Pedal advice for subtle distortion......

  • Thread starter Thread starter ausrock
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ausrock

ausrock

Well-known member
We are looking for a pedal that is capable of giving only a hint of distortion..............just breaking a clean sound up a little bit.

The rig:..........

Marshall JCM900 100watt Head and Quad

Guitars: Mainly a LP Std but sometimes an SG, Strat or Tele.

Current pedals:.........

Ibanez '73 vintage Overdrive
Boss DS-1
Boss DS-2
Boss MT-2 Metal Zone

We need to keep the JCM's "A" channel clean but want a pedal that will give a subtle warm distortion when needed as none of our existing pedals can be tamed sufficiently.

Any suggestions welcomed.

:cool:
 
No worries, mate! :D

I have a Sparkle Drive from Voodoo Labs, which blends a TS-9-type overdrive with a clean boost, both individually adjustable...not incredibly expensive, simple to tweak and fairly versatile...for reviews, see:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Voodoo_Lab/Sparkle_Drive-01.html

Other relatively low-gain overdrive units that are popular and fairly expensive include the Fulldrive, the Klon Centaur, and the Barber Tone Pump.

Another option is to use a clean boost to push your amp into the edge of breakup, but with 100 watts, it would depend on the circuits in your amp, etc. I'm not familiar enough with Marshalls to help with that, but good (and expensive) clean boosts include the Fulltone Fat Boost and the Hot Chili CL-1 (don't know if they're still making that...I think their URL is www.tubester.com) The problem with boutique-type pedals is that they're usually not available to try out at your local guitar shop, and the "chemistry" between your amp and the pedal is usually a big factor.

Hope that helps...happy hunting!
 
Check out the Danelctro Daddy-O. It's doesn't have the bite of a tubescreamer, but it sounds really good.
 
The Grandaddy of OD pedals is the Ibanez TS-808. The first place I would start is with a Maxon 808. Go here.
Aramat Effects makes one called the Green Machine that I bought. It's a virtual homemade job with stick-on letters and spray paint finish, but it sounds very good. Very, very smooth. Go here.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
 
Subtle? The Mesa Boogie V-Twin and can be very subtle.. or not.. depending on which channel you use out of it. I run mine into a Marshall. Love it! A little pricey than a distortion pedal. It's basically a tube guitar pre-amp.
 
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