favorite OD pedals

[djinn1973]

I dialed it in evey-witch-away but not enough dirt.

Try a DS-1, really good (to my ears anyway) distorted tones for about $40.00 new.

[Dale]

See sig for my current

[Stonefreefuzz1]

Well my vote goes with the Fulltone OCD , Keeley Fuzz Head, and the BOSS SD-1, which to me sounds pretty decent especially for the price. Good luck!

[NDRU]

I'm a bit surprised that I hear the Boss OD-3 mentioned quite a bit. I've kind of abandoned Boss, but maybe that was premature. Certainly cheaper than the boutiques!

I'm starting to wonder, however, if a pedal can really achieve overdrive as well as an amp--either simply a loud amp or one with gain/master. So any pedals really achieve that tone?

[patocaster]

Just yesterday I purchased a Fulltone OCD and took to rehearsal last night. I am digging it big time! I had a love/hate relationship with my BK Butler Real Tube - it sometimes sounds great and other times not so much.

so anyway...

+1 on the OCD

[Jonnda]

I have a Bad monkey for low gain smooth stuff, and a dano FAB distortion for higher gain stuff. The bad monkey sounds AWESOME through my friends champ 110. The dano FAB can either sound great, or kinda bad. I don't know why. I guess it depends on what mood I am in, the song I'm playing, what amp I'm using... maybe even how loud I get to crank it.

[NDRU]

Just yesterday I purchased a Fulltone OCD and took to rehearsal last night. I am digging it big time! I had a love/hate relationship with my BK Butler Real Tube - it sometimes sounds great and other times not so much.

so anyway...

+1 on the OCD

I just bought one too. I finally rehearsed with it tonight. It has higher gain and a more scooped sound than the Sparkledrive I've been using. Less mids, but I like that.

It made my tone sound bigger, I just kept the gain down and had a huge bassy ballsy sound.

I feel like maybe it has a slightly "processed" sound, but in general it sounds great.

I'm excited to try it out tomorrow with the other guitar/other amp.

[Tosprops]

I went through all of the Boss stuff, the Green Screamer, MXR DOD, and the Bad Monkey. I just didn't like them. I found a local shop that had the Route 66 and the Jekyll and Hide. I got the J&H and am pretty pleased.

[bignote]

Bad Monkey.....Bad Monkey.......Bad Monkey.......

[sabby]

This one




which is a clone of this one.

[stratav57]

For me it's defenitively the Lovepedal Eternity (med-gain setting) and the Lovepedal COT50 (low-gain setting). My fuzz is a Sweetsound Fillmore West Fuzz and for high-gain I use my Skreddypedal Top Fuel. For solo (volume) boost I use my MI Audio Boost n Buff at the end of the chain.

[Sage]

I'm shocked no one has mentioned this girl yet:

[Rickenjangle]

I've not tried the Chandler version - but the BK Butler version sucked eggs, in my opinion. However, when I had it, I didn't know how easy it would be to swap out the tube - perhaps my tube was bad. So - YMMV.

I know that EJ uses the Chandler version - and most people like his tone - so perhaps it's down to Butler ripping off Chandler and not doing a great job of it.

[Kap'n]

I know that EJ uses the Chandler version - and most people like his tone - so perhaps it's down to Butler ripping off Chandler and not doing a great job of it.

I think it's more of a 50/50 love/hate relationship regarding EJ. I fall on the hate side, but I know a lot of folks do like it.

As I understand it, the history of the Tube Driver was that Paul Chandler (then known as Paul C's) sold a pedal called the "Mini Boogee." Randy Smith issued a C&D letter, so they changed the box, and named it the Chandler Tube Driver. From there, it evolved into the Real Tube pedal, and it's mutant offspring the Blue Tube pedal.

AFAIK, all of them were designed by BK Butler, and all of them use a low voltage 'starved plate' design. I've been unimpressed by the variants I've tried, preferring even cheap SS pedals. I can't imagine the others being too much different.

[NDRU]

I've been using the OCD for a while, and am still very happy with it. It works with my strat and my Reverend w/humbuckers, and with both of my amps.

It's not a totally transparent overdrive. It definitely has a tone of its own, but I think it sounds great. I could easily leave it on all night and be happy.

[sabby]

I had a Chandler back in the day. It was fine as long as you didn't turn the gain up. It was easy to let go, as I recall.

[Rickenjangle]

...all of them use a low voltage 'starved plate' design. ..

So the problem was that the low-voltage design didn't really get a nice overdrive out of the tube?

[Kap'n]

So the problem was that the low-voltage design didn't really get a nice overdrive out of the tube?

It runs the tube in a non-linear region. Whether it's 'nice' or not, I guess, is a matter of taste.

[NeoFauve]

I had a Chandler. It could get pretty hissy.
I have an old Ibanez Tube King, which is supposed to be a TD knock-off. It's quieter. Good for the creamy, smooth sustainy thing. Kind of ideal for that.

One reason I bought the Chandler was because I read that David Hidalgo used one for his dirty sounds. That was quite a while ago.
I guess we all have our sonic exemplars.

(I realize he's good at what he does, but EJ's not on my list, no matter what his supporters, and all the magazines tell me.)

I've been able to get a similar Dave-ish sound with a Reverend Drivetrain and whatever amp I have. I just get somewhere close and my imagination finishes for me. I'm not a connoisseur.

[Franklin]

I've had several Tube Drivers, they all sounded different! The first one I had was the best one. I use 12AT7s in them instead of 12AX7s.

Another great OD is the TC Juagernig DGTM. Currently I use a Sunlion (GE fuzz and treble boost) as well as a Zendrive for OD.

[hudpucker]

I'm shocked no one has mentioned this girl yet:

Did someone mention Tube Drivers?

[stratcat62]

A local music store was going out of business. I couldn't help myself, I scored a Keeley Katana and Keeley Modded 808 at dealers cost (according to the dealer, I just know it was a great deal).

Both are very nice although I tend to use the Katana most. Transparent boost always appeals to me.

[Sage]

I've not tried the Chandler version - but the BK Butler version sucked eggs, in my opinion. However, when I had it, I didn't know how easy it would be to swap out the tube - perhaps my tube was bad. So - YMMV.

I know that EJ uses the Chandler version - and most people like his tone - so perhaps it's down to Butler ripping off Chandler and not doing a great job of it.

B.K. Butler designed the Tube Driver from the very beginning; Chandler just badged it and marketed it. Butler started a new company in the mid-90s called Tube Works and re-released the pedal as the "Classic 911 Tube Driver." It looks almost identical to the original Chandler. Unfortunately, Tube Works is now defunct.

Butler is said to be building the pedals himself for people these days. As far as I am aware, his design has never changed, except for a short time in the 80s when Chandler made some changes to the circuit and replace the power cord with a wall wart. These wall wart models are considered inferior to the original design.

EJ isn't the only guitarist to use the Tube Driver; it has also been an integral part of David Gilmour's tone for a long time.

[Rickenjangle]

That's right, Sage, I had forgotten that. A Big Muff, a Cornish fuzz, a Cornish boost (IIRC) and the Tube Driver - and perhaps a few others too...

Though each pedal was in its own buffered loop that included a GE-7 set specifically to make each gain device sound its best. I doubt that - in Gilmour's case - we would be able to achieve the selfsame results...

[Kap'n]

EJ isn't the only guitarist to use the Tube Driver; it has also been an integral part of David Gilmour's tone for a long time.

A long time in which he didn't make any influential records.

You can cop all the Gilmour anybody cares about with a fuzz/distortion, vibe and delay. You don't even need to be really picky about the dirt box, either. It's about the feel, not the equipment.

[General Specific]

A long time in which he didn't make any influential records.

You can cop all the Gilmour anybody cares about with a fuzz/distortion, vibe and delay. You don't even need to be really picky about the dirt box, either. It's about the feel, not the equipment.

+1 on that. Gilmour is quoted as saying that he uses any cheap pedal handy.

He said he can play through a Marshall Stack with a Les Paul and it still sounds like him.

[Sage]

A long time in which he didn't make any influential records.

...and then there are those of us who think Momentary Lapse and Division Bell were the best things Floyd ever did. Certainly Pulse has the best guitar tone of the entire Gilmour catalog.

[djinn1973]

I have been looking for a replacement for my Bad Monkey.
After doing quite a bit of research I picked up a Catalinbread HyperPak it arrived last week. It's articulate and responsive, I have been pleasantly surprised at how well it transfers my dynamics (such as they are) through to the amp. The only negative things I have to say are; because of its size/form factor it must be run off of an ac adapter the case is too small for the electronics and a battery (the pedal is about the size of a snickers bar) and it does color my tone, its a bit dark but not to the extent that it kills the Vox chime.

[Jazzguru]

I have the RAT and BD-2 however for me its the Barber Direct Drive

[Rickenjangle]

...and then there are those of us who think Momentary Lapse and Division Bell were the best things Floyd ever did. Certainly Pulse has the best guitar tone of the entire Gilmour catalog.

I'll give that thought a few chuckles as I listen to my vinyl editions of WYWH, DSOTM, and The Wall.

[Alcaraz]

The best OD on a Deluxe Reverb is a Tubescreamer IMO.

[Huckleberry]

I used a TS9 Reissue or an SD-1 or a Bad Monkey with my DRRI. Sounded great with any of them!

[Cygnus X1]

Boss OD-1?

I like mine with a tone mod.

Good luck finding an old one, though.
I'm going to clone it for myself.

[hudpucker]

Currently, my faves are these:

[Fenderstratrat]

new digitech pedal tube overdrive played ts9s and 808s for years this thing blows them both out of the water has a new boosted signal path true-bipass and very quiet gives you nice rattley lows like with vocal overdriven highs coolest pedal I have played through in years!!!

[DS Phillips]

I have become a fan of the MXR Wylde Overdrive recently.

[Franklin]

I just picked up a HAO Rust Driver. It's a one trick pony - it's supposed to be cranked Plexi sound which it does. It is too similiar to my Maxon AM modded SD9, but the SD9 has more tweakability. The Rust Driver's cool thing is that the gain is controlled by the volume knob on your guitar like a fuzz. I've temporarily bumped off the SD9 and I think I'll be putting the TC Juagernig DGTM back in place of the Zendrive. It's just not doing it for me with my set up. With a loud clean amp and some humbuckers though it kills!

[Franklin]

Well the HAO Rust Driver does a "cranked plexi in a box" fairly well. I was able to dial in a simiar tone with the SD9, but the Rust Driver's gain is controlled by the guitar volume. So I liked it enough to swap off the SD9 off the board. As an OD pedal it also was very nice!

I got to try it with the band. I was a little worried about using it for both rhythm and lead. IT WAS AMAZING FOR BOTH!! It worked really well with the volume knob, when I turned down the volume to about 6 it was clean when I plcked lightly and had a very nice tone to it, when I dug in there was some break up. At 7 there was some nice grind going, especially with barre chords. At 10, full on "cranked plexi"!

Live it sounded great, I can kick on the SHO (after the HAO RD) to increase the overall volume kick on the Beano Boost into the HAO RD and I had very controllable feedback and infinite sustain.

So far my honeymoon peroid with it is going well.

I imagine it will do well with most amps.

[1958lpjr]

You can't go wrong with a Sparkle Drive or any of Dave Barbers Pedals but a Zen Drive is probably one of the most complex sounding pedals around right now. And if you can find one the original Ibanez Tube Kings are pretty fine.

[Huckleberry]

Put a fresh battery in my Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, and put it between my Hamer 25th Anniversary & my Dr. Z MAZ 18 NR.

Wow!

Great pedal, not much tone bleed (fresh battery will make a difference with a Boss pedal and tone sucking), and I could go from bluesy to 70's Sabbath sludgy.