Mid heavy Overdrive recommendations

[Mikelamury]

Looking for suggestions for a OD that pushes mids and hi mids and doesn't cut bass like most tube screamers. I've gone through all my OD's that I own and am ready to find something new. Does Duncan still make the 805? Suggestions for tube screamer clones that don't cut bass please.(other suggestions welcome too)

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yes, they still make the 805.

I ilke it, personally. I've had two. I sold one, and realized I missed it, so I got another. I have one on my board, but it's not perfect. My biggest gripe, personally, is its output level is slightly lower than my Ibanez TS808. Small gripe, and not really an issue if you're using it to boost stuff, but it tickles my OCD to know that I'm not really "hitting the front end harder" if you're using any high output pickups, LOL.

It's cool that you can shape the EQ, though. And the gain range is extended from a Tube Screamer. More gain at high settings, less gain at low settings. It's also got a nice clarity and hi-fidelity to the voicing. Hard to explain, but it's just more polished-sounding and it's not really an EQ thing. And that can be further enhanced if you decide to run it at 18V.

I would not use it in front of a clean channel, though. It still sounds very much like a TS where it mixes the clean and distorted signal in, and that sounds super awkard in front of a clean channel to me.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Otherise, I recommend you look into other OD's with EQ knobs. I get a feeling you won't be satisfied otherwise.

 

[Mikelamury]

I forgot to add that I do plan on running this into the "clean" channel on my marshall.

 

[GuitarStv]

Play around with an EQ before or after any relatively flat OD pedal and I bet you'll be able to dial in exactly the sound you're looking for.

 

[jeremy]

lots of people run a ts type pedal into a clean channel and are very happy with the way it sounds. not what i would use for heavier stuff though

 

[Securb]

I would suggest the Dirt Clod, great EQ with two different OD types built in with the ability to set presets. Analog signal chain with digital switching. You can find them under $100 these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcPW...el=GuitarWorld

TONE CONTROLS

DIRT The DIRT knob controls the input gain. Turn the knob counter-clockwise for cleaner tones and clockwise for more drive and sustain. The Dirt Clod is capable of clean boost by turning this knob down, while turning up the MASS control.

FORM Pressing on the DIRT knob toggles the FORM, which changes the clipping characteristics. With the LED off, the clipping is thicker and heavier. When the clip LED is on, the clipping will sound slightly compressed and more focused.

CORE The CORE knob defines the body of the distortion. When set fully clockwise, you get a thick, full midrange. This is great for thick leads and blues tones. As you start to turn the knob counter-clockwise, you begin to thin out some of the midrange, giving more articulation to notes and chords. Turning further counter-clockwise begins to scoop some lower midrange, which can be great for removing low-mid mud.

CRYSTAL The CRYSTAL knob controls the high frequencies. Turn clockwise for brighter grit and counterclockwise for a darker, more rolled off sound.

MASS The MASS knob controls the output level. Turn clockwise for more volume and counterclockwise for less volume. Use this knob in conjunction with the DIRT knob to distort before the amp or turn it up to overdrive a tube amp input.

 

[Mikelamury]

lots of people run a ts type pedal into a clean channel and are very happy with the way it sounds. not what i would use for heavier stuff though

I have a jhs screamer and am happy with the mids coming from it but not happy with it cutting bass. Looking for something else that pushes mids similarly but doesn't cut bass.

 

[Mikelamury]

I would suggest the Dirt Clod, great EQ with two different OD types built in with the ability to set presets. Analog signal chain with digital switching. You can find them under $100 these days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcPW...el=GuitarWorld

This is very intriguing... how is it on bass? Does it cut bass at all?
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[Mincer]

This sounds like a job for the 805, really. A good TS-alike gain pedal with a 3 band EQ that solves the 'no bass' and 'overbearing mids' problem- there are probably others out there, but it is that EQ that sets 'em apart.

 

[NegativeEase]

...

 

[Securb]

This is very intriguing... how is it on bass? Does it cut bass at all?
​​​​​​

I play with a lot of low-end thud I am more than happy with the bass response I get from mine. A couple of forum bros have bought them on my recommendation and no one has yelled at me yet.

 

[Mikelamury]

This sounds like a job for the 805, really. A good TS-alike gain pedal with a 3 band EQ that solves the 'no bass' and 'overbearing mids' problem- there are probably others out there, but it is that EQ that sets 'em apart.

After going over the options I think I'm going to go with the 805 it's what I was originally thinking about.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Don't sleep on the Green Rhino. All kinds of tone-shaping options, and sounds great.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I forgot to add that I do plan on running this into the "clean" channel on my marshall.

I guess if you don't mind the clean/dirty blend, it does have tthe nice EQ shaping knobs.

 

[Mikelamury]

I guess if you don't mind the clean/dirty blend, it does have tthe nice EQ shaping knobs.

I'm not worried about the level issue you mentioned because it's going before a clean boost so level is not an issue. What do you mean by "clean/dirty blend"?

 

[jeremy]

the green rhino is a great ts type pedal for sure. i have one of those and a camel toe which is a dual pedal with the rhino and red llama. plenty of output, bass, and gain

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'm not worried about the level issue you mentioned because it's going before a clean boost so level is not an issue. What do you mean by "clean/dirty blend"?

I don't know if you've noticed, but Tube Screamers blend the clean signal as well with the distorted signal. Listen closely on a clean channel, especially when you strum hard, you'll hear the clean strings sitting on top of a distorted base. That's part of the reason why they're so good boosts. It's because they preserve the attack and clarity while still adding a hint of grit. But that's also kind of part why they sound awkward, small, and pedal-like in front clean channels IMO.

Klons do that as well, but in a different way. You can actually (sorta) control how much clean and dirty you blend in a Klon.

 

[Inflames626]

I've deliberately avoided pedals due to co$t. By the time someone outfits a large, comprehensive pedal board they're got something as expensive as a used Axe FX and probably not nearly as tweakable in as small a footprint.

In pedals, what was meant as an inexpensive alternative to a tube amp has become a collector's obsession.

Pedals are a lot like the craft beer industry as well in that one company invented a "Budweiser" back in the days of yore but now everyone else is trying revivals, new spins on it. Etc. "Budweiser, but now with lemon, made by craft brewer X who used to work in Budweiser in 1985 and has the secret recipe in his basement!"

Scanning the post I didn't see anyone bring up Maxon's offerings as the original builder of the Tube Screamer for Ibanez. Ibby vs. Maxon pedals has got to be one of those "Who builds the REAL Dime pickup?" type of discussions.

My use for pedals has mainly been in front of amps.

I'll bring two usual suspects: the Tube Screamer and Boss HM2.

Tube Screamers seem to have a rich, complex, cascading midrange that is in Plexi territory--great for Southern rock and such. Emulated in software I can get death metal from a JCM800 with them.

But on the real things I don't like how the clean channel sometimes interferes with the distortion and makes things mushy. But, a Tube Screamered clean sound was that dirty, elusive third channel amp designers had been seeking between clean and distorted and began to put routinely on flagship amps by the late 90s and 00s. I'd rather gently boost an amp's distorted channel than try to boost an amp's clean channel with exaggerated pedal settings.

The HM2 is a much more properly called a distortion pedal than the Tube Screamer, I think. Lots of videos can be found for it online.

That said, most pedals I had experience with in the 90s were then-common DOD pedals. Like Alesis and other products in their price range, I'm not sure they were the best specimens. They soured my ear on basically all pedals because they would release some gimmicky marketed thing like a death metal distortion that didn't sound at all like what it was supposed to be emulating.

JHS pedals on YouTube usually has a good rundown of important pedals in history.

 

[Seashore]

I've deliberately avoided pedals due to co$t. By the time someone outfits a large, comprehensive pedal board they're got something as expensive as a used Axe FX and probably not nearly as tweakable in as small a footprint.

In pedals, what was meant as an inexpensive alternative to a tube amp has become a collector's obsession.

Pedals are a lot like the craft beer industry as well in that one company invented a "Budweiser" back in the days of yore but now everyone else is trying revivals, new spins on it. Etc. "Budweiser, but now with lemon, made by craft brewer X who used to work in Budweiser in 1985 and has the secret recipe in his basement!"

Scanning the post I didn't see anyone bring up Maxon's offerings as the original builder of the Tube Screamer for Ibanez. Ibby vs. Maxon pedals has got to be one of those "Who builds the REAL Dime pickup?" type of discussions.

My use for pedals has mainly been in front of amps.

I'll bring two usual suspects: the Tube Screamer and Boss HM2.

Tube Screamers seem to have a rich, complex, cascading midrange that is in Plexi territory--great for Southern rock and such. Emulated in software I can get death metal from a JCM800 with them.

But on the real things I don't like how the clean channel sometimes interferes with the distortion and makes things mushy. But, a Tube Screamered clean sound was that dirty, elusive third channel amp designers had been seeking between clean and distorted and began to put routinely on flagship amps by the late 90s and 00s. I'd rather gently boost an amp's distorted channel than try to boost an amp's clean channel with exaggerated pedal settings.

The HM2 is a much more properly called a distortion pedal than the Tube Screamer, I think. Lots of videos can be found for it online.

That said, most pedals I had experience with in the 90s were then-common DOD pedals. Like Alesis and other products in their price range, I'm not sure they were the best specimens. They soured my ear on basically all pedals because they would release some gimmicky marketed thing like a death metal distortion that didn't sound at all like what it was supposed to be emulating.

JHS pedals on YouTube usually has a good rundown of important pedals in history.

I have a Maxon OD9 that I got repaired and modded at Modest Mike's. One of the mods is a switch to add more bass. The OD9 is superior to any of the modern Ibanez versions I've tried - I did back to back tests through my guitar rig years ago and it was the clear winner to my ears - but even with the mod I don't like it on bass, and like you I wouldn't recommend it as a primary distortion sound into a clean channel.