OCD v. BB Preamp

[eudaimonia02912]

I have an OCD v.4, but I'm thinking of ditching it for a BB instead. Should I? Which do you prefer? (I also have a Tube Screamer.)

 

[LTE]

I've never used the OCD but I have a BB. It's very different from a tube screamer. I usually have the treble and bass controls on zero, and the gain and volume at about 11 oclock. I use it as a boost, and with no changes to the controls it perfectly fits to each channel. The BB hits pretty hard with it's own eq and really fattens up the mids, and when the volume is set under noon, compresses everything really nicely. It sounds great on the clean channel for light gain, dynamic tones, on the MkI mode for heavy rhythms, and especially on any ch. 3 mode, it instantly beefs up the tone and make it feel liquid.

 

[Scary]

I havn't tried an OCD, but I use a BB and it's fun. You can use it to smooth out the signal for leads, or just as a boost with a bit of hair. It's nice, totally unneccesary but still a good time.

 

[Heritage Softail]

I tried all the Xotic boosts. The BB is powerful, it can takeover tone or not... Ended up getting an AC Boost. It is just a matter of picking the right Xotic pedal.... or buying them all..

 

[Scary]

I tried all the Xotic boosts. The BB is powerful, it can takeover tone or not... Ended up getting an AC Boost. It is just a matter of picking the right Xotic pedal.... or buying them all..

I'd like to check one of these out. With a Mark V you don't really need any more gain. I didn't even need a boost really, Andy Timmon's sold me on the BB so I gave it a shot.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I have an OCD v.4, but I'm thinking of ditching it for a BB instead. Should I? Which do you prefer? (I also have a Tube Screamer.)

I have both, and for the most part I find the BB to be more musical. However, be warned that it's not a heavy OD pedal.

 

[eudaimonia02912]

I'm not really looking for more gain per se, except on channel 2 crunch mode, if I want to push it from a hard rock channel into metal territory. But I do sometimes like putting a boost in front (and even turning the gain down), to get a different sound or feel, or to get sustain.

 

[SteveO]

I'm not really looking for more gain per se, except on channel 2 crunch mode, if I want to push it from a hard rock channel into metal territory. But I do sometimes like putting a boost in front (and even turning the gain down), to get a different sound or feel, or to get sustain.

I'm kind of in the same area here. I have the gains on channels one and two set just under the point of breaking up, and kick in a boost to take them up a step from there when I want more hair. Channel three is just fine on it's own.

 

[DrummerChas]

I have the Fulltone OCD. I bought it when I still had 6L6's in my Mark V. With the 6L6's, the Fulltone was critical for getting Ch2 and Ch3 to come alive for me and it was always in use then. But ever since I switched tubes to the EL34's, I have had no need for the Fulltone. In fact, it has been sitting on a shelf since the switch. The Mark V has more than enough gain and "hair on demand" with the new tubes so the only reason I can see in keeping the pedal is just in case I need to switch back to 6L6's again. But I really don't see that happening any time soon so I will probably sell the OCD.

I never tried the BB, but the OCD was a great solution with the 6L6's in place.

 

[smd24fan]

I voted other, because I've owned both of them and they are both awesome! I would be happy with either.

 

[eudaimonia02912]

I recently got a Danelectro Transparent Overdrive V1 (the Timmy clone) in trade, and I love what it does to channel 3. I have it just barely on, with a touch of gain and no real volume boost, but it seems to add sizzle and harmonics to channel 3 without adding high end.

(By the way, I tried a Danelectro Transparent Overdrive V2, and it was garbage. Don't bother with that.)

For channel 2, my current favorite overdrive is a TS7 in hot mode. It can turn crunch mode from a hard rock sound to a Marshall metal sound.

My OCD now only gets use on occasion, when I need something to stack on top of a Strat with an Addrock Fuzz.