best transparent low gain OD for fender blackface amp

[Tone Hound]

King of Tone is what I use for my deluxe reverb. The pedal was originally designed for this amp before it became a legend. I stack it with a keeley over drive (screamer / blues driver) pedal and it goes from transparent break up to awesome crunch with both going.

 

[kel1030cork]

WOW Nobody said the Meat and 3 mobbed Soul Food. With the bass control you can EQ a little better and used you're not killing the budget.

 

[Golem]

J Rockett Flex Drive is a great option for this. Put the clipping mode on the three way in th emiddle and keep the gain below noon and it's a very good transparent drive.

 

[cdngtrplyr]

You may want to try a compressor

How A Compressor Pedal Can Enhance Your Tone | ProAudioLand Musician News

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[joemiracle220]

Imo you have to try the greer lightspeed. It sounded great with my fender i used to have

 

[dangtr]

Barber Half-Gainer and the Lazy J Deuce are both outstanding: great transparent tones, very controllable. i have the Barber on every pedal board.

 

[johndara]

Looking for a nice always on low gain very transparent OD topair with my deluxe reverb or super reverb. would it be a timmy or greer light speed? maybe I have it already with my Jan Ray?

J. Rockett Blue Note Tour Series. Doesn't color your tone at all. Very light gain even with the drive dimed. It's an always on pedal for me through any of my amps.

 

[Cedar]

Joyo American Sound

 

[dickjonesify]

For your purpose, I say the Emerson EM-Drive. So good. This video is what sold me on it years ago. It basically makes your clean amp sound like it’s turned up louder. No mids added either haha.

 

[Linda]

Looking for a nice always on low gain very transparent OD topair with my deluxe reverb or super reverb. would it be a timmy or greer light speed? maybe I have it already with my Jan Ray?

Second and third the votes for the Snouse Blackbox. https://snouse.com/blackbox-overdrive-classic.html

 

[bloozeman1]

Imo you have to try the greer lightspeed. It sounded great with my fender i used to have

That's what I ended up ordering. It will be here on Wednesday

 

[chanley]

That's what I ended up ordering. It will be here on Wednesday

Nice! I hope you like it. I love mine. It's one of 3 pedals that are "always on" for me. Cali76 stacked->Greer Lightspeed->Jam Pedals Ripply fall, (chorus side).

 

[Armitage]

Z Vex Super Duper. Two boosters in one pedal. You can use either boost individually for two boost levels, or use one into the other for a third!

 

[Daytona57]

Transparent overdrives, I have used:

Boss CP-1X compressor
Barbershop V2
Gain Changer
Red Llama MKII
Saucy Box
Archer Ikon
BBE Green Screamer
Green Rhino MKII

 

[Todd S]

I'm a HUGE fan of all things Menatone—they're the most transparent ODs I've found over the decades. I own an older Red Snapper and a Fish Factory (which throws in a Blue Collar circuit). Can't recommend them enough.

That said, it sounds to me like you're looking more to just drive your tubes a bit. A ZVEX SHO or Super-Duper-2-in-1 would do that perfectly. Or a ZVEX 59 Sound, which has a clean boost SHO circuit in it as well as a pretty transparent OD tone (especially if you're already playing vintage Fender). I keep the 2-in-1 on my big board and use the 59 Sound on my easy traveler. Both were great finds.

-T

 

[jazzsola]

Looking for a nice always on low gain very transparent OD topair with my deluxe reverb or super reverb. would it be a timmy or greer light speed? maybe I have it already with my Jan Ray?

Maybe consider a clean boost to bang up the preamp...

 

[CCG]

honestly what I use for this exact purpose is the Keely Compressor Plus . it pushes the amp nicely and doesn't really change your tone

 

[ballynally]

I will give you my 2 cents: for blackface, keeping your sound somewhat the same but adding a tad of a mid bite i suggest the Way Huge Pork Loin.
What did not work for me: clean boosters (you do NOT want to boost your signal because you add b bass and treble of which you have enough already), Klon and TS style, (both have slightly different EQ bumps but neither works for me. Neither did the Timmy nor the Tumnus.Nor the Zvex distortron ie, Plexi pedals.
I know, im picky.ymmv.

 

[Brown]

A great versatile OD pedal is the Danelectro Daddy-O. Hard to find, but I've had two, still using one.

 

[redgold]

For grit, a bb style pedal...I like the Pantheon. For smooth, Simble.