Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

[dave74]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

DOD was also pumping them out left and right in the 80s and 90s,,,although a few of them I think were the same guts with different names/colors.

[blind1]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

I know OP already ordered but next time you are looking for pedals I strongly suggest going to your local guitar store or Guitar Center and demo'ing all of the pedals you are considering. I will seriously walk in and spend 2 hours in a room demo'ing pedals back and forth until I find what I like. I know you said you are on a budget, but I like to let my ears do the work and then see if what I like fits my budget.

[Diego]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

Come on now, there was the Rat and MXR too....

Around these parts, not so much. MXR was heinously expensive but the RAT I totally forgot about.

In fact, I've never owned one. I do use the M13 version of the RAT and it's simply the best OD ever for me, bar none. Transparent, dynamic, thick as hell. Takes my Tweaker from crunchy to fire-breathing better than anything else I've tried. I'm not even sure a real RAT works like that at all.

[dave74]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

I've never even wanted to play through a rat just because it's a dirty rat lol. Plenty of pedals with better names and great tones.

[Aceman]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

Dear 59 - excellent way to ask in the post. I'm sure you'll get bone-head answers anyway....

It would help to know the amp. Based on the post though, I assume it is solid state, and that you are running it clean. If I am wrong - let me know.


#1 I'm going to say pass on the Rat/DS-1's. While great pedals, they are really great at juicing the front of a cranked Marshall 800. If that's not you - stay away.

#2 Based on your comments, it seems whatever you get - seek a pedal with at least a two knob eq section.

#3 What is the EHX Badass 78? Is there a custom pedal mashup we don't know about? I know - you meant MXR....

#4 I have both a Mooer and a Joyo Riot clone (the Solo and the US Dream). They are both very good Distortions and very cheap. Maybe not the range of what you want. The other guitarist in my band (We play all that that you want) has a Badass 78, and I think it would be excellent.

Now - I can't speak to the Boneshaker, but the love for it is flying around here. I respect the opinion of those who have promoted it.

Here is what I'd say would be an excellent choice....and strategy.

IF you want the DS-1, get a Mooer Ultra. It is a sim of the Keely Modded DS-1. That's what you really want if distortion from pedal into clean amp for a DS-1.

or...

Try a Duncan Dirty Deeds. I think it would be spot on target and as flexible as you need it to be. Get it used on eBay if you find it < $100. Which brings me to -


Buy used young man, buy used! Hit the eBay for these things hard. You are young and will go through a few dozen in guitar lifetime. You are on the right strategy by asking - but you also need to experience. That takes $. Find the recommended cheap ones, try them to see if you are really into the sound. If so - then and only then drop the cash on the real deal. Otherwise, swap, trade, etc. your way into the knowledge.

[Aceman]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

Around these parts, not so much. MXR was heinously expensive but the RAT I totally forgot about.

In fact, I've never owned one. I do use the M13 version of the RAT and it's simply the best OD ever for me, bar none. Transparent, dynamic, thick as hell. Takes my Tweaker from crunchy to fire-breathing better than anything else I've tried. I'm not even sure a real RAT works like that at all.

If I were getting a Rat to do what he wants, I'd recommend my PRoco Solo....all the Rat you'd ever want, but much more. Again - IMO (and many others) Rat is for Pedal into not-over-the-top Marshall. That's where it shines. Straight Distorted sound - meh.


From a guy who spent a year with an original Rat on his board playing hair metal....

[Paully]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

Highly recommend you look at http://www.ovnilab.com
Tons of guitar compressors reviewed and spec'd out.
Prices for new and used.
This is compressor central.
I got a Line 6 "Constrictor" based on info from this site.
Ended up spending $80 for a great pedal.

[Demanic]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

If I were getting a Rat to do what he wants, I'd recommend my PRoco Solo....all the Rat you'd ever want, but much more. Again - IMO (and many others) Rat is for Pedal into not-over-the-top Marshall. That's where it shines. Straight Distorted sound - meh.


From a guy who spent a year with an original Rat on his board playing hair metal....

I can remember back in the late 80's, my friend running an original RadioShack kit Ratt into a Roland JC-120. It was pure Swedish death metal before most people had ever heard of it.

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[Diego]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

The RAT model in my M13 is indeed, pure **** through a clean amp. Thin, buzzy, splatty and just awful.

However, used as a "Tubescreamer" of sorts, with low gain and cranked volume into a crunchy amp? Oh yeah. It's an angry beast.

[Silence Kid]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

I've never seen less hate for a DS1 ...

[dave74]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

I've never seen less hate for a DS1 ...

I actually like the ds-2 much better due to the turbo-mode (bloated mids), but have never owned one.
DS-1 is a good stacker, but on it's own it always strikes me as too thin and scooped.

That new reissue op-amp muff is awesome for the money btw.
They'll be going for about $50-used in no time at all I bet, in fact there's a mint one on craigslist in Bloomington IN. for exactly that ($50).

[Diego]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

Never even tried a DS1 here, so I can't spread the hate yet.

[Silence Kid]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

Totally agree on the DS1 into a distorted amp, or stacked with another drive.

I used to hate the damn thing, but now I'll actually use one and not feel terrible about it, with the correct settings.. That said, for about the same price (new) you can grab an MXR Prime or a BBE 427 , both of which are in the same ballpark but arguably more versatile/better pedals.

[Chistopher]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

The thing about most Boss distortion pedals is that the settings that truly shine are tough to find. Another thing I've noticed is that the tonal artifacts that really stand out as sounding bad are ones that you have to have a good ear to even notice. It's kinda like how Morgan Freeman has an excellent voice until you start to notice that all of his sentences end with the exact same inflection and his lips have a weird smack to them.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Best Distortion Pedal On A Budget?

The RAT model in my M13 is indeed, pure **** through a clean amp. Thin, buzzy, splatty and just awful.

However, used as a "Tubescreamer" of sorts, with low gain and cranked volume into a crunchy amp? Oh yeah. It's an angry beast.

Real RATs sound great. Not thin or buzzy at all.

I had a small box US made RAT with the older IC. I mostly used it for lead tones, but a buddy of mine uses his set with the distortion all the way down like a clean boost.

Back when I started playing (about 1969) there wasn’t many pedals. I had one of the Maestro fuzz pedals (the one used on Satisfaction) and later a Big Muff (actually a Guild Foxy Lady) and a Foxx Tone Machine. My girlfriend at the time had an MXR Distortion +. That thing was always real thin sounding through her Marshall.

These days there’s lots of great pedals out there.


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