BB Preamp or Barber Small Fry???

[rockeye]

I need an overdrive pedal for my Super Reverb with Tone Tubbies. I currently have a Keeley TS-9 but its sounds thin and nasally. It works great when the music is really loud and the dynamics are kind of lost, but at lower volumes it really bugs me. The pedal sounds great through a 12" speaker but not quite right through a 10" speaker.
I don't know what would be a better replacement the BB Preamp or the Barber Small Fry? OR would a Analog Man Maxon OD-9 Silver be a good idea?

[wleeds]

Small Fry.
It's just so versatile and natural sounding. Works great with my Super
:band

[rockeye]

Can the BB Preamp do southern rock ala Jimmy Herring and Jack Pearson?

[WahmBoomAh]

Small Fry.
It's just so versatile and natural sounding. Works great with my Super
:band
+1
in my case a princeton rev ...\

I tried the BB in an attempt to gain some real estate on my board . I found the BB to be too hairy and buzzy in relation to the smoothness of the SF .

[amphead777]

I'd go with the Maxon. Mike does a great job with it. I prefer it to the KOT!!! Imagine that. Not as flexible, but the sound, Mama Mia

[shredtrash]

I just got a BB plus. I love it because it's an aggressive pedal (Van Halenish). If you like that sort of thing then it's awesome! Highly recommended.

[rockeye]

Well, no one answered.....can the BB preamp do southern rock ala Jimmy Herring or Jack Pearson? I just need a pedal to hang with the heaviest tones for me........Allman Brothers.........and the smooth fusion tunes.

[soundbee]

I love the BB for both southern tones AND fusion-y stuff. "BB" stands for Blues Breaker - which the pedal is supposed to emulate. So if you think along those lines and use it 'like an amp', you'll get some good mileage out of it.

I also have a Burn Unit (double version of the small fry). Which is my second favorite pedal (actually tied w/ AM OD-9 silver). To my ears the BU puts it's own stamp on the sound whereas the BB seems to let more natural sound through. I tend to think of the two pedals like this:
BB - groovy overall amp tone with excellent power-amp gain
BU - great feel and more in suited to 'shred' styles ala pre-amp gain

[amphead777]

The Tube Zone is known as a "Soldano in a box". That's the primary amp they use.

[rockeye]

Not really, just Warren Haynes. I like Derek and Jimmy. I might just throw down on the AM maxon OD-9 Silver.

[DaveG]

Well, no one answered.....can the BB preamp do southern rock ala Jimmy Herring or Jack Pearson? I just need a pedal to hang with the heaviest tones for me........Allman Brothers.........and the smooth fusion tunes.

I think the Small Fry does that much better than the BB; I didn't like the BB when I had it, and have had a Small Fryon my main board since they came out. I still think the Small Fry is a great pedal, but I've found something I like even better... the Ocean EFX Pearl Drive. It's fantastic sounding, and is the most touch-sensitive pedal I've ever played. Corby's worked some magic on this one:

http://www.oceanefx.com/Pearl-Drive.php

[rockeye]

The Pearl Drive sounds kinda pedally and not amp like. At least from the clips provided on the website. If I need any great articulation nothing beats the amp on the verge of break up, but I need an overdrive that provides singing sustain and does well at all volumes.
As of now its a toss up between the the Analog Man OD-9 Silver and the BB Preamp.

[Road King]

+1 on the BB. Does great at all volumes and to my ears is more like a singing overdriven amp than an OD pedal that sounds like an OD pedal ala TS9. Wouldn't take for mine.

[ari]

My vote goes to Small Fry. I compared them side-by-side and Small Fry definitely had more amp-like sag to the pick attack, very classic rock. BB sounded like a pedal to me, though it's easier to dial in Marshally tones. SF needs more tweaking.

YMMV.

ari

[plan-x]

The small fry is a pretty impressive pedal. It has a mini toggle for 3 voicings, internal mids, presence, bass and note shape controls. Dynamics knob that adds or cuts compression as well as a treble knob. I did notice that it sounds very good or better with larger rigs at band level. It rolls back really well also. My bass player really likes the sound mine gets and was impressed with the roll back tone.

[soopajeanmi]

Can the BB Preamp do southern rock ala Jimmy Herring and Jack Pearson?

BB doesn't have enough midrange for the Herring tone.

[soopajeanmi]

My vote goes to Small Fry. I compared them side-by-side and Small Fry definitely had more amp-like sag to the pick attack, very classic rock. BB sounded like a pedal to me, though it's easier to dial in Marshally tones. SF needs more tweaking.

YMMV.

ari

+1 Small Fry. More tweaking but the tweaking is really logical and all the settings *do* change the tone. Fantastic to be able to dial "I need a little more hair but not more gain", "i need a little more midrange", "I need a tigher feel", "I'd like more compression": and all those tones are *great* one.

[gillibi]

Both Herring and Pearson used Tube Screamers when they were in the Allman Bros.

[Brownface]

I've read several places where Herring used a Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor a lot. I think it was on his website maybe. I'll have to look and get back with you on that. Anyone else seen this?

[gillibi]

I've read several places where Herring used a Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor a lot. I think it was on his website maybe. I'll have to look and get back with you on that. Anyone else seen this?

Yeah, he started using this a lot w/Phil Lesh. Once he moved to the higher gain amps(SLO, now a Fuchs) from the Fenders he ditched the pedal.

[PLAYLOUD]

Well, no one answered.....can the BB preamp do southern rock ala Jimmy Herring or Jack Pearson? I just need a pedal to hang with the heaviest tones for me........Allman Brothers.........and the smooth fusion tunes.

The BB is really great with the super. A friend of mine has a completely rebuilt one and it was pretty awesome. Small Fry could be good two. Buy both and return one

[Stratosphere]

Haven't tried the BB but I love my Small Fry. It's a high-gain pedal that can easily be dialed down into not-high-gain territory. I keep the burn really low on mine - no more than at nine o'clock - but when my amp is turned up a bit I get great sustain with just a little grit when I'm picking. I like the dynamics knob too; it's pretty useful.

Very versatile and I haven't even bothered yet to open mine up and play with the switches inside. It was just plug and play for me.

[kram21]

small fry is one of the best pedals for a strat and a fender amp;

[Blues Wail]

I've had both and offed The Small Fry ASAP. Dead & lifless in my opinion. The BB sings & purrs.