Vox AC30's and Distortion Pedals

DawnOfLight

So Everyone, 

What Distortion Pedals to we think sound best paired with an All valve Vox AC30?

MikkiMcMurderer

Barber Dirty Bomb is my favourite at the moment. 

DawnOfLight

MikkiMcMurderer said:

Barber Dirty Bomb is my favourite at the moment. 

Awesome thanks, Ill do some digging and check one out.

MikkiMcMurderer

A RAT is also very good...

siraxeman

I've heard folks saying TS don't sound good with AC30s....but using the normal channel I think its a good sound! And often I'd stack a TS with an OD-3 for a louderer lead tone...with either one on pre solo. Both sound good to me. On the top boost channel you have to be careful as a lot of dirt pedals sound thin n fizzy on that channel unless you use the cut and treble knobs enough to smooth out the sound...and maybe the tone controls on the pedals.

MikkiMcMurderer

I agree - normal channel is the best for distortion pedals with a touch of top boost channel blended in to taste. 

ThePrettyDamned

Rats work well, but my absolute favourite is the boss DF-2. This has a brilliant low gain overdrive or can do a really good rock crunch. 

The rat is good for overdrive, distortion and fuzz. 

For fuzz, though, the ones that play best are the zoom ultra fuzz and the boss DS-2 in turbo mode. It's very different to the df-2, loads of sustain and made mostly of midrange frequencies. Does a great lead fuzz tone. Not so much rhythm fuzz... 

Vox amps are pretty picky with pedals. Marshall in a box types don't seem to work well, nor do tubescreamer types, although they're not completely rubbish either. 

A favourite of some others is the Nobels odr-1. I like this one, but don't own it - I would like to get another one though. 

DawnOfLight

siraxeman said:

I've heard folks saying TS don't sound good with AC30s....but using the normal channel I think its a good sound! And often I'd stack a TS with an OD-3 for a louderer lead tone...with either one on pre solo. Both sound good to me. On the top boost channel you have to be careful as a lot of dirt pedals sound thin n fizzy on that channel unless you use the cut and treble knobs enough to smooth out the sound...and maybe the tone controls on the pedals.

I've Been using an MXR GTO for ages with it and like you say, on the Normal channel I think it sounds great. I like the OD-3 tip...I'm sure I used to have on of those somewhere.

Gassage

7th post before the obvious mention of a Crowther Hotcake?

DawnOfLight

ThePrettyDamned said:

Rats work well, but my absolute favourite is the boss DF-2. This has a brilliant low gain overdrive or can do a really good rock crunch. 

The rat is good for overdrive, distortion and fuzz. 

For fuzz, though, the ones that play best are the zoom ultra fuzz and the boss DS-2 in turbo mode. It's very different to the df-2, loads of sustain and made mostly of midrange frequencies. Does a great lead fuzz tone. Not so much rhythm fuzz... 

Vox amps are pretty picky with pedals. Marshall in a box types don't seem to work well, nor do tubescreamer types, although they're not completely rubbish either. 

A favourite of some others is the Nobels odr-1. I like this one, but don't own it - I would like to get another one though. 

I may Pick up a rat, I've heard nothing but great things with VOX's. Though not sure I'll come accross a DF-2 anytime soon! 

I used to have a DS-2 back in the day! May have to get one again to try that! 

ThePrettyDamned

Gassage said:

7th post before the obvious mention of a Crowther Hotcake?

I did try one, once, but I think it was into a fender amp. 

But yes, everyone goes mad for this one. To be honest, I can't imagine a better low gain distortion effect than the df-2 so I pretty much stopped looking after I got one. 

Then the second spare. 

 

simonbeckwith

Had one a while ago and went through this very process, here's some that are worth trying, i used to run in to the top boost channel on the edge of breakup : 

Rockett Archer
Bearfoot Honey Bee, Uber Bee, Baby Pink Booster, Red Rooster Booster and Model H
Proco Rat
Lovepedal Lee Luis and Amp Eleven
MXR/CAE Line Driver
King of Tone Clone
Zendrive
Mason OD808
Suhr Koko Boost

If you run a decent dollop of gain and want more, seriously, get hold of a treble booster and enjoy! 

DawnOfLight

simonbeckwith said:

Had one a while ago and went through this very process, here's some that are worth trying, i used to run in to the top boost channel on the edge of breakup : 

Rockett Archer
Bearfoot Honey Bee, Uber Bee, Baby Pink Booster, Red Rooster Booster and Model H
Proco Rat
Lovepedal Lee Luis and Amp Eleven
MXR/CAE Line Driver
King of Tone Clone
Zendrive
Mason OD808
Suhr Koko Boost

If you run a decent dollop of gain and want more, seriously, get hold of a treble booster and enjoy! 

Wicked dude, thanks for the list!!

EricTheWeary

Gassage said:

7th post before the obvious mention of a Crowther Hotcake?

It's certainly the standard answer to this question. 

Hoof

+1 on the RAT.

Also, I've got some great sounds with a Joyo Ultimate Drive through the AC30 at our rehearsal studio so anything in the OCD mould should work well.

MikkiMcMurderer

I've got the Hotcake - its more of a low gain overdrive - mid heavy - so it works well into a cranked top boost channel. But its not really distortion.Now the Prunes and Custard from Crowther - that's a mental distortion with squelchy oscillation sounds!

simonbeckwith

@DawnOfLight no worries chap

GavRichList

Gassage said:

7th post before the obvious mention of a Crowther Hotcake?

Beat me to it 

deano

Treble booster into the normal channel. Job done.

Cirrus

I tried a few when I was gigging with an AC30. Here's what I found;

- Top boost channel sounds better if you want to get overdrive from the amp (either turning amp up or boosting input with volume)

- Normal channel takes distortion pedals better because it's more transparent, but it's a bit boring on its own.

- Volume boosts go a long way; AC30s like having their input stage kicked a bit.

OD/ Dist/ Fuzz pedals I liked, in no particular order:

Proco Rat (great for a wide range of gain from light overdrive to fuzz)
Fulltone Fulldrive II (flat mids mode)
Fulltone OCD (nice tone if you got the output impedance right)
OD-3 (nice tone)
Zvex Distortron (thick crunch, dynamic, bass control helps)
SS/BS Fuck Overdrive (yummy light overdrive)
Marshall Drivemaster (yummy heavy overdrive)
Madbean Klone (yummy cheapness)
Fuzzface (both knobs at max)
Line 6 DM-4 (I expected to hate this but a rat model with separate treble, mid and bass controls is SO, SO flexible)
Timmy (Transparent, EQ is flexible... hard not to get on with)

Didn't get on with;

SD-1 (though I did use one to boost some of the above pedals, it was fine for that...)
DS-1 (too fizzy/ weird mids. Tried a Keeley Modded one too)
BD-2 (I just don't like this pedal at all, no idea what people hear in it)
TS-9 (same as SD-1 - not bad stacked with a less mid boosted pedal)
Seymour Duncan Lava Box (not terrible and I loved the aesthetics, but it's like a boxy rat)
MI Crunchbox (wasn't bad, just too instantly compressed high-gain with no nuance)
Little Big Muff (vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv)
Big Muff (vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv)
Russian Big Muff (vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv*crackle*vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv)
Danelectro Daddy-O (*weeps tears of blood*)

DawnOfLight

Cirrus said:o

I tried a few when I was gigging with an AC30. Here's what I found;

- Top boost channel sounds better if you want to get overdrive from the amp (either turning amp up or boosting input with volume)

- Normal channel takes distortion pedals better because it's more transparent, but it's a bit boring on its own.

- Volume boosts go a long way; AC30s like having their input stage kicked a bit.

OD/ Dist/ Fuzz pedals I liked, in no particular order:

Proco Rat (great for a wide range of gain from light overdrive to fuzz)
Fulltone Fulldrive II (flat mids mode)
Fulltone OCD (nice tone if you got the output impedance right)
OD-3 (nice tone)
Zvex Distortron (thick crunch, dynamic, bass control helps)
SS/BS Fuck Overdrive (yummy light overdrive)
Marshall Drivemaster (yummy heavy overdrive)
Madbean Klone (yummy cheapness)
Fuzzface (both knobs at max)
Line 6 DM-4 (I expected to hate this but a rat model with separate treble, mid and bass controls is SO, SO flexible)
Timmy (Transparent, EQ is flexible... hard not to get on with)

Didn't get on with;

SD-1 (though I did use one to boost some of the above pedals, it was fine for that...)
DS-1 (too fizzy/ weird mids. Tried a Keeley Modded one too)
BD-2 (I just don't like this pedal at all, no idea what people hear in it)
TS-9 (same as SD-1 - not bad stacked with a less mid boosted pedal)
Seymour Duncan Lava Box (not terrible and I loved the aesthetics, but it's like a boxy rat)
MI Crunchbox (wasn't bad, just too instantly compressed high-gain with no nuance)
Little Big Muff (vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv)
Big Muff (vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv)
Russian Big Muff (vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv*crackle*vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv)
Danelectro Daddy-O (*weeps tears of blood*)

Wow! Thanks for taking the time to write that out. Super useful information!