Overdrive/Distortion - Need one.. suggestions?

nick · 2009-09-26T14:05:01+00:00

I have a Tubescreamer, the TS10 model though and I have a cheapy Behringer Ultra Metal. So far: 1) TS10, too little too trebley 2) Boss DS-1, also too trebley, could take paint off the walls (single coil strat) 3) Behringer UM100, fine for Metallica or early Green Day, terrible for Pearl Jam etc. 4) Boss MT-2, too digital and not warm enough Other suggestions, want to try out a Rat, went to MusicMate/Bothners but neither had. Looking for the 90s alternative sound, Pearl Jam, early Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters etc.

Mr-M

@Alan - Sounds interesting. I'll speak to Matta when my bank balance recovers from all my vehicle repair bills this month. BTW, I searched Fuzilla and got to the Graemestock thread. Looked like it was awesome!

@nick - Thanks for the +/- price. By the sound of it the Fuzilla would be more of a Noise/ Stoner Rock/ Muse/ Classic Rock Type fuzz than compressed Muff-style Pumpkins fuzz - very different types of sounds IMO. My interest is piqued though so I'm gonna have to speak to Matta soon. Alan does have a good point on the power connector on the BM PI - it looks like a a headphone mini-jack, so you'd have to get an adapter cable for it to use it with a regular PSU. Visual Sound do a good one. The Little Big Muff doesn't need it because it has a regular barrel jack power connector.

@Sidercar - That looks pretty cool. Maybe of 80s vintage? How old is it?

Sidecar

@Mr M - Dunno, I'm trying to find out how old it is... There is a similar Yamaha pedal that seems to share the same housing... No trace of it on Korg's website though.

nick

They had both the Big Muff (which really is big, big isnt the right word) and the Little Big, the size and 9v jack sold it for me. Played them back to back and on the Cube amp and American Strat suprisingly the Little one sounded nicer.. Plus its R100 cheaper and will fit on a normal sized pedalboard.

I want to go home now ☹

Manfred-Klose

I want to go home now

that why i wont go and buy gear at lunch time, i know myself to well that i wont get any work done. ?

nick

Manfred Klose wrote
I want to go home now
that why i wont go and buy gear at lunch time, i know myself to well that i wont get any work done. ?

I spent most of yesterday Youtubing comparisons so its fine, I can make it a few more hours ?

shadow1

nick wrote

They had both the Big Muff (which really is big, big isnt the right word) and the Little Big, the size and 9v jack sold it for me. Played them back to back and on the Cube amp and American Strat suprisingly the Little one sounded nicer.. Plus its R100 cheaper and will fit on a normal sized pedalboard.

I want to go home now ☹

NICE! LET US KNOW HOW IT SOUNDS! im especially curious with a strat setup ? congrats mate!

Mr-M

So what's your verdict on the LBM, nick?

nick

Mr M wrote So what's your verdict on the LBM, nick?

Its pure noise, I love it! Spent most of last night hammering out old Pumpkins and doing Hendrixesque dive bombs on the whammy ?

Suprisingly on the strat its still hellova bassy, I would've thought with a SS amp and a strat it'd be abit more tinny but its still got lots of meat. Too much sustain and it just breaks up, I prefer to back off on it a bit. The Tone knob is strange, all the way right and the lows and highs almost swop, reverse for all the way left. Usually they go from trebley as hell to morbid bass, this is completely different. Have to push it quite hard on the volume pot, its probably on about 3/4 currently.

I love the way it goes from clean jangly to noise at a single click, think 'Today' by the Smashing Pumpkins ?

Happy with the pedal, need to play with it alot more and try turn the amp up a bit to get the real tone out of it. Living in a complex I can only crank my amp so far and I think you miss out on alot of the pedal that way. ?

shadow1

nick wrote
Mr M wrote So what's your verdict on the LBM, nick?

Its pure noise, I love it! Spent most of last night hammering out old Pumpkins and doing Hendrixesque dive bombs on the whammy ?

Suprisingly on the strat its still hellova bassy, I would've thought with a SS amp and a strat it'd be abit more tinny but its still got lots of meat. Too much sustain and it just breaks up, I prefer to back off on it a bit. The Tone knob is strange, all the way right and the lows and highs almost swop, reverse for all the way left. Usually they go from trebley as hell to morbid bass, this is completely different. Have to push it quite hard on the volume pot, its probably on about 3/4 currently.

I love the way it goes from clean jangly to noise at a single click, think 'Today' by the Smashing Pumpkins ?

Happy with the pedal, need to play with it alot more and try turn the amp up a bit to get the real tone out of it. Living in a complex I can only crank my amp so far and I think you miss out on alot of the pedal that way. ?

INTERESTING PEDAL BOARD YOU HAVE THERE, whats that power supply setup you have running? you say hendrix and i say hmmmm think i need that pedal ?

nick

shadow1 wrote
nick wrote
Mr M wrote So what's your verdict on the LBM, nick?

Its pure noise, I love it! Spent most of last night hammering out old Pumpkins and doing Hendrixesque dive bombs on the whammy ?

Suprisingly on the strat its still hellova bassy, I would've thought with a SS amp and a strat it'd be abit more tinny but its still got lots of meat. Too much sustain and it just breaks up, I prefer to back off on it a bit. The Tone knob is strange, all the way right and the lows and highs almost swop, reverse for all the way left. Usually they go from trebley as hell to morbid bass, this is completely different. Have to push it quite hard on the volume pot, its probably on about 3/4 currently.

I love the way it goes from clean jangly to noise at a single click, think 'Today' by the Smashing Pumpkins ?

Happy with the pedal, need to play with it alot more and try turn the amp up a bit to get the real tone out of it. Living in a complex I can only crank my amp so far and I think you miss out on alot of the pedal that way. ?

INTERESTING PEDAL BOARD YOU HAVE THERE, whats that power supply setup you have running? you say hendrix and i say hmmmm think i need that pedal ?

Its a 9v 2a 18w powersupply into that home made distribution box ? Welcome to test it out if you live anywhere near me 8)

nick

Mr M wrote get an MI Audio Crunch Box or an MXR Distortion III to get this sound.

Busy looking at these two now... 8)

Mr-M

nick wrote Its pure noise, I love it! Spent most of last night hammering out old Pumpkins and doing Hendrixesque dive bombs on the whammy ?
I love the way it goes from clean jangly to noise at a single click, think 'Today' by the Smashing Pumpkins ?

Yup, that's a BM! I like how Way Huge describe the Pickle and I think it's pretty apt for the BM too - "more fuzz than a moldy peach."
I do a cover with my band of Today. Such a great song. My bass player uses bass fuzz to fill out the sound, because my fuzzes aren't as huge sounding as a BM, sadly.

nick wrote
Mr M wrote get an MI Audio Crunch Box or an MXR Distortion III to get this sound.
Busy looking at these two now... 8)

I've owned both of these and they are great pedals for the classic Marshall crunch. The Crunch Box is brighter, crunchier-sounding, has more gain on tap than the MXR and sounds a bit more "open". The MXR is smoother, warmer and more versatile in that it can do lighter overdrive as well as crunch tones. Also the MXR cleans up better with volume control adjustments on the guitar, though both are very sensitive to pick attack and pickup switching. Go for the Crunch Box if you want more crunch and more gain, or go for the MXR if you want a bit more versatility and a smoother sound. The Distortion III is a bit cheaper too, but it doesn't have true bypass like the Crunch Box. That said the bypass on the MXR is still very good and I didn't notice any tone suck when I had it.

nick

Mr M wrote I've owned both of these and they are great pedals for the classic Marshall crunch. The Crunch Box is brighter, crunchier-sounding, has more gain on tap than the MXR and sounds a bit more "open". The MXR is smoother, warmer and more versatile in that it can do lighter overdrive as well as crunch tones. Also the MXR cleans up better with volume control adjustments on the guitar, though both are very sensitive to pick attack and pickup switching. Go for the Crunch Box is want more crunch and more gain, or go for the MXR if you want a bit more versatility and a smoother sound. The Distortion III is a bit cheaper too, but it doesn't have true bypass like the Crunch Box. That said the bypass on the MXR is still very good and I didn't notice any tone suck when I had it.

Calling around now to see what the gong rate on both are. Thanks (and thanks to TomCat) for the suggestion, need to get to Marshall Music and demo them if they have stock. 8)

TomCat

nick wrote
Mr M wrote I've owned both of these and they are great pedals for the classic Marshall crunch. The Crunch Box is brighter, crunchier-sounding, has more gain on tap than the MXR and sounds a bit more "open". The MXR is smoother, warmer and more versatile in that it can do lighter overdrive as well as crunch tones. Also the MXR cleans up better with volume control adjustments on the guitar, though both are very sensitive to pick attack and pickup switching. Go for the Crunch Box is want more crunch and more gain, or go for the MXR if you want a bit more versatility and a smoother sound. The Distortion III is a bit cheaper too, but it doesn't have true bypass like the Crunch Box. That said the bypass on the MXR is still very good and I didn't notice any tone suck when I had it.
Calling around now to see what the gong rate on both are. Thanks (and thanks to TomCat) for the suggestion, need to get to Marshall Music and demo them if they have stock. 8)

It's a pleasure...Happy hunting.

Mr-M

Glad to help. You might have to call Music Connection in JHB for the Crunch Box because they are the MI Audio importers and most other stores don't seem to stock them.
Marshall CT should have the MXR though. I've heard they have an epic pedal cabinet there (although Music Connection's is pretty impressive).

ed

Hi. I remember seeing a range of ehx pedals on muz.co.za today. Not sure if they have what you want. But you can check it out. Found out that they also carry mxr and tc electronic. Didnt know that!

nick

ed wrote Hi. I remember seeing a range of ehx pedals on muz.co.za today. Not sure if they have what you want. But you can check it out. Found out that they also carry mxr and tc electronic. Didnt know that!

thanks, will have a look 8)

nick

Leaning towards this more than the MXR from the youtube clips. Now to find one to play.. which seems to be a problem

Mr-M

That's the general problem you're going to run into with most boutique pedals - not being able to try first. Like I said most shops that aren't Music Connection don't keep them. If you've done your research and listened to plenty of clips you should be OK. I've been happy with a number of pedals bought from overseas without trying them out in person because I did plenty of online research first.

I can assure you that it does sound just as awesome in person as the Youtube videos make it sound. If you are interested in buying one give Music Connection a call and speak to Anton or Jacques - 011 787 6222. I'm sure they could have it shipped to CT. If you don't like it (which I seriously doubt), you can always sell it on later.

nick

Went through to Marshall Music in town just to browse and saw they had a Crunch box, asked if I could demo the pedal and was set up on a relic'd R18k strat and a HT5 5w (I think) amp. Didnt have a plectrum so had to hack out stuff with my fingers which Im terrible at but the pedal is awesome.. R2295. No stock of the Distortion III for quite a while.

Now do I bring one in from the US for $129 for the Crunch or $79 for the Distortion III or save all the headache and go blow R2300 ☹

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