Would love a new distortion pedal!!!

bingefeller

So guys, I'd like a new distortion pedal but not sure what to get....any ideas?

I like the tones of Nuno Bettencourt, Steve Jones, Warren DeMartini, Michael Schenker, EVH.... 

I just have a Roland Cube Lite (not ideal I know) as an amp and only play at home.  

 

JAYJO

If your interested ive got a Blackstar dist you can have for £50 delivered.
Or a Boss os2 (mint) ie o/drive/dist pedal. £30 delivered.

mike_l

Blackstar HT dual

Hardwire tube overdrive

Marshall Jackhammer

Just for starters

bingefeller

JAYJO said:

If your interested ive got a Blackstar dist you can have for £50 delivered.
Or a Boss os2 (mint) ie o/drive/dist pedal. £30 delivered.

i've had the Boss OS-2 before and it is good but not what I'm after.  

mike_l said:

Blackstar HT dual

Hardwire tube overdrive

Marshall Jackhammer

Just for starters

Is the Hardwire high gain?  What would the gain levels be comparable to?

mike_l

bingefeller said:

mike_l said:

Blackstar HT dual

Hardwire tube overdrive

Marshall Jackhammer

Just for starters

Is the Hardwire high gain?  What would the gain levels be comparable to?

I use it on the "Classic" setting and sound wise it's pretty much like a Marshall Guvnor (Mk1). When I get round to making up the 80's rock board that'll be there for rhyth settings. Leads shall be from a Hardwire Tube Distortion on the "Modified" settings which is higher gain. Both are really good sounding pedals.

Sassafras

Rat or Way Huge Fat Sandwich are the only ones I use now after having tried dozens of other pedals that didn't quite do it for me. There are loads of different tones in those 2 boxes.

IanSavage

I've got a slightly-gigged Jackhammer with box you could have for twenty quid plus whatever postage if you wanted.

mike_l

IanSavage said:

I've got a slightly-gigged Jackhammer with box you could have for twenty quid plus whatever postage if you wanted.

My old one?

Good deal on this. Good pedal too.

MattFGBI

I bought a Rowin one the other day, it's great. 

d8m

DS-2!

EricTheWeary

MattFGBI said:

I bought a Rowin one the other day, it's great. 

a distortion pedal named after Black Country for having an argument. Makes sense.

EdGrip

I've almost bought a Hardwire Valve Distortion a couple of times to cover that area - all the demos of it sound ace.
The Jackhammer's a good call, though the "dist" side is very dark and woolly - probably a useful sound for something, but limited. Worth it for the OD side alone though!

Boss DS1, of course.

Joyo US Dream, Mooer Solo and that Rowin above are all straight (and affordable!) copies of the Suhr Riot, a popular hard-rocking pedal that is derived from the original Marshall Guv'nor.
(So is the MI Audio Crunchbox incidentally, another popular Marshall-y distortion pedal - Moore do a clone of that, too, called the Cruncher.)

Lots of names, but any suggestion on this thread will bring the crunch!

xSkarloey

EricTheWeary;564157" said:

MattFGBI said:

I bought a Rowin one the other day, it's great. 
















a distortion pedal named after Black Country for having an argument. Makes sense.

Ayukka yukka yukk.

They do Bostin pedals as well.

And Blartin pedals for when you want to play the blues...

bingefeller

I know I didn't list the pedals I've owned because I have owned so many that I can't remember them all.  Out of the ones that have been mentioned I have already owned:

MI Audio Crunchbox

DS-1 / Keeley DS-1 / DS-1X

Suhr Riot

DS-2 (not enough gain for me)

Never had a Guv'nor though.  

I don't really like the Suhr Riot to be honest.  I think it's a bit harsh and scooped sounding.... I've tried it on numerous amps and just can't bind with it.

There are too many pedals really when you think about it.  It's hard to find something that is right for you.

EdGrip

Zvex Distortion?
Catalinbread DLS?
Amptweaker pedals?

I must admit "distortion" pedals don't really do it for me. As much as I like the crunch of the Rat or my new Shredmaster, nothing makes me grin like the Big Muff. Could be that what you're after is something like that - a different category of pedal?

mike_l

EdGrip said:

I've almost bought a Hardwire Valve Distortion a couple of times to cover that area - all the demos of it sound ace.
The Jackhammer's a good call, though the "dist" side is very dark and woolly - probably a useful sound for something, but limited. Worth it for the OD side alone though!

The EQ needs adjusting between OD and distortion on the Jackhammer. The OD is (IMO) the better sound from it though.

The Valve distortion is my choice for 80's hair-rock leads, with the overdrive for rhythm. Both excellent pedals. The OD is quite lairy, as I said before, it's quite like a Mk1 Guvnor, which, soundswise, at the hairy end, gets towards a JCM800 type of sound.

bingefeller

EdGrip said:

Zvex Distortion?
Catalinbread DLS?
Amptweaker pedals?

I must admit "distortion" pedals don't really do it for me. As much as I like the crunch of the Rat or my new Shredmaster, nothing makes me grin like the Big Muff. Could be that what you're after is something like that - a different category of pedal?

I had the Amptweaker TightRock but sold it.  It did sound good but there was just something about it that I didn't like.  

I had a ZVex Box of Rock a few years ago and it didn't have enough gain for me.  Mind you, at that point I wasn't into the practice of stacking pedals.  

Never had a Catalinbread DLS.

Sassafras

Or a different kind of amp. One that's capable of good old valve amp crunch.

ChrisMusic

I'd be interested to hear your appraisal of the Boss DS-1X.

That's one on my shortlist...

Kebabkid

The Wampler Pinnacle is very good but I'm not sure how much of the quality or character of the pedal, or any other pedal for that matter, will come through given the type of device you have and its small speakers.

Given the Cube Lite is so small and portable, I'd go into a shop with it and try a few different pedals through the unit to see which one works best.

Having to listened to Richie Kotzen demoing this on YT, there seems to be a fair amount of gain on tap so how about adding something like a Bad Monkey or Nobels OD or Mooer distortion to that sound just to push it. All of those pedals are relatively cheap new and even cheaper used

spacecadet

I've got a Radial Classic going. That will certainly get you where you need to be.