Outlaws
New member
Well for one they are not even in the same boat.
One is Distortion and one is Overdrive.
One is Distortion and one is Overdrive.
T
TheSuckaHassler
New member
plastic toy apple vs. luscious juicy orange
Opinions are of course subjective, especially w/r/t to sound. But it has been empirically proven that Boss distortions are the worst thing you can do to a guitar. Soldano is limited though, they have one sound and they do it very well, but that sound and slight variations are about all you're gonna get.
Opinions are of course subjective, especially w/r/t to sound. But it has been empirically proven that Boss distortions are the worst thing you can do to a guitar. Soldano is limited though, they have one sound and they do it very well, but that sound and slight variations are about all you're gonna get.
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chris-from-ky
New member
So, which distortion or overdrive stomp box would you suggest??? I fear that POD and other digital modeler answers are coming my way but, if you can suggest a "real" tube pedal, that'd be nice.
Chris
Chris
Outlaws
New member
Are you using a tube amp?
If you are you might not want a tube pedal as too much tube is a very real thing.........things get noisey real quick.
There is nothing wrong with BOSS pedals. The BluesDriver is taunted by many as the best thing to happen to tube amps.
The MetalZone I do not have much experience with but I hear they are very versitile in styles other than metal. (I had one but sold it before learning to turn the gain below 5 o'clock
)
I have BuddaPhatman pedal which is a tube overdrive. Its works wonders if I have to play on a solidstate amp, or if I go direct. They are discontinued from what I know, but they used to sell for about half the price of the Soldano pedal. They also have the Zenman which is 25% more gain.
Tubeworks make some tube pedals but I have not used them before.
Electro-Harmonix makes a TubeZipper, but I haven't used it either. But my EH Polychorus is awsome. It just has one flaw.........if you use it live you better set it and forget it, because it POPs like no other when you stomp on the switch.
If you are you might not want a tube pedal as too much tube is a very real thing.........things get noisey real quick.
There is nothing wrong with BOSS pedals. The BluesDriver is taunted by many as the best thing to happen to tube amps.
The MetalZone I do not have much experience with but I hear they are very versitile in styles other than metal. (I had one but sold it before learning to turn the gain below 5 o'clock
)I have BuddaPhatman pedal which is a tube overdrive. Its works wonders if I have to play on a solidstate amp, or if I go direct. They are discontinued from what I know, but they used to sell for about half the price of the Soldano pedal. They also have the Zenman which is 25% more gain.
Tubeworks make some tube pedals but I have not used them before.
Electro-Harmonix makes a TubeZipper, but I haven't used it either. But my EH Polychorus is awsome. It just has one flaw.........if you use it live you better set it and forget it, because it POPs like no other when you stomp on the switch.
Outlaws
New member
My personal favorite pedal for solidstate and tube amps is the ProCo RAT.
Followed by the trendy BigMuff. (Silver, not the black made in Russia shit that broke on me)
Followed by the trendy BigMuff. (Silver, not the black made in Russia shit that broke on me)
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shredfit
New member
THE best tube pedal on the market is the Varidrive by SIB. It is a custom built pedal that can use almost ANY pre-amp tube they make.. I use a 12AX7 in mine. I really cannot say enough for this pedal...
Most pedals have about 1 or 2 sounds that are usable... The Varidrive has full tone control(treble/mid/bass) and 2 drive settings... You really cannot make the pedal sound like CRAP(just different) I've never seen this in a pedal before...
Also, the tube in the pedal is driven by 120v wall plug (NOT some cheesy 12v wall wart)
This is a BOUTIQUE pedal.. with that sort of price... The list is $400 but you can get them for about $280
" I don't work for SIB or even sell their product... just love that pedal "
Shred
Most pedals have about 1 or 2 sounds that are usable... The Varidrive has full tone control(treble/mid/bass) and 2 drive settings... You really cannot make the pedal sound like CRAP(just different) I've never seen this in a pedal before...
Also, the tube in the pedal is driven by 120v wall plug (NOT some cheesy 12v wall wart)
This is a BOUTIQUE pedal.. with that sort of price... The list is $400 but you can get them for about $280
" I don't work for SIB or even sell their product... just love that pedal "
Shred
Outlaws
New member
shredfit said:
Why would we think that, shred?
Unless maybe you are spamming?
C
chris-from-ky
New member
Yeah, I have a Fender Blues Junior. I bought it out of a desperate need to have a tube practice/recording amp. It doesn't get the kind of gain I'm looking for when it's controls are sitting on 10. That's why I want a tube overdrive/distortion pedal.
What about the Mesa Boogie V-1 Bottle Rocket? Anybody heard one before?
What about the Mesa Boogie V-1 Bottle Rocket? Anybody heard one before?
Outlaws
New member
chris-from-ky said:
That is a nice pedal but it is made for a solidstate amp. It will get too noisey to use.
I used to have a BluesJr. I loved that amp. I ran a Rat through it all the time.
C
chris-from-ky
New member
Let me get somethign straight...
When I use my MT-2 through a blues jr., I hear even harmonic distortion or odd harmonic?
And when I use a tube pedal, through a tube amp it'll be too noisy?
I want "true" tube distortion that also has a decent sound shaping capability.
Is a POD even or odd harmonic when modeling tube amps?
Chris
When I use my MT-2 through a blues jr., I hear even harmonic distortion or odd harmonic?
And when I use a tube pedal, through a tube amp it'll be too noisy?
I want "true" tube distortion that also has a decent sound shaping capability.
Is a POD even or odd harmonic when modeling tube amps?
Chris
K
Kryogh
New member
My own opinion...
I dont like pods. Ok, I didnt heard the new ones. Maybe interesting.
I'm 28, I play guitar for about 13 or 14 years, I'm not a kind of "I suck" but "I'm good" Joe Satriani, and I dont like Boss's stuff. Almost all they do, all they did. Also dont like Pod stuff. Maybe the new Line 6 are ok, didnt heard them yet. OF COURSE ALL these "preamps" are kind of cool, but, for me, a Vox amp, or some Rivera, or some Boogie amps are way better (TO ME!!)than all the -hey I'm cheap and I sound great- amps/preamps.
I personnaly own a stack witch I like, but if I could afford some other amps, I'll do.
Preamp: Digitech 2101 Artist. (kind of cool, way cool than a lot of preamp I saw in the studio since many years)
Amp: Rocktron Velocity 300 (bouarf..ya know..)
Cab: Called "Beckemer" but..not really. I know the guy who make the amps, and I asked him for a custom one, I got it. Donc ask me to exange this unit for a Marshall, or Peavey, or...ANYTHING. I wont
uh...what was the subject again...? oh! ok..what I want to say in fact is simply:
HEAR everything you want to buy. Dont be to impressed by Line 6. Try a lot of stuff you can afford. Try SansAmp!! The SansAmp Tech21 is a killer one!
ok i'll stop now...
see ya
Fred
I dont like pods. Ok, I didnt heard the new ones. Maybe interesting.
I'm 28, I play guitar for about 13 or 14 years, I'm not a kind of "I suck" but "I'm good" Joe Satriani, and I dont like Boss's stuff. Almost all they do, all they did. Also dont like Pod stuff. Maybe the new Line 6 are ok, didnt heard them yet. OF COURSE ALL these "preamps" are kind of cool, but, for me, a Vox amp, or some Rivera, or some Boogie amps are way better (TO ME!!)than all the -hey I'm cheap and I sound great- amps/preamps.
I personnaly own a stack witch I like, but if I could afford some other amps, I'll do.
Preamp: Digitech 2101 Artist. (kind of cool, way cool than a lot of preamp I saw in the studio since many years)
Amp: Rocktron Velocity 300 (bouarf..ya know..)
Cab: Called "Beckemer" but..not really. I know the guy who make the amps, and I asked him for a custom one, I got it. Donc ask me to exange this unit for a Marshall, or Peavey, or...ANYTHING. I wont
uh...what was the subject again...? oh! ok..what I want to say in fact is simply:
HEAR everything you want to buy. Dont be to impressed by Line 6. Try a lot of stuff you can afford. Try SansAmp!! The SansAmp Tech21 is a killer one!
ok i'll stop now...
see ya
Fred
Outlaws
New member
chris-from-ky said:
Even and odd are just stupid numbers that people who can't play use to cover up their sound. If it sounds good it is good.
Now as for wanting "true" tube distortion. Well then get a Boss BluesDriver and turn the output up with very little amounts of gain. That will send a Boosted clean signal to the amp causing the POWER TUBES to saturate (and the Preamp tubes). That is "true" tube distortion. But you must have the MasterVolume (powertubes) at 10 and the Volume/Gain (preamp tubes) at whatever is suitable for your clean tone.
The tube pedal is not inherently wrong in anyway, but tubes add noise (especially 12ax7) and to send a signal into a tube into another tube and into another tube gets messy. Like doubling up on Distortion pedals. Uncontrolable feedback.
Sound shaping? The volume and tone controls on your guitar are for that. If you want "TRUE" sound... (Trust me. You will have more than enough)
A Pod isn't even a real signal. Its digital so that doesn't count if you wan't "real" tube distortion.
Now for distortion pedals such as my Rat that I so dearly love....If you put that through a fully cracked tube amp of any sort, you can bust out a Marshall tone that NO ONE will be able to tell the difference. (people will now post a hundred responses about this or that [including Mesa is better than Marshall], but it is all just bullshit.
The only amp I have left is my SuperReverb (I had to sell the BluesJr. to pay some bills) But I run a BigMuff into it and I can get ALL the sweet sustain of Guns N Roses solos without even thinking I am playing out of a Fender. If fact when I talk to people about jamming and they have all these stupid heavy metal toys (funny looking guitars and stupid "hyperdrive distortion" things) they almost shun me. But my tone can blow them out of the fucking water and still bust out the sweetest country cleans imaginable. (which is something most amps lack. Country fan or not, the "shimmering" Fender is what all clean tube amps aspire too.)
All I guess I can say because peoples minds do not change easily is that if you can afford to, or if you have a creditcard, go to GuitarCenter and buy a couple pedals at once. Then return the ones you do not like. But make sure you take home a BluesDriver and a BigMuff. Especially the BigMuff. A ProCo Rat too if you are not looking for ever lasting sustain. (Of course I must admit that the BluesJr is not the cleanest amp around and infact has a much darker tone than other Fender tube amps)
Outlaws
New member
Just one more thought on "tone shaping"........
Check out the BigMuff's Tone control. You will understand what I mean when you do.
make sure it is a silver Big Muff if you do.
Check out the BigMuff's Tone control. You will understand what I mean when you do.
make sure it is a silver Big Muff if you do.
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shredfit
New member
Outlaws, I was NOT spamming in any way...
chris wanted a suggested "Real" tube pedal... he's seems to also want a lot of tone control... The Varidrive fits the bill... The ProCo Rat simply does not!
chris, If you like the suggested Rat pedal (a pedal WITHOUT a tube)... Fulltone make a pedal very similar to the Rat in distortion quality with much more eq capability!
It's called the Fulltone... Distortion Pro This pedal leaves the ProCo Rat in the dust! mainly because the components used inside are far superior...
That said, I still suggest checking out the Varidrive... it Rocks
Shred
chris wanted a suggested "Real" tube pedal... he's seems to also want a lot of tone control... The Varidrive fits the bill... The ProCo Rat simply does not!
chris, If you like the suggested Rat pedal (a pedal WITHOUT a tube)... Fulltone make a pedal very similar to the Rat in distortion quality with much more eq capability!
It's called the Fulltone... Distortion Pro This pedal leaves the ProCo Rat in the dust! mainly because the components used inside are far superior...
That said, I still suggest checking out the Varidrive... it Rocks
Shred
F
faderbug
.
Re: plastic toy apple vs. luscious juicy orange
are you kidding ? boss makes guitars ROCK!!! My OD/distortion gives me almost every distorted tone i want... all the rest is just personal preference.
emperically proven, in a lab or what ?!?!?
TheSuckaHassler said:
are you kidding ? boss makes guitars ROCK!!! My OD/distortion gives me almost every distorted tone i want... all the rest is just personal preference.
emperically proven, in a lab or what ?!?!?
Outlaws
New member
shredfit said:
First of all I was kidding so stop getting your panties in a bunch.
Second, Fulltone has a great reputation, I will give you that. But "real" tube distortion is a joke. The amp is already tube so no matter what you put into it (ixnay on Digital shit though) is going to sound amazing.
And third, if you even read the first post with the initial question you will see chris was asking about the Metal Zone. No tube in that one.
K
Kryogh
New member
Dude..have you ever tried something else?
S
shredfit
New member
Outlaws, if you think "real" tube distortion is a joke... I would suggest that you check out the Varidrive pedal. I've, quite literally tried everything out there... and this thing is hands down the winner in pure raw tube tone... it can also be used as a tube line signal driver to drive your tube amps tubes the the breaking point!(as you described earlier)
As far as added noise, this thing is very quiet(considering it has a tube in it)!
I run mine into a Marshall 100watt plexi(with the channel summing mod) I would describe the tone as a cross between a Soldano SLO and Bogner (where this tight low end is Bogner'ish and the singing crunch is very Soldano'ish)
As far as added noise, this thing is very quiet(considering it has a tube in it)!
I run mine into a Marshall 100watt plexi(with the channel summing mod) I would describe the tone as a cross between a Soldano SLO and Bogner (where this tight low end is Bogner'ish and the singing crunch is very Soldano'ish)
Outlaws
New member
My whole problem with people and the whole tube distortion thing is that a lot of people get this stuff confused. Sure a Marshall has preamp tubes that are distorting...but the "power" you hear is via the power tubes. A lot of people seem to want these tube pedals because they thing that they will produce a powerful tone. When all these pedals do is distort the signal. Hence "distortion". Distortion is noise and tubes are noisy. Overdrive is how you saturate the power tubes. That is another distinction that really gets me when it shouldn't but anyways......Tubes are not necessary to boost a signal. You can use them, but their is VERY little value in doing so unless the signal is going to a solidstate amp. But then who wants to overdrive a solidstate amp anyways. It sounds like shit. So a tube distortion pedal is good for SS amps because it warms it up a bit. But for a tube amp that is already warm there really is no benefit. Just more noise. I don't doubt that this pedal you are talking about has a lot of power. The Soldano does. You can put the Soldano infront of a tube amp, but the noise level increase in a major way. And to top things off, people think that solidstate pedals suck because they use them all their musical career starting with their beginners amp so they have a negative impression about them and when they get their tube amp and they want to steer clear of anything that had to do with their shitty sound in the beginning. I know I did.
So enough of that.
If you have the money, and I have not used it before mind you (but it is on my list of items I will purchase even if I do not get a chance to try before I buy), the Fulltone CleanBoost gets my pick for extravegant pedals. Otherwise a BossBluesDriver will do the trick.
For distortion I would go for the Rat or BigMuff. But if you have the cash, Fulltone makes some stuff that gets nothing but rave reviews. But I have never ever played anything Fulltone so that is for other people to offer up.
I will say if you want the Soldano to go for it.
So enough of that.
If you have the money, and I have not used it before mind you (but it is on my list of items I will purchase even if I do not get a chance to try before I buy), the Fulltone CleanBoost gets my pick for extravegant pedals. Otherwise a BossBluesDriver will do the trick.
For distortion I would go for the Rat or BigMuff. But if you have the cash, Fulltone makes some stuff that gets nothing but rave reviews. But I have never ever played anything Fulltone so that is for other people to offer up.
I will say if you want the Soldano to go for it.