Stacking Overdrives/Distortions to Achieve More Gain Stages

[JohnJeevasingham]

Hi, everyone!
I'm just wondering how some of you setup the overdrives and distortions in your rig for flexibility and versatility. For example, if you had three overdrive/distortion pedals (Drive 1, Drive 2, Drive 3), do some of you use them in combinations to get more levels of gain?

Eg.
Drive 1 = Light
Drive 2 = Medium
Drive 1 + Drive 2 = Medium Heavy
Drive 2 + Drive 3 = Really Heavy
etc.

If you do, what pedals do you use and find work together well to create these combinations?
Or, do you prefer to use your overdrives/ distortions individually?

Thanks!

[aawshred]

i dont do that much stacking, usually only two at a time. lets say i've got a tube screamer and a rat. i'll use the rat for classic rock tones, and the tube screamer for blues and light gain tones. then i'll use them together for hard rock, maybe even metal tones.

[JohnJeevasingham]

Originally Posted by aawshred

i dont do that much stacking, usually only two at a time. lets say i've got a tube screamer and a rat. i'll use the rat for classic rock tones, and the tube screamer for blues and light gain tones. then i'll use them together for hard rock, maybe even metal tones.

Cool, that sounds simple and effective. :-) A Rat and a TS.

[aawshred]

ya, its one of the definitive combos i think.

[teleclem]

another combo people like is Screwdriver + Timmy

I like the timmy with a ts-type pedal too

(for that matter, Timmy + a lot of different kinds of od is great)

[Aran]

Two is as many as I'd stack. After that it just gets way too noisy to be of much use.

That said I like the medium gain going into the higher gain.

[Help!I'maRock!]

current dirt is:

Way Huge Angry Troll -> MI Audio Tube Zone -> EHX LPB-1

[jboyjams]

I've been doing it and some stack better than others for sure. I always have the cleanest best stackers last or after the other overdrives. Timmy and Screwdriver stack well but the HBOD (Honey Bee Overdrive) stacks after pedals like no other - really cuts it to be out front for live use. All 3 are nice stackers.

[wannabweiland]

Honestly, I'm an "amp distortion" kind of guy. Mesa Boogie's will do that to ya, but I agree with the Skreddy Screw Driver/Timmy combo. I'd do something with medium gain with some character with a transparent OD to stack on it. If you get a TIM, you'd also have a nice boost on it, too.

[KindaFuzzy]

I remember playing around with a tubescreamer into a big muff like the guys in the Offspring did in the early days, it was pretty cool.