Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Tube style overdrive in a pedal

  • Carl Martin PlexiTone

    Votes: 2 9.1%

  • Maxon ROD881 Real Tube Overdrive/Distortion

    Votes: 3 13.6%

  • Death Rattle

    Votes: 1 4.5%

  • Rocktron Silver Dragon

    Votes: 2 9.1%

  • Other

    Votes: 14 63.6%
  • Total voters
    22
James Rock

James Rock

Active member
I looking at getting an overdrive/distortion style pedal. I looking for something that has a boost within the pedal and can be used both to boost an overdriven amp or to create distortion/overdrive over a clean amp.

I was looking at getting something like
The Carl Martin PlexiTone or
The Maxon ROD881 real tube overdrive/distortion or
soemthing similar to use either as a boost for my dirty channel or to create tones quite different from my amplifier (Orange AD-30TC)
If anyone can give my some advice but not really botique products that I have no chance on getting (I live in Australia)

I do not yet have my orange AD-30TC but I want to find out about a few pedals before purchasing them (saves money)
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

i've heard a little about the death rattle, but have yet to play one, if anybody else has experiance with them i would like to hear about it also.
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Probably not the best or most popular, but I love my Mesa Boogie Bottle Rocket, which uses 2 12AX7 (or whatever you want) tubes.

GearJoneser has been touting the Menatone FishFactory....all the Menatone stuff has a pretty good rep, but the FishFactory looks like a pretty good 2 ODs in 1 option.
 
Last edited:
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Mesa Bottle Rocket :headbang:

LOL, just saw, Puck beat me to it ;)
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Hey Zerb....have you tried a Bottle Rocket?

I think people knock them because they leave the stock (crap) tubes in it & then dime all the knobs & THEN run it thru a dimed out Rectifier.....Yeah, no kidding it sounds like crap!

Knobs turn for a reason folks....just like on your guitar, the pedal has knobs for a reason & if you take the time to use them, you might just find you love it!
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Well I know that the Plexitone can drive a very clean amp with ease.
It was tested on a Hiwatt DR201 which is plus 200 watts, but anyways the SD-9 Ibanez or Maxon is also a very nice drive/distortion, and the Tonebone classic is also a very flexible good unit.
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

The new Tone Bone TriMode Classic would be my pick. Menatone makes some amazing pedals too!
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

I've got a Death Rattle. To be honest, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. I bought mine second-hand from Ebay, which may account for a few of the concerns I've had. I'm assuming you're familiar with the pedal's layout so I'll skip the intro bit.

The plexi channel is amazing for lead, I can't make it sound bad. I do set the gain pretty high on it and use it for my heaviest sounds. When I first plugged it in it reminded me instantly of Van Halen, thick with loads of sustain. Very smooth and quite a pretty sound really. However, I can't play chords with it, even 5th chords. I'm not sure if it's the settings I use on it, I've tried turning the gain down but it didn't really make a difference. It just sounds really mushy and without any definition, though to be honest who's gonna buy this thing to play chords?

The tweed channel was a bit of a mystery to me initially, I've never played a Fender amp and I didn't have a clue what to expect. Again this to me instantly sounded like the strokes, especially the intro part to last night. You can get pretty clean on this channel too. So you could use it to just round the edges of a clean sound, I guess if you were more interested in a bluesy thing, but then I wouldn't recommend this pedal if you were.

The boost works. It's effective as an extra to the channels but I can't find a use for it on it's own. I think I'm just not the sort of player who would use this sound though. So that's in no way a criticism.

Overall I love this pedal. The reason I said I've a love/hate relationship with it is because I've had some reliability problems. I've e-mailed the Toadworks team and they've been really helpful, I still haven't got it sorted though. I think it's only fair that I mention this as I'm trying to be as honest as I can. I haven't heard of anyone else having any problems of this sort what-so-ever though. For this reason I suspect my problems are a 'one-off' and the Toadworks people have been really supportive in helping me through.

I definately love this pedal (when it works) it sounds awesome. Sorry I can't be of any use regarding the other pedals, I've no experiance with them at all. I would however like to recommend another pedal to your list. Well, two in fact. I own a Homebrew Power Screamer which is hands down the best overdrive pedal I've ever heard in my life. It really does everything, and does it amazingly. It's not as user friendly as the Death Rattle, or as potentially versatile, but for sheer tone it's my favourite on my board. I say two pedals because Joel Weaver, I think that's his name (the guy that makes them) thinks the Big D is better all round than the Power Screamer. I haven't tried one yet, but I guess if anyone knows about them it's Joel.

So in summary I think the Death Rattle is super good, but the Power Screamer is better.
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

[quote:
PUCKBOY99 said:
Hey Zerb....have you tried a Bottle Rocket?

I think people knock them because they leave the stock (crap) tubes in it & then dime all the knobs & THEN run it thru a dimed out Rectifier.....Yeah, no kidding it sounds like crap!

Knobs turn for a reason folks....just like on your guitar, the pedal has knobs for a reason & if you take the time to use them, you might just find you love it! ]

I was thinking a Bottle Rocket or V-Twin but all the reviews I read were not very good and I thought seeming the expenses it might not be worth it. But u say it is because of the crap sotck tubes
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

hellrider77 said:
i've heard a little about the death rattle, but have yet to play one, if anybody else has experiance with them i would like to hear about it also.
Click to expand...

from what i read in a mag review, it's a very dark pedal. depending on your tastes i guess it's cool, but the mag said it wont get very edgy...

tom
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Has the Bottle Rocket got a very modern sounding gain?
Also I have heard it has no treble boost (not much of a problem) but that u can't get a low gain sound and it doesn't have a boost switch or a mid control
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

V-1-Lg.jpg


Again, the tubes can affect it drastically as will the settings, which are very tempermental....a little goes a long way.

I don't play a lot of modern gainy stuff, but I tried a 9th Gen. Shuaguang in the V1 slot & it got a pretty deep growl. I play a few Godsmack & Soundgarden tunes in drop D & had no problems.

I think the bad reviews have to do with:

Using the stock tubes....
Diming all the settings...
And then running it into a heavily distorted amp.

Right now, I've got JJs in mine mainly because they're pretty even tonally (not too middy/bassy etc)...they do a little of everything well.

I go Vox wah>Bottle Rocket>EQ(for a mid boost)>amps..........Mesa Blue Angel set clean/Matchless Clubman for lead work.

The Bottle Rocket doesn't color either amps tone, it just "OVERDRIVES" the set tone, which is what I want out of an OD....if I wanted distortion, I can either use that Shuguang or kick the setting up......or get a distortion pedal!

I dunno...to each his own, but I like mine!!!!
 
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Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Is made like the old V-twin?
It sure did not use the tubes to clip the signal with, it has diodes, I would know I used to have one, it sounded great but it did not work within the band I was playing with back then.
Too compressed and distant there.
Good at recording though.
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

ok, im thinking of other tube pedals here

EH hot tubes
Vox Brit bulldog distortion
Vox Big Ben overdrive
Jaques Fuse blower

i've seen the jaques get very good reviews... not tried any of them though

tom
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

Rid said:
Is made like the old V-twin?
It sure did not use the tubes to clip the signal with, it has diodes, I would know I used to have one, it sounded great but it did not work within the band I was playing with back then.
Too compressed and distant there.
Good at recording though.
Click to expand...

What's that Rid, the Bottle Rocket???



Let me say this: I got mine cheap when MARS Music went out of business.

If I was buying an OD pedal today, I'd get a Menatone FishFactory.
 
Re: Tube style overdrive in a pedal

ok, im thinking of other tube pedals here

EH hot tubes
Vox Brit bulldog distortion
Vox Big Ben overdrive
Jaques Fuse blower

i've seen the jaques get very good reviews... not tried any of them though

tom
Click to expand...
I was thinking of the New Vox Tube Pedals
 
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