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Post by kcatthedog on Aug 14, 2016 18:31:59 GMT -6
Hey, I am running an egnator tweaker ( does fender, vox and marshall: arguably  but recently got a fulltone OCD. I could trade it for the fulltone Philsoul which has two differetn types of distortion and sustain. I like classic sixties tones not looking for metal or shread . What are people's experiences with distortion pedals ? |
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Post by jazznoise on Aug 15, 2016 2:55:13 GMT -6
Classic 60's tones are pretty broad. That can be a dirty-ish amp with a treble booster, that can be Fuzz Face , Octavia or even Big Muff style fuzz.
Treble Boosters would be popular with blues-rock style artists. It's for making dark amps "cut".
Fuzz Face is that classic nasal fuzz loved by Hendrix and others, but it cleans up great. I recommend building or buying a clone, they're super cheap to make and a lot of them are rip offs.
Octavias are pure chaos. Check out the solo on Purple Rain for the clean octave they do, but something like I Wanna Be Yr Dog shows the weird magic of it as a rhythm tone. Again clone or maybe the EHX Octavio.
Big Muff's are ubiquitous. Gilmour to Kurt Cobain, it depends what you want the thing to do.
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Post by kcatthedog on Aug 15, 2016 4:19:35 GMT -6
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Post by jazznoise on Aug 15, 2016 7:25:12 GMT -6
Fuzz Face is a particularly easy build. I'd give you mine if you were near! Definitely install a bias trimpot, it gives a wide scope of tones. It's also best used before a buffer so you can do the volume-rolloff sparkly clean thing a la Jimi. Octavia is a great, easy build too. I love mine more than any other Octave Fuzz I've heard, but I did it when I was 18 and it's not mechanically reliable. Still, got me through the years when the next cheapest Octave fuzz was €100+! |
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Post by 79sg on Aug 15, 2016 9:19:30 GMT -6
The vast majority of the time I prefer to get distortion / overdrive from the amp, saying this, there are times when a pedal is necessary or can simply give a different tone. If you are after 60's tones then you may be searching for Marshall plexi / JTM45 type sound and there are way too many options to choose from or recommend (like recommending an entree at a restaurant). A Tone bender type pedal was used on Yardbirds albums, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, etc...... When I use a distortion / overdrive pedal the 2 most often put on my pedalboard are either a Whiteface Rat (lm308 chip) or an Effectrode Tube Drive (the most amp like drive pedal I've ever used). Lots of options which is clearly part of the fun. Finally, one can never have too many fuzz pedals, never.  |
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Post by Guitar on Oct 9, 2016 15:32:30 GMT -6
I think those vintage tones are more often about the amp and the guitar. But like others have said there's a lot of tones out there from that time period. OCD is a great place to start. I've got one on my pedalboard. There is also a spot for a Fuzz Face on my board (I have 6 or 7, I think), and a Big Muff variant. I also always keep a treble booster available, lately a Red Rooster clone. And the RAT will never not be on my board, currently I am rocking a Turbo Rat for those tones. It just has a little more balls than a stock rat.
Alternatives to the OCD that I like quite a bit might be the Boss OD-3, Reverend Drivetrain II, MXR GT-OD, Colorsound Overdriver, it does go on and on from here. I have more overdrive options than I know what to do with. OCD takes the OD spot on my board these days, though.
Back to my original point, I do play vintage-style and/or vintage guitars, and vintage tube amps, when I am going for those classic tones.
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Post by jazznoise on Oct 9, 2016 19:05:17 GMT -6
It depends on the tone! Distorting a set of flats sounds way different, for sure, but a Fuzz Face style tone with the bias offset for that gnarly pulsewidth type tone is just its own thing. You could play a piano or a sax into it and I'd tell you that it sounds like a fuzz face. Likewise the "Woman Tone" can be done by just about any guitar or amp so long as it drives well.
Incidentally, any Velvet Underground fan should definitely try using a set of flats, their neck pickup and a booster to smash the input to smithereens. That White Light/White Heat tone is amazing fun to play with.
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Post by kcatthedog on Oct 9, 2016 19:47:25 GMT -6
I have just stuck with the OCD and egnator for now. I switched back to electric a few months ago and am having fun exploring the different quality of electric vs acoustic for my songwriting and then tracking. A very different world as you all know |
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Post by stratboy on Oct 9, 2016 20:58:56 GMT -6
I have just stuck with the OCD and egnator for now. I switched back to electric a few months ago and am having fun exploring the different quality of electric vs acoustic for my songwriting and then tracking. A very different world as you all know I have a Tweaker. Very cool amp! Try a little tube rolling, and/or some different speakers to vary the tone even beyond where the Tweaker switches can take it. For distortion, the Tweaker takes pedals well. From the nearly infinite possibilities out there (seriously, for every cool pedal that came to market in the 70's, there are now at least 30 clones and an equal number of variations), I have, at the moment: Boss DS-1 - buzzy, but with the tone turned to full bass and in the right hands, oodles of screaming gain GFS Brownie - a Rat clone, had to change a resistor to get the Rat sound right, but smoother (not creamy) than the DS-1 Way Huge Fat Sandwich - lots of tone and gain control on this one, very capable of getting lots and lots of tones and adapting to amps Humida Zendrive - the best one yet, emulates a Dumble, just sings, closest I have gotten to Robbin Ford/Sonny Landreth territory. Like you, I'm not a shredder. The DS-1 kinda goes in that direction. One thing about the Zendrive that I find remarkable is the way each note of a chord rings out distinctly. No mush. That's pretty unique, in my opinion. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Oct 10, 2016 4:01:58 GMT -6
Cool, I have held off with tube rolling but what have been your faves ? If I was rolling tubes I think I would want a little creamier and a litle more sustain and euphonics: like mullard tubes ?
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Post by stratboy on Oct 10, 2016 21:48:55 GMT -6
Just like distortion pedals, I have found tubes to be a rabbit hole lined with money. Descend at your wallet's peril! To keep things simple, put some limits on it. Here are my suggestions: stick to one brand of tubes, for now. Avoid NOS, for now. Keep power and preamp swaps separate, for now. Later, when you have a better sense of what the heck is going on and you want to get thoroughly confused, read this thread from mylespaul.com. www.mylespaul.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233894With the stock power tubes in, try different 12AX7 variations in V1 to get a feel for what the various gain structures do to the sound. You can try at least four different architectures for the price of three tubes. Then, go ahead and swap as many power tubes as your budget permits. The Tweaker can take at least six different types, I think. Another nice thing about the Tweaker 15 is the SS rectifier. Again, it simplifies the problem, because you don't have to start diving into the highly opinionated discussion of which brand or type of rectifier tube delivers the best sag, etc., etc. i like JJ tubes as an all-around brand. Try Eurotubes or Tube Depot. They have both given me good service in the past. Let us know what you learn!! |
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but recently got a fulltone OCD. I could trade it for the fulltone Philsoul which has two differetn types of distortion and sustain.
