What is your favorite Distortion pedal?

  • Thread starter Thread starter blackba
  • Start date Start date
blackba

blackba

Well-known member
I am curious what people's favorite distortion pedal is. I am not talking about overdrive pedals, but pedals with more gain such as Boss DS-1, Marshall Guv'nor or Shredmaster, Ibanez SD-9, MI Audio Crunchbox, etc.

If you have a favorite please list the amp you are using it with and why you like it. I am more interested in people using their distortion pedals into clean amps than using it as a boost, so if you are using it as a boost, please mention that. :)

I am currently running an MI audio Crunchbox into a Vox AC50, Fender Bandmaster reverb, or Fender Brown super.
 
Into a dead clean, warm fendery clean amp to achieve a marshally crunch: MI Audio Crunchbox was the best I found, dollar for dollar, hands down.

***What defines a distortion pedal to me: running into a clean amp, and getting ALL your drive from the pedal.
 
***What defines a distortion pedal to me: running into a clean amp, and getting ALL your drive from the pedal.***

voodoo labs sparkle drive. i absolutely love it.
 
I use a Fulltone OCD into a clean channel....gain: think '80s. That's pretty much all the gain I've ever needed. For a more bluesy/clean/tube tone, I'll set the actual od channel on my amp to just south of "hair" and ride the volume to keep it clean or dirty.
 
Good question as I was wondering the same thing! I've always gotten distortion from my amp before so I'm new at using a pedal for all my distortion.

I have to do some gigs where all I can take is a small pedal board and we rely on the venue to provide a backline. Right now I'm experimenting with a Japanese Boss DS-1 (as Satriani does/did) and it sounds OK but I'm guessing there are better options.

I keep reading about the MI Audio Crunch Box as was mentioned above and am very curious.
 
The best Iv'e heard is when my friend used a MIJ Boss DS-1 into a Fender amp. I tried the Crunchbox myself into my clean channels and i absolutley hated it.
 
Radial Tonebone Hot British by far. After I put a (Mesa) spax7 into it, it shines. Tube changes make a difference in that pedal, at least to my ears. One that strangely enough sounds good into solid state amps, but not so good into a tube amp is the Damage control Solid metal. Very sweet into my little Peavey Backstage, but something doesn`t sound right into my Mesa.
 
psychodave":162yu8hn said:
TIM and Timmy. I also like the Barber Direct Drive. All have a lot more gain than a Boss SD-1.
Click to expand...

But you're using those pedals into an already overdriven Marshall. I don't think those pedals have enough to take a clean channel into high gain tones.
 
Lovepedal Plexi 800 is probably the best i've heard into clean?

my Keeley Metalzone is pretty good too.


seems like some are just flat out bad, like it takes some effort to find a good one?


a good fuzz is hard to beat for a clean amp.
 
psychodave":2xzsvayl said:
TIM and Timmy. I also like the Barber Direct Drive. All have a lot more gain than a Boss SD-1.
Click to expand...

I own a Timmy (really like it), but I consider all the pedals you listed in the overdrive catergory. I am talking about pedals with more gain than a Timmy.
 
badger71":u5jxe5t8 said:
I use a Fulltone OCD into a clean channel....gain: think '80s. That's pretty much all the gain I've ever needed. For a more bluesy/clean/tube tone, I'll set the actual od channel on my amp to just south of "hair" and ride the volume to keep it clean or dirty.
Click to expand...

How much gain does the OCD really have? I always though of that as a medium overdrive, but I never tried one.
 
Distortus Maximus!

I don't own one, but got to try one out at the factory booth. Pretty cool, blindfolded you'd swear you were playing straight in to an amp.
 
blackba":2qf2qknm said:
badger71":2qf2qknm said:
I use a Fulltone OCD into a clean channel....gain: think '80s. That's pretty much all the gain I've ever needed. For a more bluesy/clean/tube tone, I'll set the actual od channel on my amp to just south of "hair" and ride the volume to keep it clean or dirty.
Click to expand...

How much gain does the OCD really have? I always though of that as a medium overdrive, but I never tried one.
Click to expand...

I'll put out a few song titles to give you an idea:
Had to Cry Today: Bonamassa
Slither: Velvet Revolver
Love Removal Machine: The Cult
Frank: Steve Vai

I play some of these tunes with a band and the gain is at 2 o'clock. That's plenty for me with medium output pickups. It has more gain on tap. There's a youtube vid floating around with the guy that sounds like Jack Black....I think he demos a couple versions of the OCD to show the differences.
 
Capulin Overdrive":p7jiksa7 said:
Lovepedal Plexi 800 is probably the best i've heard into clean?

my Keeley Metalzone is pretty good too.


seems like some are just flat out bad, like it takes some effort to find a good one?


a good fuzz is hard to beat for a clean amp.
Click to expand...
keeley metalzone is cool
 
i don't use "distortion" pedals, but Overdrive pedals mostly. The only distortion pedal I dug and still do is an original Ibanez SD-9. These days though, they make overdrive pedals with more than enough gain though IMO. a few of them have been pointed out already on this thread, with the exception of the Xotix BB, Fulltone Fulldrive II, DOD 250, BOSS Blue Driver. i think it also depends on the sound your going after, some can shape the tone and some are transparent. I like to have both so i really dont have a favorite per se. Lord knows i've bought a ton of them!
 
I have two that I really dig, and I go back and forth. MI Audio Crunch Box V2 and Radial Plexitube. I haven't changed the tube in the PT yet, but I have a good one sitting here ready. Right now I'm going with the Crunchbox into an AC30 through greenbacks, and getting great Marshally tones. Turn off the pedal and instant Vox cleans, really the best of both worlds for me right now. Of course, it sounds best when the volume goes up.

The plexitube is great, better at low volumes, much more distorsion than the crunchbox, better overall tone control as well. I'm still learning about it and having a great time. Right now it's become a killer living room tool, plugged into a traynor bassmate SS bass amp set to super clean. Fun!
 
i have about 25 distortions and ODs around right now.....i like 'em all :D

EDIT:
I will list a few favorites at the moment:

Distortions:
MI Audio Crunchbox
BSIAB2
Subdecay Blackstar
Catalinbread Hyperpak
Catalinbread SCOD
Catalinbread Stallion
Mad Prof. Red Distortion
Keeley Rat
Guv'nor Clone

OD's
Catalinbread SCOD
Catalinbread Liquid Sunshine
MJM Blues Devil (aka Phantom)
Xotic BB Preamp
Cusack Screamer
Maxon OD808
Menatone Red Snapper
 
Mudder":3rh1039a said:
I have two that I really dig, and I go back and forth. MI Audio Crunch Box V2 and Radial Plexitube. I haven't changed the tube in the PT yet, but I have a good one sitting here ready. Right now I'm going with the Crunchbox into an AC30 through greenbacks, and getting great Marshally tones. Turn off the pedal and instant Vox cleans, really the best of both worlds for me right now. Of course, it sounds best when the volume goes up.

The plexitube is great, better at low volumes, much more distorsion than the crunchbox, better overall tone control as well. I'm still learning about it and having a great time. Right now it's become a killer living room tool, plugged into a traynor bassmate SS bass amp set to super clean. Fun!
Click to expand...


I`d like to try out the crunchbox as well:) Are the Radial and the MI very different? I`m somehow thinking that the MI is rawer and more middy?
 
I really liked the old DS-1, really simple, no nonsense, good tone.

I also just got a BlackStar DistX which is a great pedal and really very versatile - loads of tones, and nice tube like distortion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top