How many of you have boutique pedals but don't own a tube amp?

[vegetablejoe]

...
Pedal gas without a good amp is so totoy to me.  I mean, having a coffin-size pedal board with a rage amp is like, HUH?  Believe me, maraming guilty diyan. 

I don't agree with labeling fellow guitarists/hobbyists as "totoy" just because their current gear combination doesn't fit in with your standards

The average person starts out on a tight budget, gets a simple guitar and a simple ss amp. Curiosity then leads to acquiring a few effects pedals and broadening one's tonal spectrum.

Thereafter, the desire to upgrade guitar, amp, and pedals run parallel to each other. Depende na lang sa budget and access to specific gear kung alin ang uunahin. Along the way, one learns what gear works and what one should prioritize via friends, internet research, forums, gigging, & jamming, etc...

Everyone was a beginner once. Everyone learns and improves on what he started with. Each in his own time. Hell, it took me 10 years and a myriad of incremental upgrades/trades/swaps to get from a 10w Rage amp to a Fender tube amp. Acquired quite a number of pedals and changed a number of guitars in that period as well.

Along the way I have learned about ss amps and non-boutique pedals that sound great to me as well. Some of those I acquired I now wish I hadn't let go. A tube amp may be great, but some ss amps have their place and can serve just as well. Depende na lang talaga on one's specific needs.

There's also a point at which one no longer desires to upgrade gear for his own individual reasons, despite there being so much better stuff out in the market. For example, I no longer desire more exotic, bigger, better, badder sounding tube amps and pedals.

What's my point? It still goes back to "to each his own." And please don't call me and others "totoy" just because my and others' gear and acquisition strategy doesn't match yours. We may get to your level someday -- that's IF we want to.

[ianz]

@v.joe..
very well said bai.

[arkeetar]

compliment to vegetablejoe 

[skunkyfunk]

I don't agree with labeling fellow guitarists/hobbyists as "totoy" just because their current gear combination doesn't fit in with your standards

So now we might need to censor 'totoy'.  Siguro ang lalabas next time, you emo kids are so [ampalaya].

The average person starts out on a tight budget, gets a simple guitar and a simple ss amp. Curiosity then leads to acquiring a few effects pedals and broadening one's tonal spectrum.

True

Thereafter, the desire to upgrade guitar, amp, and pedals run parallel to each other. Depende na lang sa budget and access to specific gear kung alin ang uunahin. Along the way, one learns what gear works and what one should prioritize via friends, internet research, forums, gigging, & jamming, etc...

Yun nga ang punto ko sir.  May mga tao na may second floor ang pedalboard pero sa bahay ang gamit Marshall MG10 na amp.  Kumbaga, if they want to learn how to get more decent tones, they should at least try getting a 2nd hand tube amp like a SF Twin or something.  They're not as expensive as most think.  Now, would it be wrong if someone who's hopelessly attached to pedals and total amp snobs would be steered in a better direction?  A pedal board worth 30K and a 4K practice amp don't sound right to me. 

Everyone was a beginner once. Everyone learns and improves on what he started with. Each in his own time. Hell, it took me 10 years and a myriad of incremental upgrades/trades/swaps to get from a 10w Rage amp to a Fender tube amp. Acquired quite a number of pedals and changed a number of guitars in that period as well.

And thank God for the Internet that we can be steered into better gear decisions much easier than before.  For the longest time I thought I was cool owning a Zoom 1010.

Along the way I have learned about ss amps and non-boutique pedals that sound great to me as well. Some of those I acquired I now wish I hadn't let go. A tube amp may be great, but some ss amps have their place and can serve just as well. Depende na lang talaga on one's specific needs.

Bottomline is YOU MUST MATCH THEM over a myriad of different gear combinations, and that requires choosing OVER a tube amp.  BB King uses a Lab Series amp which is SS as an example.

There's also a point at which one no longer desires to upgrade gear for his own individual reasons, despite there being so much better stuff out in the market. For example, I no longer desire more exotic, bigger, better, badder sounding tube amps and pedals.

Congrats to anyone who encounters this.

What's my point? It still goes back to "to each his own." And please don't call me and others "totoy" just because my and others' gear and acquisition strategy doesn't match yours. We may get to your level someday -- that's IF we want to.

"To each his own" doesn't mean "don't educate me about what should be yours and what should be mine."  Ika nga, "If you wanna learn, you must want to be taught..." 

[Mardk]

@skunkyfunk :

by 'decent' I mean, it does the job. average amp. It does not have a tone to die for, but it doesn't sound like fart. Decent..

So, the situation is this. You don't have a car, tight budget, the places you play at have 'decent' amps. Would you still go for the pedals or the tube amp first?

By the way, I was offended by referring to us as 'totoy' and 'emo'. That's just stupid generalizing IMHO. I can't lug around a tube amps to gigs. I can't even lug around SS amps! I don't have a car to safely transport it from where I live to the place where we play. I go for multifx and pedals and usually plug in direct to the PA. Not because its my choice.

[blues2death]

actually tama kayo lahat....kasi lahat tayo dumaan sa katotoyan.

ang tutoong lumaki na sa pagkatotoy  IMHO ay yung natuto nang i-accept ang limitasyon ng gear nya...mapa-boutique man or ss or tube amp ang gamit...

accept the limitations of the gear, and just concentrate on the music.

ang totoy para sakin ay ung nagpapa-biktima sa GAS...and we're all guilty of that.

MAMA ka na kung na-satisfy na ang cravings mo, and tugtog na lang ang iniisip..

sigh, kailan ko kaya mararating yun?

[Mardk]

actually tama kayo lahat....kasi lahat tayo dumaan sa katotoyan.

ang tutoong lumaki na sa pagkatotoy  IMHO ay yung natuto nang i-accept ang limitasyon ng gear nya...mapa-boutique man or ss or tube amp ang gamit...

accept the limitations of the gear, and just concentrate on the music.

ang totoy para sakin ay ung nagpapa-biktima sa GAS...and we're all guilty of that.

MAMA ka na kung na-satisfy na ang cravings mo, and tugtog na lang ang iniisip..

sigh, kailan ko kaya mararating yun?

MAMA ftw. +1


oops. mama as in nanay ang basa ko dun. hahaha.

[lovecore]

+1 for vegetable's post.

sabagay kanya kanya talaga naman yan.

Sa akin naman, yes I'd admit I splurged on boutique pedals cuz I liked the sound and I found it fun. Am I on the lookout for a tube amp? yes but it's not in my priorities like with vegetablejoe said. I'm not in a rush to get one. I'm happy with my old Marshall 8040 SS. Heck, I even kept my old hot cabs amp to jam with from time to time. I may be dubbed as "totoy" for not getting a tube amp but because I "chose" not to get one for the time being. I hardly even get to play guitar cuz of work these days and I wanted to make use of my hard earned cash for other priorities for now than for a tube amp that'll be turned on once a week or less.

[glassjaw_jc]

tsk tsk tsk.... ano nga pala ang situation ng gigging musician dito sa pinas? Konting reality check lang.

[skunkyfunk]

@skunkyfunk :

by 'decent' I mean, it does the job. average amp. It does not have a tone to die for, but it doesn't sound like fart. Decent..

But the problem is a lot of amps in the bars sound like fart. 

So, the situation is this. You don't have a car, tight budget, the places you play at have 'decent' amps. Would you still go for the pedals or the tube amp first?

I'd still get a tube amp first regardless if I'm gonna gig with it or not.  Because a good tube amp will be my benchmark on how to dial things in during a gig.  And rightly so, if I were really lazy, in my case, I'd go for something like a Marshall JMP-1 through a Palmer Speaker emulator, plugged to the PA.  A Yamaha DG stomp can work too.  But that is just to emulate MY tone at home.

I'm not saying bring a tube amp everytime while riding a jeep.  What I'm saying is don't put a tube amp last in your priorities just because you don't want to bring it to gigs.

By the way, I was offended by referring to us as 'totoy' and 'emo'. That's just stupid generalizing IMHO. I can't lug around a tube amps to gigs. I can't even lug around SS amps! I don't have a car to safely transport it from where I live to the place where we play. I go for multifx and pedals and usually plug in direct to the PA. Not because its my choice.

The real meaning of 'katotoyan' is not knowing how to prioritize things.  As I said earlier, having a $250 od pedal that is known for its 'transparency' is total numbnuts if you are gonna plug to a MArshall MG30 with a busted speaker in a bar, because you are just gonna accentuate the suckiness of that amp. Much worse if you had a coffin-sized pedalboard and a crappy Sta Mesa guitar.  And what I want to convey in this thread is that PEDALS ARE FOR COLORATION. THE AMP AND YOUR GUITAR IS YOUR MAIN SIGNAL CHAIN.  And rightly so, invest on a good amp and good guitar first before anything.  If I wanted to sound like Mike Einziger and had a minimal budget, I'd go for a rack setup. 

[skunkyfunk]

I go for multifx and pedals and usually plug in direct to the PA. Not because its my choice.

Oh BTW, before anyone misconstrues anything, the thread is about OWNING BOUTIQUE PEDALS AND NOT ONE TUBE AMP.

I would perfectly understand a 15-year old starting with a Squier Affinity Strat, a Boston pedalboard who likes wearing skinny jeans , trucker caps and mascara.

[blues2death]

mascara?

[nathanmanansala]

i might be on the other side of the fence here. i agree na yung amp is crucial. i have a pretty good sounding guitar and tube amp setup. i sometimes bring my amp to gigs pero almost never take it out of the car (which i do have din and take to every gig). kaya dun sa 4 years i've owned it (the model, not the amp itself; i've own 2 amps of this same model, iba lang ang speaker config), i've gigged with it less than 10 times. and i play almost every week.

otoh, my pedal setup isn't "lobby and balcony plus a patio" either. its 2 dirt pedals lang. one for boost and one for gonzo dirt.

i've tried eliminating all my excuses for not using the amp. i bought a trolley to save my back. pag wala sa ground floor yung gig, i ask some of my bandmates if they could help in advance, a day before the gig pa. pero i still usually end up looking at the house amp and going "meh, pwede na"

why? kasi i'd have to let the amp warm up for around 5 minutes. tas yung set would only be 30 minutes to an hour long. after which i cant take it off stage right or move it off away (bad for the tubes). so yung next band would go, "dude pagamit". e madamot ako. plus di ako makakaalis agad if i have to.

so yun. nagiging pambahay yung tube amp. eh even at just 30 watts, i cant even crank it past 2 sa volume knob nung clean channel (which is da bomb). not good for dikit-dikit apartments. also, i'd have to let it warm up pa. e when i feel like practicing, i have to be able to plug in and start wailing right away. or else maglalaro na lang ako ng GTA being the fickle bastard that i am.

so yung question becomes "how many of you have an awesome sounding setup but dont own your own house?" thats me.

[blues2death]

na-remind tuloy ako how it is to gig in the philippines. alam naman ninyo na dito sa  tate, kanya kanya ang dala ng gamit na amp....not just your guitar and pedal(s)

nathan, anong tugtugan ninyo? sensya na ha, wala kasi ako dyan kaya d ko kabisado ang togs ng mga forumites. sa palagay ko blues ka...ganyan din kasi ako mag setup e...except wala akong pang boost, sd 2(stock) at isang wah pedal --para hendrix!

san ka nga palang banda? sorry for the 'noob' question.

[gitaristang_pusa]

if my tube amp is the mesa boogie custom F-30... i don't think i need a boutique o.d. pedal, i don't even think i'm gonna need my v-twin anymore 

[nathanmanansala]

na-remind tuloy ako how it is to gig in the philippines. alam naman ninyo na dito sa  tate, kanya kanya ang dala ng gamit na amp....not just your guitar and pedal(s)

nathan, anong tugtugan ninyo? sensya na ha, wala kasi ako dyan kaya d ko kabisado ang togs ng mga forumites. sa palagay ko blues ka...ganyan din kasi ako mag setup e...except wala akong pang boost, sd 2(stock) at isang wah pedal --para hendrix!

san ka nga palang banda? sorry for the 'noob' question.

blue jean junkies po. and sisig (pero on hiatus). rakenrol!

[nathanmanansala]

double post

[blues2death]

nakasama mo si coco, nathan?

[nathanmanansala]

nakasama mo si coco, nathan?

nope. pero madalas namin makasabay ang southern grass. lufet nun!

[vhunter]

if my tube amp is the mesa boogie custom F-30... i don't think i need a boutique o.d. pedal, i don't even think i'm gonna need my v-twin anymore 

I've just gone full circle with this amp. My first tube amp was a Mesa F30 that i purchased in 02. Ever since then I've sold it, bought bogners, cornfords, marshalls, mesa's, Line 6's, Voodoo's etc etc. and guess what arrived at home last week? Yup another F30. By far i think the F30 is the best value for money tube amp out there. No pedals necessary just good tone in a small package that leaves me smiling from ear to ear. Last night i drilled holes and installed casters so my F30 is ready for the "Small bar" scene. Hahaha.

[orangeogre]

Ako naka Pro Jr. kaya kailangan ko ng mga pedals. Sa Kwarto lang naman ako. Pag gig, bahala na kung maganda ang amp o hindi. Malas na lang kung bulok yung amp.

[skunkyfunk]

Ako naka Pro Jr. kaya kailangan ko ng mga pedals. Sa Kwarto lang naman ako. Pag gig, bahala na kung maganda ang amp o hindi. Malas na lang kung bulok yung amp.

The Pro Jr is a great amp.  Huy kelan kayo balik sa Skunk? Sorry ot...

[orangeogre]

The Pro Jr is a great amp.  Huy kelan kayo balik sa Skunk? Sorry ot...

Master Dodjie, gumagawa pa ng new materials Medyo nasa tamad phase nanaman ang mga kabanda ko eh hahahaha... soon!

[deltaslim]

In my world, if you bring the right amp (ie, appropriate size and wattage) to the gig, you won't need a pedal.  If you can't bring the appropriate amp, or have to rely on the house amp, bring a pedal, just in case.

[arkeetar]

dirt/gain boutique pedals lang ba pinag uusapan dito?
how 'bout modulation boutique pedals?