Is there a "Distortion" pedal you *Won't* use?

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:02 pm

When we hired Uncle Tupelo for a gig in 1994 their rider specifically said "No Peavey" under their requirements for PA etc.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:17 pm

Aiight, not only do I have a Peavey amp that I like for recording (the little 15 watt transtube), but I have a Peavey distortion pedal that I like alot.

It's called a "Hot Foot", is actually a digital pedal, but not modeling.

As for what I won't use, well, I believe there is no distortion pedal that can't be used for something.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:47 pm

Yeah, I have a small fleet (2) of Peavey practice amps (the "Backstage" series) that break up very nicely when they are set for overdrive. One of them came from the dumpster at my college years ago. I'm keeping them both around, partly because they ain't worth jack shit and partly because they have a nice solid-state distortion about them.

I am told that the slightly larger Peavey amps are almost a standard option for pedal steel players (it comes down to that or a Roland Jazz Chorus), at least the 'square' old-school steel players. The young turks of the alt-country scene probably go for toobs for the usual reasons (toob worship, etc).

tintern · Post by **tintern** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:52 pm

junkyardtodd wrote: My MXR Distortion + also sounds really good through it. Isn't that supposed to be Bob Moulds pedal of choice?

actually, i think he's using a POD now. or he was recently.

why he gave up the MXR/harmonizer combo is beyond me. i'd kill to have that distinct of a guitar sound.

one thing i've found, when guitarsts come in swearing by their DOD grunge pedal through Solid State Marshall (actually sounds better than you'd think) or the built-in Fender Deville drive (sounds as bad as you think) what I like to do is split their clean signal and run it through a similar but better pedal/amp of my own and record both. sometimes they like their own better (and sometimes it sounds good mixed in with the band) and sometimes they decide (or other band members decide) they like my suggestion better. best of both worlds IMO.

simplealien · Post by **simplealien** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:54 am

I think being narrowminded is what should be left aside. To say you wont use anything that starts with METAL or anthing along those lines is a bad thing. To say that Modeling amps are bad is wrong. Everything has its place somewhere, its just a matter of where!! thats the million dollar question... to compare a POD Line6 to a bogner or any real tube amp for that matter is not a fair comparison. There are advantages to both sides of the coin, as well you can get good tone out of both. To say you dont like a Big Muff, why because its fuzzy, is to gritty, to noisey ...for what?? Carlos Santanas new record, Brad Paisleys tone.. those characteristics are what make the biff muff cool. If everything was between the lines we would all listen to the same shit.

75% of the tone is from the player/experience and knowing what your going after. try everything, never rule out anything!!!
my 2 cents

peace

covert · Post by **covert** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:39 am

simplealien wrote:I think being narrowminded is what should be left aside. To say you wont use anything that starts with METAL or anthing along those lines is a bad thing. To say that Modeling amps are bad is wrong. Everything has its place somewhere, its just a matter of where!! thats the million dollar question... to compare a POD Line6 to a bogner or any real tube amp for that matter is not a fair comparison. There are advantages to both sides of the coin, as well you can get good tone out of both. To say you dont like a Big Muff, why because its fuzzy, is to gritty, to noisey ...for what?? Carlos Santanas new record, Brad Paisleys tone.. those characteristics are what make the biff muff cool. If everything was between the lines we would all listen to the same shit.

75% of the tone is from the player/experience and knowing what your going after. try everything, never rule out anything!!!

I tend to make statements like that somewhat tongue in cheek. On the other hand, this is a place where opinions were sought, and I have a few. There are all sorts of pieces of gear that other people get good, or better, results from, that just don't work for me. From long experience, Metal Zones, Digital Metalizers and teh like don't work for me. By similar token, the "turbo" settings on things that have them, don't work for me. Bass cabinets based on 10" speakers, other than full size SVTs don't ..... etc. I'm not closed minded, but if I have a choice, and I have enough stuff tat I usually do, I'll reach fro teh thing that seems more likely to give me something I'd like.

Dubious · Post by **Dubious** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 9:03 am

persoanlly i always come back to my tried and trusted MXR distortion +.. sounds great on pretty much everything from vocs to bass to synths and of course guitar.

i tend to record direct into my mic pre or board ( usually prefering a clean "funk" tone) and throwing the mxr on there can really rip.

i also really dig my peavy rage which was the first amp i ever bought back when i was 14 years old.. the thing has been used on more sessions than anything else ive ever had.. including ac30's, traynors, fenders you name it... my buddy has beautiful fender bassmaster, tremolux and a gorgeous princeville and even he had to go out and buy a peavey rage so he could get that RAGE tone.. and 80% of his tracking sessions go thru the rage... the thing is just untouchable for a certain je nes ce quos tone... i guess its knda like a more pimped out pignose.

back to pedals.. the proco rat is my other fave.

floid · Post by **floid** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:08 am

Dubious wrote

back to pedals.. the proco rat is my other fave.

yeah, but this is about the ones you hate...
but which one is it? new or old? anybody tried that new double rat they got, or that guy that mods 'em out? mine is the old(no LED)type with a scratchy switch - gives this great "halfway there" tone that's never the same twice, which makes it both great and agonizingly painful ("NO!!! aw man, why'd you have to stomp the switch? now i'll never get it back)
those crappy old multi pedals are my personal least fave - sure, you can string together fifteen or twenty of 'em for noise loops that are quite interesting, but i've never found an actual app. for 'em where something else didn't deliver the goods twice as good in terms of no hiss, clarity, etc...

Dubious · Post by **Dubious** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:42 am

pedals i hate??

all DOD

Digitech

ibanex tube screamer

big muff

and the king craspper of them all:

the boss metal zone (actually ive never heard a boss distortion or overdrive i liked)

Dubious · Post by **Dubious** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:45 am

as for rats.. i had a onrignal non led one.. it was AWESOME... nursed it back fro mthe dead numerous times before it was sequestered by my old band...

i recently used one of the newer (led at least) models on a session and it sounded freaking awesome as well.. probably differant but still great.. the filter o nthese things is the key.. nasty!

at the same session i used one of the guitars lying around in the studio.. a jaguar where the dude had mounted the American Woman fuzz pedal (not sure which boutique pedal company makes this beast) into the pickguard.. that pedal is INSANE.. self oscilating fuzz tone... monstrous..

curtiswyant · Post by **curtiswyant** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:02 pm

Dubious wrote:he had to go out and buy a peavey rage so he could get that RAGE tone

classic...

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:51 pm

Has anyone mentioned the DOD grunge pedal yet?

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:18 pm

mjau wrote:Has anyone mentioned the DOD grunge pedal yet?

I just went to a mastering session today where I used that pedal on a vocal and bass in a couple of mixes.

That was one someone donated to the cause mentioned earlier.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:16 pm

Sr. Garges,

Care to share how you use a distortion pedal on a vocal?

Do you typically run it on a parallel buss at mixdown, use a D.I. with it, re-amp it?

Thanx.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:31 pm

Aux send out, low level, through pedal, through gate to reduce extraneous noise, return to a channel. Maybe combine with dry signal, maybe not. If so, listen to different polarity positions. That's it.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

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