MXR CB '78 Distortion

[LLL]

Finally got some good tone out of this. Have to use it somewhat differently from your usual dirt box.

It can get out of control quickly, and too much treble and the top end gets splatty.

Seth Lovers, '68 Plexi with volume @ 5

Stomp settings:

O: 12 o'clock
T: 10 o'clock
D: off

DAW EQing, Lexicon verb

Some RATT (tuned concert pitch)

 

[Aceman]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Sounds similar to that DS-1 vid I posted. And, As I understand, since that thing is similar to an original DS1...that would make sense. I could be wrong.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

So you are using it as a light overdrive smacking your amp a little hotter with the tonestack rolling off the highs?

Or is 12 at unity on a 78? and you are just using the tonestack?

 

[LLL]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Sounds similar to the reeks made is that DS-1 vid I posted. And, As I understand, since that thing is similar to an original DS1...that would make sense. I could be wrong.

I believe you're right. I did a lot of research before my purchase; was looking for a DS-1 clone (more features than stock).

Every place I looked, everyone was stating the CB '78 Distortion is a DS-1 clone (but updated with features).

Makes sense too, because the DS-1 came out in 1978. I think people were originally confused by the red & white paintjob to be some sort of EVH thing.

 

[LLL]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

So you are using it as a light overdrive smacking your amp a little hotter with the tonestack rolling off the highs?

Or is 12 at unity on a 78? and you are just using the tonestack?

The thing with this stomp and the BOSS DS-1 is the tone knob almost immediately puts a lot of treble on your tone.

Noon (12 o'clock) with the tone knob is typically too much treble with these stomps... gets "splatty" as I mentioned in OP.

I'm using it to boost somewhat, with a touch of that grindy, crunchy treble the stomp imparts.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

The thing with this stomp and the BOSS DS-1 is the tone knob almost immediately puts a lot of treble on your tone.

Noon (12 o'clock) with the tone knob is typically too much treble with these stomps... gets "splatty" as I mentioned in OP.

I'm using it to boost somewhat, with a touch of that grindy, crunchy treble the stomp imparts.

Yeah, I'm in that camp -I use a lot of vintage style valve amplifiers and I find the best crunch is using a overdrive to smack the preamp and add a touch clipping from the pedal more than relying on heavy clipping from the pedal with a lower gain strcuture.

 

[devastone]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Yeah, I'm in that camp -I use a lot of vintage style valve amplifiers and I find the best crunch is using a overdrive to smack the preamp and add a touch clipping from the pedal more than relying on heavy clipping from the pedal with a lower gain strcuture.

The DS-1 and Rat are great for that too with the gain set low.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

The DS-1 and Rat are great for that too with the gain set low.

yeah, I've got 3 different Rats an never used it in that way but last year I noticed David Mims of Jesus Lizard doing exactly that to drive his bassamp and make his secret SVT type tone

 

[devastone]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Rat into a Marshall was Nuno's tone early tone, not sure if he used the Rat into the ADAs, but it would surprise me, he was quite fond of it. His Randall sig head basically has a Rat built in from what I understand.

Vai and Lynch both used DS-1s as boosts into Marshalls back in the day, lots of others too I'm sure.

 

[saladin]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

It's MXR's take on a Keeley modded DS-1. I just picked one up cheap and I love it. I'm running it cranked into a 410 HRD set clean.
I can use my guitar volume to clean up wonderfully, I just ordered the MXR Il Diavolo to accompany it.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Devastone, when I bought my current house 12 yrs ago -I had a garage sale where I sold several Silver Screw DS-1s, Ross Overdrive and Compressor pedals, 808 TS, Boss Trems and Octaves, Early 80s Rats, Russian Mig Muffs etc etc.

I just wasn't clued into the pedal revolution/resurgance at that point and didn't know they were worth any real $$ (Stupid me)

One dude bought most of them for like $50 or 75$

In my defense, I owned like 4-5 of each of those pedals because I played with pedals fx settings fixed for each song with a dab of hot glue and it was time to clear a portion of them.

 

[devastone]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Those old silver screw DS-1s are da' bomb! The circuit is totally different, really wish they had renamed it. We put a friend of mine's silver screw next to mine newer one with Keeley mods and the old was was warmer, smoother, just all around more musical.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Those old silver screw DS-1s are da' bomb! The circuit is totally different, really wish they had renamed it. We put a friend of mine's silver screw next to mine newer one with Keeley mods and the old was was warmer, smoother, just all around more musical.

I just didn't know pedals had come back with a vengeance :lmao: I wasn't on social media at all then

 

[Aceman]

Re: MXR CB '78 Distortion

Our other guitar play uses one...sounds fantastic into the front of his Blackstar.