[11 Gauge]

...the terms overdrive, booster, distortion, and even fuzz can really throw you in the search for the right pedal. so many of them cross over into different territories that to call them one type of pedal is really misleading. there are fuzzes that are so creamy that some players don't even use them as a fuzz. conversely, there are distortion pedals that clip so hard that they sound like a fuzz. other distortion pedals with the gain knob dropped way down low are great at simply overdriving an amp, thereby making them a great overdrive OR booster pedal. some players even use the TS stuff just as a booster, with the gain all the way down and the volume all the way up.

Jordan's points are all excellent ones. This is so subjective that some research will really get you to at least square one. Get the sound sample CD, listen to some sound files on the internet, and check out Harmony Central for reviews. But perhaps the best way to learn the differences in all these pedals is to use a search engine to find some sites where guys actually design and build these pedals. You don't have to get into any more than the basics to learn what sets apart all the classic circuit designs - basically what makes each and every pedal out there what it is. And if you want to learn more, great. It will eliminate alot of guesswork by simply getting a pedal because someone else had great luck with it, or it's advertised as doing a certain thing.

But Jordan's best point of all is to find these things used on the internet. Pick up stuff for cheap that you've heard a few promising sound samples of. Give them a try with your rig. Get educated along the way, sell back what doesn't work and continue the process. You'll get an idea of what does what and if it works for you in no time.

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