Barber Direct Drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mokaccino
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Mokaccino

Mokaccino

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This topic has probably been covered a zillion times but hey, I'll ask anyway... Anybody using one? I'd like to get some overdrive/boost pedal to use as a "third" channel on my Express 5:50. Thing is, I need to clean channel to be clean, no crunch or breakup at all and I also need my dirty channel to overdrive a lot, I want something that I could use on my clean channel just to get some light overdrive, very mid to low-gain, preferably low gain. I tried to achieve that by backing up the volume on my guitars, it's not bad with my LP but it's rather ugly with my Strat, and I need to use both guitars for a particular job. I'm not familiar with overdrive pedals since I always use a "crunch" channel and a fully overdriven channel, so I never had a real need for a pedal, but for this particular contract, I need a "3" channel amp. I used to have a DSL100 and rolling back the guitar volume was just wonderful, but I got tired of lugging my 4x12 so I settled for a combo and I got my hands on the Express 5:50, has enough gain for my needs and it especially fits in my car with both my guitars and my effects rack. It's not the best thing out there but it sure is a great tone machine. Too bad I'm not able to switch from clean to crunch while I'm on stage playing (amp limitation, -1 for Mesa), that's where the pedal comes in.

Anyway, send your opinions/thoughts, after reading reviews of a LOT of similar products, I think with the budget I have this thing could do what I am looking for. Feel free to suggest other pedals but I won't spend $450 on an overdrive pedal.

Thx!
 
All of the pedals in my signature are great pedals. Each has a little different tone to it but all sound good with a clean amp. The VOS is a bit pricey at $300 but the Blues Driver was around $150 and is good for lead work. The Red Snapper is the best of the Menatones IMHO and is interactive with the vol on the guitar. I had a BBE Preamp and also liked it but sold it to get the Menatones.
 
I'd have to make a search on the Red Snapper, I'm sure that pedal will be hard to get here in Montreal, so I'll look up on eBay. Probably expensive, right? I can get the Barber Direct Drive for around $100 right now, no wait, a local deal.

Thx for your inputs man!! That Red Snapper looks interesting!
 
The Red Snapper is around $150 but you can get them used for much less. Also check out the HBE Power Screamer, that is a rocking pedal with alot of versitility. I spent the last 2 years buying and selling pedals to get to the current lineup. The Blue Collar is similar to the Red Snapper by the way. For Fuzz the Frantone is heavy and thick but since I play in a church band I have to be careful when I use it.
 
Thx for all this information dude! I just checked out Menatone's web site and the Red Snapper goes for $180. I'd like to try them so much before handing the cash but I can't find all of those "boutique" pedals in regular stores here in Montreal. No Red Snapper on eBay, I just checked.

I've been playing for more than 20 yrs and never needed any boost pedal of some sort, I'm not a "pedal guy", I like the minimal stuff (vol. pedal, wah, amp channel switcher and that's it - oh and sometimes a midi switcher for my G-Major) so I look like a total dumb in the pedal department!!

Thx again man!!
 
No problem. My amp is real old and I use the pedals to give the old girl some life.
 
I would not get the Blue Collar over the Red Snapper. The Snapper is the Menatone flagship of the line. They come up for sale on the bay all the time.
 
looks like you're on track.


i've got a Direct Drive and don't think i'd recomend it for a Mesa? don't remember if i tried it with the clean channel, but it doesn't seem to get along with my Mesa's on the dirt channels. only amp i've had to get along with the DD is a Peavey XXX, so i'm guess maybe the DD would be better suited for a Marshall type amp?
 
bill":kcvxllnl said:
The Red Snapper is around $150 but you can get them used for much less. Also check out the HBE Power Screamer, that is a rocking pedal with alot of versitility. I spent the last 2 years buying and selling pedals to get to the current lineup. The Blue Collar is similar to the Red Snapper by the way. For Fuzz the Frantone is heavy and thick but since I play in a church band I have to be careful when I use it.
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Peach Fuzz is a very cool pedal but it doesnt clean up well with the guitar volume IMO. Sounds massive for rhythm and leads though. :rock:
 
Thing is I just want to dirt up my clean channel, low gain. I gotta play some top 40 stuff and the clean is needed in a lot of songs, it's too bad Mesa did not think about people who wanted to actually use the clean and the crunch, but because they are on the same channel, it's one or the other. I might just put some more gain on my clean channel, enough gain for a good breakup, and just roll down a tad the volume on my guitars. It should be fine with the LP but it'll get way too trebly with my Strat. that's what I liked about my DSL100, rolling back the guitar's volume worked like a charm and I could fit in for any applications/songs.

Maybe a cheapo Bad Monkey could be my answer, I don't know, I read reviews on it and it looks decent. I just don't wanna alter "too much" my tone, or sound plastic. I play through a tube amp, I want a tube tone, always did, always will.

Thx guys!!
 
i'm with Telephant for Fuzzes and clean channels :rock:


i've just never got a distortion/overdrive pedal to work as good as a fuzz with the clean.


only distortion pedal i've got that works good with clean is a Keeley modded Metal zone, and it takes it from clean all the way to big time gain.
 
So I tried the Direct Drive... Lots of gain in this small pedal!! Maybe too much for what I am looking for... The Fulltone OCD was real good... Does anybody here use cmatmods pedals? I stumbled on their web site and I did listen to some clips, I particularly liked the clip of the Tube Slammer pedal, anybody been using that pedal?

Can't try the Menatone Red Snapper, can't find any in my area and there's none over the Bay at the moment.
 
Xotic - AC or RC booster

I have the BB preamp and AC booster (and will ultimately have the RC too because I am the Xotic OD/boost pedals bitch) and they are both great pedals. The BB preamp is probably too much gain/compression for you even though you can obviously dial the gain down a bit. The AC booster is something you should look at for very light OD. The RC booster would excel at that as well.

I've gone through a very big pile of OD/boost pedals over the last few years and the BB preamp after a year and a half or so is still my favorite (now tied for my favorite with the AC booster) for more juicy OD settings, and the AC for light overdrive or a friendly clean boost.
 
Mokaccino":1ft6ze1k said:
but I can't find all of those "boutique" pedals in regular stores here in Montreal. No Red Snapper on eBay, I just checked.
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Go to Boutique Tone.
http://www.boutiquetone.com/

Great stuff there and great service. Lots of high end pedals, amps and guitars.
i bought a Xotic BB Preamp from him :thumbsup:
 
jonny toetags":ehfiamil said:
Mokaccino":ehfiamil said:
but I can't find all of those "boutique" pedals in regular stores here in Montreal. No Red Snapper on eBay, I just checked.
Click to expand...

Go to Boutique Tone.
http://www.boutiquetone.com/

Great stuff there and great service. Lots of high end pedals, amps and guitars.
i bought a Xotic BB Preamp from him :thumbsup:
Click to expand...


Thx for the tip neighbor, I just might try the Signa Drive from cmatmods, relatively cheap with great reviews. Does that guy have a store or he's only selling online?
 
Mokaccino":2j6dxezi said:
jonny toetags":2j6dxezi said:
Mokaccino":2j6dxezi said:
but I can't find all of those "boutique" pedals in regular stores here in Montreal. No Red Snapper on eBay, I just checked.
Click to expand...

Go to Boutique Tone.
http://www.boutiquetone.com/

Great stuff there and great service. Lots of high end pedals, amps and guitars.
i bought a Xotic BB Preamp from him :thumbsup:
Click to expand...


Thx for the tip neighbor, I just might try the Signa Drive from cmatmods, relatively cheap with great reviews. Does that guy have a store or he's only selling online?
Click to expand...

Store (it's like a high class office suite)
You can try everything :thumbsup: (that he has in stock)
Here's a link to his vids: https://www.youtube.com/user/boutiquetone
 
Even though I sold my BB Preamp in my quest for great pedals, I gotta say they are very well made and well worth the $$$$. That being said, they just came out with a BB Preamp Plus for around $250 that really looks good. Go to the xotic web site for video demos and product information on thier pedal line. You can also get them used on the bay for 20 to 30 bucks less than store cost. They seem well made and the only reason I sold mine was the Menatones forced the poor little guy off my pedalboard. Any of the high end pedals are gonna do the job and you will end up with more than one before the dust settles. My setup changes from time to time but has been fairly constant for about the last 8 months or so. Another fav on my board for lead work is the HBE Power Screamer and the Keeley modified Blues Driver, both go for around $150. Have fun with your search and take your time.
 
Well I'm giving CMATMODS a try, I'm grabbing the Signa Drive. Worse that can happen is it doesn't go along with my amp. I've been listening to a lot of clips and I think this is what I need. Chad is great guy to deal with and he knows what he's talking about, I think people here should go take a look at his stuff. He's fast to respond to emails and he explains everything.

Thx all for your inputs, I will be back to comment after I spend some time with the pedal.
 
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