OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

[jozLuck]

Ok, took an old DS1 (start laughing) and never moded a pedal... after reading all the malarky out there I noted that C7 is the primary capacitor in the DISTROTION line..so, I replaced it with a poly 104...WHEW! single sting it wails-sings actually-all the sustain you could want- but I don't play metal but:...more than one note or chord its a mess...what do I need to do clean it up? The bass notes suck.

2. I simply want a pedal I can chord with and play single leads with and maintain the same harmonics and level...(I know a compression pedal)- can brush off volume with attack or fingers...but I'm not into metal at all, just want a nice light fuzz to a crunch... Whats out there that I don't have to screw with or cost the price of a decent little used amp head?

I appreciate the help...as in the past on the pots...

 

[Aceman]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

Sounds to me like you want an Overdrive, not a distortion. Try a Bad Monkey, SD-1, or even a Tube Screamer or any of a thirty more in that 'zone' instead of distortion.

What amp is this going to?
And how do you use the pedal? On always, or just for more gain.
To boost amp, the pedal is the sound?

 

[James Rock]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

I changed the bass cap (the one that controls the cutoff frequency for clipping) and the clipping diodes (made them asymmetrical with one side being the two existing diodes in series and the other an LED) and possibly a few other small tweaks based on Brian Wamplers mod fx book. These mods made it fairly transparent and clean (adds a little more weight and oomph) until the gain is above 12 o clock and then it gets crunchy but way more dynamic and nice sounding compared to stock (fairly new model I think). Look online and experiment with the clipping section and if it gets too muddy change that bass cap to taste. As far as other recommendations look at overdrive pedals as Aceman has suggested and if you don't mind the real cheap side of things Joyo, Biyang and Mooer clones of popular drive pedals.

 

[jozLuck]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

Sounds to me like you want an Overdrive, not a distortion. Try a Bad Monkey, SD-1, or even a Tube Screamer or any of a thirty more in that 'zone' instead of distortion.

What amp is this going to?
And how do you use the pedal? On always, or just for more gain.
To boost amp, the pedal is the sound?

Its going to a Carvin SS....or a 60W Hibyrd with GB Tribal 2x12..Gov/Tonker...@16ohms (someone blew the other Gov here and since I'm keeping it had to replace it..Got lucky with a Tonker -suggested by Eminence anyway...)
Have pedals from Roomates band assoc. kept here-don't even like the Boss Blues pedal...just tyring my own...usually play clean with it and nobels chorus- for sustain. Want to be able to do a single song/solo-with vocals without cutting in and out...losing tone and drastic volume loss's when you cut off..prefer something I could leave on and simply adjust volume level for leads, thus not losing the overall 'sound', so to speak.
To be honest, haven't played live since College and am retired so..! The only pedals were tape loopers from the Beach Boys to Mastro Fuzz, Vibratos, Fender reverb tanks, Roto's, to your damn wammy bar...
. LOL! I'm looking for a sound between clean and Gary Moore Joe B. blues... yet still pull out some SRV.if that is possible...but CLEAN sound not muddy... ax's I have to use: Solid body Home Brew with:SD w PG and (Seth Lover)SH55s, 91 JPass with sound blocks, masterbuilt harness 57 Gibson paf neck, SD 59 bridge- and a compressor is on the way to try out...White finger..which may be enough in itself..I don't know... seems everyone has their own taste - I just need the basics..
Thanks for you advise thus far...

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

keep your ds-1 and replace the clipping diodes with normal bog standard buy at your local shop LED's.
If thats still too dirty, then try something in the tube screamer line of pedals.

 

[Aceman]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

Based on everything I have read - you need a fairly response to volume knob overdrive, with a decent range of overdrive.

Not sure what that would be exactly. But I'm not feeling the DS-1.

But kudos to you for getting in there and chopping it up!

 

[jozLuck]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

keep your ds-1 and replace the clipping diodes with normal bog standard buy at your local shop LED's.
If thats still too dirty, then try something in the tube screamer line of pedals.

Good idea, thank you.... no electronic store here so, ebay away....LOL!

I was thinking of it like a guitar tone pot- alter the resisitence alter the sound...so, what I did was alter C7 too much...I took the 104 out and I replaced it again with a .22 poly..and behold, better -in fact, if I turn the attack/distortion back below half and the volume I end up with what sounds like a damn tweed amp distortion- buttery-creamy (What Im looking for)...and it cleaned up as well a lot...would like it a bit cleaner, but can chord etc... not much adjustment past the less then half on all the settings as it gets too harsh and muddy with chords.. and have to keep tone below half.... don't know why that made such an overall difference- including the 'boost' aspect. the volume output seems much greater....

 

[jozLuck]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

What is a Bog Standard diaode for this--- I only see a reference to a 7826(?) two post 12 volt, these are three. Can you be specific? Oh, wait, NXT 275s...correct?

Know a few folks 'down under' mates... beautiful country and beach's ... people as well... It's like Hawaii with a different accent-and thinner people... LOL! Seems they are saving their chopsticks for when China anex's you or buys you out... LOL! They are actually trying to buy a port for a navy base there...

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

To be honest i dont know what you call those led's. They are the 3mm ones that get used as indicator lights in boss pedals etc. They are common as mud and cheap as chips. Replacing one clipper will make your tone fatter and smoother, replacing two will make it fatter and smoother again and youll get more volume output.
This is worth reading too:
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/boss-ds-1-mods-1

 

[Bludave]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

Its going to a Carvin SS....or a 60W Hibyrd with GB Tribal 2x12..Gov/Tonker...@16ohms (someone blew the other Gov here and since I'm keeping it had to replace it..Got lucky with a Tonker -suggested by Eminence anyway...)
Have pedals from Roomates band assoc. kept here-don't even like the Boss Blues pedal...just tyring my own...usually play clean with it and nobels chorus- for sustain. Want to be able to do a single song/solo-with vocals without cutting in and out...losing tone and drastic volume loss's when you cut off..prefer something I could leave on and simply adjust volume level for leads, thus not losing the overall 'sound', so to speak.
To be honest, haven't played live since College and am retired so..! The only pedals were tape loopers from the Beach Boys to Mastro Fuzz, Vibratos, Fender reverb tanks, Roto's, to your damn wammy bar...
. LOL! I'm looking for a sound between clean and Gary Moore Joe B. blues... yet still pull out some SRV.if that is possible...but CLEAN sound not muddy... ax's I have to use: Solid body Home Brew with:SD w PG and (Seth Lover)SH55s, 91 JPass with sound blocks, masterbuilt harness 57 Gibson paf neck, SD 59 bridge- and a compressor is on the way to try out...White finger..which may be enough in itself..I don't know... seems everyone has their own taste - I just need the basics..
Thanks for you advise thus far...

Modifying your pedal will help, but in all honesty you need to get a tube amp. The Carvin SS ain't gonna cut it. Overdives are designed to work with the natural overdrive of the amp. A SS amp is only going to give you so much. Not saying that you can't get a usable sound but it will be a lot better with a tube amp. What I would look to do is to possibly get a Deluxe Reverb or Super Reverb, then add the pedals and go from there. If you want to go further, buy an A/B/Y box and add a Marshall on the other side. Fender for clean, Marshall for drive or vice versa. Come on what are you going to spend your retirement money on? You've earned it............

 

[jozLuck]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

HA!!!!!!!, yeah, even the tube pre sounds better-and there, unfortunitely, is not that much 'retirement' money left after electric, water, insurence, dog and cat food (yeah, I come last)...etc... LOL!!!!...but I actually found a combination that worked well and simply..even my roomate was surprised to be honest and knows sound better than I...(she's Dimebags niece..) but knows the blues crowd... so: went to a 104 mylar at C7-gave more accurate spectrum of sound and changed out R17... somewhere between a muff and overdrive... its extremely different from the orginial sound and sustain is increadable with just two change outs. I beleive I will clean it up with better componets next...thanks for you advise the point is well taken; especially, when I view the piece of crap I have in the driveway... LOL! Yes, I'l kike to have a Carvin V3 or Vintage 50- more than enough for me right now.and they are great customer service wise..but: Christmas comming and kids and grandkids...so...where's that lottery ticket I bought a few weeks ago..better check it-... LOL!

 

[Securb]

Re: OK PEDAL ADVISE....duel question why waste time: Mod and Sound

I am a big fan of the MXR Distortion +. I love the touch sensitivity and it will go from warm overdrive to full on distortion. One suggestion would be to go pre-led. I have had both and the older D+ seems to have more warmth and grit to it.