Overdrive Pedals.. Not to beat a dead horse

Hey guys, I know everyone has a favorite overdrive so I want to hear what some of yours are. I'd like to keep this pretty open. I myself am always looking for pedals under $100, either mainstream, diy, clones, or whatever.

So, with that said lets start with some of the ones I'm curious about. I would like an array of options in clipping, but I don't really dig tubecreamers. Mainly because mids are so heavy.

Here are the pedals I want to know about:
-Fulltone OCD- I know there are some clones out there and the Dano Cool Cat is one of them, but I am wondering who's is the best, because honestly Fulltone charges an arm and a leg

-Marshall Blues Breaker 1- The real one costs too much. Best clone? GGG, BYOC, Mars, Gravity, Morning Glory, etc. Also, how different is this guy from the OCD?

-Vox Ice 9- Seems cool. Has a "more" button, when you need more.

-Vox Big Ben Overdrive

-Dano Cool Cats v1 and v2

-Barber LTD

-King of Tone

-Digitech Hardwire Tube Drive

-VooDoo Labs Sparkle Drive- a clone would be legit.

-Fulltone Fulldrive Mosfet- a clone would be legit as well.

-Pretty much any other low-mid gain OD you guys can mention.

Are most of these pedals that different from eachother? I need to go to school!

Excited to see where this goes!

-Are you looking to purchase or research project
-The KOT is over $300 alone...not sure if any clones exist
-Are you in a tone search ? What tone ?

-Are you looking to purchase or research project
-The KOT is over $300 alone...not sure if any clones exist
-Are you in a tone search ? What tone ?

Me and you and everyone is always on a tone quest I'd say.

I like the more transparent ODs. I really want to know how these pedals compare to one another.

I want to get into building my own, but I am a little intimidated by it.

I like what I've heard from the Ice 9, BB, and OCD the most. But I am looking for cheaper alternatives that are the same thing more or less.. also, how they compare to one another.

Well I can comment on the ones I either own or have played:

For Low/medium Gain OD with good tonal control- you cannot go wrong with a Barber LTD or the Dano TOD V.1 (not a fan of the V.2 and have owned both). The Dano is capable of a more useable Gain range, but the the LTD just imparts a great low-gain breakup

Affordable OCD clones/approximations are indeed the Dano Drive V.1 (basically a 'composite' of various OCD versions- said to be closest to an OCD V.1 in HP mode)- I wish I had my old one back, but sold it-dummy!.... and the Joyo Ulimate Drive

A Used OCD,Big Muff, Joyo Ultimate Drive, Big Muff, Zvex Box of Rock, Big Muff, Zvex Distortron, Big Muff,E-H Germanium OD, Germanium Big Muff

All of the ones you mention (that I've tried) are nice OD's depending on what flavor you want.

Vox Big Ben is a very nice and underrated low-med gain OD with a very natural sound. The downside is it's large and it eats batteries.

I tried to like to KOT, but never could bond with it. It has a nice small footprint, but the knobs are pretty close together which made it kind of a pain to use. I also liked the boost sound, but didn't care for the more overdriven sounds in this unit.

I love the Barber Custom Cool - I like this one better than the LTD. It also has lots of knobs, but I like the sound better than the KOT.

I really like the Nobels ODR-1, but the build quality can be dicey. I've been through about five of these. The Stampede SOV-2 is another nice one, but not cheap.

The Marshall Bluesbreaker is nice, as is the Reverend Drivetrain, which sounds similar to me. I liked the tone a lot, but they both had more gain than I wanted.

I also love the JHS Klon clone, which is more of a clean-ish boost

I'd love to try an OCD - never played through one (yet).

Well, since you mention you like transparent overdrive, the Dano Transparent OD v.1 is hard to beat at any price.

I have the Dano Drive v.1 pedal, which is freakin' awesome. I also have a Visual Sound Double Trouble, which is two TS808's in one pedal. It freakin' rocks too.

Then I have a Dano Fuzz v.1 pedal, which is a great fuzz pedal but not much octave effect, which is how I like my fuzz.

Well, since you mention you like transparent overdrive, the Dano Transparent OD v.1 is hard to beat at any price.

I have the Dano Drive v.1 pedal, which is freakin' awesome. I also have a Visual Sound Double Trouble, which is two TS808's in one pedal. It freakin' rocks too.

Then I have a Dano Fuzz v.1 pedal, which is a great fuzz pedal but not much octave effect, which is how I like my fuzz.

+1 yea....it is up there with my red snapper..

THe reason you have heard about OCD the most, is since it is sold
the most. Does not mean it is loved by the most, even if math dicates
that.

I love the Visualsound Open Road.

I like the Lovepedal Amp 11 for a really transparent od

So you want:
- Transparent(ish)
- Under $100

Therefore I would recommend one of the following:

Joyo Ultimate Drive (an OCD clone which is more transparent than a tubescreamer but not completely transparent, and sells for about $45 on average)

Dano Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive (V1 is supposed to be a Timmy clone but is out of production, V2 is probably still fairly transparent and sells for about $60 on average)

VS Garagetone Drivetrain - although it does have a mid-hump it's not that bad, and if you crank up the separate bass/treble controls and roll back the volume it reduces the effect of the mids...and it goes for about $60 on average.

Personally I would go for the Joyo Ultimate drive because of the price point, ease of use, and great reviews.

JMHO.

FYI, OP - this forum has a really good search engine. Lots of hashed and rehashed pedal info. Easy to use. You should try it sometime.


130693

So you want:
- Transparent(ish)
- Under $100

Therefore I would recommend one of the following:

Joyo Ultimate Drive (an OCD clone which is more transparent than a tubescreamer but not completely transparent, and sells for about $45 on average)

Dano Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive (V1 is supposed to be a Timmy clone but is out of production, V2 is probably still fairly transparent and sells for about $60 on average)

VS Garagetone Drivetrain - although it does have a mid-hump it's not that bad, and if you crank up the separate bass/treble controls and roll back the volume it reduces the effect of the mids...and it goes for about $60 on average.

Personally I would go for the Joyo Ultimate drive because of the price point, ease of use, and great reviews.

JMHO.

I just got a VS Drivetrain, and find it a little gainy as I wanted to use it as a dirty clean kind of overdrive. Any mods out there for the VS Drivetrain? I havn't cracked it open so I dont know if its SMD or not?

FYI, OP - this forum has a really good search engine. Lots of hashed and rehashed pedal info. Easy to use. You should try it sometime.


130693

No! Let's bring up every OD pedal ever invented, again! Joe N has a point here:wink:

No! Let's bring up every OD pedal ever invented, again! Joe N has a point here:wink:

Sorry man. Maybe I should have been much more specific.

I do use the search a lot. Between here and Strat-Talk I find more info than I will ever need.

I just want to know where the gold is. Let me lay it down like this..

My amp has a super clean channel (Blackstar Ht-20), which I like. It only breaks up when the channel volume is dimed. The OD channel doesn't really back down to that "clean, but not really clean sound.

I've heard the Bluesbreaker is great for just giving almost a "clean boost" sound without necessarily raising the volume a whole bunch like a regular clean boost would.

I would like that tone (and I don't mean I want a pedal that sounds like a Vox amp simulation. This is just an example) of when you crank a Vox Ac-15. Not max everything out and try to get the most gain, but that point where it just parely starts to clip. Really just adds a tiny bit of spank and harmonics.

I would like to get that. Just the lightest of gain. From there. I would like something that could push that tone if needed. Something still transparent but with a bit more gain (OCD comes to mind).

I am not set on any particular pedal and would like to know what would be best suited for my needs.

So far, there have been some great suggestions. Keep it coming.

I had a Bluesbreaker I for some time, a transparent OD which sounded great with single coils, but it was very difficult to deal with the knobs and was little to no versatile.

I tried it against a modern Bluesbreaker II, which is a completely different OD, a velvety, warm and pretty one which colours your sound a bit, has more gain to play with (if you want to) and includes a great boost option. After playing both for some days, I sold the Bluesbreaker I for 130 € and I kept the Bluesbreaker II (goes new for abut 53 €), and is still my favourite overdrive by far.

CmatMods Brownie
Fulltone Fulldrive 2 Mosfet
Subdecay SuperNova
CmatMods Super Signa Drive
Analogman TS9DX
KOT

Again, I love my visual sounds pedal. 2 TS-808s in one box. The old tubescreamers are known for the mid-range hump, which equals not transparent. But I don't hear that with these. In fact, there's a tone knob on each "pedal" which I set so that when engaged you hear no difference in tone. From there, you can set one side to clean boost with just the slightest amount of clip, like what you're talking about; you can set the other side to the same setting or a little dirtier or a lot dirtier, or whatever your want; you can also engage both sides at the same time. So look at it like this: 1. gain set to barely any audible grit, engage it by itself. 2. gain set to some clipping, more dirt than 1, engage it by itself. 3. both 1 & 2 on at the same time. It's a very versatile pedal. I got mine off ebay for $65.

You can put something together for cheap, but if you don't want to do that I'd always advise grabbing a Timmy.

I've always thought bang for you buck and versatility wise the Timmy is the best out there.

Sure there are super expensive tube jobbies or klons, but if you can't get what you want from a Timmy then I'd be surprised.

Sorry man. Maybe I should have been much more specific.

I do use the search a lot. Between here and Strat-Talk I find more info than I will ever need.

I just want to know where the gold is. Let me lay it down like this..

My amp has a super clean channel (Blackstar Ht-20), which I like. It only breaks up when the channel volume is dimed. The OD channel doesn't really back down to that "clean, but not really clean sound.

I've heard the Bluesbreaker is great for just giving almost a "clean boost" sound without necessarily raising the volume a whole bunch like a regular clean boost would.

I would like that tone (and I don't mean I want a pedal that sounds like a Vox amp simulation. This is just an example) of when you crank a Vox Ac-15. Not max everything out and try to get the most gain, but that point where it just parely starts to clip. Really just adds a tiny bit of spank and harmonics.

I would like to get that. Just the lightest of gain. From there. I would like something that could push that tone if needed. Something still transparent but with a bit more gain (OCD comes to mind).

I am not set on any particular pedal and would like to know what would be best suited for my needs.

So far, there have been some great suggestions. Keep it coming.

Sorry to be a 'Forum douche' yesterday- was in a grumpy mood...

My amp has a super clean channel (Blackstar Ht-20), which I like.

Not being familiar with that amp, IDK if the clean channel has any real mid emphasis, or is supposed to be more like a BF/SF Fender with the mids dropped, to help emphasize a clean tone even more, but just want to say that depending on which animal it is should help tailor your decision, IMO. If you get a drive box with what is really a flat response of some sort, it may not work out to your liking.

Despite ideas we have in our heads, some coloration is typically always favorable, always needed. We just aren't aware of it when it is "done right" (for our needs and desires).

I've heard the Bluesbreaker is great for just giving almost a "clean boost" sound without necessarily raising the volume a whole bunch like a regular clean boost would.

I would agree that a V1 BB is really good for that in many situations. There's just not enough in the circuit design to really push it towards being overly compressed or doing anything goofy to the EQ flavoring of the pedal to fatten, raise the mids, etc. It was a best kept secret for the longest time, probably because many guitarists got used to the extreme mid emphasis of all things TS.

I would like that tone....that point where it just parely starts to clip. Really just adds a tiny bit of spank and harmonics.

I would like to get that. Just the lightest of gain.

You might also want to try a Boss OD-3 with the gain backed way down. It will certainly do what you are asking. It's also a pedal that isn't on a lot of folks' radar, so you can usually find a used one for peanuts.

There are others, but those are probably the two I would personally start with, and work upwards and outwards from there. Point being that if those two don't have an EQ characteristic that works for you (insufficient midrange from your source of clipping/harmonics), you can change tact to pedals that have more coloration in a given direction.

I would suggest to be careful with OD designs that seem to really bring in the compression even at modest drive settings. It's all subjective, but I at least would not start there.


I also always throw the following out, even though it probably isn't a possibility for lots of folks -

There is a DIY project called the Peppermill by a group of folks at a site called runoffgroove.com (http://www.runoffgroove.com) - a really simple design. The Peppermill really just adds a bit of drive and harmonics unless you crank it up, and even then it is subtle. There's not even a tone control on it for this reason.

...since it doesn't have a whopping gain range, it just doesn't have much mainstream appeal.

Anyway, you may want to consider getting someone to build one for you.

For what they are or are not worth, here are some sound clips of the Peppermill:

http://runoffgroove.com/pmill1.mp3

http://runoffgroove.com/pmill2.mp3

They are both D.I. recordings though, so you can't hear any sonic benefits of pumping the pedal thru a nice clean amp.

The pedal also cleans up remarkably well when you back off your guitar volume. Not surprising since it has such little dirt.

From your list I would choose the Barber LTD.

There was an LTD in the classified ads here for a while - I think it was $100. (Not mine but I noticed it).

I have a Half Gainer which is two LTD's side by side. The LTD would do everything that you're asking.

Sorry to be a 'Forum douche' yesterday- was in a grumpy mood...

You may have just been following my lead, and I wasn't grumpy yesterday:


130814


Sorry to be the curmudgeon of the week but the OP is either a newbie or has been lurking without posting much. He wants to know about 10 listed pedals and "Pretty much any other low-mid gain OD you guys can mention." But then claims that he's used the forum search engine. For what? - to narrow his search to 10 pedals?

And after a whole bunch of reply posts, with even more pedal suggestions, his list is is bigger and longer than it was at the beginning of his thread.

Why don't we just have one big long thread about "What's the best overdrive pedal?" Oh yeah, we've done that - multiple times!

Okay, now I'm grumpy. :lol:

The Stomp Box forum is easily my favorite forum here. Always civil discussion(unlike other forums here), and it's fun to learn and share about pedals new or old.

So I guess I don't get what the big deal is about another OD thread?

Did the OP want to know about 10 different pedals? Yeah, and maybe that's asking a lot, but that's his question. You don't have to respond if you don't want to.

And these OD threads aren't going anywhere. People are always on the hunt for new tone, and new members are always joining. One of the cool things to me about a new thread is that it gives the chance for newer members to participate.

Are you guys always using the search engine before you post? It's kind of annoying if you ask me, especially if the pedal in question isn't listed in the title of the thread.

Oh, and while I'm here, sorry Virge, can't help ya with any of these pedals, other than the Dano Cool Cat, which is awesome, and cheap

You may have just been following my lead, and I wasn't grumpy yesterday:


130814


Sorry to be the curmudgeon of the week but the OP is either a newbie or has been lurking without posting much. He wants to know about 10 listed pedals and "Pretty much any other low-mid gain OD you guys can mention." But then claims that he's used the forum search engine. For what? - to narrow his search to 10 pedals?

And after a whole bunch of reply posts, with even more pedal suggestions, his list is is bigger and longer than it was at the beginning of his thread.

Why don't we just have one big long thread about "What's the best overdrive pedal?" Oh yeah, we've done that - multiple times!

Okay, now I'm grumpy. :lol:

Well pal, I really care more about the dirt in my belly button than how you feel. Don't post if you're gonna troll, bro.

Thanks everyone! You all have been a huge help. Its quite a nice list of ODs to check out. I guess the best thing to do is start cheaper and try to try out all that I can.

As far as my amp goes.. there is not a 3-band eq for the clean channel. It simply has a tone knob, which is useful, but I'm not able to tweak quite as much. Maybe its time to pickup an EQ pedal as well.

One thing a few people mentioned was how some of these sound super transparent with single coils. What about humbuckers?


If you guys feel like posting more, go right on ahead.

Also, I don't mean to annoy anyone with reposts. I am a noob to this place, but for the most part you guys are a lot friendlier than other forums I've been on.

I'll let you know what I go with!

+1 for the Dano TOD v1
Leave it on all the time and just adjust the settings

Rat. Its the only pedal you will ever need. Set the gain low and use it as a boost. Set the gain higher and rawk out. Crank the gain and its fuzz time.

There is no need for anyone to make dirt pedals besides ProCo, but I suppose we can't stop them now, can we?

Well pal, I really care more about the dirt in my belly button than how you feel. Don't post if you're gonna troll, bro.

My comments were directed at the overly general nature of your post, not you personally. And there's no need to make it personal now.

A month or two ago, this forum was used by pedal maker shills to try to create a buzz for certain pedals. All of these shills had very low post counts, just like you, and to my knowledge, have not posted again since then.

You don't appear to be a shill but that was not apparent in your original post. Many did not know what you were asking or where you were going with it.

As to my comments about the forum search engine, you would do well to saturate yourself in the incredible knowledge and experience available here.

You could have run a search for "transparent," "mild," "medium,' or a whole lot of other descriptive words. You could have run a search for each of the named pedals in your original post. Contrary to what has been said above, you can search the content as well as the title of previous threads. Your key word or words will be highlighted in bold red letters to make it even easier for you to find content specific to your questions.

I'm not saying don't put up questions at all in this forum - that's what the forum is for. But don't ask ridiculously general questions - do your own homework and then ask more specific questions. You'll find most here are happy to share and I've never seen an instance in which the OP wasn't satisfied with the responses.

Good luck with your quest.

My comments were directed at the overly general nature of your post, not you personally. And there's no need to make it personal now.

A month or two ago, this forum was used by pedal maker shills to try to create a buzz for certain pedals. All of these shills had very low post counts, just like you, and to my knowledge, have not posted again since then.

You don't appear to be a shill but that was not apparent in your original post. Many did not know what you were asking or where you were going with it.

As to my comments about the forum search engine, you would do well to saturate yourself in the incredible knowledge and experience available here.

You could have run a search for "transparent," "mild," "medium,' or a whole lot of other descriptive words. You could have run a search for each of the named pedals in your original post. Contrary to what has been said above, you can search the content as well as the title of previous threads. Your key word or words will be highlighted in bold red letters to make it even easier for you to find content specific to your questions.

I'm not saying don't put up questions at all in this forum - that's what the forum is for. But don't ask ridiculously general questions - do your own homework and then ask more specific questions. You'll find most here are happy to share and I've never seen an instance in which the OP wasn't satisfied with the responses.

Good luck with your quest.

Well man, I can see your frustration to the tiny perspective.

Here's my thing.. Are you TDPRI forum god? No.

What you are doing is trolling. I'm asking you nicely to stop.

Sound like good reasons to PM each other and keep it off the boards.

I'm asking you nicely to stop.Well, not really "nicely"...

I really like the Washburn Soloist Distortion - really cheap @ $25 or so on eBay. With the gain & "contour" knobs rolled back it acts more like an OD pedal. I discovered recently that it is the only OD/distortion pedal I own that sounds good on the clean channel of my amp.

MGyaPWAn958

Well man, I can see your frustration to the tiny perspective.

Here's my thing.. Are you TDPRI forum god? No.

What you are doing is trolling. I'm asking you nicely to stop.

Welcome to the forum... kindly go back to Harmony-Central when you have the answer you are looking for. :lol:

Rat. Its the only pedal you will ever need. Set the gain low and use it as a boost. Set the gain higher and rawk out. Crank the gain and its fuzz time.

There is no need for anyone to make dirt pedals besides ProCo, but I suppose we can't stop them now, can we?

Absolutely true.
RAT really can cover it all and cover it really well.

oops, don't mind me

As to my comments about the forum search engine, you would do well to saturate yourself in the incredible knowledge and experience available here.

You could have run a search for "transparent," "mild," "medium,' or a whole lot of other descriptive words. You could have run a search for each of the named pedals in your original post. Contrary to what has been said above, you can search the content as well as the title of previous threads. Your key word or words will be highlighted in bold red letters to make it even easier for you to find content specific to your questions.

I'm not saying don't put up questions at all in this forum - that's what the forum is for. But don't ask ridiculously general questions - do your own homework and then ask more specific questions. You'll find most here are happy to share and I've never seen an instance in which the OP wasn't satisfied with the responses.

Good luck with your quest.

+1 lots of good reading in the archives, I've found the answer to a lot of my questions there. I don't think it's so bad to ask the same question or anything but it helps keep the info on the top page fresh and interesting. IMO

Sound like good reasons to PM each other and keep it off the boards.

You don't even need to suggest that to Joe - he's been here a long time, and "behaves" better than many of us. A little irritated? Maybe. But not making it personal.

Even someone lurking here would know that he's not trolling or playing god - quite the opposite.

I always like to give new members lots of slack, but in this case, he's kind of squandering it...quickly, with outward fervor. And if he truly feels like he's dealing with trolls, what is the cardinal rule? Don't feed the trolls.

There's no problem here that doesn't have a very simple solution - no PM's or anything like that required. It's a friggin discussion board about pedals for crying out loud.

Can we get back to, and stick to, pedals now?

FYI, OP - this forum has a really good search engine. Lots of hashed and rehashed pedal info. Easy to use. You should try it sometime.


130693

I can certainly understand the frustration of talking about the same thing over and over, but the other thing that has been puzzling me is the issue of civility.
It seems that most of the posts I go on there is a lot of this lately.
Just wondering why?
This is only a question and not an attack on ANYONE. (please read this line twice). Thanks

It seems that most of the posts I go on there is a lot of this lately.
Just wondering why?

Because membership continues to grow. So like with any given group of people, you can end up with the same questions again and again. As the group grows, new arrivals will almost certainly ask the same question.

Part of that is obviously to be expected. But it seems that at least this forum is growing in new membership fast enough that if no one were to do any searches, we could spend the bulk of the time discussing the exact same things. Some folks don't mind talking about the same things, but I can see why it would get old to others, even to the point of being irritated. I'm not taking anyone's side, but I can see why people react as they do.

The thing is, we are pretty relaxed here. So we have a history of not challenging new members when they do something like not searching a bit before posting. So we will oblige most of this repetition. But I guess everyone has a limit, so the change in trend towards new member slack might be disappearing.

It just gets harder as groups get bigger. That's the way it is with anything. The big trick is when someone gets out of line to try and get back in line. And it shouldn't be that hard with something like this. We're talking leisurely discussion here.

No 11, I wasn't saying that the message was a bad one. I have seen things on this board that has been hashed and rehashed and I too, have suggested the search button.
I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with this at all.
It is the "you ought to try it sometime" that was not necessary and to be honest was disrespectful.
In addition it seems that most of this has been happening with newer members too, because most forums out there are not concerned about things like this and they allow behavior that I know, would not be allowed here.

It does take sometime to get the lay of the land around here, but by 3000+ posts a member should know that respect isn't an option here it is expected.
Really, that was all I was saying.

Let me make this clear, please, I was not talking about Joe, I was talking about people who have been very blunt.
It just came to mind because I thought when I was reading it that someone could take it the wrong way, and that led to the question.
Joe was not unkind in any way. If I implied that I was very wrong.

To the original poster. I have only one and I have never felt the need for another in 20 years: Boss od1

Let me make this clear, please, I was not talking about Joe, I was talking about people who have been very blunt.
It just came to mind because I thought when I was reading it that someone could take it the wrong way, and that led to the question.
Joe was not unkind in any way. If I implied that I was very wrong.

No, I hear you. I think most of us who have been here a good while can feel a little bit of a difference with things, especially in the last 2-3 years or so. Like anything, an "environment" can change, even a virtual one. This is not the same forum it was a few years back. Not better or worse, but not the same. With that in mind, you really can't finger any single person, try as you might.

And for those of us who have been here awhile, it's kind of like any long term relationship. It can't be all warm and rosey all the time, even if "veteran hostility" is not even much of a dust-up. If folks didn't get a little annoyed from time to time, I'd have to wonder if I was just having a discussion with cyborgs.

So I do see how someone could take it the wrong way, especially someone new. But the bottom line is we're discussing pedals. This is not a support group for people surviving cancer or something. IMO, a quick recovery shouldn't be that difficult. If it is, just take a breather. If it isn't fun or enjoyable, don't post. These are not hard decisions.

Welcome to the forum... kindly go back to Harmony-Central when you have the answer you are looking for. :lol:

HAHAHA I don't visit that place. I've never seen so many people that just hate everything. Talking about about HC

Sorry to bother you guys with my OD question.

There's always new gear coming out and people discover new ways to use pedals every day.

Like I said, I will have to just try out some different pedals and see if they suit me.

I forgot to mention that I have a Bad Monkey. I got it because everyone raves about them, but they honestly I don't think its all that. I'm not a brand whore by any means.

I just think it doesn't sparkle really. Kind of dull to my ears. Colors my tone too much and changes the overall tone because it is not true-bypass.

My goal (if I didn't say it to begin with) is smooth, light clipping, OD that works with my clean and OD channel without trying to bombard it with too much.

I will try some of the Boss pedals (Blus Driver, OD-3, and Dyna Drive). I would love to check out the Tim/Timmy, but they are not sold locally so I'd have to take a gamble.

I think the best option for me would be to buy a diy OD and either try to build it myself or get someone to do it for me. I'm thinking a Klon, Bluesbreaker, and OCD clone. Those seem to be cheap diy kits.

I've only played the Rat2 and thought it was similar to a DS-1.. which I have owned and is more of a stand alone pedal. A lot of EQ and clipping come with it.

I'm also interested in Dano Transparent OD and Cool Cat. Will have to check those guys out for sure.

Have any of you tried Rocktron pedals? Austin Gold or Sonic Glory?

Fulltone's Fulldrive 2 looks pretty sweet and it may be the best option.

I also got to try out a Pork Loin by Way Huge and thought it was really nice. Kinda expensive though (for me).

I guess you usually get what you pay for, but not always.

+1 on the General Guitar Gadgets BB1 pedal or try a Love Pedal Super 6 pedal if you can find one. The LovePedal Super 6 is by far the lightest drive I have found and transparent!!!

The OCD is only $135. That's pretty good for a really good pedal. I just got one and I love it!

I've only played the Rat2 and thought it was similar to a DS-1.. which I have owned and is more of a stand alone pedal. A lot of EQ and clipping come with it.

Have any of you tried Rocktron pedals? Austin Gold or Sonic Glory?


I have a RAT2 - mid 90's with the LM308.
The lad has a DS-1 - Though he doesn't use it much .
So I A/B'd them out of curiosity, and absolutely honestly, they are very very different beasts.
RAT wins every round - to my ear.

I have tried both of those Rocktrons.
Austin Gold: - borrowed one. Not my thing , gain sounded un-natural to me but .. to be fair I never tried it with a good, cranked amp TBF, and that might likely be it's forte. Has been described as 'Klon-like'.
I wouldnt know, but i somehow doubt it is hugely Klon-like though!

Sonic Glory:
Liked it. Very smooth OD. Very noticable bass cut though - maybe more bass cut as I've seen on any OD pedal.
Again, IMO, tailored towards goosing a loud, grumbling tube amp, rather than a standalone 'OD flavour' . I did get to try the Sonic Glory with a VHT Special 6 at full tilt.
I sold the Sonic Glory as I rarely get chance to use an OD to goose a cookin' amp these days.

It's been difficult to read all the responses because SO many of them have been posted in the past; but it seems to me that when the OP finally posted a description of hat he meant by an "overdrive" he actually DI mean an "overdrive and not a distortion box (which it seems most OD's today actually are).

15 years ago "overdrive" more-or-less meant a sort of "clean boost" that was designed to be used with a cranked-up amp that was right on the edge of distortion. The OD pedal could then be set to push it over the edge - just a little or a lot.

That's where the KLON Centaur excelled...and still does. It retains the amp character and (unless you set the gain high) doesn't add distortion of its own.

So for something along that line that's inexpensive I have three suggstions:

1. The MXR Micro amp. Especially the pre-power adaptor models. They add very little gain, just a little "push" with a slight amount of treble. But your amp still sounds like your amp.
2. The ZVex Super Hard-On. Might be a bit more expensive used, adds a hair more treble than the MXR, but has more "push" on tap.
3. The "Bad Bob" made by our own Robbie Wallace. I tested the prototype years ago and now wish I'd kept it! To me it's right in between the MXR and ZVex, but adds a little less noise than either.

Honestly, just about any "KLON clone" found on eBay is pretty close as well - I've had a few different ones acqired in trades, but having all the above except the Bad Bob I didn't keep any of them.

OCD it quite for a all out overdrive pedal.its great for the money . For a little a little bit more money go for the ultimate the Radial trimode, it does everything.check it out. I have the Radial and I can duplicate the tone from the OCD only a little better.duplicate the boss blues driver only way better. I have all 3 of the mentioned pedals. Plus it will do anything from a dark tone to a bright tone.

I am really afraid of the consequences of using him as an example, but this is the only thing I can think of to use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhmXSncOL0

I AM NOT seeking his tone. Just that super light OD on the intro/verse parts.

Again, I am NOT trying to steal his tone or sound like him, just want that smooth "clean but not really" sound he has going on.

There have been some really awesome suggestions here.

I think I am going to go with the Joyo Ultimate Drive as soon as I get paid. From there, probably build a Bluesbreaker and a Klon.

There are other pedals I've been recommended (Timmy, Barber LTD) that seem like good options too, but since I don't have a lot of extra cash, I want to go the cheapest route.

I also forgot to mention that I have a Bad Monkey. I am not a name whore by any means, but I just don't dig it all that much. I think that's because I am not a huge fan of tubescreamers in general.

I think the BM just colors my amp's tone too much, even when its off since its not true bypass. I've done a comparison. At first I didn't think it mattered all that much, but after tweaking the pedal and going back in forth between having it plugged in and not, I thought it took a lot of the fullness and some of the high and low end away.

It's been difficult to read all the responses because SO many of them have been posted in the past; but it seems to me that when the OP finally posted a description of hat he meant by an "overdrive" he actually DI mean an "overdrive and not a distortion box (which it seems most OD's today actually are).

15 years ago "overdrive" more-or-less meant a sort of "clean boost" that was designed to be used with a cranked-up amp that was right on the edge of distortion. The OD pedal could then be set to push it over the edge - just a little or a lot.

That's where the KLON Centaur excelled...and still does. It retains the amp character and (unless you set the gain high) doesn't add distortion of its own.

So for something along that line that's inexpensive I have three suggstions:

1. The MXR Micro amp. Especially the pre-power adaptor models. They add very little gain, just a little "push" with a slight amount of treble. But your amp still sounds like your amp.
2. The ZVex Super Hard-On. Might be a bit more expensive used, adds a hair more treble than the MXR, but has more "push" on tap.
3. The "Bad Bob" made by our own Robbie Wallace. I tested the prototype years ago and now wish I'd kept it! To me it's right in between the MXR and ZVex, but adds a little less noise than either.

Honestly, just about any "KLON clone" found on eBay is pretty close as well - I've had a few different ones acqired in trades, but having all the above except the Bad Bob I didn't keep any of them.

Thanks man! I totally forgot that TDPRI makes pages when one gets full and i thought part of my first one didn't post, so I repeated myself lol..

You have exactly the idea I'm trying to say! I would like the "clean boost" effect but without really raising the volume too much.

Unfortunately my amp doesn't have that "sweet spot" or just breaking up (until I change the preamp tube that is!)

So I am definitely going to try and build an OCD clone or buy the Joyo and build a bluesbreaker or buy the "Mars bluesbreaker" from ebay. Like I said.. I don't care too much about the name or look of the pedal, just if it sounds good and is pretty durable. Also, the cheaper the better! lol

Unfortunately we live in a capitalist society and if it sounds really good and someone famous plays it, its expensive. When in reality, sometimes the parts are the same as the cheaper pedals, but doesn't have the name or the prestige. Not always.. but you know what I mean.

I would like to have a Klon, but no way would I ever pay more than $200 for a pedal.. I don't care if Jesus wired it up and hand carved it out of wood and blessed it.

Speaking of the Klon.. I've heard two things about it that it would be nice to have answered... Someone said it has a mid-spike.. Is it similar to a tubescreamer? And someone else said a Bad Monkey can get a very similar tone.. can anyone tell me what the settings on it would be for that?

I don't want to hate on any pedal, because its all opinion, but the BM sucks my tone. I wish it was True bypass!!!

..

I want to build one of these

http://runoffgroove.com/peppermill.html

For largely the same reasons that you've mentioned .. a light transparent OD. I know 11 gauge has built one so I wonder if he can speak to the similarities with the Mayer vid. Low parts count and the excellent resources and simple layout mean it should be ok to try to jump in and figure out maybe.

Unfortunately I can't speak from experience about the circuit yet. I'll see some time after moving apts next month how it is, but I thought it might be of interest to you. Maybe someone with some the experience can chime in.

The boss od3 is another favorite of mine and has that sparkle. Adds a considerable amt of bass too. Worth a try especially having seen some used ones for $35. I have heard something about diode clipping mods but don't really want to change it.

Hi Virge and welcome to the forum. The GGG Blues Breaker is one of my favorites and a pretty easy build. If you look at the schematics on the GGG projects page you'll find some alternate values for resistors 2, 3, and capacitor number 4. These will give you a little warmer sound similar to the LTD. Apparently there were a couple of slightly different versions of the BBv1. I've built both and right now am digging the more common, brighter version into my 5E3, but with a different amp, who knows? There are also a lot of mods and tweaks suggested on both the GGG and BYOC sites. I've yet to try any. I really like the pedal for what it is. If you're looking for an assembled pedal, I think BYOC offers one for around $100.

The Boss OD-3 is another great sleeper pedal. One more I really like is a Boss BD-2 with the Machine Head Pedals Galaxie Mod. It's a $35 kit that pretty much re-invents the BD-2 and can do anything from almost clean boost to polite fuzz. Lots of love for that pedal here. Along with the BB, I've been wearing mine out.

Hi Virge and welcome to the forum. The GGG Blues Breaker is one of my favorites and a pretty easy build. If you look at the schematics on the GGG projects page you'll find some alternate values for resistors 2, 3, and capacitor number 4. These will give you a little warmer sound similar to the LTD. Apparently there were a couple of slightly different versions of the BBv1. I've built both and right now am digging the more common, brighter version into my 5E3, but with a different amp, who knows? There are also a lot of mods and tweaks suggested on both the GGG and BYOC sites. I've yet to try any. I really like the pedal for what it is. If you're looking for an assembled pedal, I think BYOC offers one for around $100.

The Boss OD-3 is another great sleeper pedal. One more I really like is a Boss BD-2 with the Machine Head Pedals Galaxie Mod. It's a $35 kit that pretty much re-invents the BD-2 and can do anything from almost clean boost to polite fuzz. Lots of love for that pedal here. Along with the BB, I've been wearing mine out.

Hey man, thanks for the response. Amazingly I've gotten more responses for the Od-3 than any other pedal. So, its first on the list for sure!

Thanks for the tip on the BB. I know there is a guy who builds them under the name Mars Bluesbreaker. Maybe I should ask him which version he builds. He sells them for around $50. He has a video comparing them to the GGG or BYOC version. I'm not sure which, but I'm sure they are similar anywho.

I'll have to look into the BD w/ mods as well. Thanks for the reply!

Hi Virge and welcome to the forum. The GGG Blues Breaker is one of my favorites and a pretty easy build. If you look at the schematics on the GGG projects page you'll find some alternate values for resistors 2, 3, and capacitor number 4. These will give you a little warmer sound similar to the LTD. Apparently there were a couple of slightly different versions of the BBv1. I've built both and right now am digging the more common, brighter version into my 5E3, but with a different amp, who knows? There are also a lot of mods and tweaks suggested on both the GGG and BYOC sites. I've yet to try any. I really like the pedal for what it is. If you're looking for an assembled pedal, I think BYOC offers one for around $100.

The Boss OD-3 is another great sleeper pedal. One more I really like is a Boss BD-2 with the Machine Head Pedals Galaxie Mod. It's a $35 kit that pretty much re-invents the BD-2 and can do anything from almost clean boost to polite fuzz. Lots of love for that pedal here. Along with the BB, I've been wearing mine out.

Tonepad makes a great V1 Bluesbreaker PCB too.Built one and sold my black box marshall bluesbreaker almost immediately.:cool:
http://www.tonepad.com/projects.asp?projectType=fx

Hey Virge, I listened to that Mayer clip you posted and I think he's using a tubescreamer with the gain set real low, then kicking in something else for the solo. It sounds very SRV. If you listen to the "Gravity" clip from the same show, that sounds more like the BB to me. It's still bright but with flatter EQ and a bit more hair on the lows.

You might also want to read up on SRV's "mystery series capacitor"; a small cap that SRV's tech, Rene Martinez, put in series with the guitar's signal to filter out "extraneous frequencies" (lows) and give his rig a little more headroom. Not sure if JM ever used one but it might be a cheap way to give your guitar some of that treble-boosted sound you hear in the video.

I had never used an OD until about 3 years ago. I got a Fulldrive 2, which is a nice pedal. I almost always used it on its cleanest setting (I am not into really dirty tones, just a little break-up). About 3 months ago I bought a VHT V-Drive for $99. I have not seen any comments about this pedal on here. I love it. Standard OD controls plus 10 diode clip settings, 10 bass roll off settings & a texture control. Great tone & lots of options for $99, I say thats a good deal.

Hey man, thanks for the response. Amazingly I've gotten more responses for the Od-3 than any other pedal. So, its first on the list for sure!


If you are looking for a "smooth" overdrive as you indicated in a previous post, then I suggest you stay away from the OD-3. In my books, the OD-3 is "nearly" the perfect OD for single coils...however, the drive characteristic is very "sputtery" and not at all smooth IMHO.

The higher notes aren't so bad, but the mid and bass notes have a bad sputter to them almost like a fuzz but not exactly.

It's a hard pedal to describe, which is probably due to the fact that it's not based on anything else. Try it if you must, but it's not smooth. Some folks like that though, go figure.

JMHO.

In my books, the OD-3 is "nearly" the perfect OD for single coils...however, the drive characteristic is very "sputtery" and not at all smooth IMHO.

If the gain is kept low, it won't sputter. If you combo it with a comp in front (if you want/need more of a distorted drive tone from the OD-3), it is smoother.

But if it is a more wound up OD tone, I do agree that some "texture" other than the OD-3 might be better. For that "just on the verge" thing though, it's pretty good.

Even cool pedals like the V1 Blues Breaker and Barber LTD will get kind of raspy or fuzzy as you wind up the wick - when a drive box isn't designed around having that open/clear/uncompressed-type of core set of characteristics, that is not uncommon.

Another one that comes to mind is the Xotic RC Booster, and folks even really think of it as a booster instead of a drive box. The clipping circuit is not that different from the LTD/BB V1. If you crank the drive on it, things can get kind of grainy and ratchety.

I find lots of pedals to be "either/or," if that makes sense. Some compress up and sustain, and will do the singing sustain thing as you increase the drive. Others stay open and airy, but kind of "crumble" or emphasize the grit. It's less common to find both in the same pedal, usually because many are designed with a "versatile" gain range that IMO isn't so usable if the range isn't restricted to where a pedal sounds best.

With some mods, the OD-3 could be made as smooth as a baby's bottom, especially as the gain is turned up. But then you lose the "on the verge" thing.

I've noticed the OD-3 sounds better into some amps than others. I tried it through a SFPR at the store and was knocked out. When I took it home and plugged it up with my tweed Deluxe (w/ the amp set on the verge) it sounded a little too dark for my taste. I've heard some of the guys here are using it with a simple mod that attenuates the lows. I'm looking forward to trying that on my next one. I still think it's pretty close to perfect into a clean amp. It sounded incredible through a friend's 4X10 HRDV.

not really transparent, but if you're ever looking for a marshall type drive, try a dano daddy-o. completely nails marshall tones and is very responsive to touch and volume rollbacks. I can copy my friend's tube marshall combo to where pointing out differences is just splitting hairs. They go for 60USD new but I got mine used (read: pretty well-loved) for 25 and they generally go for about 35-40 in good condition.

Man, I love my Fulltone FullDrive 2 Mosfet. I'm still getting to know it, but it is unreal. I get all these great sounds out of it, and with the two extra switches, you get even more. I'm like you, in that I'm not into the Tubescreamer thing.

My other favorite OD, which I've been using for years, is an MI Audio Blues Pro. I think the Gearmanndude video sold me on it. Really swett, and has a subtle fuzz switch you can engage if you choose to do so.

BTW, I got my FD2 for $100, and the last time I checked, there was one for sale in the TDPRI classifieds for the same price. Got my scratch-n-dent Blues Pro for $85.

Man, I love my Fulltone FullDrive 2 Mosfet. I'm still getting to know it, but it is unreal. I get all these great sounds out of it, and with the two extra switches, you get even more. I'm like you, in that I'm not into the Tubescreamer thing.

The FDII is essentially over 80% TS-derived, even higher depending on your switch settings. So if someone doesn't like the mid emphasis where the treble is chopped off (because the FDII does have less bass chopped off than a TS), that may not be a good fit.

The comp cut mode will make it rather "un-TS," but that is because the clipping diodes get bypassed to make it more like an op amp booster.

Pedals with more bass than the TS but are basically derived from it will always sound sort of "half TS-like," because you only get half the mid emphasis (treble freqs killed off because of stock TS tone control).

IMO, to really get away from the TS flavoring altogether, the pedal must not have any sort of TS tone control in it. And a great many pedals use the TS tone circuit verbatim, part-for-part. It starts killing frequencies above ~700Hz, which is REALLY low.

Man, I love my Fulltone FullDrive 2 Mosfet. I'm still getting to know it, but it is unreal.

I'm still completely on Honeymoon with my FDII MOSFET. I keep mine set low-gain (9:00), for a slight break-up. It sounds exactly like my clean tone, but with a little bite when I dig in, or strum full chords, chuck rhythm, etc.

TS pedals set this way (IME at least) always chop off too much natural tone, low-end and high-end. Then I have to fight the amp's EQ and balance clean vs dirt settings. It works, but it's not what I wanted a pedal to do.

So, whatever Fuller did to get me 20% away from stock TS ... to my thinking, I paid for exactly that.

To the OP...

Used Fulltone OCD pedals can be had for $90 or so everyday of the week on ebay or thegearpage.net emporium.

Other ideas...Joyo Sweet Baby OD (a clone of Mad Professor's Sweet Honey), Subdecay's Liquid Sunshine, cmatmod's Butah, Lovepedal's OD 11 (based on the overdrive circuit from the Amp 11 pedal) - you can find the last 3 used for around the $100 mark.

The FDII is essentially over 80% TS-derived, even higher depending on your switch settings. So if someone doesn't like the mid emphasis where the treble is chopped off (because the FDII does have less bass chopped off than a TS), that may not be a good fit.

The comp cut mode will make it rather "un-TS," but that is because the clipping diodes get bypassed to make it more like an op amp booster.

Pedals with more bass than the TS but are basically derived from it will always sound sort of "half TS-like," because you only get half the mid emphasis (treble freqs killed off because of stock TS tone control).

IMO, to really get away from the TS flavoring altogether, the pedal must not have any sort of TS tone control in it. And a great many pedals use the TS tone circuit verbatim, part-for-part. It starts killing frequencies above ~700Hz, which is REALLY low.


Last week, I helped a friend repair an older pre-toggle FDII. It was the first time I had ever played one. Side-by-side with a straight up TS circuit, I was really surprised just how much better the FDII sounded. Naturally while I had it apart, I had to trace it out to see where the "mojo" was.

When it comes to electronics, I haven't even reach the level of "hack"...so read my observations with a grain of salt...and please feel free to correct me, 11 Gauge. From what I can tell, though, the RC series that makes up what is equivalent to the "Flat Mids" mode on newer FDIIs is what really differentiates it from a stock TS. Seems to let some of the top end bypass the tone control. But it also seems to reduce clipping a bit too in that feedback loop. That may be why you can get away with lowering the corner frequency of the RC filter in the feedback loop without the getting "woofy" like a standard TS circuit does.

Whatever the reason, though, I finally hear why people like the FDII so much.

I have surprisingly good results with the Dano CTO-1 and CO-1 cheapos.
Both drive my little tube amp very nicely without adding much color (at basement levels)

About 3 months ago I bought a VHT V-Drive for $99. I have not seen any comments about this pedal on here. I love it. Standard OD controls plus 10 diode clip settings, 10 bass roll off settings & a texture control. Great tone & lots of options for $99, I say thats a good deal.
Very interesting indeed. Thanks for the heads up

I feel like a broken record recommending this, but its rarely mentioned in these od posts, and that would be the Boss SD-1 with the C6 diode removed (heard about that from 11 Gauge). I know it seems weird to buy a pedal and then cut out a component, but its really a smooth od without the bass loss or mid hump of a lot of TS type pedals. Also, they're cheap - $40 to $50 new and around $20 used. I like it better than my OCD for some applications.

Wow this has really taken off.

Over the weekend I had the chance to play a Krank Krankshaft OD pedal. It was very smooth and didn't actually have a lot of gain in the pedal.

I don't know if it will suit what I need, but thought you guys might like to hear about a different pedal no one has named.

I also got to test out a Rocktron Austin Gold, which is really only good as a clean boost. The gain past 9 o'clock just sounds like breaking glass.

Also, an MXR OD GT, which I'm guessing is based on a tubescreamer, but I liked it. It didn't have that sharp mid sound the ts-9s I've played with have.

not really transparent, but if you're ever looking for a marshall type drive, try a dano daddy-o. completely nails marshall tones and is very responsive to touch and volume rollbacks. I can copy my friend's tube marshall combo to where pointing out differences is just splitting hairs. They go for 60USD new but I got mine used (read: pretty well-loved) for 25 and they generally go for about 35-40 in good condition.
It is funny that you mention the Dano Daddy-O since it is basically a Marshall Guvnor with buffers.If you change a few components it will be a copy of the Guvnor (with buffers).I´ve got a Guv´nor and a Bluesbreaker and think that they both are very good pedals.

To put my 10 cents in, nobody has mentioned the T.C. VPD1. I had a shot off with an OCD and the VDP won. Best part is they have gone E.O.L. and a retailing about 60% cheaper than they were just a year ago. Bought mine for $139.00. (not the $290 to $310 I have ssen on the twitscape)

Sittting here didling with the pedal (amonst my others) and I have to say I like this pedal.

I plays well with my Teweaker 40 -112 .

Pleasantly Surprise

These are my take on the pedals I've used live. Take note though that I don't normally use my ODs like most of the chaps here do such as using with "on the verge" of breakup amps. I use it at times as a stand alone overdrive or to boost an already driven Overdrive or Distortion box

Visual Sound Jeckyl and Hyde V2 - Fantastic pedal! The OD side is an Ibanez TS808 with the 4558 chip! Very natural sounding and smooth OD and the bonus is the BASS switch that can give heavier sound for some trebly Strats. The Distortion side is also great for more hard rock sound. This is also dead quiet in live settings due to the optional noise reduction. Highly recommended.

Nobels ODR-1 - I had the original and somebody stole it inside my car way back in 2005. :oops::cry: This is also very very good smooth stand alone drive. I have the newer version, still the green one but it sounds a 'lil farty now :mad: If you can find from e-bay the old one, GRAB ONE!!!

Boss OD-3 - Just simply a glorious no nonsense overdrive. I used this a couple of times live boosted with Bad Monkey and it just rocks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_PrF_kkckU Take a look at this old video of ours. During the verse, it's all OD and chorus, with a Bad Monkey. ROCK. :twisted:

Bad Monkey - I love this. After my rig got stolen, I immediately purchased another one and suprisingly, I got a Made in U.S. one! It was just sitting inside the store. :mrgreen: Score! My Badmonkey is only primarily use to boost an overdriven pedal not as a standlone since it may sound dull and boxy as you described but, as a boost...IT IS TONE HEAVEN.

Joyo Ultimate Drive - a cheap but magical overdrive! :grin: It is a clone of an OCD and some random company copied this design! This pedal is really-really good as in your face rock stand alone drive. Some say that it sound too boomy or bassy but with the right settings on your amp and tone knob, it's very very nice. I tried this with a Strat and a dual coil guitar and it is really great. Cuts well in the mix! You cannot go wrong here.

Danelectro Drive V1 - another OCD clone. I used this live for a couple of months until I gave it as a gift to one of my fellow guitarist... a mistake since Danelectro discontinued the V1 due to some legal issues and now selling the V2 which for me is not the same... too harsh... If you can find the V1 on any store, grab it right away!!

Danelectro Transparent Overdrive V1 - Others has already mentioned this because it is REALLY REALLY good. You can either use it as a verge of breakup sound or user it after all your effects as a clean boost. Either ways, it's really good. Very responsive with guitar knob as well.

Proco RAT II - I had the MIA pedal of this. Very heavy sounding.

Fulltone Fulldrive II - All the hype with this pedal since 2007 (?) is true. This will not fail you. I had this on my board since my wife purchased this for me on 2008 and whenever I remove this from my board, it feels that something is missing with my sound. I often use this as a very very light drive on FM mode and MOSFET enabled to give me slight dirt sound.

Boss Dual Overdrive SD-2 - This is one of the pedal that I regretted selling. The LEAD channel sounds like a Marshall on steriods. The crunch mode is also good for slight dirt sound. Fantastic classic BOSS pedal.

If you are up for it, build a Timmy clone. It is probably one of the most usefull pedals I have ever owned. Just like you just more of it with some hair. V1 or V2 dosent matter. Another pedal staple on the P&W circuit.

It is funny that you mention the Dano Daddy-O since it is basically a Marshall Guvnor with buffers.If you change a few components it will be a copy of the Guvnor (with buffers).I´ve got a Guv´nor and a Bluesbreaker and think that they both are very good pedals.
Yeah i've heard about that, i prefer the dano only for the three band eq, though any pedal built on the guvnor circut sounds great. I use mine for eq/marshally gain out of the twin, and always-on with my ss for faux-tube sounding preamp

I'm highly skeptical cheap pedals will be transparent. We are talking analog, right? I've always found Fulltone to be transparent. I'm sure there are others. I'm highly skeptical of Dano and Boss though. Used is the way to go for bargains.Really depends on the amp though. Fulltone and others make pedals with a lot of headroom to make tube amps sound good. They sound awful with solid state, forget the modeling. Surf ebay for finds.

Smooth, snarl, and off the cliff - that's all I am looking for!!!!

This is a fun thread!!!!

I am so sick, that I am always changing my OD section of my board. I must have a low gain OD, but I also want to be able to go "off the cliff" now and again when needed. I have pedal board fights with a Fuchs Plush Drive and Joyo Sweet Baby for the low gain OD spot, and then I have a Keeley Fuzz Head, Dano CO-1 and Joyo Ultimate Drive fighting for the "over the cliff" spot. I also have a Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret that adds that much needed "snarl".

I am nuts...

I'm highly skeptical cheap pedals will be transparent. We are talking analog, right? I've always found Fulltone to be transparent. I'm sure there are others. I'm highly skeptical of Dano and Boss though. Used is the way to go for bargains.Really depends on the amp though. Fulltone and others make pedals with a lot of headroom to make tube amps sound good. They sound awful with solid state, forget the modeling. Surf ebay for finds.

I wouldn't be skeptical of Boss or Dano just because they're names... They make a lot of pedals so they probably make a bunch you don't like, but there are lots of happy users as evidenced by people on this forum. In fact I've always thought Boss pedals practically had a reputation for being the only thing other than cockroaches that could survive a nuclear explosion, and pros seem to have no problem using them. I don't actually have any right now but not because I was skeptical about them. Plus this might be stupid but if I had my way every pedal maker would house their pedals in enclosures with big ole pads for switches like boss.

But... We may have vastly different ears, I have an OCD but never would have thought to describe it as "transparent."

I'm out of the tonequest myself, at least as far as ODs go. I spent a bunch o' $$$ on a bunch o' pedals that sound mostly (and I did say mostly) alike. The goal should be to find one or two that play nice with your amp and guitars (and play nice together if you stack ODs), then lock it down and get back to playing. I did, and I'm happy to not be obsessing on it now.

My combo may or may not work for you (and I'd bet good money it won't)... a Digitech Screamin' Blues (a BD clone) into a Hardwire Tube Overdrive (a fancier Bad Monkey) for higher gain stuff with DOD Milkbox comp in front of both of them. Good luck!

You need at least one Bad Monkey (tube overdrive) in every herd!

fulltones are spendy but the 69 fuzz is really versatile in the many different sounds you can get from it. the ocd is good for that fat saturated "sing like a violin" sound....

if i had to choose between the two i'd keep the 69 fuzz just because it is so versatile in delivering everything from the tiniest bit of "barely there" crunch to full on fuzzy viola

I wouldn't be skeptical of Boss or Dano just because they're names... They make a lot of pedals so they probably make a bunch you don't like, but there are lots of happy users as evidenced by people on this forum. In fact I've always thought Boss pedals practically had a reputation for being the only thing other than cockroaches that could survive a nuclear explosion, and pros seem to have no problem using them. I don't actually have any right now but not because I was skeptical about them. Plus this might be stupid but if I had my way every pedal maker would house their pedals in enclosures with big ole pads for switches like boss.

But... We may have vastly different ears, I have an OCD but never would have thought to describe it as "transparent."
I'm not saying any of them are bad. If it works for any given individual, by all means do it. By transparent I'm referring to clarity. I'm not a pedal builder so i can't talk the spec talk but it's not coloration i'm talking about but kinda like the difference between being in a stuffy house and then going out side and finding a nice clean breeze(not necessarily to be found on earth though ;). Fulltone uses quality components and other manufacturers of similar quality use the good parts and they shine better than the cheaper pedals. There's a reason why so many of the heavily mass produced ones are modded. That is an option as well if a person is handy with a soldering iron. Another way to put it is I find more expensive pedals have more of an uncompressed sound, airiness, less noise(which comes into play as pedals are added).

I'm not saying any of them are bad. If it works for any given individual, by all means do it. By transparent I'm referring to clarity. I'm not a pedal builder so i can't talk the spec talk but it's not coloration i'm talking about but kinda like the difference between being in a stuffy house and then going out side and finding a nice clean breeze(not necessarily to be found on earth though ;). Fulltone uses quality components and other manufacturers of similar quality use the good parts and they shine better than the cheaper pedals. There's a reason why so many of the heavily mass produced ones are modded. That is an option as well if a person is handy with a soldering iron. Another way to put it is I find more expensive pedals have more of an uncompressed sound, airiness, less noise(which comes into play as pedals are added).

It's an open question whether 1% caps and resistors contribute much to a pedal's sound. They do ensure consistency from pedal to pedal on the production line and can, of course, be helpful in marketing a product. I've got some high end pedals and some cheapos modded with Radio Shack parts. They all have their place. For me "transparency" has more to do with a pedal's design than it's components. I'm a lot more concerned about jacks and switches; the stuff that typically breaks.