Distortion: transparent vs. brown

ParameterMan

ParameterMan

New member
As I was waking up this morning I realized something. I haven't found the audio clips for many boutique dirt boxes appealing, and here's why. The current craze is 'transparent' OD, generating comments like "I can hear all the notes in a sus9 chord" or "doesn't change the sound of my guitar at all". To me, they often seem like a lifeless clean sound with some grit riding on top. When I play a chord, I want it to sound like a chord, not a bunch of individual notes with some insincere fizzyness floating around it. I want it to sound like an elephant loose in a turkey farm.

I want the distortion to completely envelop my guitar. I want it to sound like a distorted guitar, not a clean guitar with an OD after it. For example, David Gilmour, Billy Gibbons, EVH, and Dimebag Darrell managed to capture that character. It's like they're actually playing the distortion instead of their guitar.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

I'm with you. Unless it's a clean boost, I don't get the whole "transparent" thing. Now, I do like the characteristics of my guitar to come through, but I get that with my modded DS-1, and it's FAR from transparent.

I also like my overall tone to be a result of all the stuff in the chain, not just the guitar and amp. It's kind of like cooking.... if the food is really bland, and needs a bunch of salt & pepper after the fact to taste good, it tastes like something bland with a bunch of salt & pepper. However, if you put the right spices in it during preparation, it just tastes good.
 
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Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

ParameterMan said:
I want it to sound like an elephant loose in a turkey farm.
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Well, you're getting quite specific there...

I like my overdrive to sound like the amp is being driven, which requires a certain amount of transparency, and my distortion to sound like guitar carpet, which requires a pedal that can take charge of the sound and still work well with the host amp. Either way, I deliberately look for pedals that homogenize into the overall sound as opposed to sitting on top of it. I would name brand and model names, but somebody's always gonna get personally offended.


Cheers........................wahwah
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

I think there are really only two uniquely different distortion/drive tones: pre-amp and power amp. I think most boxes are designed to get to or emulate one or the other. Try them all. I have always liked a combination of screaming pre-amp and barking power amp, so I don't use any stomps, just an amp that fits the bill.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

sometimes you need some of the pedal's own character to add to your tone a bit...
overdrives like tubescreamers and boss sd-1's have that mid spike to tighten things up in an otherwise looser sounding amp..(in higher gain applications)
people sometimes complain about the lack of bass when the sd-1 is engaged infront of an already overdriven amp..but lack of bass and boosted mids is what tightens things up..
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

Clean Boost: I want it to be 100% transparent.

OD: I want it to be very transparent with the gain in the lower regions so I can use it for boosting the front end of an amp, but I want it to be harmonically rich so I can use it on its own as an extra sound too.

Distortion: Extra sound, so it needs a sound of its own.

The bit about hearing the notes in the chord probably refers to clarity... Some high gain pedals are mush and you can't hear subtleties in intervals. Some aren't. I prefer the second kind ;)
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

My main playing style requires clarity and tightness(one reason i play Engl amps) and if i use a pedal it's mainly for adding a boost so i prefer transparent pedals that tighten things up and add some extra drive. I hate muddy chords.
If i had a single channel clean amp i might think differently but for now it's transparency that i desire.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

@JB and wahwah: Nicely said.

@Pierre and Loserchief: I think you can have a homogenized distortion and still be able to play chords. I like it when the individual notes turn into a new thing, somewhat like a resonant acoustic guitar where they all blend together to form a cohesive new sound without losing definition.

Also @wahwah: I guess the elephant analogy only applies when I'm looking for high-gain sounds. I'm also a fan of semi-clean grind. Take the Edge, for example. Or the rhythm sounds on many modern country songs.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

I like to use an OD for solo boosts to tighten and thicken everything, or in conjunction with my DS-1 for some really brutal high-gain. The DS-1 on its own gets a pretty good cranked Marshall sound so i use that for 'heavy rhythm'. My favorite tones come from Big Muff-type fuzz pedals...totally out of control, thick and heavy. I'm gonna pick up a Metal Muff pretty soon here and see if it can't function as my 'only' dirty pedal.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

ParameterMan said:
For example, David Gilmour, Billy Gibbons, EVH, and Dimebag Darrell managed to capture that character. It's like they're actually playing the distortion instead of their guitar.
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All four of those guys use(d) pickups that were known for clarity, even Dime's. I don't really have much of a point there, but I thought I'd mention it.

I was listening to the beginning of "Fools", on 'Women and Children First' today, and it's one of the few times where Eddie *allowed* you to hear how warm and truly low-gain his distortion really was, especially when he plays those chords as he moves up the neck during the intro. It's almost as if there is hardly any gain, and then...WHAM.....he goes into that flurry of notes before the song begins. Just a genius right-hand, not in the shredder-sense, but......eh.....you know what I mean.

I'll never forget when I dumped my 5150 combo for a Crate Vintage Club. That first week was a real dent in my ego. My hands, left AND right, have never been more "active" or "wiggly" though. Anything to keep the note ringing.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

I like a mild to medium OD thats transparent, so it more or less sounds like my amp tonally and I like one that is colored for the opposite effect.....make my amp sound like a Marshall.

Both types have their place.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

I think I've decided I like NO color, or complete coloration. I like clean boosts and very transparant ODs (love the Kaden Flamingo Fuzz) and crazy fuzzes of all types, Fuzz Faces, Muffs, gnarly vintage fuzzes like the Maestro and crazy modern fuzzes like the Fuzz Factory (although it's really just a Fuzz Face with a ton of knobs).

Tube Screamers and their ilk are not my thing at all.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

ParameterMan said:
Also @wahwah: I guess the elephant analogy only applies when I'm looking for high-gain sounds. I'm also a fan of semi-clean grind. Take the Edge, for example. Or the rhythm sounds on many modern country songs.
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I really liked the "elephant loose in the turkey farm" analogy, it made me try to imagine what that would sound like! Then I started picturing a pedal specifically called "Elephant Loose in a Turkey Farm" (New from Bod Pedals, the ELTF!) It would be large, grey and there would be feathers scattered around the knobs. The controls would be "Chaos," "Thump" and "Beak." I like it.



Cheers............................wahwah
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

why i have never or ever will, use a pedal for distortion. you have an amp, that most pay good money for, make it do the work it is supposed to.
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

why i have never or ever will, use a pedal for distortion. you have an amp, that most pay good money for, make it do the work it is supposed to.
Click to expand...
And what does that has to do with this subject??
Is it a amp religion to use it without pedals?
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

I'm not a HUGE fan of distortion pedals, although I have a GREAT pedal in the pint sized Blackstone 2Sv3.

I DO like OD pedals & it's there that I prefer transparency....I wanna hear the nuances of the amp, but kicked up a notch or two. A little color is cool.

For very little to no color, I like boost pedals.

In general, I prefer the tone of the amp itself though & that's where I agree with Jerm...the thing that sucks with most amps though is you need to get them cooking to give up the goods & a lot of guys just can't do that, so they resort to pedals.

Heck, if we all COULD crank them for natural OD, the pedal market wouldn't be where it is right now :D
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

Yeah...on the other hand, some amps are a marvelous platform for pedals.

Celtic Edana + CM Plexitone come to mind....it was HOT !!!!!!!
 
Re: Distortion: transparent vs. brown

lastwinj said:
why i have never or ever will, use a pedal for distortion. you have an amp, that most pay good money for, make it do the work it is supposed to.
Click to expand...

Somebody should have told Hendrix, SRV, Beck, Blackmore, Gilmour, Gallagher (Rory, not Noel!), Brian May, Trower, Clapton, Gibbons and Moore that. They should have listened to the "purists." Who would have guessed that all of those guys got it wrong?



Cheers....................wahwah
 
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