• Registered: 2009-03-28
  • Posts: 14

Topic: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

Ok, this may open up a can of worms(I'm actually kind of hoping it does!), but what are your favorite distortion/overdrive pedals for a Marshall/Brit sound? This is a topic that I'm sure many people wonder.

Here's the catch! Only list TWO!!!!!! Not all of us have financial backing to buy every pedal to test(starving students especially!;)  Try to keep it to more boutique stuff(Fuchs, Jetter, MI Audio, Analogman, Fulltone, Catalinbread....etc.)

I've been looking at the Fuchs Cream pedal, but for some reason Youtube videos don't quite put confidence in my wallet.

Any and all opinions are greatly appreciated!!!!

Fender HRD, 2006 Fender American Standard(with every possible upgrade),Marshall JCM2000 Dsl halfstack, Visual Sound Rt. 66, Mi Audio Crunch Box, Boss DD3, Morley Wah, and anything else I can find to feed my obsession!
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  • From: Colorado Springs-Colorado
  • Registered: 2008-07-04
  • Posts: 1,047

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

I don't know if this counts, but I love the Keeley Phat-moded BD-2.

-Eric

"It makes it sound like the amp is about ready to explode, that's because it IS about ready to explode." -Joe

"I've come all the way from Colorado... Long way from my home. Give me the hammer that killed John Henry..." The Ballad Of John Henry
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2008-04-23
  • Posts: 553

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

I wonder why the starving student needs a botique overdrive...?
Anyway, if you want to convert a clean amp into a Marshall beast
I would recommend the Vox Cooltron BritBoost. I have it and wanted it as
lead boost before a crunched amp (ceriatone 2550) but it has way too much
gain, even on the lowest settings. For this I orefer the good old (non botique) tubescreamer.

Alex

...it's a musical journey
www.u2-experience.de

Stratovari's Website

  • Registered: 2009-03-28
  • Posts: 14

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

Stratovari wrote:

I wonder why the starving student needs a botique overdrive...?

The starving student doesn't have enough sense to not dump money on gear tongue

It's that gear "itch" that seems impossible to scratch!!!

"The never ending quest for pedals" J. Bonamassa - No truer words have ever been spoken...

Fender HRD, 2006 Fender American Standard(with every possible upgrade),Marshall JCM2000 Dsl halfstack, Visual Sound Rt. 66, Mi Audio Crunch Box, Boss DD3, Morley Wah, and anything else I can find to feed my obsession!
  • Registered: 2008-11-01
  • Posts: 103

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

The Catalinbread Silver Kiss II, and Barber Small Fry.
I also use an old Reverend blackbox Drivetrain now and then, but those first two pedals can cover pretty much everything and are very versatile.

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

I'm going to bend the rules a bit and list some of my favs...

1) Fulltone OCD
2) Lovepedal Plexi 800
3) the old Marshall Bluesbreaker pedals
4) Tonebone Hot British
5) Carl Martin Plexitone
6) Electro Harmonix English Muffin

Of those the cheapest would definately be the old Bluesbreaker pedals, you can get those used for next to nothing.  The Fulltone OCD is great, I really really enjoy mine a lot.  As far as tube driven pedals go the Hot British and English Muffin are great but take up a little pedalboard real estate.  BTW why do you need a Marshall boost pedal?  You already have a great Marshall amp and the MI Audio Crunch Box... roll

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.
  • SgtB
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  • Registered: 2009-03-08
  • Posts: 309

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

I like my Carl Martin Hot Drive N Boost. I play it through a Carvin Master Tube Series amp.

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Gibson Skylark GA5-T '65, Marshall JTM45 Reissue, Fender Princton Reverb '72, Modded Bugera V5, Fender Bandmaster '68, Marshall Silver Jubilee 2558
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2008-12-14
  • Posts: 27

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

Baldringer Dual Drive - by far the best what I found on the market. I checked tons of pedals. None of them had such a punch. This pedal makes a FET-Amp sound like a real Marshall. It#s built loke a preamp. The guy who makes it is a Marshall freak.

And the best: It's 2 identical pedals in one. You make a 3 channel amp out of a one channel amp. Unbeatable for my opinon.

  • From: Was NY now FL/GA line
  • Registered: 2007-12-16
  • Posts: 2,855

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

stratpaulguy86 wrote:

I'm going to bend the rules a bit and list some of my favs...

1) Fulltone OCD
2) Lovepedal Plexi 800
3) the old Marshall Bluesbreaker pedals
4) Tonebone Hot British
5) Carl Martin Plexitone
6) Electro Harmonix English Muffin

Of those the cheapest would definately be the old Bluesbreaker pedals, you can get those used for next to nothing.  The Fulltone OCD is great, I really really enjoy mine a lot.  As far as tube driven pedals go the Hot British and English Muffin are great but take up a little pedalboard real estate.  BTW why do you need a Marshall boost pedal?  You already have a great Marshall amp and the MI Audio Crunch Box... roll

Original Marshall Bluesbreaker pedals are selling for $150 to $200 dependent on condition. Soon as John Mayer said he used a original BB, prices shot up. The Marshall BB2 pedals can be had for next to nothing.

To me it's funny to watch that when a artist or a publication announces a particular item is a "must have", prices for that item skyrocket. The "must have people" will pay stupid prices.

The best overdrive I have used, and I still use it, is a early Boss OD-1.

  • From: Pittsburgh
  • Registered: 2008-05-22
  • Posts: 261

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

Two?
Ocean EFX Pearl Drive
Hermida Zen Drive

DannyG's Website

  • Registered: 2007-09-30
  • Posts: 556

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

http://www.pedalgeek.com/cgi-bin/new_sh … --items%22

Anything by this guy.  I haven't played the Pull or Shove, but I do own the Push and it is just a full out gain monster.  Knowing this builder they are prob. all in the same gain region lol.  I use the Push only through my Top Hat Emplexador paired with the Lonestar.  It's my John Henry/Sabbath sound.  Prettyyyy rude sounding (in a great way of course smile )!  Gobbs of gain, yest still articulate enough to pick out the notes, not just an overly compressed mush.

Some of the love pedal stuff is good too. 
I don't like the OCD, to mushy.

You can't go wrong with an 808 Ri - it will certainly boost your signal.

Ben

  • From: Germany / Hamburg
  • Registered: 2008-08-11
  • Posts: 494

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

Rodenberg 828!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (rodenberg-amplification.com)
I just love it!!
It sounds a bit like a ts, but in this pedal there are 2(!) ts-like overdrives, and one of them is switchable to 3x-gain-level.
It's the best od pedal I ever had!!!!

Here are my tabbed songs by "Smokin' Joe": http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7236
I LIKE MUSIC! big_smile big_smile big_smile

13 Reply by ken

  • ken
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  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2007-05-28
  • Posts: 949

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

I like the MI crunchbox and the xotic bb preamp. Although I use them as more of a boost/OD in front of an overdriven Budda amp with the gain set fairly low on the pedals. Kick in for soloing and adjust for more or less volume and distortion.

Plus they're both nice and small smile

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

I like to use my amp's on-board distortion and drive that with a BluesDriver, TubeScreamer, or even a Zakk Wylde Overdrive.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2009-03-28
  • Posts: 14

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

stratpaulguy86 wrote:

BTW why do you need a Marshall boost pedal?  You already have a great Marshall amp and the MI Audio Crunch Box... roll

I need a pedal for my Fender HRD. Hauling the damn stack around to practices is killing me! Plus the DSL(decent amp) has never been as reliable as my Fender(or other Marshalls for that matter). Might get rid of it soon and get a different stack.

As for the MI Audio Crunch box, I actually love this pedal in front of my Fender clean. But with the gain at even 1 o'clock it can get pretty noisy. Plus it's kind of "fizzy" sounding.

Fender HRD, 2006 Fender American Standard(with every possible upgrade),Marshall JCM2000 Dsl halfstack, Visual Sound Rt. 66, Mi Audio Crunch Box, Boss DD3, Morley Wah, and anything else I can find to feed my obsession!
  • Registered: 2007-09-30
  • Posts: 556

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

GuitarShogun wrote:
stratpaulguy86 wrote:

BTW why do you need a Marshall boost pedal?  You already have a great Marshall amp and the MI Audio Crunch Box... roll

I need a pedal for my Fender HRD. Hauling the damn stack around to practices is killing me! Plus the DSL(decent amp) has never been as reliable as my Fender(or other Marshalls for that matter). Might get rid of it soon and get a different stack.

As for the MI Audio Crunch box, I actually love this pedal in front of my Fender clean. But with the gain at even 1 o'clock it can get pretty noisy. Plus it's kind of "fizzy" sounding.

Your better off getting a marshall combo if you want that sound.  I think you'll never be happy putting a bunch of stomp boxes in front of a HRD to get a marshally tone.  It won't be organic - it will still sound like a fender with to much crunch.

  • From: Qc,Canada
  • Registered: 2009-01-24
  • Posts: 27

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

I use two overdrive pedals over my rivera fandango.
A classic tubescreamer over the clean channel and a Banzai fireball ( I don't use use it for couple of years but recently get out of the box!) to boost the drive channel. My sound is base on the Joe's tone on "A new day yesterday album" and it really approach that stuff.

I don't believe in psychology....I believe in good move - Robert James (Bobby) Fischer
  • Registered: 2007-11-04
  • Posts: 404

Re: Your opinion for a great dist/overdrive pedal?

Fenders can sound like a monster if you do it right. I have a few pedals that stand out amongst the masses I've tried.

I love the Ocean EFX Texas Deuce. Great pedal for dual humbucker guitars. Really thick and smooth. This is my main lead tone for my les paul and 335. Sounds like a supped up TS808 with a tele. Has a boost swith too for more volume and gain when needed.

The FUCHS Pluch drive is a fantastic pedal. Very thick and full sounding.  I use this pedal as a lead sometimes if I want a really thick sound. Dont worry about the youtube videos.  These pedals rock.

I also love the Barber Burn unit.  Alot more marshally toned, It is a great tool. Two pedals in one so you get more for your money.

Lastly the Fulltone Fulldrive is a fantastic pedal. Not really heavy gain if you play a non himbucker guitar but if you play a gibson like guitar it will do wonders. I have benn using mine almost all the time. I will never go back to a TS808 after finding this pedal.

I play thru a Twin and a Vox AC30.  Both on clean about equal volume.  Hope that helps.