Do you like many control knobs on your amp and pedals or just a few?

[literary]

I like a small amount.

More knobs doesn't equal more good sounds! That's what I found.

It's easier to make an amp or effect sound bad than good when turning lots of knobs!

Everyone chime in!

[2labs]

The less the better because I'm actually playing and not tempted to keep stopping to adjust knobs.

[TommySixGun]

If I had my way, I'd have gold wire goin right from the pickup to the jack :funnel

[Vej]

If a peddle or amps tone stack is designed well then less is certainly more.

I don't use rack effects other than overdrive for similar reasons. I end up spending so much time tweaking presets and adjusting things I find I actually play a lot less. It really becomes more of a distraction than a benefit.

[LiamMaru]

What do you define as 'a lot'?

If this is a lot:

http://www.maurymccown.com/images/uploads/Ecstasy20thAMain1small.jpg

Than yes, I prefer amplifiers with a lot of knobs :D. I don't think the problem is 'too many knobs', it's 'too many knobs that do nothing of any real use'. If a knob can audibly affect tone in combination with the other features of the amplifier that is useful to me, than I like it. Otherwise, I can do without it.

[literary]

Quality of gear does make a difference. I saw a pic of some Marshall model with a BUNCH of knobs! It was just too many! That seemed more adjusting the tone in a processor than an amp.

I had a gt-5 at one time. It was easy to make a real awful sound by adjusting the eq controls.

[mmmtacos]

Less. I can never get effects to sound right without stepping on the tone.

That's why I concentrate on pups and EQ to sound the way I want.

But that's just me:whistle

[_xxx_]

The count of knobs is irrelevant, it should sound good and do what it's supposed to.

[JGB]

I'm looking for an amp with one knob that says "MORE"

[_xxx_]

Make that "MORE GOODNESS" :happy1

[JGB]

Make that "MORE GOODNESS" :happy1


:thumbsup

[mmmtacos]

Make that "MORE GOODNESS" :happy1

.....Yummy Goodness.............

OK, I know, that's just wierd:happy1

[thedude]

I don't have a preference, more or less controls, but my favorite amps to use don't have very many controls. They are, Vox VBM1 and Laney GH100ti

[pel666]

Honestly....I dialed my Amp in and apart from using the Volume and MVolume...the rest is probably already stuck ;) :headbang

[Vengeance]

http://www.bassexchange.com/catalog/images/Orange%20PPC112%20Tiny%20Terror%20set2.jpg

Doesn't get any simpler :thumbsup

[thedude]

I played one of those once it was awesome. I want to get that exact same rig. I'm jealous.

[BamaKramer]

The Orange Tiny Terror is where it's at. How about the 1 knob valve jr.?

[GlueSniffinEd]

Lots of knobs make me want to tweak my own nipples and chortle in ecstasy.

[Vengeance]

I played one of those once it was awesome. I want to get that exact same rig. I'm jealous.

I was a bit skeptical at first but I'm lovin it more and more. I played it through my Marshall 4x12 the first week and liked it. Then I figured I better try out the cab and holy smoke,it sounded so much better. I have a 1960a,1960 classic,Mesa 2x12,and a 1962 Fender 1x12. That little 1x12 sounds sooo good. I should check my temperature,1x12 sound good? :-x


The Orange Tiny Terror is where it's at. How about the 1 knob valve jr.?

I was never a fan. I have heard modded ones that sound absolutely killer but that's a lot of time and work that I don't have. A valve jr would be just another project sitting on the shelf for me. I have told myself after the Sovtek I was never going to buy another amp but the Orange was tooooo good of a price,got it from my pawn shop. Best thing I ever did,gassing for a TH30 now :banghead

[Blix]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4643235988_7b32a2dac6_z.jpg

8 knobs is my limit. ;)

[Canadianspunge]

I'm looking for an amp with one knob that says "MORE"

I hear the guitarist of Spinal Tap has one of those... :whistle

Seriously though, the Satchurator has a 'more' pedal. Just in case melting someone's face isn't enough :headbang:headbang

[StageStar]

I'm with less.Too many and your sound is gone.
Greg Koch stated at one of his seminars "99% comes from fingers and 1% from the rest".He only had two stompboxes there and his amp,a custom made thing with 3-4 knobs on.The sound was just amazing and the stomps were not used but a few times.

[aceman_831]

Less knobs forsure, then if need be to get a signature sound... Rack equalizer or pedal EQ and thats all you need ;]

[pel666]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4643235988_7b32a2dac6_z.jpg

8 knobs is my limit. ;)

Dude....is that a Dumble???

[helocene]

Dude....is that a Dumble???

Brown Note D'Lite (http://www.brownnote.net/)

I've got a amp on the workbench, two knobs, "Some" and "More" :thumbsup

[Blix]

Dude....is that a Dumble???

Haha, nope, but it's a very good clone built by Moss from Brown Note. Extremely good build.
I have a few hours on a real Dumble Overdrive Special , and this one is just as good.

Very versatile, a killer clean channel that loves pedals, and the thick fat Dumble overdrive, very touch sensitive and expressive.

[Blix]

Brown Note D'Lite (http://www.brownnote.net/)

I've got a amp on the workbench, two knobs, "Some" and "More" :thumbsup


Nice! Which circuit are you building?

[BeN5150]

I really liked the Tiny Terror when I used one, and then I got a Peavey Ultra, and that was great, but something wasn't quite right with the power section

I had a Laney AOR 50, and that didn't sound that good by itself, but great in a band setting.

And then I moved into rack gear and have been flipping through Preamps pretty good

I can't wait to get my Peavey Rockmaster (will pick it up I hope when some of my Paintwork is done), because its just a beefed up Preamp out of the Peavey Ultra

Number knobs has nothing to do with tone quality, either way. Lord Knows I would go simple if I could find the tone i want in a simple rig, but now having got into rack effects and shit like that, I will pretty much always have a Rack setup, fuck stompboxes:D

Plus, with a rack setup, if you're just not feeling the tone of one specific piece of gear, you can easily remove individual components, and it also can show you if you can be truly happy with a tone thats stripped down or way over the top

In fairness, the rack pieces I use, there is only 5 knobs

2 volumes (one perside, stereo) and 2 knobs that control if the poweramp acts like EL-34s or 6L6s (I believe), and one knob that can scroll through tones, but I never touch that, I just use the foot controller.

[helocene]

Nice! Which circuit are you building?

Nothing specific, just a collection of my bad ideas. It has a cold biased 3rd stage(24K) like a SLO(39K) Other than that it's kinda crazy. Using 2 6N1P preamp tubes, 6N3P output tube, Schmitt phase inverter.
Think of Some as the MV and More as the dirt.

[pel666]

Looks like a Dumble clone, even the font is the same and has an external unit....just like the DumbleAtor...hence I was asking :thumbsup Ceriatone has a version as well ;)

[helocene]

Looks like a Dumble clone, even the font is the same and has an external unit....just like the DumbleAtor...hence I was asking :thumbsup Ceriatone has a version as well ;)

Yeah, It looks a LOT alike. Here's a little background (http://adlibmusic.net/dlite/index.htm)on it if'n you're interested

[pel666]

Interesting! So it's not a Dumble clone...I never saw that amp before in my life and the first and immediate thought was...Dumble ;)

Just rambling on as a Tube fanatic....

Dumble's, just like Sunn 100s / ModelT and the SLO100 have been the real pioneers in Tube amplification...gonna check out some clips on that non Dumble clone, am really interested :thumbsup (seriously).

(And before folks mention Marshall, Fender, Ampeg etc. as pioneers too...they were all based on the same Sunn 100S schematics. Peavey's EVH/5150/Mesa leads and most high gain amps are based on the Sunn ModelT. Dumble and the SLO went outside the box and applied Tube tech in a unique way, just like Sunn late 50's/early 60's)

[helocene]

No way the Fender Bassman was based on Sunn schematics. It predates Sunn by a decade.
It was based on radio schematics from Western Electric and introduced the then unique to instrument amps cathode follower.

I'll agree with the rest of your statement :)

[pel666]

Ah, you got me there bros...the Bassman (5B6)! :thumbsup

[literary]

more confusion!:D

[Blix]

Interesting! So it's not a Dumble clone...I never saw that amp before in my life and the first and immediate thought was...Dumble ;)



My amp is a Dumble clone, it's helocene that's building a non-Dumble Brown Note... :)

[Holzar88]

As the Hulk would say, "Knobs GOOOOODDDD!"

[pel666]

My amp is a Dumble clone, it's helocene that's building a non-Dumble Brown Note... :)

Just listened to some ODR clips, they sound (and look) AWESOME! It gives me an instant Robben Ford feeling...Funny on the logo, Dumble vs D'lite. Not sure how you call that in English, but it gives a direct link to Dumble :thumbsup

[pel666]

Nothing specific, just a collection of my bad ideas. It has a cold biased 3rd stage(24K) like a SLO(39K) Other than that it's kinda crazy. Using 2 6N1P preamp tubes, 6N3P output tube, Schmitt phase inverter.
Think of Some as the MV and More as the dirt.

Sound VERY interesting. I used a JAN Russian 6N1P on my Hi-Octane as output tube...sounds like a bees nest on steroids :headbang I did put in another Octal socket with a 6V6G so I can choose which one to use...the 6V6G gives incredible warmth.

[mrwhipper]

I am normally a LESS kinda guy. Amp, clean boost and a wha, but I just got a Digitech RP1000 and I am liking it.

[Rick S]

I agree with Ben. The number of knobs really isn't here nor there.

[GPDUSA]

Less is more. The Marshall Vintage Modern nailed it, set it once and use your vol/tone controls to do the rest.

[errbt]

Few, I guess, though I've got an amp with lots (because of its separate tube and solid state preamps, each with its own lead and rhythm channels, plus reverb and chorus). The only knob I ever touch on it is the bass, to bump it up or down a few notches when switching between my thinner sounding alder '86 Focus 3000 and my boomier '87 F-3000 (don't know what wood, but is is THE heaviest focus of my 5) and Epiphone Dot.

As far as effects, the only one that gets tweaked regularly is my DD-3 Delay, with my Flanger occasionally being switched between slow and a "fast as it can go" crazy rotary effect. My RP-7 settings are tried and true (90% I play is on one patch, with 3 others used occasionally), and my Dan-O EQ, EVH Phase, and Sonic Stomp are set in stone.

I keep my amp knob settings (in case they get bumped while carrying) as well as all my delay settings for songs (in case I forget 'em) written down in little knob diagrams. My oldest sheet had to be laminated as it was starting to look like the map from the beginning scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark (including having an upper quarter section that had separated). :thumbsup:D

I just got a Boss Dynamic Wah (auto wah), which is the most complex pedal I've ever had as far as knobs go, and it can make some crazy sounds, but I've been chicken to change it on the fly live from the setting that gives me a nice "talking" effect. Looks like it's time to start a new sheet! :D

[So99]

Less is more.

I like single channel amp with 2-3 different pedals for more/different gain stucture.

Simple amp breaks rarely, it's easy to fix, and offer plenty room for mods.

Or maybe I'm just afraid of those modern multi-channel monsters?

[G.A.S. Ackward]

Less, definitely.

My favorite amp is my '82 JCM800. 6 knobs. 1 channel. Done.

BUT, if I was a session player and needed a ba-jillion tones each day to earn a living, then I guess I would vote more knobs, more channels.

But I'm not. I love my 800. Power in simplicity.

[F3K]

the best guitar sound i ever got was out of an amp with 10 knobs and i used less than half of them. on most other amps i usually wind up desperately wishing they had more knobs.