Need advice on pedal for Marshall amp-Tube Screamer, Bad Monkey, what?

[bbutler123]

What I want is a pedal that doesn't change the tone of the Marshall a lot. By that I mean, I have an inexpensive pedal now that takes all the bottom out when I turn it on, for example.

I suppose I'd like it to sound like the Marshall does when it's cranked, but I can't crank the Marshall enough in many cases, so I need a pedal for it.

I've heard that Tube Screamer and Bad Monkey are 'best', but I'm not sure of best for what?

And by the way, if anyone knows, there are two main tube screamers- the TS9 and the TS808. The 808 supposedly sounds like the original, but costs way more. Is the TS9 good enough to uphold that Tube Screamer beauty that so many guitarists talk about?

Thanks.

 

[brentshelton]

Take a look at the Marshall Guv'nor pedals I have the newest one, I like it a lot better than my TS-9 Tube Screamer for my JCM 800. Does not color the tone like the Tube Screamer does.

 

[bbutler123]

Take a look at the Marshall Guv'nor pedals I have the newest one, I like it a lot better than my TS-9 Tube Screamer for my JCM 800. Does not color the tone like the Tube Screamer does.

Thanks, I'll take a look. I have a JCM800 also. I don't need high gain for metal or anything, but a really smoothe distortion with the Marshall tone to it would be nice.

Oddly, I tried a Marshall Jackhammer hoping it would make my Fender sound like a Marshall. It doesn't work that way.

 

[BCJek]

I use the Bad Monkey, TS-9, and others, but if I just want to drive the front end without color, I use an EQ pedal. It allows me to choose which frequencies get boosted. This is especially nice when playing at lower volumes [but higher preamp gain settings].

 

[Anna_Laurel]

The Marshall Drive Master is the most natural sounding pedal I have ever plugged into my Marshall amps. They're discontinued but available for around a hundred bucks, and worth every penny in my opinion.

A very good second choice is the original Guv'nor, followed by the Guv'nor reissue.

These are opinions, based on my experience with Marshall amps and dozens of different boosts and ODs.

 

[Alvis]

I been using the ol' trusty DoD 250 since 1981.It's always done the trick for me ,only thing I ever used ,beside my own creations,which Im not gonna hype ,but someone who has one and likes it, feel free......
BTW ,I basically only use any OD pedal for some juice on the solos

If I use a pedal for the actual drive , I'd rather set the amp clean and use a fuzz face

 

[cooljuk]

How about this guy?
http://www.creationaudiolabs.com/mk42348v

Also - what JCM800 are you using, what tubes are in it, and are you looking for preamp distortion or power tube saturation?

I've found that you can get a JCM800 to do a lot of different things with simply swapping tubes and adjusting the various gain stages. Just a thought.

 

[bbutler123]

How about this guy?
http://www.creationaudiolabs.com/mk42348v

Also - what JCM800 are you using, what tubes are in it, and are you looking for preamp distortion or power tube saturation?

I've found that you can get a JCM800 to do a lot of different things with simply swapping tubes and adjusting the various gain stages. Just a thought.

Wow, that's the most beautiful pedal I've ever seen. What a picture!
A boost pedal. Does that just make your amp louder? And in the process it drives your amp harder and makes it distort, or what?

I'm not willing to change tubes. Thanks for suggestion though.

 

[bbutler123]

I been using the ol' trusty DoD 250 since 1981.It's always done the trick for me ,only thing I ever used ,beside my own creations,which Im not gonna hype ,but someone who has one and likes it, feel free......
BTW ,I basically only use any OD pedal for some juice on the solos

If I use a pedal for the actual drive , I'd rather set the amp clean and use a fuzz face

I bought a DOD 250 in the mid 70''s I think. Used it for 25 years.

 

[thisday1]

zvex Box of rock. It has a transparent boost side if you just want to boost your amp into overdrive, and an overdrive channel that is voiced like a cranked marshall amp.

 

[NortheastHick]

tube screamer + marshall = definitive rock tone!
on the cheap, a badmonkey works great, ts9 is great too. IMO you can't go wrong with any ts or ts variant.

 

[el34power]

what do you need the pedal for. Kicking the hingh input for more?
I like the Keeley BD-2 for that. The super Chili picosso is amazing also. Zack used a Keeley SD-1 for the longest time...

 

[cooljuk]

A boost pedal. Does that just make your amp louder? And in the process it drives your amp harder and makes it distort, or what?

I'd like it to sound like the Marshall does when it's cranked, but I can't crank the Marshall enough in many cases, so I need a pedal for it.

That's what it does. It just raises the output of your guitar level so that you overdrive the front end (preamp). The signal coming out of the pedal is clean, not dirty like an overdrive. There's no distorting or tone changing going on in the pedal itself, it just makes your amp distort easier on it's own.

As for it making your amp "louder" - not exactly. Once your distorting, you don't gain "volume" by increasing the input, you just distort more.

This won't help with power section saturation though. That's why I was asking about your tubes and what sort of distortion you are trying to gain.

I'm not willing to change tubes. Thanks for suggestion though.

Not to be a smartass, but unless you've got NOS Mullards or something you're probably going to have to change them at some point. They do ware out eventually, you know.

...and which JCM800 are you using?

It might help to give some examples of known recordings where you hear the sound you want. We can better guide you that way. (though there will be no shortage of people spouting off answers without having all the information required to give a proper one, regardless!!)

 

[Norjef]

I second the Keeley Bluesdriver, for me a great compliment to a ker-rangy Marshall.

If you even want a better rig, try a Hughes/Kettner Replex between (Plexi Palace recommendation).

 

[Flameout12]

Fulltone OCD...I run mine in my JCM800 or my JVM. The true bypass is the best I've ever heard. Make sure your pedal has minimal tone color when it's off as well.

 

[JlMMY]

I am a big tube screamer fan. I am now also a big fan of Fulltone OCD. For me, it would be one of the those two. Probably the OCD because you can set it up to sound like a tube screamer or with more drive it can have a lot more gain. The OCD doesn't suck tone like the others. Even a TS9 takes off some of the bass where the OCD is not doing that to my ears.

 

[Schafrocks]

I actually use a clean boost, ts9, and a bad Monkey. I like the ts9 I got it in 83 or 84 so can't speak to the new ones. Many people complain about the mid-spike but that's what I love about it. The bad monkey doesn't have that therefore doesn't cut as well IMHO. The clean boost is just an entirely different sound. More straight up rock.

Schaf

 

[Flameout12]

BM=bad tone when off. Just saying...I have one.

 

[tj tapper]

I use a MXR 10 band for lead boost and a Z-Vex Super Hard-on for rhythm boost. Its perfect for me. I could get by with either one for both but this is ideal for what I do.

 

[bbutler123]

That's what it does. It just raises the output of your guitar level so that you overdrive the front end (preamp). The signal coming out of the pedal is clean, not dirty like an overdrive. There's no distorting or tone changing going on in the pedal itself, it just makes your amp distort easier on it's own.

As for it making your amp "louder" - not exactly. Once your distorting, you don't gain "volume" by increasing the input, you just distort more.

This won't help with power section saturation though. That's why I was asking about your tubes and what sort of distortion you are trying to gain.



Not to be a smartass, but unless you've got NOS Mullards or something you're probably going to have to change them at some point. They do ware out eventually, you know.

...and which JCM800 are you using?

It might help to give some examples of known recordings where you hear the sound you want. We can better guide you that way. (though there will be no shortage of people spouting off answers without having all the information required to give a proper one, regardless!!)

Ha ha ha ha no, I don't think you're being a smartass, thanks. Yea, I know they'll wear out, I don't know what I'll buy then. I'll be back here asking at that point no doubt. So don't go anywhere.

I'm using a JCM800 combo with Sovteks. And it's split channel, yes, but I'm a total improv guy using a loop station, and I may sometimes be playing both the rhythm AND the lead through this amp (with more speaker than just the 1-12" Celestion, by the way). So anyway, I can't always use the dirty channel. Furthermore, the two channels sound a bit different even when pushed into distortion, I think.

So from what I'm reading here, I think that what I want is NOT a boost, but a distortion pedal. It seems to me that until the Marshall preamp is being distorted, that a boost will increase volume, which would be unacceptable.

And I will want a distortion pedal that sounds the most like the tone of the JCM800 clean channel when this clean channel is pushed into distortion.
So it wants the same mids, highs, lows of the clean channel, but with distortion.
Am I being confusing? I'm obviously not too bright about this.