ActionArnie
So I've been on the prowl to find a lower gain / overdrive pedal to compliment a Hot British (which does the higher gain stuff reasonably). Came across an interesting thread on a forum somewhere where all the guys threw in their own opinions etc. (
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=139237&page=7)
One guy decided to summarise what the chaps had voted for, can anyone that actually owns any of these offer any opinions? I'd be interested to get a feel for what players in SA have actually managed to get their hands on too.
Tim/Timmy (30)
Lovepedal Eternity (20)
Klon Centaur (19)
Lovepedal COT50 (16)
Futtone FUlldrive II (12 +4 for mosfet)
Hermida Zendrive (15 +1 for Zendrive II)
Landgraff dynamic od (12)
Fulltone OCD (11)
BJF honey bee (10)
Keeley modded TS (9 - TS808 3, TS9 4, baked TS9 flexi 4x2 1, Sparkle Drive 1)
Clay Jones OD ( 8 )
(6 votes)
Xotic RC booster
MJM blues devil
BJF emerald green
Foxrox ZIM
Analogman KOT
(5 votes)
Proanalog Dual Drive
Blackstone Mosfet
Rat stock (4 +1 for Rat II)
(4 votes)
Crowther Hotcake
BJF little green wonder
Hermida Mosferatu
Lovepedal FAB50
Keeley BD-2
Keeley Rat
(3 votes)
Barber LTD
Barber Burn Unit EQ
Menatone Kar krash
Vstack classic
Mi Audio cruchbox
ZVex SHO
ZVex SD 2in1
Skreddy Screw driver
Banzai Fireball
Tonefactor Hellbilly
Ibanez TS808
ActionArnie
That first bit of the list has the number of votes received in brackets.
Tone
Hey man! I use the MI audio crunch box and think its a great pedal but is relatively high gain. From your description I would have a look at the MI audio Blues Pro. It's a great low to medium output overdrive which I am also lucky enough to own.
Would you be using this overdrive along with the crunch channel of your amp or would you be rely completely on the pedal for your gain and run your amp clean?
FruitarGeek
Im quite shocked at the TS808 votes. From what Ive heard that has a real nice low gainy crunch. And boy does it make amp distortion sing
ActionArnie
What I've tended to do is use the distortion/od with the amp clean. I use the amps drive channel at lowish gain along with my tonebone for solo'ing / lead to give some extra boost / sustain (and the fact that the drive channel has separate reverb which I can crank is nice too).
I have been looking at the MI Audio stuff, its relatively cost-effective compared to some of the other stuff on that list!
MIKA-the-better-one
The Tim / Timmy at the top of the list is by far the best.... but it takes up to 6 months to get one in USA due to the waiting lost so count that one off....
I consider my sound based on my low gain overdrive, and have been hunting for a nice light OD for years, so I hope you take my suggestions kindly ?
MI audio... I have never liked it (some of you know this) I have used the blue boy, the blues pro, the tubezone..... and never really agreed with it, they just were to un transparent.... :-[
Barber LTD ------------ YES great low gain
Barber Dual Gainer----------- even more features
Fulltone Fulldrive
Keeley BD2
those seems easy enough to get is SA......
The TS808 is also great.......... I love my TS9 modded to 808 specs...........
AlanRatcliffe
That list includes some pretty high gain pedals. Mostly high priced boutique models and mostly great drives in the right setting. Overdrive is a pretty personal thing and while I could swear that my personal choice is the best thing on the planet, you might not agree. It also depends on the guitar you are using, the amp you are using and exactly what you want to hear. I'm using a TC NovaDrive at the moment, which is nice in many respects for what I'm doing (both a TS-like drive and a Ratlike distortion in one box, plus patches so I can store the settings I like for different guitars).
Were I looking for a low gain drive pedal (I use a clean Fender amp, BTW), I'd probably look at the Lovepedal Kalamazoo, The Timmy and the Barber LTD. On the slightly less expensive side, the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive is pretty cool - basically a nice TS variant with the ability to blend in the clean bypass signal with the drive (the NovaDrive does this too). Otherwise the MI Blues Pro should be a good choice.
ActionArnie
Thanks for the responses guys, food for thought...
@Mika: I see there's a Timmy on Ebay.co.uk "to buy" for 170 pounds ... hmmm ... that's a lot of dosh but the hype around this pedal is something else. My folks are over there on holiday at the moment so it may be an option if I can convince the minister of finances that buying a small metal box is a higher priority than her new bathroom tiles.
EDIT: mmm, just seen somewhere these pedals are $100 new if you want to wait in the 1 year queue ... nearly triple the new price is a bridge too far methinks.
@Alan: I alternate between a Strat and a very hot Les Paul (Classic, with the over the top ceramic pickups, love them one day, hate them the next). So there's a massive difference in output between these 2 guitars which doesn't simplify matters. I play into the (quite nice for a Marshall) clean channel of a JCM 602 and as I mentioned earlier, I use the drive channel with low gain but higher volume than the clean for a solo boost.
Now my problem is I don't really know what sound I want, its a case of I'll know it when I hear it. Basically I'm after something pretty transparent that I can dial in a bit of grit. The Barber LTD sounds like something I might have to investigate further.
Once I bought my current amp I was hoping this would solve my tone issues, but I currently I can't get the low gain sound I want from my amp's drive channel. The JCM602 drive is far too over the top for my tastes (even at "low" gain). As you probably know it has clipping diodes in the drive channel and bypassing these is a popular means of giving a more old school overdrive sound. I don't know what it'll sound like if I do this, and I don't possess anywhere near the skill or bravery to perform such an operation. Having said that, looking at the circuit diagram it looks like a simple enough procedure once you have the beast opened up.
MIKA-the-better-one
the barber is know for being transparent ? Apparently Ts808 's are not.... :-\ but it sounds nice to my ears...............
Maybe the barber is the way to go, cheaper, easier, cooler
except if you get that TIM
Mr-M
+1 for the Barer LTD. For transparency, look at the SR version. Or go with the 1/2 Gainer which lets you do regular LTD or SR tones as it has a mids knob.
singemonkey
Maybe MIKA can comment on this, because he owned one. I'm currently debating myself over getting either the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret or the Formula No.5.
Now both can put out huge quantities of gain if necessary, but can also add just a hint of dirt. They're not boutique pedals, so they don't cost to much, but they are extremely responsive to the guitar and the volume controls/picking attack. To me the DLS sounds perfect if you don't like your amp's drive channel. It has two settings, one voiced like a '60s JMP, and the other like a JCM800 - so you have either a classic rock kind of drive through to metal roar.
MIKA had one but sold it. Maybe he can give an impression?
If you find you're loving the ceramic pickups one day and hating them another, it sounds to me like it might be a good idea to experiment with other pickups. I had the same experience with the mini-hums in my LP Deluxe. When I replaced them I wondered how I'd put up with them for so long.
AlanRatcliffe
The Barber is nice in that it's made for low gain, so you don't end up trying to tweak the gain knob at the very first few mm of travel. Nice slightly crunchy amplike sounds and very dynamic. Lots of clarity on even complex chords and works very well with guitar volume controls. The SR version is really transparent, while the standard model is a bit thicker sounding.
Gearmandude tests both here, using a Tele then a LP:
And the Tonefactor video uses a Strat:
ActionArnie
Thanks for all the responses guys, looks like the Barber is the way to go .... just not sure what's the best / cheapest way to get one. I see ebay has a barber ltd silver ed. clone for 70 pounds, not sure what the implications are of going for a clone over the real thing, I suppose one takes a gamble. Alternatively Amazon as the LTD SR for $140 and the 1/2 gainer for $170.
MoJo-JoJoe
I own quite a number of the pedals listed in the first post. For me, the best of the bunch is the Lovepedal Eternity, then the Lovepedal COT50/Amp50, then I like the Fulltone stuff, then the MI Audio stuff.
That said, I get my fave tones by cascading some stomps that are not usually considered as highly as most of those on the list ... stuff really not considered "boutique". So there goes that theory ...
My fave tone: unmodded Blue Driver -> Vox Brit Boost -> Vox Big Ben -> Blackface Fender .... all pedals set to just a touch over unity gain (when each is engaged on its own).
Mr-M
joel wrote
My best OD pedal ever 8)
Thnx for parting with it Mr.T ? , fool !....lol )
The Barber 1/2 gainer
Glad you're loving it! I loved it too, but I'm loving it's replacement even more. Just works better for me. ?
ActionArnie wrote
Thanks for all the responses guys, looks like the Barber is the way to go .... just not sure what's the best / cheapest way to get one. I see ebay has a barber ltd silver ed. clone for 70 pounds, not sure what the implications are of going for a clone over the real thing, I suppose one takes a gamble. Alternatively Amazon as the LTD SR for $140 and the 1/2 gainer for $170.
Try www.tonefactor.com - Safe, cheap shipping, efficient and just great to deal with. I've bought from them regularly in the past 3 years.
Unfortunately Amazon don't ship electronics internationally. When you try to check out it will stop you.
Ebay is a good option, but make sure you buy from a top rated eBay store, rather than a private seller. The buyer protection on eBay is very good.
ActionArnie
Thanks will check tonefactor.com out.
I have however made an about-turn and decided to get the Timmy. Its pretty much the same price as the LTD (new) and I've got family in the US with other family visiting them in June so I can arrange to have it brought back. I'm in no rush so the wait is not really a problem. I've confirmed that one of Paul Cochrane's distributors has an order arriving in April.
Mr-M
Otherwise get on Paul Cochrane's waiting list. Check out this thread for Paul's contact details:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=216560&highlight=paul+cochrane+contact+details
ActionArnie
ActionArnie
Double post incoming ....
Not as patient as I thought I was, just found a used Danelectro CTO-1 on amazon for R350 delivered ? . Saw teh gearmandude shootout between the timmy and the CTO-1 and I thought the electro sounded better .... maybe it was just the video, dunno ??? . Anyways, this will keep the motor running til the Timmy comes in June.
makepeace
ActionArnie wrote
Double post incoming ....
Not as patient as I thought I was, just found a used Danelectro CTO-1 on amazon for R350 delivered ? . Saw teh gearmandude shootout between the timmy and the CTO-1 and I thought the electro sounded better .... maybe it was just the video, dunno ??? . Anyways, this will keep the motor running til the Timmy comes in June.
GREAT find.
