What distortion pedal do you like the most?

TheBozz

TheBozz

New member
Yep, another "poll-like" thread, this time about one of the most controversial stuff in guitar: DISTORTION, O/D & FUZZ!!!

I posted a thread some days ago, asking someone to recommend me a distortion pedal. It was... well... uh... sort of divided. I thought this could be a good discussion theme. So... what do you think?
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

My all around favorite pedal is either the Ibanez TS808 or the TS9 after I mod it...That's my overdrive/boost favorite....

I don't use fuzz so I can't comment on that?

For distortion....I Like the Boss OS-2 after the mods,and a Marshall JackHammer is pretty versatile and has great tone stock....After that,I Like a modded DS1 alot....I don't have to buy expensive boutique pedals to get great tone...For me it's all about the right guitars,pickups,a great sounding amp,and my playing techniques....

John
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

#1: Boss DS-1...I can do anything from Led Zep to Satriani with mine and when I turn the guitar's volume down to 1/2 way it cleans up to almost 100% clean.

#2: Fulltone '69...through my Fulltone Clyde Wah Wah, I can get the best Hendrix tones I've ever had in my life! Best Fuzz Face clone around, IMO.

#3: TS-9 modded by STRATDELUXER97...better, clearer, more open tones than any TS-9 or TS-808 I've ever owned or played through.

#4 Pro-Co Rat from the mid 80's...big box version. Very smooth, Jeff Beck style distortion. In fact, Jeff uses one too! I think Administrator Robert S. has this version too....he's the one who recommended it to me.
 
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Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

I agree on the Jackhammer... it's not the best pedal around (and I still think that its "distortion channel" sucks) but the O/D gets a lot of bang for your buck. I have found sounds ranging from Led Zepp to Tony Iommi (think of "Supernaut" or "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"), and some early Metallica. I still have to see how it works with my future pickups, tho.
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

I stopped using distortion boxes a long time ago but when I did use them my favorites were the Ibanez Smashbox and the DOD Grunge. If you're looking for feedbacking modern riff machines and "guitar eating mama" sounds those are the places you go, or in my opinion anyway...
The two pedals are pretty versitile and served me well when I had a little 30 Watt Marshall solidstate (now I've got a bigger Marshall solidstate, but it sounds much better)...I generally don't agree with the opinion that a lot of newer distortion boxes are crap, because they certainly aren't, and deserve to stand next to the classics...in time of course...
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

I use a Tech21 Comptortion for light to crunchy distortion, and a Sovtek Big Muff Pi for the full out fuzz stuff. Works great, and sounds lethal when you run them together.
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

Fulltone Fulldrive 2 - same chip as the original Ibanez TS808 & TS-9 Tubescreamers, but with a second channel and true bypass. The modern day version of the Tubescreamer. Awesome tone.

Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive - also the same chip as the original Tuebscreamer pedals, but with a "clean blend" that lets you dial in (and blend in) your unaffected clean tone. Great for the ultimate Stevie Ray sort of thing. Also true bypass. An AMAZING unit.

Running the Sparkle drive set for a clean-ish Stevie Ray sort of tone INTO the Full Drive 2 set more a moderate amount of crunch is a lead tone to die for. No lie. :D
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

how does a ts9/ts808 size up to the ds1 tonewise in your opinion stratdeluxer?
Just curious on the tonal differences
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

I'm a big fan of the mxr distortion + and the jackhammer. I like using the contour on the Jackhammer to roll off some of the bass end.... the bass end is huge on it. Which brings me to my complaint about the mxr distortion... it sucks out your lower mids and bass end, it's also noisy and dirty.


So for tonnes of feedback, I like going into my mxr then sending that into the jackhammer. :-D


My jackhammer into my big muff I've also had some success with. It's very very thick and not as muddy as the big muff on its own, not as much feedback as with the mxr and jackhammer. It's still not satisfying to me though.... Infact the big muff isn't satisfying to me at all, I've yet to find a way to use it and get a sound I like.
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

Quencho092 said:
how does a ts9/ts808 size up to the ds1 tonewise in your opinion stratdeluxer?
Just curious on the tonal differences
Click to expand...

2 DIFFERENT ANIMALS....The TS9/808 is a smooth overdriven tone with some compression at high drive settings...Think Eric Johnson,Gary Moore,or old Santana tones...

The DS1 is a distortion pedal with a tight,bright,crunchy tone..This pedal has alot of gain and reminds me of a Marshall JCM 800 on steroids and with more harmonic content...These pedals are apples and oranges...The Boss SD1 is similar to a Tube Screamer but it too has more gain and a different voicing on the tone circuit...An SD1 can me modded to sound and act identical to a TS however..

John
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

STRATDELUXER97 said:
2 DIFFERENT ANIMALS....The TS9/808 is a smooth overdriven tone with some compression at high drive settings...Think Eric Johnson,Gary Moore,or old Santana tones...

The DS1 is a distortion pedal with a tight,bright,crunchy tone..This pedal has alot of gain and reminds me of a Marshall JCM 800 on steroids and with more harmonic content...These pedals are apples and oranges...The Boss SD1 is similar to a Tube Screamer but it too has more gain and a different voicing on the tone circuit...An SD1 can me modded to sound and act identical to a TS however..

John
Click to expand...

I don't usually disagree with John. Not sure I do this time either. :)

But I think of SRV for the TS-9/TS-808 tones...Eric Johnson doesn't use a TS-9 or TS-808. Don't think Santana ever did either. Gary Moore...I dunno - I can't stand the way he over-plays enough to listen for long. :)

And I think of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai for the DS-1 tones.

The real beauty of a DS-1 is the way I can leave it on all the time and adjust everything with my guitar's volume control. When I turn it down 1/2 way it cleans right up to almost sparkling clean...very few overdrives will do that.
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

I still like my MT-2, I use it on band rehearsals and it delivers some heavy ass **** through the SS Peaveys that are there.
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

"But I think of SRV for the TS-9/TS-808 tones...Eric Johnson doesn't use a TS-9 or TS-808. Don't think Santana ever did either. Gary Moore...I dunno - I can't stand the way he over-plays enough to listen for long"

Lew...None of these guys used the TS and you're right,but...That smooth,warm,singing tone these players I mentioned get,reminds me of a modded Tube Screamer...An overdriven tone rich in harmonics and sustain and with a rolled off tone control kind of tone...I was just trying to give some overdrive examples of a Tube Screamer at high drive level settings...Follow me buddy? ;o)

John
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

My favorite pedal this week is the Analogman Silver Mod...but Sunday's coming!
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

STRATDELUXER97 said:
"But I think of SRV for the TS-9/TS-808 tones...Eric Johnson doesn't use a TS-9 or TS-808. Don't think Santana ever did either. Gary Moore...I dunno - I can't stand the way he over-plays enough to listen for long"

Lew...None of these guys used the TS and you're right,but...That smooth,warm,singing tone these players I mentioned get,reminds me of a modded Tube Screamer...An overdriven tone rich in harmonics and sustain and with a rolled off tone control kind of tone...I was just trying to give some overdrive examples of a Tube Screamer at high drive level settings...Follow me buddy? ;o)

John
Click to expand...

I knew that! :laugh2:

SRV was the guy who made everyone interested in Tube Screamers tho. Before SRV, they were used a little here and there, but he's the guy that made them famous. :)
 
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Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

I really like the Tonebone Hot British. I'm using a Peavey Classic 30 which has a compressed low end. No chunk. The Tonebone HB add's some SERIOUS low end chunk.
 
Re: What distortion pedal do you like the most?

hmmm...tube screamer is smoother less gritty distortion, ds1 is raunchier marshall tone... sounds like a tubescreamer would be exactly what the doctor ordered in my case.
How does your surfer strat sound like with the tubescreamer? as thats my config right now.
How much overdrive can one get out of a tube screamer, do both the TS9 and TS808 sound pretty much the same as eachoter when modded and how much is it for one of your mods john? LOL pedal gas, but i got some cash reserves to back it up!
 
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