Good tube overdrive pedals...

[Jimmy Purchase]

I used to use the Boss Blues Driver, but the sound just sounded to fake. So i started my search for a good sounding overdrive pedal....

i stumbled upon the Fulltone Full-Drive 2. This pedal is absoulty amazing! it is the perfect worship overdrive its crunchy but not to driving so you dont sound like your in a punk rock band. but its more of a overdrivin clean tone. And you get feedback from it so all you delay fans, this pedal is perfect for volume swells.

I think i'm going to buy the Ibanez Tube Screamer Ts-808 i've heard this is the pedal above all pedals....

what to you guys use or like?

[Wildwind]

The FullDrive 2 is a GREAT pedal. I will never sell mine unless it’s to get a newer/better version. The one I have is not the latest – like the second latest. It has the 3-position toggle switch between the knobs. This is a great value with its switchable boost feature, making it two pedals in one – and both sound excellent.

I’d like to try the Fulltone OCD, which is supposed to be incredible too.

I haven’t played a TS-808 and have heard mixed reviews.

Two pedals that are far cheaper that I can recommend – DigiTech Bad Monkey and Screamin’ Blues. Both run about $40 new and are built like tanks. The Monkey is great for crunch and blues tones, but isn’t very high-gain. The Blues pedal is a screamer, much higher gain. Both sound great. The hot setup is to run them side-by-side. It’s hard to imagine that pedals in this price range can sound so good.

An overlooked pedal is the Tech21 overdrive – Double Drive, which I think has been discontinued. The newer version, DD3X, takes this idea a bit further but runs about $180. The old DD was around $100 new. These permit you to dial in Class A or Class A/B power tube distortion in various amounts. I loved mine – sounded great and very versatile. Like an idiot I sold it. Tech 21 makes some nice stuff and it’s all analog.

Great post and a fun subject – can’t have too many overdrives, IMO.

Greg

[Steve Lowe]

I second the Bad Monkey, best dirt pedal for the money out there, IMO. Also consider the Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde - and peruse some of the boutique shops as well. tonefactor.com is a good resource with active forums and lots of sound clips of various pedals on the market.

[Jimmy Purchase]

yeah i'm a huge boutique pedal fan. One of the guitar players on our worship teams plays the Jekyll and Hyde pedal and i like it alot, thats another 2 in 1 pedal that is really good

[Wildwind]

I didn't mean to leave out the Visual Sound pedals. I've never played one, but have heard them and like them very much. They also usually feature the second button, giving them great value for the dollar. I should check them out one of these days, but then I'd probably buy one - not good stewardship right now...

Greg

[fmckinnon]

hey guys - yeah, one of the other sites, thetoneguru.com is a member here, and will likely jump in soon!

[JimBusch]

A few years ago I bought a floor model Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-9. They typically retail for about $150.00 I think, but I got it for about $100.00 because it was a display model.

Anyway, I have used it for about 5 years and love it. If you connect it to a transister amplifier it will make the amp sound like a tube amp, in my opinion. I use a Fender Strat with it.

[tony c]

I have to agree with Jim Busch, the Ibanez Tube Screamer is a great pedal, either in its latest form or the one from back in the 70's (I think).

I've heard great things about the Jekyll & Hyde pedal, although I've not personally used it.

[Klampert]

Tube screamer ....

Jekyl and hyde

Route 66

those three are the best sounding overdrives Ive heard

[lindsayward]

(First post, Hi folks!)
I went to the Hillsong Conference in 2005 and Nigel Hendroff did a guitar workshop where he talked through his gear. On his recommendation I got a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive (http://www.voodoolab.com/) and I like it a lot ($90USD used, $150AUD after all expenses).
It's got a clean blend knob that is a balance between the gain/OD sound and a nice clean boost. Modifying this gives a wide range of sounds.
I'm pretty sure Nigel (he's the guy with the dreadlocks if you've seen the videos) was using this and a Tube Screamer as well (plus a stack of other nice bits of kit).

[Klampert]

wow...thanks for the tip that pedal sounds great on the site...the funk mp3 sample is killer

[walkerjerry]

Man it really depends on your exact setup and tonal preference, but I'll be honest, I really don't care for the Fulltone, Jekyl & Hyde, or the Bad Monkey. (And I hate the Blues Driver). I am a BIG fan of the Maxon line of tubescreamers. I especially like the OD808. It is true bypass for one, and very transparent (if you like that). But in general I think that all the tubescreamers are pretty good overall (even the Ibanez ones), and I also like the Boss SD1 (and its cheap).

[bbrothers224]

Robert Keely (http://www.robertkeeley.com/) makes some great pedals, as do the folks over at Swell Pedals (http://www.swellpedals.com/). What do I use?? I'm just getting back into the electric side of things after a dozen years or more of just playing acoustic. I had sold my early 80s Kramer and all of my Boss pedals way back then, so when rejoined the electric crowd, I went the all in one route by getting a Line6 floor POD. That's enough for me at this time. By the way...another good place to find pedals is over at Pedal Geek (http://www.pedalgeek.com).

In Hymn,
Billy

[Jimmy Purchase]

i really want to get the keeley blues driver, their mod looks and sounds amazing, not to mention thats what john mayer uses for his great tone. and man, thanks for that pedal geek site, i've never heard of it before.

[WideAwake]

Another vote for the Bad Monkey. $40 bucks, and it lets your guitar tone shine through.

[Phillip_H]

The Bad Monkey is a decent enough pedal for $40, but if you're willing to shell out a little more, you should check out some alternatives.

Barber (http://www.barberelectronics.com/products.html) makes great pedals. The LTD pedals cover the low-medium gain range, and the Small Fry and Direct Drive cover the higher gain stuff. I just got a Small Fry and it is fantastic.

The Catalinbread (http://www.catalinbread.com/pedals.html)Silver Kiss is pretty nice, too.

The Lovepedal Eternity (http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.lovepedal.com/eternitysquare.htm&sa=X&oi=smap&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&usg=AFQjCNG32yaNkYC5FJQVTtzo6VUAgMfMWw) get a lot of praise, but it's pricey.

[dan_tone]

I've been thinking about eventually picking up a Blackstone Mosfet Overdrive (http://www.blackstoneappliances.com/) myself, but I've got heal up my funds a little bit first.

Another way I might go instead is the MI Audio Tube Zone Overdrive. (http://www.miaudio.com/TZ1.htm)

[maydavidj]

I used a Boss Blues Driver through a vintage Ampeg tube amp for one of my recordings. It sounded huge! I use my music minister's pedal board for worship now, and he has an Ibanez TS5 tube screamer pedal- It's OK. I'm getting ready to buy a Floor-pod XT though.

[Wildwind]

Dan, the MI Audio stuff is awesome. I've only played the Crunch Box, though - which I do plan to acquire and set aside my FullDrive 2. But as I'm addicted to overdrives, I'd grab a Tube Zone if I had the chance.

Greg

[collintowne]

On the side, I work for Dan Torres at Torres Engineering here in San Mateo, CA so I play through all hand made, point to point, tube amps. I've been working with him for 4 years now, and have learned tons about amps, and I have also experimented with a lot of pedal and rack gear. check out my link. Anyways, there are many options, and in the end, if the player is happy with the tone and it inspires you to play your best, then it works. When I look for pedals, I look for true bypass pedals only. I have used buffers made by probably the 2 most highly sought after makers in the world. Skrydstrup R&D and Axess Electronics. Currently my buffer is the BS2 from Axess. My true bypass pedals come before the BS2 and the pedals I have gravitated towards are Fulltone, Analog Man TS9, Z-vex. I have the following Fulltone pedals. FD2, FD2 anniversary, OCD, Fat Boost, Fat Boost 2, '69, Supa-Trem, Distortion Pro, and have played through the GT-500 and new designed FD2. You can't go wrong with a Fulltone. Considering they are all hand made one at a time, have fantastic workmanship, and use top quality parts. Every pedal will respond differently depending on what guitar you use and your amp. Anyways, that's what I have found to work the best for me to get the tone that I am after.

collintowne

[Wildwind]

Great post, Collin! Working for Dan would be a blast! I respect his work very much. He provided some of the parts and most of the "brain work" for an extensive set of mods to a friend's Peavey Classic 30 (truly now an example of the way they should all be...) and my Mesa Studio .22+ (vastly superior to the factory version).

Plus I also love Fulltone pedals, though I've only owned FullDrives. I am wanting an OCD, wish I could find one to try. I'll probably just buy one. I know I could sell it easily enough.

I am in the process of buying a Mesa V-Twin - which as I'm sure you know is an all-tube overdrive/preamp, since that is the essence of this thread. I had one some years back and foolishly sold it. Now they're out of production and more pricey than ever - used ones go for the price of the last of the new ones routinely. But I'm buying one anyway. I haven't heard one in years and don't remember much. My use of it back then was very different than now.

I plan to try various tubes and get it dialed in with my other gear - and also use it up- or down-stream of my POD X3 (my main worship amplification - we have to run direct). The V-Twin could also be used purely direct, though it would need some help (other pedals, so it won't be as simple as the POD setup). But if it sounds great, it will be worth it.

Mesa made another tube OD - the Bottle Rocket - which I owned but returned to the dealer inside of a month. I was very disappointed in it - it was flat sounding and didn't add the power to my tone as well as any number of transistor boxes (Screamers, etc.) I had in my quiver. Frankly I think Mesa kind of messed that one up. They did sell another tube OD for a very short time that was designed independently by an employee. They only sold them from the Hollywood store. I played the prototype and my friend bought the next one he built. It used a pair of 12AX7s and was a pure OD, not a pre. It sounded amazing. But this guy left Mesa shortly thereafter, tried to sell them on his own, and fell off the planet. I can't even remember his name - John something. JMD (his initials I presume) might have been the company name.

But it's interesting that tube ODs have never really caught on. Most of the sounds we love are tube amps slammed by transistor boxes. Other than pricey boutique pieces (and most of those companies don't make tube stuff, like Fulltone), you can about count on one hand the number of true tube ODs.

Again, thanks for a great post - do it a LOT more. I'd really like to see this board catch fire.

Greg

[collintowne]

Have you ever played through a Triaxis. Those are great preamps! The V-twin looks just as good, but with fewer features. I bet you'll really like the V-twin.

I think a lot of pedal companies don't use tubes cause the pedals would get thrown around so much that the tubes would go bad pretty quick. And on top of that, FETs sound VERY much like tubes. They work the same way, and get very similar tones. Hence, the Fulltone FD2 and BassDrive has a Mosfet and the GT-500 and Fat Boost 2 uses JFETs.

Have you ever looked into using an Attenuator on your amp! I would try that. Sounds like you got your .22+ modded from Dan. If that's the case and you really like your tone from that, just use an attenuator and have your amp cranked for awesome tube tone, but on really low volume for really low stage volume. I would get the Bad Cat one. here's a link: www.musictoyz.com/guitar/amps/attn.php

Do you have drums on stage?

[Wildwind]

No experience with TriAxis. I've seen them around here and there and I'm sure I've heard them on recordings - Petrucci, etc., but not enough to know what I'm hearing. I suspect they are capable of some seriously great tones.

I have owned Mesa Studio and Formula pres, though. I should have kept the Formula, but I just didn't have a use for it. I always meant to pair it up with a 20/20 or something, but never did. One of the very best "amps" I ever played was just that, running into a Boogie single 12" Thiele cab (not sure of the speaker - Celestion 90 I think) - I still remember how playing that setup made me feel. The detail and tonality were mind blowing and the package was tiny overall. Not cheap by any means, though, but the good stuff never is.

My Mesa Studio .22+ has had some caps replaced (and maybe other stuff too - I don't speak electronics), altering the tone and making it easier to balance the channels with great tones from each (not possible on the stock amp), a Class A mod, and one or two other things. The Class A mod is switchable (back panel, looks like it was there from the start but it wasn't). Speaker was replaced (mercifully) with a Celestion Century V30 (Vintage 30 soundalike), taking the amp's weight down to 32 pounds. It's a killer little package. It wasn't a packaged mod - just ideas from Dan and some parts. But I know Dan would approve of the results. I dearly love these amps - I think they are killers and largely unknown. I much prefer them to a Fender Deluxe tonally and package-wise - and they're cheaper. I have no more than $500 into mine as it sits - $350 for amp used in great condition, plus the speaker and a handful of parts.

I did check out that attenuator - looks very cool - but expensive! I know they all are, though. My deal is that I have to run direct - and we are using V-Drums, so they're direct too - and we monitor via an Aviom system. We're going to be building in the next year or two. I'm pushing for an isolation room so we can use amps again. But as we've been direct for many years, it's forced me to get really good at programming my modelers, and I'm pretty pleased with what I'm getting. Still - nothing like a real amp for good fun and great tone.

Your comments on OD pedals is interesting - and I'm sure you're right. They lead a tough life, getting tossed around and stepped on all the time. I can get lost in OD Land - so many variations and too much fun trying stuff. There must be a thousand good ODs on the market now from $40 to $500. I figure any good setup needs at least two great ones (one being a dual-switch OD like an FDII or GT500).

I have a question on the OCD. My main interest in this pedal is my infatuation with the singing tone I get when I really juice my Mesa. It's that tone that "feeds back" on itself. The Fulltone OCD demonstrates it to a minor degree, but the playing isn't very good and I find the demo unconvincing. I have no dealers anywhere with one in stock - OCDs don't sit on the shelf for long, and the nearest Fulltone dealer is 100 miles away. So I'll have to buy online or something, which gives me pause.

Anyway, the question - is the OCD the pedal for this tone? Or is there another? Certainly I'll try the V-Twin when it arrives late next week (just closed that deal) and hope it delivers. My 22+ gets it great - but at shockingly loud levels (need that attenuator, don't I?). But I need this in church. Fortunately the POD X3 takes pedals well, unlike some other modelers I've owned. Your opinion would be most valuable to me.

Any thoughts in MI Audio pedals? I played a Crunch Box a year or two ago and was way impressed. But I'm not sure they're for me tonally - I favor Mesa over Marshall for high-gain tones. But CB sure does Marshall well, I'll give it that, and the price is right.

Thanks bro - this has been most enjoyable. I hope others will join in too.

Greg

[Johnny B.]

I'm looking into buying a Browntone hand wired overdrive pedal. This guy is getting pretty popular among the secular pro musicians. He's on Myspace under "Browntone electronics" I believe. I currently use an electro Harmonix small clone stereo pedal and Ibanez delay... I love the E.H pedals but would like to switch my delay pedal soon.

Blessings guys.. Johnny B.

[Wildwind]

Interesting - I'll check those out.

What kind of delay are you looking to get?

I'm not making a recommendation, as I usually just use the delays in my POD X3. But I do really like my Line6 DL-4. It's great fun to play with, sounds cool, and gives you three presets plus tap tempo in one package for about $250 new. Used they aren't much cheaper usually unless beat up badly.

I've also heard great things about the new Eventide pedal, but I have no details.

Greg

[Johnny B.]

Thanks,I'll be checking those out before I buy anything as I really havent settled on a delay yet. On another note I am waiting for a set of hand wound pickups for my strat and if they are as good as they sound on the video clips/peoples reports then its going to be a good thing. They are called sheptone pickups(he's on my space) and they are from a guy I havent met as of yet but I found out he is a worship leader at his church not far away from me..an hour or so ... I'll have to leave a report when they arrive. Soooo many things to try for that perfect celestial tone!! :)
This is a great forum... Its my second day and its already very helpful..
Blessings... Johnny B.

[Wildwind]

Glad you're with us! I haven't been here long myself - couple of months maybe.

Keep us posted on the pickups - always good to know of brethren making great stuff. My main guitar was made by a great brother in Christ - Gerard Melancon (www.melanconguitars.com). Amazing guitar that gets better with age.

In my Melancon, I'm running the new DiMarzio Area 58s neck and middle. Our sanctuary has some major noise issues and you can't use single coils there. These sound vintage and are very quiet. (Bridge has a DiMarzio Virtual PAF, also a great pickup for Strat). Prior to that I was using strictly Bill Lawrences with great results, but I do prefer these new Areas - newer generation technology I think.

Greg

[stephen_can_man]

I just ordered a Carl Martin AC Tone from Ebay and I hope to get that Voxy type sound. Anyone else have any experience with this pedal or the Carl Martin line of pedals? I know that it is not a true bypass, but it is a three in one overdrive unit, which is what turned me on to it. I will update everyone once I give it a whirl.

[Wildwind]

I've been curious about these myself, but haven't even seen one. I'm very interested to hear what you think.

Greg

[clriehl]

Hello everyone, I have played many overdrive/distortion pedals and have found none that I like better for just good crunch than the Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal (TS-9) sent in to Keeley and have them mod it out. It sounds so good. And keeley makes it a true bypass pedal which doesnt suck away any tone. its just perfect and ideal. I recommend it to any and everyone!

[stephen_can_man]

I have really enjoyed the Carl Martin AC-Tone. It does exactly what you would expect, it has the sound of an overdriven AC-30. It is an excellent addition to my rig because I am able to get the smooth overdrive of my fender amp and the vox overdrive with the AC-Tone. Here is what I wrote in another review:

The pedal sounds amazing, but here are the drawbacks. First, it has a separate cable for power, and, the cable is short. Second, it is a boutique price but without true bypass, that bugs me. Third, the second overdrive is the same as the first, but without a separate volume control which makes the volume louder or softer if the gain is set different from the first overdrive channel. Fourth, as I mentioned already the second overdrive is a separate but identical channel, but the pedal does not allow you to combine the first channel's gain with the second channels gain for a heavier distortion. I found a way to get more gain from the pedal, I use my comp 66 (compressor) as a boost for my signal so that I can get more oomph, otherwise the most breakup you can get is what one overdrive channel can put out.

Surprisingly, I still like this pedal even after paying a lot and all the quirks I mentioned. I guess I am a sucker for the Vox tone while using my Fender amp. It allows me more versatility and just works for my music. My music: Pop, Alternative, Brit Rock, Blues, and Worship music.

[Googoo]

Glad you're with us! I haven't been here long myself - couple of months maybe.

Keep us posted on the pickups - always good to know of brethren making great stuff. My main guitar was made by a great brother in Christ - Gerard Melancon (www.melanconguitars.com). Amazing guitar that gets better with age.

Greg

Hi, I'm searching for a new guitar and I'm wondering how much one of the guitars from melanconguitars would cost? They look like fine instruments...

[Wildwind]

I'm not certain of the prices now. Mine is a Pro Artist, his least expensive model. It's essentially a modern vintage Strat. I assure you, it dusts even Fender Custom Shop stuff for way less cash. And it's every bit on par with offerings from other great makers like Anderson and Suhr.

Best guess for one like mine would be around $2K or a bit more. Gerard has a few dealers who can help you better than I. Google his website for a list. I think it's www.melanconguitars.com. All are very responsive. He also sells direct if there is no dealer near you.

Sometimes you can find these at a discount, so it's good to check with the dealers. I've seen brand new Pros sell for well under that $2K mark in this case.

He makes two higher line models in the Strat body style - one still has a pickguard but a flame or quilt top; the other is rear-routed, so no pickguard. In all models you'll have numerous choices of options. He has his own pickups (wound to his specs by DiMarzio - and they sound fantastic), but he has other options and likely would permit you to provide your own (depending on what they are).

Also he makes a Tele body style in several variations, including a chambered one with a Bigsby and Filtertron type pickups that is very popular. A good friend has a P90 Artist, a Tele-shaped, chambered guitar with a flame top that is too pretty to play - but plays like a dream and sounds awesome.

I've been playing for a very long time and have access to several Melancon guitars. It's a very good thing my checking account funds are needed elsewhere, because I would buy every one of them I could get my hands on.

Greg

[polkmusicians]

you can't go wrong with a TS-808 , well thats a bit of a stretch. the thing is this, the OLD 808s sound way better then the new ones and useally cost a lot more.
i was looking for a nice tube sound in an overdrive peddle and eneded up just spending the extra cash on an Amp simulator, since i had a nice clean sounding acustic amp any way (Marshall as50r 50/w) wich i have for my Martin gutar
so i ended up buying the VOX tonelab that comes with a tube in it and i can get a ton of tone out of it with my strat.

[kyle2blue]

I have the radial tonebone trimode, I love the sound I get from this thing. There's also a smaller tonebone classic, these are both tube driven pedals. Good od sound

[phil77]

Regarding Carl Martin pedals, I have the Limiter/Compressor on my board and I wouldn't trade it for anything! Great pedals, but pricey, but worth it!

As for OD recommendations, for me nothing beats having a Keeley Blues Driver and an OCD (v.4). I can get any sound that I'd ever need from those two beasts. :D

[mpactguitarist]

i just bought the ts-808 and the dd-7 today im starting to build a board instead of using a floor modual i have two the vox tonelab le and se. anyone have any suggestions for the new footboard i play live and need some choices

[stephen_can_man]

Depending on how many pedals you plan on getting, I recommend the:

Pedaltrain Mini (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Pedaltrain-Mini-Pedalboard?sku=580563&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=323917791)

This is a small, compact, and portable board for up to 4 pedals. It costs about $70.

From there you can go up to the:

Pedaltrain Junior (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Pedaltrain-PTJR-Pedalboard-with-Softshell-Gig-Bag?sku=150579)

This will hold 4 pedals and a Wah-Wah, or 6 pedals. This one costs about $99 and it also has a soft shell case. If you want the hardshell, think $170 range.

If you are very budget conscious, you can make your own pedal board or surf through musicians friend or the other online stores to find what you are looking for. If you want to make your own, just private message me and I can give you some tips I have learned.

[mpactguitarist]

i mean do u have any tips pedal wise? we play stuff at my youthgroup such as there is nothing like, from the inside out and how he loves us, as for the actual board to put the pedals on im just gonna use a mixer boars case and build me own board to kinda glue into the case?

[musicianinthestates]

i mean do u have any tips pedal wise? we play stuff at my youthgroup such as there is nothing like, from the inside out and how he loves us, as for the actual board to put the pedals on im just gonna use a mixer boars case and build me own board to kinda glue into the case?

I think there are other threads on this topic, but quickly:
1. pedal tuners are your best friend in a live setting (fender tuner $40, peterson strobo-stomp is awesome! - $200)
2. Overdrive you have, having two doesn't hurt tho, you can have two different settings or cascade one into the other for searing high gain. I like the voodoo lab sparkle drive $130, the visual sound OD are also nice, @ $120-ish each, the route 808 and open road.
3. distortion is a different beast than OD, and another tonal option. son of hyde (same as dist. in jekyll and hyde) modded boss dist. DS-1, proco rat,
4. wah is an acquired taste for some, some use it - some don't, if you didn't use it on your tonelab don't worry bout it. crybaby is good, so are vox and buddwah...
5. chorus is good to have. boss super chorus,
6. delay/echo is another one that you may want more than one of, a filling out type of echo and tempo adjustable delay for rhythmic apps.

other flavors to consider might be octavers (boss oc-3, E-H POG), compressors keeley, visual sound), univibe type effects, etc.

also don't be so quick to write off the danelectro cool cat line, some good and affordable stuff. $25-60 each. not too shabby! one of the mistakes I see a lot of youth make is they assume that cheap isn't good and they snobbishly shell out $$$ for name brands instead of lower priced usable products. why pay $80 for a blues driver if a blind test reveals you like the $25 dano cool cat overdrive as much or better, right?!

are you going for your own sound, or emulating what you hear on CD's?

okay I guess that wasn't quickly!

[mpactguitarist]

thanx for the help, im going for a hillsong sound thats mostly what we play, sometimes we play jesus culture stuff. but the setup i have so far is a vox ac-15 ibanez ts-808, and the dd-7( just started making footboard so i dont have alot of pedals yet) im playin it with a gibson les paul silverburst classic custom, i also own a fender sienna sunburst american strat a zakk wylde les paul and a epiphone les paul.

[stephen_can_man]

Ok, I have my favorite overdrive pedal of all time. The BB plus is hands down, the most expensive but best overdrive I have ever used. The reason why? Classic brittish tone, completely transparent, and two overdrives in one package. This pedal handles everything you throw at it and delivers with incredible tone. Check out the reviews for it on Harmony Central/Youtube and you will see what I mean. I have not tried its brother the AC plus, but it gets good marks too. In fact, I have heard great things about Xotic period. The BB and RC booster started the buzz. All of these are great pedals but for my ears, BB plus is the best.

BTW its $250. Way out of most people's range, but worth it in my opinion.

[mpactguitarist]

hmm ill have to check it out

[stephen_can_man]

Ok, since you already have the Tube screamer, an AC-15, and two decent guitars, get the most transparent overdrive/boost there is:

Harmony Central Review - RC Booster (http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/product/Xotic/RC+Booster/10/1)

My friend is a professional Christian guitarist in Nashville and this is the only pedal that I have consistently seen on his pedal board. This is literally the highest rated pedal out there.

[mpactguitarist]

whats the difference between the ts-808 and the Xotic RC Booster, and look up the gibson les paul silverburst classic custom.its the best guitsr in alot of peoples opinion hahaha plus there are only 400 made i have number 389 so im lucky to have such a great guitar at such a young age

[musicianinthestates]

whats the difference between the ts-808 and the Xotic RC Booster,

it sounds like the RC is a lot more transparent... no mid range bump, or not nearly as much as 808. its almost as if its an active pickup circuit that boosts the clarity, fullness, and can drive an amp to sweet break up. You see a lot of jazz players running the clean boost type box, but its not just for those guys. I'll definitely be picking one of these up someday, after I trade in my tonebone trimode and sparkle drive to get that BB plus, and maybe an AC plus!! Its all good!

I'd never heard or heard of Xotic pedals before, now I want'em all!!

[Smitty]

I followed the link, and was also really impressed with the RC Booster. I sometimes run a compressor at the front of my chain, and use it for a volume boost, but its not really a "clean" boost. The RC is clean.

I'm saving my pennies.

Smitty

[mpactguitarist]

say i wanted to go into a solo and wanted to be a tad bit louder than everyone what should i buy for that? im use to the moduals sorrry for all the questions but i appreciate yalls help

[travisvwright]

If you don't want to change your sound just make it louder I like the Boss EQ pedals I have a 6 myself but they aren't made any more and I think the 7 works is even easier to do this with.

[musicianinthestates]

say i wanted to go into a solo and wanted to be a tad bit louder than everyone what should i buy for that? im use to the moduals sorrry for all the questions but i appreciate yalls help

you could use a volume pedal at the end of the effects chain so it doesn't mess with the gain. Just set it appropriately for group play and swell up to solo volume as needed. Great for blending back in, instead of sudden "HONK, I'm louder", then turning off a booster and leaving people say, "where's the guitar?" volume pedals are also great for creating atmosphere and dynamics, you can back way off, but still offer relative pitch and a little rhythm for singers to stay in key and time.

[travisvwright]

Something to keep in mind with a Volume pedal is most volume pedals don't increase sound they only decrease it. If you have an effects chain and add a volume pedal to the end wide open nothing should change (minor signal degredation aside). So to be able to use a volume pedal you will need to increase the volume of your entire system then roll the volume pedal back to bring it where you want it and have the ability to be louder at other times.

Just something to keep in mind as once you dial in that perfect sound trying to raise the entire volume often puts you right back at square one. So if you are going to use a volume pedal. Plan your effects and settings for the loudest parts then use the volume pedal as a limiter.

[musicianinthestates]

So to be able to use a volume pedal you will need to increase the volume of your entire system then roll the volume pedal back to bring it where you want it and have the ability to be louder at other times.

Just something to keep in mind as once you dial in that perfect sound trying to raise the entire volume often puts you right back at square one. So if you are going to use a volume pedal. Plan your effects and settings for the loudest parts then use the volume pedal as a limiter.

thanks for clarifying that for him. Thats what I meant by set it midway for group levels then swelling up to solo volume as needed.

[simon]

I stopped using volume pedals and started using the volume on my guitar instead because I realised that every time I wanted a volume boost I also needed a bit more gain. I know there is sort of an unspoken guitarry rule that you always have everything on the guitar turned to 10, however I have quite a it of success dialing my sounds in with the volume on my strat set to five and then with a flick of the finger turning it to 10 for a boost.

[nomad100]

Simon, that's what the volume knob is there for. If not you would just have an on off switch! I play threw a single channel amp half the time, so i keep my neck pickup on 5 and bridge pickup on 10. switch back and forth to go from clean to distortion. I even installed a cap on my guitar so when i turn down the neck pickup it doesn't loose it's highs.

If a volume boosts is all you need, i suggest an eq. My amp has both a solo volume, and a 5 band EQ. It's more effective to change your eq on your amp to stand out in the mix than to boost volume.

[silverwhoosh]

Hi,

I have the Damage Control Womanizer (What a name... Anyway!) This is one great pedal! Opto-Compressor into an AX7 valve to drive the pre-amp, Pre- AND post-EQ, plus a 'Nuclear' switch to give you another tube-driven boost! It does everything; unfortunately, they are no longer made - I heard it was due to its' expense compared with Boss and Ibanez pedals. I have replaced the plastic jacks with metal ones to match the quality of the rest of the pedal (that expensive and they scrimp on the jacks...)

If you look on eBay, they do come up occasionally for about $300; it has a sister model with the exact same chassis called the Demonizer (honestly, what is the attraction with these names?!) which is a lot 'heavier'. I'd say that the Womanizer is perfect for a 'church tone', if you know what I mean! I use both my Godin LGX on single coils and my twin humbucker Washburn P4 through it, and they sound great!

[Wildwind]

Check out the new Blackstar pedals. Tubes running at 300 volts, built like a tank, fairly priced, several versions according to need and taste. I have heard them but not played them (it was a rep's demo at a local store).

Their amps are sweet too. Their stuff is a bit hard to find as it's early in the game and I think everything is made in England. They are just now setting up their dealer network here in the US.

Greg

[silverwhoosh]

Check out the new Blackstar pedals. Tubes running at 300 volts, built like a tank, fairly priced, several versions according to need and taste. I have heard them but not played them (it was a rep's demo at a local store).

Their amps are sweet too. Their stuff is a bit hard to find as it's early in the game and I think everything is made in England. They are just now setting up their dealer network here in the US.

Greg

Actually, I can testify to the Blackstar sound being great; one of the worship leaders in our church has a Blackstar that goes into his Fender Musicmaster amp; great tone! Have played the Blackstar amps too and they are amazing for the money; they deserve success Stateside!:)

[Edwin]

In my opinion a simple compresser does wonders especially where tubes are concerned.

[RefineryWorship]

I use the Marshall Guv'nor. Inexpensive, and VERY VERY Marshall. Sounds like a JCM 800 in a tiny metal box. sounds very valve-ish. The chassis is also bult better than any other brand of pedals I've ever come across. This thing makes Boss pedals look like fine china.

its got a knob on it called 'deep' that increases the low-end response (differently than the Bass knob). Makes your tiny 10" or 1X12" cab sound like a 4X12.

If you want vintage sound, tube warmth, punch, durability, and incredible tonal range (at a price that makes the better Boss pedals look pricey), check out the Guv'nor.

Peace folks!