Pedals that're good but not really pricey

[wren]

1) Behringer AD300 Analog Delay. Yes. DM-3 style analog delay that sounds awesome. Less than $30.

Really? Now that's interesting...I'd dismissed any cheap analog delay when I bought an Arion SAD3 because I love my SAD1s so much and the SAD3 sounded nothing my SAD1s. Very, very interesting...I'm going to have to look into that.

...and having just done a google search, I have to ask: did you mean the Behringer VD400?

[Brett Siler]

I just bought a Boss Heavy Metal HM-2, and it is pretty gnarly sounding. It has a crazy compressed tone to it very easy to get really saturated tones with it. It almost sounds like a fuzz. Supposedly lots of old Swedish death metal bands like Entombed used it. I hooked it up today and used it and love it. You could definitely used it for shoegazer or doom stuff, and probably fast picking metal stuff or metal with more of a raw sound.

[RefD]

dang, i sold my HM-2 back in 1987.

[losthighway]

Boss HM-2 sounds like a plastic bee hive. I've never seen a good heavy metal band use one.

[Rodgre]

1) Behringer AD300 Analog Delay. Yes. DM-3 style analog delay that sounds awesome. Less than $30.

Really? Now that's interesting...I'd dismissed any cheap analog delay when I bought an Arion SAD3 because I love my SAD1s so much and the SAD3 sounded nothing my SAD1s. Very, very interesting...I'm going to have to look into that.

...and having just done a google search, I have to ask: did you mean the Behringer VD400?

Yes, sorry. That is what I meant.

Roger

[wedge]

I had no idea there was so much enthusiasm for pedals... Guess I shoulda known!

I trawled up to my local GC today for Black Friday to try out pedals and hopefully buy, and this is what I came away with, in regards to distortion, anyway...

I was underwhelmed with the BOSS stuff. Sounded like buzzy bees masking the tone of the guitar to me...

The MXR stuff was noticeably better, IMHO. Definitely a possibility.

But the distortion pedals that really gave me a sonic boner were the Ibanez Tube Screamers, the EH Big Muff, and at the top of the pole -- at least in my mind on this day -- the Jekyll & Hyde. I loved it. I must have one. Unfortunately, even at Black Friday prices, I felt I couldn't get one just yet. I'm gunna angle for a used one and/or use the 'bay...

I really liked the Holy Stain, too, for reverb... The distortion sounds great, but you can't punch it in and out with a foot switch... Gotta lean down and turn a knob... Stupid. Not useable for live performance. If it had an on and off foot switch for both the reverb and distortion, it'd be a killer ped...

[Judas Jetski]

I really liked the Holy Stain, too, for reverb... The distortion sounds great, but you can't punch it in and out with a foot switch... Gotta lean down and turn a knob... Stupid. Not useable for live performance. If it had an on and off foot switch for both the reverb and distortion, it'd be a killer ped...

You could probably hook up an A/B switch for live use, set it the way you want it and toggle it with the A/B. Not the best setup, but probably could be made workable. Some A/B boxes will let you run an A/B/[A+B] setup, which would be another step towards practicality. Of course if you wanted both the distortion and the reverb effect you'd have to have two pedals (and possibly two A/B switches), which seems a little impractical.

I have a Line 6 Tap Tremolo, and I find that the tap tempo feature renders the entire pedal all but useless in any capacity (since I can't rely on the pedal to turn on or off when I step on it, and when I do get it to work it comes in at the wrong tempo). I've been thinking to run my A/B switch with that guy. Of course I haven't, so that might tell you something right there... but then I'm not much of a stomp box buy anyway. I way prefer to get my tone out of just the amp & guitar as much as possible.

I want to try the MXR distortion+, but I need to dial my guitar & amp tone in before I spend money on another stomp box.

[Rodgre]

Someone mentioned the Jekyll and Hyde.

I have nothing but respect for the whole series of Visual Sound stuff. They're all worth a check if you're really trying out everything. I think they make great upsdates of all the great classic pedals.

I also think that Voodoo Labs makes some great stuff for not that expensive. The Sparkle Drive, Microvibe and Tremolo are all great values.

Roger

[Poppatwang]

My fav cheapo pedal is the Nobels tremelo. I was nervous about the build quality.
Board mounted pots seemed like they'd bust off in your hand. But it's been hanging
tough in the pedal board for years. Very tweakable. Only thing it lacks is a full on/off
pulse. I A/B'd it vs. a Diaz Tremadillo & picked the Nobels.

[FlowersForHuman]

Danecho for slapback
Cool Cat 18v (takes 2 9v batteries) stereo chorus

awesome and cheap!

...only drawback for me is that they do have large footprints

[wren]

I was underwhelmed with the BOSS stuff. Sounded like buzzy bees masking the tone of the guitar to me...

With very rare exception, that's been my experience too. I never understood how they became the "industry standard": yes they're bulletproof, and yes they're ubiquitous and you can find them anywhere, but you'd think that as soon as someone tried just about any other brand of distortion they'd realize what they were missing.

Although that's really just their dirt: their delay and modulation are decent to quite good IMO.

[Rodgre]

My fav cheapo pedal is the Nobels tremelo. I was nervous about the build quality.
Board mounted pots seemed like they'd bust off in your hand. But it's been hanging
tough in the pedal board for years. Very tweakable. Only thing it lacks is a full on/off
pulse. I A/B'd it vs. a Diaz Tremadillo & picked the Nobels.

I like my Nobels too, though I really feel that the differences between then waveforms/strength is way too subtle. I've had mine on my board for probably 10 years now as well. I use it for one small part of one song in our set and the fact that it has the ability to have a remote switch makes it a perfect candidate for putting at the back of the pedalboard, with one small switch in the front. A great concept that I found on only one other pedal in my collection: my $250 TC Chorus/Flanger.

Roger

[antilog]

I got a Boss MegaDistortion for $20 recently, and wasn't expecting much. It is actually pretty useful, and provides some options I haven't heard in other pedals. I'd say a warmish middy distortion, kind of fuzzy but not buzzsaw fuzz.

My EH Russian Small Stone isn't pretty to look at, but sounds good for what it is, and I think I paid $25 for it.

I picked up a Keeley modded TS9 for $60. Good for that compressed sounding drive.

I've found some great deals around Baltimore, especially in the burbs. Folks buy a ton of pedals then sell them when they realize they don't make them sounds any better...

[antilog]

I trawled up to my local GC today for Black Friday to try out pedals and hopefully buy, and this is what I came away with, in regards to distortion, anyway...

--snip--

Unfortunately, even at Black Friday prices, I felt I couldn't get one just yet. I'm gunna angle for a used one and/or use the 'bay...

Funny, I went to GC on Friday, and all they offered was 15% off 1 item. No blowouts, no half price anything, and everything was straight retail price. The marketing though made it seem like it was going to be crazy though....

[RefD]

I trawled up to my local GC today for Black Friday to try out pedals and hopefully buy, and this is what I came away with, in regards to distortion, anyway...

--snip--

Unfortunately, even at Black Friday prices, I felt I couldn't get one just yet. I'm gunna angle for a used one and/or use the 'bay...

Funny, I went to GC on Friday, and all they offered was 15% off 1 item. No blowouts, no half price anything, and everything was straight retail price. The marketing though made it seem like it was going to be crazy though....

GC's marketing has always been bullshit, now it's just moreso...remember the severed finger ad from late 2007?

i went to the local GC with a friend on Friday just to see what i could see in used gear.

everything was 2 to 3 times the going price and they wouldn't haggle.