The worst pedal you've ever owned?

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

I really enjoyed my EHX Metal Muff W/Top Boost BUT traded it away once I got a Rat. In Hindsight, the Metal Muff was more one-dimensional that I'd care to admit at the time I was using it. lol

I'm sorry to say that was my first impression of it.

[dystrust]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

If we're including racks, I'll nominate the Chandler Tube Driver for worst one ever, right alongside any ART rack.

I thought you were a big fan of Chandler Tube Drivers; is the honeymoon over already?

As for the Tube Screamers, I've got issues with those being so highly regarded: granted, they're only digital models, but the TS models in both my GSP 1101 and the M13 generate a dirty and clean signal at the same time, like you're hearing a direct clean signal and the distorted amp at the same time, in equal volume. I've adjusted the settings on it in every direction, but always get the same "parallel clean/dirty" effect. I can't imagine this is an issue with digital models, or that two separate digital units made by two manufacturers are somehow having the same problem with the same pedal.

The only TS-inspired pedal I know of that does that is the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive. I've played tons of Ibanez tube screamers and I own a Maxon OD-9, and none of them have a clean blend. I hear it's a rather common TS mod, so maybe that's why Digitech and Line 6 decided to have their models do that?

[chadd]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

As I have gotten better at understanding how to use pedals better, I would probably be able to find uses for some that I have hated over the years. However, I'm not sure there is anything redeeming about the old DOD Thrash Master that I had. That things was awful.

[treyhaislip]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

Mine was replaced by a Marshall Jackhammer. It has a much more natural sound. It's not perfect, but still much better.

While I love the Rat I replaced it mainly with a Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion...I had WAY too many pedals and part of me wishes I had kept the Rat but I just always swithced over to the SGD.

[Diego]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

Mine was replaced by a Marshall Jackhammer. It has a much more natural sound. It's not perfect, but still much better.

[treyhaislip]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

I did mention the Rocktek Distortion earlier on, but I kept thinking of any other stinkers in my pedal history and came up with the EHX Metal Muff Top Boost.

Man did I have high expectations for that pedal. Little did I know that it's a glorified Metal Zone with slightly improved EQ control and the same muffled, plasticky note attack that screams PEDAL CLIPPING MOSQUITOS IN A BOX! and not amplifier overdrive.

I mean, I expected at least to try to behave like a 5150 or something does. Instead it's EHX's take on those old Boss designs so it has zero consideration for the guitar's tone and just sounds like itself, which is not very good.

Sold it. Only if I joined a Nile cover band I'd buy one again.

I really enjoyed my EHX Metal Muff W/Top Boost BUT traded it away once I got a Rat. In Hindsight, the Metal Muff was more one-dimensional that I'd care to admit at the time I was using it. lol

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

That thing is about one component away from being a buffered Rat....

With a name like that, I would hope so.

[Stix]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

Oh, this thread takes me back to the 90's and fills me with nostalgia! A Rocktek pedal (tremolo, not distortion) was one of my first and worst! A Soundtank Tubescreamer came soon after and I too was surprised by the sound quality. Later I compared it to a "real" Tubescreamer and found the difference in sound relatively minor. The switches on those Soundtanks were notorious for going bad though. Mine did. That aside, many Soundtank pedals weren't (or aren't) the toys their plastic enclosures would suggest. I had an excellent flanger from that line.

Back to the topic of bad pedals. I think the Digitech Tone Driver would win my worst pedal award. It was a part of the X-series, which IMO was a step in the wrong direction for Digitech (the later Hardwire series was much better, again IMO). The Tone Driver was a digital overdrive pedal. I'm not an analog snob at all, but this pedal did sound bad. To make things worse, with some pickups it was impossible to get to unity gain.
Not all of the X-series pedals were so bad though. The Digidelay had a great mod delay mode.

[Securb]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

I had a SR&D Rockman XPR rack unit. It was super noisy and very one dimensional. I returned it within two days.

[Diego]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

I did mention the Rocktek Distortion earlier on, but I kept thinking of any other stinkers in my pedal history and came up with the EHX Metal Muff Top Boost.

Man did I have high expectations for that pedal. Little did I know that it's a glorified Metal Zone with slightly improved EQ control and the same muffled, plasticky note attack that screams PEDAL CLIPPING MOSQUITOS IN A BOX! and not amplifier overdrive.

I mean, I expected at least to try to behave like a 5150 or something does. Instead it's EHX's take on those old Boss designs so it has zero consideration for the guitar's tone and just sounds like itself, which is not very good.

Sold it. Only if I joined a Nile cover band I'd buy one again.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

I'll throw in a vote for the Ibanez L.A.

That thing is about one component away from being a buffered Rat....

[guitarSQUIRELL]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

A rocktron Metal Planet

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

If we're including racks, I'll nominate the Chandler Tube Driver for worst one ever, right alongside any ART rack. The X-15 Ultrafoot is probably the best thing I've seen from them, but I've tried all their SGE racks back in the day, and was underwhelmed by them.

And yeah, that RockTek pictured is the one. Same box and all. I was there when they first came out
Their Chorus and Flanger weren't horrible, but weren't stunning either.

I'll throw in a vote for the Ibanez L.A. Metal as well, but it was actually the best bass distortion pedal I've ever heard.

As for the Tube Screamers, I've got issues with those being so highly regarded: granted, they're only digital models, but the TS models in both my GSP 1101 and the M13 generate a dirty and clean signal at the same time, like you're hearing a direct clean signal and the distorted amp at the same time, in equal volume. I've adjusted the settings on it in every direction, but always get the same "parallel clean/dirty" effect. I can't imagine this is an issue with digital models, or that two separate digital units made by two manufacturers are somehow having the same problem with the same pedal.

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

I had one of those plastic Ibanez tube screamers back in the day. It used to lurk in a back alley, waiting for my Boss DS-1 to come out of the dope house, and it would beat the crap out of it.

Eventually they both died in prison.

Goddamn that made my night.

[hydro]

Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?

I had one of those plastic Ibanez tube screamers back in the day. It used to lurk in a back alley, waiting for my Boss DS-1 to come out of the dope house, and it would beat the crap out of it.

Eventually they both died in prison.