How to Use Distortion Pedals: 3 Easy Tips 

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I've had the privilege of meeting Don Carr and HEARING him play. From these concise informative videos, you might never know what a fantastic versatile player he is. That's because he stays focused on the subject or product at hand. He never shows off. Don is humble. He serves the MUSIC first. He just plays what is required. If you ever get a chance to hear and see him play live, I guarantee he will light you up like a Roman candle. When Don Carr and Brian LeMert play together and they both cut loose, prepare yourself for humility. You will get calibrated. Although I too am a pro session player with decades of experience, when Don talks, ... I listen. Every guitarist will serve his goals well by listening to Don Carr. Sweetwater is lucky to have such talent. And all the information about pedals in this video is SOLID GOLD. It is RARE to find such unbiased useful information in any corporate-sponsored video. You can trust Don even when he is on the payroll.

Learn the difference between overdrive and distortion pedals.

Can you do some lead tones with the distortion effect so I can see what it looks like when I buy a distortion effect. Hope you notice me

NO MIDS MOAR GAIN

ALL THE GAIN!!!!!

No

@@ryanspencerlauderdale687 SLAYERRRRR

@@Invert_Scrub SLAYERRRR

stevie rai used ibanez

@@seanzzxxjulian no stove hai used Rg

@@musicfriend2051 stove hai is my favourite guitarist

@@seanzzxxjulian yes stove tai , my favorite guitarist

He is the Walmart Vai 😂

This is so true Don is a really cool guy and absoute professional musician.Thanks for the term " you will get Calibrated" solid gold.

🙌🙌

6thUser that didn’t get the credit it deserved my friend.

Does it hold his coffee cup?

The Angry Charlie could chug but this is not the right musician to do that :D

Hahahaha you got me hahaha

😂 😂 😂 😂

With a boss mt-2

ALLL THE GAIIIIIIN

Daisy chain 3 MT-2's. Best. Tone. Ever.

Scoop the mids?

Where do you connect the distortion pedals? To input or fx loop?

Yes

Does it sound better through the fx loop?

No one actually uses a Metal Zone that way.

You can also drive your Metalzone straight into the Return of your FX. Doing that you bypass the preamp. MZ becomes the preamp, it sounds surprisingly good! Way better than in front or int the full FX Loops.

Yes its very much the case. There is a massive volume boost using this pedal for whatever reason. Crazy boost. Thats probably why its not as good in front ...depending on amp i guess.

You can use a compressor as a volume limiter too for clean tones. Or you can use an EQ pedal as a limiter for the clean

I prefer using a compression for all of it but not too much. Just enough to make the clean tone rich and the distorted tone smooth when you’re rolling the volume knob or pedal

I try the pedal on a hard surface and see if it changes any but no every time you hit that button you need it to change otherwise something's wrong

Hi, UsNCollord216. You can do both but most overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedals are going to sound best going to the input of your amp since they typically sound best when "pushing" the preamp of the amplifier. That being said there are pedals that are designed to be used both ways. Pedals that are also labeled as a "preamp" are typically designed to be used straight into an FX loop return which essentially bypasses the front of your amp. These would be pedals like the Revv G series, Two Notes Le series, or Diezel VH4. Thanks for your interest! Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com

I've heard Orange Crush amps are great. Check your store.

ur profile pic sucks ❤️

ThatsRaidillonActually yeah?

@@octangula7914 I don’t see why you think your opinion is relevant

Luke Abrahamsen freedom of speech

@@octangula7914 ok but my pfp offends you then leave. Not my problem

Hi, Cavin! Thanks for your message, Happy Holidays. A few different ways to think about the use of a drive pedal. If you set your amp on the edge of breakup and the pedal so it has less gain and move volume, then you hear the amp more and it's "natural" drive. If you set your amp clean and the pedal with more gain and less volume, then you hear the pedal more (like another amp channel). If you set the amp dirty and the pedal with a more mid forward EQ, then you get more gain AND more clarity. There's no one answer for everyone and no wrong solution. Please contact us direct with other questions as you have them! Robert Williams, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 2371, robert_williams@sweetwater.com

@@sweetwater thank you!

I turned down the volume on the guitar and used a noise gate at the end of the pedals before the amp

You need a noise suppressor to shut that noise

same (except i can play on the clean) how do you fix that

Just 1/4 jack instrument cables.

It's a Fender American Standard Stratocaster that I bought new in 1987. It has been through a bunch of mods, like most old Strats! You can read about it here: www.sweetwater.com/insync/breathing-new-life-into-an-old-strat/ Thanks! DC

Hey Don....best sounds I've ever heard coaxed from a blues Jr with a tubescreamer and angry Charlie. Makes me wanna flip my boutique amps and pedals and get back to basics!!! Keep up the good work fella!!! Love from Blighty.👍👍👍

get out

Learning to play an instrument 🤣

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@@robmlisanti that's rude

@@zeyy84 shhh it's a joke chill out dick wad

I can’t believe how many of you didn’t hear his explanation at the beginning. Whatevs.

Its does the same thing, overdrives just have different sound. The main idea is the same, it adds gain before the amp.

Listen to his explanation at the beginning. Nevermind.

It's dirt. Although some would say running a TS into a clean amp is plain wrong.

Yes it is.

@@davoman21 no.way? But I thought it was a soft clipping pedal? Aren't dist pedals hard clipping?

@@albertplaysguitar is it a dist pedal though? I thought soft clipping was associated with od pedals?

@@grahamkelly8299 yeah I think that's technically the difference but I like to push my ODs into distortion and to bring my distortions down to a cleaner light break up... So, no rules me thinks!

Fact: Bears eat beets.

He explained before, he uses 'distortion' as a catch-all term.

@@StratsRUs then he's an idiot who shouldn't be doing videos for pedals.

Yes and no. Technically an overdrive is a type of distortion pedal. But it isn't "the distortion pedal" if that makes sense.

@@johndennison2769 it's "overdriving" the amplifier to cause it to distort anymore. That's the circuit.