Pedals for Ampeg-era Stones / Faces

[FrankCapraMoment]

Is the Catalinbread SFT the only pedal that strives to emulate that fat, warm OD heard on early '70s Stones records? I'm surprised more pedals haven't been made to emulate that sound.

Anything else kinda capture that tone? I was able to come sorta close with my OCD at times, but when the gain was too low it sounded kinda muddy and with the gain higher, it sounded too extreme and distorted. My Keeley BD-2 is too buzzy and harsh sounding with the drive engaged. Sounds strange, but I feel like my TS-808 comes the closest.

 

[Dave Wakely]

I've got quite close with a Mosferatu or with a T-Rex OD that has a clean blend control (can't remember th name), but surely the answer is to just buy an Ampeg amp?

 

[alexanderplatz]

I've got quite close with a Mosferatu or with a T-Rex OD that has a clean blend control (can't remember th name), but surely the answer is to just buy an Ampeg amp?

This is The Gear Page. The answer is: buy a vintage Ampeg, a new Ampeg, a Catalinbread SFT pedal, several other pedals, and do an in-depth review. Post the review here and on YouTube. We listen on our crappy computer speakers and pass judgement on the tones.

 

[John H]

For rhythm guitar, especially, Durham Electronics' Zia Drive is excellent!

 

[FrankCapraMoment]

I've got quite close with a Mosferatu or with a T-Rex OD that has a clean blend control (can't remember th name), but surely the answer is to just buy an Ampeg amp?

I actually guessed that perhaps the reason more pedals haven't been made to emulate the Ampeg sound is because it's very much a physical product that really requires big cabs to produce. Even the SFT doesn't quite sound right to my ears. Maybe you really just need to have big speakers and those tubes just at the point of breakup.

 

[Dave Wakely]

My favourite tone of that era is Ron Wood in The Faces: warm, raucous but still with some clarity - not as hard as a Marshall. Another reason there aren't pedals for it might be that it's a very dated sound? There are more bands milking the Zep/Bad Co tribute/inspired market than the Stones/Faces, or at least in the UK (the latter is pub/bar music, and we have far fewer of those putting on bands than we used to).