Dynamic OD pedals

[the guy who invented fire]

I've been really thinking about OD pedals again lately mostly since I've been talking with Lew about something he can turn on and leave on for gigging with his old Fender combo amps.

I hate a pedals that need to be turned on and off to go between clean and crunchy so for me I need something that's really dynamic in terms of both where my guitars volume control is set and how hard or soft I am picking.

So, for players that use their OD pedals like that what are your favs??

I'm a big fan of the AnalogMan King of Tone but I also have and use the ZVex Box of Rock and Blackstone Mosfet OD as well.

I've got other OD pedals (Rat, TS-9/808, Fulldrive, Expandora, etc) but they don't work as well as leave on units as the KoT, BOR and Blackstone do so they don't get used as often.

What are your go to boxes for leave on dirt/boost?

 

[Frankly]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Frank Lee had a Timmy that could be used in said way.

Thank you.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

You know what I like.

After seeing Vai and Satch using their DS-1's like this I picked up a MIJ Boss DS-1 and still like it but no longer use it.

Then I saw Jeff Beck doing that with his Rat and over time, picked up a couple of those. A little to much of a rock tone for a straight up blues guy like me though. I no longer use it but I still have it.

Then Lazarus loaned me his Wampler Ecstacy and I LOVE IT! It's the best so far, but I have to give it back.

I'm real curious about the KoT and will pick it up from the post office in the morning.

And I'm really, really wanting to try a Klon Centaur. It seems like Bill Finnegan's reissue is nearing availability. Or at least we can hope.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

One other I forgot to mention was the Lovepedal Les Lius...really amazing for low gain and VERY dynamic OD but I ended up selling it. It had impedance issues and was dependent on what was in the pedal chain both before and after it and that bugged me but it was a super great pedal!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

I wouldn't get too hung up waiting on the new Klon...it was supposed to be ready in 2010 or 2011 but also FWIW, I don't think the Klon is great as a leave on pedal. The Klon is cool in ways...it adds a certain weight to notes and the fact that it's buffered, not true bypass adds a clarity that a lot of other OD pedals don't have but I don't think about it as a leave on sort of unit.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

I wouldn't get too hung up waiting on the new Klon...it was supposed to be ready in 2010 or 2011 but also FWIW, I don't think the Klon is great as a leave on pedal. The Klon is cool in ways...it adds a certain weight to notes and the fact that it's buffered, not true bypass adds a clarity that a lot of other OD pedals don't have but I don't think about it as a leave on sort of unit.

I've never tried one. I assume Jeff Beck leaves his on all the time, but he's going for a rock tone. He's also using the Wampler Ecstacy as, I think, you pointed out to me.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

I was looking for the same thing a few years ago when I bought my Super Reverb. After searching and listening to a lot of demos, I ended up buying a Barber 1/2 Gainer. It was exactly what I wanted and I still use it as my primary OD. It's on most of the time too. Gives me that "edge of amp starting to break up" tone without the mid range hump of an 808 clone.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

I wish I knew more about the way Jeff runs his and at the times he runs his...if you look at that pic close you can see that the gain knob is rather high, well over half but not quite 75% and the treble control is just over 25% or so...that tells me he is not using it as a clean boost.

Another thing about Jeffs rig though is when he's not using Pro Jr's he's running Marshalls and he runs them with the bass OFF and the treb and pres on full and turns the tone controls on his Strat to zero or maybe 1...

Strange way to get a tone but it works for him...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

I was looking for the same thing a few years ago when I bought my Super Reverb. After searching and listening to a lot of demos, I ended up buying a Barber 1/2 Gainer. It was exactly what I wanted and I still use it as my primary OD. It's on most of the time too. Gives me that "edge of amp starting to break up" tone without the mid range hump of an 808 clone.

I've wondered about the Barber half gainer for a while...maybe I'll check one out one day!

Edge of break up w/o the TS mid hump...thats how I heard the Les Lius...

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

the OCD is supposed to be a very amp like and fluid pedal; one to leave on at all times.
If your amp is just already on the edge of breakup, something like a xotic RC booster to just nudge it over the edge might be good to leave on.
Not telling you anything you don't already know, just sayin'.
IIRC the KOT will color your sound. Its a great pedal, but deosnt have the transparency of the Tim I think.]
Got to give a mention to the Duncan pickup booster here too.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

It might not be what you're going for, but I LOVE my Menatone King of the Britains. It's extremely dynamic - similar to a fuzz face in how it cleans up. The Catalinbread RAH is very similar (not in tone per se, but in dynamic response) and with a three band EQ, it's a bit more versatile than the Menatone.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

the OCD is supposed to be a very amp like and fluid pedal; one to leave on at all times.
If your amp is just already on the edge of breakup, something like a xotic RC booster to just nudge it over the edge might be good to leave on.
Not telling you anything you don't already know, just sayin'.
IIRC the KOT will color your sound. Its a great pedal, but deosnt have the transparency of the Tim I think.]
Got to give a mention to the Duncan pickup booster here too.

Have you ever tried any of these save for the KoT or the Pickup Booster??

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

It might not be what you're going for, but I LOVE my Menatone King of the Britains. It's extremely dynamic - similar to a fuzz face in how it cleans up. The Catalinbread RAH is very similar (not in tone per se, but in dynamic response) and with a three band EQ, it's a bit more versatile than the Menatone.

I have heard that the RAH is very much a leave it on pedal...

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Have you ever tried any of these save for the KoT or the Pickup Booster??

I sincerely doubt it.

I have heard that the RAH is very much a leave it on pedal...

Definitely. I really liked mine when I had it, but I found that I preferred a more Marshall flavored dirt. If I wanted another distortion, I'd look seriously at the RAH before anything else.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Voodoo labs sparkle drive is pretty dynamic as in full tone fat boost

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Voodoo labs sparkle drive is pretty dynamic as in full tone fat boost

Isn't that just a modded TS?

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Jeff Beck.....it is for that harp like sound he uses now and then!
OD pedals.....hmmm
It always ends up being dependant on the rest of the setup...
But at home I actually uses a (no promoting of products here, just info) DC Drive and an old Ibanez MT-10 Mostortion (misleading name), not so much drive and more volume....the trick is the balance of push and dirt!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

:banghead:

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

:banghead:

+1

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Dynamic OD pedals

Jeff Beck.....it is for that harp like sound he uses now and then!
OD pedals.....hmmm
It always ends up being dependant on the rest of the setup...
But at home I actually uses a (no promoting of products here, just info) DC Drive and an old Ibanez MT-10 Mostortion (misleading name), not so much drive and more volume....the trick is the balance of push and dirt!

I had a feeling!

Balance is the key!!!