overdrive overwhelmed !!

[missing_dave]

to start i really enjoy the OD/booster talk and debates all the "this vs. that" but im a bit overwhelmed! how can we break this down?? ive done alot of research tried some.. heres my querry.... 71 super reverb in perfect IMHO restored order sounds amazing to me. looking for a OD that really lets the amp do its thing?? just looking for that "rock n roll" tone we all love? any fender guys out there with some opinions?ts9 to honky,klon to much money cant see it,monte mod a sd1 pretty cool...... or anyone who would like to chat. thanks in advance!! happy gigging!

[ruger9]

Originally Posted by missing_dave

to start i really enjoy the OD/booster talk and debates all the "this vs. that" but im a bit overwhelmed! how can we break this down??

It can't be done. WAY to subjective. You can look for general suggestions from others who have played a ton of ODs, but until you put YOUR OD into YOUR amp with YOUR guitar & YOUR fingers, you'll never know.

Originally Posted by missing_dave

looking for a OD that really lets the amp do its thing?? just looking for that "rock n roll" tone we all love?

Aren't we all...

Seriously, I know your in a hurry to get "THAT" OD, but half of the fun is the searching for it. Unfortunately, it also takes some cash flow...

I'll say this: the 2 overdrives I have played that are the best at "letting the amp do it's thing" are:

Barber LTD and Barber LTD Silver. (The silver has less of a mid-hump, but the regular LTDs mid-hump is subtle to begin with)

RC Booster, altho this one doesn't have enough gain for ME to do want I want it to do for an overdrive. I use this one as a solo volume boost.

[genelovesjez]

Definitely a subjective question, but you should get some great insights by doing the following:

So a search of "overdrive" in the Stomp Box section with author "Tim Bowen". For my money, the answer is probably in there somewhere.

[missing_dave]

understandable.. its a blanket question but just trying to weed out some to only try 10 or 20:)
as a note im looking for rhythm sound only....for now:)
ill look into your sugg. its funny currently looking into the xotic stuff? so that was nice to see.
in addition i see people suggesting OD's all the time but would like to know application. ie: good for solos, single coil,etc. also knowing they are just suggestions.
anymore?

[Ringo]

You need to let us know what kind of guitar and pu's, some OD's sound good with single coils but not humbuckers, also what type(s) of music.

[Dana]

Originally Posted by missing_dave

understandable.. its a blanket question but just trying to weed out some to only try 10 or 20:)

Well, in my opinion, 10 or 20 pedals, even the cheap ones, is going to cost $$$. After 25 years of playing I've come to the conclusion that you have to buy stuff and live with it awhile and try it in different situations before you can get an idea of what it can really do.

You mentioned trying to save $$$. Good luck. The really nice pedals cost big $$$, and often there is a wait. For what it's worth, I had a Klon, and sold it. Not because I didn't like it, it's just that at the time I needed the cash, and didn't have a gig that required that type of pedal. If I needed another I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Other great overdrives I've tried that were great:
Blackstone
Barber LTD
Bad Boy
Lovepedal Eternity
Lovepedal COT
Hot Cake
BJF Honey Bee
BJF EGDM
Zendrive
Tim/Timmy

All of these are fantastic pedals, but again your band/gig/gear will determine what works best for you.

Good luck.

Dana

[missing_dave]

i was being a bit facetious 10 to 20, there is a lot out there to try :D i really like some of your suggestions and point well taken on there being alot of factors that go in.

im using a 71 super reverb
tele standard texas s bridge
strat standard texas special
72 tele custom reissue
into the for the lack of a better description.. alt country/rock n roll thing

[missing_dave]

by the way if i win the lotto all of us on "the stomp box" gets pedal of your choice...money can suck :D

[Brad J]

I have a similarish amp

a 73 Super that now houses a single 15 instead of the 4x10's.

By far the best OD i have used with it is the LTD.

My LTD is modded with a mid trim pot inside, and I dialled out the mids a little.

It's perfect for what you describe, I play the same styles and same guitars.

I've had lots of TS and TS boutuiques, and wanted something alot more transpaernt and natural, and the LTD has it in spades.

As per usual, YMMV :)

Bradhttp://photobucket.com/albums/y108/El_Dijevieto/

[Tim Bowen]

I'm with these guys that say that you just need to play a bunch... wish it was easier, but it's tough to say what *you* will dig.

I don't gig a Super currently, but there's a 'blackfaced' 70's Super at the studio that I occasionally cut and rehearse with. Unless you have license to push the amp quite hard, you can skip the dedicated boosters, and particularly those that accentuate high end.

If you run the amp at 3-4, you'll likely be best served by some variation on the classic Tube Screamer theme... an exceptional Ibanez pedal, including those complete with various circuit tweaks, Fulltone Fulldrive II (of which there are several variants), MJM Blues Devil, PedalworX Texas Two Step, G2D Cream-Tone, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, MI Audio blues pedals, Maxon OD820 Overdrive Pro, the venerable and highly expensive Landgraff... intimidating choices, right? Which is best? Who knows. What spices do you prefer with your food?

The only 'TS'-derived circuit I've played that didn't sit well with BF/SF Fender amps was an *early* Menatone Red Snapper. It had exceptional fidelity and clarity in the highs, and as such, did not play well with bright Fender amps that exhibited similar character. It was wonderful with darker tone stacks.

Man, I always have some trepidation about saying the following, but it's true. I've auditioned hundreds of gainers over the last ten years or so, and the only circuit that I'm absolutely confident in pairing with Fender amps in general is the Klon Centaur. For what you describe, nothing I've played even comes close. All those comparisons of "Klon Killers" - just make sure that you cross-reference reviews to those that have played said circuits on the bandstand for several years.

For what it's worth, I've played every pedal mentioned here except for the Blackstone (intriguing ped), and the Bad Boy (Bob?), the Landy, and the Xotic stuff (will likely be ordering an RC shortly). One pedal that I would certainly not choose for a typical 60's/70's Super is the Crowther Hotcake, as the EQ curve is all wrong. Hotcake however has been a keeper for me for quite some time; it's great with VOX and EL84 amps in general, and although most users don't mention it for such, it's exceptional with Fender brownface amps, to my ear.

[missing_dave]

first off i dont know how to grab prev. post clips and respond to them.(i can gut a pedal but not this )
anyway brad thanks im getting a barber vibe here and i like it! nice to hear styles match etc. also were did that "mid mod " get done like that !
Tim as you might have noticed you were mentioned early and coulnt be more pleased with your involved response. i finally heard a klon this weekend "the raidiators" great band
and it really did sound better than the other 3or 4 boutique OD's he was using. what a price tag
as a side note in 94 in boston there was a small store carrying the old "graphic" one for around $200 they had a few.....wow right. any way i think a barber is on my listmuch appr. guys

[ruger9]

Originally Posted by Brad J

My LTD is modded with a mid trim pot inside, and I dialled out the mids a little.

I did this too. Works great. I don't know if it's the same thing as the LTD Silver (which has less mids to begin with), but the mid pot made the regular LTD alot more versatile. A highly recommended (and easy as pie to do) mod.

[Brad J]

I'm sure Rob Distefano or a few other guys can chime in here regarding the difference between Black and Silver LTD's......

Cheers,

Brad

[bluescube]

Boss OD-3

[mad dog]

It is completely overwhelming. Aside from all the choices, the biggest problem is that we're mixing different tools together in the OD bag. I consider the clean boost types (Klon w/gain down being the best example) from tube screamer, mid-rich choices, and milder gain/drive pedals.

I agree with Tim B. I've had the best luck with the Klon. It definitely worked the my SR. Even there, it doesn't work well with everything. (Don't like it with the DR, for example.) And that's the curse of these pedals. You really won't know until you try, with a specific guitar and amp, if it's gonna work for you.

Looking more for clean boost, I've also had good luck with the Clark Gainster. Since that pedal is in conjuction with Barber, my guess is other Barbers would work for me. I've heard the Sparkle Drive (haven't played it) and liked that one too. The guy who sold me my Clark Tyger used a Zvex SHO and loved it. That's another I want to try.

[Joel Terry]

Dave, as some here have already mentioned, it's a subjective pursuit. Ask 20 TDPRI members about their favorite overdrive, and you'll likely get 20 different answers, or an arm's-length list of overdrive pedals. At the end of the day, only your ears will tell you what sounds best.

I play through two '70s master volume silver-face Twin Reverbs. After trying a multitude of pedals and conducting many A/B tests, I've found my favorite overdrive: The BOSS OD-3. I use two of them. I use the second one for just a slight bit of grit for rhythm, and I step on the first one to boost the second one for solos.

My preference for the OD-3 lies in its transparency and, probably more importantly to me, its ability to maintain the integrity of low frequencies. Conversely, this is why I'm not a fan of the Tubescreamer and its various incarnations and clones, as well as several other well-known overdrives. I don't like overdrives that sacrifice the low end and emphasize mid frequencies. But that's just me.

No way do I use my overdrive pedals to attempt to overdrive the Twins--that's practically an exercise in futility. :P

Joel

[missing_dave]

thanks again all.... hey brad and ruger9 how can i do that mid mod?? an lyd with that option sounds like a good start.

[WrapAround]

Go to a store where they have a FD2 and OD-3. Do some A/B listening between the 2 and see what you like/dislike about the boxes. Be sure to take your guitar. If you can take your amp with you, that would be ideal. It would be fine if the store has something close to what you play out of. But you have to take your guitar with you.

[fakeocaster]

people either love or hate them.You can always sell it if you dont like it,but its a very definite and useable sounds.


You can pick them up ,especially the TS7s ,cheaply on Ebay

[charlie chitlin]

I've never even heard of 90% of the pedals mentioned, but I can tell you that for about 20 years I've been stepping on a Tube Screamer and thinking, "Dang, that li'l green sucker sounds good!"

[Unkie Al]

Originally Posted by charlie frey

I've never even heard of 90% of the pedals mentioned, but I can tell you that for about 20 years I've been stepping on a Tube Screamer and thinking, "Dang, that li'l green sucker sounds good!"

Although i only had mine for 15 years, i think the exact same thing. :D

[Charlie Bernstein]

...and probably never will. my favorite so far: barber ltd black. i turn it on and leave it on.

[sanhozay]

With a Tele I think a Crowther Hot Cake is a tough pedal to beat. Lots of early Wilco & Jayhawk tones drip from this magic box. I'd try the Bluesberry version with your rig.

$135 delivered via New Zealand / what's the fuss?

email Paul here: croth@clear.net.nz

Tell him about your rig he'll be able to advise you.

$344 for a new/ delivered Klon isn't that crazy - is it? I have zippo regrets. Klon & the Hot Cake are my all time favorites.

[Rusty]

besides the BOOST side that really kicks my deluxe reverb in gear, i like the asymetrical clipping (like my old sd-1 that i never should have sold) -- the fulldrive definitely has the edge over the tubescreamer here for my tastes...

AND it is like most tube-screamer mod's in that it has the mid-hump lessened and bass boosted a little to make it sound less honky than a TS...it helps my clean, semi-dirty, and really dirty tones still sound like the same rig...tele through a dr... :D

for $140 on ebay it's a good buy.

also, a lot of people are happy with the keeley baked ts mod...it adds gain and bass along with asymetrical clipping. i'm happy with the fulldrive and its boost, so i haven't personally tried it :?

[missing_dave]

the asym vs sym clipping is a nice thing to look at ive got a sd1 (monte mod) ts9 (monte mod on the board. gonna a/b them a bit more.....also due to some prev. posts got a barber ltd on the way. gonna due the mid control mod.. sounds like a good idea.. lots of control. set the trims to your amp....and your done.....i hope :D liked the jayhawk wilco ref. great rock tones!

[Jean-Baptiste]

One of the reason's the TubeScreamer's still selling and has spawned so many clones, both boutique & mass produced, is because it's been voiced precisely for the ever-popular combination of fender guitars with fender amps.

Single coil pickups keep those crystaline highs intact like no humbucker could ever do, and that's probably why so many players put up with the obvious limitations like the 60 cycle hum. Less apparent, but still a major problem is the loss of those midrange frequencies that can make an otherwise balanced tone sound thin & weak.

Couple that with Leo's original amp circuits, many of which don't even have a midrange control, and it becomes clear why the mid-heavy sound of the TS has dominated the OD market for years.

Some affordable pedals in that family that I've used to great effect with my fender amps are the Boss SD-1, Reverend DriveTrainII, Nobels ODR-1, DigiTech Bad Monkey, Vox Valvetone, MJM BluesDevil (ultimate boutique TS808 clone, IMO) and the Barber LTD silver edition. Barber's pedals are all mid heavy, which probably goes a long way towards explaining their popularity, but the silver LTD is as close to 'flat mids' as anything in the line will ever be. Oh, and let's not forget about the Hermida Zendrive - Robben Ford/Brad Paisley in a box; didn't work for me, bit I've kept mine as an *investment*.

Then there's the venerable Fulltone FD-2 and its many incarnations and variations, including the new 10th Anniversary mosfet edition. This is a *big* TS with all the trimmings AND some extras. Mike Fuller's the granddaddy of the booteek movement, and his stuff's readily available on the used market for reasonable prices. I think every guitarist should own one Fulltone pedal, but mine's the SoulBender - a big, fat germanium fuzz.

I eventually got tired of sounding like everybody else, and have been moving away from the TS sound - concentrating more on preserving, rather than augmenting, the natural sound of my tele/strat & my Twin/vibroverb/deluxe/champ..

Two workhorse pedals that each have their own very surprisingly distinct personalities are the BD-2 & the OD-3. Both have been discussed in this thread - and with good reason. If anyone other than Boss had made them - and they were twice as expensive - they would have assumed mythic proportions by now. I got mine used for next to nothing and have left them bone stock.

Pedals I'm using now are brighter & edgier sounding, which has made me stop & wonder if my hearing's going - but I'm pretty happy with the sounds I'm getting these days.

You probably don't want to hear about the Lovepedal Eternity, a triple-threat pedal that's equally comfortable as a treble booster, a conventional overdrive or a flat-out distortion box. At $280 US, it's approaching the Landgraff zone, and we have a previous agreement not to go there today.

A few days ago I started a short lived thread here about MI Audio's stuff. I'm using the BluesPro for crunchy rhythm and the CrunchBox for vintage Marshall tones. These are hand built, true bypass designs that go for under a hundred bucks each. Not the most versatile stomps around, they're nonetheless a good match for your rig as described.

Perhaps the bargain of the century would be Timmy. $100 buys you the most transparent, chameleon-like pedal I've yet to hear. Paul Cochrane builds these in his spare time after work, where he designs Heratige amps. He's obviously got a good ear, as he's managed to squeeze authentic sounding power tube distortion into an MXR sized enclosure. I've got a second one on order, as there's some interesting clipping combinations that can be acheived by adjusting the internal dip switches. And like many other pedals mentioned, Timmy contains a socketed op-amp which can be swapped out for some dramatic variations in texture.

He also builds Tim, a larger box with a built-in loop, for those of us who like to add equalizers to the tonal equation, and a boost circuit, as well.

Which brings us back around to Klon; Not a bedroom pedal, where the Centaur shines is in a high volume stage setting - boosting a nonmaster single channel fender on the verge of distortion, and pushing it over the edge in a way that no other pedal can,

Except, perhaps the RC Booster. Considered by some to be rather sterile & hi-fi sounding in comparison to Klon, this is a true bypassed pedal, whereas the Klon has a high quality buffer that can actually improve your tone even when the effect is not engaged.

I've recently rediscovered compression as a way to thicken the tone of an overly bright amp, and have been using a Diamond opto-comp to boost & EQ my sound. It's subtle, but addicting, and I rarely turn it off.

Diamond also makes some nice overdrives, and I've got two of their ODs on my board at present - the discontinued Diamond Drive, which is kind of an audiophile version of the FD2. It's dark & thick- the perfect antidote to the "ice-pick" syndrome, which can occur when using a strat bridge p-up with a super reverb.

The other pedal's not been released yet, but I was asked to beta test it in real-world situations. The Diamond Drive TR's got a pull-pot lead boost, a beatifully voiced "warmth" control and a tone stack that incorporates some NOS germanium transistors that are apparently almost impossible to find these days. My only problem with this pedal is that I'm going to have to send it back at some point..

Best of luck on your tone quest! Don't forget to post back when you find something that works!!

[Kingpin]

Perhaps the bargain of the century would be Timmy. $100 buys you the most transparent, chameleon-like pedal I've yet to hear.

A big ditto on that.

I own(or have owned) a lot of the pedals you've described: An original Ibanez TS808, Timmy, Barber LTD, RC Booster, Keeley RAT, Keeley BD2, Hermida Zendrive to name a few... and my overall favorite of the bunch is the Timmy. Although I usually don't stack pedals, I do like the RC Booster running into the Timmy. Big, fat, and natural sounding OD! The Zendrive is a nice pedal for smooth, sustaining overdrive; but I rarely have need for all the gain it has on tap.

[Tim Bowen]

You guys and gals that find yourselves bogged down in the mire of/enthralled with the neverending gain stomp quest should bookmark and print out Jean-Baptiste's last post. Dead on the money, in my opinion.

[BoB/335]

Well I found it interesting reading .

Then there's the venerable Fulltone FD-2 and its many incarnations and variations, including the new 10th Anniversary mosfet edition. This is a *big* TS with all the trimmings AND some extras.

I have a SD1 for over 15 years and have tried a few TS9's and a Drivetrain. I also recently sold my Barber Direct Drive and I'm selling a Clark Gainster. I have the new mosfet FD2 and this pedals blows all of them away. I don't see this as a "*big* TS" at all. Turning my guitar volume down while in the first OD you can hardly tell the pedal is on. (Using the Flat Mids and mosfet setting) I think it sounds like my guitar and amp cranked.

I eventually got tired of sounding like everybody else,

No comment!

[skiraly017]

Under $100 - MI Audio Blues Pro
Over $100 - Lovepedal Eternity

[BB]

Originally Posted by Tim Bowen

You guys and gals that find yourselves bogged down in the mire of/enthralled with the neverending gain stomp quest should bookmark and print out Jean-Baptiste's last post. Dead on the money, in my opinion.

Tim...I agree 100% with your assessment of Jeans post. The wealth of incredible, insightful and most importanly...real world...information provided by you, Jean and others here on the TDPRI is priceless in my humble ( and I am truly humbled ) opinion.

[Bill]

The thing I'd say is that there are two main kinds of pedals that I've encountered:

Ones that are designed to sound best pushing an amp that's already near the edge. The Klon Centaur and Fulldrive II are examples of this.

The other, rarer kind, are designed to work with a relatively clean amp--the pedal provides essentially all the overdrive sound. The Blackstone Appliances Overdrive 2s is an example of that. It's the best pedal I've found to work with my late 70's Pro Reverb. Keeps a similar sound at any volume--get the overdrive with the pedal and use the amp simply to adjust the volume of that overdrive sound.

[BoB/335]

I would like to check out that Blackstone pedal. I have the newest FD2 and I think it sounds better with my '69 Pro than with my '69 Princeton which is opposite of your evaluation.

[Bill]

Hmmm, I think you may have proved my point.

I was talking about the "classic" Fulldrive II--I have the first version (non-flat mids) and the second version (flat mids).

You have the newest version that is a MOSFET. The Blackstone Appliances is also a MOSFET overdrive device. I suspect that may be why they both work especially well with fairly clean amps, and why they clean up so well using the guitar's volume control.

[BoB/335]

OK!

[BoB/335]

OK!

[missing_dave]

wow i started this thread and look now... glad everyone is getting something :D

i took "brad J's" advice on a BARBER ltd....yes!!! he also told me about a mid mod(very easy to do) that lets you dial your amp etc. right in right in that trouble spot. the pedal on its own is equally as good( a/b it with ts9,sd1 modded, ts9 modded, fat boost, od3, ) i liked it best, for my amp (71 SR)
for now im happy good luck to ya and ill be checking out some of your posts suggestions for fun too...thanks again brad if ya read this great sugg/ mod.