Sorted: light drive recommendations?

notonlybutalso

morning all, after a few years out of the loop i am finally going to build back my pedalboard and i am looking for a light drive to use with my amp channels. I am after something fairly flat and high headroom, only for light grit. I was thinking maybe something bluesbreaker-ish or maybe a nobles, does anyone have any suggestions?

fretmeister

Some Underdrives are just EQ pedals with no grit at all - they just lower the signal strength in a more controllable way than the vol control on your guitar.

Is that what you are looking for? To reduce the full up gain sound of your amp?

If so - a good EQ is great, or the HBE Detox if you can find one.

notonlybutalso

Sorry i wasn't quite clear. I am after an actual gain pedal but i just used the term underdrive as shorthand to mean one that will go under unity gain on its volume knob, it does need to have some gain staging in it.

fretmeister

I cannot think of a single drive pedal with a volume control that doesn't go low enough to turn off the signal completely.

So - all of them.

Boss Blues Driver Waza is very nice for a nice even drive without a mid-hump.

fretmeister

These are actual UnderDrive pedals:







They have no grit / gain at all. Just a controlled gain reduction with EQ - to lower the signal going to an overdriven amp without adding any sound at all - transparent. It's like adding a clean channel to a single channel amp, rather than the traditional way of running an amp clean and then using a dirt pedal.

For most amps the dirt is in the mids so these pedals allow a larger gain reduction in the mids while keeping the bass and treble where you like them.

Winny_Pooh

Tc Spark

notonlybutalso

fair point, i have edited the thread to clear that up now cheers

fretmeister

I suspect you are about to get a lot of recommendations for the ThorpyFX Peacekeeper.

I've not tried one personally, but they get a lot of love if it's within your budget.

monquixote

Fredrik Blue Monarch is an improved Blues Breaker at a good price. 

You also can't go wrong with a Timmy, or a Blues Driver.

Supportact

Thorpyfx Peacekeeper does this for me. Because of the way the eq is you can set it to sound like the amp, then add in a bit of gain. 

BobTheSalmon

Winny_Pooh said:

Tc Spark

Second vote for TC Spark.

Most versatile light overdrive on the market IMO and budget friendly too.

Mr_Claw

Drive specifically? Tortenmann/Telnordia TA100. It's great. Can do light drive (and very transparent at low drive settings), can run at 18v and has bags of headroom. I think a few people do clones (originals are hard to get). Fuzzdog have one and will build it for you too if, like me, you can't solder for sh*t.

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Germanium_Tart/p847124_19985861.aspx

C

Mr_Claw

Another thing I've recommended elsewhere is not actually a drive, but is great at doing exactly this: The CTC Memphis. It's a Magnatone style vibrato, but it runs at 18v internally and the boost/preamp circuit on it is *really* good-sounding. I do use the vibrato on it, but most often I use it as a boost. Really, it's an amazing boost (can also go below unity gain if you need)!

https://crazytubecircuits.com/memphis

richman6100

+1 for the ThorpyFX Peacekeeper. I've tried a few alternatives, but it's the one that has seen off the competition.

notonlybutalso

thanks for the recommendations guys, looks like i have a good few to look in to

stickyfiddle

Probably worth adding the Greer Lightspeed and former forum-darling the Subdecay Liquid Sunshine to the list - both excellent "just add hair" pedals.

Sassafras

Xotic RC is nice for low gain and good EQ.

TimmyO

depending on how flat you really want/need:

Xotic RC

TC Spark

Klon(e)

Zoom Power Drive (they turn up on eBay - GREAT lowish gain OD pedal imho) 

ThorpyFX Peacekeeper 

notonlybutalso

lot of love for the spark already, i didnt even know it had gain in it, that might be the shout for the price

Mr_Claw

notonlybutalso said:

lot of love for the spark already, i didnt even know it had gain in it, that might be the shout for the price

Dunno about the mini version, but the full size sure does (I used to have one)

vasselmeyer

TC Spark Booster, the full version, not the mini.