Suggestions for my My First Overdrive Pedal

ThePrettyDamned

If you're on the emulated out, distortion and overdrive can be hit and miss, at best...

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

If you're on the emulated out, distortion and overdrive can be hit and miss, at best…

I didn't try it when I tried the ID60 amp, but I know what you mean. It's harder to get a good overdriven sound than a good clean one that way.

asimmd said:

Well I tried the distortion using the amp as suggested but I didn't like it,too harsh. Then I tried the Boss Blues Driver and that was better,but not exactly what I wanted. It will do for now while I am getting to know overdrive playing.

You may want a Tube Screamer type of some sort - they're smoother than the BD-2, which can be a bit bright and edgy (in a good way, if you want that sort of thing). Or perhaps some sort of valve overdrive pedal - these tend to be more expensive, but to me the good ones do give more of an amp-like sound. The Blackstar HT-Dual (probably not the HT-Dist if you want lower gain just-breaking-up sounds) might do the job - it also has an emulated output so you could try using that instead of the amp, rather than into it. Even the Bad Monkey has the same sort of idea (although more basic) as well as better EQ than most TS-type pedals, so I'd maybe start there if you want to spend the least to begin with.

crunchman

Marshall Bluesbreaker is quite a warm sounding circuit and may be worth considering.  The original is out of production, but I'm sure that someone like Mooer will have a clone.  It might be worth adding to your list of things to try.

asimmd

Thanks for the suggestions,I will have a look at what has been mentioned and see what that famous webstore

has to offer.

I don't mind spending the money on a more expensive pedal,but while i am just trying it out overdrive stuff

i don't think it would be sensible to go too mad.

Alan

asimmd

Funny what you learn by watching a demo of something.

I went to youtube to watch the demo's of the Bad Monkey pedal,and i must say i was impressed,it's

pretty much the sound i was after.

Then the guy said the demo was with the pedal plugged direct into the computer,no amp at all.

So i thought,what if i plug the BD2 direct into my Focusrite Interface,so i did and what a difference,the tone

is much more transparent,it lets the tone of the guitar through and it is so much better than putting it through the Blackstar.

Now i am wondering if it is worth getting a Bad Monkey.or should i just stick with the BD-2?

All i need now are some Blues or Soft Rock backing tracks to play along to.

I will see what a search of the internet comes up with.

Alan

ICBM

Are you using any sort of speaker emulation in the recording software? If not, I'm amazed that you could get a good result with the BD-2 direct in! If so, not a surprise at all since software speaker emulation is pretty good.

The Bad Monkey does have an emulated output as well as the standard one, so you have two choices there. It does sound pretty different from the BD-2 - more midrangy and compressed, which I thought was what you would want, but if you like the open and transparent sound of the BD-2, possibly not.

Given that, if you want to start down the [caution: this can get very expensive and turn into a quest for a nonexistent holy grail ] better-quality overdrive path, probably start with the PaulC Timmy.

asimmd

No speaker emulation,the only FX i used were Delay - Channel EQ - Kramer PIE Compressor and a noise Gate.

Maybe it would sound even better if i used my Recabinet or Redwirez Vox Impulses.

There is a Bad monkey on ebay reasonable i was thinking of that?

I will have a look at the Timmy

Thanks

asimmd

Anyone know if the power supply for the Boss stuff will power the Bad Monkey.

It's £25 on Amazon,free delivery.

mike_l

I'd say it depends on whether you want to add drive/volume to a dirty amp (my preference for this is a Bad Monkey, Boss SD-1, or MXR Zakk Wylde) or whether you want to use the pedal as a pseudo-channel for the amp.

My preferences for the latter are

Marshall GV-2

Marshall JH-1

MXR Distortion 3

in no particular order, as they all have a different distortion/drive flavour. If you want a low-medium gain then the D3 or GV-2 would be my first choice.

Although having said that a Boss SD-2, on the crunch setting does a good low-gain sound.

It also depends on your amp, as some pedals work better with some amps than others....

asimmd

Well before i started this thread i thought all OD pedals were the same,

Now i know better.

Must be honest and say i am leaning toward the Bad Monkey,for the price it

looks good value for what i want.

I would hate to spend £100 - £300 on a pedal only to find i am not going to play overdrive stuff.

ICBM

asimmd said:

Anyone know if the power supply for the Boss stuff will power the Bad Monkey.

Yes, it will.

asimmd

Excellent,anyone know the best way to get into playing Overdrive stuff.

I have never done it before,any suggestions appreciated.

mike_l

asimmd said:

Excellent,anyone know the best way to get into playing Overdrive stuff.

 

Play what you'd normally play, just with a bit of drive.

Unless you want to get into heavily distorted/driven. FWIW any of The Eagles etc will have had a bit of drive on their amps

ICBM

asimmd said:

Excellent,anyone know the best way to get into playing Overdrive stuff.

I have never done it before,any suggestions appreciated.

Buy Free's Fire And Water, or a Free best-of compilation and listen to that, if you don't know it already. If you're coming to it from the point of view of a clean player, that's a good place to start. Paul Kossoff essentially played very cleanly, with overdrive - he didn't really use the distortion as the sound in itself, at least not the way I hear it. 1970s Clapton (461, Slowhand etc) would be good from a Strat perspective as well.

asimmd

Thanks for the suggestions,I have Strats and a Gibson ES-339.

I mostly use the Strat,and i have bought a Lick Library Eagles DVD with Jam Track CD included.

I will certainly check out the Free album,i used to like them when i was younger.

Don't know about Clapton but i will have a look.

ChrisMusic

Good call ICBM, Kossoff was masterful, love the vibrato.

I usually check stuff out on YouTube first (including albums), 

plenty of Eagles there for reference too,

so here is a bit of Free...

Free live performance 1970

ThePrettyDamned

asimmd;146326" said:

Well before i started this thread i thought all OD pedals were the same,

Now i know better.

Must be honest and say i am leaning toward the Bad Monkey,for the price itlooks good value for what i want.

I would hate to spend £100 - £300 on a pedal only to find i am not going to play overdrive stuff.

It's stunning value for money, really. Remember, all of them are boxes of electrical components and price does not necessarily equal better tone.

Boutique drives are perfect for homing in on a sound, which is something I've never felt the need to, but the bad monkey I think is based on an old dod design and is a great sounding pedal, not just for the cash. If they charged double, it would still be excellent.

asimmd

Just update you i have just ordered the Bad Monkey from Amazon.

Let's hope it's as good as everyone say's,i'm sure it will be.