wire uses them now and they've always had great tones.

I have used Pods when I'm just messing around...they are workable, and they are getting better. Two things:

1. A common mistake people make when using a POD is plugging it straight into their amplifier. Think about it...you are using something that is artificially simulating a cabinet's sound, and pumping the output through yet another cabinet. Either take the cabinet modeling part off your preset, or plug straight into the PA. Unless you find some oddball combination that works, that is...just keep in mind what the Pod is supposed to do. Start with the preampy stuff alone if you want to use your amp.

2. Try a different amp. Maybe play around with a Pod to see what amp settings you like, and then go and find the amp that setting is modeled after. This is the start of the road I took to find my dream amp...amps are fun, and you have your own monitor on stage. If you are running with a Pod, and you plug straight into the PA, your soundman better not suck. You will be fucked. If you want to get around that, well, you need your own PA, of sorts. So, you end up hauling around an amp/etc. anyway. Better to just get the amp, in my opinion.

Of course, you have a gazillion modeled amps you can play with on a Pod. Interesting dilemna (sp), really. Have fun...

PODs are a cheap, quick way of getting an expensive sounding guitar sound. Not a great, unique, fascinating or superb sound. They are more of a pain to use than they look though. The selling point is that you get the use of $$$$$$$$ worth of gear for $.

If you feel you could use one well with your situation/band, go for it. I've had good results with them for some things.

They aren't even close to a quality valve amp though and they are built to last only a few years. Great valve amps and great microphones are the investments that keep on giving, that will last you your entire musical life, and possibly your children's musical lives too. They are investments that are often worth every penny. This is a cliche, and like most cliches, it's true.

johnnyshape wrote:
They aren't even close to a quality valve amp though and they are built to last only a few years. Great valve amps and great microphones are the investments that keep on giving, that will last you your entire musical life, and possibly your children's musical lives too. They are usually worth every penny. This is a cliche, and like most cliches, it's true.

I've found it to be. All the gear I've bought in the past 30 or so years of playing guitar has either made me money or increased substantially in value. So has the pleasure of playing/owning it.

Then, there's the part about how an amp/cabinet/guitar that you choose reacts with your playing. I've played through these simulation/modeling units and it feels to me like you can feel your playing being processed instead of amplified. I don't like the way it feels, and I don't like the way they sound.

Just think how much value would a vintage POD hold, bwahaha.
I am thinking efficiency versus price versus my band's limited abilities. If 500$ POD is something that makes us sound 10 better, I'll do it probably. I would still ahve my pretty decent amp, and I'll be able to get lots of high gain stuff convincingly without spending 1.5K on a halfstack. If POD is really a

"cheap, quick way of getting an expensive sounding guitar sound. Not a great, unique, fascinating or superb sound. They are more of a pain to use than they look though. The selling point is that you get the use of $$$$$$$$ worth of gear for $"

i just have to do it.

Remember that also, a POD can be a pretty cool experimentation tool. You have a shitload of FX, some of them are really cool. Mixing cabinets and amps (specially when they don´t 'match', like using a 8 inch spkr with a mesa amp) , and 4-5 fx you can reach some weird sounds - probably this is one of the reasons why deerhoof used PODs.

thanks, mate =) i'll check that out
i have a NI GR software, so I know whatcha talking about

all of the Line6 stuff has this strange 7kHz distortion that drives me up a wall. In general, emulators are really cheap and crappy sort-of an idea of something like what might be a guitar sound that you are familiar with, but line6 seems to be doing it the worst. The Vox emulation is a little (little) better.

I suggest you find someone who has the guitar tone you like and ask them. if it's on a screamo record, chances are they've dubbed 4 or 5 guitars to obtain the sound you are hearing.


Jeremy

Deerhoof = more than great guitar sounds
I like, I like!

Another thing, about the Deerhoof goin' on here...
According to the latest TapeOp, these guys get their sounds by meticulous multitracking, plus the Pods. Accent on 'meticulous'. As in, multitracking single notes of chords in a single chord strum. That probably has a pretty significant effect on the way their albums sound...