Overdrive pedal recommendation

[Dave Lewis]

No RAT on your list ?

 

[newpedals]

No RAT on your list ?

I only like the flavor of distortion it has if the distortion knob is turned to about 30%

Beyond that it sounds, for the lack of a better word, "harsh".

My friend who repairs pedals for a hobby says it is so because some of us prefer pedals based on their clipping.

I don't remember it too well, but I think he had said tubescreamer and bluesbreaker (or was it blues driver?) pedals have different kind of clipping.

DS-1, Rat etc. have different kind of clipping if I remember what he had said.

I maybe wrong but I think my SD-1, the OD-3 and Nobels ODR-1 are a mixture of two different kinds of clipping types. I guess maybe that is why they sound different than a tubescreamer, but they are not too harsh like the RAT.

 

[Dave Lewis]

Have fun at your store testing

 

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw (I know it's not on your list), instead of a Rat I'd recommend the TC Magus Pro. Very affordable (got mine used for €35). Covers classic Rat tones, more modern distortion stuff and can as well become almost fuzzy. No dedicated bass control, though.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

MXR Super Badass Distortion. It sounds great and it has a 3-band EQ. That's my pedal of choice for when I have to go through an unknown backline amp. I've used it with everything from SS Crates to Fender Twins and it works great in front of just about anything.

Look for an used one and it should be cheap enough.

DemonFX makes a decent copy of the Friedman BE OD, that should be cheap new.

 

[newpedals]

Fwiw (I know it's not on your list), instead of a Rat I'd recommend the TC Magus Pro. Very affordable (got mine used for €35). Covers classic Rat tones, more modern distortion stuff and can as well become almost fuzzy. No dedicated bass control, though.

I really wanna have a bass knob or some form of EQ apart from treble control on the new pedal I will be buying.

Will somehow help me stand out in the mix if needed. Ideally it should have a mids control also.

 

[newpedals]

Updated list:

JHS Charlie Brown
(Angry Charlie has more gain than I need)
Nobels ODR-1X
Caline Pure sky
Caline Orange Burst
(Will verify reliability through online reviews)
AIONFX Andromeda
(Friend can build it, but wont buy if its a mini)
Fender Hammertone Overdrive
(Has a mids knob)
Wampler Triumph
EHX Spruce Goose
(Will check reviews for its reliability online)
Garagetone Drivetrain
(Recommended by a friend's dad)

I will be visiting a few stores tomorrow.
Thank you.

 

[newpedals]

MXR Super Badass Distortion. It sounds great and it has a 3-band EQ. That's my pedal of choice for when I have to go through an unknown backline amp. I've used it with everything from SS Crates to Fender Twins and it works great in front of just about anything.

Look for an used one and it should be cheap enough.

DemonFX makes a decent copy of the Friedman BE OD, that should be cheap new.

I have checked out the MXR already. It has more gain than I need.

I will see if I can try out the DemonFX clone in a store. No disrespect to the OG builders, but this girl's on a budget.

Carl Martin Plexitone Low gain version has the correct amount of overdrive I need, but it only has a tone knob. I wanna buy a pedal which directly or indirectly lets me add and subtract mids/ bass to my sound. So that I can disappear or pop out of the mix when needed.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

I have checked out the MXR already. It has more gain than I need.

I agree. Same here actually. I've never went past 10 o'clock on the gain pot of the MXR. But that's the thing, it's a pot, just keep it low.

Anyway, a few other suggestions:

Digitech Bad Monkey
Wampler Triumph
Seymour Duncan 805
MXR Il Torino

 

[newpedals]

I agree. Same here actually. I've never went past 10 o'clock on the gain pot of the MXR. But that's the thing, it's a pot, just keep it low.

Anyway, a few other suggestions:

Digitech Bad Monkey
Wampler Triumph
Seymour Duncan 805
MXR Il Torino

I have read about the Good monkey (Animal lover here). But I also heard that it is like a collector's pedal because its no longer made. Don't know if it will be in my budget.

I have added MXR Torino to the list.

The 805's demos sound good, but the EQ knobs seem to be too small to be quickly turned on dark stages. The kind Mooer pedals have.

 

[newpedals]

Updated list:

Trying to find these used, for 100$.

JHS Charlie Brown
(Angry Charlie has more gain than I need)
Nobels ODR-1X
Caline Pure sky
Caline Orange Burst
(Will verify reliability through online reviews)
AIONFX Andromeda
(Friend can build it, but wont buy if its a mini)
Fender Hammertone Overdrive
(Has a mids knob)
Wampler Triumph
EHX Spruce Goose
(Will check reviews for its reliability online)
Garagetone Drivetrain
(Recommended by a friend's dad)
MXR Torino
Bad monkey (If within budget)
Green Rhino (If within budget)
EQD Westwood (If within budget)

 

[FuzzyAce]

Green Rhino MK4 is another great option. Tube screamer circuit with active tone section to cut/boost lows or mids.

 

[joebloggs]

EQD Westwood has bass and treble boost/cut controls. It's a pretty transparent OD pedal.

 

[Aelred]

EQD Westwood has bass and treble boost/cut controls. It's a pretty transparent OD pedal.

Love the Westwood - but they stopped making it and 2nd hand prices seem to be from $109 (but I'm in Australia, so I hope that's US dollars).

$9 extra...?

 

[newpedals]

Love the Westwood - but they stopped making it and 2nd hand prices seem to be from $109 (but I'm in Australia, so I hope that's US dollars).

$9 extra...?

I don't know the exchage rate but as you know JHS, Wampler, EQD make kind of boutique, special products which have features otherwise not found in products made by other brands.

I am gonna visit local stores on the weekend and see what I can find in my budget.

Some stores list their used pedals on their website. I am gonna buy a pedal after months. So I think it will be more satisfying if I try it in person.

 

[newpedals]

So I tried Orange Burst, Hammertone OD, Trimph and Spruce Goose in a store.

They had an old Vox amp and some other "Fender voiced" amp (quoting them). I tried to set the EQ on the amps flat while trying them. Had bought my hardtail HSS strat with me. Set the amps clean.

The Spruce Goose and Orange Burst sounded like a fuzz if their Bass knobs were past 1'o clock.

I tried the Triumph next. The 3 band EQ helped me make it sound just like I had imagined in my mind. Hammertone OD sounded similar, but it only had a couple of "sweet spots" on the mids knob.

I enjoyed the sounds coming out of Charlie Brown. But it is not affordable for me. The used pedal they had was still in its box, had a pick and some documentation with it. The price was 160$.

I am gonna visit few more stores, and buy a pedal soon.

 

[Desertdweller]

I have a suggestion for overdrive pedals.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, what kinda drive style are you looking for? IMO that's as important as the tone controls.

 

[newpedals]

I have a suggestion for overdrive pedals.

I perform song covers at bar gigs.

I am not a Diva Popstar. My earnings are limited.

 

[newpedals]

Fwiw, what kinda drive style are you looking for? IMO that's as important as the tone controls.

Low to medium gain overdrive.

I generally dislike pedals labelled distortion because they usually sound, for the lack of a better word "harsher".