Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

[hanumanlangur]

Everyone knows about the classic combo of an SD-1 into a JCM800, to push the amp hard with a very strong signal. But is it possible to, say, run an SD-1 into a distortion pedal in the same way?

Would cranking the volume on the overdrive to "10" blow anything in the distortion pedal? I have a modded DS-1 that sounds JCM800-ish, and I'm interested in messing around with an overdrive pedal to really push it hard.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

Hasn't blown any of the numerous pedals I've done it to...I spent a lot of time working with a Digitech Bad Monkey OD, modded Boss DS-1, and Electro-Harmonix Double Muff, arranged in every order you can think of...nothin ever blew up but I only liked the tone of the OD into the Muff, didn't really dig the boosted DS-1 sound...

 

[J Moose]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

I recall once, with a gutter punk band... chaining at least a dozen stompboxes together... maybe 15 odd pedals... all going into some little solid state amp for an overdub.

Some of what the cat played made it through & out the speaker... hahaha

Sounded unreal... crazy noise.

Was a perfect background part... sort of a solo.

Nothing blew up.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

I recall once, with a gutter punk band... chaining at least a dozen stompboxes together... maybe 15 odd pedals... all going into some little solid state amp for an overdub.

Some of what the cat played made it through & out the speaker... hahaha

Sounded unreal... crazy noise.

Was a perfect background part... sort of a solo.

Nothing blew up.

awesome. hail satan.

 

[millsart]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

Its not going to blow up, but with the exception of a fuzz which can actually sometimes sound better with the dist pedal as it cuts through some of the fuzz, your not really going to get the same effect as pushing a tube amp harder.

running two OD's together can work well, or just using an OD in front as a bit of a lead boost works, but its going to sound like running an OD into a dist pedal.

Wont hurt anything so just try it and see

your ears are the only thing that really can tell you how it works

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

I front end a big box Ratt or the SD Twin Tube with a TS-9 all the time and it works really well. I end up with a tighter lead tone with some very cool and controllable feedback.

The trick is to keep the settings mid range. If you run the pedals too hot the tones aren't as desireable.

 

[kjrocks]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

Nope, cant be done. Dont do it, dont even think it

 

[JeffB]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

Haven't done it in prolly 20 years but when I was young I ran a TS10 into a Rat, and also ran the TS10 into a Boss HM-2 for at home practice when I couldn't crank my Marshall. Both setups gave some really nice sounds.

 

[hanumanlangur]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

Okay great, thanks for the advice. I actually like my modded DS-1 into a clean tube amp more than most of the real Marshalls I've played. But it has a bit too much bass, and more gain is always nice. So I thought I'd try the overdrive method, which cuts out some bass and boosts the signal.

 

[baritone]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

I do this with overdrives, distortions, EQs and compressors. It's totally safe, and it opens up so many sound options.

 

[guitarded]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

Everyone knows about the classic combo of an SD-1 into a JCM800, to push the amp hard with a very strong signal. But is it possible to, say, run an SD-1 into a distortion pedal in the same way?

Would cranking the volume on the overdrive to "10" blow anything in the distortion pedal? I have a modded DS-1 that sounds JCM800-ish, and I'm interested in messing around with an overdrive pedal to really push it hard.

I've done SD-1 into a Bad Monkey into a JCM 800, where the bad monkey is always on and the sd-1 is kicked as a solo boost. Worked pretty good.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Goosing a distortion pedal with an overdrive?

Everyone knows about the classic combo of an SD-1 into a JCM800, to push the amp hard with a very strong signal. But is it possible to, say, run an SD-1 into a distortion pedal in the same way?

Would cranking the volume on the overdrive to "10" blow anything in the distortion pedal? I have a modded DS-1 that sounds JCM800-ish, and I'm interested in messing around with an overdrive pedal to really push it hard.

Boss's own website recommends using an EQ pedal, or BD-2, to push a distortion pedal. It even lists some options for boosting distortion pedals to include MT-2/DS-2 combination, etc. I would check out their Boss Guitar Effects Guide Book Vol 18.