dissapointment at the guitar store

guitargatler · 03-27-2006, 09:33 AM

Well, I just came into a tiny bit of money and decided to buy a distortion pedal. So I went down to guitar center to try some out that I had my eye on. The one I thought I wanted the most was the one that turned out to be the worst one. I tried the boss metalzone pedal and it had like no sustain at all

and all the other pedals just didnt have enough gain for me. I wanted something with at least a 3 band eq of some sort (low mid and high) and A LOT of gain. Anyway it probably wasnt a fair test seeing as how they had all the pedals hooked up through one of those tiny crate guitar/power amps

Anyway I've been looking at the line6 uber metal pedal and was just wondering if anyone has given it a go. I would just go down to the music shop and try one out but I dont have my car anymore!

bobthecockroach · 03-27-2006, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitargatler

Anyway it probably wasnt a fair test seeing as how they had all the pedals hooked up through one of those tiny crate guitar/power amps

The test you performed was completely pointless. You may as well have spent your time drinking beer and listening to 80s metal. When testing ANYTHING, try to use similar gear to what you have at home. If they have your amp, ask them to let you use it. If they refuse, shop elsewhere.

On that note, what kind of amp do you have? If you have a low-quality amp, the only thing that will change when you make a purchase is that instead of the disappointment being at the store, it will be at home. A good amp is by far the most important piece of gear for a guitarist (even above a good guitar).

guitargatler · 03-27-2006, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

The test you performed was completely pointless. You may as well have spent your time drinking beer and listening to 80s metal. When testing ANYTHING, try to use similar gear to what you have at home. If they have your amp, ask them to let you use it. If they refuse, shop elsewhere.

On that note, what kind of amp do you have? If you have a low-quality amp, the only thing that will change when you make a purchase is that instead of the disappointment being at the store, it will be at home. A good amp is by far the most important piece of gear for a guitarist (even above a good guitar).

yea i know the test was definitely a waste of time because the amp was a huge pile of poop!

The amp I have is an old peavey xm6 150 watt powered mixer. It's actually a pretty good sounding amp. I'm not really sure why I want a new pedal because I really like how my current setup sounds. I've got an ibanez sm7 smashbox that I run through the amp and it gives me a good sound. The next thing I probably get before anything will be a new amp(I really like the one I have but when you overdrive it, it sounds pretty cruddy.).

I was thinking about just taking advantage of their thirty day thing at GC and trying out a few pedals at home but I dont really have the means to do that right now.

bobthecockroach · 03-27-2006, 10:28 AM

Amp overdrive/distortion almost always sounds better than pedal OD/dist, so I'd definitely agree with getting a new amp next. Playing through a powered mixer is um... a new one on me. Powered mixers aren't really designed to be used as guitar amps (though I'm sure you knew that already). I really doubt any distortion pedal is going to sound good through a powered mixer unless it has cabinet modeling. Something like the Boss Amp Factory (discontinued, though, I think) might work. I have one and I have used it before running straight into a PA (which is essentially what you are doing). It sounded ok. You're best bet by FAR, though, is getting a real guitar amp.

omensixaxe · 03-27-2006, 10:47 AM

Kinda hard to try that one out on the floor isn't it?

nate95366 · 03-27-2006, 11:28 AM

If I'm testing a pedal, I don't go to the store hoping that they have my amp and my guitar in stock. I just take my amp and my guitar along. I haven't played yet at a place that was not ok with that.

Nate

omensixaxe · 03-27-2006, 11:53 AM

^^^This works I suppose, but if I'm sporting a stack-head config, with 3 different instruments and my pedal board...there's no way you'll get me to haul that into the store to test drive a 150$ OD. I would also want to dime the amp, dime the OD, push it's limits, if you will...and I can testify against my hatred for people doing this on the floor. The store manager also probably wouldn't take kindly to my investigations of the pedal. I would also want to see how it stacks with other OD's and such, so given the option... I think I'm gonna stick with the 30 day return.

bobthecockroach · 03-27-2006, 01:00 PM

If it's a good store, they'll let you play your gear however you want and their gear at least loud enough to get an idea for how it sounds. If you consistently buy and return gear, I have a feeling you'll be banned from the store eventually. Oh well, your call.

guitargatler · 03-27-2006, 01:16 PM

well I think i've decided that I don't really need any new gear as of right now. Maybe in the future I'll think about getting a new amp or something, but really I've realized that whenever I play an amp I try and get it to sound like the one I already have! May sound wierd using an oldschool powered mixer but to me it sounds better than a lot of guitar amps out there. Only reason I would get a new amp is for the onboard distortion/overdrive and the mid eq levels.

I think for me it's hard to be satisfied with what I have guitarwise, and God is always trying to tell me I don't need new gear. Anyway I think realistically the next thing I would get is probably just an eq pedal, cuz thats really the only thing missing.

Anyway thanks for all the input guys! I would take my amp/guitar into the store but they'd probly just laugh at it haha.

(oo forgot to mention that the amp isn't running through pa loudspeakers I have it hooked up to a custom 2x12 with celestions in it)

presbystrat · 03-28-2006, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitargatler

well I think i've decided that I don't really need any new gear as of right now. Maybe in the future I'll think about getting a new amp or something, but really I've realized that whenever I play an amp I try and get it to sound like the one I already have! May sound wierd using an oldschool powered mixer but to me it sounds better than a lot of guitar amps out there. Only reason I would get a new amp is for the onboard distortion/overdrive and the mid eq levels.

I think for me it's hard to be satisfied with what I have guitarwise, and God is always trying to tell me I don't need new gear. Anyway I think realistically the next thing I would get is probably just an eq pedal, cuz thats really the only thing missing.

Anyway thanks for all the input guys! I would take my amp/guitar into the store but they'd probly just laugh at it haha.

(oo forgot to mention that the amp isn't running through pa loudspeakers I have it hooked up to a custom 2x12 with celestions in it)

If you are going to get a pedal to use with a PA amp, I would try a multi effects pedal with amp modeling. I can't imagine an electric guitar sounding that good when straight into a PA. I can't imagine an OD pedal making it any better.

guitargatler · 03-28-2006, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by presbystrat

If you are going to get a pedal to use with a PA amp, I would try a multi effects pedal with amp modeling. I can't imagine an electric guitar sounding that good when straight into a PA. I can't imagine an OD pedal making it any better.

haha yea that seems to be the general consensus. Maybe sometime in the future I'd get something like that but I would probably be more inclined to get a new amp before I got an amp modeler. Seriously though I like the sound of the setup I have now better than most of the guitar amps I have played. I get better tone and sound from it, in my opinion, than a lot of the SS guitar amps out there in the same price range. It might not be tube quality or anything but it sounds good enough to make me satisfied with what I have.

omensixaxe · 03-28-2006, 09:35 AM

Not to flame or anything...but if a PA sounds so much better, (and it very well may) why are there not countless guitarists hauling PA systems around with them? Try a really excellent higher end amplifier. Even if its on the floor, get a feel for what it offers, and how that compares to what you have now.

guitargatler · 03-28-2006, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by omensixaxe

Not to flame or anything...but if a PA sounds so much better, (and it very well may) why are there not countless guitarists hauling PA systems around with them? Try a really excellent higher end amplifier. Even if its on the floor, get a feel for what it offers, and how that compares to what you have now.

haha if following Jesus is so great then how come everyone isn't doing it?

I've been there done that, and to be honest I dont need a high end amp.

presbystrat · 03-28-2006, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitargatler

haha yea that seems to be the general consensus. Maybe sometime in the future I'd get something like that but I would probably be more inclined to get a new amp before I got an amp modeler.

An amp modeler would be a lot cheaper. You could get a used Digitech RP100 for about $40 or a Line 6 Pod for a little over $100 used. You will never find a decent sounding amp in that price range. Have you tried any tube amps? I hadn't found any amps that I liked better than my current setup either until I tried a Blues Jr. tube amp. BTW, my church may be getting rid of an old tube PA amp when they update their sound system; I have been thinking about trying that out with a guitar cab and my modeling pedal.

guitargatler · 03-28-2006, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by presbystrat

An amp modeler would be a lot cheaper. You could get a used Digitech RP100 for about $40 or a Line 6 Pod for a little over $100 used. You will never find a decent sounding amp in that price range. Have you tried any tube amps? I hadn't found any amps that I liked better than my current setup either until I tried a Blues Jr. tube amp. BTW, my church may be getting rid of an old tube PA amp when they update their sound system; I have been thinking about trying that out with a guitar cab and my modeling pedal.

Yea I mean I guess its just all personal preference when it comes to the sound of the PA amps but I like the sound of mine! haha but if someone were to give me a 5150 you wouldnt see me complaining or trying to give it back! I'll have to see if I can try out an amp modeler or something sometime. I've been trying to save up to get a nice tube amp lately but there's just too much stuff going on right now to be able to save anything. If I had the money I would probably get me a nice tube amp because the only thing I dont like about the amp I have now is the clipping. It's an OLD ss and when it clips it sounds like poo. Most of the time I keep the settings set to where it doesn't but sometimes I drive it too hard.

The plus side is I've been teaching one of the kids in the youth group how to play and he can just plug right into my amp along with me.

haha if I were a famous rock star I could just see playing up on stage with my pa amp head, and getting laughed at.