Recto Effects Loop

[indieboy]

Can somebody confirm or explode a myth for me - are effects loops all they are cracked up to be?? I've got a Rectoverb series 2 and can't get on with the parallel effects loop, the delay in particular sounds dire. I run all my pedals in front of the amp. Sounds OK to me and I guess plenty of folk did it this way in the days before loops were invented. I sometimes wonder if I'm missing out on something and perhaps a smarter guy than me would fix the loop and maybe get some benefit.

Any thoughts? I play in a covers band, mostly rock with some MOR quieter stuff. I like the guitar to sound natural so I only use the pedals individually, not in combination. Thanks

Strat - 535Q Wah - Tuner - TS9 - Acoustic Sim - MXR 90 - Visual Sound Echo / Chorus - Amp

 

[recto-robbie]

I just wanted to say I agree with you. I own a rectoverb 2 combo. I do just about all my playing alone or with a friend or 2 in the basement,, not out performing so I only need a basic setup and id like to keep it that way, free of a ton of effects. Right now I only use an Ibanez ts808 in front of the amp and it sounds great. I recently just bought and returned an Ibanez ad9 analog delay pedal because of the rave reviews. I tried it in the loop and found it sounds dull and lifeless whether the effect volume was at 10% or 90%. It did sound a tad better in front of the amp behind the ts808 though. I thought it even sounded better on an old fender 5 watt solid state amp I have... I believe I had read somewhere that the effects loop on most of these amps were best off used with high quality rack effect units??? I wish I could swap the effects loop tube out for a tube driven reverb like the new express units have.. I guess you cant have everything perfect on any amp???