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GEAR DATABASE

How To Set Your Amp For Pedals [Gain, EQ, Volume & FX Loops]

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Published 10 Dec 2021
Duration:
1:18:55

Welcome to the show! Yes yes yes, this is a loooong video. Old-school TPS, you might say, where Dan and I go on a voyage of discovery, rather than offering quick-fire prescriptive advice on What You Should Do.
Well, what you probably //should// do is worry less about where the knobs are set, and focus more on the core principles of gain staging and EQ so you can set that amp with your eyes closed, regardless of what the dials say.
We also hope to address some of the really basic issues that you’ll come across when setting up your amp: volume, gain, effects loops and all that…
Thusly, we take a clean pedal platform (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe), a crunchy mid-power amp (Vox AC15) and a higher gain amp (Victory VC35) and listen to what happens when you hit them with a basic selection of pedals. As you’ll hear, the results are markedly different. But why?

Enjoy the video!

• Pedals & stuff in this episode…
TheGigRig Three2One
https://www.thegigrig.com/three2one

• SonicResearch ST-200 Turbo Tuner
Australia: http://bit.ly/2mR1s8c

• Keeley Filaments
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2gnkkhc
Australia: http://bit.ly/2A2HmjZ
USA That Pedal Shop: https://bit.ly/3rTFB4c

• Nobels ODR-1
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2IIR2Wn
Australia: https://bit.ly/3BoLto6
USA Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/KemJNN

• Benson Preamp
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3mtz5Ml
Australia: http://bit.ly/2yF5FTy
USA That Pedal Shop: https://bit.ly/3x2sost

• Universal Audio Astra Modulation Machine
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3oJipna
Australia: https://bit.ly/3yrdOcV
USA That Pedal Shop: https://bit.ly/3oFHP57

• Strymon Volante
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2GqJ6Iw
Australia: http://bit.ly/2Ie0UZe
USA Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/DVOvXa

• GFI System Skylar Reverb
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3EJQole
Australia: https://bit.ly/3GvYjTB
USA That Pedal Shop: https://bit.ly/3KNTis7

• TheGigRig G3
https://www.thegigrig.com/g3

Amps in this episode:
• Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III 1x12 combo (links for version IV)
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3cpCS9U
USA: https://imp.i114863.net/0JyvLE

• Vox AC15 C1 with Greenback Speaker
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/36BSfrw
Australia: https://bit.ly/31QrDVH
USA That Pedal Shop: https://bit.ly/3E0H1Qs

• Victory VC35 The Copper
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2NpF31i
Australia: https://bit.ly/33mDdsN
USA That Pedal Shop: https://bit.ly/3SkS5fJ

* Why do we have preferred retailer links? Find out here: http://www.thatpedalshow.com/partners


Interesting bits and go-to sections…
0:00 Intro & playing
4:00 What are we do today and why?
5:42 Clean Hot Rod Deluxe setup
7:20 Hot Rod Deluxe EQ
13:40 Final settings Hot Rod Deluxe
14:55 What about the 335?
20:37 Clean amp too clean?
24:40 High gain pedal, clean amp?
25:51 Keeley Filaments & HRD
28:28 Nobels ODR-1 & HRD
31:56 Underdrive with the clean amp?
34:44 Crunchy amp, Vox AC15
35:26 AC15 gain and master settings
37:50 Finding the spot for playing dynamics
40:24 AC15 treble and master tone cut
42:40 AC15 final settings
43:00 AC15 with humbuckers?
46:05 AC15 & Epiphone Casino
47:38 Crunchy amp & high gain OD pedal?
51:25 Crunchy amp & Benson as boost
52:43 Clean or crunchy amp for delay & reverb?
55:10 No effects loop? Just do this…
56:45 Flanger into a crunchy and clean amp
58:10 Do you need an effects loop?
59:40 Gainy amp, Victory VC35
1:01:00 More bass?
1:02:49 Let’s make it gainy
1:07:15 VC35 & Benson
1:09:10 VC35 & ODR-1 & Filaments
1:11:25 Delay & reverbs and gainy amps
1:15:00 Closing thoughts

Guitars in this episode:
• Fender Custom Shop ’52 Telecaster – Dan’s video here: https://youtu.be/qfLs2rAWYEU

• Gibson Memphis 1958 ES-335 – Mick’s video here: https://youtu.be/Ha82vk1wLyA

• Gretsch G6228 Player’s Edition Jet BT w/V Stoptail - no video yet

• Epiphone Casino - Mick’s video here: https://youtu.be/ubwr6Owqp_E

We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel.

You can buy TPS merch to support our efforts https://www.thatpedalshowstore.com

We are on Patreon – crowdfunding for creatives
https://www.patreon.com/ThatPedalShow

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