Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

[TwilightOdyssey]

Now that I have clean and character boosts covered:
z.vex SHO
Thundertomate Phil Hilborne
Catalinbread Naga Viper
Analogman Beano
Analogman Bad Bob
Greer Sweetback

And distortion:
Bogner Uberschall
Empress Heavy

... I am once again looking for a transparent overdrive. Would love to know which one you use and how. My list currently includes:
Maxon OD820
Archer
Timmy
Rawkworks

NOT looking for anything Tubescreamer-ish or TS inspired.

Thanks!

 

[Hank-]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

VS Open Road (Nobel's ODR1 clone)

Like it for rhythm parts or boosting a TS type or distortion pedal. It doesn't have a mid boost like a TS, maybe a little lower mids but hard to tell. It sounds fantastic with a bright bridge pickup. The tone control is musical on most of its travel range for me.

Edit: Signal chain varies but i don't gig with it since the pedal enclosure is annoying to me. Works with my lc50 laney & boosting a VS Drivetrain.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Transparent in the sense of "your Amp but more", I like the Timmy and King of Tone. Both allow you to dial in clipping and a little boost, then use your volume knob to control overall breakup.

I should clarify that those are the only two I've tried, and they suit my needs so I haven't tried anything else.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Thanks; how are you using it? What is your signal chain? Are you using it for gigging or recording?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Various Strats (mostly vintage output level) into KOT into either Fender Princeton Reverb or Mesa Road King for playing live. (We generally have to keep it down) It kind of transforms a lower volume amp into feeling like a higher volume amp, where picking dynamics and tone/volume knob settings really affect the tone. Light playing is bearly breaking up, then digging in will distort. I either use the other side of the KOT or a TS style for a lead boost to really make it sing. This is for blues, blues based rock, pop rock, etc. For more intense stuff I switch over to heavier overdrives and fuzz.

 

[FAC]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

I see that you already have a Greer pedal...I really dig the Greer Lightspeed for "transparent" overdrive (into Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb).

What amp are you using?

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

I see that you already have a Greer pedal...I really dig the Greer Lightspeed for "transparent" overdrive (into Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb).

What amp are you using?

Primarily I use either an EAST Studio 2 or Bumbox Cielo. I also use a Lil Dawg Champster and Mesa Trem O Verb.

 

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

... I am once again looking for a transparent overdrive. Would love to know which one you use and how. My list currently includes:
Maxon OD820
Archer
Timmy
Rawkworks

NOT looking for anything Tubescreamer-ish or TS inspired.

Thanks!

Transparent in the sense of "your Amp but more", I like the Timmy and King of Tone...

+1

Hey Ben, I personally think the Timmy on your list is such a no thought required purchase if you are looking for true transparent. It is so musical (both types of clipping) versatile (w/ low cut) and for 100 odd bills used I would have it on hand regardless. Speaking for myself, I don't find the Archer 'transparent'. I think because it has that smack in the middle mid hump, dry, hard fixed OD tone. It is hard to consider any Klon type transparent next to a Timmy, still I do dig the Archers tone and it is a killer boost or OD on it's own in the right setting. But for range and for the ability to work with ANY guitar or setup, the Timmy gets my vote. If you want super musical transparent OD, clean, edge of breakup, soft clipping type, The JHS Morning Glory is a gem! Not for a standalone, but as an option. Been using it for a few years now. Superb for real amp transparency! Akin to the KOT in that it is a BB inspired circuit.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Looks like Timmy is at the top of the list.

Thanks, Rodney!

 

[Open lane]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Does anyone here know how the Morning Glory is going through a fender princeton w/ a strat?

 

[HiFiRebel]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

I've been enjoying my Soul Food I just picked up. Not sure if that fits the criteria though.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

I'm currently using this



But my ABSOLUTE favorite is the Zvex Box of Rock.

 

[leevc5]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Timmy.

 

[Condemned soul]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Have you thought about the fulldrive 2.

Have had this pedal for several years and seems it'll be sticking around awhile longer.

It has an OD side and a boost side. The OD side has three settings. Vintage, flat mids, and Comp Cut. Currently, I'm using it with flat mids or Comp Cut. Think of these two modes as a modified tube screamer. It can be on the bright side and will color your sound. Here is the mode that might interest you.

It acts like the boost section is actually part of the OD section. It seems to thicken rather than give monstrous volume jumps.

The last mode - Comp Cut removes the clipping diodes. This setting will operate alone and with the right side of the pedal, the boost side. It will boost another pedal or amp as it gets seriously loud. Really enjoyed using it with a previously owned pedal, the OCD.

Left the FD2 always on and driving the OCD.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

I love my Archer. I use it into a slightly broken up twenty watt amp, I leave it on pretty much all night most of the time.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

timmy is the best transparent overdrive ive tried. it gives you more of what you have seemlessly adding to the amps tone but can also color things if you want depending on the setting.

 

[baritone]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Of all the overdrives I've tried, the old Boss SD-2 has the smoothest, most transparent overdrive tone- 2 distinct channels of it.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

timmy is the best transparent overdrive ive tried. it gives you more of what you have seemlessly adding to the amps tone but can also color things if you want depending on the setting.

Thanks, jeremy, I know you have long been an advocate of the Timmy.

I have owned several overdrives and currently have three (BB Preamp, Horus, Green Rhino), but am really looking for something to use for stacking purposes.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

It would definitely be worth trying a nobels odr-1. You can turn down the gain and it really is transparent because it lets the full eq range of your guitar sound through. Keep the gain low and use it for stacking purposes too. It is really like adding another channel to your amp. Not ts inspired at all (apart from the green paintjob) and a unique sounding unit. Relatively cheap and cheerful too. You won't have any problems flipping it if the experiment does not deliver what you want.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Please tell me about your favourite transparent overdrive

Thanks, jeremy, I know you have long been an advocate of the Timmy.

I have owned several overdrives and currently have three (BB Preamp, Horus, Green Rhino), but am really looking for something to use for stacking purposes.

if you keep the bass, treble and gain at full counter clockwise then you get a clean boost with very little color. the tone controls are reductive so turning them up loses bass or treble in a very musical way. the bass control is pre overdrive and the treble is post overdrive. if you havent tried timmy, you should. and paul is great to deal with