PGS Smackdown: Fender Deluxe Vs. Lovepedal Les Lius

[dylansmale]

B had more headroom, better dynamics, more complex breakup (if there is one amp a pedal will have the hardest time emulating, its the breakup of a tweed... or for that matter even the cleans of a tweed)

[Zwikster]

contender A kicks major ass during the chorus for rocking in the free world. sounds much more "open wide" and not as dense and restricted as contender B

[jelledegitaarman]

take in mind that the marshall is distorting too and that gives a brithish sound

[danakerman]

@jelledegitaarman Did you actually watch the whole video? The Marshall is running clean, as Andy demonstrates. Marshalls are fairly transparent amps that have a pretty glassy clean sound. There is no distortion being added by the Marshall whatsoever.

[000steelandstone000]

can i just: was this particular tweed deluxe fitted with a 12ax7 in V1, or was it a 12ay7?

coz it seems to be getting quite a bit of gain! 

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

@000steelandstone000 - We kept it stock, which is a 12ax7. These amps saturate very nicely when you turn them up. Thanks!

-PGS

[ruffles272]

well why is it so muddy?

[Fenderkid67]

@ruffles272 I have a devil and the drive channel sucks. Idk. haha

[RT101894]

i like A

[duankoboi]

A please :)

[tcmaxxx]

Is that dry tone at 2.05 Disarm by The Smashing Pumpkins? Its killin me!

[jimmypinch]

good idea, more, more

[jaiknkayla]

you do pgs smackdown for the boss fender pedals vs the amps and reverb tank

[fullmetalfunk]

To me A sounds better. I'm thinking that's the real Fender.

[mixmasterlees]

b is the les luis

[micantino]

I like contender B

[IntenseJim]

I had a 5E3 Clone. The Les Luis gets >90% of the amp but is more versatile and fun with the boost. Amazing pedal.

[brownbigb]

a sounds better. much smoother. but the deluxe channels are not linked,yet the mic volume is up,that makes the sound more muddy.

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

No, the mic volume was not up. Wrong.

[brownbigb]

you are right i saw the chickenhead knob backwards

[javiceres]

if those are the actual settings, the amp is pretty cranked for a Les Paul (wich I like)

[meateaterer]

a has a much tighter bottom end

thus i like b

o wow i just saw the answer!!!

i bought the LL from you

i love it !!!!

even through - the occasional - ss amp it sounds amazing

always loved the cranked deluxe sound

nice vid

[almudjk]

why the vox cab?

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

Because we like it.

[javiceres]

Me too !!

[NJlo]

Are there Alnico's in there?

That may make it sound muddy at higher volumes ime.

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

Except for the fact that Alnico Blues are known for their high end chime. These are bright speakers.

[NJlo]

Could be the Wharfedales I'm used to in my Vox.. Loads of mids!

[ebeatworld]

I think A is way better. B sounds too muddy. But it also depends on how they are mic'd

[raconei]

I say A because i find the Lovepedal a little bit fuzzy ;)

[mouldeck]

i like B, it's dirtier

but i think the fender amp is A

[aulasdejapones]

I stick with B

[Eirikguitar]

B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bonsc1]

i say A.

[mattlittler89]

I prefer A. Seems to have less gain and a little more definition than B. They both sound great though.

[javiceres]

I have a Les Paul and a 57 Deluxe with an Alnico Blue spkr, and I'd say the Fender is the 2 for the bass response on the 39''-40''.

Funnily I was playing this very same song a couple of days ago with almost the same gear. Such a simple and GREAT song. If I had a proper recorder equipment I should make a video response, actually someone should do it.

By tha way, this video is incredible and very helpful !

Cheers!

[ravenrage07]

A = Amp, B = Pedal. B was better to me tho.

[corgi596]

B is better

[law59]

Go to A ( fender Deluxe ) ;)

[holuj49]

B is my favourite.

[matonman325c]

Rocking in the Free world! Giddy up

[VegetativeHorse]

I agree that A sounds better, broader and less compressed, so I'd be inclined to say that's the amp. Doesn't mean I'm necessarily right just because a sounds better though ;-)

[TheLetheProject]

B is the pedal; it breaks up more like a pedal

[the1stbeaner]

A is the deluxe, more mid

B is pedal, more low end / presence

i like B better

[grundgeguitargod]

A is the pedal becuse the Marshall gives it a fatter sound ,if im right can i get the marshall and a 4x12 cab for free at your store?????

[HKP1994]

b is the pedal...a is better

[doctorwhoi1]

go A

[xdivinebladex]

these too sound much more closely related than the last battle. but I like A better

[asskickingchicken10]

I like B. I like the fatter sound, and it seems like more tones are coming thru.

[YouAreTodays]

@asskickingchicken10 more tones are coming through? Are you kidding me?

[Buddyismyking]

Andy may I just say that this was a brilliant idea. Love the idea of comparing pedals to originals.

[razzman1958]

I like A the best......I think B is the pedal thru the Marshall

[kilyatwice]

I love that Fender Tweed, man. One of the most revolutionary amps ever built.

[redbird963]

lovin' the smackdowns

[thedom021]

the pedal pulls it off wonderfully but the amp sounds much warmer, A is the pedal, B is the amp

[PYROSF]

I like b a lot better, don't know why... but i do.

[loaded117]

B is the pedal plus marshall, A has a lot less fat sound in it which i think comes from this classic fender deluxe. I dont think of a fender deluxe when i hear such fat sound like that

[malcatron]

I'd say it's French and pronounced "lay leeoo"

Either way it nails that NY tone!

A is the pedal, sounds slightly boxy not as warm as B.

[fucksalottasluts]

I think the B sounds better.  More highs and brighter, probably the pedal. Pretty close, with enough twiddling you could probably get them exact.

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

LOL!!! Your user id...too funny.

[fucksalottasluts]

It's my "dinos-whore" name. :)

[mennoosmusic]

I like the 'open' sound of A better, I'm guessing that's the pedal. B sounds more compressed, I'm wondering if the original output volumes were similar.

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

The clean/unaffected volume of the Marshall is lower than the volume of the Tweed. We were shooting to make the overdriven volumes of the amps even.

[Yoghone]

A is the pedal and it's way better

[carlosdlguerra]

yes it is B is the amp

[justinsong514]

I like A better

[SJP444]

B is the amp

[cosmogang]

Meh : B is fatter, A cuts more.

[peterg8681]

I think A is the pedal and either way I prefer A.

[TaffyRaphie]

B sounds more compressed, and better to me, but i REALLY wanted the amp to win, but it looks like the compresssed sounding one os better which is the pedal pribably

[imgooley]

A sounds better

[kirkhammett1993]

A pedal, B amp

[anewstatic]

B is definitely the pedal.

[binladensassassin]

i reckon b is the pedal

[deadheadman66]

b is the pedal

[prsfan01]

I like A better whatever it is....

[benitosuave]

My guess is B is the Les Lius. Fuller tone

[ivanarato]

and B is better IMO

[Itsooz]

A is the amp. And imo it sounds better. Not that muddy.

[ivanarato]

IMO

A - pedal (more rounded)

B - amp (full sound)

but i can be wrong hahahah

[allochthomas]

i say A is the amp. in my ears it sounded a bit better and not as compressed, although B is not far behind.

[bassmanrutter]

i think b is the les lius

[yobhsiFehT]

Quite sure B is the pedal - little more compressed. Both sound GREAT, tho!

Sidenote: does anyone else hear Marshall clean tones and just think, "Eh, good enough"?

[dkrumrie123]

i agree with the marshall cleans, meh

[terminalninja]

B is definetly the pedal, you can hear the brashness of the vintage modern. i own that amp :)

[casperfren]

think B is better for soloing because its not that compressed but for rythm i like A , think A is pedal, B is amp

[arekceg]

A sound better imo :)

[hopedatuchoke]

I'm guessin A is the Fender, it sounds slightly brighter and cleaner.

[PurpleHazeNr10]

I liked contender B better and I think it's the pedal.

[stratocaster7219]

I'd like to see Uni Vibe smackdown with the original and some clones

[bdzimmer]

I think A is the Fender and B is the pedal. B had kind of a weird loose breakup in the low end that reminds me of a Vox amp...and it looks like they are running the Marshall through a Vox cab.

[symptom07]

Don't know wich one is the amp. But contender A is my favorite BY FAR.

[gunnargeir79]

I say B is the Fender :)

[andrewt248]

I'd call it: A=amp and B=pedal. It always seems that a cranked amp doesn't carry as much low end as a clean amp with pedals (which can be a good thing).

[Boiller2]

I liked A better, B kinda sounded too heavy and kinda like some scooped mids. Dunno, I prefer the (tiny bit) more brightness on A.

[RosaRose168]

I like A but B is pretty close. I don't think I can tell the difference if they weren't A/B-ed

[Kitarist88]

Or its the opposite lol :D :D

[Kitarist88]

A is the pedal while B is the amp :D :D

[mourningleaves]

B is a bit more compressed and 'blooms' more after the attack, making it sound wild in a Neil Young kinda way. A has a harder attack, more 'marshally' IMO. Could be the marshall giving it that trait. Also some more odd order harmonics. So my guess is:

A - pedal

B - amp

Both great sounds!!

[mourningleaves]

Hmm... I was wrong. Not to make excuses, but I think the speaker made it sound more british, which threw me off. Consider this: the pedal is made to sound like a Fender Tweed amp through ANY amp, more or less, while the actual Fender sounds most fendery through a Jensen alnico....

Anyway, I got it wrong. I wonder if it would be an easier call in the room...

[Phishboy26]

Id like to see the Fender tweed go up against the marshall with no pedal.

[toneburner]

I like Contender A the most, so I hope that this is the Amp!

But I also have to say, that both Contenders are very close, at least through my cheap pc speakers and the youtube compression

[MojoPenguin]

Jeez, It's pretty tough this time... I'd say that A is the pedal with the Marshall amp as it seems to have just a slight bit more mids and grind, but it's damn close... Anyway I'd say A the pedal.

[MojoPenguin]

Thanks for the PGS smackdown Guys! Great stuff and playing. Keep the small funny pics around in the vids ;o) Cheers

[ZER0G12]

I'd have to say that they both sound really good, but contender A definitely gets my vote!

[melsamjay]

A seems to be the amp..B seems to be the pedal, with added volume and grit...

Could be wrong, but A seems to be the Tweed.

[hzmoke]

A= Fender

 B= Marshall+Pedal

[occupiedbytim]

I like contender A, but regardless, I like the other video of the Fender with the Rothwell Hellbender even better. Now THAT is tone!

[nikitran]

I'm going to say that A is the amp, as well. I did like B better in most, but not all, instances.

[garysmartable]

I prefer A

[PapaKenny777]

Hmmm this one is to close! I am almost sure that B is the real tweed fender deluxe, It just has more of that cranked power amp break up sound but I could be wrong? Very close! I think an Mi audio crunch box vs Marshall 800 smackdown is in order!

[PbVeritas]

B ist too dirty for me

[beefyoriginal]

I think they (obviously) sound VERY similar, but I believe the amp is A and the pedal is B. I think the sound difference is largely from the cab actually-"A" sounds a little "boxey" which I suspect is from the cabinet.

[occupiedbytim]

They're using the same cab.

[cbr9393]

I think A has more tone to it sounds better

[semifixtion]

A's gotta be the amp

[gree17]

B is the pedal. Its has a little too much gain to be pure tube saturation.

[codyt5]

agreed

[topicrass]

Conteder "A" is Fender Deluxe

and the Conteder "B" is the Les Luis..

ialso thinkthe LEsLuis really hit the nail to achieve the Deluxes Sweet Spot Overdrive..

also whatabout...LovepedalPuple Plexi vs JCM 800??'

[codyt5]

I second everything you said haha. And a Purple Plexi matchup would be awesome!

[renthal971]

...B

[tylerdwells]

I think B is the amp.

[spider5001]

Wow! that was close!!! I'm thinkin the amp would prolly be the muddier? A is the pedal and B is the amp?

[GreySugizo]

they both sound about the same to me, i think thats a good thing right lol

[idahodad1]

Contender B had more bite to it, which I prefer.

[andr3wbr1an]

do you have a review on that marshall? it sounds amazing

[snowbrdr88]

i dont know which is which, i feel like B is the pedal, I just can't imagine a tube amp sounding so clear as B, cus its less muddy than A. I'll see soon enough, I'm dying!

[macdaddylorenzo]

2:02 - So beautiful! Anyone know what song this is? Thanks!

[macdaddylorenzo]

Keep on rockin' in the free world!

[skafskaf]

I like the B sound better.

[FiveseveNp90]

A does sound a little more clear and smooth. B has more of the "poweramp pushed to its limits" character which I'm not a fan of. If it turns out that B was the pedal after all I would just HAVE to know the secrets of that little circuit :)

[FiveseveNp90]

Aaaand I was wrong, of course :)

The slightly muddier tones I was hearing came from the clipping diodes in the Les Lius. Turns out it's just an Electra-type distortion. I guess less really is more.

[ZenDriveSeven]

I think B is the Lius as well. Great shootout! .....but your Ring-girl needs a shave :)

[wareaglebabe11]

b is def the fender.

[babyslapmafro]

"B" gets my vote

[cmartinrel]

Can't tell which is which, but I like A much better than B---mostly because of the nice, smooth compression. That probably means it's the pedal ...

[kleydj13]

I think B is the Les Lius. Lovepedal FTW!!!

[FrankKair]

I think the Contender B is the Les Lius and I liked it more than the Contender A (wich sounds a little compressed for me...).

[occupiedbytim]

I chose A. I think the A is the Fender. Loooove the thickness and how rich sounding it is. Go Contender A!!!

[ryzingsun11]

b is pedal

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

The funny thing is, I was in the booth helping Andy dial in the tones today, and I still can't tell which ones which. We can't clearly tell the difference between the Les Lius and a 50 Marshall or the 12 watt Fender.

[hendrixkixas]

B has to be the fender and A has to be the pedal. I don't know... just B has that full amp sound, whereas A just seems a little less substantial.

[jwuonog]

My thoughts exactly. B has that saturation and thickness. A sounds a little more clear.

[Acr2440]

A cliffhanger? You magnificent bastards!

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

Why thank you....thank you very much.

[snouter]

I did not look at the comments first. Anyhow, my guess is the Lovepedal is B like most folks indicated so far. 0:18 Rockin' In The Free World.

[SlingerOfTruth]

Oh I forgot, I think A is the pedal and Marshall.

[DoubleIntruder]

I think contender A sounds tighter overall which makes me think it's the les lius pedal.

B has more of a Cranked up sound which is why i think it's a tweed being overdriven.

[MistahhB]

At first I liked A a lot, but I listend many times over, and I have to say that the tone from B is more full, and a bit fatter. I think B wins, but A gives it a good run for it's money.

[SlingerOfTruth]

I say contender A. B seems to get a little muddy on the low end not to mention A seems to have a little more sustain.

[finch8806]

you guys got smart by not revealing the contenders. now i have no choice but to watch!! (i would anyways)

in the first part i was in the air between the two. each one had qualities that i liked and others not so much. but at the end i liked contender b a lot more.

[speakercoilmusic]

I think A is the pedal and B is the amp. I agree B sounds thicker and a little more smooth. Both sound good. The reason I think A is the pedal is because it has that high end sparkle of a Marshall, where as the B has the thick richness of natural tube distortion. If I am wrong, then I am quite happy.

[usedtobias]

i also prefer b, but i thought a sounded really good too, and to me they both definitely sounded like the same TYPE of overdrive, and in the same ballpark of tweed amps or whatever. i think that's pretty good considering one's a pedal and one's a $2000 amp. he could've said those were two different tweed deluxes and i probably wouldn't have thought otherwise.

[D35J4RD1N5]

I love these, I hope you make tons more of these vids

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

Which one is the Les Lius through the Marshall?

[D35J4RD1N5]

I think B is the Les Lius, not sure though

[Enforcer010]

damn im actually liking both but im more for B so yea

[MarkBrim]

b wins.. a was more natural, a compressed tube attack.. b was sharper like an overdrive pedal.

[guitarskate92]

CONTENDER B!!!

[strandwolf]

How's your hearing holding up? I said, "How's..."...oh, never mind....

[777jordan]

i think b is the les lius, the winner.

[guns1rose]

contender b wins. (sounded better)

i thought contender a was a bit more nasaly, but still sounded good

[paulkay42]

b totally wins