Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Dave Locher said:
My vote: Guv'nor clone.
You can get diy kits or have FrankTheAnvilFX (on Etsy) build you one for the same price as a kit. I really like mine. A LOT.
Previously I used a graphic eq pedal for years. Probably can't diy one (?) but they do work well as a boost.
Click to expand...

How does the Guv'nor stack up to the other suggestions or something I know like the SD-1 or a TS clone? Could definitely build one.
May end up building together at least 2 OD pedals anyway (something transparent/boost and something more TS-like) and see what I like better. I originally hoped that I could use the BE-OD clone for boosting as well, but it sounds really ugly for that purpose.

Regarding EQ, I found a 5-band one that works with normal pots, or I could just get something cheap/used for now. Tried a Boss graphic EQ with my Egnater back in the day. TBH I found myself messing around quite a lot with the settings without finding anything I really liked (might have been the amp's fault) and ended up returning the EQ.
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

JesusCrisp said:
How does the Guv'nor stack up to the other suggestions or something I know like the SD-1 or a TS clone? Could definitely build one.
May end up building together at least 2 OD pedals anyway (something transparent/boost and something more TS-like) and see what I like better. I originally hoped that I could use the BE-OD clone for boosting as well, but it sounds really ugly for that purpose.
Click to expand...

It's more in the JCM800 distortion vein, but set to low gain it can make a great boost (as can the Rat and DS-1), Gary Moore was well known for using one to boost his Marshalls. Given that you think the SD-1 and CM-2 are too midrangey, scratch Tube Screamers off your list, that's what they are famous for.

I'm a fan of using "distortion" pedals like the Guv'nor, DS-1, and Rat with the gain set low as boosts, they have a little more bite on the top and don't usually have a big midrange hump. That said, the SD 805 would probably work great as well with the 3-band EQ, or the Xotic pedals with the bandaxall tone controls.
 
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Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

JesusCrisp said:
May end up building together at least 2 OD pedals anyway (something transparent/boost and something more TS-like) and see what I like better. I originally hoped that I could use the BE-OD clone for boosting as well, but it sounds really ugly for that purpose.
Click to expand...

Do that! And most TS type builds have mods for switching what is used for clipping, so you could go sym/asym (like TS / Boss) so you can get an idea for what you like better (or both) or you can have diodes in one, transistors in the other, mix and match...the possibilities are all there!
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

JesusCrisp said:
How does the Guv'nor stack up to the other suggestions or something I know like the SD-1 or a TS clone? Could definitely build one.
May end up building together at least 2 OD pedals anyway (something transparent/boost and something more TS-like) and see what I like better. I originally hoped that I could use the BE-OD clone for boosting as well, but it sounds really ugly for that purpose.

Regarding EQ, I found a 5-band one that works with normal pots, or I could just get something cheap/used for now. Tried a Boss graphic EQ with my Egnater back in the day. TBH I found myself messing around quite a lot with the settings without finding anything I really liked (might have been the amp's fault) and ended up returning the EQ.
Click to expand...

Wait...
BE-OD clone?
Where can you get one of those?
I’d love a BE-OD but I don’t want to drop 200 clams on one right now.
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Gtrjunior said:
Wait...
BE-OD clone?
Where can you get one of those?
I’d love a BE-OD but I don’t want to drop 200 clams on one right now.
Click to expand...

Got mine from Das Musikding, and there's also a version from PCBGuitarMania apparently.
Never played the real thing, so can't comment on how close it actually is, but it's a great sounding distortion pedal.
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

JesusCrisp said:
How does the Guv'nor stack up to the other suggestions or something I know like the SD-1 or a TS clone? Could definitely build one.
Click to expand...

Like devastone said, it is less smooth and not mid-humped as much as a TS.
Mine has a three-way clipping toggle: left is LED (like originals), middle is no clipping diodes, and right is silicone. I use it as a boost with the switch in the middle, which is louder and less compressed. When I use it into a clean amp I switch to the left. (Apparently I don't care for silicon clipping diodes because I never use the right position.)

I wasn't joking about FrankTheAnvilFX building one for the cost of a kit, I paid him $60 including shipping for mine. He let me choose the graphics and I had it in my hands in less than a week!
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

For anything reaching JCM800 gain, my vote is on picking dynamics and vol pot riding.
 
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Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Boss MT-2

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Dave Locher said:
Like devastone said, it is less smooth and not mid-humped as much as a TS.
Mine has a three-way clipping toggle: left is LED (like originals), middle is no clipping diodes, and right is silicone. I use it as a boost with the switch in the middle, which is louder and less compressed. When I use it into a clean amp I switch to the left. (Apparently I don't care for silicon clipping diodes because I never use the right position.)

I wasn't joking about FrankTheAnvilFX building one for the cost of a kit, I paid him $60 including shipping for mine. He let me choose the graphics and I had it in my hands in less than a week!
Click to expand...

I’ve got one of his too.
As a matter of fact, you got me in touch with him.
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

JesusCrisp said:
Thanks for the suggestions so far!
Buxom boost looks interesting, similar tone controls as the BE-OD, which is great for tweakability!

Couple of questions:
Anyone got experience with using a Klon (or more likely a clone thereof, EHX Soulfood) for this kind of thing?
Also, Xotic RC Booster being mentioned, how much is the difference between that and the BB Preamp?
How does boosting with a Rat compare to let's say a Tubescreamer?
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Yes - I have a Tumnus Deluxe (Klon clone) and it can goose the front end / preamp really well.
It has a wide range of headroom on the volume pot and can really drive your amp. Has 3 band EQ and all 3 pots are very responsive and has a Hot switch to add a bit of gain / boost Works great as a light to med gain OD pedal as well - which is how I use it. It gives a great Fender type of OD tone when you use it this way
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

After listening to a lot of clips, I'm kind of torn between building either a Guv'nor or an OCD clone ... and in addition to that maybe a Klon. I'll post the results!
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

OP, Xotic ODs are really really good for this. Check out AC, RC, EP, SP, SL Drive, and that crazy OZ NOY combo one.
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Gtrjunior said:
Wait...
BE-OD clone?
Where can you get one of those?
I’d love a BE-OD but I don’t want to drop 200 clams on one right now.
Click to expand...

Here's just the PCB and instructions very cheap, if you don't mind sourcing the parts yourself.
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Gtrjunior said:
I’ve got one of his too.
As a matter of fact, you got me in touch with him.
Click to expand...

I think everyone should buy pedals off of this guy! I have bought 4 so far, only one of which was a model he lists in his Etsy store. The other three were "hey Frank, would you like to build me an X?" email.

After the first pedal he dropped his price to $55 (free shipping) as a "repeat customer."
 
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Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

MGW said:
I am always astounded at the enduring myth that overdrive pedals push an amp into breakup.
It's a very old myth but it is a myth nonetheless and I'm not sure there was ever a time in history when it was more than a myth.
Only if you've set the pedal to massively increase the strength of the signal using the pedal's volume dial and also back right off on the gain dial could you possibly use your TS808 (or whatever) to push your amp into breakup.
The vast, vast, VAST majority of players don't use OD/Dist effects that way.
Most people wouldn't even dream of using it that way.
If you mentioned it to them they be like, "Dude, WTF, are you on drugs or something? Why would I set it up that way?"
And they would be 100% right.

People set the gain dial on their pedal for however much clipping they want, they set the tone to taste and they set the volume to roughly approximate unity with the unaltered signal.
That's the way people use pedals, especially if it is for rhythm and chording work.
The pedal is doing the additional clipping you hear, not the amp, not if you've set it to unity.
People will set to roughly approximate unity so they can have more than one clipping option without changing the stage mix by having their overall volume fluctuate drastically.
If it fluctuates drastically and it's not time for a solo they won't be with that band for very long ... and rightly so.

Maybe ... if you set the pedal for increased volume for use as a soloing only pedal then you MIGHT be able to argue you're pushing the amp into breakup with the pedal but even then .... how would you really know?
If you have any gain dialed in at all on the pedal then you've added clipping from the pedal.
How do you know how much of that added clipping you can hear is the amp and how much is the pedal?
Answer ..... you don't know .... period.

Tell me this .... how much clipping does a JC120 do when you engage an overdrive pedal?
Are you using your TS808 to push THAT amp into overdrive, hmmmm?
Is that where all that clipping we hear is coming from when we step on the OD box?
The pushed JC120 power section?
Gee, that's good to know.

The word overdrive or distortion when used to describe a stomp box is just a name, not an action and not a technical description.
It's a name intended to help you understand the kind of sound it makes.

So very much of conventional guitar wisdom is nothing but old wives' tales.
I wish there was a way to get people to abandon these dumb notions that persist for decades and have absolutely no basis in fact.

That may have come off sounding a bit more confrontational than I intended but I'm going to leave it as is anyway.
Some people need a little confrontation once in a while.
Click to expand...
What are you talking about? People use overdrives like that all the time. That's the typical setting for modern metal. It's the "overdrive to tighten up the amp" setting. Gain at 0, level to set the boost and tone to suit. Basically turning the OD into an EQ pedal.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

ibanezrocks said:
What are you talking about? People use overdrives like that all the time. That's the typical setting for modern metal. It's the "overdrive to tighten up the amp" setting. Gain at 0, level to set the boost and tone to suit. Basically turning the OD into an EQ pedal.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yup. That post was utter nonsense...but where did it go?
 
Re: Your favorite OD pedals to kick a medium-gain amp into high-gain?

Easy, my Saucy box is da chit IMO
 
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