Overdrive for my Dual Rectifier

[Platypus]

This is a two part question.

As it is now, I have to turn my gain all the way up and volume all the way down since I live in an apt and my neighbors hate my stack and I. I've been using a crappy old Boss bass overdrive pedal for the time being to get more sustain and chug out of my sound.

I am planning on buying a hotplate soon... so should I look for a guitar overdrive pedal or will the hotplate give me the sound I want once those power tubes are soaked?

Second part, if I still want more oomph from the amp what is the best overdrive pedal which is relatively cheap.

I've heard very good and very bad things about the Maxon OD808 though I'm pretty sure the TS9/808 is the best overdrive pedal. I just dont want to spend 195+ from analog man to get one. Is there something comparable if all I want is extra boost, I dont want it to color my amp or guitar tone at all, I just want a straight forward pickup booster so my pickups become red hot and I can pull off pinch harmonics and that sort of thing with ease.

I have a feeling that the hotplate might give me the sound I am after but I was hoping someone here has been in this situation and could suggest something for me.

 

[jargapix]

Maybe a ZW-OD 45...



JA

 

[fatboy135]

Maybe a proco RAT

 

[Red Barchetta]

My opinion is that the Hotplate will knock your socks off....I can't see an overdrive doing you much good, unless you have weak pickups and you're trying to slam the front end of your recto...


Hotplates let you get that power tube crunch we all die for.

If you already are planning on buying one, don't spend money on a pedal that may very well wind up on a shelf after you get your hotplate.


RB

 

[Hogan96]

what the hell are hotplates?

 

[Red Barchetta]

Hotplates are a "dummy load" device. Think of it as a big volume knob for your tube amp's speakers. Speaker out goes into the hotplate, then you plug the actual speakers into the output of the hotplate. There is an attenuator knob that you essentially turn down the volume of your speakers with. The hotplate is fooling your amp into thinking it is driving a regular speaker, but allowing you to attenuate the actual output volume.

This way, you can crank the hell out of your amp...turn it all the way up if you want, but turn the volume down to a more sane level....this enables you to have your POWER tubes overdrive...a really sweet musical overdrive...most amp overdrive you hear at low or medium volume is from the pre-amp tubes. Power tube saturation is by far more desireable...but without some way to tame the volume, most of us don't play large enough venues (or our landlord objects) to turn our amps to "11".

THD makes the hotplate. Go to http://www.thdelectronics.com/products/hotplate.htm for a much better explanation.


RB

 

[seanc]

Klon. i am waiting for mine. best pedal i have heard EVER!!!! big call yes but thats my opinion

 

[Platypus]

The hotplate is great but I still need my tubescreamer to get the 'super hot' sustain that allows me to connect notes, etc.

 

[Dersu Uzala]

That's my setup exactly. A Crybaby, TS9, Nomad and Hotplate. Sw-eee-eh-eet. Getting every sound in the book. I alslo use BBE 882 to process the sound sompetimes when I feel like listening to CD quality guitar rather than 'live' amp sound.