There is no best overdrive

[aporcelainsky]

I feel like recently there has been an influx of people asking which is the best, people claiming one is the crowning achievement of all drives, etc. etc.

c'mon guys, there are certainly different tiers of quality but there is no quantifiable way to measure goodness/awesomeness of sound and therefore there is no best overdrive. can we collectively just agree with this and stop being so ridiculous?

[SeicheNZ]

honey bee

[nikkibikini]

drive pedals never work for me. im all about the tone of the guitar and amp and manipulating them, rather than pedals. they just never agree with me.

sorry tgp. *dons flamesuit*

[rane008]

I agree, but you will never get TGP to stop acting ridiculous.

[tinkercity]

I agree, but you will never get TGP to stop acting ridiculous.

Couldn't agree more... with both of you :messedup

[tnt365]

There is a quasi-objective hierarchy of drives, mostly related to price point, but I think that the amp/setup matters most. I've had pedals that sound like crap through one amp and great through another. Everything is subjective, but some opinions still have substance. But I agree that there is no "best" drive, just some that are WAY better suited for certain styles/ setups/ people.

[nikkibikini]

in addition to my above statement i will also add that in my experience and moreso, my observation...that chasing down overdrive pedals is one of the biggest proverbial tail chasing activities there is in guitardom. i know some of you guys love your klon, and thats cool, im happy for you...but probably 85% of people should just get a ts9 and be done with it.

[markplaysguitar]

inb4 "timmy"

Seriously though, you're totally right. How "good" an OD pedal is should be dependant on the rig and style of the player!

[geetarplayer]

Whether there is a "best" overdrive pedal or not is open to a wide variety of opinion.

[fazen]

It's whatever one I'm plugged into at the time.

[Heady Jam Fan]

my favorite is the best. Even when my favorite completely changes.

[BluesHarp]

Right!

[guitarslinger21]

There are lots of outstanding OD's out there.

[JRBain]

I agree, but you will never get TGP to stop acting ridiculous.

This.

[Sirloin]

Anything from Barber. Thread\

[Blue4Now]

there are only drive pedals with different characteristics, traits and subtle variations. I think a lot of the discussions over the best are in individual catagories like "the best clean boost" or "the best dumble style" or "the best TS type" only within these categories can we argue what we think is the best.

[guitarslinger21]

OD's that rock my world

Smallsound/Bigsound F*ck Overdrive (truly special)
Barber B Custom DD Super Sport
GMD Lutherdrive

[Weekendwarrior]

There is a quasi-objective hierarchy of drives, mostly related to price point, but I think that the amp/setup matters most. I've had pedals that sound like crap through one amp and great through another. Everything is subjective, but some opinions still have substance. But I agree that there is no "best" drive, just some that are WAY better suited for certain styles/ setups/ people.

I couldn't agree more.

I'd love to see a sticky thread with a comprehensive list of suggested or "TGP approved" combinations of OD's and amps...almost half of all the"what OD should i buy" posts we see could be eliminated by making this.

[cj_wattage]

There is no spoon.



Also, I love how the OP starts off with "There is no best overdrive", and quickly the thread becomes people posting their idea of the best overdrive. Classic.

[LowWatt]

There's no better way to sound like shit than to try to find consensus on great tone.

[BoiceBox]

There is no spoon.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQKrcJUfpjFkrfzt4_kxVYd0rm6axsP8 zlwabxronfU4kA0PMAn3G_fa0y-ZA

[StratoTele]

There is no best, but my favorite for the moment is CMATmods Signa Drive.

[phoghat]

This is why I almost never look at OD/distortion threads. They're usually a Mobius Strip.

[SeicheNZ]

Also, I love how the OP starts off with "There is no best overdrive", and quickly the thread becomes people posting their idea of the best overdrive. Classic.
I had to ;)

[scolfax]

Gotta match the pedal to the amp.

[Rena Rune]

There's no best anything, just things that tend to be of an overall higher quality, better for a particular job, or perform closer to their intended purpose.

[telepunk]

There's no best anything, just things that tend to be of an overall higher quality, better for a particular job, or perform closer to their intended purpose.

True - well put

[drolling]

Hey, I'm still reeling from the not-so-recent discovery that 85% of my fairly massive collection of overdrives are tubescreamer clones!

Even if I wasn't so broke, this revelation's put me off buying pedals for the near & foreseeable future. And that goes double if they're gooped to protect *intellectual* property!

Heck, I can't even figure out which is the "best" TS out of the pile, let alone the Rubbermaid bin full of original circuit designs sitting beside it..

[teleclem]

Definitely no "best" for everyone out there. It's all subjective/relative, etc.

I do post when it's qualified as "What's the best for you/that you've tried?". Now that's more valid.

[jwri9790]

I've come to the realisation that every overdrive sounds the same and that they are boring. The end...

[sanhozay]

"is" is a singular verb, "are" is a plural one

[aporcelainsky]

"is" is a singular verb, "are" is a plural one

fail to see your point if directed at OP

[Sirloin]

There is no spoon.



Also, I love how the OP starts off with "There is no best overdrive", and quickly the thread becomes people posting their idea of the best overdrive. Classic.

I did it as a joke.

[oxtone]

I agree - I've been through many overdrive pedals the last 3 - 4 years. Depends on the gig and style of music you do - some are good for rock
and blues, and others are good for Funk and R & B gigs, like I do.

For rock sounds, I like my DLS V 2.2; Xotic BB Mid Boost; LoveKraft Mojo Drive; Suhr Shiba; Analogman K.O.T., Barber Dual Unlimited & Burn Unit EQ.

For Funk and R & B type gigs, my Barber 1/2 Gainer is perfect for it.

[JoeE]

I kind of agree... but these discussions do influence my purchase of overdrives... only to discover that some totally work for me as described (timmy), and others sound horrible with my setup (RC booster). If there was no discussion I probably wouldnt have discovered either.
The important thing here is that everyone understands that all recommendations are subjective, rig dependant, and influenced by hype. Once that is understood, we can all comfortably agree that the Timmy is the best overdrive.

[Rena Rune]

Honestly, I love my stock Boss SD-1. I'd love a little less of a low end cut, but then it'd have less of a mid boost.

[rsm]

sure there is (or are)

best OD = the one(s) I like.
not best OD = the one(s) I don't like.


best is subjective, at best. like an opinion.

IMO

YMMV

[sanhozay]

fail to see your point if directed at OP

one isn't the best. many are.

adding humor but, apparently i'm :drown

[amp48]

Timmay!!!!

[AshlandBump]

No, you're right, there isn't.

There is no king in Israel either.

[sketches]

The best overdrive is like the best car/house/life... it doesn't exist. You'll always be making allowances.

[semi-hollowbody]

in addition to my above statement i will also add that in my experience and moreso, my observation...that chasing down overdrive pedals is one of the biggest proverbial tail chasing activities there is in guitardom. i know some of you guys love your klon, and thats cool, im happy for you...but probably 85% of people should just get a ts9 and be done with it.
NO! I have ts flavored pedals, but never bonded with a ts

I have lots of drives...I will continue to buy/try them
I dont consider it chasing as Im not really looking for something specific I havent yer found or never will...I just like different flavors...I like different bells n whistles...smaller foot prints, the aesthetics of some pedals

I have 40 or so drive pedals...I could pick ANY 2-3 and be happy with them...they all get my 95% of what I want...some have that extra 1-5%

The best overdrive is like the best car/house/life... it doesn't exist. You'll always be making allowances.
I agre 100%...Many of us will always be hopelessly hunting for that holy grail...still others like myself dont want the grail...they just want variety :)

[McStrats]

I've gigged with a gaggle of boutique OD's and went back to the Boss OD3...the nuances you hear in the bonus room when its just you...well they get eaten up once the bass and drums kick in.

Prince and Joe Walsh use a Boss OD3....that tells me something right there...

[ES330]

can we collectively just agree with this and stop being so ridiculous?



How boring it would be if everyone agreed with me...

[semi-hollowbody]

How boring it would be if everyone agreed with me...
I agree...;)

[Twangasaurus]

There are no overdrives.

[whaiyun]

There are no overdrives.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E637zwZJpAY/TpRUeGiROmI/AAAAAAAAAHc/_1RrpAx3jZY/s1600/spoon.jpg

[guitarz1972]

The "best" overdrive is very subjective and it's the one that feels, sounds, looks, etc. the best to the individual player. Different for everybody. Sorry if that's been said before (I didn't want to read three pages of posts looking for the obvious).

[Nickstrtcstr]

The "best" overdrive is very subjective and it's the one that feels, sounds, looks, etc. the best to the individual player. Different for everybody. Sorry if that's been said before (I didn't want to read three pages of posts looking for the obvious).

Well said. /thread.

[travis_38]

but its called KING of tone! what is higher than king?!

[10strings]

Hardwired Eternity...

[coldfingaz]

honey bee


:rotflmao

Great first response!

And it was definitely a precursor for what was undoubtedly going to follow it.

OP, really... what were you expecting? My gosh. Just let it be & stop opening the "best" threads if they annoy you so much.

Are they really any more ridiculous than the 10 threads we have a month about which OD is the most transparent?

We could all pick 1,000 pet peeves & start threads about them, but where would that leave us?

You simply can't control a playground with nearly 100,000 members... so it's entirely pointless to even try.

[rcl]

The best overdrive is the NEXT overdrive. Overdrives drive the economy!

[Rena Rune]

sure there is (or are)

best OD = the one(s) I like.
not best OD = the one(s) I don't like.


best is subjective, at best. like an opinion.

IMO

YMMV

Well, there could be some that perform poorly as overdrives... since "Overdrive" has an intended purpose, it is in theory possible for some to be "better" than others on a more objective level.

[sabby]

There's no best overdrive but there is FUZZ!!!

Fuzz > OD.

There. I said it.


:hide

[buzzp]

There's no best overdrive but there is FUZZ!!!

Fuzz > OD.

There. I said it.


:hide


Agreed. Overdrive pedals will never get you the same tone as the great players who cranked up a marshall or whatever amp with an amazing guitar and just played

[JP~)]

They both get the job done....but which one would you choose?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EmbD9Ix03Hc/S2YyzZy4_XI/AAAAAAAACeA/bm8u8kUwjTw/s400/1264988643668.jpghttp://images.travelpod.com/users/bevin/1.1288214682.pretty-fancy-bidet-and-commode.jpg

[SeicheNZ]

They both get the job done....but which one would you choose?
depends, are you a bedroom player or do you get out alot?

[JP~)]

depends, are you a bedroom player or do you get out alot?

I practice and play at home w/o amplification....just me and the guitar. Even though I have a very nice BFVR at home, i rarely plug in. If I do plug in, I use a Menatone Red Snapper set just at breakup so I can play clean or dig in and get a little breakup.

When I play out I use pedals. I play in a band w/two guitars so I gravitate towards o.d. pedals with accentuated mids. It has taken alot of trial and error to find what works best...for me...and what I've found is that no one pedal can cover all the territory that I like to cover....so my board is primarily made of comp/boost and dirt...all dirts are set to low gain for stacking.

I hope this answers your question...have a nice day

[dnauhei]

ethos

[nerdbot]

alpha drive

[rsm]

Well, there could be some that perform poorly as overdrives... since "Overdrive" has an intended purpose, it is in theory possible for some to be "better" than others on a more objective level.

In theory, perhaps; in practice, it's whatever gets you the sound you want best.

Not sure if there is a common, objective definition for OD (or Distortion for that matter) upon which everyone would agree. If there is, then we can attempt to objectively rate ODs, Dist, etc. IMO.

[Oozymouf]

In case this isn't apparent, whenever a thread reads:

"What's the best ( )"

People respond thinking:

"What's your favorite ( )"

Then hilarity ensues.

[stratguy23]

There are lots of outstanding OD's out there.

Seriously though, you're totally right. How "good" an OD pedal is should be dependant on the rig and style of the player!

Very much agree with these statements. I personally love the Timmy and Honey Beest, and I hate Tubescreamers because I use Tweed/Vox style amps, but a guy using a Blackface style amp probably loves Tubescreamers, so yes, it is very rig dependent, and there are many excellent choices (WAY too many TS clones IMO) that can make it hard to find the perfect one.

[jackrussel]

There are no crappy drive pedals. Only crappy players.

[chrismellotron]

There's no best overdrive but there is FUZZ!!!

Fuzz > OD.

There. I said it.


:hide

I agree wholeheartedly. In an OD, I am after quiet & FULL. I'm using a Fulltone Plimsoul, which is good enough. Many of my band's songs require this 'middle ground' of sonic density.

If I had my own way, it would be 1 mod (uni-vibe), a variety of fuzzes, a boost, a delay, maybe a reverb. I play though a '65 Fender Bassman which has it's own tremolo circuit. I wouldn't bother with OD/distortion.

[SeicheNZ]

I practice and play at home w/o amplification....just me and the guitar. Even though I have a very nice BFVR at home, i rarely plug in. If I do plug in, I use a Menatone Red Snapper set just at breakup so I can play clean or dig in and get a little breakup.

When I play out I use pedals. I play in a band w/two guitars so I gravitate towards o.d. pedals with accentuated mids. It has taken alot of trial and error to find what works best...for me...and what I've found is that no one pedal can cover all the territory that I like to cover....so my board is primarily made of comp/boost and dirt...all dirts are set to low gain for stacking.

I hope this answers your question...have a nice day
cheers, I wasn't really expecting such a thorough answer. My question was merely a play on the toilette pictures you posted.

if you are a bedroom player, you would of course choose the toilette in your home/chateau :D
if you get out a lot (travel, gig whatever) you take what you can get.

just saying there is no definitive answer and what works in one setting, might not work in another one. there is no king's throne in the bush camp.

[plectric]

Anything from Barber. Thread\

+1 and done! ;)

[Jonny D]

I think the OP is exactly right. "the best overdrive" is so subjective. The best for what? The best for which guitar? The best for which amp? Interacting with which other effects?

The thing I have noticed is that pickups make a ton of difference. I still have not found a drive that I fully like with both Strat pickups and Humbuckers. A few sound quite nice, but the drive I like for Strat is not the drive I like for buckers (not to mention P-90s).

[sixty2strat]

Got a bunch of OD pedals but always go back to the TS808 I bought for 39.95. I dont gamble nor blow my money at a bar. So" fuzz boxes" are my vice. That said bought a beano boost and that lead down the worm hole of vintage circuts: tonebender n fuzz faces.

[th!nk]

Despite being a bit of an OD hunter I agree with OP for the most part.
Of course, there are simple matters of quality and not emphasising naturally unpleasant sounds that are valid means for dismissing certain OD's, but even those (aside from the horrendously unreliable ones) could be used to good effect.
It's really a matter of finding the best overdrive for you - if you even feel you need it.

[Tarmac]

There's no 'best' anything in life. That's the best thing I could come up with.

Oh wait. :huh

But nah, there's no best of anything, there's always better and worse.. it's a real fine balance of what you want at the time and what's available to you.

[hudpucker]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/hudpucker/online%20hotlink/2344_p41071.jpg

;)

[kcb]

They both get the job done....but which one would you choose?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EmbD9Ix03Hc/S2YyzZy4_XI/AAAAAAAACeA/bm8u8kUwjTw/s400/1264988643668.jpghttp://images.travelpod.com/users/bevin/1.1288214682.pretty-fancy-bidet-and-commode.jpg

The water's cold in both....

[semi-hollowbody]

the best overdrive is the one YOU are CURRENTLY using...

Threads asking for an overdrive/distortion (best, most organic, transparent, to get so and so tone) are really just "what overdrive/distortions are you currently using"

My best currently are barbers...have been for a while, and whenever someone asks for a dirt suggestion, I pipe in with barbers...but who knows where Ill be in 2 years...could be back to all boss, and THATS what I will suggest regardless...

the ONLY way to find the best overdrive is to keep trying them...or be content with what you have

[gushtone]

There is no best anything, only what's best for you.
And while we're at it, the best guitar/pedal/amp for anyone, is the one that keeps he/she off the freakin' computer and busy playing their guitar...
;-)
Peace...

[JB6464]

Well that's why there is the Custom Modified Badass O.D. pedal , it is the best...:p

[Baconator]

The best is the one that you just got the tracking number for.

[enharmonic]

Over the years, I've found that OD's are fairly rig-specific. What works best with your Les Paul / Plexi might not work so well with your Jazzmaster / Twin...which in turn might not work so well with your Tele / AC-30...etc.

Once you find something that works, then you might encounter a conflict with your other pedals. I'm oversimplifying, but to summarize, there are varying degrees of perfect. When I'm using a channel switcher, my OD's / fuzz / distortion signal chain might be one pedal. When I'm using a clean amp as a pedal platform (which I prefer these days) I might have 3-4 of those types of effects, which I use more frequently to varying degree vs. sprinkled in with a high gain channel on a 2 channel amp. It's all subjective.

My hunch is that this is why there are so many options available to us today. :)

[TaylorBarefoot]

Someone's probably already said this but just to be safe:

There is no best overdrive. Only Zeul.

[killer blues]

I feel like recently there has been an influx of people asking which is the best, people claiming one is the crowning achievement of all drives, etc. etc.

c'mon guys, there are certainly different tiers of quality but there is no quantifiable way to measure goodness/awesomeness of sound and therefore there is no best overdrive. can we collectively just agree with this and stop being so ridiculous?

that will never happen as long as there are bored people on the tgp that are looking to pass the time of day

[Snufkinoob]

Over the years, I've found that OD's are fairly rig-specific. What works best with your Les Paul / Plexi might not work so well with your Jazzmaster / Twin...which in turn might not work so well with your Tele / AC-30...etc.

Once you find something that works, then you might encounter a conflict with your other pedals. I'm oversimplifying, but to summarize, there are varying degrees of perfect. When I'm using a channel switcher, my OD's / fuzz / distortion signal chain might be one pedal. When I'm using a clean amp as a pedal platform (which I prefer these days) I might have 3-4 of those types of effects, which I use more frequently to varying degree vs. sprinkled in with a high gain channel on a 2 channel amp. It's all subjective.

My hunch is that this is why there are so many options available to us today. :)

Yup.

And even if a pedal is of undeniably high build quality, the actual dirt tone might not be to some people's liking.

[prsnstrat]

The best overdrive is the NEXT overdrive. Overdrives drive the economy!

:agree

[Matt Ivaliotes]

It would be so easy to just ask "what OD do you like, and why?" No, people have to believe they are getting the "best." Which, to be blunt, is stupid. But lots of people do it anyway, and not just with guitar gear.

[Billion81]

OCD is the best Overdrive.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/SMirC-thumbsdown.svg/320px-SMirC-thumbsdown.svg.png

[ChampReverb]

Anything from Barber. Thread\

As much as I respect Barber for their fine build quality, service and bang for the buck, I could never get the Tone Pump, Burn Unit, Direct Drive or LTD to work for me and I owned them for years and kept pulling them back out to try them periodically.

I did really like the Tone Press and Barb EQ though.

bEn r.

[StormJH1]

There is no "best" one, and a $300 pedal isn't necessarily better than a $40 pedal if you don't work with it. But with overdrive, unlike distortion/fuzz, I feel like there's more transparency of tone. So for some of the more subtle "Tubescreamer"-like effects, you can eventually settle on one that does the job, and pair it with other pedals and settings.

[guitarz1972]

Someone's probably already said this but just to be safe:

There is no best overdrive. Only Zeul.


http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/659/ghostbusters10.jpg

[Shredmonster]

I feel like recently there has been an influx of people asking which is the best, people claiming one is the crowning achievement of all drives, etc. etc.

c'mon guys, there are certainly different tiers of quality but there is no quantifiable way to measure goodness/awesomeness of sound and therefore there is no best overdrive. can we collectively just agree with this and stop being so ridiculous?

Agree 101%. There is no best. Funny I just wrote that on a different thread prior to seeing this one !

Depends upon a persons ears, what sound they have in their head that they are trying to achieve, their gear, their playing style, the music they play etc...

Plus I have yet to meet someone where only one OD does it all.

[AudioEcstasy]

Absolutely. The flavors of distortion are as varied as guitar and amp options. The sky is the limit, and personal style plays a paramount role