Formula 5 vs Screwdriver

[vintage66]

Well, not really, but if I have a Screwdriver, is the Formula 5 redundant? I sounds killer for stones type crunch in the demos and it's a 5e3 type overdrive so it should get good early ZZ Top, right? I already have a Screwdriver, which doesn't really sound like that the way I have it set, but I'm not sure how different these two are. Worth getting?

[erksin]

I have both and they are VERY different in EQing and feel. The Screw Driver has the ability depending on how you set it to be fairly neutral in its EQing, the Formula No.5 is anything but neutral.

FWIW they stack really well together, but thats easy to say whenever the Screw Driver is involved - I friggin love that pedal.

[vintage66]

Originally Posted by erksin

I have both and they are VERY different in EQing and feel. The Screw Driver has the ability depending on how you set it to be fairly neutral in its EQing, the Formula No.5 is anything but neutral.

FWIW they stack really well together, but thats easy to say whenever the Screw Driver is involved - I friggin love that pedal.

Thanks, can you give me a more detailed description of how the Formula 5 sounds in comparison? Do you use it with a clean amp? Worth having both? Is it Keef in a box? Tweed Deluxe in a box? I get the impression it's on the bright side.

[erksin]

Well the youtubes of it are pretty accurate - those will do a much better job than I can at describing the sound.

I hear the SD as a Germanium-flavored booster - so its not really shaping the overall EQ (at least how I use mine anyway), it's simply adding grit and changing the picking dynamics vs. my original source tone. I've always used the Pregain and Brilliance pots determine the overall feel and picking response of it rather than as tone shaping controls. Maybe it can be more influential on the overall EQ sound, but like I said I don't think those controls should really be thought of as proper 'tone controls' like Treble and Bass.

By comparison the Fn5 has a healthy mids push to my ear, adds sparkle on top, and can give you a cushier feel to the bottom end if you have the gain set high. Compared to the SD, it's more dramatic in its effect on the overall EQing of the original tone. I don't think it's a bright pedal at all - though that tweed sparkle on top is definitely part of it.

I use it into clean or dirty amps with a variety of pickups.

[vintage66]

Thanks for the added info. It sounds great in the vids I've seen.