ElGuapoTaco
TDPRI Member
I have an original 1966 Princeton and want to run medium high gain distortion with my DIY overdrive I built. I also have a Klon clone, but I’d like to run something a bit hotter for the base distortion. Any thoughts? 
Ideas for best medium high gain distortion for a tele on a vintage 1966 Fender Princeton no reverb?
- Thread starter ElGuapoTaco
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What kind of medium high gain are you looking for and what's your price range?
If the price isn't to much of an issue I like the prince of tone. The switch is handy as you get to select it in boost/od/distortion and it sounds pretty good in all three positions. And it stacks better than many other pedals I have used.
That said I do also for my medium gain like to run..... a hotone golden touch... Haha. With the switch on to fatten and gain it up and wound out, it sounds actually pretty good.
Pretty much any distortion that isn't an angry bee distortion can sound good on an old fender
If the price isn't to much of an issue I like the prince of tone. The switch is handy as you get to select it in boost/od/distortion and it sounds pretty good in all three positions. And it stacks better than many other pedals I have used.
That said I do also for my medium gain like to run..... a hotone golden touch... Haha. With the switch on to fatten and gain it up and wound out, it sounds actually pretty good.
Pretty much any distortion that isn't an angry bee distortion can sound good on an old fender
ElGuapoTaco
TDPRI Member
Thank you, I have never heard of each of these pedals. The one I have right now for higher gain is a cheap amazon thing for metal and it’s just too much to try and dial it in at super low drive when stacking with a Klon
ElGuapoTaco
TDPRI Member
I am about to start building a pedal from a kit that’s after the original 1989 Marshall guv’nor. Just worried it’s going to be super noisy since it’s a bit of a one trick pony. I’d like something similar to a clon but with maybe 1.5x more gain. Maybe I need a comp and an eq and a noise gate
The hotone golden touch is one of those funny little mini pedals. I think I paid 50 or 60 for it. It has a little noise but its really not that bad
The analogman prince of tone is closer to 150 and is a heck of a pedal
After 30+ years of acquiring pedals those 2 have pretty much stayed on the board since they were added. I've run them through tweeds and bf and sf and haven't found a bad sound yet.
Best advise is to go with your amp to a shop that isn't big like a guitar center and try some pedals out.
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Cosmic Cowboy
Tele-Afflicted
I'd buy a 5150 or something. Can find em used for very reasonable...and consider changing amps if you want high-gain sounds that you can slam with your pedal.
ElGuapoTaco
TDPRI Member
5150 pedal or amp head?
Daddy Hojo
Friend of Leo's
So are you looking for slightly hotter than Klon but not as high gain as your DIY? A Timmy or a BB preamp might work well. I’ve got some Caline clones (Pure Sky=Timmy) and (Orange Burst = BB preamp) and I love them both
Cosmic Cowboy
Tele-Afflicted
I'd get the amp if you can find a good one...they're fantastic...haven't tried the pedal.
LostGonzo85
Tele-Afflicted
I'm always interested in seeing what folks are using with their non-reverb Princetons. I'm running an MXR Timmy and am very happy with the way it sounds with the gain up to around noon - it browns it up nicely and doesn't feel like a pedal, it feels like it turns the amp into a 6g2. One big plus is that it has a substantial db boost which the non-reverb amps really need to hang on a bandstand. I bet it would stack well with another pedal to kick on for leads.
I have a guv'nor and it is reasonably noisy but any higher gain pedal will have some noise. That and the bluesbreaker sure make a fair bit of noise.
I personally don't mind a bit of noise as it let's me know that something is on.
Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive pedal. Kinda like a Tube Screamer but with more variety and versatility.
ElGuapoTaco
TDPRI Member
Thank you, I will also use my other guitars with it, but want to dial the tele in first. I’m hopeful about the build. Excited to see how it soundsI have a guv'nor and it is reasonably noisy but any higher gain pedal will have some noise. That and the bluesbreaker sure make a fair bit of noise.
I personally don't mind a bit of noise as it let's me know that something is on.
loopfinding
Poster Extraordinaire
a RAT?
Are you going to do a build thread on the guv'nor build? I'd follow that for sure
ElGuapoTaco
TDPRI Member
Yeah I can do that for sure. This will be my second pedal build but I’m pretty confident. Here is where I ordered the kit from. Good prices but sadly lots of stuff is out of stock at the moment. Build your own clone
ElGuapoTaco
TDPRI Member
Which forum should I post that build into?
The burnt fingers diy effects forum. Looking forward to it
Yeah there is a shortage for some of the components used that really puts a cramp on getting things made
Willie Johnson
Friend of Leo's
Probably not what the OP is looking for, but I do a tc Tone Pilot (modded with some capacitors shoehorned into the gain control to tame the treble) or/and a T- Rex Fat Shuga boost/reverb. That and a 12" neo speaker and a ss rectifier are a size jump in output for my Silverface no-verb.
