Tele + SF Twin + WHAT DIRT PEDAL???

[bigben55]

My tele has hot pickups, Rio Grande Muy Grande bridge & Dirty Harry neck. The SF Twin is a 1970, set squeaky, Fender clean, but loud(volume on 3). I play blues, rock, and rootsy alt-country type stuff.

I want a pedal with a moderate amount of dirt. More than most Tube Screamer-type overdrive pedals have to offer, but definitely not anything that you could play modern hard rock/metal with. If you "need" humbuckers to play it, it's too heavy for me. I want the pedal to clean up with the guitar's volume knob. I want it to sound good when used with a clean boost(I got a Boosta Grande). I DO have a Fulltone FD2, an older 1999 model I've had since 2000 that I love BUT, it's set up for my G&L Legacy and doesn't sound great set the way it is when I run the tele through it. But it sounds so damn good with the Legacy that I just ain't gonna touch the knobs. I don't want a fuzz pedal. Whatever I get will be used strictly with this tele. Oh, and under $200, preferrably $150.

I've been listening to so many Youtube clips and such over the last few days that my head is spinning. Frontrunners so far are the OCD, Catlinbread DLS and F#5, MI Audio Crunch Box or Blues Pro.

What would you recommend?

Bigben

[KevinFinn]

I don't know about the extra drive aspect of things, but...

I'd pick up a Zendrive or a Kalamazoo if I were you. Both give you extra tonal control you'd find needful with a natively-bright Tele/SF setup.

[amarr1]

Based on the clips I've heard, the Kalamazoo sounds pretty neat.

[jjones]

Please don't take this as spam, but the Greenhouse Effects Goldrive is exactly what you are looking for. It has a nice medium gain thing going on that cleans up amazingly with the guitar volume knob. I'm selling mine b/c I have a pharaoh fuzz on the way.

[jahsoul]

OCD or Box of Rock

[xdavidandrewx]

I got a box of rock sounds amazing with my thin line and strat through my twin. I also really like the Mi blues pro and Just picked up a Mudhoney

[bigben55]

JJones, you got mail

[Hulakatt]

I would throw a vote in for the KoT. It will just sound like you're pushing your amp into distortion. It works very well with single coil guitars and is voiced very well to work with Fender reverb amps (i.e. BF's and SF's). It also has much more gain than it sounds like at first.

[aflynt]

I used to use a mid 90s Rat 2 for exactly that purpose with a similar setup. I'd second the Zendrive recommendation, but it sounds like you're looking for a bit more gain.

-Aaron

[ES330]

Skreddy Screwdriver Deluxe

[Kelsey]

I have the Catalinbread DLS, SFT, and FN5, and I like all 3 for different purposes. If you want more dirt than a TS, then I'd recommend the Cbread FN5 or SFT over the DLS. The DLS in V2 and Rawk mode may come close to the FN5, but the FN5 and SFT have more low end and sound better at 9V. To me, the DLS really only comes alive at 12V and up. If you are considering these pedals, then it would help to determine whether you're after Marshall dirt (DLS), Fender tweed dirt (FNS), or something different (ampeg dirt with the SFT).

If you like the FD2 and want a similar tone, but more open, dynamic, and with better low end, then go for the FN5 -- it's like a JFET-based TS, so it's all that and a bag of grit.

[denied]

Kot+tele+twin would be a lot of sex.

[GibsonLives]

Well, I've got Strats and an SFPR, so I'm in a fairly similar situation. I'm thinking the Radial Texas Bones might work for you, though that's only based on clips I've checked out, not the pedal itself. I'm considering picking one up myself. Of course, I also just placed an order for a Freekish Blues Alpha, am really digging the Fulltone Plimsoul, etc...so I guess I can't have everything lol. Anyway, check out the Texas Bones; that might work for you.
Steve

[Seegs]

IME pedals with Twins that have JBLs are a bad marriage...thouse speakers with the metal dustcaps sound pretty horrible with most pedals...just a big huge fizz party...

if you have other speakers...eg Jensens or replacement speakers then the range of pedals that will work with that amp increases by a large margin and any of the pedals you mentioned would do the trick...

look for a used XTS Precision OD or Multidrive...

Chow,
Seegs

[Jon]

Just mentioned with on another thread, but the Barber Direct Drive SS is great with single coils - with the internal trim pots you've got plenty of options to go from a TS-style pedal to a much fatter smoother tone - with the gain low, it does a really fat boosted tone, and with the gain higher it's perfect for classic rock - doesn't do fizzy scooped metal tones. I've got a Zendrive which for me is marginally better with humbuckers but doesn't do its magic with single coils.

[tashiattack]

any of the catalinbread pedals, timmy, or a good rat are my suggestions. Pharaoh Fuzz, Timmy, and a DLS is what I use as dirts for my Twin Reverb.

IME pedals with Twins that have JBLs are a bad marriage...thouse speakers with the metal dustcaps sound pretty horrible with most pedals...just a big huge fizz party...


100% agreed. I had JBL's in mine and after I changed them it was like a totally different amp, much much better.

[bigben55]

No JBL's. The SFTR currently has a set of Ruby Loudspeakers, made by Eminence back in the 1990s that, per Eminence, are very similar to their Legend 1258's. I plan to replace them with Tonkerlite's or Jensen Neo's.

Love Marshall crunch but feel you need a Gibson to take full advantage of it. A few of the pedals that shoot for" Marshall on a box" tone are just too single.coil noisy with my tele. Love the #5 but think it would make a better additional dirt pedal than a primary, cover all the bases one. The pedal I need will go from light OD to a notch or two past cranked Super Reverb crunch, all via the guitars volume knob.

Some of the recommendations are awesome, but I don't see me getting on a waiting list for a pedal.

[Seegs]

No JBL's. The SFTR currently has a set of Ruby Loudspeakers, made by Eminence back in the 1990s that, per Eminence, are very similar to their Legend 1258's. I plan to replace them with Tonkerlite's or Jensen Neo's.

Love Marshall crunch but feel you need a Gibson to take full advantage of it. A few of the pedals that shoot for" Marshall on a box" tone are just too single.coil noisy with my tele. Love the #5 but think it would make a better additional dirt pedal than a primary, cover all the bases one. The pedal I need will go from light OD to a notch or two past cranked Super Reverb crunch, all via the guitars volume knob.

Some of the recommendations are awesome, but I don't see me getting on a waiting list for a pedal.

old big box Rat...very touch sensitive and responsive to vol pot cleanup...newer ones don't do that...sounded great with my teles...

Chow,
Seegs

[Jet Age Eric]

I've got an ASAT Special w/trem (Tele-like tone but fatter, with Strat-like resonance thanks to the trem) into a clean BFDR-type amp and I've yet to play anything better than the Solid Gold Superdrive. If you like the Crunchbox, the Blackout Effectors Mantra is AWESOME (much more articulate and touch responsive, and the eq is fantatsic), but you'll need to get the low-gain mod (or be prepared to play with your vol. knob). -E

[zosozep7]

Hands down, a KOT! Fender amp + fender Tele or Strat = pure magic! I have a Kalamazoo and like it a lot but doesn't even come close to the KOT.

[bigben55]

Thanks for all the recommendations. I've just been schooled on a buttload of OD's that I've never even heard of before, which tells me I came to the right place.

The last time I bought an OD pedal was the year 2000. That's 11 friggin' years ago! It was a Fulldrive 2, it's still on my board and used copiously, and at the time, I had never heard of Fulltone either.

[kludge]

We TGP corksniffers find obscure pedals like pigs find truffles, and EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM is the BEST PEDAL EVER.

So yeah, you'll get lots of recommendations. My own rec is to have a few different moderate-gain pedals that play well together, and stack them for different gain structures. My personal rig for Tele + mostly-clean vintage Boogie (not terribly different from yours) is Skreddy Screwdriver > HAO Rumble Mod > Keeley-modded Rat > Prescription Electronics Germ.

The Screwdriver and Rumble Mod are pretty similar tonally, as I have them configured - the Screwdriver a bit gainier and darker, the Rumble Mod a bit more open-sounding. Either one might get overdrive duties at any given time. I stack them a LOT for a natural gain tone that's still very dynamic.

The Rat is my higher gain sound, and it sounds like a Rat. Either you like that pick-chirp thing or you don't. I often stack the Rat and the Rumble Mod for a wild, fuzz-like tone.

The Germ is a two channel pedal - one clean buffer, one mild germanium overdrive. It's ALWAYS on and I don't like playing without it. It's usually on as a clean buffer, and I have the overdrive side setup as a slightly gainy boost. It plays very well with all the other pedal combos.

[kludge]

I should add... if you want just one solution, I'd happily recommend a Skreddy Screwdriver. They're pretty easy to find in the Emporium used (they were a serious TGP fashion craze for a while), and are incredibly flexible in terms of gain, touch sensitivity, and brightness. It might take some effort to dial in, but it's worthwhile. Plus Marc is a fantastic guy with peerless customer support.

[bigben55]

Will check for used screwdrivers. I've just always had small, 30 watt or less amps that had good crunch so i didn't need pedals as much. But i never had the clean headroom i wanted, said the he'll with it and bought a vintage Twin. So now its just the opposite, headroom out the wazoo but no useable crunch. Even though it crunches nicely, its too loud at that point to even use.

[lennon08]

I just wanted to add support for the later Rat's. I have an 86 Rat and with the gain down low my Tele sounds amazing through my '70 Fender Bandmaster Reverb though a Marshall 4x12 with UK GB's.

Great marriage I must say.

[eagle2x]

Wamplerpedals hot-wired and pinnacle are great with my ge smith tele!,

[mojotele65]

Barber LTD....if you can only get one. If you can afford two get a paisely drive from Wampler. I use both with my 73 twin and tele every weekend.

[bigben55]

SO, I traded a BBE Two Timer for a Fulltone OCD v4 yesterday and so far I am very pleased! Maybe it's just me "hearing what I want to hear," but I truly think it sounds way better with my telecaster with hot Rio Grande pickups than it does with my G&L Legacy. At least the way I got it set. But then again my non-MOSFET, no mini-toggle FD2(tone at 2 o'clock and OD at 10 o'clock, in normal OD mode) sounds way better with the G&L set as it is. I'm sure great tones can be coaxed out of either pedal with either guitar.

I got the OCD set at 1 o'clock for tone and 2 o'clock for drive, in LP mode, with vol slightly above clean amp level. As for running the FD2 into the OCD, at current settings, it's too single coil noisy with the tele. And with the G&L it is about on par tone and crunch-wise with the FD2 in boost mode with the boost at 2 o'clock. I don't see me running these together much.

The OCD definitely is better with cleaning up with the volume knob, but IMO some of that is because I got it set for more dirt than the FD2. But either way, it retains most of the volume level longer as you turn the guitar down, whereas the FD2 definitely gets quieter sooner. On the OCD, I don't think I like the "HP" mode at all. This is after only an hour or two of tweaking, but it just sounded too bright and was much noisier at all settings. It did have more volume and drive. Would probably be better with humbuckers, but I don't like it with single coils.

Bottom line: as set, it is not too single coil noisy with the tele, has mucho crunch, plays well with the clean boost, and cleans up well with the volume knob. Oh, and sounds killer! Pretty much exactly my original "tele dirt pedal" criteria. Think its a keeper and I am set. Down the road, I DO see me getting a Catalinbread Formula #5 just as my "something a little different" flavor of dirt. Would be cool to get cranked Tweed(epitome of Fender crunch) coming out of my SF Twin Reverb(epitome of Fender clean). That would turn some heads!

Thanks for the help.

[JB Eckl]

With that setup, why not go with a Fulldrive 2? They really compliment single coils with Fender amps (I used it with a silverface Twin) and you get 2 levels of good mid-gain dirt. You still see them on the boards of some of the best players like David Grissom, and it's become a modern classic for sure.

I wish I hadn't sold mine, but I have a great dirty channel on my amp. If I was still playing through a Twin I never would have gotten rid of it.

[nickthenail]

Yep, yet another vote for the KOTv4.

[benderman]

Big Ben I'm playin' thru a 65 RI Twin with Jensen Neo's and I got my hands on a Wampler Paisley Drive and it's Pure heaven,I also have a Wampler Hot Wired Pedal that sounds killer with my Twin.Some great suggestions from everyone one i've been thru a lot of drive pedals the past year or 2 because my Twin is overdrive picky LOL!!!There's so much stuff out there you'll find something that you'll like sooner or later take care buddy :)

[Speedy Fingers]

What about an Xotic AC Booster?

[bigben55]

Big Ben I'm playin' thru a 65 RI Twin with Jensen Neo's and I got my hands on a Wampler Paisley Drive and it's Pure heaven,I also have a Wampler Hot Wired Pedal that sounds killer with my Twin.Some great suggestions from everyone one i've been thru a lot of drive pedals the past year or 2 because my Twin is overdrive picky LOL!!!There's so much stuff out there you'll find something that you'll like sooner or later take care buddy :)

This week I'm taking the amp to a tech for a "good once over." That's job #1. I do plan to keep the previous owner's "reverb and tremolo of both channels" mod. I find the T/M/B knobs need to be set different for tele and strat and this way I have a tweaked tone stack dedicated for each guitar. Tele=7,5,3; strat=6,5.5,5. Both bright switches ON.

Job #2 is to replace the speakers. So, how do you like the Jensen Neo's? I'm leaning toward either those or Eminence Tonkerlite's.

BTW, here's my rig.
http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/45562/2045060450079144776S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2045060450079144776LwDiip)

[nic'o'caster]

Tele -> KOT -> SF Twin I'm sure there are other good sounding pedals out there but the KOT works wonder with any of my Fender amps.