…without a pedal board. But last year, I started to going to gigs without my pedal board, and relying entirely on whatever amp I was playing to provide my tone. With just my guitar, amp, and an attenuator of course, I can usually cover all the tonal landscape I need to cover with just that. With a great amp, like my 18 Watt Plexi-style amp (Aracom PLX18-BB Trem), I just crank it up, set the attenuator to the stage volume I need, and just go to town.
It’s actually been quite liberating. Of course, the challenge of playing without effects is that if I make a mistake, I don’t have anything to hide behind. But that has just pushed me to practice more and make less mistakes – or find other ways to cover them up; usually the latter… 🙂
Now I have to admit that playing without effects wasn’t a calculated thing – well, it kind of is now… But I was kind of forced to do it once when I was running late to rehearsal, and forgot to load my board into my car. Instead of driving all the way home, I decided to just rely on my fingers. From then on, especially with my church gig, if I arrange a set that doesn’t need effects (which is actually a lot more often than not), I just load my amp, guitar and attenuator into the car. It certainly makes things interesting, but I’ve found that I’ve become a much better performer since playing without effects.
Guitar Gear 
Playing without effects is the ideal, but not too many guys do it anymore for the simple reason that digital amps don’t sound very good without help. I just placed an order for a Phaez amp and I know I won’t need pedals to make it sound dynamite. Randy Fay makes the best amps in the world and they’re mostly well under a grand. Check ’em out!
Great Post !
I have always hated effects and only recently I found ways to realize the full potential of my 1961 Fender Brownface Tremulux amp:
The main thing is off course an Attenuator for adjusting the overall volume.
I only use A/B Pedal. One goes to the normal channal and the other goes to the bright channal.
I set the bright channal volume on 7 which is still clean and fat and provides great clean rythem tone.
I set the normal channal volume on 8.5 which gives a great good ol’ power tube overdrive.
I also use a rca on/off pedal to switch the amp’s great Tremolo
That’s it. Everything comes just from a simple vintage amp – amazing !!!
I travel light ! PRS 24 Custom 60 watt Messa Boogie
1 x Boss DD3 + Boss Tuner TU2
No toe tapping No carrying lots of gear, let your head / hands and brain do the work ! it,s amazing how many people love to hear a non efx’d guitar played well !
Playing “naked” live, means you are an accomplished player. As you mentioned, there is no hiding any mistakes.
I love the raw tone of a guitar straight into a good tube amp.