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

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:42 pm

Thank you!

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:43 pm

Sure thing. It's pretty much the same method for bass guitar or keys. If I'[m doing that with drums (epsecially kick or snare), I might gate on the way to the pedal, too.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:31 am

cgarges wrote: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

totes yeah, current mix features the RAT in same fashion for vox.

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:56 am

I couldn't get the DOD Anerican Metal Pedal to do anything musical or interesting.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:06 am

Derrick wrote:I couldn't get the DOD Anerican Metal Pedal to do anything musical or interesting.

I think that's one I've got, too. I've got some piece of crap red DOD metal pedal. I actually got some cool guitar sounds for a track with it once. That was another one someone gave me.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

lyman · Post by **lyman** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:47 am

i used to have a Boss FZ-2 fuzz pedal. the kind with 2 fuzz setting and one clean boost. i never liked either fuzz mode, although the clean boost was kinda handy. i happily sold it, and would classify this pedal as one i would never use again.

saultime · Post by **saultime** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:50 pm

Most distortion pedals are just clones of the original tube screamer, with varying degrees of tweakage. Good 'ol diode clipping. Has anyone ever used a zvex fuzz factory? You can get some totally sick sounds out of that thing if you take the time. A true modern classic.

Peavey is the go to amp for most pedal steel guys. And I've had wonderful experiences with Peavey's PA equipment. It's not "the best," but it's inexpensive and lasts forever. YMMV.

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:47 pm

cgarges wrote:
Derrick wrote:I couldn't get the DOD Anerican Metal Pedal to do anything musical or interesting.
I think that's one I've got, too. I've got some piece of crap red DOD metal pedal. I actually got some cool guitar sounds for a track with it once.

Mine was a purple thing and I believe it was model FX57 or something like that. Puke, vommit, barf, throw up, up-chuck, spew, heave, yack....

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:33 pm

I remember this "TRONIX" pedal following us around for a number of years.. it would end up at every rehearsal space somehow, always the joke or the "weapon" just in case, I mean it would only last a few blows against a skull if used as a self defense device since it was mostly hard plastic. but i always felt sorry for it.. missing its knobs and stuff.. its 9volt cover gone.. poor tronix.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:37 pm

You know you're in trouble when you are feeling sorry for a lousy stompbox - I mean, it's one thing to feel sorry for a beleagured Rat or even a Fuzzface, but come on...

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:29 am

NOTE TO SELF: Don't name my new production of pedals "TRONIX".

Thanks.

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:31 am

Tatertot wrote:You know you're in trouble when you are feeling sorry for a lousy stompbox - I mean, it's one thing to feel sorry for a beleagured Rat or even a Fuzzface, but come on...

where we goin'?

A-Barr · Post by **A-Barr** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:25 pm

I 2nd, 3rd ...50th the sentiment that Boss distortion pedals are extremely unmusical. Some of their other stuff - phasers, delays, comps, are ok, if not tinny, but they seem to be at a total loss as to what guitarists want in overdrive/distortion.

And a new entry: Any Marshall Valvestate amp. Not as bad as a Boss, mind you, but ugh, they sure sound nasty. If you've been away from a real tube amp for a long time, you can sort of feel like you've got that classic sound, but put it up against the real thing and it flushes itself down the toilet.

...my experiences anyway.

BTW - as to the diode clipping mentioned earlier, this has always been part of the Marshall sound from the 70's onward, even in their classic heads. Basically they're ripped off Bassman heads with some diodes thrown in to dirty it up. Not that they don't sound great, just sayin...

BTW BTW - I picked up a Boss overdrive pedal for 10 bucks and sent it to SustainPunch to give it the "808 Mod," I don't know if he's still in business, but my pedal sure is! Sounds great!

ape32 · Post by **ape32** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:04 pm

Oh boy -

DOD FX57 - Hard Rock Distortion I think it is - completely useless unless...

You open up the back and detune the trim pots that control the delay clock until you get an audible "feedback" sound - once dialed in the delay length knob on the front of the pedal controls the random delay-pitch shifter that it now has become.

Like an MXR BlueBox but even worse, a original note comes back "wrong" in unpredictable ways a few octaves and a semitone down for one note, something completely different if you take the note up a half step.

Try it!

Derrick · Post by **Derrick** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:44 am

A-Barr wrote:BTW - as to the diode clipping mentioned earlier, this has always been part of the Marshall sound from the 70's onward, even in their classic heads.

No way! Absolutely not... Marshall didn't introduce diode clipping until well into the JCM800 range (1980s) and this wasn't on the standard amps. The standard (classic) amps (4 input and master volume (MV) amps) remained almost exactly the same till the early 1990s when the JCM900 range came out. It's the channel switching and boost, etc. models from the 80s onward that had diode clipping or... (gasp) ICs. if you can get a 4 input or MV Marshall through 1990, they are the shizznit! Just make sure they have good tubes and the output tubes are biased right. Clean out the jacks too. My customers are never happier.

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

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