HBE Power Screamer question

[bogey]

Hi everyone,i'm rerouting my pedalboard to accommodate my new builds and thinking of using my amps fx loop. My question is this...I have a HBE power screamer(got it cheap of ebay some years ago) and it's a good pedal IMO but in the manual it says NOT to run it through an amps fx loop. Is there a good reaon for this ie damaging my amp or the pedal or is it some marketing spiel to make it seem "special"? Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me

[Frank_NH]

I don't think there is any reason you couldn't use an overdrive in your effects loop except it would probably sound like crap at high gain levels.  Most OD pedals like seeing a guitar level signal as input, and their purpose is to push the preamp of your amp into breakup/distortion.

I think HBE was probably responding to some yahoos who got one of their pedals, stuck it their FX loop (hey that's where the effects go, right?? ), and then promptly returned it saying it sounded like crap.

(Now adding a clean boost to your FX loop may be a good thing if it preserves your post preamp signal and just bumps the volume up a bit - try it and see).

[rocket88]

My understanding as to why you don't use OD, distortion, or fuzz in the fx loop is because when you plug into the fx loop you're bypassing the preamp section of the amp and going into the power section. So, you're really not distorting, or overdriving the preamp like it's designed to do. I've played with my fx loop for the first time a week ago, forgot my mesa bass amp has one , and tried different effete to see how they would react. The interesting thing I found was that the modulation effects that get gritty when slammed, in perticular my small clone get gritty when I turn on my bass preamp, is smooth and clear as could be in the fx loop no matter how hard I slam the my amp with signal. This broughout out another problem, as I never noticed the dreaded lfo tick until I turned up the rate & depth and it was in the fx loop, but going in straight I don't hear it at all.

[bogey]

Many thanks Frank and rocket. I've had many amps over the years but never have I used the fx loop (never had many fx either,although I can see that changing). So I guess it's just a case of trial and error and taste regarding what goes where; tone is a very subjective thing. I'll probably just continue with my dirt pedals directly to amp and tinker with some modulation in the loop. Thanks again for your responses.