Why an OD Pedal??

[srf399]

I don't get it... could someone fill me in please. Why do guys... including guys like Andy Timmons, Joe Satriani, etc... use tube amps that get natural tube saturation overdrive... stick an OD pedal in front of these amps? Should I forget about channel 2 and just stick a tube screamer on fat clean? I mean what's with that?

 

[MrMason]

For me, personally, I like varying degrees of drive. You can roll off the volume to a point, but I need that extra kick sometimes. I don't HAVE to have an OD, and have gotten by without just fine, but it turns a 2 channel amp into a 3 or 4 channel amp to a point.

 

[NDRU]

I think that's it right there. There are different needs for gain, from low crunchy to high smooth solo type.

I use an OCD and it has a tone I just don't get from the dirty channel, and I love it. Also others that I may or may not use during the night.

I could do away with nearly every other type of pedal, but I like to have a couple types of gain available.

 

[Rocky]

I love using pedals. I tend to go through phases where I prefer amp gain over pedals....at other times I like using pedals.

You would be amazed at how many top session guys prefer pedal gain to amp gain (Tim Pierce, Michael Thompson, Allen Hinds and Michael Landau are the first 4 that come to mind)

I would put my Matchless with my Version 1 Fulltone OCD up against ANYONE'S amp gain.

 

[sbalderrama]

A clean boost on the front of an overdriven channel, even something like a Mark IV, will compress even more, add to the sustain, and make feedback easier.

 

[insideout]

I agree with all of the above. I keep channel 1 on fat clean but sparkling clean. Sound 2 is that with TS-9 which is a nice creamy sound. Sound 3 is fat clean with BD-2 full drive which is a nice crunch sound for rhythm and cleans up with volume knob. Sound 4 is fat clean with TS-9 and BD-2 together - this is a great driven blues tone for Hendrix type tone. Sound 5 is fluid drive alone which is a great high gain tone for classic rock tones. Sound 6 is fluid drive with TS-9 which just pushes the drive channel into a sweet smooth sustain. By adding 2 pedals, I have 6 tone options out of a 2 channel amp with fairly minimal tap dancing. If I'm ever rich enough I'll get a G System so I can put the stomps in the loops and assign them and amp channel to patches = 1 touch will give me any of the 6 tones plus fx. I do a little tap dancing now with the midi mate and G Major, but it's workable 8)

 

[sbalderrama]

I just bought a looper pedal that also switches channels from loop-master. I'll set it up with my Lonestar. Loop 1 will select the clean channel and will contain an Ibanez Tube King for heavy rhythm, and a BB Preamp for a marshally kinda crunch. Loop 2 will select channel 2 and contain a seymour duncan pickup booster clean boost. So, I can setup a rhythm tone on channel 1 and easily switch to a boosted lead tone on channel 2.

 

[jdurso]

I agree with all of the above. I keep channel 1 on fat clean but sparkling clean. Sound 2 is that with TS-9 which is a nice creamy sound. Sound 3 is fat clean with BD-2 full drive which is a nice crunch sound for rhythm and cleans up with volume knob. Sound 4 is fat clean with TS-9 and BD-2 together - this is a great driven blues tone for Hendrix type tone. Sound 5 is fluid drive alone which is a great high gain tone for classic rock tones. Sound 6 is fluid drive with TS-9 which just pushes the drive channel into a sweet smooth sustain. By adding 2 pedals, I have 6 tone options out of a 2 channel amp with fairly minimal tap dancing. If I'm ever rich enough I'll get a G System so I can put the stomps in the loops and assign them and amp channel to patches = 1 touch will give me any of the 6 tones plus fx. I do a little tap dancing now with the midi mate and G Major, but it's workable 8)

look into the rjm rg-16.... i just got one and its amazing especially with its buffered input.... you can get the demo'd ones from oasis music on ebay for 499

 

[GIG4FUN]

I'm in... I have not understood this ever. I think it is all about how you got started.....I have always used the amp.

 

[thunderkyss]

It just sounds different.

Some people like to limit themselves to "amp distortion" or "pedal distortion" other people use both.

Some of the best tones ever heard, came through a pedal. Satch, Jimi, Warren Haynes, Zakk Wylde, SRV, etc....

What I've never understood, is why are active pickups "acceptable" or at least more so than pedals...

 

[GIG4FUN]

It just sounds different.

Some people like to limit themselves to "amp distortion" or "pedal distortion" other people use both.

Some of the best tones ever heard, came through a pedal. Satch, Jimi, Warren Haynes, Zakk Wylde, SRV, etc....

What I've never understood, is why are active pickups "acceptable" or at least more so than pedals...

The term "limit themselves" is odd. I get what I need/want and it is without a pedal. So I would assume that a person just does what's needed and does what they think they need to do. haha At least using myself as a frame of reference.

 

[Don]

I much prefer to get my distortion from the amp. That's what I bought a Mesa/Boogie for.

I also use an overdrive and a fuzz pedal to get different sounds.

 

[Rocky]

It just sounds different.

Some people like to limit themselves to "amp distortion" or "pedal distortion" other people use both.

Some of the best tones ever heard, came through a pedal. Satch, Jimi, Warren Haynes, Zakk Wylde, SRV, etc....

What I've never understood, is why are active pickups "acceptable" or at least more so than pedals...

The term "limit themselves" is odd. I get what I need/want and it is without a pedal. So I would assume that a person just does what's needed and does what they think they need to do. haha At least using myself as a frame of reference.

"Limit themselves" is very accurate....if a peson is closed to the idea that a pedal can give a different sort of gain but a sort of gain that is equally good then they ARE limiting themselves to a unique type of gain that is vey useful and very versatile.

It is not about what is needed...it is about what is wanted. Some people want the sound of a pedal for drive rather than an amp. There IS a difference in sound.


It is like using roasted garlic or fresh garlic in a recipe.....both can work but a person may want to us one over the other for a certain dish.

 

[Gtr_Pkr]

I like the idea of having different options, or colors if you will. When I get around to recording original music, I want to have my guitars sound different on each song or multiple guitars sounding different in the same song. I will be able to have differences because of the amps and guitars, but if the songs are played live, I want to be able to cover the same ground and not have to lug all the equipment to a gig. Pedals will help me achieve the different tones.

That being said, when I play in the AC/DC tribute band, it's Gretsch into Marshall and nothing else!!

 

[jdurso]

It just sounds different.

Some people like to limit themselves to "amp distortion" or "pedal distortion" other people use both.

Some of the best tones ever heard, came through a pedal. Satch, Jimi, Warren Haynes, Zakk Wylde, SRV, etc....

What I've never understood, is why are active pickups "acceptable" or at least more so than pedals...

The term "limit themselves" is odd. I get what I need/want and it is without a pedal. So I would assume that a person just does what's needed and does what they think they need to do. haha At least using myself as a frame of reference.

"Limit themselves" is very accurate....if a peson is closed to the idea that a pedal can give a different sort of gain but a sort of gain that is equally good then they ARE limiting themselves to a unique type of gain that is vey useful and very versatile.

It is not about what is needed...it is about what is wanted. Some people want the sound of a pedal for drive rather than an amp. There IS a difference in sound.


It is like using roasted garlic or fresh garlic in a recipe.....both can work but a person may want to us one over the other for a certain dish.

thats it right there.... this was actually a mystery to me for a while and i think tis was more because of the style i was playing (rock/metal rhythm)... not until i started fiddling with leads and solos did i start yurning something more and that something more just happens to come from an OD pedal infront of my roadster..... the roadster does fine on just about anything but i like leads better with an od in front and it also gives me 8 sounds instead of just 4 so it opens up a lot of different tonal possibilities,.... now i can see where someone wouldnt wnat ti because i know a bunch of guys who like one channel amps that are really good at that one sound.... they'll clena up the sound by rolling off the volume and thats it... but fortunately for all these companies out there i dont work like that so i need more gera to get my sound

 

[jdurso]

just wanted to add a little more to this thread after the past 3 hours of bliss..... i waiting for the local GC to get in a fulltone ocd, but my buddy (who is the manager there) lent me the floors BBE green screamer until the ocd came in (which is weird because apparently they cant order them, fulltone just sends them when they're availible).... anyway plugged in the green screamer (gain is almost all the way off, volume is almost all the way up and the tone is at about 11 oclock) and threw on channel 3 on the roadster and basically played for 3 hours straight.... there was a little tweaking on the amp to do but overall it was just amazing for just about everything.... the settings above worked best for rhythm and for leads i would turn the gain up a little.... the best way to discribe it is the amp FELT more alive and sounded tighter.... the chunk was chunkier yet more defined ..... i had tried the OCD with a roadster when i was on the road for work but not until i got infront of my own setup and had a chance to really play did i see what the big deal was about..... i'm still this **** eating grin on my face everytime i think of the tone :lol:

also, i just got a hotplate and man i should have bought one a long long time ago.... i mean you cnat go down to bedroom levels but the fact that i can play now at a reasonable level with a huge cranked tone, with the OD now ontop of it is so great.... i owe this forum for getting me to this point because aside from the eq in the loop i would have never even considered an attenuator, an OD and ditching Monster cables :twisted:

 

[Kaz]

I'm wicked happy for you J. Abuse that Roadster!

How is the OCD for boosting leads? And I have a lead on a Green Screamer for 50 bucks...worth it?

 

[LEVEL4]

Yeah, I've always wondered about overdrive pedals myself. I've got such terrific distortion from any of my three Mesa heads, I never felt the need for one. But the even greater concern, is that there are so many to choose from! Try buying a few unsatisfactory, unreturnable boutique pedals, and you quickly could have just purchased a whole other amp instead!

So, I'm more gunshy, than "against" the concept of a pedal in front of my amp. I once got a Fab Metal pedal for free, and as lame as it is, it sure is FUN! (Not against effects either. I have a TC Electronic G•Major, but I have that inserted AFTER my mic preamps.) So, I'm quite sure there's something to be "gained" here. So, the OD pedals I seem to see most highly recommended are:

1. Fulltone OCD.
2. BB preamp.
3. Tubescreamer (which one???)

I really like how my LP Studio sounds in comparison to my DiMarzio-equipped HM Strat, straight into my amps, so I was going to pick up one of those Seymour Duncan pick-up boosters. It's supposed to just send a hotter pick-up signal to your amp, which I like.

Oh yeah . . . I'm only interested in metal, lead-channel kinda sounds. Don't need cleans or "blues-ey overdrive" sounds at all. I know, everyone has their biases, but any advice and further discusson is most welcome!

 

[Kaz]

Yeah, I've always wondered about overdrive pedals myself. I've got such terrific distortion from any of my three Mesa heads, I never felt the need for one. But the even greater concern, is that there are so many to choose from! Try buying a few unsatisfactory, unreturnable boutique pedals, and you quickly could have just purchased a whole other amp instead!

Oh yeah . . . I'm only interested in metal, lead-channel kinda sounds.

+1,000,000!! Agreed! I definitely want to know more about this sort of thing too, because wasting money on pedals = bad.

 

[primal]

I guess what I just find funny is people who talk that tube amps are the only way to go only to get a tube amp, put it on the clean channel and throw a solid state pedal in front of it.

To each his own I guess, but hopefully most can see the contradiction.

For me, I have used overdrive pedals for a slight additional tweak to an already overdriven channel.

However, so far I have tried a ts9 and an 808 and just did not like the way either colored my tone. For me it adds a harsh brightness and takes away from the creamy all tube rectifier sound.

I might try and OCD as many of you here who feel the same way as I do about the tube screamers seem to love the OCD.

That said I am very happy with the tone I get now, with just an EQ in the loop. But hey, we all like to tweak or we wouldn't be on this board!