Club 40 guys, let's talk distortion pedals...

[Gi-gi-giggity]

What kind of dirt boxes do you put in front of your Germino and for what style of music?
I'm kickin' the tires on a few ideas and would like to solicite opinions.

Thanks.

[axepilot]

What kind of dirt boxes do you put in front of your Germino and for what style of music?
I'm kickin' the tires on a few ideas and would like to solicite opinions.

Thanks.

I don't use any overdrive or distortion boxes with my Club 40. To me, it has enough on tap just as it is. I use my guitar's volume and pick attack as a gain control - just dial it up when you need the sweet drive.

[Gi-gi-giggity]

Well, ideally if you have the proper time and space to play it that loud. I guess I should have specified that this is to achieve gain at lower volumes.

[axepilot]

Well, ideally if you have the proper time and space to play it that loud. I guess I should have specified that this is to achieve gain at lower volumes.

I bridle mine with a Hot Plate - first two notches....tops. I can get some reasonable drive that way. I also mic the amp.

[Gi-gi-giggity]

Eh...I'm not into hot plates really. To each their own.

[59burstbucker]

I prefer to run it without pedals, as well, but I've used an OCD or an RC Booster when volume is a concern. Neither colors the sound very much, and the touch sensitivity is still there. Would like to try a BOR sometime, but most of the time I'm gonna run around 8ish on the volume and let it eat!

[axepilot]

Eh...I'm not into hot plates really. To each their own.

No offense, but I can't see adding any gain at lower volumes using a pedal with a Club 40 without coloring the natural tone of the amp. Don't take me wrong, but that amp is meant to sing as is. I use a Hot Plate to take just a little edge off of the volume. It colors the sound alot less than any pedal would.

[Mr.Hanky]

A Klon and a MJM Blues Devil, I've posted clips before they are out there.

Both work well, the Klon is a killer though.

[axepilot]

A Klon and a MJM Blues Devil, I've posted clips before they are out there.

Both work well, the Klon is a killer though.

Guess I'm just not a "pedal guy". I stand corrected....................:D

[mcdyas]

sexdrive works well my my v-plex, which is kinda the same platform

[dewman]

Ok- I see the validity of running the amp w/o pedals - and it sounds killer that way. But this amp takes pedals exceptionally well and I have a few nice matches for the Club 40. First off- speakers make a big difference. Heritage G12Ms are cruchy and have loose low end, especially in open backed cabs. They are articulate and sound great cranked- but in my opinion the standard Greenback is the best speaker for using pedals and still cranking it once in a while. Second, Sumbacks are also excellent speakers for the Club 40, especially with pedals. Either the M55/M75 pairing or the louder and more highs/more lows H55/H75 pairing is great. So I have a 2x12 with heritage G12Ms and a 4x12 with regular greenbacks and I love them both but feel like the greenbacks work best at lower volumes with pedals, yet give a nice lead tone.

In NO particular order:

Ok- that being said- I have tried a few dirt pedals that work very well. First, the ZVex Box of Rock is a great low to mid gain overdrive. I am not crazy about it cranked- It can get that Judas Priest tone, but the magic is in the noon to 3 pm tones- highly articulate, warm and huge bottom end. The boost is killer as well. It cleans up when you roll down the volume. If you can run your Club to the edge f breakup-= this is all you will need. That pedal is like an extra channel for your amp. AND it stacks beautifully.

Second is the Eternity. Killer pedal as well. Doesnt clean up as well, but it is smooth and full sounding. Expensive.

Third- Bad Monkey. An amazing budget substitute that can dial in the low end often lost by tube screamer clones. An amazing value for the $$ and does really dial in some nice boost tones with gain less than noon and level up with the Club 40.

Fourth- Analogman Beano- Your prototypical rangemaster clone. Sounds great, but to get the full effect and to sound like Jimmy Page or Clapton the amp HAS to be loud. Howeve, stack this with the Box of Rock- and dude you are THERE. Very nice lead tones with articulation with that stack. Set in on mid for humbuckers or treble and full for strats...Yumm...

OCD- versions 1 and 2 are just ok with that amp. Its crunchy to begin with and those versions are scooped. Vers 3 may work ok but I found the OCD to love the Dr Z Route 66 MUCH better. That pedal is made for that amp.

5. Analogman Sunface- go into the bass input- crank the amp to slight breakup, and ride the volume knob and it is amazing with the Club 40. No buzziness with the bass input. With the treble input you can cut through more I suppose and it is more gainy, but the tones I hear in my head come from going in through the bass input, cranking the treble and mids and 9-12 oclock bass, and it is IT for hendrix of Bramhall II. We should ALL be allowed to play that pedal through Gregs headroom 100 just once. But for the CLub 40, wth a humbucking guitar I felt like that pedal didnt add much when the amp was cranked, but did when the amp wasnt. You have to find the spot for yourself, but when you do it is nice. A pedal best for strats though.



6. Paul Cochrane's TIM: Again whatta nice pedal and killer match. This pedal was DESIGNED with ld marshalls in mind, and this one again delivers. I played a friends through it and HAD to get one. Hopefully mine will come soon. Great stacked with the BoR I hear but by itself it just adds the right hair to everything. Another tone I kept hearing in my head.

7. Fuzz Factory from ZVex. Ok this one is wild- But stab down and gate/compression up and gain up and you get wonderfully smooth lead tones with some musical compression. I regularly play through it with neck pickup tone OFF and in neck pup position (volume 9-gate off-comp-off-drive noon to 3 oclock- and stab all the way up) and it is very good sounding. It is very trebly, so again best through the bass input- there it smooths out and sounds much better. Warm it up as well with the gain maxed...stacks very well with the Box of Rock. Really tames that pedal.


9. marshall Bluesbreaker type 1. Great low overdrive. Very bluesy. GOod pedal but no longer made. Still sounds great with the Club 40- bu I think the Tim is better.

10. Zendrive. Tried it. Dont like it. Maybe its just me. Oh well.

11. Fulldrive II. Again a highly versatile and excellent sounding pedal. FM mode rocks with the Club 40. Vintage mode is too woofy and muddy, unless you are wanting to use the bridge pup of a strat. Comp cut mode is a little harsh, but ok when cranked. The boost in comp cut mode is more usable.

12. Electro harmonix Double Muff. Ok but grainy and buzzy with the CLub 40. Sort of Keef sounding but also sort of a weak Big Muff Pi.

Lastly- I'd also expand into tube changes. I found the Club 40 to respond very very well to 6L6 type tubes like the TAD 6L6WG or Groove Tube KT66HPs with strats. It really fills them out. Plus Erc Johnson uses them in his 50 watt JTM50s, the model of Marshall that the CLub 40 is based on. I also like Brimar 6V6s, although the smoothest natural overdrive (read as amp on 8 with a Les Paul of humbucking guitar) is with EL34s. But try the 6L6s. Adds more mids in the right places for strats and thicken them out quite a bit.

OK I am done for now- I've gotten rid of most of these pedals. Mainly use the Box of Rock these days and beano rangemaster and eternity. And the sunface for fuzz...

Killer amp. Amazing build quality. Germino's also a great guy. Takes dirt pedal very well....+100 on Hanky's tones with his Gibson R4 and a Klon and the Club 40 with a 2x12 of Heritage G12Ms...check THAT out!

[Mr.Hanky]

Guess I'm just not a "pedal guy". I stand corrected....................:D

:messedup

You make Mongo confused, Mongo no understand.

http://reedfamilyranch.com/private/forum/images/avatars/mongo-blazing-saddles.gif

[Bo Faulkner]

I get great results withthe OCD v3.. It gives a good rendition of the amps natural cranked tone at a low volume... that said my club 40 gets mad at me when I put a pedal between me and it.

[dewman]

My neighbors get mad when I plug into a Club 40!!

[carlygtr56]

That amp like all Germino amps, take to pedals like a duck to water.
Most anything will sound excellent.

[riffmeister]

I used an 01 Fulldrive2 with good success with my Germino amps. A very tasty Classic Rock Guitar Sound using a humbucker guitar......

[Roe]

my fd2 works much better with singel coils than humbuckers

[A440]

I rapped a bit with Greg at the ampshow

he explained that he came from the era where they used NO pedals
(pre-tubescreamer, lol). guitar straight into amp.

I'm sure a clean boost (RC Boost or Klon) or a TS style OD would work well !

[Gi-gi-giggity]

I actually have/use the Box of Rock pedal primarily with this amp. At times it can get a bit buzzy so I have to be careful. The other pedal that I like for all of my amps is the BB Preamp, however it's strapped to my pedal board and I don't necessarily care to pull it out every time I want to plug up to the Germino (I'm lacking a bit on space).
I bought this amp being fully aware that it's designed to be cranked to the gills to maximize its potential, but simply put, sometimes I want more dirt at a lower volume.
Furthermore, I feel that I'm still going through a break-in period with the speakers. The highs can be a bit piercing from time to time and the 20W Celestions in the 2x12 make it a BOOMY cab. I'm hoping that it smooths out and comes together as time goes by.

It's loaded with EL34s btw.

[59burstbucker]

I get great results withthe OCD v3.. It gives a good rendition of the amps natural cranked tone at a low volume... that said my club 40 gets mad at me when I put a pedal between me and it.

I have the OCD Ver 3 as well, plenty of mids. Ver 1 and 2 may not be as good, I've never tried them. But nothing beats cranked with just a cord! :dude

[talpa]

Jersey Girl Fulltender thru NOS RCA VT-107A's into vintage G12-65's.

The C40 and JMJ30 are the finest new-build chassis on the planet.

I have been honored with 1 of each.

[moozak]

i use both the FDII and the OCD pedal... both great pedals and sound fantastic with my C40. i also use a Hot Plate sometimes with no pedal as well... just depends on my mood.


I have the OCD Ver 3 as well, plenty of mids. Ver 1 and 2 may not be as good, I've never tried them. But nothing beats cranked with just a cord! :dude

hey, 59burstbucker... how can i tell whether i have OCD version 1,2 or 3? i'm assuming that mine's probabaly a 1... but is there a way to tell?

[Scott Peterson]

For classic/modern rock I had wonderful results with the following in my Club 40:

Blackstone
MI Audio Crunch Box
Xotic BB Preamp

I never wanted for more beyond those three. I loved the Xotic RC Boost for the clean boost thing.

[59burstbucker]

hey, 59burstbucker... how can i tell whether i have OCD version 1,2 or 3? i'm assuming that mine's probabaly a 1... but is there a way to tell?[/quote]

There are other threads in the pedal forum that address this. I don't know the numbers, but it has to do with your serial number. Mine is in the 10k area.

[Bo Faulkner]

Just tried my old Black LTD (forgot I had that one!) and it sounded fabulous!

[Roe]

hey, 59burstbucker... how can i tell whether i have OCD version 1,2 or 3? i'm assuming that mine's probabaly a 1... but is there a way to tell?

There are other threads in the pedal forum that address this. I don't know the numbers, but it has to do with your serial number. Mine is in the 10k area.[/quote]

in version 1 the components are covered to prevent people from cloning the circuit