The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

[Gearjoneser]

I'd like to have a thread that weeds through the zillions of overdrive and distortion boxes, and narrows it down to the ones that will likely become classics due to simply being superior to all others.

I realize that OD's are always part of a bigger equation, meaning they can only enhance an already good amp, guitar, pickup, and player tone. I know that a $30 sleeper pedal can do the job with all the other variables in place. There's also an infinite number of guitar tones that could be considered pleasing, depending on all the other variables.

I want everyone to refrain from simply stating the OD pedal they use.
Let's limit this to world class pedals that will stand the test of time, whether they're the best of a name brand or small business based on quality and service.

Lists of your top choices, pics, and videos are welcome.

I'll start with some off the top of my head, all of which I've owned or tried.

Klon Centaur
Wampler Euphoria/Ecstasy and Pinnacle
Cmatmods - instant classics. Signa Drive, Brownie, Butah
Fulltone FDII. Name your fave. Also the Plimsoul and OCD.
Maxon OD820
Ibanez TS808HW
analogman King of Tone
Bogner Ecstasy Red, Blue, and Uber.....it will be interesting to see if these stick or drop off.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Pro Co Rat maybe?

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Timmy, without a doubt.
I thought that the Landgraff Mo'D I had for a while was freaking amazing, but there are a lot of people with quite a beef with Mr. Landgraff...

 

[Yautja]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Boss HM-2 and Behringer HM300 are the best once for me at least

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Mesa V-Twin

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

I have experience with only three of those Joe mentioned ....

KOT
OCD
Ecstasy

..... and they are better than anything else I've tried.

 

[open]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Proco rat
Bk Butler tube driver
Crowther hot cake
Klon centaur

 

[AudioWonderland]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Carl Martin Plexitone - The final word in dimed Marshall tones
Boss SD1 - Still the best Marshall boost I have found yet
Reverend Drivetrain - 70's hard rock at its finest
Fulltone Fulldrive 2 (Yellow flat mid model) - Nothing better in front of an old Fender

 

[LReese]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Suhr Shiba
Budda Zen
Fulldrive II
Ecstasy Blue

 

[Bludave]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

I've always favored a TS9. I have three now on three different boards. Works well for what I do. I had purchased a MXR classic Overdrive on Joe's recommendation($39.00) so at first I really liked it, then after listening to my tone on a recording I thought it was coloring my tone too much and i ditched it. I actually gave it to a good friends son. He likes it a lot.

 

[andrizzle]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

My current favorites are:

Timmy
ZVEX Box of Rock

(But I've never tried some of the really high end ones - KoT, Klon, etc.)

I also really like the OCD, HBE Power Screamer, just a good ol' TS808, Lovepedal OD11 (was on my board for a LONG time till the Timmy replaced it), & a Keeley modded DS-1,

 

[XPAULPITT]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

The old Ibanez tube screamer is pretty legendary.

 

[bancika]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

New Bogner pedals do sound interesting, but I've never seen a pedal model that goes to used pedal ads as quickly as bogners. Just months after releasing TGP is swamped with used red and blue pedals... Do people expect too much or they are just not as good as they are supposed to be (as they cost)?! I'd love to try 'em

 

[ken361]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

Bogner pedals for me! I was never a pedal guy untill i tried the red in my mesa mini rec. I liked the pedal over the amp, had nice smooth lead tones. So I traded the amp in for a blues deluxe and put a Eminence GB 128 and sounds really good! just need a plexi type lower gain next like the Bogner blue or a Animal Rockett pedal(67 plexi). I wasnt doing that much metal any more which the mesa was good for, the red cuts through very early EVH tones.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

I sold all of my vintage overdrives and distortion pedals. Sold my old Rats and TS-9's. Sold my Fulltone Fuzz Face clone - the '69 Pedal. Had a couple of those.

IMO, the best overdrive pedal I've ever owned is the one Christian arranged for me to get: the Analogman King of Tone.

And I still think very highly of the Euphoria pedal Lazarus loaned me and I'd still like to get one for myself.

I kept my TS-808 and still use it occasionally when I want a little "hair" to my tone.

Those would be the three that work best for me: the KoT, Euphoria and TS-808.

Never owned a Klon. But I'd love to!

And Gearjoneser: you need to clean out your mail box. I wrote you a long detailed message about tubes for your Pro Reverb and couldn't send it because your mailbox is full.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

This is a highly-subjective debate that is really a matter of opinion

but the correct answer is the Box of Rock.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

There is no best.

 

[crguti]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

I like my TC Electronic Nova Drive. Tons of different options and midi capable... one of the best IMO.

 

[wahwah]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

I think the Timmy is one of the most useful pedals I've ever had, simply because it works well with so many different types of amps and doesn't impart too distinctive a colour of its own. I also really like the Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive and Mo'd for TS/RAT variants respectively, because they've been tuned with a particularly good set of ears, IMO. The various clipping options give both pedals more versatility than their original counterparts.





Cheers.......................................... wahwah

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: The Best Overdrive & Dist. Pedals Ever Made

This is a highly-subjective debate that is really a matter of opinion

but the correct answer is the Box of Rock.

YUP, i most deff agree.

My fav right now is the valve-driven EHX Hot Tubes.