This evening, I spent two short sessions with Lady, each with a different pedal chain and amplifier.
The first was about ten minutes with Chain C, my five-pedal setup, through the Fender Pro Junior IV.
My favourite setup remains Chain A, with just two pedals. I like keeping the guitar volume knob within reach and using it to move between different tones. The Dynatrem’s level knob also gives me an additional boost when I need it.
Chain C offers a different approach. I left Lady’s volume at maximum and let the pedals do the work. Instead of rolling the guitar volume up and down, I chose the character I wanted from the pedals. Different sounds, different amounts of boost. I enjoy this approach too.
Later, I returned for another fifteen minutes, this time with Chain A through the VHT Special 6.
It was good to have the guitar volume knob back in play. With the FFM2, I could roll the volume down to reduce the fuzz and move towards a more overdriven sound. A simple adjustment, but one that gives me plenty to work with.
I ended the session with Geoff Bullock’s Refresh My Heart in G major.
Two sessions with the same guitar, two different chains, two different amplifiers. Neither needed much time, and neither required me to search endlessly for the right tone.
I like Chain A for its simplicity and the way it encourages me to work with the guitar. I like Chain C for the variety of sounds available without having to touch the guitar volume knob.
Perhaps I don’t need to choose between them.
After all, the point isn’t to find the perfect chain. It’s to pick up Lady, play for a little while, and enjoy making music.
And tonight, that was enough.