Charlie4
We all know about the standard way of boosting your amp with an OD pedal (gives +-35db signal boost)
As the question states: Is there a limit to boosting an amp?
How much is the limit?
How bout stacking 2 or 3 pedals (+- 90db boost) know that's quite a lot but I'm curious to know how it would sound
like if it's possible, obviously higher gain but to what extent and how much will it tighten the overall gain structure.
Guitar brainiacs give me your answers... 8)
MikeM
First of all, one pedal into another at that kind of boost might sound odd.
Secondly, I think this is a good example - was actually talking to someone about it a bit earlier.
1:32
I believe that tone was achieved by running a Fender Champ's output directly into another amp. It should sound quite fuzzy and ultra saturated.
AlanRatcliffe
As a young'un I used to do things like cascading three Fuzz Faces in a row, with the first two having level and gain dimed. The third would blow up on a regular basis (I was making them myself, so not really a train smash). ? Things could get pretty wild and uncontrollable with lots of feedback, weird oscillations and mush.
Cascading drive pedals is common, although it's unusual to drive each to it's max output level . Each device can only put out so much level and even a clean boost can only take so much input level before it starts clipping itself. And you can only clip a wave so far - eventually it becomes a pure square wave and everything sounds pretty much the same as any other square wave. Good for using the square wave as a basis for subtractive synthesis using filters and the guitar as the sound source.
Bear in mind that the wave shape is the difference between overdrive, distortion and fuzz. OD is a more rounded-off wave shape (like a valve), distortion leans more to a square wave and eventually all becomes fuzz, which is right in square territory. Also know that a square wave will not be reproduced properly by a valve amp - it will round off some of the edges again, softening the edge of the wave and smoothing the distortion.
The more common way of using cascaded drive pedals is to use each to add it's own drive character to the sound, but keep the output gain of each at or near unity, so that each works more or less as it was intended by the builder. This let's you get thicker, smoother high gain tones and nothing is working too hard. A clean boost in front of a drive, will boost the drive pedal to a higher gain setting and one placed after a drive will boost the volume of the drive without adding distortion. You can also use a combination of an overdrive and a distortion to add grit to a smooth drive or smooth out a harsh distortion. Playing with pedal order will also give you a variety of different tones.
Many amps cascade valves to clip them harder too - Mesa, Dumble, et. al..
Charlie4
Boosting very hard and it becomes fuzzy. Too much and you blow a pedal.
I'll keep that in mind. ?
SRXy
The limit is when the crowd start throwing bottles at you or your mate/mom/wife/gf unplugs your guitar for you. Also...when the drummer walks out in a huff because he can't hear himself playing...that's a pretty good sign you might be overdoing the boosting a bit...hehehe
Attila
Like these guys - Frijid Pink
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