SansAmp Character Series Pedals

perk45 · #1 07-27-2008, 01:56 PM

Hey guys, I'm interested in picking up one of the SansAmp character pedals to improve my tone. Right now I'm playing an Ibanez SR900 into an Eden Nemesis NA650 with an Avatar 212, so the tone is pretty round and full, but I wanted to add some more character to it. I've read a lot about the VT pedal here and it sounds excellent for adding more roundness and grit, but I'm not sure that's what I want. The Edge control on the Nemesis already does that fairly well. I was curious about how the Liverpool, British, Blonde, and California pedals affected the tone's character. I'm looking for a more smooth, "velvety" tone. The band I play in plays mostly blues-based classic rock for our originals, so the Nemesis does a good job of providing me a round, punchy, somewhat gritty tone for these kinds of rock songs. However, we also play covers like "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Jet's "Move On." For these songs, I want a nice, smooth tone. It might be my unfamiliarity with EQ settings, but the Nemesis just doesn't really cut it for this type of tone. I was hoping one of these pedals would help me out. Are any of you guys familiar with any of the Character Series pedals besides the VT?

Alcyon · #2 07-27-2008, 07:08 PM

The VT actually is designed (AFAIK) to include a range of warmer, more flip-top style Ampegs as well as the SVT series, so everything on the 6-12 o'clock side of the knob should be the more sort of warm and smooth tone you're looking for. I think chances are that the other pedals in the series will have somewhat of a bass cut and more of an overdriven tone than a smooth tube saturation.

Then again I've never used any of them, only heard samples, so I could be talking out of my hat.

Vic Winters · #3 07-27-2008, 08:30 PM

Samples of the VT:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8kdWpB3U4

**cheezewiz** · #4 07-27-2008, 09:59 PM

Just get the VT. You won't be sorry.

perk45 · #5 07-27-2008, 10:03 PM

cool, thanks guys. i started watching samples of each of the different pedals and quickly realized that the vt was really the only one designed for bass. i should've just googled it before posting. thanks for the advice though, i'm going to pick up one of the vt's after i change out the mk-1's on my sr for some real american barts.