oldest overdrive/distortion...

[the guy who invented fire]

Ok guys...what is the oldest OD/Distortion pedal you know of...the Boss DS-1 is an old one, but im not sure how old however the Pro Co rat was before that in 1977 anybody have any more?

 

[Corbic]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

Does the Arbiter Fuzz Face or the Octavia count (since they're fuzz pedals...kinda distortion...)?

 

[Mike M.]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

The oldest one that I personally know of was the Maestro (spelling?) Fuzz Tone. If I remember right Keith Richards used one on "Satisfaction" in 1965. I remember how blown away we were with that tone because we'd never heard anything like that.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

these are all fuzzes...the Maestro is one of (if not the) oldest fuzz but Im talking about OD and distortion pedals...

 

[Mike M.]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

these are all fuzzes...the Maestro is one of (if not the) oldest fuzz but Im talking about OD and distortion pedals...

Right you are. I thought you meant (generaly speaking) any box that would distort a guitar sound.

 

[saladin]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

The Ibanez TS-808 and the DOD 250 were both around before Boss but I'm having a hard time finding an exact date. The Big Muff came before either but it rides the line between fuzz and distortion.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

The Ibanez TS-808 and the DOD 250 were both around before Boss but I'm having a hard time finding an exact date. The Big Muff came before either but it rides the line between fuzz and distortion.

I would say that the Big Muff is a fuzz...as for the DOD 250 and the TS-808 those are the only other 2 old pedals that came to mind...but I don't know when they came out either...

 

[fretburner]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

How about the distortion/fuzz George Harrison was using?

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

MXR distortion + ?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

I was under the impression that it was the TS, of course who's to say a small one wasn't around before then. BUT it was a big shift in pedals going from the American?/British? designed fuzz to the Japanese designed OD/Distortion.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

Isn't the Danelectro Daddy-O one of the earliest od/dist pedals.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

Isn't the Danelectro Daddy-O one of the earliest od/dist pedals.

Those are VERY recent in the scheme of things.

I had an old Heathkit (Radio Shack) distortion that kinda rocked.

That's one I wish I had back.

 

[James Rock]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

what about tube preamps when did they come out

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

what about tube preamps when did they come out

The first rack pre's I'd ever noticed were the Mesa Studio and Marshall 9000...the 1 spc. brown one. Then the ADA MP-1.

The first OD's I've seen were the MXR Dist +, Boss OD-1, and DOD OD/Preamp.

All that stuff was the 80's though.

 

[ES350]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

Schaller made a +15 dB preamp with a 6 band quasi-Varitone circuit back in the early-mid 60's that was used a lot as a boost pedal...I had one and it worked really well with BF Fenders. EH's LPB1 also comes to mind...early 70's?

 

[ErikH]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

The first rack pre's I'd ever noticed were the Mesa Studio and Marshall 9000...the 1 spc. brown one. Then the ADA MP-1.

The first OD's I've seen were the MXR Dist +, Boss OD-1, and DOD OD/Preamp.

All that stuff was the 80's though.

And all three of those pedals came out in the 70's.

I think the Ibanez Overdrive (Pre 808) was the first but I think that one came out about the same time as the Boss OD-1. But I think the MXR Distortion + preceeds both Ibanez and Boss by a year or two.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

Do the Brit treble boosters count?

I know they're not OD/DS pedals, but they will overdrive your amp.

If they count, then those are probably the oldest (Orange, Maestro etc...)

 

[ErikH]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

If boosters do count, I'd go even further and say the Dallas Rangemaster.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

i think it may be the MXR distortion + i have a 1979 myself and i know they were around for a few years before that.

-Mike

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: oldest overdrive/distortion...

How 'bout the DOD 250 pre-amp? When did it come out? I had one of those back in the early 80's.