Stacking overdrives - how do you do it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tweed
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tweed

tweed

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Man I love boosting amps and I have quite a few pedals laying around. I see folks slamming one pedal with another all the time but I haven't had much luck doing it myself. Wondering if I'm missing out on some great tones by not investigating this further...

What pedals are you stacking and what are your settings?
 
I've had good luck running 2 tubescreamers, or an SD-1 into a tubescreamer. The 1st one in the chain is always level all the way up, gain off and tone wherever sounds good. The 2nd one would have level all the way up, and gain however high I needed to get what I wasn't getting from the amp, and tone is always just wherever sounds good.
 
I've had good luck with:

MXR Classic OD ---> SUF Civil War Muff
MXR Classic OD ---> SUF Violet Ram's Head (magical, actually)
MXR Classic Dist ---> SUF VRH
MXR Classic Dist ---> SUF CW
MXR Classic Dist ---> Barber Dirty Bomb
MXR Classic Dist ---> Pro Co Turbo Rat
Boss SD-1 ---> SUF VRH
Boss SD-1 ---> SUF CW
:thumbsup:
 
I sometimes stack my GT-OD ontop of my OCD.
The OCD has the typical boost settings (level 9/10, tone 5/10, drive 1/10)
I then stack it with the GT-OD which has these settings: (level 4/10 tone 5/10 drive 4/10)
This is all boosting an amps gain channel, which is set for an AC/DC type of gain.
The result is a molten metal, lava spewing tone. Over the top a bit, but tonnes of juicy complex harmonics. Sustain for days. Great for certain riffs/chording or searing leads.

The key is to keep the settings on the second OD pedal relatively conservative. That way you don't end up with a sloppy, loose, noisy mess.
 
I always use BB preamp in front of the OCD if I want overdrive on clean channel
On disto channel, I use BB preamp as clean boost only or I add a bit of overdrive with it.
I prefer stacking 2 overdrives on the clean channel because on the disto channel, it sounds weird..

I'd also like to try the Flying Dragon as boost
I think it's a nice one too to stack with a more disto/overdrive pedal like the OCD.
 
I like boosting a plexi with a Tim or Timmy for a great crunchy rhythm tone then kicking in a Germanium OD like a Textosterone or else a Butler Tube driver for leads.
 
Rufus Leaking":2f364l51 said:
I like boosting a plexi with a Tim or Timmy for a great crunchy rhythm tone then kicking in a Germanium OD like a Textosterone or else a Butler Tube driver for leads.
Click to expand...

oh man, I'd love to try a tube driver with my plexi :thumbsup:
 
I stacked my two OCDs. Set to very mild overdrive which give a very organic type of drive/feel.
 
GE 7 into Tubescreamer
BBE Boosta Grande into Keely Bluesdriver

These work for me. I generaly like a cleaner preamp type pedal with an overdrive. (I play rock and duel OD's are a little much for my taste) Your tatse may vary.
 
I usually use my 1980's Tube Screamer to front-end my other OD/DS pedals. I use the TS to front-end a BOSS SD-1, BOSS DS-1 (Modded), and a BOSS Drive Zone. I keep the gain on the TS low and the drive (output) high, then put the gain on the OD/DS high and the output low.
 
What you are describing is the secret to my tone.

I ALWAYS run a Fulldrive II Mosfet for rhythm crunch into my Plexi and for leads I leave it on and step on a Keeley Baked TS-9. The result is a crystal clear, glassy singing, endless sustain tone that is out of this world.

I haven't used amp distortion/gain for years. This setup absolutely slays.

Of course I run a JTM45 and a Stratocaster so this setup works REALLY well. This setup allows me to show up at pick up gigs, or out of town gigs and regardless of the amp (Fender, Boogie, Vox, Matchless, Marshall) I have great tone. Set the amp up clean and I'm good to go. I'm not subject to crappy amp gain (if the amp happens to have no gain, or it sucks). :thumbsup:
 
MXR Classic OD into BB+ Preamp
MXR Classic OD into Lovepedal Eternity
MXR Classic OD into OCD
Lovepedal Eternity into BB+
 
I run a microamp into a OD808. The 808 is on most of the time and when I need more crunch for leads Ill kick on the mxr into the 808. Tight and fat :rock:
 
i love stacking fuzz.

bluebeard > megalith
power screamer > bluebeard
power screamer > megalith
winsauce
 
Some nice suggestions given.

Silly question (I know the staple answer is "just try it yourself and listen") but, how would some of you incorporate BOTH, an EQ pedal and an overdrive when stacking for a boost up front? I have an MXR 10 band and an OD808 - was thinking of using both together, never tried this. EQ first, then 808? Thanks
 
RockNRun":376ohi62 said:
Some nice suggestions given.

Silly question (I know the staple answer is "just try it yourself and listen") but, how would some of you incorporate BOTH, an EQ pedal and an overdrive when stacking for a boost up front? I have an MXR 10 band and an OD808 - was thinking of using both together, never tried this. EQ first, then 808? Thanks
Click to expand...
I would run the EQ into the 808. First off the level boost of the eq would add some thickness and compression to the 808. 808s are great for being a base OD to throw another OD into.

2nd you could do some extreme EQing to add a ring mod type of effect for leads. It would be cool.
 
I use a Keeley modded SD-1 (always on) set for clean boost for my metal rhythm tones, then kick on my Pigtronix Aria set for clean boost for soloing. The Aria has a 3 band active EQ which makes it really versatile.
 
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