Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

[Lewguitar]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

Hi Guys! Hope you're all well!

My two faves are the Xotic EP Booster and the Klon clone from PCE: the Aluminum Falcon. Also known as the AF1.

Jeff Beck is also a fan of the Klon and it's what he uses these days. No more Rat.

I'm a blues player and I hate the abrupt change of tone when an overdrive is stomped into action when a guy goes from rhythm to lead. It just sounds inappropriate for blues. SRV could get away with it because he was so good - but I think it cheapens a blues players sound and screws with their credibility as a blues player when he or she relies on a distortion pedal for his or her solos.

I like a pedal that I can set and then leave on all of the time, and both the EP Booster and the "Klon" allow me to do this. With the AF1 Klon clone, I can go from rhythm to lead and from clean to slightly overdriven to full on overdrive just by using the volume control of my guitar.

I'd recommend purchasing a used one rather than ordering a new one from PCE. Dave has always treated me right, but he seems to have a little trouble filling orders in a timely fashion.

Lately I've been using both of my "Klon clones" on my pedalboard. I set one as a clean boost and one as overdrive. When I run into my Deluxe Reverb Amps it's like having three channels: CLEAN (no pedal), CLEAN BOOST or OVERDRIVE.

I haven't gigged with this set up though. When I gig I just bring the blue AF1 and set it on top of one of my amps and leave it on for the whole performance. I can go from clean to overdrive using just the volume control of my EJ Strat, PRS Custom 22
or ES-335.

BTW, my blue AF1 was originally built for Mitch Farber - the guitarist in Julio Iglesias' band. Dave told me it was the first one he built.

Don't know why Mitch put it on Ebay and sold it but I'm glad he did. I sold every other boost/distortion pedal I owned after acquiring it. Sorry Christian, but I sold the King of Tone too. Turns out that the "Klon" was the pedal I'd been looking for all these years and the Rat, TS9, TS808 and Kot were not.

I did keep my Xotic EP Booster as well.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

cool I might have to try one sometime soon, good to know the mini versions are no good thanks

Not saying there is not a mini for you, just that I don't hear much love for them (and didn't dig the one I played).

But if you can't get your sound from the Top Boost, and you dig the Muff, it's just you.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

Interesting, I have never tried a klon or timmy or any of those blues staples which I hear are just as good in heavier music as they are in blues. So many great choices out there its awesome hearing this feedback from you guys on your main distortions/overdrives

 

[erksin]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

A Klon is an overdrive. It overdrives the preamp of the amplifier. It also has a VERY defined mid bump and it's buffer also adds highs.

And thank goodness because it's exactly what you need to cut through a band mix and still retain some fatness to your sound.

 

[saladin]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

SongsForTheDeaf...what tones are you going for?
Most importantly what guitar and amp are you using?
There's a glut of pedals out there these days, help us narrow it down!!

I had the Hardwire SC-2 and liked it. I preferred it on the low gain setting more then the high
gain, which only got me to Slayer territory.

 

[SteveAlysis]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

Hands down the Plimsoul and OCD...I went through a **** load of pedals and they just sound fantastic through any amp I've owned, Fender, Vox, Marshall, Mesa.

Strymon and Fulltone just work for me... my ears and hands.

regret trading that Plimsoul :smack:

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

Ive been wanting to get some Wamplers Marshall voiced pedals , and the new MI Super Crunchbox. All my favorite OD's are vintage Marshall/ early Fender Tweed pedals, or vintage classic pedals origianally made to be used with a Marshall amps like the old OD-1, the Rat,The Dod 250, teh Ts-808,and the early fuzz clones like the sunface NKT 275 the Triangle Muff Clone...and Tim, which is a classic transparent boost pedal I haven't ever tried.I have Analogman 'King of Tone' which is supposed to voice your amp like it is stock, but add some flavor/color, unlike the Tim/timmy. which is supposed to be a totally neutral uncoloured boost.
I like my Rocket Animal and my Hao Rustdriver as well as my Zvex Box of Rock. I dont use them to run a clean amp to sound like a Marshall. I use them to push my Plxi on the edge of breakup and each one pushes the mids at a different EQ frequency, but they all sound awesome. I have several Marshall vintage pedals like the bluesbreaker, and guv'nor. I have an original Cark Gainster for old tweed sound.Oh, I want the original expensive out of production Lovepedal Purle Plexi. That and a Fetto Nord.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

SongsForTheDeaf...what tones are you going for?
Most importantly what guitar and amp are you using?
There's a glut of pedals out there these days, help us narrow it down!!

I had the Hardwire SC-2 and liked it. I preferred it on the low gain setting more then the high
gain, which only got me to Slayer territory.

Basically I want a thicker heavier bigger sound.. with the SC-2 its very tight and defined but also kinda thin when you play up the neck and does not sound huge like some other distortion pedals I have heard. I currently use a older Fender HR Deluxe with a Godin LG with Seymour Duncan P-90s.

 

[ken361]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

Bogner pedals rock through my fender, prb better then most amps i owned.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I had one of the original battery-only MXR Distortion + pedals. Sold it to a friend. He eventually gave it back. (This might say something about the pedal!)

Quite taken with this li'l blighter.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

Catalinbread makes great stuff, I have had the RAH and own the SFT now... amazing unique drives

 

[ColeJustesen]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

It is a bIt on the spendy side and is technically an overdrive pedal, but the MI Audio Tube Zone will get you all the distortion that you will ever need. It is extremely versitile and can be smooth and warm or tight and punchy.

Another pedal that I want to try is the Amp Tweaker Tight Rock. It looks amazing to me!

Cole

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I actually was looking at the tube zone last summer but did not have the funds at the time... is it actually run on a tube or tubes ?

 

[ColeJustesen]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I actually was looking at the tube zone last summer but did not have the funds at the time... is it actually run on a tube or tubes ?

No, it is solid state. However, it is a great sounding pedal. I wish I still had the one I owned, but I sold it off years ago in one of those states of mind where I thought I was done playing guitar. I kick myself for letting it go, along with some other great pedals, like the Zoom Hyper Lead and the Zoom Power Drive pedals.

Cole

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I really like my DigiTech Hardwire TL-2






...and my new/current favourite:



Super versatile & sounds amazing at any setting.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

Teaser Stallion would be my CAtalinbread goto. Also looking hard at the Joyo US Dream.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I just got a Swollen pickle in the mail today... plugged the sucker in and twiddled knobs for 2 and a half hours.... I HATE IT! its too farty and trebly, I adjusted the internal CLIP trimpot and will try it tomorrow otherwise I'm selling it and getting that MI audio tubezone or Malekko Sloika!

 

[erksin]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I've played the Tube Zone and the Sloika - they're really very different sounding pedals.

You have 5 dirt pedals on your board. Just wanted to point that out. lol

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I've played the Tube Zone and the Sloika - they're really very different sounding pedals.

You have 5 dirt pedals on your board. Just wanted to point that out. lol

Haha I know people always go wow nice pedal board ! ... I have to look them in the eye and tell them most of them are dirt pedals

In all honesty the band i'm in now I don't use too many modulation effects only reverbs/delay and pitch shifting. But I'm trying to start up a more groovy band too right now so I could use a univibe and wah luckily I have tons of dirt pedals to trade online for those!

 

[JeffB]

Re: Your Favorite Distortion Pedal

I do not think I can answer this question. Been thinking about it...I have had some good amp in a box pedals...niels' plexitone...wampler plextortion..

But I have never really been in love with w pure distortion pedal. I liked the old rat I sold TGWIF...and I had a good sounding early block D+ and old MIJ DS1.that wampler sovreign sounds good,.so.does the DIII, and the hardwire valve dist. I have a badass 78 now, and its ok..nothing special.

I am probably going to grab a whirlwind gold box to try next.