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Defend Overdrive = FFF

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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
Topic starter  

well, they can sound cool. i use my overdrive pedal with low gain when i'm playing clean, just because i like the clear tones i get out of it.
and as for only playing fortissimo, one advantage of an overdrive pedal is that you can get break up at lower volumes.

there are a lot of tone options on a guitar. only playing clean is limiting.


   
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(@twistedlefty)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 4113
 

apples and oranges really imo

#4491....


   
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(@ricochet)
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Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

Why's it need defending? Is it under attack?

Different gear, different sounds for different music.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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 Ande
(@ande)
Prominent Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 652
 

With respect- play what you want. If you like clean, well, it ain't easy to play good, clean or dirty, so play clean and love it, if that's what you like.

But...if you're finding that overdrive automatically means FFF, then you may not be using it right.

I like a little grit in my sound for classic rock.

A like a LOT of grit in my sound for metal.

What would metal sound like if you didn't drive the amp till it smoked?

Best,
Ande


   
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(@gnease)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

as Ande says, overdrive does not mean FFF. overdrive adds enough gain to allow the guitar signal to "push" the amp input stage into some saturation for a slightly thicker sound, maybe with some crunch if you further push the guitar. if you play quietly => less volume. I think you must be talking about more than simple overdrive. probably also some additional, high gain in the amp.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@danlasley)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2118
 

Does anyone make a pedal (or amp) that automatically reduces the back-end volume when you increase the front-end gain? It seems that every time I increase the gain, I reduce the volume. I know that distorted notes sound louder than clean notes, but the final output level could still be controlled.


   
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(@dogbite)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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(@davidhodge)
Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 4472
 

Triple "forte"

F = loud
FF = louder
FFF = really loud

As opposed to "P" for "pianissimo" or "soft."

It does look very strange when not in the context of a piece of sheet music. :wink:

Peace


   
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(@dogbite)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 6348
 

thanks DH. at first I thought there was some swearin' going on.

the overdrive pedal is useful for more things than just getting a dirtier tone.
I find it and a volume pedal to be incredibly useful.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=644552
http://www.soundclick.com/couleerockinvaders


   
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(@twistedlefty)
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Joined: 19 years ago
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I've always liked the tone of my crybaby wah before my bad monkey OD on my old fender bassman, not so much on my solid state stuff tho.
I can get some really nice tone on the tube amp that way.

#4491....


   
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(@gnease)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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thanks DH. at first I thought there was some swearin' going on.

and my immediate thought was 4095 (= FFF hex)

-=tension & release=-


   
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 KR2
(@kr2)
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My immediate thought was a really bad, bad, bad grade.

It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.


   
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(@ricochet)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 7833
 

Or an overdrive pedal blowing out: FFF! (Followed by a wisp of smoke.)

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."


   
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(@trguitar)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3709
 

I use overdrive with tube amps. I use the extra gain to overdrive my preamp tubes like an extra preamp stage. What do I get from this? Sustain for one. I think the tone is brighter with better harmonics too. I dunno? As people above asaid though, use what you like. That is why there is so much stuff there and there is nothing wrong with clean tone straight from the amp either. FFFFFFTTT ooops :oops: Excuse me .... sorry. :roll:

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@anonymous)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
Topic starter  

well, i just spent the afternoon abusing my eardrums with my new nyc big muff pi, so i'm obviously not going to see it that way. i've learned to hear distortion or fuzz as a tone, and can hear the notes through it. also, you can have high levels of distortion at low volumes, and very loud clean tones. they're related because you can overdrive an amp by playing too loud for it, but a pedal can get a distorted tone at very low volumes. at the same time, the old grateful dead wall of sound could get incredibly loud guitar tones that weren't very distorted.


   
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