What's your favorite distortion?
- Thread starter dreadguard268
- Start date
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
Hard to say favorite so I will list my top two–Suhr Riot and Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion. The Stone Grey tends to have more Mids and Treble but I love both.
View attachment 65986
Hard to say favorite so I will list my top two–Suhr Riot and Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion. The Stone Grey tends to have more Mids and Treble but I love both.
View attachment 65986
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
The Empress Heavy gets my vote for favourite distortion pedal.
The Empress Heavy gets my vote for favourite distortion pedal.
Edgecrusher
New member
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
There have been a lot of drives I have really liked for one reason or another, but if I was trapped on a desert island and could bring only one drive with me... it would be the Zendrive.
There have been a lot of drives I have really liked for one reason or another, but if I was trapped on a desert island and could bring only one drive with me... it would be the Zendrive.
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
Is the zendrive considered a distortion pedal?
Is the zendrive considered a distortion pedal?
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Edgecrusher
New member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
Yes and I chased the guy around the net for 2 years to buy one and outside of the dude in the video I haven't heard of a single person owning one. So I was very surprised when you say you have one. Where did you get it?
Yes and I chased the guy around the net for 2 years to buy one and outside of the dude in the video I haven't heard of a single person owning one. So I was very surprised when you say you have one. Where did you get it?
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
I never found the distinction between overdrives and distortion pedals to be a clear one. To me, clipping is clipping. I suppose it's what you do with one and how much they clip that divides them into their categories but to me, it's largely marketing since most distortion pedals provide quite a lot of boost and most overdrives clip the heck out of the signal. Overdrives appeal to a certain demographic and distortion pedals appear to yet another.
I however, use the Zendrive into a crystal clean amp with the Zendrive at more or less unity gain, so in my world, that qualifies as a distortion pedal. My tone is clean when I play light and distorted when I play hard... the Zendrive gives me that flexibility and doesn't color my signal too much which is important to me.
I never found the distinction between overdrives and distortion pedals to be a clear one. To me, clipping is clipping. I suppose it's what you do with one and how much they clip that divides them into their categories but to me, it's largely marketing since most distortion pedals provide quite a lot of boost and most overdrives clip the heck out of the signal. Overdrives appeal to a certain demographic and distortion pedals appear to yet another.
I however, use the Zendrive into a crystal clean amp with the Zendrive at more or less unity gain, so in my world, that qualifies as a distortion pedal. My tone is clean when I play light and distorted when I play hard... the Zendrive gives me that flexibility and doesn't color my signal too much which is important to me.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
If you want something that takes a clean amp to Jerry Cantrell meets Satriani, the Bogner Ecstasy Red is the one that really does it. Where lesser pedals have a fake type of feel, the Bogner pedals not only have the sound, they also have the feel under the fingers of a high gain halfstack, put in front of a clean combo amp.
The high price tag turns people away, but Bogner products deliver exactly what they claim to do.
So, search Craigslist for them daily.
If you want something that takes a clean amp to Jerry Cantrell meets Satriani, the Bogner Ecstasy Red is the one that really does it. Where lesser pedals have a fake type of feel, the Bogner pedals not only have the sound, they also have the feel under the fingers of a high gain halfstack, put in front of a clean combo amp.
The high price tag turns people away, but Bogner products deliver exactly what they claim to do.
So, search Craigslist for them daily.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
I don't have one...did'nt say so. But a friend of mine has a limited ed/made to order kinda semi-production version of it which he bought from a store in the Ukraine. I checked it out and it sounds pretty similar/insane. Added to the fact that they're both made in the same city in the Ukraine & they're both tube driven & called "TD-3" I strongly suspect it's the same (updated/modded) version of that pedal..
The video is crap quality but you can tell it's the same or similar pedal (especially in the second half)
I don't have one...did'nt say so. But a friend of mine has a limited ed/made to order kinda semi-production version of it which he bought from a store in the Ukraine. I checked it out and it sounds pretty similar/insane. Added to the fact that they're both made in the same city in the Ukraine & they're both tube driven & called "TD-3" I strongly suspect it's the same (updated/modded) version of that pedal..
The video is crap quality but you can tell it's the same or similar pedal (especially in the second half)
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
I have not had the pleasure of playing a Bogner pedal; however, the way my Suhr pedals "push" the amp is amazing and beyond any other pedals I've owned. If the Bogner pedals respond the same way the Suhr pedals do then I bet they are worth the price.
I have not had the pleasure of playing a Bogner pedal; however, the way my Suhr pedals "push" the amp is amazing and beyond any other pedals I've owned. If the Bogner pedals respond the same way the Suhr pedals do then I bet they are worth the price.
skyydogg01
New member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff w/ Top Boost - the big boy.
Now granted, I don't have nearly as much experience as most of you guys.
Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff w/ Top Boost - the big boy.
Now granted, I don't have nearly as much experience as most of you guys.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
That was my favorite Distortion Pedal before I got a Rat (and subsequently got a Riot and Stone Cold lol!)
Great tones and I loved the Top Boost feature for soloing!
That was my favorite Distortion Pedal before I got a Rat (and subsequently got a Riot and Stone Cold lol!)
Great tones and I loved the Top Boost feature for soloing!
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
That being said, those are comments are based off of the 40 year old Overdrive and Distortion circuits, newer designs with JFETs and Transistors meant to emulate a tube amp are again different.
In the end I like what GearJonser has mentioned recently... You need to find a pedal that works with your amp. The way the preamp interacts with the pedal is huge, and what you expect out of that combo is also a big factor.
In my mind Overdrive is a soft clipping circuit, Distortion is a hard clipping. Pedals like the Zendrive are based on the traditional Overdrive circuit but are able to squeeze more gain and clipping out than is traditional. That soft clipping circuit with the diodes in the feedback loop blend in a little of the attack so it feels more responsive than a hard clipped distortion circuit. I agree, the Zendrive is a very nice pedal that reacts to playing dynamics very well.I never found the distinction between overdrives and distortion pedals to be a clear one. To me, clipping is clipping. I suppose it's what you do with one and how much they clip that divides them into their categories but to me, it's largely marketing since most distortion pedals provide quite a lot of boost and most overdrives clip the heck out of the signal. Overdrives appeal to a certain demographic and distortion pedals appear to yet another.
I however, use the Zendrive into a crystal clean amp with the Zendrive at more or less unity gain, so in my world, that qualifies as a distortion pedal. My tone is clean when I play light and distorted when I play hard... the Zendrive gives me that flexibility and doesn't color my signal too much which is important to me.
That being said, those are comments are based off of the 40 year old Overdrive and Distortion circuits, newer designs with JFETs and Transistors meant to emulate a tube amp are again different.
In the end I like what GearJonser has mentioned recently... You need to find a pedal that works with your amp. The way the preamp interacts with the pedal is huge, and what you expect out of that combo is also a big factor.
Johnny the Kid
Shaunofthedeadologist
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
Been digging some Fuzz Face sounds lately. Really liking heavy overdrives. Like cascading them, or overdrives that really push an amp.
I can't trust any pedal that has a scoop knob built into the pedal. Like at least give me the option to scoop or not to scoop.
Been digging some Fuzz Face sounds lately. Really liking heavy overdrives. Like cascading them, or overdrives that really push an amp.
Last edited:
skyydogg01
New member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
So what you're saying is that I need a Metal Muff AND a Rat?
I'll take that.
So what you're saying is that I need a Metal Muff AND a Rat?
I'll take that.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: What's your favorite distortion?
Ha! If you have enough pedal board space then you need the Metal Muff, the Rat, the Riot, and the Stone Cold! lol
I may actually end up getting rid of my Rat and Solo (basically a Rat on Steroids)...I am really digging the Surh Shiba and Riot combo plus the Mad Professor Golden Cello and Stone Grey...can't really work in the Rat and Solo with those.
BUT I love the tones from the Metal Muff, Rat and Solo...definitely not knocking them for any reason whatsoever!
So what you're saying is that I need a Metal Muff AND a Rat?
I'll take that.
Ha! If you have enough pedal board space then you need the Metal Muff, the Rat, the Riot, and the Stone Cold! lol
I may actually end up getting rid of my Rat and Solo (basically a Rat on Steroids)...I am really digging the Surh Shiba and Riot combo plus the Mad Professor Golden Cello and Stone Grey...can't really work in the Rat and Solo with those.
BUT I love the tones from the Metal Muff, Rat and Solo...definitely not knocking them for any reason whatsoever!
