What's your favorite dirt pedal?

misterwhizzy

Well-known member
I've taken a renewed interest since I bought an amp I didn't expect to be such a fantastic pedal platform (Marshall Origin 50H). I've always gotten gain from my amp in the past, overdriving when necessary, but it's a lot cheaper to swap out pedals for different flavors.

At the moment, I've fallen in love with the Wampler Plexi-Drive mini. It reacts like an amp and sounds phenomenal and takes boosts well too.

I want the question to be open-ended. If an overdrive is your favorite, great. Distortion? Come on in. Fuzz? You're welcome too.
 
My fave dirt is the Wampler Tumnus, I have the mini version of it and love it. I have a few other dirt pedals and something about them just doesnt jive w my Jube, but the Tumnus is, to me, amazing.
 
Lately, I've been using the Wampler Tumnus to overdrive my Mesas.

Last year, the Catalinbread Naga VIper was the ideal pairing with my Mark IV but that combo just doesn't work anymore.

For low gain through a clean or cleanish amp I like the Lovepedal White Kanji.

For Distortion through a clean channel, It's the original (2 switch) Bogner Ecstacy Red pedal for me.

The only Fuzz I really understand is the Red Witch Fuzz God. I really don't play that way, so fuzz and I get confused with eachother.


I mean....like everyone else though....any of these can change at the drop of a hat.
 
Boss BD-2. It works for everything I've ever needed. Boost? Yep. Edge of breakup OD? Yep. Distortion? Yep, it'll do that. Fuzz? Yeah, in a pinch.
 
if i could only have one dirt box, it would be timmy. it gives me what i need to get through any gig and sounds good with any of my guitars. i also love my germanium sunface, especially with the catalinbred dls. though i recently heard a recording of just the fuzz into an amp and was surprised how good it sounded
 
I like a few. I built a Klone, which I like, but also love the 805, which is TS-based with active EQ (which is very important).
 
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I'm surprised that I haven't posted this yet.
But here it is in all its glory. It's the black one next to my second favorite dirt pedal, the TT Mayhem.
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Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
 
Specific gear scenarios listed (not listing amp plugins or other, only real amps).

If it says "boost", that means the amp is already cooking and has some clipping going on.

If it says "pedal", that means all of the clipping is coming from the pedal, not the amp.

Best distortion boost into ADA MP-1:
Pro Co RAT 2

Best distortion pedal into Fender Deluxe (tie):
Pro Co RAT 2
&
Friedman BEODD

Best Klon clone:
J Rockett Archer IKON

Best Rangemaster boost into Plexi:
Catalinbread Naga Viper

Best strat w/single coils boost into Plexi:
BadgerFX 1011

Best OD boost into Plexi (tie):
BYOC Yellow Overdrive (BOSS OD-1 Overdrive clone)
&
MXR Custom Badass Modified O.D. (modded BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive clone)

Best OD pedal into Fender Deluxe:
BYOC Yellow Overdrive (BOSS OD-1 Overdrive clone)
 
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Still loving what a Full Drive 2 does to a Fender amp in all modes and how a Wampler Pinnacle sounds and feels. The FD2 boosts the Pinnacle nicely too.

I had a hope that the Pinnacle deluxe could replace both but the boost side has very few controls and the extra EQ on the Pinnacle just means I need to spend time dialing it into the non-deluxe EQ curve.
 

Funny you should post this, I was at the guitar store the other day and a guy brought in a real old ES-350 to get "restored" the neck was real dry, the frets were worn down, and it was due for a few truss rod adjustments.

Anyway, DS-1 is my favorite distortion because it's a pretty neat circuit that at this point I know like the back of my hands.
 
Boss fuzz pedal.

I would've said the DS1 for years and years as a developing musician. it's probably the "best" pedal on the planet. having that in my back pocket I could play any clean amp and get a pretty usable tone anywhere from slight drive to a ripping metal power chord tone. it's also a better solo booster than the SD1 in my opinion.

I prefer light crunchy amp distortion now and don't boost my solos anymore, so I don't have much use for the DS1. Fuzz pedals are totally my jam though. More "me". and if I had to bring only 1 pedal (like if I had to play on a clean amp) i'd still rather bring the fuzz now. They're versatile enough to get a usable rhythm tone and then for other songs there's also a crazy carpet of fuzz available
 
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Boss fuzz pedal.

I would've said the DS1 for years and years as a developing musician. it's probably the "best" pedal on the planet. having that in my back pocket I could play any clean amp and get a pretty usable tone anywhere from slight drive to a ripping metal power chord tone. it's also a better solo booster than the SD1 in my opinion.

I prefer light crunchy amp distortion now and don't boost my solos anymore, so I don't have much use for the DS1. Fuzz pedals are totally my jam though. More "me". and if I had to bring only 1 pedal (like if I had to play on a clean amp) i'd still rather bring the fuzz now. They're versatile enough to get a usable rhythm tone and then for other songs there's also a crazy carpet of fuzz available

So which Boss fuzz would you pick? That newest Waza FZ-1w might be the best I've heard yet imo.
 
I have a few. Overall, my #1 is the Riot. Depending on the job, though, can't say just one, but...

These are my top six, mildest to wildest

TS9
Stamps Drive O Matic
Washburn Stack In A Box
Wampler Plexi Mini
Suhr Riot
Proco Solo



Honorable Mentions for rare occasions and certain moods:

Boss HM2
Boss Digital Metalizer
Ibanez DS9M
EHX Metal Muff with Top Boost
 
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