I Never Really Got... Great Pedals You Couldn't Get On With

randomhandclaps

A typical tube screamer is a simple example of this.  In it's classis mid-humped single tone guise into a driven amp it adds boost and focus.  However in to a clean amp it sounds nasal an congested.  Open up the circuits EQ with bass and a treble and it becomes far more open into a clean amp but added bass and treble pre amp drive created mud and fizz respectively.  Obviously there can be a large amount of user-misunderstanding rather than just flawed design and results vary dependant on your playing volume.

I do also agree with the occurrence some kind of muddy phase created by stacking two more complex EQs and to a degree it can become counter productive without fine tuning.  Generally the more complex a pedal's EQ the more it aimed toward providing a 'preamp emulation' and by and large stacking preamps doesn't yield cohesive focused tones.

 

Niallmo

Boss DS-1 - just seemed to add fizz no matter where I set it/set the amps. Tried 3 over the years and bought the Mooer version with the three modes.  Same with all of them.

OCD - Had a clone and the Joyo clone.  Too much gain, tooo much bass. Again tried lots of setting on the padlas and amps.

Fuzz - Meh. I think fuzz needs volume from amps for some reason.  Never been able to do this at home.  Don't like the sounds I get from them. 

UnclePsychosis

ICBM said:

Bidley said:

Another vote for compressors. I bought one years ago, put it in my signal chain, switched it on and fiddled with it, thought "what's the point in this?" and that was that. To be fair I don't play the right kind of music to warrant it.

It's far worse than that for me - I actually quite like the sound they give when I'm playing in isolation, and at least a couple of my favourite players use them all the time. But live, I detest them - it feels like wading through treacle wearing diving boots. I can't stand the lack of direct dynamic control and always end up turning it down to the point it's not doing anything, or just straight off. Oddly enough overdrive/distortion (which is also highly compressed) doesn't have the same effect.

My favourite use for compressors in a live setting is as an instant feedback/boost/sustain pedal. Set them up right and they can just give you infinite amounts of noise potential! 

dindude

Loopers, I do get them and like what other people get out of them, and I've tried again recently with the TC Ditto as I liked the simplisity - but I've found that I'm really not interested in playing over myself or layering sounds. I think it must stem from me always liking single-guitar bands over two-guitar bands, as a rule.

Heartfeltdawn

Strymon - had everything bar the Mobius. Very clean, well made, but they sounded a bit too good, if that makes sense. I like effects that sound a bit grungier, rack effects from the good ol' days. Give me a nice analogue delay over the Timeline any day of the week. 

That said, I am rather loving the Scuffham Amps S-Gear at the minute. 

longi

Most Tubescreamer pedals for me, at least that was until I discovered the Hardwire CM-2 which changed that. Pod HD500....Just no....

longi

Also the Blackstar HT Dual Distortion, I make them sound awful....

midiglitch

I'll second the hd500. I really wanted to like it and it should have been perfect for what I was doing at the time, but.. .. no.

benmurray85

boss ce1. bought it as a treat and for the vintage kudos but soon discovered  although I LOVED the look im not a chorus fan at all. sold it bought a cheap plastic dano just in case and pocketed the difference

Jaded

Rats. I pull my Rat2 out every now and then, play it for a bit then stick it back in the box. It always feels a little muddy and honky in the mids. 

EdGrip

+1 for Rats. I WANT to like them, so much. The enclosures are so solid! I've got one, put an Lm308 in it, tried a few capacitor changes, changed them back, tried the Reutz mod, tried somewhere between Reutz and stock, different diodes, LEDs Turbo-Rat style... And then I play around with it for a bit, and I think, yeah, this is kinda cool! And then I stomp on a Muff, and the RAT is, once again, defeated.

Guitarse

EHX big muff.....it's all a bit much for me! MUCH prefer the Zvex Mastotron!

EdGrip

I want to try a Mastotron. And a Distortron.

Van_Hayden

Eventide modfactor. Too complicated for its own good, and despite all the complexity it sounded average.

Never found a fuzz I really like.

RMC wah, the one with all the switches. In fact any wah with loadsa switches. I just want a nice wah - is that too much to ask?

Strobostomp mk1. Impossible to see on stage.

Anything with germanium transistors can't be doing with tone changing on temperature.

Most Keeley stuff once it leaves the bedroom. Especially the metalzone.

Any kind of Rat.

Fulltone drive pedals, either too much or not enough.

midiglitch

@van_hayden good point about germanium. I've got a germanium fuzz that I absolutely adore the sound of but it just doesn't play nicely with other pedals. Time and time again I have put it on the pedalboard and time and time again I have taken it off and said nope...home use (ie recording) only for you my friend.

Right now he's off...