That Pedal Show – Using Drive Pedals With Clean & Dirty Amps: What’s The Difference?

Published on Jan 27, 2017

In this episode we explore a topic that comes up regularly. It’s to do with gain structure – the bedrock of all electric guitar sounds – and how the same pedals react with differently gained amps.
We’re using a bunch of different drives, boosts and fuzzes into a very clean amp (Fender Super Reverb) and an amp that's overdriving (Victory Sheriff 44). What do we learn?

Pedals and amps in this episode…

• Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret
UK & Europe:
USA:

• Fulltone OCD
UK & Europe:
USA:

• ProAnalog Devices MkIV Fuzz


• Fulltone Catalyst Boost
No longer available new

• Wampler Tunmus
UK & Europe:
USA:

• Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer
UK & Europe:
USA:

• Strymon TimeLine
UK & Europe:
USA:

• T Rex Room Mate Reverb
No longer available new

• Fender ’65 Super Reverb (reissue) - no longer made

• Victory Sheriff 44
UK & Europe:

* Why do we have preferred retailer links? Find out here:


Interesting bits and go-to sections…

• Intro and background – 00:00 - 3:22
• Today’s amps: 3:22
• “Often we use amps that are only just breaking up…” 7:10
• Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret into clean and dirty amps: 8:55
• Fulltone Catalyst (boost) into clean and dirty amps: 13:30
• ProAnalog Devices MkIV into clean and dirty amps: 20:55
• Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ into clean and dirty amps: 26:15
• Wampler Tumnus into clean and dirty amps: 38:00


Amps in this episode
• Victory Sheriff 44 into Victory V212VH cabinet (mic is on Celestion Vintage 30 speaker)
• Fender Super Reverb Reissue with 4 x 10-inch Jensen P10R speakers


Guitars in this episode
• Fender John Mayer Signature Stratocaster
• Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Standard – watch Dan’s video at
• Collings 290 DC S – watch Mick’s video at
• 1961 Gibson Les Paul (SG) Junior


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