Overdrives that also work into clean amps

octatonic · August 2013

What about the V1 Marshall Guv'nor in the classifieds?

They sound great.

monquixote · August 2013

Since realising that they had a loop into which I could put a delay I'm quite enamoured of the Mk1 Guv'nor

EricTheWeary · August 2013

monquixote;20089" said:
Since realising that they had a loop into which I could put a delay I'm quite enamoured of the Mk1 Guv'nor

oh, do they ? I was thinking not enough pedals have their own loop. I think some of the Amptweaker ones do but I couldn't think of any others.

ICBM · August 2013

Drew_fx said:

monquixote said:

I can't imagine it working into a dirty amp though?

Nah it works okay. Just gotta watch the gain levels when you do it that way.

And the EQ. I don't like the HT-Dist I have (basically channel 2 of the Dual) into a dirty amp, or at least not with anything like the same EQ that I would want into a clean amp, but I may be using much less mids than you do. You can get away with it better if you boost the mids and cut treble and bass, but I still don't really like it... too muddy. The Mesa V-Twin suffers from exactly the same problem - I'd never consider them overdrive pedals, they're preamps.

Longtallronnie · August 2013

monquixote said:

I'm actually very seriously considering the Bognor Blue on the classifieds.

If by some stretch I make it to the East Anglian meet up next month I'll bring my board so you can try it. It's pretty unlikely I'll make it though.

mike257 · August 2013

The Big Bite overdrive is great for this. Used to run it into a super clean Carlsbro 50 Top for slightly driven and then lead boost tones. Sounds just as good into the Genz Benz Black Pearl when I stack it with the Pearl's on board boost. Well worth a look and an awesome UK based builder too!

Majorscale · August 2013

My absolute favourite for both situations is the Honeybee...

benmurray85 · August 2013

I love the trex moeller. Clean channel gives lovely light to mid gains with tonnes of clarity and into an OD channel you get pretty much what you'd expect

Fazer · August 2013

fairfield circuitry barbershop

Dave_Mc · August 2013

I haven't tried it, but as far as i'm aware a signa drive is basically a tweaked tubescreamer, so if you don't like how a tubescreamer sounds into a clean amp...

monquixote · August 2013

Many drives are tweaked tubescreamers though and some of them sound rather better like the Fulldrive in MOSFET mode.

dindude · August 2013

Dave_Mc said:

I haven't tried it, but as far as i'm aware a signa drive is basically a tweaked tubescreamer, so if you don't like how a tubescreamer sounds into a clean amp...

That's far too simplistic I'm afraid, yes it is TS derived, but what isn't, even though I draw the line at inflated prices an marketing BS, I don't get the "all tube screamer type pedals sound the same" argument, I've tried enough and they really don't.

nickb_boy · August 2013

Out of my current dirt collection I'd say the JHS Double Barrel fits in to this category. I tend to run it mainly with my EmDrive already on, set to a very low setting (never really turn this thing off) but it also works in an untouched clean channel. The Morning Glory side gives an early break up sound to a clean amp with some nice colouration then the ts808 side sets it over the edge. I'm going to be interested to see how this compares to the Rook Royale I have on the way!

Dave_Mc · August 2013

monquixote said:

Many drives are tweaked tubescreamers though and some of them sound rather better like the Fulldrive in MOSFET mode.

dindude said:

Dave_Mc said:

I haven't tried it, but as far as i'm aware a signa drive is basically a tweaked tubescreamer, so if you don't like how a tubescreamer sounds into a clean amp...

That's far too simplistic I'm afraid, yes it is TS derived, but what isn't, even though I draw the line at inflated prices an marketing BS, I don't get the "all tube screamer type pedals sound the same" argument, I've tried enough and they really don't.

Yeah of course, I'm not saying that you can't change how the thing sounds by changing a strategic component here and there, just getting something which is completely different may sound even better into a clean amp. or may not.

p90fool · August 2013

I don't know why the general consensus is that tubescreamers don't work with clean amps. Granted, you may need a proper hairy-chested amp like a four-input Marshall, but it works very well for me.

Small boxes with a single 12" and too many 12ax7s always seem too mid-heavy for a TS no matter how expensive, but big, deep-voiced amps which were in common use when the Tubescreamer was designed still sound great with it.

monquixote · August 2013

I'm normally using blackface type amps where it makes you sound a bit like you're playing down a telephone line.

ICBM · August 2013

p90fool said:

I don't know why the general consensus is that tubescreamers don't work with clean amps. Granted, you may need a proper hairy-chested amp like a four-input Marshall, but it works very well for me.

Small boxes with a single 12" and too many 12ax7s always seem too mid-heavy for a TS no matter how expensive, but big, deep-voiced amps which were in common use when the Tubescreamer was designed still sound great with it.

I still find them too middy and boxy, and I do use big deep-voiced amps. (Actually very deep-voiced amps... the sort of sound I always wanted out of 4-input Marshalls but could never get deep or heavy enough.) I actually much prefer 'distortion' pedals into clean amps, they sound much more open and chunky.

p90fool · August 2013

It's horse for courses I guess, I wouldn't advocate the use of a TS into a clean amp as a core sound, but it certainly has its uses for me in the studio, controlling some of the inherent boominess of some old halfstacks.
A lot of that clean, natural depth can get lost in a mix.

Grumpyrocker · August 2013

monquixote said:

Since realising that they had a loop into which I could put a delay I'm quite enamoured of the Mk1 Guv'nor

What's the difference with that and just putting the delay after the Guv'nor?

EricTheWeary · August 2013

Grumpyrocker said:

monquixote said:

Since realising that they had a loop into which I could put a delay I'm quite enamoured of the Mk1 Guv'nor

What's the difference with that and just putting the delay after the Guv'nor?

you can do OD+delay with just one stomp of your Doc Marten.

stickyfiddle · August 2013

VALVESPORKER!!

monquixote · August 2013

stickyfiddle said:

VALVESPORKER!!

I would if I could find one, but a certain otter stopped making them.

thomasw88 · August 2013

I always liked a TS into clean amps, turn the tone down to about 10 o'clock and keep the gain around 10-2 o'clock. Worked for me anyways.

other pedals, are the Barber Small fry which is awesome. I'm liking the plimsoul at the moment, initially when I got it i didn't take to it, but after a bit of fiddling starting to dig it big style. seems to work nicely into clean amp and also a dirty channel.

noisepolluter · September 2013

monquixote said:

[...]
Things I'm interested to try include the AC Boost and the Signadrive.

For what it's worth, I've A/B'ed the AC Boost and LSIII - not sure which I prefer, they're different but not wildly so. The AC is maybe slightly smoother on the drive (TS heritage, I suppose) and more 'hi-fi' sounding, especially on the top end - with a big clean fender you might be running the AC with the treble at the centre notch, or even slightly below.

I've not monstered the AC through a Twin, but have found it to work well with a DRRI both above and below amp breakup levels. I'd definitely give one a go, given the second hand prices and availability.

ThePrettyDamned · September 2013

The vs route 66 is a great drive for pushing an amp, then flip the bass boost on and it makes for a nice drive for smooth, but crunchy, chord playing. It even gets rawky on a bridge bucker if you want it to. I really like it. Switch the compressor on at the same time, and things can get pretty cool.

monquixote · September 2013

ThePrettyDamned said:

The vs route 66 is a great drive for pushing an amp, then flip the bass boost on and it makes for a nice drive for smooth, but crunchy, chord playing. It even gets rawky on a bridge bucker if you want it to. I really like it. Switch the compressor on at the same time, and things can get pretty cool.

And I just so happen to be selling one

Wazmeister · September 2013

Best ever ? Kingsley Jester...

Most consistent ? ANY of the Bearfoot range

OilCityPickups · September 2013

I think one of the most under rated pedals out there is the Digitech Bad Monkey. I've used one as the core of my overdrive/distortion sound for the last five years or so. I either run it as a clean boost in front of the drive channel with some beans already applied ... here it sounds great ... or I use it with about three quarter drive on the clean channel ... and it sounds brilliant used like that too. It now sits in my pedal board with a Joyo 'American' amp side of it ... and a Tubescreamer guitar side of it. Run with my clean channel the Joyo is set to just break up when I hit hard ... then the Monkey does heavy crunch ... and I can step on the Tubescreamer for a smooth solo boost. Amazingly this rig is very quiet

dindude · September 2013

Wazmeister said:

Best ever ? Kingsley Jester...
Most consistent ? ANY of the Bearfoot range

Was looking at the Bearfoot website the other day, very confusing range I have to say, but I am a Bjorn Juhl fan so there must be some good stuff in there somewhere.

mike_l · September 2013

TheGuitarWeasel said:

I think one of the most under rated pedals out there is the Digitech Bad Monkey. I've used one as the core of my overdrive/distortion sound for the last five years or so. I either run it as a clean boost in front of the drive channel with some beans already applied ... here it sounds great ... or I use it with about three quarter drive on the clean channel ... and it sounds brilliant used like that too. It now sits in my pedal board with a Joyo 'American' amp side of it ... and a Tubescreamer guitar side of it. Run with my clean channel the Joyo is set to just break up when I hit hard ... then the Monkey does heavy crunch ... and I can step on the Tubescreamer for a smooth solo boost. Amazingly this rig is very quiet

I agree with the BM being under rated. I loves mine, although I use it as a gain/volume lead boost rather than a "core tone" pedal.

I find it sounds best into a valve amp (DSL) but a bit dull/lacklustre into a SS (Valvestate 30)amp.

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Overdrives that also work into clean amps

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