What distortion/drive pedal should I buy?

J

JPage

New member
Hi fellow softies,

Most likely a newbie question, but I've been hovering around soft forums all week checking out reviews and videos, but still kinda stuck bout which distortion/drive pedal might be good for me.

I currently have a Digitech Hot Head Distortion, but don't quite enjoy the sound it gives, and decided to find out more bout alternatives. Some names that popped up in my search were:

1. Fulltone OCD v4
2. Boss DS-1
3. Vox Cooltron Big Ben Overdrive
4. FBM-1 Bassman

I was wondering if anyone would be nice enough to compare these, or recommend something better. (might have a budget problem, so preferably below $200 :/ BUT if there's a must-get above this price, please still bring it up!)

and what else do I need... oh, I'd like to play songs from Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Arctic Monkeys, occasionally some Muse and Coheed & Cambria.

Thanks!
 
Maybe you could also state what you don't like about your current pedal and what you want improved over it. This gives us more avenues to work with too. I have 2 recommendations: the MI Audio Crunchbox and the Wampler Super Plextortion. I believe both are around $250, but to me these 2 are better distortion units in the market. Keep in mind too that there's a difference between overdrive and distortion. This is a gross generalisation but for me overdrives are usually milder, more sweet and warm sounding, distortions tend to be more trebly and in your face.
 
hahas, i've only used boss ds-1 before from ur 4 choices
its excellent! especially if u mod it at sound alchemy or beez :D
 
JPage said:
so preferably below $200 :/ BUT if there's a must-get above this price, please still bring it up!)

and what else do I need... oh, I'd like to play songs from Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Arctic Monkeys, occasionally some Muse and Coheed & Cambria.
Click to expand...

Your budget is good so these are my personal suggestion based from what I've used before and read excellent reviews and recommendations over the internet:

1. MiAudio Crunchbox - used this countless times live and in never failed to deliver that nice JCM900 (?) tones! This is an all out in your face distortion. Highly recommended. You can easily have this on buy and sell @ $160-ish

2. Visual Sound Jeckyl and Hyde - double function pedals is always a plus for me. I often see this from guitarist who tours :p

3. Fulltone Fulldrive II - if you're looking for that Pearl Jam like tones or Bluesy clean tone, this is it. Couple this with the drive channel of your amp and you can get also a serious balls out tone!

4. Fulltone OCD - awesome for standalone overdrive or if you also need to boost an overdrive amp!

5. MiAudio Blues PRO - FAT overdive!! Can also be used as a stand alone drive or boost! Fuzz switch is a bonus!:p

6. Proco RAT - I think BLUR and the Foo Fighters used this pedal... I've also used this pedal live before... really hairy drive! Sustain for days...

7. Maxon ROD 881 - http://www.maxonfx.com/Realtube_ROD881.php . Read the reviews over Harmony Central and you will read that a lot of guitarist swear by the good tones out of this pedal. This is indeed a sleeper pedal... REAL Tube power! Really fantastic sustain and crunch... a lil bit pricer but really worth it!

8. If you really need a budget drive and want an extra cash for other stuff, but still deliver tones --> You can never go wrong with the new Danelectro Cool Cat pedals!;) for $38 dollars! it's a no brainer bro! I love my Transparent Overdrive (V1) and my other guitarist uses the Danelectro Drive ( a clone of OCD) and it's extremely good!!!

My 2 cents...

:p
 
Hey fellas,

Truly appreciate the swift responses!

@loldude333: My current Hot Head sounds like it's crackling when i turn up the gain to even 2 or 3, i'm even tempted to think it's spoilt (do pedal tones 'wear out'?). Anyway, I would've uploaded an audio sample, but I don't have a mic with me now. Perhaps, closest to the sound it gives is the distortion from a basic integrated amplifier, missing the crunch and heavy-ness I would've expected from a distortion pedal. It's also lacking some 'middle' range sound (I hope i've explained that right).

So, looks like i'll have to check out the MI Audio Crunch Box and the Boss. And surely the Danelectro Cool Cats too :P

Any of you guys know which shop I can find the MI Audio Crunch Box in?
 
I have the Danelectro Coolcat TOD, it's a great pedal but it might not give you enough gain for numbers from Nirvana or Muse. Think of it as it says it is, an overdrive.

Not to delve into details here, but the Bellamy's tone is a lot more of a fuzz than a distortion.

You cannot go wrong with the Crunchbox, great tones and highly versatile as well. However my go-to pedal of choice nowadays for heavier stuff is still the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret. Had it for quite a while already and it has been serving me very well, have not seen the need to replace it.

As much as we can advise you here, it's always best that you hear them out for yourself.

Drop by places like Blackwood at Bras Basah or TYMC at Excelsior where they have a wide selection of pedals and most importantly, accommodating staff who will help you in your search. Test the pedals out. You will learn much more and will thus be able to make an informed decision.

Also, do remember that your amp will have a significantly larger contribution to your overall tone as opposed to a pedal.
So if you are basing your judgment of tone on your little practise amp at home, you need to reconsider and take note.
However, if you are choosing a pedal with playing at venues with quality amps in mind, or you intend to get a better amp down the road, then you are on a safer route.
 
Hey

Thanks much for the input, guys. Just tried out the Danelectro TOD myself, sounds awesome but @Phil you're right bout the gain. So I found a friend's friend with an MI Audio Crunch Box, gonna test it out soon i hope. @kernelspy: Shall contact you if it blows me away ;)
 
I just started on pedals not too long ago; got a DS1 (modded but i dont know what mod, lol?) and BD2. Both given by people. ;)
To my ears, both sound good.

Maybe that wont be for long, with rising taste and expectations.

Seen the DS1(stock/not MIJ & i dont know the diff) around buy/sell for around 60? Keeley's around 140 perhaps.
 
I have a modded DS1 with the JCM 800 mod here: http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Feb/Boss_DS_1_Mods.aspx

Sounds saturated and mid-rangey unlike its stock cousin, so it's thick with quite a bit of crunch with the high(er) gain mod. It will not do metal definitely but classic rock and more modern rock, even some blues it should do fine. If you are good with soldering. it can even be modded to taste, which I might since it has a little too much mid-range(too thick?) for me. The Tone knob is really usable now and cleans up nicely with the guitar's volume knob if that's what you are looking for. No regrets with this acquisition so far.

I would also recommend the Barber Direct Drive around $200 which has a good range of gain/drive for lighter blues all the way to classic rock crunch and the tone knob is quite versatile with the push-pull. It even has internal trimpots for more adjustments. Can't believe no-one recommended this yet :).

And while you are looking at the Cool Cats, do take a look at the Cool Cat Distortion, the red one. It's quite under-the-radar but it is said to sound like the Crunchbox, only with Treble/Bass knobs instead of the Tone knob+ internal presence trimpot. I got one and it is more open sounding IMO than the Direct Drive and the modded DS-1 but the Bass/Treble stacked knob is a hassle YMMV.

I hope this helps :)
 
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Hehe i had the barber direct drive and coolcat distortion before.. in the end settled to a boss ds-2. Think its more of personal taste. Might want to try the Hardwire Sc2 distortion heard its pretty versatile :)
 
I have the CC Distort. I prefer it over ALL the Boss pedals (stock, of course). I haven't tried modded Boss pedals. And it's 40 bucks NEW WITH A BOX AND MANUAL. Worthy investment, definitely.
 
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