Best Overdrive for when you you can’t turn up your tube amp enough?

These days I'm using a ZenDrive clone I built from Aion Electronics. I have an OCD for heavier overdrive.

 

How much do Attenuators cost since we’ve had recommendations for $200+ Overdrives ?

I play an Orange with the attenuator built in. Since it’s a mass market amp and has no onboard effects I consider it to be pretty expensive, but the attenuator built in completely blows away all the OD pedals I’ve tried with it, which is approaching 10 or so.

So I might say look at attenuators but how much do they cost, and how much do you have to spend for them to be good? And are attenuators designed into the amp better?

 

I have a Weber Mass 100w, new they go for around $250, I got mine on sale.
The Mass Lite 100w, without the bells & whistles, goes for $195.
The Mini Mass 50w goes for $136.

They are well built quality units.

 

CMATMODS Butah Overdrive.
Even brand spanking new is only $135.
You'll thank me later.

 

Let me guess... plays like buttah?

 

I use my attenuator with a 4 watt valve amp so I don't need to reduce volume massively so just use an L-Pad attenuator, £15 to install it on the cab. Does what I want it to anyway.

 

My fave for this application.

Also, the Lovepedal Blackface Deluxe, which I've seen on sale for as low as $55, but which performs at the level of some that cost $100 more.

 

Barber Gain Changer
Ibanez TS9DX

 

I’ve had the best luck with a Rat clone (Mooer Black Secret).

 

EP booster or any affordable Klon copy

 

This. I wouldn’t waste time with an attenuator for purposes of drive. To my ears a pedal that sounds good at bedroom levels sounds just as good as an attenuated amp. Like everyone else I love the sounds of tubes being pushed, but that sound has turned into some cult-like example of purity of tone where no pedal could ever touch it. I’ve heard a lot of naturally overdriven amps, and I’ve heard a lot of pedals, and in some cases pedals sound just as good or better. It all depends on the amp and the pedal.

 

To be fair the title of the thread is, "Best Overdrive for when you you can’t turn up your tube amp enough?" So I assumed the OPs favourite drive sound comes from his amp, I use a Vox AC type amp and like the drive tone I get from it so I use and cheap and cheerful l-pad attenuator which costs less than a joyo dirt pedal. You don't have to go buy a weber mass for 10x the price.

I have 3 setups I guess, straight into the amp, amp and attenuator or headphone amp.

 

I have a circuit based off a modded Boss OD-1. asymmetrical FET clippers give it a bit more tube like response and clipping characteristics. It can go from 'transparent boost' (If you set it to unity gain and click it on/off you can't even tell a difference in sound) to full out distortion and it's extremely sensitive to picking input.

 

A amp in a box pedal modeled after the type of amp you normally use.

You’ll still lose speaker compression if that’s a big part of the amps sound but there’s only so much you can do. I’ll throw a lightly dialed in transparent comp after AIB to sort of fake in the poweramp>speaker reaction.

 

Rat indeed!

 

Voodoo labs Sparkle Drive Mod

 

My live rig set up at home. The Swart has great reverb and tremolo so all I have to use is an overdrive. Here you see my current fave od my Mythical Overdrive Vintage Spec. But you also see my Swart attenuater, to the right. I'm just not thrilled with the sound from it. On the other side you see an original Clark Gainster from 2002, and an even older DOD Vibro Thang. If you've never tried or heard a Clark Gainster, put it on your basket list, a must try....


RJ

 

Bogner Ectasy blue and red......into a slightly overdriven tube preamp they really sound like an amp on fire...I have and love them both!

 

I have a Dr Z Z-Drive. One side is germanium and the other is mosfet. It does a nice job. I also have a TS9DX and a SolaSound Tone Bender MkIV. I'm a enthusiastic, bedroom-playing amateur - so take my advice with a pinch of salt - but I like the noise these make.

 

I've used mine since 2003. Even my DRRI is too loud to turn up for distortion.