Vrad - BB preamp?

[TX6Strings]

I own way too many OD's (actually I can't get enough of them). The BB is great, but for transparency and a tube amp feel the Barber Direct Drive can't be beat. I'm also digging the Brown Rabbit in volume boost mode. Bottom line, if your looking for great dynamics, transparency tube like feel I would recommend the Barber DD. It also adds thickness. If you're just looking to boost the upper mids other pedals will do that better, but in general the BDD is a great pedal. Here's what I've compared it too (all through Suhr Badger amp
Keeley DSL seeing eye mod
Keeley time machine boost
HBE Power Screamer
Lovepedal Eternity
Exotic BB Preamp
Exotic RC Booster
Keeley Baked TS9
Brown Rabbit (I'm digg'n this pedal right now)
OCD ver 1
Keeley Rat
MI Audio Crunchbox
MI Audio Tube Zone
Zvek box of rocks
Keeley SD-1
Catalinabread Supercharger
Some are not fair comparisons, but my point is the Barber DD kicks ass and would be one of the last pedals I would part with.

Could you compare the Crunchbox and Tube Zone? I'm looking at getting a clean combo and am looking for a pedal to get most of my dirt from.

Thanks!

 

[skoora]

I can vouch for the Barber DD being incredible in front of a 2203. Thick, tight and responsive. I ended up getting a Barber Small Fry though as I felt it retained the midrange characteristics a little better for my 2203. The DD seemed to smooth out the mids a little. The MI Audio crunchbox is a great choice into a cleaner marshall if you want raw and a little less tight than the the Barbers. Into one 2203 of identical year to mine in a store it sounded incredible but though mine (a more gainier amp) it was too squishy.

 

[amiller]

used to have the xotic ac booster which was cool, and did the nice roll down the volume and clean up trick, but was a little too focused/tight sounding with the coyote. heard great things about the xotic bb preamp pedal so i nabbed one

chain is:

tyler strat w/ kinman avn 59 in neck/middle holmes 450 in bridge->vht valvulator->mxr dynacomp->barber direct drive->xotic bb preamp->arion chorus->danelectro danecho->tc g-force-> coyote low sens w/ tone cranked, bass on 2, treble on 5->8ohm out to gh30 1x12

direct drive versus bb preamp


miced with one sm 57 and one sm 58


the sequence of sounds in the clip:


-coyote clean with comp---(danecho and tc delay/verb are on throughout and amp settings are same throughout)

-comp and arion chorus

-direct drive/no comp

-bb/no comp

-comp/dd (the first section where you hear single lead notes)

-comp/bb (the plucked van halenish chords and the ac/dc stuff)

-comp/dd/bb (lead part)


the coyote sounds particularly voxy on these clips, particularly with the clean and comp/ direct drive sections, yet it also has some marshall grind and sparkle happening with the bb pedal

the bb sounds REALLY great hitting channel 3 of my eggie TOL 100! timmons tone.
clip worthy...coming soon....

Awesome, thanks for the breakdown. You're getting some really cool tones...playing sounds great too.