Blues-Like Pedals

[CashWiley]

Yeah, that's how I set up the Fulldrive, I dial in the level so that the first stage adds no volume at all compared to the bypass. Then I juice a little on the boost, because that's where the sustain is (SG loves sustain), but I'd be happier if I could get the sweet spot of sustain without a volume boost, and control it all from the guitar. Still, makes a nice lead boost, I guess, just dial it back on the guitar for dirtier rhythms.

[bignick]

Buy an SD-1 super cheap (around $25-$30) and mod it to TS808 specs. A cheap way to get a boutique screamer.

[leftyguitarman]

Plus, i do want to have an ALL BOSS Pedal set

Have you used any other pedals?

[zero89]

I mean i do NOT wanto to have an all BOSS Pedal set

Big Typo

[leftyguitarman]

I was gonna say... Boss pedals aren't the greatest pedals out there.

[jaybee]

I was gonna say... Boss pedals aren't the greatest pedals out there.

well... maybe not, but I've learnt that paying 3 times or more for a " (semi-)boutique" pedal may be paying a lot more for just a little bit better tone...

I've had my SD-1 since 1983 or 1984 and in the mean time numerous "better" pedals have graced my pedalboard(s) only to be sold after a while, because after the initial "WOW"-experience, I always realised "hey I can do that with that old yellow pedal as well" ... "I might as well sell that one and use the money for something else..."

so OUT went T-Rex Alberta, T-Rex Mudhoney, T-Rex Dr Swamp (ok, I needed 2 pedals to replace that one), RAT, Maxon, TubeWorks,...
Fullertone, Radialbone and some others didn't even make it past the 'test it at rehearsal tonight and bring it back or come pay for it tomorrow'-phase (I got smarter with time, and was good friends with the music store owner)

and these are only the ones I remember in a hurry and there I was rummaging through the drawer to find back "old yellow"...

since I have my own music store, I tried out even more expensive toys, but none of them made it home with me...

I DO have
- a second SD-1 (just in case the old one dies on me)- bought used for €20
- a VoodooLab Sparkle Drive (because it has the 'clean boost' option)- bought used paid €35
- a TS808 (for the rare occasion I want a different "color") - bought used paid €25
and (don't laugh)
- a Behringer PB100 Preamp Booster (this is about the cheapest pedal I have, but it does a 'clean boost' without any problem) - bought new €23

all these together cost me probably almost as much as a Fulldrive, but if I put them all at once on my board I have more tone options than I could ever use during one gig

[zero89]

The thing with pedals is that you should be able to control specifically your own tone, and not be subjected to the predertermined tone of popular songs.

Pedals are supposed to give you your own tone, so they must be able to provide the specific tools to do so.

[thunda1216]

I got an Arion MTE-1 Tubulator several years ago from Musician's Friend for like 12 bucks. Great smooth low gain overdrive, I like it better than the tubescreamers and have never looked back!

ty

[brain21]

Personally I don't like the Boss Blues Driver pedal. Too brittle and not smooth enough for me. I could have played w/ a bad one though.

Here are some recomendations:

regular old pedals:
- The new Boss Fender tweed and blackface pedals - I was pleasantly surprised at the sound
- If you are going to go the Ibanez TS9 pedals, look at the Maxon versions of the same pedals. Those legendary old TS9 pedals were actually made by Maxon for Ibanez. You can get an Ibanez and have it modded to TS9 specs, or just buy the Maxon version and be done (not that the reissue TS9 is bad sounding before the mod at all). Actually, I would get a TS10 over the TS9. Same pedal, but the TS10 has more gain on tap if you need it. If you don't the sound is the same as the TS9. And Maxon makes a TS10 type pedal as well.
- Those Tech21 pedals modeled after specific amps are nice too
- Boss Turbo Overdrive pedal - get em used for like $20. They can provide low or high gain and retain the guitar's own charactaristics nicely (not as much as a TS9 but they are way cheaper on the used market)

Slightly more Boutique pedals:
- Find an old Bixonic Expandora. Great sounding pedal. Billy Gibbons uses 'em
- Voodoo labs Sparkle Drive. LIie the TS10, but more "refined" I think and more versatile. Smoother
- Used chandler/BK Butler tube driver, or an old Tube Works Blue Tube (if I remember the name correctly) basically the same pedal as the Tube Driver in a different and blue housing

Boutique pedals
- Fulltone MOSFET Fulldrive pedal
- Check out any of the Jetter overdrive pedals. To my ear they sound more Dumble-like that the Zen Drive stuff
- ZenDrive and ZenDrive2 - "Dumble amp in a box" aka "Robben Ford tone in a box" as used by Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, Michael Landau & more
- I hear good things about the Blackstone pedal.

[ricochet]

That Tubulator does sound way better than it has any right to by its price! I think I got mine for $10.95.

[BobHolland]

I really a bass player. But I play guitar at home for my own fun. I have Blues Driver, real harsh sounding to me. I picked up a Bad Monkey used for $25 at a local store. I like it. I also have a Dano Cool Cat Chorus that sound good to me. Other than that I use a Sadowsky Preamp Pedal when I play bass. It seems to really fatten up any bass I plug into it. I like it.
BOB

[sweetness]

I had a Boss Blues Driver and wasn't happy with it. It's all personal taste, of course.

Just got the Boss SD-1 for about $35, then got the Monte Allums GT1 mod for it (about $28), did the mod myself, and now have a really good pedal. It's very versatile and I highly recommend it.

Bob

[rossfloss]

Try the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive. Sounds really great. It has a clean boost knob and a gain knob along with tone and volume knobs too. You can mix and match the clean boost and gain knobs for different sounding overdrives. A very warm, full, bluesy overdrive. I've been a huge fan of it mainly because it does not have any harsh, trebley, modern sounding distortion tones that you hear in all that rock music.

[thunda1216]

- Boss Turbo Overdrive pedal - get em used for like $20. They can provide low or high gain and retain the guitar's own charactaristics nicely (not as much as a TS9 but they are way cheaper on the used market)

ditto on the Turbo Overdrive. I have the OD2-r (remote footswitchable between regular and turbo mode) and it has proved to be a versatile if generic pedal. If you could only take one pedal, then this would be my choice as it has two gain structures on tap and can do blues to rock or just volume boost.