Needing some help with choosing a drive pedal...??

Rob-Brown

What I've come down to is either getting the Catalinbread DLS mkII or Wiio v.2 ... I haven't tried many drive pedals so I'm mainly relying on youtube reviews and other peoples posts..

The main thing I'm wanting is for it to have a smoothish sound and enough gain to not need to push up the amp gain too much(coz I'm too broke for a tube amp).

Any other pedal suggestions would be appreciated too. ?

I'm in desperate need of good tone my current (novice)setup is very close to being thrown off the balcony ☹

Jack-Flash-Jr

My vote will always be for TS-9 which, even unmodded, sounds great. You could probably get it new and modded by Matta (on forum) for less the pedals you listed. There is a reason it's legendary ?

MikeM

What amp? Usually you try match an overdrive to your amp, to some extent.. I've had pedals that sound great on a Fender, but terrible on a Vox.

Rob-Brown

@Jack sounds good but for some reason with every boss pedal I've used the pots have broken especially the multi position switches. I'm no longer a boss fan sadly.. ☹ And I'm keen on trying some new brands ?

@Mike I'm stuck with a peavey bandit at the moment its quite a piece of junk there are three different lead models and none of them sound good to me... but at least my clean channel sounds decent and its fairly versatile with the three different clean models... With my rack EQ I usually try find a twangy yet smooth sound around my neck single coil and then try balance a bit of a rock tone around the bridge humbucker (so id say its probably a more british sound I'd go for yet a little fenderish)

I hope that makes sense ? .. but hopefully I'll upgrade soon some time really liking those orange dual terrors(apparently they've dropped in price)!

Jack-Flash-Jr

Rob Brown wrote @Jack sounds good but for some reason with every boss pedal I've used the pots have broken especially the multi position switches. I'm no longer a boss fan sadly.. ☹ And I'm keen on trying some new brands ?

Not a Boss fan either, luckily the TS-9 is an Ibanez ?

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibanez_Tube_Screamer

Warren

Rob Brown wrote What I've come down to is either getting the Catalinbread DLS mkII or Wiio v.2 ... I haven't tried many drive pedals so I'm mainly relying on youtube reviews and other peoples posts..

The main thing I'm wanting is for it to have a smoothish sound and enough gain to not need to push up the amp gain too much(coz I'm too broke for a tube amp).

Any other pedal suggestions would be appreciated too. ?

I'm in desperate need of good tone my current (novice)setup is very close to being thrown off the balcony ☹

Before you spend big money on a boutique pedal I'd second Jack's suggestion of a Tube Screamer. My TS-808 always sounds great with nearly everything I've tried. You can fiddle with the drive and volume settings to go from smooth and warm to bright and crunchy with ease. I can stick it in front of my ancient Peavey practice amp (which is gathering rust now ?) and it suddenly sounds so much more organic and alive.

TS-9 (which can be modded) or TS-808 is my suggestion.

MikeM

I'd not waste such a big chunk of cash on a pedal until you're happy with your sound without it. Amps are becoming real cheap nowadays, for the price of 3 of those boutique pedals you can get a reasonable tube amp.

Maybe not what you want to hear. The Tiny Terrors are pretty cool, but consider first trying the cheap Laney and Ibanez 15 watt amps and take it from there. The only thing you need to get a good drive sound out of them the volume knob ?

Rob-Brown

Jack Flash Jr wrote
Rob Brown wrote @Jack sounds good but for some reason with every boss pedal I've used the pots have broken especially the multi position switches. I'm no longer a boss fan sadly.. ☹ And I'm keen on trying some new brands ?

Not a Boss fan either, luckily the TS-9 is an Ibanez ?

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibanez_Tube_Screamer

AAHH hahaha I dont know what my mind was thinking to confuse it with a boss! :? but yeah now I'm agreeing with you!

@warren I gave the 808 a (quick)try the other day and it was just to weak on the clean channel for me. I think thats got to do with my metal upbringing though I'm to use to having masses of gain to carry my lack of good technique ? but I did see a nice secondhand handwired 808 In a local shop here I'd like to go try out..

@Mike very true finances are so tight these days though but what do you think I'd manage to get from around R8000 (keen on maybe a tiny terror cause I'm a big orange fan or maybe a fender)... I'll build a cab for it if I have to ? ... where would I find some decent prices?

BTW thanks for the quick responses you guys are super helpful! ?

ohh and another thing does anyone know where to order BYOC pedal kits through?

MikeM

Just how hi-gain are you? You say you like Fender Cleans and Marshall drive.. One of many ? I'd try out the Ibanez 15 watter. It has a TS9 built in (footswitchable) and is somewhere between the Fender and Marshall sound if I understand correctly?

You'll have enough change left over to buy a couple of pedals if that's your budget. I think they can be had for R5k, and that includes a cab?

Warren

Rob Brown wrote
@warren I gave the 808 a (quick)try the other day and it was just to weak on the clean channel for me. I think thats got to do with my metal upbringing though I'm to use to having masses of gain to carry my lack of good technique ? but I did see a nice secondhand handwired 808 In a local shop here I'd like to go try out..

If you don't particularly like the regular TS you probably won't like the hand-wired version.

Sorry, I was under the impression you were looking for a "smooth drive" type pedal. If you're after more serious gain and distortion, then overdrive pedals are unlikely to give you that. You'll be better off looking at a pukka distortion pedal. I have a VOX Satchurator which I quite like for heaver distortion, but it's not particularly metal-y. Does have a nice smooth vibe to it though, and it isn't harsh.

Other than that, I don't have any experience with distortion pedals really, sorry. ☹

dirkv

Hey man,

I have been shopping around, not out of need but out of want (commonly known as GAS)

And i have come across the Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi Overdrive

It is a dual overdrive/distortion pedal which sounds incredible.

You can get it on Takealot (i do not work for the site) for like R1100

I am actually getting one soon

Tokai-SA

Very cheap OD pedal I'd go with a Bad Monkey...a cheaper version of a TS9.

Marshall OD/distortion I'd go with "Jou Moer's" suggestion, the Crunch Box or one of the Blues Boys. ?

Expensive OD I'd go with a Fulltone OCD.

Very expensive OD, medium and high gain distortion I'd go with a Blackstar HD-Dual.

Rob-Brown

Awesome lots to think about now haha!

@MikeM had a look at that 15watt ibanez its epic especially with that white tolex!! ? gona check for a local price and import price... I'm sure drive stacking with that amp will be a treat!! 15watt is all I need at the moment!

@warren I'm needing a blues/rock/indie tone so heaviest gain would be like a foo fighters/queens of the stone age style. I'm growing out of the metal guitaring phase these days its to hard to keep up with all the sweeping and tapping and fast riffs! ? but will check those out anyway!

Gona check out those other pedals too (especially the Big Muff, OCD and the Crunch box) but I think mike has convinced me the amp is definitely more important at the moment(missing having tube tone!)!!

Is proguitarshop.com good for importing amps? at least I should get free shipping..

I've got a boss od20 is it any good? there are only three sounds I kinda like on it the OD1, Tube Screamer, and Lead

MikeM

Hey man

I am glad I have swayed you in a good direction.

Importing amps is an ordeal. Sometimes they don't run on 230v, shipping is usually a bundle. You'll soon find out PGS doesn't ship amps (If they do now, they definitely won't do it for free). Being an avid importer of guitar goodies, I must say it's much easier to buy an amp locally. Try head out to Toms and give that thing a whirl. Pricing is good and you have a reasonable amount of aftersale service.

Charlie4

Mod Tone Dyno Drive is an Ibby TS9 equivalent just half the price - R780 (Take 2 US Section).
Don't take my word for it, take Gearmanndude's. 8)

SvR65

Just yesterday a friend of mine led me on to the new Ibanez Tube King Drive pedal...

Go check it out on their site, and watch the video. >> http://www.ibanez.com/Electronics/model-TK999OD

Tube driven pedal ** 12AX7**, so it might just be what you need... (because you don't have a tube amp - get a tube pedal!! ?)

Pricing around R1200 brand spanking new. @ Toms in Sandton.

Rob-Brown

Thanx guys for the input! my internet cap is get munched up with all this youtube reviewing ? but its worth it!

@SvR65 wow that looks like a winner! and such a sweet deal at that price! I need some tube in my life! I'd be a little scared to stomp on it though...