Maple Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Hello all, I'm looking for a good overdriven tone for my Les Paul (w/ 57 classics). My main amp is a Princeton Reverb RI. I use a Fulltone II and/or Blues Pro overdrive with my Strats and it's great, but not as great with my Les Paul. I also have an OCD, it's not bad.. but i still feel it could be better. For more gain i use my Crunch Box and it does the trick... but for a bit less gain and a more natural sounding overdrive like Led Zep or AC/DC, it doesn't do that as well. The Blues Pro is not bad... i'm using that now for a early Clapton type tone.. but i'm just wondering what else may be out there. what's your favorite overdrive pedal with a Les Paul. (fwi, i'm going to be saving up to get a decent Marshall amp.. i figure that'll have the all drive variations i need) what do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I use a Boss Compressor / Sustainer. With my overdrive channel on my Peavey Classic it gives me a good punch for leads. On the clean channel it gives me a good overdriven tube sound similar to EVH of David Gilmore depending on which pickup position I am using at the time. When you get your Marshall, you may still want the Compressor / Sustainer to give you another choice over the Marshall overdrives you can get out of the amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I was going to suggest the Crunch Box but I see you already have one along with an OCD. The only other suggestions I have is the Analogman King of Tone which I use as a dirt pedal with my Fender Champ and another one as a clean boost with my Mesa Stiletto but that pedal is a bit pricey and there's a very long waiting list; I don't know if you'd like it any better than what you have anyway. Frankly, it seems to me like you already have some excellent dirt pedals and anything else probably isn't going to get you where you want to be; the tones you're describing are really the sounds of cranked up tube amps and, while you can get close, nothing else sounds quite like it, especially when you're trying to fill a room with a small amp like a Princeton (it might work well for recording though). If I were you, I'd hold off on buying any more overdrive pedals and put the money towards the amp you want to get. LPguitarman's suggestion of a compressor is a good one though; it'll help give you a little more of the feel of a cranked up amp and smooth off some of the edges of the overdrive pedals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maple Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 RichCI, you make a good point. i know the pedals i have should do the trick. and when jamming it sounds much better... i guess i should have mentioned i'm only having this issue at lower volumes. on the other hand i also wanted to see what others are using these days cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 LPguitarman's suggestion of a compressor is a good one though; it'll help give you a little more of the feel of a cranked up amp and smooth off some of the edges of the overdrive pedals. Couldn't have said it better myself. Good description. Thanks Rich=d> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I had a TS808 modified at Analogman. They gave it true bypass, bumped it up from 9 volts to 12 volts and made that mid- range hump that TS's are known for go away. It really sounds sweet on the front end of a tube amp...I said TUBE AMP...I have tried the pedal on a friends solid state amp and it sounded......not so hot. Its really designed for tube amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maple Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 LPguitarman, yes that is a good idea. I'll give that a try perhaps. i can probably borrow one to try out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBENDS Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I like the sound I get with a Boss SD-1 that I've had the last 20 years paired with a BBE Orange Squash compressor in front of a Fender Vibroverb, but I can't say I love it. I have seen the Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic Preamp SFX-03 & SFX-11 Twin Tube Blue, but can't find it locally to try them. Anyone have experience with the Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Preamp line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 RichCI' date=' you make a good point. i know the pedals i have should do the trick. and when jamming it sounds much better... i guess i should have mentioned i'm only having this issue at lower volumes. [/quote'] Low volume is always tough and, even with a very low powered tube amp, you're still going to be very hard pressed to get the sounds you're looking for when playing quietly. Even with a low powered amp working hard and the power tubes doing their thing, the one part of the equation that'll still be missing is air movement. That is, the speaker breaking a bit of a sweat and actually giving you a bit of rumble in the room itself. Again, a compressor can help a bit with that by giving a similar feel but it's still not quite the same thing. I'm not trying to deter you from experimenting or anything but I've been down this road before as have a lot of other guys and, in my experience, it always leads to some sort of compromise when it comes to playing at low volume. You'll be able to get a tone that works well for you and you enjoy playing with, but getting those big, cranked up tones similar to your guitar heroes at low volume is pretty much impossible with just an overdrive box at low volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzboy Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I would get a either Boss OD-3 or TS-808 Tube Screamer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawg086 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I use the hot head for the overdrive and the bad monkey for a solo boost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callen3615 Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Boss ds-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esch Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hello Maple, After trying out lots of different overdrive pedals over the years...you could say I've tried them all, and lots of them in an a/b situation to compare tones directly. I'm happy to say I have found the holy grail - MAXON OD-820. I've been using it for over 2 years now and I can confidently say it has earned a permanent place in my pedal line-up. I am getting the smoothest, sweetest sounding overdrive and natural compression I've yet to hear from any effect box. Some revealing comments from a review of the famous high end (and expensive) Klon Centaur going head-to-head against Maxon OD-820 (not quite as expensive but still a high end pedal)... “Headroom, fidelity, and capability of maintaining a strong and vibrant guitar signal.” “The OD-820 wins out in this review hands-down for its combination of quality construction, transparency, value, and overall good tone when playing through a range of gear.” “It felt like I was now playing a guitar and listening to the amp's overdrive, and not feeling like I was playing through a pedal. (absolutely right)“ “Clarity and presence along with strong headroom is available in ample supply.” I can't say enough about how happy I am with this pedal. http://www.maxonfx.com/Vintage_OD820.php http://www.maxonfx.com/NewsOd820_2004LT.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 When i bought my Marshal amp, i sold or gave away my pedals because i didn't need them any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Man, there are SO many, two of which you have already! But, I like the Boss "Blues Driver," and/or "Marshall's "Bluesbreaker II," "Guv-nor Plus" pedals. Marshall amps and Les Paul's are a match made in Heaven! But, the Marshall pedals do a great job, with other amps. I use them with my Fenders... (Blues Junior, Hot Rod Deluxe, and Twin Reverb) CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chongo Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 If you're looking for a simple overdrive, two of the best are put out by Xotic (the AC and the RC) pedals. You'll find those in Neal Schon's concert floor rig. The BB is also outstanding, and considered one of the best in the business. But if you want a bit more crunch and aren't running a row of five half stacks to get it, you might check www.wamplerpedals.com . His Plexidrive, Plextortion and Pinnacle are amazing go-to's for Marshall sounds. The PlexDrive does vintage JTM-45 type sounds, the Plextortion moves on to later model AC/DC type crunch, moving on into some really good Marshall gain type territory, and the Pinnacle is an Eddie-In-A-Box Brown Sound marvel. He's also got an outstanding Exstasy pedal that does Bogner and Dumble type sounds -- extremely smooth, very modern gain sounds. This one kicks butt. And then there s a new one -- I think he's calling it the Recstortion (Mesa Rectifier type sounds) that he may not be *quite* done with yet. ALL of his pedals are full bypass. There should be videos and sound clips on the site (as well as on YouTube) and if you're considering one of his pedals, Sign Up For The Newsletter. it's free, doesn't drop a lot of spam in your email and it gives you a healthy discount on his pedals. Trust me, this is really good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 www.hipkittyproducts.com www.reinhardtamps.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumo Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 One of my favorite ODs is the Catalinbread Silver Kiss American Edition. So good. Real tweakable too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 One of my favorite ODs is the Catalinbread Silver Kiss American Edition. So good. Real tweakable too. I haven't checked out that guy's web site in a while. I have an older Super Chili Picoso and that one LOUD pedal. Can't ask for much better if all you want is more clean volume with as little coloration as possible. Edit - Geez' date=' just checked out a video on the silverkiss web site web site of some guy wanking on a Strat. It drives me insane when dirt box demos consist of just noodling single notes and a few double stops. Any box will sound decent playing that stuff - I want bigass chords where most pedals fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esch Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hello Maple' date=' After trying out lots of different overdrive pedals over the years...you could say I've tried them all, and lots of them in an a/b situation to compare tones directly. I'm happy to say I have found the holy grail - MAXON OD-820. I've been using it for over 2 years now and I can confidently say it has earned a permanent place in my pedal line-up. I am getting the smoothest, sweetest sounding overdrive and natural compression I've yet to hear from any effect box. Some revealing comments from a review of the famous high end (and expensive) Klon Centaur going head-to-head against Maxon OD-820 (not quite as expensive but still a high end pedal)... “Headroom, fidelity, and capability of maintaining a strong and vibrant guitar signal.” “The OD-820 wins out in this review hands-down for its combination of quality construction, transparency, value, and overall good tone when playing through a range of gear.” “It felt like I was now playing a guitar and listening to the amp's overdrive, and not feeling like I was playing through a pedal. (absolutely right)“ “Clarity and presence along with strong headroom is available in ample supply.” I can't say enough about how happy I am with this pedal. http://www.maxonfx.com/Vintage_OD820.php http://www.maxonfx.com/NewsOd820_2004LT.php [/quote'] As you can see from the numerous opinions out there, there is not just one way to get good tone (or a personal definition of good tone). |For my part I've a/b'd the best of them. So yes, I am quoting my own post...not sure if that is flame-worthy, but this pedal is too good to get lost in the mix (so to speak). And It sounds awesome whether its single notes or full chords...this was one of my criteria. It is the best OD pedal I've ever heard. No, I don't work for Maxon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarjunky Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Get a Boss DS-1 pedal made in Japan. All you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacks Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 RichCI' date=' you make a good point. i know the pedals i have should do the trick. and when jamming it sounds much better... i guess i should have mentioned i'm only having this issue at lower volumes. on the other hand i also wanted to see what others are using these days cheers[/quote'] If you have low volume problems. then you are probably not driving the tubes sufficiently to get the right tone. Have you tried some kind of speaker attenuator between the amp output and speaker? I have the Weber MASS on my Blues deluxe and it works a treat in my bedroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALIEN8 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 If you already have dirt boxes - especially the OCD, you already have dirt, and good dirt. You need to re-voice or change the EQ, since that's pretty much what all of these different distortion boxes do. Clipping is pretty much the same across the board, some minor variations, but not much. Adding an EQ before or after a dirt box can drastically change the way the distortion is produced, or the way it sounds. I would recommend an EQ pedal over any distortion box you could ever purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corrosion of conformity Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 I would recommend a Boss BD-2 or an Ibanez TS9. I have both, and I can get really great overdrive sounds out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchabalk Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 You might like one (or both!) of these 2: - Timmy - ZVex Box of Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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