Airight. This old blues fart wants to start chugging. Problem is.....

[Beyond Black]

Honestly but out of the bunch mentioned can't go wrong with an AmpTweaker for pure chugs *_*

You can’t be trusted after recommending the Rat for chugs.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

I’m like that with down-tuning a guitar. I like C# standard on recordings but every time I setup a guitar for that it doesn’t satisfy in person. Too soft, not punchy enough. I recently set up a guitar once again and even a bass, because I can’t help myself, thinking, let me record with it and I haven’t touched either since I did

I think the best chug happens in standard and 1/2 step down. IMO

 

[skoora]

I think the best chug happens in standard and 1/2 step down. IMO

Yes. You gain girth tuning down but you lose aggression and dexterity.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I think the best chug happens in standard and 1/2 step down. IMO

For early Pantera, Metallica, DRI, Testament, etc..., sure. For later Pantera, Sepultura, Entombed, Melvins, Testament, Mastodon, and lots of other more extreme shit hell to the nope.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

Yes. You gain girth tuning down but you lose aggression and dexterity.

With the right guage strings you can get a similar feel to E std at some absurdly low tunings. You best have plenty of travel for those bridge saddles though if you want good intonation.

 

[Speeddemon]

I tried the BE OD and it sounded very flat to me, even with the eq. Lots of gain, and you can tweak the sound, but it just sounded like an SD1 with a few eq knobs. The Keely AT super mod sounded like a hifi pedal compared to the BE OD. I am not an EE so I can't tell you what the difference is, but I'm guessing it is the clipping type.

While I haven't had the regular BE-OD, I bought the Deluxe version (2 channels with more controls) and found it to be the most amp-like hotrodded Marshall amp-in-a-box pedal that runs at 9V.
I still own a H&K Tube factor, (high plate voltage 2 channel low/med gain tube driven), that is awesome, but it lacks the gain and control for 80's higher gain metal stuff.
Black star HT Dual was cool, but cumbersome.
Owned both the Bogner Ecstasy Blue (best low gain 9V amp like) and Red pedals as well, but the BE OD Deluxe to me wins for realism and versatility compared to the Bogner Red; which can get a bit screechy or fizzy if you crank it too much. The BE OD Deluxe takes boost pedals in front of it also quite well.

Now, as far as modern, really chuggy stuff goes, the Ola pedal and the Amptweaker are probably a better choice, but for a 2 channel amp like pedal running into the front of a clean amp with a focus on 80's (and some 90's) hotrodded Marshall tone, those two may be the lesser choice.

 

[mnemonic]

I tried to do the pedal preamp or distortion pedal thing for a while but it will never be as good as a good amp, in my opinion.

That being said there are a few good options. Probably more now as I haven’t been in the loop with preamp/distortion pedals for a couple years. My preference is preamp pedal into power amp, if it’s gotta be pedals. AMT, Amptweaker (though under new ownership and not sure if it’s the same), and KSR preamp pedals are all pretty great.

That being said the BE-OD is a real good distortion pedal. But is only as good as the voicing of the clean channel you put it though. You’ll get totally different results using a clinically clean preamp vs crunchy, bright cap vs no bright cap on gain pot, etc.

Something like the tonex mini pedal might be the best bet, to be honest.