Express w/ Pedals

[seedlings]

Does an Express rely on how the guitar loads down V1, in a similar way to a good Fuzz pedal, OR is the Express sensitive to input amplitude/volume?

If it's amplitude, then one could still get the 'clean to mean' with a pedal board in-between the guitar and amp input.

I appreciate your thoughts. I'm trying to decide on a next build.

CHAD

[Blackburn]

I think a circuit like that of the Express or LP reflect anything that comes between the guitar and the amp. They're so articulate and can really show you just what you're losing. You'll still get clean to mean, but I'm sure you'll hear a pedal board through the amp even though you're not using any of them. It'll likely be heard in the high end, or lack thereof. Not an extremely noticeable loss, but noticeable. Herein lies the beauty of plugging straight in.

[seedlings]

^ that's what I kind of expected. I need a different kind of versatility, and will probably drop the extra triode of gain, which leaves me with a different amp. Gain stage> plate fed tone stack> gain stage> LTPI > 6V6GTs

Thanks again,

CHAD

[geetarpicker]

I use to think a direct connection was essential with my Express, however I was surprised that (on stage) when I've run my Sennheiser Wireless that I could still control the amp well from the guitar. Maybe not quite as well and there was more noise, but still quite workable. Still my wireless maybe more transparent than some pedal boards actually. That said, my pedal board is a bit too noisy for me to take in front of my Express so I never use it. The only inline effects I've ever used were a Wah and it's is wired true bypass, same goes for my Turbo Tuner. Doesn't mean that a pedal board might work though...

[Roe]

A board works at real low volumes (e.g. 2). Vibe, wah, and delay seems to work (but keep the delay level low if the amp overdrives)

[JoeCon]

Seedlings

A Rocket works real nice with pedals and there is an octal version as well so you could still do the EL34's...mine has KT66s.

[seedlings]

Seedlings

A Rocket works real nice with pedals and there is an octal version as well so you could still do the EL34's...mine has KT66s.

Thanks for pointing that out! I wonder if the Rocket takes pedals better because the cathode follower doesn't have as much gain as the TW, and then the tone stack drops even more voltage before the PI? I really seem to like a plate fed tone stack right after the first gain stage because it seems to have the most flexibility in tone through the remaining gain stages.

KT66 are great tubes. That's what I use in my personal build. I want a 6V6 amp though. I may even do a quad of 6V6... just to do it.

CHAD

[rooster]

I can use a pedal board in front of my Express but, as Roe suggests, my input volume is low, 9-10 o'clock-ish. Which ends up being plenty loud for most club gigs these days.

The only issue I run into is a result of the midrange the amp has. For example, the wrong OD or Wah can accent the midrange too much and mess things up. Well, at least to my ear. For example, I'm a big Tubescreamer fan but a Timmy works better overall on the Express, IMO.

I'd be curious to know what Wah you are using, geetarpicker. Mine is a modded Fuller Clyde Deluxe that is fairly 'clean' if that makes any sense. I run it's volume at one notch back of top dead center, or in other words, at unity with no boost.