Don't always use dirt pedals, but when I do (mostly w/the cleaner Fenders btw), have found a Greenhouse Effects Goldrive and a vintage Scott Humphreys (now Snake River Guitarworks) Vitamin G treble booster worked themselves into the rotation quite nicely. The Goldrive is a smooth medium-gain OD which borders on distortion at it's most extreme settings, can be used as boost or versatile OD by itself. The germanium treble boost sounds great stacked with the Goldrive or solo with my 5F1 Champ - very chimey/punchy with the 10" Weber Blue Pup w/latter. What's everybody else rocking recently?
Guitar - MXR Dyna Comp - Boss OD/Distortion - Digitech Bad Monkey - DOD FX64 Chorus - MXR Carbon Copy - Amp. I also play around with an old Korg AX5G multi effect box that I primarily use on my Fender Vibro Champ and a Digitech Crossroads Eric Clapton pedal that I'll occasionally throw in the chain on my YGM3 Traynor.
[quote author=sneakerpimp link=topic=21987.msg262941#msg262941 date=1322535663] [/quote] I wasn't familiar with that Malekko Fuzz, so I checked it out. Capable of some pretty intense and sick tones, huh?
I have about 8 or 9 overdrive/distortion pedals but the only one I ever seem to use is my old Boss SD-1 that I've had for over 20 years. Usually, I just use my amp, though.
I have tried several but always end up going back to my trusty bad monkey. It sounds really good with alot of different amps and guitars.
Nothing fancy in my rig, just a standard Boss DS-1and a Danelectro Fab distortion - which is pretty damn good for the price - but now that I have that Fender Super Champ XD, I'm using the amp models for distortion more than the pedals.
yea, someday i'll get around to having a quality overdrive but for now it's just fuzz, distortion, fuzz+distortion.
I can never decide I'm very picky when it comes to gain pedal. Currently my board has a TS808 Keeley mod (kit build) and an Octavia (kit build) and a Modtone clean booster. Oddly although the kits are the cheapest pedals I've ever bought they also seem to be the best sounding and most versatile! I used to run Boss Pedals but after I got my AC30 I realized they just butchered the sound a little too much.
[quote author=Atchy link=topic=21987.msg262964#msg262964 date=1322655633] the cheapest pedals I've ever bought they also seem to be the best sounding and most versatile! [/quote] Somehow that is my experience too - the expensive boutique pedals rarely have the tone I am looking for. Saves me bucks.....
I don't know if an overdrive pedal is included in the "dirt' category... but I really like my Boss Blues Driver. I'm also playing with amp models which include some dirt... I usually start clean, but my Vox VT-30 has a channel switching pedal that I'm enjoying working with. So I can start on the clean channel and then stomp a preset for a break, and then return. I also use an EQ pedal in the effects loop, for a clean boost, and the Blues Driver is the last one in the chain, I like to play clean and then stomp that for a solo. It's actually a lot more simple than it sounds.
[quote author=dbb link=topic=21987.msg262971#msg262971 date=1322685683] Hey, Col, the Vox footswitch and all, how do you set your amp up? [/quote] that my friend, is a loaded question... :-\ there is a whole 'nother thread out there, www.valvetronix.net which is devoted to the study of this and plenty of related questions. The answer goes sort of like this: Well, I started by trying to keep it simple! And then it got weird!... You've probably read peoples' comments about 'modeling' amps and pedals etc... my mind is NOT made up, and I'm having a lot of quality guitar time while I try different settings. But when I go to perform with it, I use the either the 'clean' models or the manual setting, which makes the amp behave almost like a 'regular' amp. This little Vox VT-30 has a lot to offer, and my SG sounds jangly and great through the Fender Deluxe model, or the AC-15. So the great big Vox pedal does two things. If you're in manual mode, it switches from Amp bank A to Amp bank B with one click, and the numbered channels are for turning onboard fx on and off. If you change to "Preset' mode, you have two banks (eight presets total) of user settings that are savable. I'm not to the point of liking any of my experiments enough to 'save' them yet, but I will and when I do I will use that pedal to navigate them. so, to answer your question, one of my favorite settings is with the amp set as a "Dumble modded" Fender Showman, Gain ~11:00, Volume @max, Treble @0, Mids@max, Bass@0, Reverb@11:00, Master Volume@~2:00 I call this one 'Middie Clean" and if I am going to use it, I change the EQ pedal so it increases some of the highs and lows, not mids. Then I use the EQ pedal as a clean boost, and the Blues Driver to add some edge for a solo. another setup I like is one I named 'Jangly clean manual.' The only difference here is that I turn Treble and Mid up to 2:00 and Bass down to 11:00. With this one, I use the EQ pedal with it's 'mid hump' as a clean boost, and the Blues Driver as my dirt pedal. Which brings us back to thread! This little Vox VT-30 has plenty of dirt to dish out, in its Amp models, its factory presets (eight for each one) and its 'Song' models. If you read the Vox threads, you'll hear a lot of opinions about the quality of the models, and the sweetness or suckiness of the presets. A lot of players are pretty dismissive. But it's a cheap amp, whaddya want for $170.00 or so? I think a lot of players are quietly having a lot of rowdy and rawkish good times with these, in spite of the sentiments of tone snobs on all continents. A number of guys on the Vox site have said that they sold pedals they didn't need after getting one of these, myself included. Don't fret about the 30 watts. If you mike it, it sounds HUGE.
Thanks for the detailed answer...I enjoy hearing how you set up the amp, what channels and effects you use, etc. I'm in the process of working out similar things on my new Fender modeling/tube amp. http://www.valvetronix.net/ looks very cool...I need to explore it a bit.
I'll bet there is a web site/forum where users of your type of amp talk things over. The Vox site is pretty informative, and has all kinds of people on it, some of whom are experienced amp tech guys. I've bought two mod kits for my VT-30 and installed one: the LOOP Mod kit, which replaces the cheapo input and headphone jacks and sets up great features on the back of the amp for an fx loop, which puts the pedals right where they belong in the signal chain. Trying not to hijack this thread, we're talking about pedals versus amp fx, which really does have some bearing on the original question. I for one am interested in this very question, 'What kinda dirt pedals are y'all playing?" I don't want to talk too much, because I am a seeker too, in the ever interesting quest for tone. I posted a picture of my fairly simple paddle board, with just a corner of my VT-30 showing, because I'm in the process of working this question out for myself, trying what's included on this amp. I actually sold several pedals that I don't think I need any more because the amp sounds good to my ear so far. Ask me again in a year, after I've gotten deeper into this modeling amp. For now, it's my Boss Blues Driver, and it works well with the VT-30 and (of course) my SG.
Every dirt pedal I've ever bought has reinforced the notion that nothing beats plugging straight in. Then again, when you're playing through a vintage Marshall, who needs dirt pedals anyways? My collection includes: Boss OD-3: not bad but does something weird to the treble. Keeley Katana: great clean boost, but just unnecessary Danelectro FAB distortion: Don't really use this much but I used to use it to dirty my rhythm sounds when I was using my DSL 401 Digitech Death Metal: Got it for free from my Uncle. It's actually not bad when I use it to hit the low sensitivity input on my JMP. Much much better than a Boss Metal Zone.
I have been playing my Maestro Fuzz forever. These days I am more likely to plug in with the Digitech Bad Monkey there just for the push over the cliff, never as my basic distortion tone. I have been itching to try a Zvex Box of Rock for good vintage Marshall tones at low vol. The Rothwell Hellbender sounds really cool too, but the Box of Rock might be more versatile. Since both go for $200, it makes the thought of buy a $25 DS-1 seem like a much more reasonable way to go. I know they aren't very well thought of, but I have always been able to coax some pretty good tones out of them. :) Box of Rock ZVex Vexter Box of Rock Distortion Hellbender PGS Smackdown : Marshall Plexi Vs. Rothwell Hellbender My Maestro
[quote author=Zeppelin Rules link=topic=21987.msg263003#msg263003 date=1322863636] Every dirt pedal I've ever bought has reinforced the notion that nothing beats plugging straight in.[/quote] I have to agree with that for the most part. IMO, you can't beat real power tube distortion - nothing else quite sounds/feels like it. Having said that, there are times when dirt pedals can come in handy: 1) When you can't crank an amp to the point where the power tubes get cooking (ie. a Marshall in your bedroom) 2) Where you have an amp incapable of producing any usuable distortion on its own (ie. Fender Twin/SuperTwin) 3) Where an amp's distortion characteristics can be shaped or enhanced (many examples of this) I have a Fender SuperTwin, 180W of clean power via of a sextet of 6L6's. While I prefer slaving it via the line out of another amp to get real tube distortion, there's virtually no alternative but to reach for a pedal or two if I'm playing this amp by itself and the desired tone is anything but a clean one. Also have a Zottola 5F1 Champ, which is great plugged straight in from a guitar (every one should have a Champ at one time or another). While almost all Champ circuits are capable of natural tube distortion in varying degree (and usually speaker breakup, it should be added), it's cool discovering what a treble boost in front of one can bring to the sonic "table". :coolsmiley:
I think part of the reason I'm looking into getting a Silverface champ is so I can make some use of all my pedals!
On an unrelated note, as good as Pro Guitar Shop's gear demos are, since Andy doesn't use a pick, I feel as though the more muffled attack prevents you from getting a good idea of the treble range which to my ears tends to be where pedals do funny things.
