distortion/overdrive

Jerry Kippola · Post by **Jerry Kippola** » 5 Feb 2012 7:44 pm

What is Your favorite for an od/distortion pedal for steel---some work, some don't, it needs to sound right thru ss and/or tube amps. A lot of guitar pedals don't really do it right w/ a steel.

Michael Hartz · Post by **Michael Hartz** » 5 Feb 2012 10:16 pm

Voodoo labs Sparkle Drive. My friend Travis Toy (Rascal Flatts) turned me onto this pedal and uses it for all the Flatts shows.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 6 Feb 2012 4:59 am

One trick is to put the distortion before the volume pedal.
I don't use much distortion on the steel live but I own and like Pod 6 XT, OCD w/18volts, and Sparkle drive.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 6 Feb 2012 6:29 am

I've been using the OCD too...love it!

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 6 Feb 2012 6:49 am

I use either a Barber Direct Drive, or an ancient SansAmp I've had for years. Really like them both.

Mitch Adelman · Post by **Mitch Adelman** » 6 Feb 2012 7:47 am

I highly recommend Brad Sarno's Earth Drive. The only overdrive specifically designed for pedal steel's hot pickups. Really great!

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 6 Feb 2012 7:56 am

It really depends what I'm looking for at the specific time. For full-on buzz and the string section sound, an old bosstone or the VooDoo Labs recreation.
For guitaristic smooth amp sound into a solid state rig, Duncan Twin Tube really rocks, and nice two channel operation, although a bit of a large pedal footprint.
For variable all-around sounds, the Digitech Hardwire SC-2, and for a bit less heavy but very responsive drive sounds, the VHT V-Drive. For live playing, I want something to use with lap steel that gets me into Lindley land, and still has a good sound on E9. I'm loving the VHT.
There are so many fine pedals available now, you could spend years experimenting.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 6 Feb 2012 9:39 am

Fulltone OCD for me.

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 6 Feb 2012 11:29 am

For violin-like sustained fuzz with lots of warmth and richness:

Russian EH Big Muff:

For natural, warm, amp-like overdrive that retains the character of the pedal steel:

B

Steve Schmidt · Post by **Steve Schmidt** » 6 Feb 2012 11:47 am

I took Brad's advice a couple of years ago and bought a Zendrive. I very much like that pedal. Recently I purchased a Timmy that I use on my 6 string setup and that sounds very nice also. I have noticed that my Fender Twins sound killer with the Zendrive but my N400 doesn't sound all that great with an overdrive pedal. The magic isn't there on the N400 that is present with the Twins. I have no experience with any other pedals but I'm sure that Brads pedal is very good. Brads designs are top shelf and he doesn't put out a bad product. Someday I'll afford a Rev.
steve

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 6 Feb 2012 10:03 pm

I've been using the OCD for a couple of years, it's very versatile. Got a Fulltone Plimsoul a couple months back and it's great too. Probably only need one of those, they both have many great sounds when you twist the knobs.

Also have an old Ibanez MS-10 Metal Charger. It's like a tubescreamer but more screaming. Good for slamming the front end of the Marshall for old school metal, punk, etc.

The good thing about the Fulltone pedals is that they sound good in front of my solid state practice amps as well as the tube live rig.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 6 Feb 2012 10:10 pm

No stompboxes for me.

If I'm using an amp I just crank up the gain and keep the master volume low.

If I'm recording direct to the computer I'll use my Line 6 POD XT on the Marshall 'plexi' setting.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 6 Feb 2012 11:19 pm

Leslie Ehrlich wrote: I... use my Line 6 POD XT on the Marshall 'plexi' setting.

That's my default setting, with the 4 10" cabinet simulator. With the drive turned all the way off, it yields a nice rich sound.

For distortion, I prefer to use a Pro Co Rat in front of the volume pedal, instead of the POD's distortion. I've never tried combining the 2.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 7 Feb 2012 11:59 am

I <3 my Boss Tone.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 7 Feb 2012 11:22 pm

I'd just like to add that there are a gazillion different kinds of overdrive/distortion/fuzz out there, whether it be stompboxes or types of amplifier preamp gain stages.

For pedal steel guitar, I find that an overdriven sound is more pleasing to the ear. It can be smooth or crunchy, so long as it has the harmonic overtones that are characteristic of an overdriven sound.

I don't like a solid state square wave type of distortion. It garbles the sound of chords on a pedal steel. It's okay for single note playing, but chords sound terrible.

Also the tone stack in the amplifier (tube or solid state) has a lot to do with how good distortion or overdrive will sound. If the amp sounds too bright and trebly, the distortion will be harsh, brittle, and buzzy. Some guys like that sound, but I hate it. I don't like it for guitar either.

KENNY KRUPNICK · Post by **KENNY KRUPNICK** » 8 Feb 2012 11:25 am

Overdrive = Fulltone OCD.

Nathan Golub · Post by **Nathan Golub** » 8 Feb 2012 11:46 am

I've been using my OCD a lot as well. I prefer the Timmy with smaller tube amps, but the OCD is very versatile and works better with SS amps or high-powered tube amps.

Brett Lanier · Post by **Brett Lanier** » 9 Feb 2012 4:01 pm

I have a Zendrive 2 that I use now. I like it alright, though I hardly ever turn it on. I really like the sparkle drive too. Its great as a clean boost or overdrive.

The best overdrive sound I ever got for steel (by alot) was when I used a revelation pre into a VHT 2:90 power amp. I'd hit the cut power switch on the power amp and turn the gain all the way up on the rev. It only worked at loud gig levels but it was one of the ballziest sounds I ever heard.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 10 Feb 2012 12:51 pm

Boss!!

Karl Nutt · Post by **Karl Nutt** » 13 Feb 2012 2:04 pm

I use a Tweed Fender Pro Junior with the Fromel Supreme Mod kit installed. I replaced the 12AX7's with 5751's to lower the gain a little and Sovtek EL84's. This thing is awsome for distortion. I run the tone on about 1 or 2 and the volume between 10 and 12, place an SM-57 in front of it, mash the volume pedal to the floor and let it scream. I just unplug my cable from my clean amp and pop it into the Pro Junior when I need to go dirty. It does mean carrying another amp to the gig, buy my lunch box I carry to work is bigger

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 14 Feb 2012 1:48 pm

My favorite amp is a VHT (now Fryette) Sig X which gives me everything from clean to serious overdrive.
http://www.sfdamp.com/sigx.html

A nice small (expensive) in studio overdrive amp is the THD Bi-Valve that you can swap-out the pre amp and power amp tubes to anything that plugs in and it biases itself.
http://www.thdelectronics.com/product_p ... lve30.html

If I use a pedal, it's the Radial Tonebone Classic
http://www.tonebone.com/tb-classic.htm

Mitchell Smithey · Post by **Mitchell Smithey** » 15 Feb 2012 12:37 pm

I always go back to my fulltone distortion pro. Just sent my rat to keeley for mod. We'll see how it sounds when it gets back. My all time fave is my chandler tubedriver, but I don't carry a rack anymore.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 15 Feb 2012 12:55 pm

I never use an overdrive with my THD amps, since I can get any amount of overdrive at any volume, because it has a built in power attenuator.

With my Little Walter, I pretty much always have an overdrive on hand, because it's super clean (the motto of the amp: 'Because they don't make a clean pedal'). I own a Fulltone Fulldrive (very similar to an OCD), a ZenDrive, a Sarno Earth Drive, and an Ethos Overdrive.

My favorites are the Earth Drive and the Ethos. If it's a blues or rock and roll gig, I'll bring both. They are completely different. The Earth Drive doesn't change the tone of the amp or steel at all, but it just makes it 'drivier'. Brilliant. The Ethos is equally brilliant, but with a completely different philosophy: it will make any amp (even a solid state) sound pretty much like a Dumble Overdrive Special. Like the ZenDrive, except much more versatile. The ZenDrive makes a twin (even a crappy backline rental twin) sound pretty close to an overdriven Dumble. The Ethos nails both the clean and overdriven Dumble sound through just about anything.

Mitchell Smithey · Post by **Mitchell Smithey** » 26 Feb 2012 4:10 pm

I got my rat2 back from Keeley electronics for their mod. If you own a rat I highly suggest you let them do their thing to it. It is now my favorite solid state overdrive. They install a three way switch and all of the different modes sound great. It sort of takes the buzz out and makes it sound like a much healthier rat! Still like my chandler too.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 26 Feb 2012 11:00 pm

I've been very happy with my Visual Sound Route 808. Has a bass boost switch which really fattens up the sound. At a gig last night, just a tiny amount of drive, coupled with Hardwire chorus, reverb and delay, yielded a really sweet overdriven sound with lots of soul, ala David Lindley.

But of course reading about all these over great pedals, I'll of course have to try them all and re-evaluate! Never ends, does it?