your PEDAL that DRIVES reviews..... OPEN MIC

[Cary Chilton]

I am curious if any members have tried any of the following on their tube amps:

sorry for the huge list but I know everyone likes different things.

RC or AC boost (is the ac is distortion unit or OD circuit?)
SIB varidrive
Menatone's ptp drives (howie, kar krash, working mans blue, fish factory)
diamond Jdrive , red snapper)
Tim, timmy
THD
Gainster (cB or ptp)
zen or zen II
budda's OD
MI audio's Blue boy
Hot cake
Shredmaster
OCD
TMB and GL TMB(legendary tones)
Expandora (any model)
lovepedal's
Zvex super hardon or super duper

I am quite new to pedals since I have just always used my amp and guitar BUT I want to try some HIGH quality pedals based on your recommendations. I can't buy all of them! I wish I could..
Any and all impressions of these pedals are appreciated. Especially if you have had the opportunity to compare one or more of these models with any tube amp.
I am looking for all kinds of pedals for all kinds of applications everything from clean boosts to a modern rock. I just want to buy 3-5 pedals of the best. :dude

[hemlock]

You can do a search for each of those and find loads of info from people who have them. That'll be a good place to start. after that, dive in and buy a few on the Emporium. You can always unload them later for very little difference than what you paid.

[David-R]

OCD and Zendrive. Both are on my board right now. I don't need both but I'm not sure which will stay.

IMO - the OCD is more transparent and natural sounding but seems to accentuate a fizzy top end in my 6L6 based amp.

[Cary Chilton]

thanks dave,
I recalled hearing the OCD clips on the fulltone website as just OK. However when I heard some clips from the GAINSTER, I was like wow~! Do you think the OCD will be killer on a non master volume super lead mark II marshall 100 w?
thanks

[jlagrassa]

I use the OCD and the New Gainster on my pedalboard and love those pedals, I've had the OCD since it was released. I use it into a 59 Bassman RI set clean and dont hear any of the fizz some people mentioned........ I think thats more of the pedal reacting to that particular amp.

Anyway its hard to base a pedal on an opinion you really need to just try it and see for your self, most places have some kind of a return policy!

[David-R]

Originally posted by jlagrassa
I use the OCD and the New Gainster on my pedalboard and love those pedals, I've had the OCD since it was released. I use it into a 59 Bassman RI set clean and dont hear any of the fizz some people mentioned........ I think thats more of the pedal reacting to that particular amp.


I agree with you. If I crank my amp w/o the OCD it has that top end fizz so it's not coming from the OCD.

[David-R]

Originally posted by georgeandleo
thanks dave,
I recalled hearing the OCD clips on the fulltone website as just OK. However when I heard some clips from the GAINSTER, I was like wow~! Do you think the OCD will be killer on a non master volume super lead mark II marshall 100 w?
thanks

The Gainster OCD clips are amazing but it has a lot to do with the amp and the amp settings. My rig doesn't sound like that. :(

[dave s]

What amp (make and model) do you want to push with an OD pedal? What is your 'go-to' guitar? What type of music are you playing and what role do you see a pedal or pedals playing in your rig?

All amps aren't created 'equal' in the way they accept pedals. If you are shooting in the dark, buying, trying and selling pedals is the slowest way to get what you need.

Best path to follow is to:

1) define need

2) select gear that fits need

3) enjoy results

dave

[Cary Chilton]

Hey Dave S!
I am playing a re issue 1996 mark II super lead 100 watt; but not much is original anymore. I replaced the output trany with an Obsolete Electronics plexi model, I have Kevin O'connors (londonpower.com) latest power Scale pack installed (like a variac), I have replaced all tubes ( JJ high gain, Sveltana etc), I have the whole board re made point to point by Canada's own Mark Stephenson (Stephensonamps.com). I trust him to do that work because he has done major repair/restoration of vintage amos for most of Vancouver vintage amp warehousers. He has made amps for Randy Bachman, Mutt Lang etc.... Mark also installed a biasing board for my tubes. Incidently Paul Cochrane is doing something like this on his Colonnial amp (heritageamps.com?) soon to be updated, I believe. My guitars: G@L GeorgeFUllerton sig model (1990?) and an older musicman axis (dark rosewood fingerboard -haven't seen another one like it) -it has the duncan EVH pickup (160 usd touch.... ouch).
I love the tone I have! I want to play with options,too.
I want to increase the gain slightly, (I ordered a TIM), I want a neal schon huge lead tone (looking at an OCD, Hot cake, AC boost).. However these menatones got me thinking Iwant to try them out, too. THe HBE power screamer is another thought.
thoughts???? anyone?
THANKS!:dude

[Colt]

I've owned most of them ::blushes::.....

with that said, you can do damn near anything with and OCD or a TIM (or timmy).


I also rec. a GREAT fuzz.....the NKT 275 Sunface w/ sundial from analogman.com.....amazing stuff

[Cary Chilton]

Hey COLT, that is good because I am buying those too FOR SURE!
You know I never listened to Mike Fullers sound clips closely enough last year. Upon listening to them again, few days ago, most of them were nice, partiularly the second SG clip with the marshall. I thought man that sounds just like my marshall and guitar with more BEEF! I have a TIM ordered, does anyone think I should buy a timmy to go with it, or have a smaller one for practices or quick spur of the moment hired gun type stuff?

[Cybercat]

Originally posted by georgeandleo
(snip)
I love the tone I have! I want to play with options,too.
I want to increase the gain slightly, (I ordered a TIM), I want a neal schon huge lead tone (snip) Hmm, beg to differ from the other good advice...

I'd get a Lovepedal COT 50 for the increase gain slightly option (but with added tone & mojo), & a Fetto for the HUGE lead tone...

Good Luck!

[1kidc]

Tim & OCD are workin' well for me!

[Cary Chilton]

hey HK BILL, Taiwan Cary here, The FETTO IS TOOOOOO pricy. Plus it is a distortion unit, and distortion units, as per Geoff Teese, dist units do not work well with his wah pedals.

¶® ÎÒ µÄÒâ˼ †á?

[Cary Chilton]

oh, Chinese characters aren't supported on here. dang!

[Cybercat]

Originally posted by georgeandleo
hey HK BILL, Taiwan Cary here, The FETTO IS TOOOOOO pricy. Plus it is a distortion unit, and distortion units, as per Geoff Teese, dist units do not work well with his wah pedals.

¶® ÎÒ µÄÒâ˼ †á? Hi Taiwan Cary!

Oh shoot! Didn't know I wasn't suppose'd to use distortion with my Geoff Teese Wah - & I must have done over a thouasand gigs with it! Oops! :NUTS

I've been using the Fetto (nowhere near as pricey as my Pete Cornish G-2/SS-2 Duplex) with the Teese RMC 3 wah that Analog Mike put together for me in an old Vox Case about 8 or 9 years ago (before Geoffrey had his own cases), and it works just fine with the Fetto.
No, thats not quite fair - i should say it works stunningly well with my Fetto (...much better). :cool:

'Analog' Mike Piera then put me in touch with Dave Fox, who sent me a "FoxRox Wah Retrofit" about 7 years ago & I put it in the RMC3 myself - & since then no problems, even with NOS 1960s germanium fuzz units, or Cornish G2, ProAnalog Scary Face, Sunface NKT 275, MJM London, '84 Rat, Banzai Fireball II, Bennett Brown Sound, - or the Fetto... :AOK

[cheesey]

big gainster and a tim

[Cary Chilton]

HK BILL! WE'LL DO LUNCH!!!!! hehe
Well I am just going by what Geoff told me on the phone ( he is a great guy). No real rules with this kinda stuff. He just said his pedals worker better with OD's than Distortion boxes. I can't afford FETTO's or Cornish Corndogs! I spent all my eggs on a vintage plexi and guitars. I did hear the FETTO ( love that name) on his site, SWEET high Soldano type sounds! Certainly cheaper than a soldano. I guess I am still waiting to get lucky and find a soldano cheap on Ebay or in traditional Chinese music shop .... yeah that's it ... next to the Er hu's!! heheh

[Deaj]

I'm a big fan of the Hermida Audio pedals. The Zendrive and Zendrive2 are very likely the best choice for low gain Dumble type tones. If you're looking to incorporate that sound into your rig look no further.

[sanhozay]

I really like the three Fulltone pedals that I have:

Fulldrive II
OCD
Fat Boost

These pedals surface daily on the used market for great prices and are all very useful and musical.

The Fat Boost does a Klon-esque clean boost with single coils. Few pedals make me happier than the Fat Boost.

The Fulldrive II is a classic and the three toggle version will let you color your sound many different ways. Not the most transparent OD but it probably wasn't designed that way. I love this pedal and keep going back to it.

The OCD is a complex and hugely versatile pedal. It overwhelms me with it's sound potential. It's like I grew a supple breast; when this thing is in front of me I'll I want to do is fiddle with it. Very cool pedal.

And a good fuzz pedal - my current squeeze is a Sunface - can really turn things into a corpulent, nasty mess. Good times!

[rhmcfarland]

Lovepedal Eternity

Phenomenal pedal. Very amp-like and responsive to the guitar volume.

[eric-d]

Let's put it this way, I'll never get rid of my Klon... I got it back in 200 and has NEVER let me down....

[rockstrongo]

I use a Fulltone OCD to drive my Marshall Superbass. It sounds awesome, I love it. My Marshall distorts ever so slightly when set at a reasonable volume, and the OCD just pushes it over the top.

I also use a Zvex Super Hard On at the end of my chain and it just makes everything bigger and wider. Its indispensable.