Those of you who use pedals for all drive sounds, what are you using??

[59Jazzmaster]

I don't use only pedal for drive (I use amp + BK Butler), but for hi-gain distortion I use a Big Muff on a clean amp.

 

[Jaguar]

DOD Looking Glass
EQD Special Cranker
ZVEX Distortron
JAM pedals Rattler
EQD Parkfuzz
DOD Carcosa Fuzz
ToneElectronix Animalizzer Fuzz
Wren&Cuff Garbage Face Fuzz
Keeley Loomer
TC Spark Booster

cleanish-overdrive-crunch-distortion-fuzz-boost

 

[huw]

Pete Cornish G2 & SS3.

SS3 for low gain, & clean (guitar volume down); G2 for high gain; both stacked for lead.

 

[GEORGE A BENNETT]

The basis of my clean sound comes from years of using a Mesa Boogie Mark IV...on Rhythm One..the clean channel...I still have the boogie but, typically now I use a Clark Bassman clone, Vibrolux, Deluxe Reverb....For clean drive i like the RC Booster and or the Fulltone Fulldrive II on Comp Cut. It preserves the organic feel and sound of a great guitar and amp.

 

[freedomspec]

Golden Boy boosted with a Timmy. Really brings out the sound of the amp and guitar.

 

[johnh]

for many years I used only amp overdrive. But as started to play more and more often in situations which do not permit decent volume, I moved to use pedals for ALL my drive tones.

Honestly, it took me months to make the transition. I found it very difficult to adapt. But now, years later, I’ve been using pedals for all my drive tones for more than 10 years now. sometimes i miss using amp overdrive, but it does mean that I can get ”my tone” at any volume. And on most occasions, I’d say my sound is every bit as good as using amp gain. At lower volumes (which is often), I’d say my tone with pedals is much better.

As for which pedals, I now use a Revival Drive compact. It stays on 100% of the time and I get all my sounds by either rolling the volume knob in the guitar back for clean tones, or by pushing the RD with a Timmy, a Tumnus or a Snouse BB For heavier tones.

 

[zygoat]

My amp is a Princeton Reverb. Right now, I'm using a Keeley modded Blues Driver for my main dirt which captures the vibe of a blackface style amp cranked up, and then I send it over the top with a Maxon 808.

 

[PatrickE_FenderADV]

My big board…
View media item 352849
The drive section is the 1962x and the Amp 11 Big Box. The Tumnus is set for solo/clean boost. The combo of the Amp 11 and 1962x give me all gain/dirt I need as I also work the volume knob and use different types of pickups in four Strats (including an HSS strat and a P90 strat).

 

[megatonic]

My line of dirt is currently: DOD Looking Glass > OCD v2 > Walrus Eras > Keeley Loomer

The Looking Glass does the pushed clean very well and is generally my favorite all around dirt pedal.
The OCD is for different flavor, and the Eras is for heavier stuff.
The Loomer takes the fuzz duties.

 

[rawkguitarist]

Sorry I'm not sure what is meant by "the pushed, rhythm, lead sounds when only using drive pedals." Maybe expound on that a bit?

To me when the concept of playing through a clean amp is covered, there are pedals that work best as a "base" distortion sound. For this the best I've found:

Barber Direct Drive - this is king. Has been for me over a decade.
Heavier distortion sound (more distortion) would be Barber Dirty Bomb and a good RAT. My favorite RAT's are a VFE Alpha Dog, CMATMODS Black Plague and a clone i built using a GGG board with a subtle bass switch mod.

With these pedals and a great amp platform I don't miss "real amp distortion" at all. Main amps are a CarolAnn plexi, Dr. Z Z28, Dr. Z KT45.

 

[Chic-Pop]

Mix it up! Go for the circuitry concepts more than the brand names. Get a decent TS, Klon, Bluesbreaker, etc; then play around with the order for independent use and stacking (Oh, and don't forget a decent boost). You can play all day!

 

[Radar]

ceriatone horsebreaker (klone + bluesbreaker)
timmy
od808
rat

Nothing unusual. The classics do the job best imo and ime.

Those of you who are amp distortion only, how is your miced tone?

 

[SteveR]

Lovepedal Amp808 set for a boost. Greer Lightspeed for pushed clean. Barber GC SR for light to medium gain. Barber DD V4 for medium to higher gain. Use the Amp808 to boost whatever is on after it to up the game and thicken the sound as needed. Especially love combining the DD and the 808 for lead work.

Typically thats with a Tele and a Fender Twin Tonemaster.

 

[Thorsday]

Earthquaker Devices Hizumitas.

 

[dronerstone]

Currently:

Keeley Fuzz Bender
HBE UFO
Mosky Golden Horse

Also, the Fuzz Factory and HM-2 models in the HX FX.

 

[ChickenLover]

When I do the pedal into clean amp thing, the BE OD Deluxe with the trimmers set pretty low and then using the guitar volume works pretty well. The low gain side is my favorite and back the volume off just a tiny bit for lower gain. I also have a KOT clone in front of that but usually it's just the BE OD Deluxe.

 

[phillybri]

OCD for the medium dirty stuff, Friedman BE-OD for the VH and harder sounds. Both heading into my clean Bugera V22.

Xotic EP Booster to kick things up a level...

 

[Jhuttyhut]

i rely almost exclusively on my ODR-1 and King of Tone clones built by forum member @SkydogFan81 of MRB Premium Analog Electronics. Killer pedals! I also use my DCM Klone a good bit.

 

[MuzicToyz]

After 25 years of playing and gigging, I could have counted on one hand the projects where I went drive pedals into clean amps as opposed to using drive from the amp itself. It’s only recently that I’ve dedicated myself to trying for an upcoming project. I’m using a ‘91-ish Bassman ‘59 Reissue and a rotating cast of LPs (mostly).

My biggest challenge has been finding pedals that can go into a clean amp and still somewhat give me the feel, sound, response, etc…of plugging into the dirty channel of an amp like I’m used to doing. It’ll never be exactly the same, but I’m trying to get close.

That said, ones that are in contention right now for making the cut onto the board I’m enjoying (in no particular order) are my old ‘88 RAT, Maxon ROD 880, an ‘80s Marshall Guv’Nor and a ‘90s Marshall Shred Master. I have a Benson Preamp coming to try. A couple of those will make the cut, and I’ll likely have a TS of some kind and Klone (TBD) that would go in front to boost any of them.

Bassman's are stellar pedal platforms as the tend to tame the fizzyness of drive pedals. A Rat plus Bassman is a killer combo. The Benson will be a killer addition also. Check out Kingley if looking to add a tube D-style or Marshall-esque channel to the mix (depending on the pedal) - Being tube pedals they tend to feel more like a tube drive channel than a pedal.

 

[Alchemist XP]

For at least 5 years, when playing into a relatively clean amp and using pedals for overdrive, I used:

• Xotic BB+
• Skreddy Lunar Module Mini Deluxe
• Wampler Ego Compressor - for a slightly compressed clean boost

However, after getting the Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MK2, based on the Benson preamp, it is pretty much all I use at this point whether it's into a clean, dirty-ish or overdriven amp. It does it all better than all the dozens of drive pedals I've used over the years. The presets and expression control of all the parameters while also being a 100% analog overdrive with options for transistor, germanium or silicon clipping ... and an absolutely killer fuzz ... And it's got a clarity to the tone that I've never heard even from the best tube amps.