Re: How many sounds do you REALLY need?
No surprise, but because of my studio work and writing-to-order, I need conceivably, possibly, any guitar sound that ever got made and perhaps then some. So I have a Line 6 M13 with the expression pedal in the effects loop of my amp, and some computer-based amp/FX software, and a couple of direct boxes, and few front end effects (boost, comp, OD), and a stupid Variax 500 that's a great tool in a pinch.
But for the thing I'm trying to make into Art? I'm trying to be like Robben Ford (my new Short Duration Personal Savior): Guitar -> boost -> OD -> amp, with a touch of verb in the loop. If the amp didn't sound so damn good with the booster on, I'd ditch that, too.
Re: How many sounds do you REALLY need?
Those are the main formulas for sure, OP.
But to me every dirt pedal sounds a bit different. Most of my pedals are overdrive/distortion/boost pedals as I only use clean amps (a '65 Bassman head at the moment, but generally always a 6L6 based high headroom Black or Silver Face Fender amp). All of the different dirt pedals sound different. I tailor them to what was on record. I'm a covers guy and a note-for-note reproduction guy and I like getting the tone from the record live, or as close as possible. I love Amp In A Box pedals because they sound just as good as the real thing and I don't have to haul multiple amps or crank an amp to get it. I'm a volume pedal guy, I never did the thing like JD Simo does with the volume and tone controls, for me it was too much to think about with my hands while trying to play and I love the sound of gain pedals into a clean amp. I use the volume pedal to kill my signal, otherwise I'm full out on everything and let the pedals do the work and let the guitar and amp be as clean and open as possible, not using gainy amps or high output pickups.
For the classic rock and modern Nashville country stuff I'm doing, I take about 12 or so pedals to do what I do. I have your typical compressor, delay, reverb, etc. But then the rest are different flavors of dirt. It works for me. The only thing I don't use much is modulation. Sometimes if I know I'll be playing something that needs it I'll throw on a tremolo or a phaser/chorus/flanger or I'll throw a wah in the bag but otherwise it's just a volume pedal, a couple delays, a compressor, a tuner, and lots of dirt boxes. Very modern Nashville, which I'm highly influenced by.
Re: How many sounds do you REALLY need?
I set my amp to be overdriven when the guitar is on 10, but I roll back the volume to get clean. All my sounds are within those parameters and of course the tone controls and pickup selection. As far as pedals, I have one boost (either a TS-9 or a Soul Food), a Vox Wah, and a BOSS Delay (either a DD-5 or a DD3)which is used more for special effects than anythinig. Chorus\Phasor\Flangers never last on my pedalboard and I gave up on them years ago. I do have a microvibe that I seem to want to give a try sometimes for the Hendrix\Trower thing, but most of the time, i am playing straight through the amp. The microvibe was just brought out of the box again this week. I bet I haven't seen it in a year at least. I do not have the patience to be setting up effects like that.
Re: How many sounds do you REALLY need?
I love pedals. I wish I could handle a pedal board twice as large as David Gilmour's, full of every kind of effect possible.
However, I get easily off balanced. During gigs, I literally have trouble stomping pedals in the middle of a song without almost falling. So the last gigs I played saw me bring a Snark tuner, and that was it. Set the Marshall to the crunch channel and never adjusted a thing. It was liberating and allowed me to enjoy playing more.
Having said that, when I write and record, I'll use whatever effect contributes to the song. My favorite Beatles records are the ones from 66 on, when the effects went wild, yes even on The White Album, but worked so well for the songs.
Re: How many sounds do you REALLY need?
Like most subjective stuff, "it depends" seems to be the correct answer.
Personally, I'm looking for that "one sound" and Ill use the instrument to shape that one sound. I guess Im trying to use the instrument as a voice, and I only have the one voice.
I don't hate pedals though. I own an OCD and a carbon copy, and they are, at least for me, fun toys. Nothing I would use seriously though, which is purely the realm of a cranked non-master volume Marshall.
Re: How many sounds do you REALLY need?
How many sounds do you REALLY need......uhm
Just this one
https://youtu.be/cOmVILOvmfA?t=26