Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
That thing is about one component away from being a buffered Rat....
The worst pedal you've ever owned?
- Thread starter GuitarFanatic
- Start date
Diego
New member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
I did mention the Rocktek Distortion earlier on, but I kept thinking of any other stinkers in my pedal history and came up with the EHX Metal Muff Top Boost.
Man did I have high expectations for that pedal. Little did I know that it's a glorified Metal Zone with slightly improved EQ control and the same muffled, plasticky note attack that screams PEDAL CLIPPING MOSQUITOS IN A BOX! and not amplifier overdrive.
I mean, I expected at least to try to behave like a 5150 or something does. Instead it's EHX's take on those old Boss designs so it has zero consideration for the guitar's tone and just sounds like itself, which is not very good.
Sold it. Only if I joined a Nile cover band I'd buy one again.
I did mention the Rocktek Distortion earlier on, but I kept thinking of any other stinkers in my pedal history and came up with the EHX Metal Muff Top Boost.
Man did I have high expectations for that pedal. Little did I know that it's a glorified Metal Zone with slightly improved EQ control and the same muffled, plasticky note attack that screams PEDAL CLIPPING MOSQUITOS IN A BOX! and not amplifier overdrive.
I mean, I expected at least to try to behave like a 5150 or something does. Instead it's EHX's take on those old Boss designs so it has zero consideration for the guitar's tone and just sounds like itself, which is not very good.
Sold it. Only if I joined a Nile cover band I'd buy one again.
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Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
Oh, this thread takes me back to the 90's and fills me with nostalgia! A Rocktek pedal (tremolo, not distortion) was one of my first and worst! A Soundtank Tubescreamer came soon after and I too was surprised by the sound quality. Later I compared it to a "real" Tubescreamer and found the difference in sound relatively minor. The switches on those Soundtanks were notorious for going bad though. Mine did. That aside, many Soundtank pedals weren't (or aren't) the toys their plastic enclosures would suggest. I had an excellent flanger from that line.
Back to the topic of bad pedals. I think the Digitech Tone Driver would win my worst pedal award. It was a part of the X-series, which IMO was a step in the wrong direction for Digitech (the later Hardwire series was much better, again IMO). The Tone Driver was a digital overdrive pedal. I'm not an analog snob at all, but this pedal did sound bad. To make things worse, with some pickups it was impossible to get to unity gain.
Not all of the X-series pedals were so bad though. The Digidelay had a great mod delay mode.
Oh, this thread takes me back to the 90's and fills me with nostalgia! A Rocktek pedal (tremolo, not distortion) was one of my first and worst! A Soundtank Tubescreamer came soon after and I too was surprised by the sound quality. Later I compared it to a "real" Tubescreamer and found the difference in sound relatively minor. The switches on those Soundtanks were notorious for going bad though. Mine did. That aside, many Soundtank pedals weren't (or aren't) the toys their plastic enclosures would suggest. I had an excellent flanger from that line.
Back to the topic of bad pedals. I think the Digitech Tone Driver would win my worst pedal award. It was a part of the X-series, which IMO was a step in the wrong direction for Digitech (the later Hardwire series was much better, again IMO). The Tone Driver was a digital overdrive pedal. I'm not an analog snob at all, but this pedal did sound bad. To make things worse, with some pickups it was impossible to get to unity gain.
Not all of the X-series pedals were so bad though. The Digidelay had a great mod delay mode.
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
With a name like that, I would hope so.
That thing is about one component away from being a buffered Rat....
With a name like that, I would hope so.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
I really enjoyed my EHX Metal Muff W/Top Boost BUT traded it away once I got a Rat. In Hindsight, the Metal Muff was more one-dimensional that I'd care to admit at the time I was using it. lol
I really enjoyed my EHX Metal Muff W/Top Boost BUT traded it away once I got a Rat. In Hindsight, the Metal Muff was more one-dimensional that I'd care to admit at the time I was using it. lol
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
While I love the Rat I replaced it mainly with a Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion...I had WAY too many pedals and part of me wishes I had kept the Rat but I just always swithced over to the SGD.
While I love the Rat I replaced it mainly with a Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion...I had WAY too many pedals and part of me wishes I had kept the Rat but I just always swithced over to the SGD.
chadd
New member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
As I have gotten better at understanding how to use pedals better, I would probably be able to find uses for some that I have hated over the years. However, I'm not sure there is anything redeeming about the old DOD Thrash Master that I had. That things was awful.
As I have gotten better at understanding how to use pedals better, I would probably be able to find uses for some that I have hated over the years. However, I'm not sure there is anything redeeming about the old DOD Thrash Master that I had. That things was awful.
dystrust
New member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
I thought you were a big fan of Chandler Tube Drivers; is the honeymoon over already?
The only TS-inspired pedal I know of that does that is the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive. I've played tons of Ibanez tube screamers and I own a Maxon OD-9, and none of them have a clean blend. I hear it's a rather common TS mod, so maybe that's why Digitech and Line 6 decided to have their models do that?
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
I'm sorry to say that was my first impression of it.
I'm sorry to say that was my first impression of it.
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
czarokrates
New member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
EHX Dr Q, too simple correction for me...
EHX Dr Q, too simple correction for me...
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
Interesting question, yet there are no simple answers.
My DanElectro FAB Echo is pretty junky, but it does one thing pretty well, and for $15 it's a pretty great value.
The DOD 250 overdrive sounded good with some amps, not so good with. thers. My FX overdrive had the same issues.
I have a Peavey Accelerator overdrive, and it's nothing to get excited about, except....it has just a killer tone for slide guitar. But for single note leads...meh.
But the real winner might be a Vintage Fender Blender that I bought new back when they first came out. Oh, it was a great pedal, no doubt about it. Very unique. But you see, it got stolen, along with every other piece of gear I owned. I was devastated, and it took a couple of years to get whole again.
And then about 15 years later, I found a good deal on a used one and got it. Unfortunately it didn't sound nearly as good as the first one. Disappointing. And then...it was also stolen, along with a couple of other pedals. Total bummer.
And I have to tell you, every now and then one of these vintage pedals will pop up at a guitar show...tantalizing me with its Siren call....
...and I put my hands FIRMLY in my pockets and walk away from the temptation. It's like a beautiful woman that you KNOW is just going to break your heart. So hard to resist, but you need to walk away.
Karma has bitten me twice, and I just don't need to have any more gear stolen. So maybe not the worst, but the Fender Blender...that's an EVIL pedal!!!
Bill
Interesting question, yet there are no simple answers.
My DanElectro FAB Echo is pretty junky, but it does one thing pretty well, and for $15 it's a pretty great value.
The DOD 250 overdrive sounded good with some amps, not so good with. thers. My FX overdrive had the same issues.
I have a Peavey Accelerator overdrive, and it's nothing to get excited about, except....it has just a killer tone for slide guitar. But for single note leads...meh.
But the real winner might be a Vintage Fender Blender that I bought new back when they first came out. Oh, it was a great pedal, no doubt about it. Very unique. But you see, it got stolen, along with every other piece of gear I owned. I was devastated, and it took a couple of years to get whole again.
And then about 15 years later, I found a good deal on a used one and got it. Unfortunately it didn't sound nearly as good as the first one. Disappointing. And then...it was also stolen, along with a couple of other pedals. Total bummer.
And I have to tell you, every now and then one of these vintage pedals will pop up at a guitar show...tantalizing me with its Siren call....
...and I put my hands FIRMLY in my pockets and walk away from the temptation. It's like a beautiful woman that you KNOW is just going to break your heart. So hard to resist, but you need to walk away.
Karma has bitten me twice, and I just don't need to have any more gear stolen. So maybe not the worst, but the Fender Blender...that's an EVIL pedal!!!
Bill
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
The Chandler was an attempt to copy the BK Butler original. It failed. I have the BK now, and it's still an awesome pedal. Much more powerful than the Chandler rack.
The Chandler was an attempt to copy the BK Butler original. It failed. I have the BK now, and it's still an awesome pedal. Much more powerful than the Chandler rack.
Falloffthebonetone
New member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
This one?
I agree ...it was my first/worst distortion pedal ever..
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
20 years ago, we didn't have internets to warn us. Everything sounds gooder in the shop when you're gassing. It's only later you find out that $25 coulda went for pizza and tacos that yielded better tone and similar output quality.
20 years ago, we didn't have internets to warn us. Everything sounds gooder in the shop when you're gassing. It's only later you find out that $25 coulda went for pizza and tacos that yielded better tone and similar output quality.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
IM4Tone
New member
Re: The worst pedal you've ever owned?
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
You need to change where you hang out!
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
You need to change where you hang out!
