Overdrive pedals educate me

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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by drumsound » Sun Oct 11, 2020 10:48 pm

shedshrine wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 6:08 pm
"Educate Me!"

I listen to what Tape Op gurus have to say, and listen to guys like Dan and Mick of That Pedal Show. Great players and they know a ton.
(Also good to listen to if you want a change from Bob Ross painting vids for soothing banter..)

Understand Guitar Overdrive Pedals [Gain, Clipping, Headroom, EQ & All That] – That Pedal Show an hour and a half on the vagaries differentiating a Rat, Klon, bluesbreaker, tube screamer and more.

How To Choose The Right Overdrive Pedal For Your Needs – That Pedal Show
Not a quick fix, no no no. It's nearly an hour and 20 minutes.Indexed with section markers so you can jump to what you are interested.

That Pedal Show – Dream Overdrives: Timmy, Jan Ray & Amp11. And A Bit On Ethics
Super cool, thanks
shedshrine wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 6:08 pm
Or just turn everything up to 10 and when it's about to explode , back it off just a hair-EVH
That's pretty much what I did on a session, so I'm trying to no always do that. Though its pretty satisfying sometimes. I remember cutting a slide part once with a Epiphone Sorento (thin hollowbody, no center block P90s) and my '65 Bassman DIMED. It was so ridiculous, that I had to actually sit in the iso booth. I needed a wall between the guitar and the amp to not just have insane feedback the moment the volume was turned on the guitar.

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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Recycled_Brains » Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:44 pm

drumsound wrote:
Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:26 pm
I'm somewhat pedal ignorant. I bought a Danelecro distortion at the pawn shop, and have a couple of phasers and that's it.

I was cutting some accent rhythm guitar last week using my Vox AC15. To get it to break up with an ASAT special I had it CRANKED. I had it in iso because it would have killed the player otherwise. It still didn't have a TON of drive, but it sits well in the mix.

I'd like to get some driven guitars without blowing the shit apart.

So, tell me what's cool and affordable.
Dude, get an Electronic Audio Experiments Mu Blaster. Thank me later :wink: . It's THE best thing I've added to my guitar arsenal, maybe ever. It takes a good tone and makes it great. I force it on every player. Sometimes I hammer the amp with it, sometimes I just use the EQ... either way, it's the best I've tried. 24v headroom so you can slam other pedals into it no problem too and it just equates to this massive wide open perceived volume. I already play my JMP super loud (you've heard it haha), but this thing makes it sound like it's 1000 watts without it being ludicrously loud. The EQ is rad. Rat style LPF to take the nasty shit you don't need off the top, "depth" control is a 100hz shelving EQ. Tons of boost or cut. The way the later interacts with the gain structure is remarkable. The boost control is sort of like a Zvex Super Hard On (crackles when you turn it even). It focuses the distortion on the midrange and really brings out some harmonic structure that I can't live without now that I've heard it. Even at small boosts. You could blow a speaker with the amount of gain the volume control gives.

Maybe an LM308 Rat too for the heavier distortion.
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Recycled_Brains » Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:55 pm

vernier wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:28 pm
drumsound wrote:
Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:26 pm
I'm somewhat pedal ignorant. I bought a Danelecro distortion at the pawn shop, and have a couple of phasers and that's it.

I was cutting some accent rhythm guitar last week using my Vox AC15. To get it to break up with an ASAT special I had it CRANKED. I had it in iso because it would have killed the player otherwise. It still didn't have a TON of drive, but it sits well in the mix.

I'd like to get some driven guitars without blowing the shit apart.

So, tell me what's cool and affordable.
Seems the tube screamer and various knock-offs are popular ..and certain boutique like klon centaur.
The Klon is really good, but so stupidly expensive. I'd never buy a real one. There are a lot of clones, but I haven't tried any. Studio I freelance at has a real one and I love it.
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by drumsound » Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:48 am

Recycled_Brains wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:44 pm

Dude, get an Electronic Audio Experiments Mu Blaster. Thank me later :wink: . It's THE best thing I've added to my guitar arsenal, maybe ever. It takes a good tone and makes it great. I force it on every player. Sometimes I hammer the amp with it, sometimes I just use the EQ... either way, it's the best I've tried. 24v headroom so you can slam other pedals into it no problem too and it just equates to this massive wide open perceived volume. I already play my JMP super loud (you've heard it haha), but this thing makes it sound like it's 1000 watts without it being ludicrously loud. The EQ is rad. Rat style LPF to take the nasty shit you don't need off the top, "depth" control is a 100hz shelving EQ. Tons of boost or cut. The way the later interacts with the gain structure is remarkable. The boost control is sort of like a Zvex Super Hard On (crackles when you turn it even). It focuses the distortion on the midrange and really brings out some harmonic structure that I can't live without now that I've heard it. Even at small boosts. You could blow a speaker with the amount of gain the volume control gives.

Maybe an LM308 Rat too for the heavier distortion.
That sounds pretty crazy fun, but I think it'll be a down the road thing for me.
Recycled_Brains wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:55 pm
vernier wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:28 pm

Seems the tube screamer and various knock-offs are popular ..and certain boutique like klon centaur.
The Klon is really good, but so stupidly expensive. I'd never buy a real one. There are a lot of clones, but I haven't tried any. Studio I freelance at has a real one and I love it.
I actually got a good deal on an EHX Soul Food on Reverb. I played one at GC next a few other things on Sunday (talk about a terrible "shopping" experience) and it seems right where I'm at.

I'm going to use this thread to build up a little in the pedal arena.

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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Recycled_Brains » Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:22 am

drumsound wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:48 am
Recycled_Brains wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:44 pm

Dude, get an Electronic Audio Experiments Mu Blaster. Thank me later :wink: . It's THE best thing I've added to my guitar arsenal, maybe ever. It takes a good tone and makes it great. I force it on every player. Sometimes I hammer the amp with it, sometimes I just use the EQ... either way, it's the best I've tried. 24v headroom so you can slam other pedals into it no problem too and it just equates to this massive wide open perceived volume. I already play my JMP super loud (you've heard it haha), but this thing makes it sound like it's 1000 watts without it being ludicrously loud. The EQ is rad. Rat style LPF to take the nasty shit you don't need off the top, "depth" control is a 100hz shelving EQ. Tons of boost or cut. The way the later interacts with the gain structure is remarkable. The boost control is sort of like a Zvex Super Hard On (crackles when you turn it even). It focuses the distortion on the midrange and really brings out some harmonic structure that I can't live without now that I've heard it. Even at small boosts. You could blow a speaker with the amount of gain the volume control gives.

Maybe an LM308 Rat too for the heavier distortion.
That sounds pretty crazy fun, but I think it'll be a down the road thing for me.
Recycled_Brains wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:55 pm
vernier wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:28 pm

Seems the tube screamer and various knock-offs are popular ..and certain boutique like klon centaur.
The Klon is really good, but so stupidly expensive. I'd never buy a real one. There are a lot of clones, but I haven't tried any. Studio I freelance at has a real one and I love it.
I actually got a good deal on an EHX Soul Food on Reverb. I played one at GC next a few other things on Sunday (talk about a terrible "shopping" experience) and it seems right where I'm at.

I'm going to use this thread to build up a little in the pedal arena.
Soul Food seems cool. I've recorded a couple players that use and love them. I've been meaning to check out EHX's Glove OCD clone now that the Fulltone dude has exposed himself as being a total asshole. I've relied on the OCD as my always-on boost for 10 years, so that was a bummer.
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by drumsound » Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:51 pm

Recycled_Brains wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:22 am
drumsound wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:48 am
Recycled_Brains wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:44 pm

Dude, get an Electronic Audio Experiments Mu Blaster. Thank me later :wink: . It's THE best thing I've added to my guitar arsenal, maybe ever. It takes a good tone and makes it great. I force it on every player. Sometimes I hammer the amp with it, sometimes I just use the EQ... either way, it's the best I've tried. 24v headroom so you can slam other pedals into it no problem too and it just equates to this massive wide open perceived volume. I already play my JMP super loud (you've heard it haha), but this thing makes it sound like it's 1000 watts without it being ludicrously loud. The EQ is rad. Rat style LPF to take the nasty shit you don't need off the top, "depth" control is a 100hz shelving EQ. Tons of boost or cut. The way the later interacts with the gain structure is remarkable. The boost control is sort of like a Zvex Super Hard On (crackles when you turn it even). It focuses the distortion on the midrange and really brings out some harmonic structure that I can't live without now that I've heard it. Even at small boosts. You could blow a speaker with the amount of gain the volume control gives.

Maybe an LM308 Rat too for the heavier distortion.
That sounds pretty crazy fun, but I think it'll be a down the road thing for me.
Recycled_Brains wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:55 pm


The Klon is really good, but so stupidly expensive. I'd never buy a real one. There are a lot of clones, but I haven't tried any. Studio I freelance at has a real one and I love it.
I actually got a good deal on an EHX Soul Food on Reverb. I played one at GC next a few other things on Sunday (talk about a terrible "shopping" experience) and it seems right where I'm at.

I'm going to use this thread to build up a little in the pedal arena.
Soul Food seems cool. I've recorded a couple players that use and love them. I've been meaning to check out EHX's Glove OCD clone now that the Fulltone dude has exposed himself as being a total asshole. I've relied on the OCD as my always-on boost for 10 years, so that was a bummer.
I spent most of the weekend listening to YouTube pedal videos, and the Glove seems cool too. THe Crayon seems to be pretty geat too. I've got a couple buddies into the EHX thing, and they do really geat things, for pretty great prices. Things like the Super Ego, and the Micro Dynths, and of course the Small Stone, what's not to love?

IS the Fulltone guy some sort of right-wing douchebag or something?

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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Burnt Ernie » Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:01 pm

I love my EH Soul Food,it can go from nice to kookoo (I prefer the latter). The Malekko B:assmaster is a piece of magick (fuzz/overdrive,and a bunch of octave/filtering options) Sounds great on guitar,and RULES on Bass. The Malekko Helium is a fuzz/octave combo that rules my world,can be dialed in subtlely,or full on blown out (How i use it). The BK Butler Real Tube Overdrive is completely awesome,with bass and treble,and tons of tone. If you just wanna nail the front end of the amp,Find an old EH LPB-2 ,or a DOD Bi-fet preamp. The EH has enough clean gain to floor the front end of any amp with straight signal. The DOD has the bonus of a tone control to tame the zizzzzz.
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by losthighway » Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:23 pm

Recycled_Brains wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:22 am
Soul Food seems cool. I've recorded a couple players that use and love them. I've been meaning to check out EHX's Glove OCD clone now that the Fulltone dude has exposed himself as being a total asshole. I've relied on the OCD as my always-on boost for 10 years, so that was a bummer.
I seem to remember people saying the Crowther Hot Cake served a similar role as the OCD, but I haven't seem them put side by side. I'm sure there's some gear dude video on youtube doing just that.

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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Recycled_Brains » Tue Oct 13, 2020 5:12 pm

losthighway wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:23 pm
Recycled_Brains wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:22 am
Soul Food seems cool. I've recorded a couple players that use and love them. I've been meaning to check out EHX's Glove OCD clone now that the Fulltone dude has exposed himself as being a total asshole. I've relied on the OCD as my always-on boost for 10 years, so that was a bummer.
I seem to remember people saying the Crowther Hot Cake served a similar role as the OCD, but I haven't seem them put side by side. I'm sure there's some gear dude video on youtube doing just that.
I always forget about the Hot Cake. Thats a good one. I should grab one. I remember thinking they have a slightly fuzzier sort if saturation. Not as mid-range focused as the OCD. With a Marshall that can be a good thing.

I always used the OCD as a barely-doing-anything pedal. Just to tip my already cranked JMP over the edge a bit and to take advantage of the tone control. Drive barely on, volume a hair above unity.
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by vvv » Tue Oct 13, 2020 5:40 pm

The Rocktron (I know I disparaged 'em earlier - they are hit and miss pedals) Austin Gold is a pretty good Klon clone, usually cheap because no one knows 'em. Or believes they could be.

I have heard the the T- Rex Mudhoney pedal compared to the Klon at lower volumes, and while I'm not sure of that, I have heard the pedal - I own one - it's pretty great. I leant it out to a guy and he went and bought his own.

And yeah, the EHX Glove is also cool - all them little clone pedals EHX do are cool.

Never bought the OCD (curious about the owner story?) but have thought about it if ever I find one well under a hoondo. Meantime, the Joyo Ultimate is said to be close - it's cheap and really good on bass.

Real Tube, Blue Tube, BiFet, the Barber DD and Sparkle Drive ... The Toadworks Meat and the Meat, Jr. (gotta change a cap on the Meat to use a power chain - ask me if ever ...).

Very few are the drive pedals that are bad (cheap Chinese crap can be noisy) altho' some are just there. But a good one can be inspiring, when ya get it on the right guitar/FX/amp/cab chain.
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by numberthirty » Wed Oct 14, 2020 2:36 am

A couple of quick things...

- Way Huge Red Llama

- I might have a couple of things in this ballpark that I could stick in the mail if a guy wanted to borrow them to try with a particular rig and then mail them back.

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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Rodgre » Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:03 am

I swear by a couple in particular.

Nobels ODR-1. It's not a tube screamer at all. It has what I would call a "transparent" tone in that it sounds like your amp, just gained up. The one way that it certainly DOES change your tone, however, is that it has a pretty big low-end boost. This is kind of it's secret trick. It makes a small, single speaker amp (like a Deluxe or AC15) sound big and tight in the bottom end. Great overdrive. Good for bass as well. Can be found super cheap as a clone in the Visual Sound Open Road overdrive as well as the new Nobels reissue and mini version.

Timmy of any sort. I personally use a ridiculously cheap Mosky TM drive or MM Silver. It's killer on Fender amps. Great means to kick an amp that is edgy already into a great overdrive.

EHX Crayon. This might be a Timmy clone actually. Great versatile overdrive with bass and treble controls.

Best of all, I have been using a modified Rat for 20 years. I modify them by putting green LEDs in the feedback loop of the op-amp and another pair of red LEDs where the usual clipping diodes are. It makes is a far less gainy and very dynamic drive. Very transparent and natural sounding. Put a boost or compressor in front of it to get more gain if you need it.

Roger

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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Recycled_Brains » Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:56 am

Rodgre wrote:
Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:03 am
Best of all, I have been using a modified Rat for 20 years. I modify them by putting green LEDs in the feedback loop of the op-amp and another pair of red LEDs where the usual clipping diodes are. It makes is a far less gainy and very dynamic drive. Very transparent and natural sounding. Put a boost or compressor in front of it to get more gain if you need it.

Roger
This is interesting. What about the sound post-mod makes it worthwhile vs. just getting a more transparent/natural type of overdrive in the first place?

I'm a Rat lover, so I'm curious.
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Recycled_Brains » Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:00 am

vvv wrote:
Tue Oct 13, 2020 5:40 pm
Never bought the OCD (curious about the owner story?)
https://guitar.com/news/industry-news/f ... ke-fuller/
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Re: Overdrive pedals educate me

Post by Rodgre » Wed Oct 14, 2020 11:26 am

Recycled_Brains wrote:
Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:56 am

This is interesting. What about the sound post-mod makes it worthwhile vs. just getting a more transparent/natural type of overdrive in the first place?

I'm a Rat lover, so I'm curious.

Good question. I'm a longtime Rat lover too. I have used one as my main distortion since 88 and then one day I bought a "vintage Rat" reissue off ebay in the early 2000s. It was a big-box Rat, but the circuit board was the same square board that's in the standard Rat 2. Having all that extra room in the box made me think it would be fun to mod. I tried some experiments with different clipping diodes/mosfets/LEDs. I came upon a combination that not only sounded great but sounded better (to me) than any other overdrive I ever played (I probably have 50-60 different overdrives alone). It blew me away. It was a lark that turned into a great part of my main live guitar tone. Like I said, I just like the character of the Rat to begin with, but with this super simple mod, it became way more useful to me. I don't always want a heavier rock distortion tone. I love having the ability to keep the gain down about 8-9 o'clock and be able to play lighter and get a fantastic edgy clean tone and dig in and get a great dynamic breakup. I keep a Super Hard-On and a Marshall ED-1 compressor before it and between those three I can get everything from a sparkly and full clean tone to a sweet sustainy lead tone. All with the same sonic footprint. The modded Rat just has so much dynamic range that always sounds great with my rig. I also keep the Filter control mostly clockwise (treble rolloff) because it can get too bright for my tastes and my amp. I usually gig with a Fender '63 Vibroverb reissue with Jensens. It's a bright amp and at "2" it is just on the edge when you dig in. The Rat loves that sweet spot.

I would be happy to explain the mod if anyone wants to message me. It's super simple.

Roger

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