Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

[Dave Locher]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Yeah, I tried several distortion boxes back in the 1980s and liked my amp's gain better, so I'm thinking more along the lines of ones that did not exist back then. I'm watching a couple things on eBay right now and if they go higher than I'm willing to pay then I'm going to pick up a Joyo Calfornia Sound (they are everywhere and they are CHEAP). If that does it for me I'll step up to a Tech 21 (I like their stuff), and if it doesn't I'll turn around and sell it for what I paid and forget all about this journey.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Cheap distortion pedals I’ve liked:
Joyo - US Dream—the Crunch Box clone is probably good too.
Danelectro - Daddy-O—mine has a Monte Allums mod, can’t vouch for the unmodded pedal
Behringer - Vintage Tube Monster—A little raspy, but sound better boosted by a TS-type pedal
Mooer - Black Secret—pretty cool Rat clone. I only like it boosted by a TS-type pedal because the low end gets a little flabby at high gain settings otherwise.

I don't know who Clyde is, but I own two of those, and know of the 3rd


Can't speak to Behringer.


But I was also gonna post the US Dream. Three guys on the US Dream...there is a message there.

PS - +1 on that flabby Rat without a goose from an OD....

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

I shall yield to the wisdom of the crowd and give the US Dream a try. The collective has spoken and ima listen.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Danelectro - Daddy-O—mine has a Monte Allums mod, can’t vouch for the unmodded pedal.

I had the unmodded pedal. I thought it stank out loud.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

I had the unmodded pedal. I thought it stank out loud.

Might explain why the mod. Perhaps?

 

[chadd]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

I haven't been a fan of many cheap pedals. My suggestion we'd would be to look into something decent up front, but buy used so there isn't much chance of liaising money. Wampler makes a couple different hot rod Marshall boxes that would likely be right up your alley

 

[SweetClyde99]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

I don't know who Clyde is.

Jeez. Why did I even bother posting on this forum all of 40 times if every member can’t be bothered to memorize every one of them?

The Behringer is a clone of the Ibanez Tube King. Pretty cool pedal, all things considered. It’s enormous though. I paid $30 for it on Craigslist.

 

[Securb]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Just save your money and poke holes in your speakers with a pencil like Dave Davies did.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Just save your money and poke holes in your speakers with a pencil like Dave Davies did.

Torn speakers are probably one of the most irritating distortion sounds that I have ever heard.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[devastone]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

I was wondering more about the amp simulator ones (California something or other, etc.)?

My thinking is, go in really cheap and if it seems like I'm onto something then spring for a better, more expensive but similar pedal but if I hate it they are easy to flip because they're so cheap, and sometimes I keep a failed cheapy around just for the occasional messing around.
Living in a small town sucks - I have to buy pedals in order to try them, although I noticed the last time I was in one of the only two music stores in town they have a wider selection than they used to so maybe I can actually try out a couple before I buy for a change!

Sounds like you are thinking of these - https://www.amazon.com/JF-15-California-Effects-Ultra-High-Simulator/dp/B005M0MUQK
And here is the "Marshall" version - https://www.amazon.com/JF-16-Britis...4196&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=joyo+british&psc=1

They are copies of the Tech 21 California and British pedals.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Torn speakers are probably one of the most irritating distortion sounds that I have ever heard.

You obviously never heard me learn to play with a black Ross distortion box cranked into a puny solid state Radio Shack amp from the '70s! THAT was irritating!

 

[Demanic]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Try playing through a Randall ES-100 half stack with the Jaguar speakers. Except some idiot has kicked holes in the bottom two speakers, because the Randall didn't have enough gain on tap.
Thankfully, after a few years of this, the bottom two speakers were finally replaced, and now it sounds fantastic.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[evan47]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Save your pennies and go for a used blackstar pedal. Any one with a valve and 3 band eq would do. Revalve it if you like (I did from day one), mine is the HT Dual, I put a JJ ecc83s gold pin in it to give it a smoother type of grit and it is like having a selection of custom marshalls at your feet. I dislike distortion pedals on a clean amp.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Save your pennies and go for a used blackstar pedal. Any one with a valve and 3 band eq would do. Revalve it if you like (I did from day one), mine is the HT Dual, I put a JJ ecc83s gold pin in it to give it a smoother type of grit and it is like having a selection of custom marshalls at your feet. I dislike distortion pedals on a clean amp.

+1
The HT duel kills. So much so that I have 3 of them. Lol

 

[SweetClyde99]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

I've had both a Blackstar HT Dual and a Distx. Both very cool pedals, but it's hard to find them cheap.

I do have a Blackstar LT Dual (the non-tube version) that I got for a very reasonable $50 when everyone was blowing them out after they were discontinued. It's definitely another cool pedal. I do miss the 3-band EQ from the HT though. Also, I'd like to try it back-to-back with the HT version to see how much the tube is really adding.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Try playing through a Randall ES-100 half stack with the Jaguar speakers. Except some idiot has kicked holes in the bottom two speakers, because the Randall didn't have enough gain on tap.

Ha! That does sound pretty gross. I think I would have bypassed those suckers.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

I got outbid on a Tech 21 Hot Rod Plexi (not surprised, the retail on those is high!), got outbid on a fully modded DS-1, so I bought a Joyo US Dream. I shall report my findings in a week or so.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

sweet
I love those Joyo pedals

my Ultimate Drive sounds awesome

its more OCD than the US Dream

my SS Laney thought it was Meh
but my EL84 Carvin LOVES that thing
strummed it once with the Carvin and ALL the neighbors came outside

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

RAT

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Cheapest distortion pedal that can plausibly replace amp gain?

Holy H*ll, what a pedal for $25! Joyo US Dream, $25 brand new including shipping.
Volume from zero to serious boost, gain from almost totally clean to too much, and really good sounds at many different settings. I do not like it more than my amp's gain but I do like it a lot and would be willing to play out with it if I had to. Definitely good enough to prove to me that I could find a pedal I could use as my main sound.

So, let's talk a little higher quality:
any pedals out there that go "K-K-K" instead of "Ch-Ch-Ch" when you palm mute chords"?
That is the only thing that is keeping me from adopting the Joyo as my stage sound, it's just not quite tight enough for my taste.