Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

I

iamthesuck

New member
Open to anything - distortion, fuzz, or overdrive. I have about $150 to throw at this. I have a BBE AM64 modded (with silicone diodes instead of LEDs) that's ALMOST PERFECT, but I can't quite seem to get good note definition while picking. The problem comes from that big "thump" when picking quickly. My technique has improved but this has always been present. I want something along the lines of a TS808. I have one already but it's better fitting in the rig for low gain Garcia type tones. The AM64 is for medium gain through metal. But I feel there's just a couple things I can't do. I have a modern Big Muff, but it can't seem to articulate on the faster runs. Definitely worse than the AM64. It's got a few other problems but I love that tone - if there's a pedal that could split a TS808 and a BMP that's what I want. The more knobs the better - I have luck when pedals have a lot of tweaking options.

I'm running this through a Peavey VT classic when I play loud and a Bugera BC15 for quieter stuff. The guitars are a PRS SE with Lace Drop n Gain Lifers (great pickups, especially the neck! bridge is never shrill too), a Garcia copy with a Bareknuckle warpigs set (also awesome!) and a warmoth mooncaster that's not quite finished with Revel custom pickups. They're lower gain thank the BK's or the Laces

Adjectives that describe the sound I'm looking for: Smooth, sustain, articulate, responsive, fluid, legato, full (for making faster runs sound good).

I don't want something: buzzy, tinny, shrill, muddy, etc.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

I used to have an amp, a Hughes & Kettner ATS Sixty, that sounded just the way you're describing. If somebody put the sound of that combo in a pedal, that would be the way to go.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

This AM64 mod is almost perfect. Incidentally I'd highly recommend that pedal and doing that mod. It can be had for like 20 bucks too! It's got that "ooooh" vowel sound, not the "aahh" vowel. This is another part of what I am looking for. I have a great couple of neck pickups for that.

Here's something else I thought: compression is good. I was thinking a way huge swollen pickle. I have a metal muff too but I need to do some repairs on it to get it working. That has a pretty great sound but getting a good eq setting is so trying. Something along that line is a good starting point.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

Have you tried a Fulltone OCD? Sounds like it'll do what you want - and $ for $, I think it should be part of most, maybe all, guitarist's pedal stash.


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Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

VinceT said:
Have you tried a Fulltone OCD? Sounds like it'll do what you want - and $ for $, I think it should be part of most, maybe all, guitarist's pedal stash.


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Click to expand...
I haven't tried it but I want the option to have medium high distortion and good compression. Is that doable with the OCD? I was looking at the Super Badass MXR as well, but idk if fluid and an "ooooohhh" vowel sound fits this one.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

iamthesuck said:
I haven't tried it but I want the option to have medium high distortion and good compression. Is that doable with the OCD? I was looking at the Super Badass MXR as well, but idk if fluid and an "ooooohhh" vowel sound fits this one.
Click to expand...

To my ears, yes - it's flexible thanks to the tone pot, a great pedal. I think the Plimsoul may fit your needs as well - it adds a gain stage over the OCD so even more flexibility.


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Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

Get a Way Huge Green Rhino.
You can control how fat you want it.
It sings and sustains really good. Never shrill, ratty, or thin. It's somewhat based on a Tubescreamer, but fixes every shortcoming that pedal has.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

The Visual Sound Route 808 costs about $40 used, and I really like it.

It's an updated Tubescreamer.

Has more range tho: can be adjusted for both cleaner, more transparent tones, as well as more overdriven tones than a Tubescreamer.

Standard Tubescreamer tones are in there too.

Also has a switch to boost the bass.

Great pedal but you might have to look on Reverb for one used.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

As an update: I have some trade in monies to use, that's why I set the budget to 150. I could get two cheaper pedals with the trade values. My first thought was the mxr superbadass, the way huge swollen pickle, or something with good tone shaping options. Listening to the OCD it's pretty close to what I want, but I could stand something with even more sustain/clipping, as well as some more tone control options.

The tone I'm going for is similar to Trey Anastasio's, but with more distortion to give me that extra reach if I want to play something very heavy. Maybe like Wino's solo tones. That's a great place to look, but that's more of a fuzz, also a little muddier. The BMP has a pretty great tone but it seems that it can't really track with my faster playing, and it cuts out in a weird way when I play higher notes. No other pedals in the rig generate this issue. So something along those lines but articulate.

I'll try the following in store, I appreciate all the suggestions! Let me know if there's any other good ideas.
OCD, Swollen Pickle, Russian pickle, Superbadass, Green Rhino.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

I played the Super Badass for a few months. I bought it then got a Pod HD500 as a graduation gift from my parents. I ended up selling it but if I switched to pedals again, i would seriously consider it. Very smooth depending on where you dial it in.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

My to-try list right now:

OCD, Green Rhino, Swollen Pickle, Exhtortion, Superbadass

I'll be going to try them out tomorrow. The Exhtortion slipped by me the first time but seems to have the circuit that will give me what I want.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

The 805 Overdrive is really smooth, but you can dial in that smoothness with the 3 band active EQ. Once you get used to it, it is hard to go back to a single, lone tone knob on other TS-inspired pedals.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

Lots of great ideas here thanks guys! I'm starting to think about how to design a filter that would yield the sound I'm talking about, could be useful in a breadboard design. I'll use a mic and see the Fourier transform then design a filter to make the sounds I want from my voice.

Tomorrow I'm going to go do the trade in. The deluxe muff is an interesting idea too. It has some extra tone shaping controls that make it look interesting. I'll give these other pedals a shot, I hope one of them fits just right.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

Update: I tried quite a few things in the shop, ending up wtih a Fat Rat. It's pretty great, but I'm going to change the clipping section. The Mosfets are kind of useless but the switch in place will allow me to put in some hard or soft clipping diodes, probably germanium ones instead of mosfets and silicon as is. I'm going to experiment with that soon, I've found some great different germanium diodes and worst case scenario I have a boatload of silicone diodes to switch back.

The EHXtortion was a shocking letdown. really didn't make any sense, the settings were difficult to dial in and bland, very noisy. The OCD was good but woofy. They didn't have the 805.

UPDATE: With Asymmetrical silicone diode clipping this things is FAT and awesome. Really easy and worthwhile change. 2//1 style, very good. Just on the edge of Fuzz, really really great.
 
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Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

Lewguitar said:
The Visual Sound Route 808 costs about $40 used, and I really like it.

It's an updated Tubescreamer.

Has more range tho: can be adjusted for both cleaner, more transparent tones, as well as more overdriven tones than a Tubescreamer.

Standard Tubescreamer tones are in there too.

Also has a switch to boost the bass.

Great pedal but you might have to look on Reverb for one used.
Click to expand...

This is a great option if you go the TS based route. I have one and it's my go to when I'm in a TS mood.

For an alternative I would suggest looking into a used Marshall Bluesbreaker... The V1 version (might go over your budget as they are somewhat sought after) or a clone of it in particular. You might even find clones of other pedals based on it like the JHS Morning Glory or King of Tone if you are patient and watch eBay and reverb for them or know a local builder who will do them without charging an arm and a leg.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

Gemanium diodes = You Dirty Rat
LEDs = Turbo Rat
Silicon Diodes = Rat

Looking up the Fat Rat, it ships with a socketed OP07 opamp, I would try replacing that with a LM308, they tend to sound a little smoother than the OP07, and since it already has a socket, no soldering required.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

A compressor will get your tone smooth, fluid and articulate if you squish the signal enough.
 
Re: Recommend me something Smooth, Fluid, Articulate

if you can find a jetter red shift or red2 or red whatever... it does what you are looking for. i had a red shift that i gave to a friend i gig with on a regular basis cause he needed something and he fell in love with it. i gave it to him but i totally want it back
 
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