Tell us your single favorite OD pedal!

[tsneff]

I’ve been reading up in the new Hombre. Does the bite knob function as a tone control . I like JR pedals but am wary of buying anything that doesn’t have a good eq type knob . Thanks

The bite knob is impressive in the way it changes both tone & OD sound. Turn it down for a darker Dumble tone, and up for a Marshall stack bite, clear OD sound.

 

[Jammintree]

Lovepedal Purple Plexi SE. it cleans up like a fuzz face with minimal volume loss as you turn roll guitar volume down.

 

[Jazzcaster21]

Very simple! What is your single favorite overdrive pedal you've ever had or used?

It can be a distortion/high gain pedal that you prefer on lower gain, as more of a drive pedal, but straight up overdrive pedals preferred. Boost pedals that simply use the amps natural gain sound when cranked do not count, as that is the going to be more the amp's sound than the pedal's. (Obviously colorations change with different amps in general, but you get what I'm saying.)

Tell us your favorite and why.

For me... for now... I'm going to say the Keeley Super Phat Mod drive pedal. I've been recording with it a lot. I love it on low-mid gain for more classic, bluesy rock sounds and cranked for more 90s overdrive sounds. I always use the Phat setting though. Just sweeter that way IMO.

How about you?

Right now, I am using a Ibanez Tubescreamer TS9 Reissue. I bought it in mint condition off Craigslist this summer to replace my vintage TS9 (with the Maxon chip) that has been in the shop now for almost a year. It sounds pretty good with my Telecaster and Vintage Sound 20 amp. My other OD pedal the Fulltone OCD, version 2 (I think).

 

[Whoa Tele]

The bite knob is impressive in the way it changes both tone & OD sound. Turn it down for a darker Dumble tone, and up for a Marshall stack bite, clear OD sound.

Cool . I’ve got a Blue Note and a Chicken soup . Would love to try the Hombre and Dude

 

[Boxla]

Best one I’ve ever owned or heard.

 

[Jope]

Lovepedal High Power Tweed Twin. I’ve owned it since it was released nearly 10 years ago and it’s still my favourite overdrive. It loves a telecaster bridge pickup.

 

[Jellyroll]

Reuss Effects Epic Overdrive. Dual OD running in parallel with ability to blend back in clean guitar signal. It is indeed Epic, and I never turn it off. Ever! Even when I go to sleep at night I leave it on just in case…

 

[bobio]

Haven't had a lot of time to play with it yet, but I just picked up a Prince of Tone from AnalogMan. Got it to hold me over while I wait the likely 3 years until my turn comes up on the King of Tone waiting list

 

[arlum]

If we're sticking with "Overdrive Pedals" without including Treble Boosters, Fuzz, Distortion, etc..... I've owned quite a few. Both Ibanez and Maxon versions of the TS-808 and TS-9 were my original favorites. I prefer smooth so the 808 was probably my original favorite but the TS-9 did add some much needed top end. I currently own a B. K. Butler Tube Driver, (Built by Mr. Butler himself), and think it's wonderful but I don't classify it as an Overdrive. It's got far more gain than I would attribute to an Overdrive. It's more of a perfectly controlled Fuzz to my ears. The finest Overdrive, in my opinion, is the Free The Tone Heat Blaster HB-2. I've owned mine for a number of years and I'm thinking it may be out of production. I'm not sure. It overdrives the front end of an amp just the way Overdrives were designed to do and then includes High and Low Cuts so you can go from a smooth dark 808 tone to a TS-9 tone or anything in between. If you crank it it goes a bit above what I would call Overdrive but never really gets into Distortion territory. I find my perfect over driven tone with the gain between 4 and 7 and usually include the high cut.

 

[GuitarRod]

3yrs ago i bought a used Boss Blues Driver experimenting with different guitars and it wasn't until I put a Strat neck pickup in a Tele and used one of few SRV TS9 settings that made my eyes and ears go WHOA JACK! I prefer to have my Carvin X-60 clean channel dimed out and plug direct but when I put that pedal in the signal, that changed everything and even more so after I swapped that pickup for a P90... just wait till I put a new switch in my DOD Overdrive Plus!

 

[pippoman]

Again? Boss BD-2 with a n MXR Dyna Comp dimed at the end of the chain. Or an OCD, Dyna Comp at the end. Smooths everything out. Keep the gain at 11:00 ish.
Oh, and keep the sustain on the Dyna comp at 7:00 or off, otherwise it squashes the note out of existence.

You read my mind. I actually get compliments on my tone sometimes and that’s exactly what I’m doing. And you’re right - that Dyna Comp will do some serious squashing. I used to leave my sustain off, but lately I leave it barely on.

 

[burntfrijoles]

It's my King of Tone because it's so versatile. In some ways I think "heard one, you've heard 'em all". I understand that the Tube Screamers and their brothers have a distinct sound and some pedals are "foundation" boxes that emulate a specific amp style (I have two a DLS and 5F6) but I think any basic OD will work well.

 

[bigbean]

Blackstone Appliances MOSFET Overdrive. Just sounds and reacts like an overdriven amp. I put it into any Fender amp set clean and use the amp to control the volume. Works in my Princeton Reverb up through my Pro Reverb.

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I switched a month ago from a Timmy to the Blackstone for my input pedal. I always wanted a Blackstone and I bought a current version from the man himself in 2021. Having gigged with it several times now I love it. After a couple of tweaks I now leave the orange light channel on except for distortion stuff when I push it red. Very cool. I'm playing through a digital mixer to the audience. in combination with a Radial JDX Direct Drive. To the audience it sounds like a Blackface Fender not some old guy plugging his electric guitar through the PA.

 

[Bill]

I switched a month ago from a Timmy to the Blackstone for my input pedal. I always wanted a Blackstone and I bought a current version from the man himself in 2021. Having gigged with it several times now I love it. After a couple of tweaks I now leave the orange light channel on except for distortion stuff when I push it red. Very cool. I'm playing through a digital mixer to the audience. in combination with a Radial JDX Direct Drive. To the audience it sounds like a Blackface Fender not some old guy plugging his electric guitar through the PA.

So glad you like yours. It’s been my main overdrive pedal for 20 years now.

 

[8bitlooper]

So glad you like yours. It’s been my main overdrive pedal for 20 years now.

Reading this just made me dust off mine, and yep. It’s pretty great. Might be back on for a while.

 

[Geo]

For widely versatile and good sound the (now named Truetone) Route 66 V2 as can go from smooth clean boost to fuzz or
distortion easily. Just for a mild boost and/or sound enhancement the MXR Sugar Drive is great.

 

[Rocky058]

I have OD's that cost a lot more, but starting today this...

 

[GopherWater]

After many years of trying to find the right drive(s), my recently acquired Okko Diablo gain + has become my favorite so far. So amp-like and dynamic and just super friendly with anything I throw at it.

 

[Rock A. Billy]

This!
Despite its name not a boost but an OD with lots of tone shaping options.
Never left my board since the first day and is not likely to be replaced.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Very simple! What is your single favorite overdrive pedal you've ever had or used?

It can be a distortion/high gain pedal that you prefer on lower gain, as more of a drive pedal, but straight up overdrive pedals preferred. Boost pedals that simply use the amps natural gain sound when cranked do not count,

No fair!

as that is the going to be more the amp's sound than the pedal's. (Obviously colorations change with different amps in general, but you get what I'm saying.)

Tell us your favorite and why.

Electro Harmonix Soul Food, because I can leave it on all the time and forget about it.

For me... for now... I'm going to say the Keeley Super Phat Mod drive pedal. I've been recording with it a lot. I love it on low-mid gain for more classic, bluesy rock sounds and cranked for more 90s overdrive sounds. I always use the Phat setting though. Just sweeter that way IMO.

How about you?

Phat's where it's at!