software

I've got a Homebrew Power Screamer and a Toadworks Death Rattle, both of which I'm very pleased with but I can't help thinking there's something missing. I'm thinking about getting a Rat Vintage but am having second thoughts after hearing lots of bad things about the new Rats. I've got a few questions.

How many O/D distortion stompboxes do other forum users gig with?

Baring in mind what I've got, the Power Screamer is a TS808 copy and the Death Rattle does a pretty good impression of 50's era tweed amps and 60's era plexi's, does anybody have any further reccomendations? Don't really want to spend over ?100 (?210/$215 approx.)

Thankyou

I have a Johnson DEQ2. I thinks thats what its called. Anyways, its an EQ and distortion in a standard stomp box. Like 6 knobs on it. It has a descent sound and it does blues to rip yer head off metal. I use it as a boost mainly now though.

Cool question. I always have two overdrives in my pedalboard, a Boss Bluesdriver and a Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. The Sparkle Drive is the coolest O.D. unit I have used. It's a TS-808 clone but it has a control to add clean amp signal back into the amp so the effect doesn't color the sound as much as most O.D.s. It will also get a really good Keith Richards Rolling Stones tone from an amp that isn't blowing your ears out. I paid 120 U.S. dollars for mine at Guitar Center. Check one out, its a good buy for the money...Joe

Check out the Fulltone OCD and the Hermida Zendrive.

The Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive thingy sounds cool. I'm vaguely familiar with Voodoo Labs nad they seem to have quite a respectable reputation. I'm just not sure if I can justify having another Tube Screamer clone in my rig. My power Screamer isn't exactly a TS-808 but it's close enough for me.

What do you think of the Boss pedals? The functionality (is that even a word!?!) of them really appeals to me. I also really like how they all seem to be about nailing something specific. I'm bored of pedals that 'do it all'. I just want my pedals to do one thing really well. I know I'm probably alone alone in this, but I'd rather have two stompboxes and just leave the settings, than have one box and keep getting down on my knees (except for those 'expressive, emotional' solo moments, of course) to alter the settings to each song. Know what I mean?

The Boss Bluesdriver is a decent O.D. for the money, very transparent sounding ( lets your tone come through) it can be a bit icepick in the forehead sounding. This unit can reproduce lots of high end so I back the tone control down more than I would on other units. Its also very reliable.

Right now im using three. Stock DS1 gt; TS9DX gt; Spina DS1, stock ds1 being a boost for the other two pedals

Ty

The Fulltone OCD and the TIM pedals are my current favorite OD pedals.

Right now I'm gigging with 3 distortion pedals... Not quite sure I've found exactly the sound I want for metal....
But I'm using a BOSS DS-1 (mostly just as a boost, but it works great for nirvana)
BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver
BOSS HM-3 Hyper Metal lt;yeah... it's pretty insane...

I'm not getting exactly the crunch I want rite now, but I can say this: The Blues Driver is a great pedal!

Rock On

What amp are you runnin' it thru?


Originally Posted by casblahWhat amp are you runnin' it thru?

He's got a Marshall JTM60

Thanks Kac, Sorry about delay. Yeah, a JTM60 and that's not gonna change for a long time. Mainly because I couldn't afford to change if I wanted to. I can't believe the prices the JTM amps go for on Ebay. They're worth so much more IMO. I'm talking about the models they brought out in the 90's, not the JTM45.

Do Boss have any standout O/D distortion pedals that I should look out for? Sorry I can't be more specific about what I'm looking for. I don't really know. I just want more. I'm becoming such a gear junkie.

Klon Centaur, which I found after going through an OD pedal buying phase. The search ended there. I still like trying and using others, just to hear new OD tones.
Right now, my other one is a T. Rex Mudhoney Fuzz, which has a button on it to use it as an OD or Fuzz. The pedals I wish I had back are the very rare Blues Pearl Blue Screamer and the 23rd Fulltone Orange Fulldrive II ever made. Shoulda never sold those two.

the klon is a great pedal, but they arent cheap!!! the tone is killer though and its as transparent as anything ive heard.
a boss sd1 is a pedal very similar to a tubescreamer and sounds good. there are loads of mods out there to make it better as well

I have a V-Stack BHM in case I'd have to gig w/ a local amp I don't have any experience with.