pignose single channel amps-- pedal distortion?

hey, i'm lookin into those pignose amps, particulary the V60, 60watts, 2 6L6GC power tubes and 3 12AX7s. the only thing is it's single channel, and i kinda was thinking atleast two channels, for leads. i've never been to into pedals since i got my ear:)... anybody have any comments on pedal distortion vs. amp distortion? i'd appreciate any and all feedback, thanks!

It depends.

I like to use amp distortion for my overdrive/lead tone and a DS-1 for the "heavier" distortions.

Of course, My Sunn's distortion is pretty fuzzy (a good fuzzy, but not as versital as I'd like), so I suspect I'll still be using a DS-1 handle a few specific sounds I like to get from my bass.

The 'classic' distortion sound is produced by overdriving the power stage of a tube amp. Its a great sound, but it doesn't change much, unless you have some kind of mic>effects>PA setup. Preamp distortion, or stompboxes, allow greater flexibility with things like EQ.

I gave a DS-1 to a bass player I work with because he needed some signal boost to overdrive his amp. I can get the same type of sound out of my Peavey Rock Master preamp, with more versatilty. The Rock Master is a first-class piece of kit, but its out of production, so its getting hard to find.

I've gotten good Bluesy tones with a Boss OD-3 overdrive pedal, and I used to use an Ibanez SM-9 Super Metal pedal for that 'doom-bringer' sound. I've heard enough good stuff about the Tube Screamers that I feel they're worth a look too.

Steve, I saw your original post about looking for an amp in the 30 watt/$500 range, and it seems like this is price and wattage range where you can almost get what you want these days, the emphasis is on almost! It seems like something always gets sacrificed, and alot of areas get skimped on in manufacturing. If you want to try to stay with the G60V, you could try a pedal with a real tube thru the effects loop, or you could search around for a used Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, 3 channels, you can probaly find one for $500,

Originally posted by Lordathestrings
The 'classic' distortion sound is produced by overdriving the power stage of a tube amp. Its a great sound, but it doesn't change much...

cool, i like that... i want to get an amp that i can keep for a while, i'm sixteen, but i know what i'm doin, i like the distortion on some marshalls, i have a solid state gx60 Crate, and for some old solid state amp, the distortion's great, i kinda want it to sound similar to that kinda stuff, but i want to be able to be versatile, as i develop my style quite swiftly these days. would u suggest i not worry about amp distortion, just get a good sounding amp and get pedal distortion, or should i try to find an amp with the good 'classic' distortion, or what would you suggest? i play an Ibanez RG470, and a late sixties Gibson les paul custom (our other guitarists dads' :)) a little, and i listen to a lot of Rush, some Vai, and other stuff that i like a lot melodically that varies. what do you think? i use some effects too, i'm not afraid to put on a some reverb and a little delay and chorus and stuff, but i don't let it play for me:)
thanks a lot guys, u're givin me pearls

If you want to get power-stage tube distortion, there is no alternative to cranking a tube amp. This makes a moderate (15-50 Watts) sized amp a good choice. A couple of good stompboxes can fill out your arsenal to give you pretty much any sound you want.

You might want to add the Traynor YCV 40 from Yorkville Sound to your list of amps to look at.

Originally posted by Lordathestrings
You might want to add the Traynor YCV 40 from Yorkville Sound to your list of amps to look at.

how do i find how this amp sounds? i've never seen this sucker at the store...

Anything recommended to you by anybody else is only a subjective opinion. Taste is such a personal thing, I strongly suggest that you only put your hard-earned cash into something you can try out for yourself.

yeah, i know what you're saying. do you think a pignose sounds like something i should really seriously consider? is there anything you or anyone particularly dislikes about them? thanks guys