Low-gain Overdrives: 4 Pedal Review (long post alert)

dindude

I thought it was about time I contributed something other than grumpy two-line comments!

A long post then, but hopefully it may be of interest to one or two of you at least.

I have been going through a bit of a low-gain OD head-scratch of late. I've pretty much been through the same thing with all the positions on my board (this is the final one, honest) and my approach is, funds allowing, to cane the pedal GAS to make sure I get a a nice mix of pedals, and then sell off those what don't make the final slot. First world problem I know, but a man needs a hobby for chrissake.

The Contenders....

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/n505/dindude/746e1de2-79a1-4785-8ec0-52f8fe5e42e4_zps56d2e59b.jpg?t=1380737761

Background...

I use a low-gain OD for two things: 1). to add a bit of hair (edge of break-up) to my base clean sound, making it ideal for rhythm playing and neck pup noodling, and 2). to kick the LGW (itself a TS type pedal) up the backside into increased gain, sustain and harmonic interest for more of a lead sound.

My amp is a CARR sportsman, it's kinda Fender Princeton like, but it has a mid control so can be set up with a bit more girth, it also has a 12" speaker which leans more towards the Celestion side rather Jensen, so I would label my base clean sound as "robust" Blackface, just to give you an idea of the starting point.

So pedal time..................

Subdecay Liquid Sunshine III

The Liquid Sunshine has been in this position on my board for a year or so, I have a huge amount of respect for this pedal, it's great, but just recently I've been wanting something that is a little tighter in the bass, a bit more colourful in the mid, and a tad less shrill in the top - now, these are characteristics that seem more aparent with the CARR than with my previous amp (Fender Supersonic 22), and they are very subtle, so no biggie, but time for a change none-the-less, not blaming the pedal, just the matching with the amp and my current needs wants.

What the LS does do very well is add a lot of full-range hair to a clean tone, it sounds very natural, doesn't push the midrange, but also doesn't scoop, plenty of bass too. It can get quite tweed-like if set right, but it really sounds like your amp being pushed. And it doesn't sound like a TS varient, it very much does it's own thing, yeah!

First up to try and take the crown...................

Fredric Effects Golden Eagle

This is a UK made Klone (maker is a forum member) - I've never tried the real deal so I can't vouch for it's accuracy to an original Klon but it is supposedly an exact circuit board replica so I've no reason to doubt that it is close.

First impressions - it's a well made and well presented pedal, can certainly stand up tall with any of the others here.

Sound wise? well, it's transparent in the sense that it cares what you plug it into, and so builds on that sound, but it also stamps its authority over everything; essentially Klonifies everything within reach! With the gain at zero and used as a clean boost (this is how many use a Klon(e) it would seem), it certainly imparts a lovely characteristic; tightens the bass without losing it, adds a fuller yet very sweet midrange, and the treble is a beaut; zingy and plentiful but never harsh. Has the effect of adding a syrupy glow to your sound.

BUT, I don't want a clean boost, I want an light overdrive, and with the gain cranked to 3 o'clock; hhmm, this is just the right amount of gain I am looking for, but with it comes a load more mid-range. Now I love the drive, it keeps the bass and treble charater I've just described, but that midrange hump becomes HUGE. At gig levels, I bet this would cut through a band like a hot knife, but at the volumes I play at most of the time, it's a bit too full on for me.

It's weird, because I'm certain Bill F designed the original Klon to be useful over its entire gain range, but you hear so often that most use it as a clean boost with the gain at zero, I can't help wonder if this is because the mid-range becomes so dominent as the drive increases. Give me one without quite so much mid-hump with the gain turned up and I'm sold.

Stacked with the LGW (which has a medium sized mid hump itself), it certainly excites it that's for sure, trying to show the LGW who's in charge, but it's just too much midrange for me, and the LGW sounds a little like its being rogered against its will!

Still, a unique pedal and one, if I was gigging regularly, that I could find a space for as a boost I reckon.

Next!

Cmatmods Signa Drive

I've had this pedal before, it was my main drive for around 18 months some time ago, never tried it with the CARR so had to get another as it was one of the ones that really stuck in my mind.

It really is an exceptional pedal this, the three-mode switches allow for a lot of gain (in down position), quite compressed and TS like but without such a big mid hump. Switch up it has a lot more headroom, less gain, but for edge of breakup stuff it sounds great. A little tighter in the bass than the LS, a tad more midrange, though not much, and plenty of sweet highs - now we are getting somewhere. The middle position on the switch is even more open and uncompressed and sounds equally as good, and more towards nuetral than the other positions. I keep flicking between this and the top position.

Hhmmm, I just wish it had a bit more sweetening to it, it can sound a tad flat compared to the others, just a tad though. It also has it's TS routes showing throughout but again, it's much more open sounding in the top two positions.

Stacks pretty well with the LGW, pushes it into a sweet saturated lead tone, but maybe just a little too TS like to be paired with a very TS like pedal.

Overall though, nice!

TC Spark Booster

A bit of a wild-card, do I need more of a clean boost I wonder to myself? Well, one came up on the forum at a good price so I had to try. Good thing about this pedal is it has bass/treble controls, a gain control and three modes: Clean/Mid/Fat. So not your regular one-knob boost then!

As a boost (in clean mode) it's great as you would expect, and you can add very neutral sounding hair, which is an odd thing to hear as most OD's colour the sound to some degree. The Fat and Mid positions add a bit of additional flavour, and what's great is that they are not too extreme, they do just what you want without the mid being too in your face or the fat being unuseable with 'buckers. They both add a slight eq curve to your clean boost essentially.

As a very well spec'd boost, i.e. what it's designed to do, it's fantastic, if I had space ahead of the LGW for a volume solo boost (and was gigging!), this would be vying with the Golden Eagle for a spot.

But, as an OD, it always sounded a tad, er, clean (surprise!), and pushing the LGW it has the strange effect of adding gain and sustain but making it sound cleaner and more precise. Not quite what I was looking for.

Just a second......

 

dindude

..... so then....

Back to the start....

I plumb back in the LSIII to see how things feel after these other imposters have had their way. It still sounds bloody great and none of the above, although all have their own merits, have knocked it for 6. Choices, choices, damn am I back to square one?

Phew, still reading? Well done.

So which did I ultimately pick?

Tune back in shortly if you haven't already taken your own life...................................

Flanging_Fred

Go on. Admit it. You ended up choosing a Danelectro FAB overdrive didn't you?

monquixote

It has to be the LS they are the official pedal of the Fretboard

midiglitch

I stopped looking once I found the liquid sunshine....

Wazmeister

Fascinated by your post mate... Ive just bought a brand new Sportsman (in wine - amazing looks), and use a ML Jr and a tremulator. Was thinking of an OD just to had a little hair...

More to follow when Ive read your post further.

Waz

Wazmeister

How does the LGW sound with the Sportsman mate ?

Unusually for a Carr, my initial feelings are that its picky regarding Ods...

dindude

Hi Waz, Congrates on the Sportsman, it's a phenomenal amp. Does that replace your Redplate? I know you've been through a few amps to get to where you are, would be interested in hearing what the differences were. 

I think the Sportsman will take any pedal pretty well but I agree that it is fussy on the ones that it really clicks with. 

 I LOVE the LGW with the sportsman, it does depend what you use it for, but for thick leads it sounds amazing. With low output and high output 'buckers it's right there, with a Strat (my main guitar) I like to give it a just little kick with something before it just to push it a little. It's very dynamic and uncompressed for a TS type pedal. The best bit is the body knob, it's a genius idea and let's you go from marshall style drive on one side to smooth and creamy on the other, all why retaining its character. My LGW ain't going anywhere that's for sure. 

As for my low gain search, what I didn't get to in the final say was that, frustrated with not finding the "one", and with GAS funds in tatters, I bought a Joyo Sweet Baby, which is a MP Sweet Honey clone. Man it sounds good, it basically does what was starting to not annoy with the LSIII, tighter bass, very sweet mids, lots of highs but never shrill. 

 I think I will live with the Joyo for a few weeks and see if I feel the same, then may look out for the real deal at a good price once I've flogged some pedals. 

I think I'm realising that I'm a fan of Bjorn designed pedals. Should really try some Bearfoots, but that's a whole can of worms I'm not sure I want to open.

Wazmeister

Hi mate,

No plans to replace my Redplate, so at the moment I've got both !! Ive got a Lehle Little Dual on the way from the 'Bay (superb rhyming, I know...) to compare the two, and to run em together...hmmmm...

I'm a huge Bearfoot fan, and have several of their pedals, and have been involved in the last few Tourboxes. Tell you what, I'll have a play in a little bit, and tell you which of my ODs work...

But, i'll share this, one of the big surprizes for me has been how using POWERFUL (or even fuzz pedals) are ideal for giving that v slight clipped sound...

For example, the Pink Purple Fuzz (Bearfoot) sounded fantastic at v low levels of gain (eg 8 o clock) with my Sportsman.

More nonsense and ramblings to follow....

Kebabkid

Great choice of amp @Wazmeister and one of the best sounding amps I've ever heard - enjoy it!

@Dindude - so you stuck with the LS then? Good choice. Did you not fancy the MP Bluebird to pair up with the LGW? I still want try a Bluebird and love the concept of delay and OD in one pedal. Good demo of both MP pedals, individually and stacked

dindude

Kebabkid said

@Dindude - so you stuck with the LS then

@Kebabkid hmmm, not quite, it did beat all of the above in the original review, but at the moment I have a Joyo Sweet Baby in that position on my board and I really like it. It's a Mad Professor Sweet Honey clone, it sounds like LSIII and a Klon had a baby any it got the best genes from each.

Will still likely keep the LS for a little while to be sure though.

Thanks for posting that vid, hadn't seen that, that dude with the gold Strat does get some nice tones for sure. I like to turn delay on and off with a footswitch though, so it puts me off the Bluebird somewhat.

Kebabkid

dindude;50155" said:

Kebabkid said@Dindude - so you stuck with the LS then










@Kebabkid hmmm, not quite, it did beat all of the above in the original review, but at the moment I have a Joyo Sweet Baby in that position on my board and I really like it. It's a Mad Professor Sweet Honey clone, it sounds like LSIII and a Klon had a baby any it got the best genes from each.

Will still likely keep the LS for a little while to be sure though.

Thanks for posting that vid, hadn't seen that, that dude with the gold Strat does get some nice tones for sure. I like to turn delay on and off with a footswitch though, so it puts me off the Bluebird somewhat.
There you go D - you used your ears and found what you wanted:)

JohnPerry

@Wazmeister I know you to be a Kingsley fan. Urge you to try the Page. A sublime low-gainer and totally unlike a pedal, like the Jester. Maybe not enough gain for you. But check out Jarrett's demos 

Wazmeister

John,

Huge Kingsley fan you're right - and also I do prefer LOW gain, so may get one.

Did you buy yours direct from Simon mate ?

JohnPerry

Yes. Just wanted something to add a little bit of grit to a cleanish sound. It's perfect for it. Can't remember waiting long at all either. He got it to me from Canada in about five days IIRC

Wazmeister

Dindude,

You've got me thinking here about doing a Full Review...

But, I MUST RECOMMEND the Barber Gain Changer. Awesome with every amp I've tried, cheap as, and works amazingly with the Sportsman.

dindude

Damn, will you stop it, now I want to try a gain changer!

Wazmeister

Honestly mate, lovely clean boost, hair giver and raunch all in one simple to use very small box...

Sales talk over...

AlexHunter

I knew I shouldn't have clicked on this thread. I now want a Golden Eagle and Bluebird.

dindude

@wazmeister

So I took a punt on a Gain Changer, it took me a little while to find my sound in it, but wow! 

I was actually all set to return it as although it was clearly very nice it was a little too transparent for me even in LTD mode. I like a bit of flavour now and again. 

But then I tried it in high gain mode with the gain backed off to around 9 o'clock (as suggested in the manual) and I suddenly got a very nice flavoursome light OD but still with a nice spread of EQ balance and loads of clarity.

Then running it at 18v for some more dynamics was the final discovery, and now it's getting very interesting, sounds beautiful!

monquixote

I've just got a Rockbox Boiling Point. 

The hunt continues