Whether you should put a Tube Screamer before or after distortion depends on the sound you are going for. There is no right or wrong answer, and it all comes down to personal preference.
However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow. If you are looking for a more transparent boost to your tone, then putting the Tube Screamer before distortion is a good option. If you are looking for a more saturated, distorted sound, then putting the Tube Screamer after distortion is a good option.
Tube Screamer before distortion
Putting a Tube Screamer before distortion will give you a more transparent boost to your tone. This is because the Tube Screamer is boosting the signal before it has been distorted by the distortion pedal. This can result in a more natural sound, with more clarity and definition.
Tube Screamer after distortion
Putting a Tube Screamer after distortion will give you a more saturated, distorted sound. This is because the Tube Screamer is boosting the signal after it has already been distorted by the distortion pedal. This can result in a heavier, more aggressive sound.
Here are some examples of how putting a Tube Screamer before or after distortion can affect your sound:
- Tube Screamer before distortion: This pedal order is often used for classic rock and blues tones. It gives you a warm, overdriven sound with plenty of sustain.
- Tube Screamer after distortion: This pedal order is often used for metal and hard rock tones. It gives you a heavier, more distorted sound with more punch and aggression.
You can also experiment with stacking a Tube Screamer with other distortion pedals to create even more unique tones. For example, you could stack a Tube Screamer with a fuzz pedal to create a very heavy, distorted sound.
Ultimately, the best way to decide whether to put a Tube Screamer before or after distortion is to experiment and try different things. There are no rules, so have fun and find the sound that you like best.
Here are some tips for experimenting with different pedal orders:
- Start with one pedal at a time. Once you have a basic sound dialed in, you can start to add other pedals.
- Try different pedal orders. There is no right or wrong order for your pedals, so experiment and see what sounds best to you.
- Tweak the settings on your pedals. Once you have found a pedal order that you like, you can start to tweak the settings on your pedals to get the exact sound you want.
