Good low gain overdrive pedal?

Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

well if the price tag wasn't an issue i would say lovepedal kalamazoo... but since it is, the bluesdriver suggestion is probably the best one. hey, maybe even the ol ds-1 will do on the cheap. not so low gain but you can make it that way... plus yes both boss pedals could be modded later if you choose.
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

You should really consider the Boss OD3. It's big selling point is that it doesn't mess with your EQ - no mid hump and doesn't cut the low end. If I ever have to use an amp I'm unfamiliar with I'll set it for a mild crunch and let the OD3 do the rest. It makes a very good clean boost as well, just turn the gain off and crank the volume.
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

Jeremiah said:
Ok, thanks for the recommendations so far

I definitely can't spend more than £80, and was hoping someone like Behringer or Danelectro would make something that would do the job for less than £50, lol...

Um, maybe I'm better waiting until I have more to spend, though I'm not sure that time will ever come...:(
Click to expand...

In audio there is a golden rule: you got what you paid for!!!.
If budget wasn't an issue, I would highly recommend the Wampler Euphoria Overdrive. This one has everything you need.

But, if you go for Danelectro way, then try/get that Cool Cat Clean Overdrive.
Don't go behringer, please. Do yourself a favour.

Also, I recomend you to look some option on AMX's catalogue. Their pedals sound good enough and they are (or were) crazy cheap.
 
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Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

Bludave said:
TS9 or TS808. those both interact with the amp really well.
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STRATDELUXER97 said:
Dave in their stock form,they cut out the lows and add that horrible mid hump..
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Even though this thread is several months old now I'll add my 2 cents...again.

What I think Dave means by they interact with the amp well is that they cut lows and add mids...

When you say "cuts bass" I hear "tightens up the low end" and when you say "adds that horrible mid hump" I hear "makes your guitar cut"...

I used to HATE TS style pedals but I now own 2 great TS style pedals (AnalogMan TS-9/808 and Fulltone Fulldrive 2) and they are PERFECT for making your guitar cut thru a dense mix...I play in a band with another guitar player (and sometimes a 3rd guitar player!) bass, drums, harp and Hammond and with a TS or the FD2 I can always get above the mix enough to be heard.

I know the OP'er wasn't looking for TS style pedals and I'm not suggesting that he get one just giving my 2 cents on TS style pedals in general...
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

I had an old SD-1 that I never used, and I broke down and eventually installed Monte Allums' GT mod. It turns a halfway decent pedal into a great, versatile pedal. It's not the same at all as the MXR ZW-44/GT-OD, because it's more upper-mid focused, but it can do wonderful things.
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

the guy who invented fire said:
Even though this thread is several months old now I'll add my 2 cents...again.

What I think Dave means by they interact with the amp well is that they cut lows and add mids...

When you say "cuts bass" I hear "tightens up the low end" and when you say "adds that horrible mid hump" I hear "makes your guitar cut"...

I used to HATE TS style pedals but I now own 2 great TS style pedals (AnalogMan TS-9/808 and Fulltone Fulldrive 2) and they are PERFECT for making your guitar cut thru a dense mix...I play in a band with another guitar player (and sometimes a 3rd guitar player!) bass, drums, harp and Hammond and with a TS or the FD2 I can always get above the mix enough to be heard.

I know the OP'er wasn't looking for TS style pedals and I'm not suggesting that he get one just giving my 2 cents on TS style pedals in general...
Click to expand...

I know an awful lot about the TS circuit and basically I dislike the pedal stock.
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

STRATDELUXER97 said:
I know an awful lot about the TS circuit and basically I dislike the pedal stock.
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Ok, that's fine but it doesn't make it a bad pedal...

I was just trying to voice opinions for the other side of the TS coin so to speak.

It's funny, there are tons of mods on line and hundreds of guys modding TS pedals but almost every time I see a TS on a PRO board it's either vintage and stock, an 808 reissue that's stock or a not so great TS-9 that's been modded to stock 808 specs...I almost NEVER see pro players using TS pedals that are tweaked for more lows, less mids, more gain, etc...

Just an observation...
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

the guy who invented fire said:
Ok, that's fine but it doesn't make it a bad pedal...

I was just trying to voice opinions for the other side of the TS coin so to speak.

It's funny, there are tons of mods on line and hundreds of guys modding TS pedals but almost every time I see a TS on a PRO board it's either vintage and stock, an 808 reissue that's stock or a not so great TS-9 that's been modded to stock 808 specs...I almost NEVER see pro players using TS pedals that are tweaked for more lows, less mids, more gain, etc...

Just an observation...
Click to expand...

I didn't say the pedal was bad...It's different strokes...I stated I don't like the TS series in it's stock form...I've had an 808 on my board for many years..I'm happy(most of the time) doing tweaks to my own stuff...It's the OCD within! ;o)

I fully respect your opinions!
 
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The Blues Pro for sale in the trading post will fit the bill perfectly. I use mine for the same reasons you listed and the price is a steal!
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

If you like the EQing character of the Shredmaster, why don't you just dial back your guitar's volume control to clean it up?
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

Not sure if it has already been mentioned as I haven't scanned the whole thread but, I'd suggest the Lovepedal Eternity Burst. Great "woody" sounding pedal that can go from clean to mean.
 
Re: Good low gain overdrive pedal?

I just got one of the new G&L Buckshot pedals as a gift; havent't had a chance to try it yet, but they advertise it as being a very transparent overdrive. We shall see.

The dirt pedal that has managed to stay on my board for 20 years is a B.K. Butler Real Tube 901, even with the Mesa amps I use. Gain, Volume, Treble, Mid and Bass controls; AC Powered; and a 12AX7 tube. Most distortion pedals sound artificial to me, as they don't sound and react the way a tube does. They get the sequence of attack, compression, distortion, release and decay all wrong.

Lots of tonal versatility in this pedal, and you can adjust the gain by using different preamp tubes, like a 12AT7 or 12AY7. I went from the factory 12AX7 to a Groove Tubes 12AU7, to give me the least amount of gain and give me more control over the lower end of the gain dial.

I think Butler made this pedal for some other companies too; I just saw a clone from back in the 80's marketed under the Dean Markley brand name. There are some other versions of this pedal, like the Tube Driver that has been a mainstay of Eric Johnson's rig for so long. And he also made the Blue Tube pedal, which had a lower gain structure than the Real Tube version. He even had rack mount versions of these.

And there are some other companies like Blackstar and Ibanez that have tube overdrives that are still in production.

You should be able to find something that will fit your needs, even if you have to go vintage.

Bill
 
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