distortion pedal for your main tone!

[JakeAC5253]

I would modify a DS-1. Real cheap, real easy to fix.

Seriously, modded DS-1s can get some killer tones... but somebody on HC tried to rip me apart for suggesting it once.

Sorry to hear that. Once you get down to bare bones parts, just about any circuit can be tweaked or redesigned to sound great, unless it's a thin design/layout to begin with. Can't do much with a LPB, but a standard overdrive/distortion has almost endless tweaking possibilities. That's the good thing about BOSS pedals though, all the pieces are there, you just have to bring out the good sounds that are being lost to the circuitry. Most people listen with their eyes. You could take the PCB out of a stock DS-1, put it in a Boutique pedal housing with fancy designs and I bet 4 out of 5 people wouldn't know the difference. Half of them would probably write up paragraph long exposition on the warmth of the mids and pleasant gain range. Don't be one of those people, use your ears to decide what fits your rig and playing style best. You'll never be satisfied otherwise.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I would modify a DS-1. Real cheap, real easy to fix.

Seriously, modded DS-1s can get some killer tones... but somebody on HC tried to rip me apart for suggesting it once.

I don't get that. I mean, DS-1s have been used by loads of famous guitarists. I don't get why people are slamming it so hard. I got one a while ago... Great pedal.

Not to mention the amount of pedals that are DS-1 circuits with a single component change here or there and wired for True Bypass...

 

[Norton666]

I use a MXR Distortion III in front of my Superleads for all of my dirt. Love the piss out of it. Ive also used the EH Metal Muff , the Visual Sound J&H and the OCD . Always in front of a totally clean amp.

 

[AndyK]

Boss Power Stack pedal! check out Pete Thorn's great video demo of it on youtube.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

Blackstar ht series pedals.

 

[rsm]

TC Electronic Nova Drive.

For more tube boost and OD, Damage Control Liquid Blues.

I'm still digging my EH Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker for Fuzz.


No dirt GAS at all.

 

[Steve Mavronis]

My own DIY clone of a 1979 'gray spec' DOD 250 Overdrive.
http://sites.google.com/site/snmavronis/neoclassic

I use it on the clean channel of my solid state Marshall and it gives me all the distortion I'd ever want. If I crank the amps gain knob too I can get even more. But the main thing I like about it is the so-called 'neoclassic' lead tone associated with my main guitar hero. Details on my page.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Steve, I also have a YJM-308 modded to more or less grey specs.. it is a great pedal for single coils but finicky with humbuckers I find. One thing you have to take into consideration is that you are cranking yours through a solid state amp which is generally more forgiving than tube. I find that circuit with my JCM800 to be really good but with a plexi, depending on how mid range focused I am running, it can be too much mid range bark and a tad "woofie"
(for lack of a better term)

 

[Steve Mavronis]

Steve, I also have a YJM-308 modded to more or less grey specs.. it is a great pedal for single coils but finicky with humbuckers I find.

Yeah I've heard this same thing about the 250 and Humbuckers. It doesn't compare but on my standard Strat using the in between pickup positions to simulate a noise canceling humbucker it didn't sound too bad but then again I don't have a tube amp for a fair comparision. I just like the single coil Straty tones better than the old LP copy I used to play.

 

[AssfaceRules]

Old Ibanez Tube King US model. Slapped a telefunken in there and I could use that sound til the cows come home!

 

[glassjaw7]

Blackstar Dist or Wampler Triple Wreck/Plextortion

 

[some dude]