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Post subject: Overdrive/Distortion Poll
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:26 pm
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If you were forced to choose only one overdrive or distortion pedal (your choice) and it could be no bigger than a standard BOSS pedal (single sized, not those two pedal ones) which one would it be and why? Digital or analogue, I don't care. Let's assume you have a typical channel switching amplifier (not the multi-digital modelling variety) so you have more than one platform to work with. Please limit selections to standard single sized, non-multi-FX units. Please also be sure to answer the second part of the question, which is why you want that one over all the others. It may also be helpful to specify what your preferred genre is so we know what kinds of tones you usually look for. It might help in understanding your choice. Thanks in advance.

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Last edited by BMW-KTM on Sun Sep 30, 2018 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:37 pm
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Blues Driver for me. I love playing classic rock and blues (of course) and prefer analogue I love how it doesn’t take over your signal - rather it gives it a low gain boost into blues sweetness. Love how it pairs with my tube amp.

I’m gonna cheat here and give a close second- I really dig my MXR Superbadass Fuzz pedal too. Gives you classic rock and also alt rock / grunge.


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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:16 pm
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If I could have only one, I'd opt for the Ibanez TS909 Tube Screamer.

With the guitar's volume control rolled back it can perform as a semi-clean boost pedal and with the guitar wide open, it's much ballsier than a Fulltone OCD (my normal boost/OD pedal).

My preferred musical genres include classic rock, traditional 12-bar blues, and vintage R&B.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 8:40 pm
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Good choices.

For me it used to be the Klon Centaur Klone I have made by J. Rockett called the Archer but recently my fave has switched to the Timmy. I like those ones because they are semi transparent (I can still hear the guitar), they clean up nicely when volume is rolled off or pick attack is gentle and because they have a certain quality of "hair" that I like. I'm a straight ahead rock n' roll guy who also dabbles in the Blues and on rare occasions the rockier style of modern country music. Now that I've been more of a Timmy man for the past couple of months or so I've been able to wrap my brain around the backwards tone controls to the point it almost seems natural to me.

Almost.
LOL
It still trips me up once in a while.


(edited for spelling)

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Last edited by BMW-KTM on Fri Sep 28, 2018 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:26 pm
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Excellent thread, Matt. I’ll be interested in what y’all like.

I haven’t got mine yet; but, because I like old school, I would consider these or similar, with a liking for Maestro Fuzz-Tone. Here is why:



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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:17 am
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it would have been a screamer or metal zone II or wah but since I got the keeley rotary fuzz vibe, I know no multi-effects, But this one is the magic box what ever you play Matt.

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 2:36 am
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+1 on the Tube Screamer. I love the sound of the naturally overdriven amp and it would be rare for me to need to get a heavier distortion that that. My favorite genres to play are alt-rock and classic rock.


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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 5:36 am
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Another +9 for the Screamer... TS-9
A very close 2nd would be the ProCo Rat, and I've played many times with nothing more than one of those in the chain.

Solid, and versatile for any classic rock/blues.... still usable for Euro-metal on the drive channel.

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 7:39 am
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My Ibanez TS9. I'm really just using it as a clean boost though (drive is all the way off and volume is almost all the way up).


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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 8:09 am
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No love for the Blues Driver????


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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 11:33 am
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Now, how exactly and what for do you guys use your overdrive pedals?

Just for boosting and crunching a little or for actual "dirt"?

I use a EHX Soul Food but when I need to sound dirty, even not so much, I have to step on my ProCo RAT.


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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 2:58 pm
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Sérgio wrote:
Now, how exactly and what for do you guys use your overdrive pedals?

It depends entirely on the song.
Sometimes I use an OD pedal with a clean amp as the basic tone and stack another one on top for a boost.
In that case, I always place my rhythm pedal before the lead pedal in the signal chain.
Conversely, if I want the lead tone to mimic the rhythm sound then I'll use a clean boost ahead of the drive stage.
Other songs I use the amp to get a bit of grind and step on a pedal for boost.
I always sound like me and there's not much I can do about that as a significant part of tone comes from the hands and my hands are never the same as somebody else's.
That said, when doing covers I still try to get a sound that is reasonably close to what the recording sounded like.
By that I mean I don't use a heavy, mid-scooped mega-grind for a classic rock song and I don't use a mid heavy Marshally classic rock tone for a modern rocker or a Fendery bluesy number.
I try to roughly approximate the tone for the sake of listener recognizability.
Within reason, of course.

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:10 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
That said, when doing covers I still try to get a sound that is reasonably close to what the recording sounded like.
By that I mean I don't use a heavy, mid-scooped mega-grind for a classic rock song and I don't use a mid heavy Marshally classic rock tone for a modern rocker or a Fendery bluesy number.
I try to roughly approximate the tone for the sake of listener recognizability.
Within reason, of course.


+1

Same philosophy as mine, Matt.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:59 pm
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My son recently purchased a Fender "The Pelt" fuzz pedal.
Tried a mini FuzzFace and a mini Russian Muff at the same time.

The mini Russian Muff sounded really great, but was a bit of a one trick pony, as it didn't respond particularly well to rolling the volume back on guitar.

The mini FuzzFace responded well to the guitar volume control, but lacked the bite and the wild abandon of the Russian Muff.

The Pelt brought the best of either pedal to the table.
It got close to the raucous snarl of the Russian, but with the volume control response of the mini FuzzFace.
So for him, and probably me, it has to be a Fender "The Pelt".

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Post subject: Re: Overdrive/Distortion Question
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 4:58 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Sérgio wrote:
Now, how exactly and what for do you guys use your overdrive pedals?

It depends entirely on the song.
Sometimes I use an OD pedal with a clean amp as the basic tone and stack another one on top for a boost.
In that case, I always place my rhythm pedal before the lead pedal in the signal chain.
Conversely, if I want the lead tone to mimic the rhythm sound then I'll use a clean boost ahead of the drive stage.
Other songs I use the amp to get a bit of grind and step on a pedal for boost.
I always sound like me and there's not much I can do about that as a significant part of tone comes from the hands and my hands are never the same as somebody else's.
That said, when doing covers I still try to get a sound that is reasonably close to what the recording sounded like.
By that I mean I don't use a heavy, mid-scooped mega-grind for a classic rock song and I don't use a mid heavy Marshally classic rock tone for a modern rocker or a Fendery bluesy number.
I try to roughly approximate the tone for the sake of listener recognizability.
Within reason, of course.



Sure, that's my approach too. But my question was more like "do you use the OD for getting the sound dirty (not as much as with a distortion but real dirty, say, Southern rock dirty) or do you use ODs just for boosting/crunching your clean tone (let's say Eric Clapton's Cocaine)?

Since I use mostly single coils, I can't really seem to get real dirt with most OD pedals, I trust my RAT for that.


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