OD pedal redundancy. What do I still "need"?

[FuzzyAce]

There are a TON of distractions in gear. I have found OD pedals are pretty limited compared to other (not necessarily) productive sidetracks.

Dialing in a lush delay/reverb to sound huge and lush and amazing when I play three notes takes me waaaaaaaay further away from playing anything musical than stomping on a bunch of different OD pedals.

Buzz killers!

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Buzz killers!

Buzz Lovers!!!!!!!

 

[Jarick]

Here's where I'm at:

MXR Fat Sugar (Klone)
MXR Super Badass Dynamic OD (OCD-ish)
MXR 5150 Overdrive
Friedman Smallbox
Friedman Golden Pearl
Nux Ace of Tone (TS/BB combo)

Planning to sell off the Friedman pedals and the Nux and keep all three MXR's.

As much as I wanted to like the Friedman Smallbox, it isn't versatile. A lot like the BE-OD where it sounds very similar regardless of where you set the knobs, the Smallbox is the same thing except mid gain instead of high gain. I tried the Golden Pearl because I'm dumb and like matching pedals, and was convinced the combo of Friedmans would be super versatile. But the Pearl is mostly a clean-ish boost and not super interesting sounding.

The MXR Dynamic OD is really good. It has a tone to it that works with either my amp or different amp models that I plug it into. It's also simpler with three knobs and a switch. Sounds good with the gain low or cranked. The MXR Fat Sugar is also really versatile. I generally keep it set to add a little gain and volume so not just a clean boost or drive. But it actually sounds good also with the gain cranked way up where it's more like a cranked tube combo. And the two MXR's stack nicely together, which I guess would be similar to the Keeley D&M drive (OCD + Klone kind of).

The 5150 isn't my favorite but I may keep it as I got a good deal on it and I like that it has a noise gate built in. The Nux I never really got into.

 

[creative360]

Over the years I’ve used all the iconic stuff, like Klons and old 808s, OD1, Rat, then all the boutiquey things, variants, mods, clones, and even a cool fuzz pedal from England which I miss but was a bit fancy under foot for my comfort level. Along the way I also bought tons of the cheapo Chinese knock-offs, Mooer Joyo and a handful of more recent minis. At one point I was just blown away by how great the “original“ Joyo tube screamer and Dyna clones sounded together.

Then a couple weeks ago, in order to make space, I found something in a drawer that I thought AnalogMike might want. Turns out he did, and he sent me a King of Tone in trade. NPD. Maybe it’s the honeymoon phase, but this thing has been on since I got it. It’s sort of a do-nothing vibe like the way that I would use Tube Screamers and Klons, but different. More believable, if that means anything. I think it 100% deserves the hype. Years ago, my name came up on his list and for whatever reason at that moment I passed. I was in a tone-questing phase and hadn’t quite rediscovered at that point just how simple and unchanging what adds-up to a great guitar tone is, and how samey all these pedals are, with so many trendy boxes zinging around the TGP universe. There’s something utilitarian-cool about Mike’s products that belies how great they sound that I relate to (I’ve had one of his mod’d TS9’s for years)(and despite the greedy crazy resale market).

The reason I put those other two pedals up for sale finally is because now I want to justify getting Mike’s germanium Sunface and five knob Bicomp. Tuner in to all that, maybe a klone and Wet at the end, and you really never have to be afraid of whatever amp you may need to plug in to. I’m viewing it as a sort of “last ever“ small, honest pedalboard for the ages.

Or yeah all that plus a ToneX, for an uber small rig. So far the KOT sounds stellar in front of the Kemper. Like, vintage album ready. Incredible. (Although maybe not accurate enough for some people around here. Wink wink.)

Have I been able to get great tones forever using just what’s inside of the Kemper, definitely. But there really is something about sending your guitar through analog circuitry that feels and sounds different enough when playing to justify it when it’s possible. And pretty much zero tweaking. And you know it totally mitigates that “what is that unidentifiable thing in my tone that’s making my fillings hurt“ that sometimes washes over me during playback.

If you skipped everything, which almost seems like the logical thing to do when one of my posts appears, the takeaway is this: big two thumbs-up for the King of Tone.

 

[Jarick]

Yeah that's kind of what my little pedalboard is aiming to be, something that could get plugged into anything.

Right now mine looks like:
Polytune Mini > EHX Neo Clone > MXR Fat Sugar > MXR Dynamic OD > MXR Carbon Copy

For the most part when using Axe FX 3 I don't see any need or benefit to get external pedals involved. The amps themselves are flexible enough, and once you bring in the drives you're golden. The other effects are going to be above and beyond everything else I have anyway.

But it's nice to have, sitting on my amp or running with the HX Stomp.

(back on topic)

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Over the years I’ve used all the iconic stuff, like Klons and old 808s, OD1, Rat, then all the boutiquey things, variants, mods, clones, and even a cool fuzz pedal from England which I miss but was a bit fancy under foot for my comfort level. Along the way I also bought tons of the cheapo Chinese knock-offs, Mooer Joyo and a handful of more recent minis. At one point I was just blown away by how great the “original“ Joyo tube screamer and Dyna clones sounded together.

Then a couple weeks ago, in order to make space, I found something in a drawer that I thought AnalogMike might want. Turns out he did, and he sent me a King of Tone in trade. NPD. Maybe it’s the honeymoon phase, but this thing has been on since I got it. It’s sort of a do-nothing vibe like the way that I would use Tube Screamers and Klons, but different. More believable, if that means anything. I think it 100% deserves the hype. Years ago, my name came up on his list and for whatever reason at that moment I passed. I was in a tone-questing phase and hadn’t quite rediscovered at that point just how simple and unchanging what adds-up to a great guitar tone is, and how samey all these pedals are, with so many trendy boxes zinging around the TGP universe. There’s something utilitarian-cool about Mike’s products that belies how great they sound that I relate to (I’ve had one of his mod’d TS9’s for years)(and despite the greedy crazy resale market).

The reason I put those other two pedals up for sale finally is because now I want to justify getting Mike’s germanium Sunface and five knob Bicomp. Tuner in to all that, maybe a klone and Wet at the end, and you really never have to be afraid of whatever amp you may need to plug in to. I’m viewing it as a sort of “last ever“ small, honest pedalboard for the ages.

Or yeah all that plus a ToneX, for an uber small rig. So far the KOT sounds stellar in front of the Kemper. Like, vintage album ready. Incredible. (Although maybe not accurate enough for some people around here. Wink wink.)

Have I been able to get great tones forever using just what’s inside of the Kemper, definitely. But there really is something about sending your guitar through analog circuitry that feels and sounds different enough when playing to justify it when it’s possible. And pretty much zero tweaking. And you know it totally mitigates that “what is that unidentifiable thing in my tone that’s making my fillings hurt“ that sometimes washes over me during playback.

If you skipped everything, which almost seems like the logical thing to do when one of my posts appears, the takeaway is this: big two thumbs-up for the King of Tone.

I found the KOT to work really well with Ke.per because it's a pedal that works well with a wide range of different amp types and amp settings. Works into a clean amp, dirty-clean amp, pretty dirty amp, and gives a little mid bump but not so much, or so narrow, as to be too pokey or make an already mid-forward amp sound nasally.

 

[creative360]

PS
I like BD2’s and I have a Blues Crab that I’ve barely tried, beyond to make sure that it works. The KOT, especially set for drive>boost or both sides boost, is different.

Also, something to be said for a pedal with really no bad setting—whichever that one is for you—versus an infinitely tweakable sim that gives you every opportunity to misjudge your tone along the way in the context of a mix and respond—usually by dialing it in to something more shrill than necessary. Although I’ve never done that.

 

[Stratzrus]

I still have an old Rat I used for years and lots of other stuff and I get the appeal...

I had an original Rat. Never got along with it.

The interesting thing with fuzz is that there’s a lot of bad fuzz out there and I think some players only experience has been with bad fuzz (or worse digital fuzz) and so they think they don’t like it.

I bought a Univox Super Fuzz when they first came out. It wasn't bad but somehow just fell short of what I was looking for. I replaced it with a Zoom Driver (was it digital?) that I liked better on the "Stack" setting. Into my Super Reverb that Zoom driver was as close as I could get to the tone I was looking for in a "stack in a box" pedal at the time.

Can't believe this is going for $2K on Reverb now.

I was auditioning a Super Reverb at Rogue Guitars in NYC and brought my Zoom Driver to test it out. I liked the Super Reverb but wasn't sure I wanted to buy it so I said I'd be back.

On the way down the other guy in the elevator said "That Marshall stack you were playing through sounded great!". The fact that the Super Reverb with the Zoom Driver made a convincing Marshall tone, in addition to all of the traditional Super Reverb tones, made a strong impression on me. I took the elevator back up and bought the Super Reverb on the spot.

For those who may have never seen one...

 

[creative360]

I had an original Rat. Never got along with it.

It’s one of those pedals that I’ve usually enjoyed hearing other people use. But I never did much with the one I owned.

 

[dronerstone]

It’s one of those pedals that I’ve usually enjoyed hearing other people use. But I never did much with the one I owned.

Couldn't agree more.

Definitely a classic, but it never felt "right" in my rig. No idea why.

 

[Cirrus]

I find with OD, Dist and Fuzz it is 100% amp dependent what sounds good and shit.

I absolutely love Rats for all gain levels with AC30s, they jive really well with them because those amps naturally thicken up the low end anyway in a fairly loose and fuzzy way. When I had a Mesa Stilletto, Marshall JMP and (briefly) a Tremoverb, I hated the rat with those because the low cut was so stark - the Rat was all just boxy mids.

The issue is, amps designed to sound good with gain usually dump bass and sometimes treble too on the early gain stages, so later gain stages can be pushed hard without sounding farty or harsh - and in pushing them, the sound thickens out again. But it means that a pedal can never be as full, thick or dynamic as the amp gain, because it's having to push its sound through those input filters - bass just won't make it through. Something that deliberately compresses and dumps bass like an SD-1 still makes sense, but if you want a fuller, more dynamic OD pedal sound with some amps you'll just never get there.

Got to say, the AC30 I'm using these days works with most things. Had to mod it, they start off way too harsh so that some OD and Fuzz ends up sounding way too raspy. Now, it pretty much works with anything because like a lot of those old amp designs, they *don't* filter the input of bass and top end.

My winners at the moment:

USA Rat 2 - enough said about that already
Brunetti Taxi Drive - It's just so good. Goes from basically clean through to thick, juicy crunch, with a mid-scooped Big Muff style tone stack. The opposite of a tubescreamer but stacks so well.
Boss OD-2 - It's kinda like... erm... the bass cut of an SD-1, but not as severe, the flat mids of an OD-3, but not as buzzy, it's just cool.
ZOOM ULTRA FUZZ - FUZZ GO ZOOM

 

[Orvillain]

 

[Achilles]

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[Life Eats Life]

Here's what I got:
MXR Sugar Drive (Klon-ish)
JRR OD 1.3 (OCD clone)
Caline Pure Sky (Timmy-ish?)
Mesa Grid Slammer (TS I think?)
Mesa Dynaplex (MIAB; not sure what it is actually based on?)

I am looking at a Waza Blues Driver still. How redundant is this list? I know I am missing a fuzz still. Might look at a Rat variant as those can cover some fuzziness as well as straight up distortion? These are split out on a couple boards right now. I like to stack but my mentality is more stacking on top of amp drive versus using them stacked on each other.

You need a one channel amp with gain characteristics right up your alley,no matter the mood..roll back the adjuster’s for the true inner landscapes…it’s wonderful in there isn’t it?
Musical cleans..with a ready to rumble bacon flavor of the vibe…when you don’t have an appetite

The kinda’ gain a man get’s lost in…& finds himself cascading into sounds amongst the room..BAM!, -and get’s right up under it.’-that kind of an amplifier
THEN, find you ‘a rad clean boost or treble booster/Plexi-Ranger type of pedal.
Close our books & walk home.

 

[PLX]

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[DrewJD82]

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My boss is in her early 60’s, her first week here I had to tell her I was just being a wiseass when I was replying “no u” to her e-mails.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Their fatebook page looks like a candy shop.

 

[JT]

I am about as out of OD peal land as I could really get by now. Thorpy doing the good stuff at gigs and the rest sitting in a "when I feel like it" pile at home. Only quibbles I still have would be the occasional drop out of the MXR small sugar when engaging. I don't use my SD-1 at all either, fwiw. I have enough bases covered otherwise for the most part.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I am about as out of OD peal land as I could really get by now. Thorpy doing the good stuff at gigs and the rest sitting in a "when I feel like it" pile at home. Only quibbles I still have would be the occasional drop out of the MXR small sugar when engaging. I don't use my SD-1 at all either, fwiw. I have enough bases covered otherwise for the most part.

I'm there with OD too. I think I'm officially done with any new purchases.

seriously

for real

 

[dronerstone]

I'm there with OD too. I think I'm officially done with any new purchases.

seriously

for real

That's why I'm contemplating a Kingmaker, tbh.

Even though the FLB Skeleton Key should be in the mail within a matter of 3-4 weeks...

Of course, I'm boasting about how I've found "my" drive sound with my current setup and such, y'know?

We've all been there (multiple times).