Blues Driver vs.Tube Screamer

[jango]

Looking for a overdrive pedal to put on the front end of a Fender DRRI or Princeton RI. What's the verdict on these two, and any other suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

[cactusrob]

Have you taken a look at the Bad Monkey? Real close to the TS mark...only about 40 or 50 bucks, too.

[callaway]

Both TS and Blues Driver are quite different, so it really depends what you want. I have both and I play through a silverface Champ and homemade Princeton Reverb. The Tubescreamer will really boost the midrange, which really works well with Fender amps. The Blues Driver really retains your clean sound, minus a bit of bass, and adds drive to it. They're both really good options, just different.

My Tubescreamer is the BYOC OD2 kit and the Blues Driver I just picked up on eBay for $41 a few weeks ago. I'd recommend picking up used pedals. Why pay $40 for a new DOD pedal when you can get a used Boss for the same price?

[Agitator]

As Callaway says, it has a lot to do with what sound you like, as well as what gear you have. I've read that the BD-2 doesn't sound good on Fender guitars into Fender-like amps, and that's been my experience, too. I just got one and it sounds way too "fizzy" for me (Strat into Music Man One-thirty).

I don't have a TS, but I have a Bad Monkey and I really like the sound of that one.

But if you give us an idea of what tones you like, or what sort of music you want to play, that might help narrow it down. There are about a million different OD/distortion boxes out there and everyone has their favorite.

[jkats]

I have both ODs, and they both play well with Fender amps. The Blues Driver can do two different things well -- clean boost by turning the level to noon or 1pm and the gain to very low (great for a solo boost) and a gently overdriven lead tone with the gain about 1/3 on. Tone should be at 9 no matter what. I agree it gets fizzy beyond that, but I don't go there. (Mine is unmodded, but I understand there are mods to remove the fizziness) It is transparent in the sense that it doesn't accent any particular frequencies. The Tube Screamer has a pronounced mid boost and gets dirty more quickly. I use the Tube Screamer with Fender guitars to get more dirt and to cut through the mix, and Blues Driver for a clean boost or a bit of grit on Fender and Gibson guitars. You can stack them, too - that is, turn on both for more volume and dirt. (And then for times when mayhem is requred, there's my BBE AM-64, a GC bargain for $19.95!)

[callaway]

I agree, the Blues Driver is usable with Fender-Fender setups. I mentioned my amps, but my guitars are a Tele and a Strat. The Tubescreamer is more usable over the whole range of gain, but the Blues Driver will do some things the Tubescreamer can't. The low gain dynamics are great and it will get a nasty fuzz-like tone with the gain cranked. In a band situation, the fizziness won't be as big of an issue, but for bedroom use, the Blues Driver could probably use a modification. If you're looking for bedroom use and don't want to modify, I'd say probably go with the Tubescreamer. Besides, they've been around for longer and more greats have used them (although a lot of greats today are using the Blues Driver).

[Agitator]

Hm. I guess I won't give up on my BD just yet. I have a Barber LTD for a nice low-gain sound, but if I can get a usable higher-gain sound of it (that's different than the Bad Monkey/Tube Screamer) I would like that.

[Hiker]

The Boss OD3 is over and above what the Blues Driver was intended to be. With the shortcomings of the Blues Driver,
you see-so many (tons) of them with a Keeley or other mod kit.

What works best is the OD3, and a Bad Monkey on the same board. That's what I did.

[Maradona86]

My vote goes for the MXR Classic Overdrive. Super cheap and sounds INCREDIBLE. VERY VERY similar to a Menatone Red Snapper. My main OD on my board for the last couple of years has been a Menatone Fish Factory, but the MXR is the one that goes with me to jam sessions and the like. Perfect when I'm travellin light. Def check it out.

[rhythmcaster]

After going though this search a year ago I ended up with a Visual Sounds Route 808 overdrive pedal and have never regretted it. Similar to a TS.

[Fearnot]

After reading a lot of testimony here on TDPRI, I picked up a Boss SD-1 yesterday. It's a real viable option to consider here in that it's cheap (mine was $25 used), built like a tank and sounds good. I've had a TS-5 Tubescreamer for damned near forever that's developing a cranky input jack, so I'm auditioning replacements myself. My initial impression is that the SD-1 isn't quite as 'warm' as the TS (less mid-hump?) and has more drive, but gets pretty 'fizzy' past about 1 o'clock on that knob. But that's okay, since I don't use these as anything more than a moderate boost in the chain.

I will add that I had the chance to get an OD-3 (for about twice the price, but that's still cheap) and it sounded bigger, smoother and had a lot more usable gain to it. But it didn't have the 'snarl' when you dig in that I love in the Tubescreamer class. The SD-1 made the back of my neck sweat. Fun.



(I may go back for the OD-3 anyway. )

[vedt]

I have never owned a TS, which is surprising given that many of my favorite guitarists use one. But I do own a BD-2 and play through a Tele into a Fender Blues Jr, and think the tone is great. With the gain around Noon and the tone knob at 9 o'clock, the BD-2 produces some great, but somewhat compressed, overdriven tones. That said, my main overdrives of choice are the Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and OCD, although the BD-2 sounds great on top of the FD2.

Mr. Keeley comments on his website that the BD-2 is more dynamic and responds to picking better (i.e. the harder you pick, the more drive you're going to get). So take that for what it's worth.

John Mayer once commented that the FD2 is similar to the TS-808. Does anyone else here agree?

[Agitator]

Originally Posted by vedt

Mr. Keeley comments on his website that the BD-2 is more dynamic and responds to picking better (i.e. the harder you pick, the more drive you're going to get). So take that for what it's worth.

That's the whole selling point of the pedal. That's what it was designed to do.

I guess I'll have to try pulling the tone back to 9:00 or lower and see if that improves the tone to my ears.

[jango]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Someone asked what tones I'm after, I mostly do classic rock, blues and country. I really like the breakup Clapton has on his 70's recordings. I've read alot how the TS will get you close to SRV tone, which I also like.

[RockerDuck]

I have a BD-2 and an OCD. Two different, good sounding od's.

[Asphalt Cowboy]

I have a Keeley Mod+ Tubescreamer, and I love it. I use it on most of the songs I do. I'm a fan of Tubescreamers in general, they go good with Teles.

I had the Keeley Mod Blues Driver, and it was too gritty for me to use with my Tele. It didn't even feel like drive, it was just... GRIT! But a stock blues driver is a lot warmer and could probably work.

[birv2]

Isn't the main difference between the two the difference between symmetric and asymmetric clipping? I'm no pedal expert but people generally find one or the other more pleasing.

[justatwanging]

I have owned both the BD and TS and both worked good for me. The Delta Labs Tube Overdrive is basically a TS at 1/2 the cost.
The Boss SD 1 has the Robert Keely Mod switch reminds me of a high gain Mesa Boogie amp.
My "secret weapon" for a Tele is the MXR Micro Amp. If you don't own one of these get one!
The Delta Labs Stereo Chorus has a nice deep-lush tone.
The Boss FVR-1 has the classic 1960's Fender Reverb.

This pedal board set up works real well for me.