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  • Tube Screamer v MXR Badass dist.

For thrash you really should look at the MetalZone, I'd be surprised if you didn't have one already? But I do like that MXR, it’s definitely got that late 70’s early 80’s metal/punk drive/distortion!

If it's GAS related to the GFSA classifieds I 'd go for MXR Custom Badass '78 Distortion. Why? Cause it's badass and I have a general dislike for pedals with more that 3 knobs!
    Ok since they are my pedals this is what I advised her..

    The badass distorion gives you a vintage Mega stack sound that you can take from easy fat OD to really crunchy dist. When you activate the crunch button you get nice singing harmonics on excessive OD or dist. Its an awesome pedal and versatile.
    The TS. The TS9DX has a hi, mid and low boost option. The bad thing about electric is that most instruments fall in the mid range frequency category meaning that you tend to fade away when the other instruments come in. So instead of banging your vol up to 11, just fiddle with the hi, mid or low to help you stand out a bit more.
    My advice was that you can use the TS to boost the badass to where you want...either hi, mids, or low and get a crazy smooth heavy OD or dist sound that will elevate you above the band.
    Also with a JCM you can preamp boost the JCM channels to really nice sharp edgy dist. Alternately you can turn down the level and disable the crunch button and get into smooth melodic work easily. I must say these two pedals combine really well for hi gain stuff. The badass with sharp cutting dist and the TS for darker ambient dist sounds especially with humbuckers...

    Remember you want a signature sound...something distinct so play around.

    But switching from digital to analogue is a must with a quality amp like a JCM 900..
      Eldred wrote: Ok since they are my pedals this is what I advised her..

      The badass distorion gives you a vintage Mega stack sound that you can take from easy fat OD to really crunchy dist. When you activate the crunch button you get nice singing harmonics on excessive OD or dist. Its an awesome pedal and versatile.
      The TS. The TS9DX has a hi, mid and low boost option. The bad thing about electric is that most instruments fall in the mid range frequency category meaning that you tend to fade away when the other instruments come in. So instead of banging your vol up to 11, just fiddle with the hi, mid or low to help you stand out a bit more.
      My advice was that you can use the TS to boost the badass to where you want...either hi, mids, or low and get a crazy smooth heavy OD or dist sound that will elevate you above the band.
      Also with a JCM you can preamp boost the JCM channels to really nice sharp edgy dist. Alternately you can turn down the level and disable the crunch button and get into smooth melodic work easily. I must say these two pedals combine really well for hi gain stuff. The badass with sharp cutting dist and the TS for darker ambient dist sounds especially with humbuckers...

      Remember you want a signature sound...something distinct so play around.

      But switching from digital to analogue is a must with a quality amp like a JCM 900..
      Hey eldred! Don't mean to by-pass you, I will take one of these pedals from you, that's a promise.

      Now. Just want to make one correction on what I said earlier, The Vox Wah is first in line.
      So I had - Guitar > Wah > Boss HM2 > Zoom 505II
      Now I have - Guitar > Wah > Zoom 505II > Boss HM2 - Now this sounds way better with the HM2 enhancing the Zoom
      I am not in a position to take both the TS and the MXR. So do we go TS into HM2 or just MXR ?
        Lol no worries...

        I just want you to be happy with your choice and make the best choice at that. Don't you have access to both pedals at a music store close to you? Maybe go try them out. Make sure you are comfortable with your choice..
          Eldred wrote: Lol no worries...

          I just want you to be happy with your choice and make the best choice at that. Don't you have access to both pedals at a music store close to you? Maybe go try them out. Make sure you are comfortable with your choice..
          Easier said than done I'm afraid, nearest shop that would stock these pedals is 500 k's away! {One of the reasons why I 'lean' on the forumites so much! ?}
            Actually. Tamla, both are pretty decent deals. The cost of fuel to a music store would be more than you'd lose if you bought and resold a pedal (assuming you didn't dig it).
              MikeM wrote: Actually. Tamla, both are pretty decent deals. The cost of fuel to a music store would be more than you'd lose if you bought and resold a pedal (assuming you didn't dig it).
              Exactly.

              I can only take one of the 2.
              I either take the TS and use it to boost the HM2 in the same fashion that Eldred talks of using it to boost the MXR Badass or......
              I take the Badass.
              Either way I think I am going to be 'Stepping up', so to speak.
              And, who knows, maybe the mix of TS and HM2 could be pretty unique.
                Mike has a very good point.

                If I had to choose maybe for now go with the TS. Reason being you have the hi mid and low settings you can adjust as well as the option of boosting or using it on its own. You can add the badass later... Its the more versatile of the two..

                Also got a sneaky suspicion you will get more wah response from the TS.. And a TS is the backbone of most guitarists' arsenal..

                  Hi. Having gone through hell and back with pedals I have discovered the amp has a BIG influence on how the pedal will react. Also not all pedals works well with other pedals. My advice is to try it out with your amp and current setup if you can. Having said that I'm not a metal player. I prefer edge of breakup to liquid Carlos Santana/Gary Moore style tones. Not too much gain but a lot of sustain.

                  Apparently the MXR Badass is similar to the Vox satchurator (which I use) but not so thin so that should give you a lot more gain than an overdrive pedal such as TS9. But then it depends on whether the TS9 is used as a gain or volume boost. My two cents...
                    Even the Tube Screamers have different characteristics. I had a '90's Classic that was (IMO) fantastic with regards to the amount of drive that it gave. Someone relieved me of it one night and I had to replace it with an early '80's unit. The My older unit doesn't have the same amount of overdrive that the Classic had. I'd love another one!!
                      I'm actually delving into this drive thing at the moment.

                      I originally bought a Jeckyl and Hyde TS9 + Distortion Combo which I used for a long time but have since really fallen out of love with.

                      I now use an EHX English Muffin valve distortion. It sounds great on british amps but harsh on american ones. Incredibly touch sensitive and amp-like but it uses its own PSU and it's HUGE!

                      I just ordered a JHS Morning Glory and a JHS Superbolt which I expect to arrive early but my main idea is to have two "unique" sounding pedals that I'll blend with my slightly unusual preference of guitars and sounds.

                      I don't use Tube Screamers and at this particular point, I don't really want one. They're very versatile but the sound is just too recognizable for me. One thing they are VERY good at is helping you cut through the mix.

                      Distortion might give you the TONE you are looking for but the TubeScreamer will help you cut through the mix.

                      Often metal guitarists slap the Metal Zone on and pay no attention to the mids required to be heard.

                      Maybe the HM before the TS? get the majority of your tone from the HM and then use the TS to EQ, it was suggested previously and I think it's the best option.

                      THe HM has been made famous by Swedish metal bands. Can't recall the name but I remember one band building their entire sound on vintage HMs.

                      Bottom line is, how BRUTAL are you wanting to go?

                      My 2 cents.
                        Ok.
                        Define BRUTAL and I mean BRUTAL not just BRUTAL like.
                        And throw in some non Youtube examples.
                        Ta.
                          That's exactly what I said previously. Don't get stuck with a Metal or Heavy Dist pedal and you disappear in the mix. You need something to cut through the mix ESPECIALLY when you are cranking the gain up all the way. That's why I got the TS. It's able to boost different frequencies of any preceding pedal...
                            I'd say if you're looking for a lot of tonal versatility and very controllable gain the Metal Zone is absolutely unbeatable. I'm not a Metal player and am no fan of the typical "scooped " sound. I played thru the MT2 and was knocked out by how many different tones the pedal was capable of producing.
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