EQ as OD?

FamousForSustain

FamousForSustain

New member
After years as a "straight into the amp" guy, I'm considering picking up a pedal to throw in front as a boost for leads. On a whim, I tried out my MXR 10 band EQ in this role with the gain jacked up and it seemed to do the trick, with the added benefit that I could boost the mids as well, whereas most straight-up OD pedals don't have mid controls (I like more tweaking ability than just a "tone" knob).

My question is, is there any reason why an EQ used in this way couldn't be just as effective as a lead boost as an OD pedal, or is there something that a dedicated drive box would do better?
 
Re: EQ as OD?

FamousForSustain said:
After years as a "straight into the amp" guy, I'm considering picking up a pedal to throw in front as a boost for leads. On a whim, I tried out my MXR 10 band EQ in this role with the gain jacked up and it seemed to do the trick, with the added benefit that I could boost the mids as well, whereas most straight-up OD pedals don't have mid controls (I like more tweaking ability than just a "tone" knob).

My question is, is there any reason why an EQ used in this way couldn't be just as effective as a lead boost as an OD pedal, or is there something that a dedicated drive box would do better?
Click to expand...

If it sounds good go for it. The only difference between what you're doing and an OD pedal is that the pedal has the ability to add distortion and it's tone shaping is limited to the eq controls designed into it. If your EQ pedal pushes your amp into a place that you're happy, then you just saved yourself some money.
 
Re: EQ as OD?

An EQ is perfect for such applications. It's not too different from a booster, but you get so much more control over the tone.
 
Re: EQ as OD?

yeah bro an eq pedal with a mid spike and some clean level added can make your leads scream! its my preferred method for a really over the top Randy Rhodes style tone.
 
Re: EQ as OD?

I used a GE-7 as my only boost/overdrive/dirt box for years, into a Marshall. It worked really well for me.

Be warned - how well a clean boost works depends a lot on the amp. If the amp is already pushed into slightly dirt of "crunch" territory, then an EQ will add more dirt, but not much volume. That's how I used it, adn loved it.

Into a clean amp, an EQ will give a big volume increase before it starts adding overdrive. For some people this works fine, for others it can cause rude awakenings.

Since I started playing at church (with a basic sound much cleaner than my norm), the EQ caused too much of a WHAP! in volume. So, I've switched to an SD-1 overdrive which gives me separate controls for overdrive and volume. Works better in this particular case, but a plain EQ might work for you.
 
Re: EQ as OD?

If you need your leads to cut through the mix better boost the mids and add slightly more volume.


FamousForSustain said:
After years as a "straight into the amp" guy, I'm considering picking up a pedal to throw in front as a boost for leads. On a whim, I tried out my MXR 10 band EQ in this role with the gain jacked up and it seemed to do the trick, with the added benefit that I could boost the mids as well, whereas most straight-up OD pedals don't have mid controls (I like more tweaking ability than just a "tone" knob).

My question is, is there any reason why an EQ used in this way couldn't be just as effective as a lead boost as an OD pedal, or is there something that a dedicated drive box would do better?
Click to expand...
 
Re: EQ as OD?

I use a monte allums modded boss ge-7 as my lead sound, boost the mids & adjust volume/gain at the press of the pedal.
 
Re: EQ as OD?

I have that MXR, but since I have boost pedals (J&H, Micro Amp, Fat Boost) I use the eq to shape my tone and let the pedals kick it up. But yeah, the gain slide is nice and I don't see why ya can't use it for a boost...but I love the way I can fatten up my tone with the eq.
 
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