, I had it figured out... A quality guitar, a cable, and an amp. Add an effects pedal or two for flavour, and a volume boost (if needed.) Tonal minimalism has its advantages.. There's something psychological that happens when you're forced to focus on the sounds you can create with your hands, as opposed to your feet.

[@RevvAmps]

I find that having more flavours of drive can be really inspiring. That being said, it has to start with a quality guitar, and amp. Tone chasing is also strange as I always find that I am trying to get the same type of sound out of everything, and when I find a good pedal or amp that gets me there, then I'm interested in buying it. In the end though, I am always chasing that sound in my head....

[@anatoly_trifonov]

Same for me! I take a four- or five-pedal pedalboard on tour, but if I come across an amplifier with a second channel, I always use it.

[@nathanjosephmoore]

Plugging directly into a high gain amp will always be the most rock & roll thing you can do! That being said, I don’t go for heavier sounds very often. An amp at edge of breakup with a drive and a boost as options is home base for me!

[@ShawnTubbs]

I seem to recall seeing a reel on Instagram... It was EVH and he was talking about how great it is to plug straight into an amp.

[@shaft9000]

The main difference(s) internally are the impedance and voltage levels - the amp is all running from the same hi-voltage power rail and not dropping or up-converting signals to instrument or line level at various stages. The other main part of your sound (besides you+axe) is always VOLUME. The greatest sounds require lots of air to move - the amp+speaker always matters, and a lot. A good SS amp actually has superior transient, headroom and low distortion vs the archaic tube amplifier. But we love how tubes "fail" to amplify 1:1. We need clean linear power to best reproduce a full mix or an accurate acoustic recording - but at the instrument level, we have other priorities.

[@MiguelSantos-qm9oz]

I love having my amp do all the work, while getting the different subtleties from my guitar. The ability to achieve this greatly depends on the amp and guitar being used, of course.

[@arustydodge2111]

I hear channel gain a lot “heavier” and “throatier”. I dig using pedals, they’re easy, fun and a fast way to instantly grab gain and different tonal effects, but for pure raw gain, my choice is the gain on a well heated up tube amp. …but geez SHAWN, your tone through anything!!!! Blows me away! You just have “IT” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💙

[@ShawnTubbs]

You're very kind, thanks so much.

[@aferreyrola]

Man, besides amp gain and pedal gain i hear the big difference in the power section. I love 100w couse where the freq sits, they are more spread and less compresed, they feel bigger. Great video as allways

[@GCKelloch]

I think the G120 is 120W with 6L6GC's. You may be hearing more compression from the D40, but it's because the plate V is lower. The reason an amp with more tube pairs sounds bigger is that the S-curve is more gradual, but there may be other factors in the relative designs affecting the sound.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yeah, I get it. The quad set of EL34s in the 120 can bring some big spread-out tones.

[@GCKelloch]

@@ShawnTubbs Oh, EL34's both compress more and have a smoother S-Curve than 6L6GC's.

[@frankenstein4106]

I love having the subtleties of multiple drives on my pedal boards!

[@RevvAmps]

We love stacking drives!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yeah, me too. Thanks for chiming in!

[@shawncolemusic]

Amp gain always rules. Your amps sound great!

[@JBG949]

Great content, We the people just wish someone would run a great pedal on a pristine clean Amp to really use the pedal as it drive you would be surprised at the results...imho

[@toilpainter]

I set my amp gain at around 3 on the dirty channel and cruise between both channels to achieve what I'm looking for. My amp is also a pedal platform type amp.

[@patrickkem689]

Sweet rig brother! Everything sounded well pronounced .

[@bobgian1]

Palm mutes were tighter with the tubes.

[@matthiasjanbrungers4978]

I combine pedal and amp gain using a SuperSonic 60 „burn“ channel with a rc booster V2.. that sound is glorious! No pedal alone can achieve that

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for chiming in!

[@LRHutch]

Tube amp gain is more natural harmonically balanced. If you use a Solid State amp then it doesn't really matter choosing amp gain or pedal gain they still sound like solid state. Good video and have a good one.

[@AlejandroForthe]

Pedals here in Chile are super useful, we dont have too much room for expensive amps on gigs, so a revv g3/g4 in my case works wonders on anything that the venue gives me: crappy stack and no return? dont mind: pepper dirty tree + revv g3/g4 can sound massive and killer anyway and anywhere! powerful tools and affordable price for the value!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Awesome! Glad those pedals are working out for you!

[@matthewpuziss5347]

I loved every tone you got in that video!

[@adlegol]

I don't think people have truly caught on to how great the Tilt options are, boost and Drive. Even listening on a phone you can hear it pop out against everything else.

[@martyshwaartz971]

Tilt is available on all amp models in fractal products it's crazy powerful for tone shaping. I wish it was more available!

[@RevvAmps]

Shawn did an amazing job in voicing that pedal with Dan. It is the most versatile pedal in the shop!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks very much! Dan and I spent a lot of time on that one.

[@thorhansen5462]

Tilt eq is awesome. I was on the hunt for a boost, and bought the Tilt Boost for its varsatility. The tilt eq and the three different low end modes did it for me. Awesome pedal.

[@TheBhannah]

You are at top level tone !

[@LuisRios3015]

Dude yeah haha

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks very much!

[@sampizzi4545]

Hi Shawn. Thanks for the great video. In my humble opinion, I would say that most gigging/jobbing musicians tend to go for the pedal platform because pedals used in conjunction with combo amps not only sound great, but it is easier to carry the gear. However, for high gain tones al la "Lukather" , one cannot beat the sound of a gained up head or preamp to power amp (i.e. like my CAE 3+ se ). However, too heavy to carry to a gig.

[@ShawnTubbs]

That CAE3+ is a cool amp indeed, but yeah for day-to-day gigging out, you can't beat pedals.

[@gregallard2317]

What's missing are the amps main power tubes being pushed. Use an attenuator and crank those amps up to make them sing. Magic will happen. Use the guitars pick ups, volume and tone knobs to dial in everything.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yep, I employ an Ironman II attenuator when I want a cranked power amp tone.

[@gregallard2317]

@@ShawnTubbs That would make a great video, Shawn. And not only for pushed gain tones but also for huge clean tones as well. Btw, great playing!

[@ShawnTubbs]

@@gregallard2317 You're very kind. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@RevvAmps]

I feel like that depends on the amp, I prefer the D20 with pedals over the power section pushed, but Shawn can definitely correct me on that

[@gregallard2317]

@@RevvAmpsI should clarify that I am referring to pushing the amplifier tubes to make them "sing", with harmonics, not distort. Output levels between 4-6 is typically the sweet spot. Hit the front end with a pedal when needed to move into break up. I'm liking what I hear from Revv amps but unfortunately there is usually a lot of over-processing going on with pedals and such before the amp. Need more Revv... less stomp box syndrome...😀

[@jeddak]

Since you asked.... :) Assuming a decent tube amp, channel gain usually feels more responsive, open, clear, with more dynamics to me. If I want more gain from a tube amp that only has two or three preamp gain stages, then I prefer to maximize the channel overdrive by hitting it with a very hot but clean signal using a transparent boost pedal or maybe a Klon-like pedal. I'm never as satisfied when I use an overdrive pedal that's generating overdrive in front of an amp. While this can work quite well for highly-saturated, mid-heavy lead tones, it never feels quite as good to me as when only the channel is generating the saturation.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on. Thanks for watching and for chiming in on this!

[@BB-ft6nd]

Excellent Video!!! My pedal board is made for the D20. I use the Tilt Overdrive for everything, but I boost with the Tumnus and Tommy Iommi Laney Black County Ti-Boost. Dialing in 70s, 80s, and 90s perfection.

[@RevvAmps]

That's awesome! Do you use the gain boost normally or is the amp fairly clean?

[@ShawnTubbs]

Cool rig!!! Thanks for watching!

[@BB-ft6nd]

@@RevvAmps I keep the amp clean and let the treble booster drive the amp...

[@audioglenngineer]

I’ve noticed, since doing the sweet spot thing on amps, with the guitar at about 3/4 volume for push and pull, a boost to hit the amp for punch and harmonic richness, the other pedals matter a whole lot less. The character of the amp is the dominant thing in the sound and that’s a good thing! Tones I chased for 20+ years are suddenly on tap. And, the expressiveness is more pronounced.

[@davepatterson4774]

I've seen some like minded responses to this. It all depends on the application. For more subtle sounds and for different colors, I tend to use the clean channel with my pedals. Going anywhere between light breakup to fairly heavy gain. Stacking different combinations of them gives me a lot of tonal variety. Also, my tremolo pedal doesn't work as well in front of the amp when using the gain channel. And yes, I rarely use the effects loop. Too much of a pain. I mainly use the gain channel for the more heavier tunes. I set it around an AC/DC level of gain and then use an overdrive or a distortion get really higher gain sounds. So far, this has been working like a charm.

[@rickschneider3887]

I personally use OD pedals mainly to enhance the tone shaping of my amp to help cut through the mix better. If I’m playing through a very clean amp they allow me to add gain to the amp that it’s lacking by turning up the pedals gain. When using an amp with overdrive I use them to push the natural overdrive of the amp further by cranking the volume way up on the pedal and back off on the pedal gain. There many different things you can do with them making them very versatile.

[@NelderGuitar]

Channel gain primarily with a boost in front for me.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Cool! Thanks for chiming in!

[@zengroove16]

I use both. I Love the gain me Ampeg gives me, however I also enjoy the gated gain that EHX gives me. When mixed together, is a thing of beauty and allows me to shred everything on Earth. I enjoy having many different gain options to mix it up and keep me lines fresh, hitting hard. Advanced Metal Distortion into Advanced Overdrive into Advanced DI into Ampeg full stacc, = awesomeness imo. Have a good one.

[@CNCTEMATIC]

To my ear, the difference with amp gain is when you let a chord ring out on a driving amp, the "vowel sound" of the tone changes as it decays...it might go from an "Ahh" to an "Ooo", kinda like its flanging slightly. Whereas a pedal sound doesn't change like that, its the same vowel through the decay.

[@ShawnTubbs]

That's a very cool perspective.

[@CNCTEMATIC]

@@ShawnTubbsThanks!

[@chrishepburn1503]

When you first turned on the lightspeed, it just sounded so good!. Great pedal for a slightly pushed amp. It still impresses me after all these years.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks. That Lightspeed is cool!

[@cannadaincowboy]

On my 80’s HIWATT I haven’t found a pedal that is better than the gain stage on that amp. On my Louis Electric Deltone Reverb. Im using up to 3 OD pedals and a boost to get different stages and It comes down to the amp and what melodies your trying to catch. Great video and love your tones. Great gear and the Shur is on my wishlist. 😂

[@ShawnTubbs]

Those HIWATT amps are killer for sure. I bet your rig sounds great!

[@cannadaincowboy]

@@ShawnTubbs Your Revv ’s sound great also. I just put a couple of GE ECC83’s in V1 and V2 today and with my Jr. with P90 straight into the amp. Man it sounds so good. It has a big sweet spot. Just plug and play for days. Hahaha.

[@ShawnTubbs]

@@cannadaincowboy Awesome! It's amazing what the right preamp tubes can do.

[@georgecain123]

Amp distortion way better! My preference is compression/sustainer pedal into an amp. Can’t beat that…

[@KelsterVonShredster]

i've been preaching this for years... amp gain is best! The problem is for those of us that like so many shades of gain, it can get really expensive having different amps to give you all those flavours, that's where pedals can really help fill in the gaps and provide more flexibility. Great video Shawn!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks very much for watching! I agree with you, amp gain is awesome but pedals can cover a lot of ground!

[@truthserum9157]

You call it channel gain, i call it tube gain and it’s the best don’t forget you can control that instantly with the guitar volume knobs and it is a different kind of clean chime sound, I use a Marshall hand wired plexi 50 watt that’s had the Jose mod done to it, to my ears it can’t be beat.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Those Jose-modded Marshalls are indeed fabulous amps.

[@thep2pband]

I prefer channel gain. But…I like to gain up the channel and goose it with a drive pedal when needed. It’s nice to have a two channel amp so I can return to a clean sound. And…then goose the clean into some dirt when needed. Kinda of like a 4 channel amp? The rest of the in between stuff I use my guitar volume. Now…to practice and be as fluent as you! Keep up the good work and carrot juice.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Haha, thanks so much!

[@ianmartens5286]

Both are great

[@gsbguitarsgsb679]

For me it’s hard to beat channel gain with a pedal boost. I have many options as well but I do try to keep it as simple as possible. Saying that it’s never a simple set up with pedal boards and all the tones we need under our feet. You have amazing tone and makes me adjust mine everytime or buy something new. lol… thanks 🎸🤓

[@mikemccourt6225]

Everything sounded great, but there were definitely more overtones with the 120 - I played the vid with studio monitors, so I could hear the difference pretty well. I've switched out a lot of gear to have modelers, but I still have a couple of heads so I can crank them through a Captor X. Even with good modeled tones (HX), when I switch back to tubes, I can feel it right away.

[@Wanderer_XJ]

I did this same experiment last week with my G20! Comparing channel 2 gain, vs channel 1 with Tilt OD. They are similar, more of a feel thing for me. And different guitars have different results. I preferred pedal gain with a PRS, and amp gain with a Revstar P90 guitar. No right or wrong, just different. 👍🏼

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yep, no rules!! Do what works!

[@KoRyuJuJutsu]

Love me some Amp gain and both of those amps sounded fantastic! …I’m gonna look at some Revv amps now.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for watching!

[@RevvAmps]

hit us up if you have any questions!

[@robertaugustine5350]

Exactly the reason i moved to lower wattage amps with killer internal gain. I have a 50W JCM800 combo and a 100W JCM2000 head but take either my Mesa Mark V:35, Hughes/Kettner GM40 or Friedman JEL20 with me to gigs. Much more versatile at lower stage volumes and don’t need a ton of pedals other than for “color” as you mentioned.

[@saddle8bag]

Amp gain sounds better. I like clean Fender sound and I'm cheap, so if I want to headbang a bit, it's a pedal. They suck from a touch dynamics perspective, but are fine for the chuga chuga.

[@andiploi]

have similar setup, love the opportunity in having both, taking the one that fits better in different live situations

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yep, versatility is key. Thanks for chiming in!

[@bobbyarthurmagic]

Silk tone gave That Dimartini 80s Ratt vibe right away ,,, That over drive Of yours sounds really Nice ! Gotta try one

[@ShawnTubbs]

It's cool sounding overdrive.

[@DaBoondox]

I find channel gain cleans up a little better with guitar volume. Pedals get a little grainy for my taste. My Friedman IRX kinda gives me the best of both worlds. Pedal drive on the Plexi channel and that big channel gain on the BE side.

[@RevvAmps]

That's normally my thought on the difference between pedals vs amp gain....pedals normally feel a bit grainier

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yeah, I get it. Thaks so much for chiming in!

[@tungsoltube]

Totally agreed. I have more money tied up in my tube amps, than my guitars or pedals. They naturally provide the even order harmonics that every company keeps trying to duplicate with pedals and rack gear, and they are really inspiring to play. No substitute if you can afford it.

[@andyhayes7828]

A 2203/2204 Marshall with the pre amp on anywhere from 6 to 10 with either a Tube Screamer or Boss SD-1 in front is a very classic and hard to beat sound 🤘

[@RevvAmps]

yeah, love the 2204 :)

[@stanesposito2664]

I use multiple gain pedals for different flavors of gain, as you do, but I must that 100 watt channel gain sounds awesome!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yeah, it's a big and expressive tone for sure.

[@ultimateinspirationguitar]

every tone sounded MASSIVE! Even your clean "starting" tone... if only I could take out a mortgage and buy some some epic boutique amps (and a Suhr hehe)! Someday... Stellar playing too, very tasty. Cheers from Canada

[@RevvAmps]

Where in Canada?

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks so much!

[@ultimateinspirationguitar]

@@RevvAmpshometown is beautiful Calgary... but I'm on a mountain in BC right now hehe

[@RevvAmps]

@@ultimateinspirationguitar pff....well....uh...I mean...we have...umm....uh....cold....and uh.....flat fields.....AANNNDDD...we're the murder capital of Canada. Take that Calgary ;)

[@christiantaylor4027]

I think it is a both and not either or. None of the sounds were wrong or bad. Great to have options were be able to fit sound to style quickly nd harness inspiration while it's there. Just saying. Nice vid Sean.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@leszekszczypiorowski3161]

I use a looper and it seems to me that it is good to have 2 or 3 different overdrive options. The final sound of two mixed tracks is easier to follow to listeners... I guess😎 So for me the Noble overdrive works perfect with the purple channel od G20. Thanks Shawn 🤘

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yeah, I bet that sounds great! Thanks for watching!

[@johnk7147]

definitely a difference in feel between amp and pedal gain. I always gravitate towards amp gain for most mid gain stuff... High gain is always amp channel. But for low gain blues stuff I like a pedal

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yeah, true tube channel amp, high gain is awesome.

[@4GuitarTrance]

Moving air will ALWAYS sound warmer, more natural, and well, just better than moving [pedal] resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, and ICs, solely... it's like a physical law, or something along those lines. Old school amplification, 4x12 cabs, and tubes still RULE to my ears! Having said that, for convenience, weight, and space reasons I recently started using a Fractal FM9 with a stereo "In-The-Room-style" 2x12 cabinet... and I'll have to say, this FM9 is startlingly and impressively close to my 100w Marshall Super Leads and Fender Super Reverbs. After spending time with the unit and familiarizing myself with it and its almost exhausting amount of options I am absolutely amazed at just HOW CLOSE it is to real amplification... and the dizzying array of effects and combinations are stunning. I NEVER thought I would be using a modelling device for ANYTHING guitar-related! So, then there's that!

[@RevvAmps]

There is nothing like a high wattage head into a 4x12 cab. Something that really shakes your pant legs. That being said...my back doesn't love 4x12 cabs anymore :)

[@4GuitarTrance]

After years of doing just that, I don't have road crews to carry and set my stuff up as often as I used to, so I am very grateful for the MUCH lighter convenience of my new Fractal FM9 rig. I am extremely with you on the back issue, for sure, but the space required for carrying my old faithful rig and rack and the space needed on stage for it also makes me very grateful for what companies such as Fractal are doing. Cheers@@RevvAmps

[@ShawnTubbs]

You can't beat a 100w Super Lead into a 4x12 for sure.

[@g-love6507]

The only difference I noticed between the Revv 120 amp gain/overdrive and the Silk tone was the amp overdrive sounded more compressed .. They both sound good !

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks for watching!!

[@6120orange]

Great Q. I prefer amp gain, WITH a pedal - go figure. The girth of the amp gain is better than one pedal atop a clean(ish) channel. The extra hair (plus mid bump) from a mild gain pedal takes it where I like to be. Usually a Clinch EP-PRE, sometimes Suhr Koko for more mids, ToneFreak Naked for solos on top of highest gain 3rd channel.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yep, that totally makes sense. Dig it!

[@ericskinner7355]

It's all about trying different options, and seeing what works best for you.✌️

[@RevvAmps]

Different Strokes for Different folks here bahd :)

[@ericskinner7355]

@@RevvAmps remember the 90's when it seemed like everyone was using a PRS into a Dual Rectifier, and they all sounded the same... other than a few exceptions.🙉

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

Thanks for another informative video Shawn

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@RobMasonguitar]

I've been back and forth on this a lot. I prefer amp gain too but then I need extra cables to run delays/mods in the fx loop plus an extra cable for the amp footswitch. When stage space is limited and you're in a hurry to get everything ready (and there are already a million cables onstage) using pedal gain is much simpler. For now I'm back on pedals into a clean amp, very keen to try a valve based distortion pedal in the future though. Perhaps some of the radial stuff.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Totally makes sense! Thanks for watching!

[@cheeseUout]

the main differnece between the two would be how spongy things sound, but it would highly depend on how your playing and your prefered way you control your dynamics. But at the end of the day, the audience will just hear what your playing, and not the fact that you're using channel or pedal gain.

[@ShawnTubbs]

I agree, but the player needs to enjoy performing or recording. Tone and dynamics are essential to the artist. The audience either likes what they hear or they don't.

[@mikekukovec2306]

"Hey man, great pedalboard...which of those pedals do you use for distortion/overdrive?" "All of them."

[@Jarrodpimental]

Very important video alert. I’m so surprised I still know people today who don’t realize any of this info exists.

[@quiquepriore]

love the D40 on ch 2 🔥

[@thisdyingsoul76]

I like a combination of direct to amp tones and pedal derived dirty sounds. If you have a great sounding dirty tone from an amp, its a waste not to use it; however pedals combined with the amp's own dirt can be very satisfying if the pedal compliments the amp and is dialed in right.

[@RandyWillcox]

I love all of the above! I mean...how can you not? 🤘🏻

[@ShawnTubbs]

That's a good way to live your life!!! Thanks for watching and chiming in!

[@LuisRios3015]

Pushing the edge to break up with a good transparent over drive is perfect for me. I usually use the 2nd channel for more crunch and still end up pushing it with an overdrive lol

[@ShawnTubbs]

Awesome! Thanks for chiming in!

[@horschy4856]

With this top notch gear both sounds great. But I'm a pedal lover!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for watching!

[@jerrycook3273]

As a local working musician the pedal platform works best for me for volume purposes yes I prefer amp gain first it’s really about volume for me

[@MrUmandMrEr]

The valves talk and sing... Definitely prefer!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for watching!!

[@MRxr400]

i feel amp gain is less compressed/processed and open, glassy sounding. but, pedals sit in a mix sometimes better. i prefer my amp gain with less gain, more open sounding, and hit it with a clean or mid boost to fatten up. I do really love my mesa single rec gain tone, but a mid boost helps getting it's tone to cut in a solo.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for chiming in!

[@tomduckworth8335]

Amp gain all day as you said it’s a feel thing. The pedals give you a variety of colors and the ability to play at volumes that won’t get you kicked out of the bar. I like simple single channel amps I have a Plexi and a blackface Bandmaster and I use them with a Weber attenuator to get the amp gently cooking and feeling good and kick it a bit with different pedals. Here’s something that kind of bugs me when you see some rig rundown on KZbin. You’ll see ( guitar god) amp setup and they talk about how to get great tone but they play at volume levels that no player would normally be able to do in a typical gig. It’s like being in a fight with one hand tied behind your back. I would like to see you do a video on getting good sound at a variety of different volume levels. I noticed that I have to back off all my drive pedals when I use the attenuator as opposed to how I set them when I’m running the amp straight into the cabinet. When you were touring did you have your amps off stage somewhere cranked up?

[@ShawnTubbs]

When I first started touring I kept my amps off stage and it sounded great! I did that for years until management forced us to move to Fractal Audio. The show production was crazy and we couldn't have pedal boards on stage. Playing amps at "stage volume" will always sound best. The variables for getting tones at lower volumes are abundant for sure, but it can be done. Thanks for chiming in!

[@LostPlanet2024]

I like a clean amp and use a preamp for my gain. Sometimes it’s a Fuzz Face and throttle it with the volume knob..

[@ShawnTubbs]

Cool!

[@Neil-Aspinall]

I've always thought the pedal chasing was pretty silly when most amps already have a great OD channel?

[@ShawnTubbs]

Pedals can add versatility on the fly but if you've got a tone you dig, there's no reason to go down the rabbit hole.

[@RevvAmps]

just more flavours of drive :)

[@philh27]

I’d suggest the difference is 90% how it feels to the player, rather than how it actually sounds, certainly to the listener. And obviously it can’t be discounted as if you’re feeling it, you will play if not better, certainly differently. I was an amp gain man for years, but nowadays I prefer the flexibility and wider tonal options of a well stocked pedalboard. But for sheer enjoyment, you can’t beat a cranked amp!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Agreed!!! Thanks for watching!

[@jonathanstrand2474]

In each case, the pedal gain sounds slightly thinner, maybe slightly shriller, more evident lo and lo mid on the amp gain. More harmonic content too But your method is my question, what are we hearing? 4 EL 34 versus 2 6L6, are you going through a load box, with each amp? are we hearing a direct out from that, or a mic’d up speaker Are these samples you play at the same volume, for you, are the cabs in another room? and are you using monitors versus speaker cabs to get a consistent volume? I watch Tim Pierce, with him it’s mic’d 4x12 speakers in a separate room, and his big monitor systems for himself. UTube videos always puzzle me, because I’m listening on an IPhone, 🤣but with you here, I can still clearly hear a difference, and you are telling us exactly what you used to get those sounds. Usually I just figure if I’m not putting it through my full stereo, I’m not really getting a true representation of the sounds presented. Those details are usually vitally important, recorded sounds versus speaker and amp in the room. I get my gain from an amp, in a fairly dead room, but I always wonder is it preamp gain or output gain, I only play at about 80-85 DB a MB 5:25 through an EVM-12L in a Theil cab. Pre amp set hi, masters set lo It’s just so hard to get a reference to the real world and it’s been years since I played out or with other people.🙄 thanks, but I just wonder how I can relate to your excellent examples & information 🤣

[@ShawnTubbs]

I used a Bogner 2x12 closed-back loaded with Celestion V30 speakers. I employed a Royer R10 in combination with a Shure SM 57 into my Chandler TG-2 preamp. My interface is an Apogee Quartet. My recording software is ProTools. KRK V8 monitors.

[@jonathanstrand2474]

@@ShawnTubbs thanks, yeah there is a reason I don’t record, I’m not going on uTube my band is pandora post Covid, I’m 68 so that’s not likely to change. The first quality speaker I bought was an EVM 12L in 1980, reconed and still in use I just bought a second one, the 1x12 cabs are birch ply bought in 86’ for $150 each 😳 KK audio, long gone. Once you use a flat response speaker, especially one as efficient and touch sensitive as these, nothing else sounds right. Santana is my touch tone. I’ll subscribe, good content🙂

[@RogerKayeGuitar]

When in the studio I will always go for amp gain. But when I'm out playing live and I can't bring my own amp, I am very happy with my Friedman Smallbox and Soldano SLO overdrive pedals. Just give a me a Deluxe Reverb and I'm good to go on any stage

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yup! Makes sense!

[@capitanvonchickenpants8492]

Listen to Richie Blackmores tone on made in Europe the amp is driven at the front end yes but not by a distortion effect im sure , but you can tell Its turned way up by the way it pops, love your tone here

[@JR-to8sn]

Both. Channel gain is great but it's one dimensional, with pedal gain, you can stack. Plus there are hundreds of pedals that you can choose from that sounds different than the channel gain of our amp. So you can have two or three pedals that all have different flavors, which you can't really do with channel gain unless you start messing with the tone stack/eq or whatever.

[@brettphillips2309]

That silk tone sounds badass. But yeah I use amps gain and just use a ts9 as a little boost in front. That’s about it

[@ShawnTubbs]

The Silktone is a cool pedal for sure. The TS9 is a great push pedal for sure!!

[@mattd2503]

You can definitely hear the difference Amp has so much more depth… and girth

[@LuisRios3015]

I need to try that tilt pedal. I have the morning Glory with the red switch.

[@RevvAmps]

yeah you do

[@VictorVectorMusic]

Never have and never will use a pedal board. A cable, guitar and amp gives you the purest/richest signal hands down.....no river dancing for this dude.

[@tylerhaas6]

Until you’re in a band that plays a variety of music then the effects come into play. And buffers and true bypass pedals help get the purest tone back.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Straight in is awesome sounding for sure. It all depends on the type of gig you're on. It's different for everyone. If I show up to a session with just a guitar, amp, and a cable with a knot tied in it, I'll be praying that the producer or artist doesn't ask me to turn on a tape delay with a plate reverb and go from clean to high gain in the same pass. Jeff Beck was brilliant, along with BB King, Jimi, and many others. They could show up with a guitar and a cable, plug into an amp, and go. Nobody ever told Jeff Beck to sound like someone else. Nobody would dream of telling Angus to sound different or Eddie. I bet you get great sounds man! Thanks for chiming in!

[@TheMasonator777]

I like a pushed clean preamp, high headroom poweramp and a great gain pedal best, unless it’s an amp that really does exactly what I want at a reasonable variety of volumes. The amp’s sweet spot is easier to dial in at a pushed clean level with a pedal pushing that, for me. If it’s metal tone I’m after, I boost a high gain amp channel (or pedal) with another pedal usually.

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

TBH, I've been using plugins to record at home. Perhaps, I should give my amps a go too.

[@JustKJ109]

Too may damm pedals with too many freaking knobs to mess with. I concluded just get a good Amp and concentrate on playing good. That speaks alot more to any set of ears.

[@jegl1012]

Cut that hair man!!! - 🤣 - Great video/playing as always. Both sounded fantastic. Personally I think that pedals give you more flexibility specially if you are on a budget and you want to play rock/metal without an amp specifically designed for that. You may to add captions to describe the cabs (or IRs) and recording setup you have for more context which is also very important.

[@RevvAmps]

It's in his contract that he can't cut it....

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for watching! Both amplifiers are routed into my Ampete amp switcher and then out to my Bogner closed-back 2x12 cab. I'm using a Royer 121/ Shure SM 57 mic combo.

[@tubytele]

What is the amp your guitar is leaning on in the open. It looks familiar. A D style amp? A Brown Note? Last guess a Brown Note C-Rex? Thanks!

[@sessionswithjeff]

Love my pedals for gain of all sorts. I miss my JMP1 though that was a very happy place for high gain. Shawn did you run a JMP1 ever? pretty sure you've mentioned previously having the Mesa TriAxis which is also a beast...

[@RevvAmps]

I need to get a JMP1.....still waiting for prices to come back down to earth though

[@ShawnTubbs]

I never owned a JMP 1 but I built them into a few rigs for customers back in the day. I loved my TriAxis.

[@sessionswithjeff]

Yeah those TriAxis are fantastic. My Jmp1's are really high on my 'I Never Should Have Sold That' list, but you live and learn 🙂. Thanks again for the cool video @@ShawnTubbs

[@passionplayer7]

Just did this experiment between my Friedman Twin Sister amp and the BE OD Deluxe. Great pedal but amp gain all day 🤘🏻

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on! Thanks for chiming in!

[@PooNinja]

I find a good clean and layer my pedals over it G3 fo life!!!!

[@ShawnTubbs]

The G3 is hard to beat.

[@jnh73]

We're in a golden age of guitar gear, completely spoiled with choices. Straight in, both, or pedals only - it's all good!

[@ShawnTubbs]

Yup!

[@jan9]

Shawn, if you don't mind. What is the signal path on todays vid, is that a real cab or an IR we are hearing, care to share? And yes, amp gain is the way, I have the G3 but rarely use it these days.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks for the question. The Generator 120 and D40 were both routed into my Ampete amp switcher. The amps were driving my Bogner closed-back 2x12 loaded with Celestion V30 speakers. I used a Royer R121 and an SM 57 for mics.

[@jan9]

@@ShawnTubbs Sounded very good indeed, do you have an IR of that configuration?

[@mrmatthew2443]

Thanks , another great topic and great video I like that you talk about nuances and have a good ear for fine Wonderful

[@mrmatthew2443]

Good ear for tone ., I meant

[@RevvAmps]

​@@mrmatthew2443 He's got one of the best sets of ears, we keep trying to figure out how to replicate them and sell em to other players....

[@ShawnTubbs]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@Tognar]

You see this a lot in digital modeling and guy talking sh*t about tone, but the reality is very few people know what cranked amps sound and feels like in the room. Much less mic’d up in various combos. Few people have a studio, cabs iso’d, or play stages big enough for 100W amp to get power tube saturation going. You’d be def if you played like that a lot at home or rehearsal. And/or your neighbors would kill you. The pedals are so good these days. We are spoiled by great choices really. Very practical and musical. But yeah… the few times I’ve had a JCM or whatever cranked… It makes you play differently. The guitar reacts differently. it’s glorious, life changing, and totally rock n roll!! 🤘😎🤘

[@ShawnTubbs]

Agreed. Mick and Dan from "That Pedal Show" host events and have musicians who haven't ever plugged into a vintage high-powered tube amp to give it a go. It is truly life-changing.

[@vmathias2023]

Tube Amp distortion has a tightness and natural compression that I am yet to find in a pedal. My demonfx tube screamer gets close but not quite there.

[@ShawnTubbs]

I've never checked out the Demon FX stuff. You like it?

[@vmathias2023]

I have owned some high end pedals, and for the price, they sound stupid good and are quiet. I have no idea how they do it at that price point. Usually, clone pedals get close but are noisy. The demonfx ts red gets scary close to my rocker terror tone wise.

[@ShawnTubbs]

@@vmathias2023 Cool!

[@protoolsfanatic7276]

High output pickups into a high gain amp, imo sounds the best. I guess it depends on what genre. Great players like yourself don't need tons of gain to sound great.

[@geoarthur6593]

Not one nor the other, a bit of both is more than the sum of either.. medium amp gain, low to medium boost in front, works for ne.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Cool! Thanks for watching!

[@angusorvid8840]

I prefer single channel plexi style amps cranked to the right point of breakup and pushed by a good pedal. That's always been the core of my tone. I don't care for most high gain amps. I don't like the feel they have and they just don't pop the way I want them to.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on. I can tell that you prefer more dynamic and open sounds. I'm the same. I enjoy high gain but at the end of the day, I tend to lean toward medium gain and down.

[@cobravinci]

Amp gain for the sound (bigger, more open) and the feel, gain pedals for their convenience...

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for watching!

[@JohnPriceJNPMusic]

The pedals sound thin and uninspiring compared to the amp gain. The amp gain was very organic and lively.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Right on, thanks for chiming in!!