Pedal for Lead Dirt into clean/crunchy amp

[ape2000]

Hey y'all,

Looking for a solid drive/distortion/preamp pedal that can take a clean or edge of break up tone and push into hot liquid lead territory.

I'll upload some videos later for reference, but here's some ideas:
Teppei Teranishi from Thrice - currently Vox/Marshall/Supro/Bassman cranked with a TS and comp. Used to be a Mesa guy.

David Gilmour - Hiwatt+Muff+Colorsound+ridiculous chops

Jerry Cantrell - hot rodded Marshall/Bogner/Friedman

Petrucci/Timmons - Mesa

I grew up on a lot of 2000's "post hardcore" and metalcore and like some of the modern-era prog metal/djent, so that's another part of the lead tone DNA I seek. That said, that's not what I play. More of a post-rock/post-metal sort of guy.

Pedals I've considered are Mesa Flux Drive, Thorpy Gunshot, one of the Bogner offerings, 5150 overdrive.

What do you recommend?

 

[cardinal]

The industry standards for that sort of thing have long since been the Boss SD-1 and Ibanez TS808 variants (TS9, Maxon OD808, etc.).

I'd really start with one of those. If there's something specific that you dislike about whichever one you choose, then you could do some research to figure out which of the many many many pedals would give you want you want. But knowing what you like and don't like about the SD-1/TS808 is going to really help you figure out where to go from there. Otherwise, you could just end up flailing through a bunch of pedals trying to figure it out. (And I suspect you'd be perfectly happy with the SD-1 or the TS808 anyway).

 

[ape2000]

The industry standards for that sort of thing have long since been the Boss SD-1 and Ibanez TS808 variants (TS9, Maxon OD808, etc.).

I'd really start with one of those. If there's something specific that you dislike about whichever one you choose, then you could do some research to figure out which of the many many many pedals would give you want you want. But knowing what you like and don't like about the SD-1/TS808 is going to really help you figure out where to go from there. Otherwise, you could just end up flailing through a bunch of pedals trying to figure it out. (And I suspect you'd be perfectly happy with the SD-1 or the TS808 anyway).

Right on, solid advice. I will say I've been down the TS route and it works well for a more driven amp for that slight mid bump and tightening, but right now, I'm running an amp on the cleaner side of things. I don't like TS variants in those scenarios personally. I've been through a few industry standards and some boutique stuff, too. The Rat is one I always wind up circling back to but not keeping.

 

[ape2000]

Jerry's solo in this song:

Thrice example:

Modern posthardcore/metal:

Similar (mid way through the song, clean delayed lead through ending solos

 

[Racerxrated]

So you need a pedal that has a ton of gain available to boost a cleanish amp..I’d recommend a BE OD or a Boss DS1X. I used the DS1X for a NMV Marshall and it took it to 80s metal levels, pretty quiet too. The BE OD is another good choice, with even more gain available. The DS1X doesn’t have the mid bump of the TS or SD1, more neutral. I use the OD 1X with everything these days, no pedal I’ve tried can knock it off the perch for me. But I use it to boost distorted amps, not clean.

 

[ape2000]

So you need a pedal that has a ton of gain available to boost a cleanish amp..I’d recommend a BE OD or a Boss DS1X. I used the DS1X for a NMV Marshall and it took it to 80s metal levels, pretty quiet too. The BE OD is another good choice, with even more gain available. The DS1X doesn’t have the mid bump of the TS or SD1, more neutral. I use the OD 1X with everything these days, no pedal I’ve tried can knock it off the perch for me. But I use it to boost distorted amps, not clean.

Awesome, I'll check them both out.

 

[cardinal]

The industry standards for that sort of thing have long since been the Boss SD-1 and Ibanez TS808 variants (TS9, Maxon OD808, etc.).

I'd really start with one of those. If there's something specific that you dislike about whichever one you choose, then you could do some research to figure out which of the many many many pedals would give you want you want. But knowing what you like and don't like about the SD-1/TS808 is going to really help you figure out where to go from there. Otherwise, you could just end up flailing through a bunch of pedals trying to figure it out. (And I suspect you'd be perfectly happy with the SD-1 or the TS808 anyway).

Right on, solid advice. I will say I've been down the TS route and it works well for a more driven amp for that slight mid bump and tightening, but right now, I'm running an amp on the cleaner side of things. I don't like TS variants in those scenarios personally. I've been through a few industry standards and some boutique stuff, too. The Rat is one I always wind up circling back to but not keeping.

Sorry, I missed that your amp is mostly clean. You mention the RAT; have you tried the Turbo Rat? It has a ton of output and can really act as a boost the front of an amp much better than the normal RAT, to me at least, but for your situation you don't really need that output boost but a pedal that gives it's own overdrive.

Maybe thing about stacking drives. Something like an OCD for a moderate crunch and then a TS-type pedal stacked on top to push into heavier overdrive?

 

[Goat]

Get a Ceriatone Centura, and replace the stock clipping diodes with USA made ECG109 germanium diodes. The ECG109 was the official replacement for the 1N34A germanium diode. The stock diodes are good, but their clipping characteristics aren't the same as the Centaur diodes. The stock Centura diodes lean toward distortion vs overdrive.

 

[fek]

Suhr Eclipse. It is designed to act as two additional channels into a clean / clean'ish amp.

I have one and works as advertised.

 

[psychodave]

VFE Dragon.

 

[psychodave]

Get a Ceriatone Centura, and replace the stock clipping diodes with USA made ECG109 germanium diodes. The ECG109 was the official replacement for the 1N34A germanium diode. The stock diodes are good, but their clipping characteristics aren't the same as the Centaur diodes. The stock Centura diodes lean toward distortion vs overdrive.

I love the Centura... then on a whim I bought a VFE Merman. It’s a Klon clone, but with more options. I think it’s the best Klon clone I’ve heard and played. I’d take it of an original one as well.

 

[Goat]

Get a Ceriatone Centura, and replace the stock clipping diodes with USA made ECG109 germanium diodes. The ECG109 was the official replacement for the 1N34A germanium diode. The stock diodes are good, but their clipping characteristics aren't the same as the Centaur diodes. The stock Centura diodes lean toward distortion vs overdrive.

I love the Centura... then on a whim I bought a VFE Merman. It’s a Klon clone, but with more options. I think it’s the best Klon clone I’ve heard and played. I’d take it of an original one as well.

I use the Centura to push the signal; never higher than 2:00 on the gain side. I just checked Mike Hermans VFE Merman clip... I like it!

Lately I've been locked-in to using a Zendrive II, and a Double Hot Cake with my Ampeg + VOX rig. The Hot Cake -> Rockman chorus -> Rockman echo -> GVT15 + AC15 sounds like...

I was actually going for something similar to Brian May's tone.

 

[JMP2203]

So you need a pedal that has a ton of gain available to boost a cleanish amp..I’d recommend a BE OD or a Boss DS1X. I used the DS1X for a NMV Marshall and it took it to 80s metal levels, pretty quiet too. The BE OD is another good choice, with even more gain available. The DS1X doesn’t have the mid bump of the TS or SD1, more neutral. I use the OD 1X with everything these days, no pedal I’ve tried can knock it off the perch for me. But I use it to boost distorted amps, not clean.

isnt the ds1x digital? i have an analogman ds1 coming next week, with the mid knob, i guess it would be cool for satch lead tones

 

[Racerxrated]

So you need a pedal that has a ton of gain available to boost a cleanish amp..I’d recommend a BE OD or a Boss DS1X. I used the DS1X for a NMV Marshall and it took it to 80s metal levels, pretty quiet too. The BE OD is another good choice, with even more gain available. The DS1X doesn’t have the mid bump of the TS or SD1, more neutral. I use the OD 1X with everything these days, no pedal I’ve tried can knock it off the perch for me. But I use it to boost distorted amps, not clean.

isnt the ds1x digital? i have an analogman ds1 coming next week, with the mid knob, i guess it would be cool for satch lead tones

Yep. However they do it, it sounds great to my ears and is very quiet. I have a vintage Boss GE 10 and when I get the GE 10 up where I like it, I compare it to the OD1X and they sound identical, with the OD1X quieter. The GE 10 is quiet as well, just not as quiet. I also have an 86 SD1, I dig that as well but it does rob some low end and is way noisier. I have a Cusack Screamer, had a Savage Drive, BE OD, OD808 and the OD1X is the winner. For me at least.
Love to try a VFE at some point. Maybe the creator will start making them again. Prices on the used ones are silly.

 

[japetus]

Boss Blues Driver...most underrated pedal ever.

 

[mchn13]

Caroline wave cannon2. Cant say enough about this pedal, and it’s versatile as hell.

 

[Luca79]

MI-Audio super crunch box is a good distortion with some options. Not so expensive.