Best £100-ish high-gain pedal.

[sambo]

Right chaps, my tone is currently better than ever with Martamp + Sig. LP w/Black Dog. But I've got a bit of cash at the moment and really want something to push the Plexi into the (even) higher gain territory that it can't quite stretch to. (Also a pedal that will help get a more usable tone at bedroom levels as it's flippin' loud as you can imagine!).

Currently considering:

-BB Preamp
-Box of Rock
-Crunch Box
-Blackstar pedals
-Fulltone OCD

Budget is around the £100+ mark (willing to save a bit longer if it's worth it)!

Crunch Box seems like a good option as it's the cheapest and has more gain than a couple of the others. Having said that the BB is also tempting as Andy Timmons uses one and I'm currently going through a serious Andy Timmons love-fest at the moment!

What do you reckon?

[mikeluke]

Sambo

Might not fit the bill (and even be a dumb response) but....

Have you thought of trying a Mark 1 Marshall Guv'nor?

Mike

[Gooby]

I reckon the Xotic effects BB Preamp is well worth considering.

Bit expensive in the UK but if you imported one from America it would be cheaper, crazy I know but we always get stuffed like mugs.

But to be honest there is not a duff box in that list in my opinion and its down to personal taste

Martin

[mikey5]

Nah Get a Vox Cooltron Bulldog its a tube pedal and it makes your SS amp sound warmer or if you have a Tube Amp Like a Plexi it kicks its ass way over the top if you set the gain high. It cleans up with the volume knob as well which is a nifty feature. It also has two channels that you can set differently for Lead and rhythm or both for rhythm or whatever. I was listening to all of those, and some other ones Like Fulltone OCD and the BB xotic, and none of them really kicked ass except the fulltone was ok, but there is better. Go on YOutube, and the Bulldog sounds great there, and everyone knows that the sound services of youtube suck.

[Twinfan]

Having tried or owned all of those pedals, I don't think they're quite what you want.  They're more suited to clean or lighly crunchy amps.

As you have a master volume to control overall output I think you need something that's quite tight sounding, so the high gain tone doesn't get flabby, which can boost the signal a bit to push the pre-amp.  I would suggest:

Phil Hilbourne Fat Boost
Rothwell F1 Booster
ZVex Super Hard On
etc

I use the Hilbourne boost with my M45/100 for home practice to get Holy Diver/Crazy Train style tones.  It works very well and is very flexible with internal dip switches to alter the character of the pedal.

As a really cheap option, the Electro-Harmonix LPB Nano (Linear Power Boost) is very, very good for about £30!

[Gizmo]

I was sent both the Blackstar dual and crunch box by a company to try as i couldnt decide and they let me post back the one i liked the least. I only had to play them for a minute side by side to hear the difference. Its not fair in a way cos the Blackstar is much more expensive but imho its a lot better. Sounds more natural and has a variety of sounds not just a jcm800 type one tone.

The other 3 pedals are all really great. The BB and OCD will give you more sustain and i think more what your after vs the the Box of Rock. The BOR is great with a clean marshall and will give 70's rock sound to a T. However, I dont think its going to add alot more gain. I havent heard the BOR in person but only from clips on this forum and youtube.

I'm really into Andy Timmons atm aswell so if i had some cash id def compare the BB to my Blackstar.

[TwilightOdyssey]

I think you might wanna look at the new Ibanez Jemini.

[sambo]

Thanks for the advice so far guys.

Mikeluke: I hadn't considered one at all no. I remember trying a MKII (I think) Marshall pedal, which I wasn't too keen on but I've never come across or looked at a Mark I Guv'nor. Would you recommend it?

Gizmo what you said about the Box of Rock matched exactly what I had thought from various sound clips. Don't think that's really what I'm after.


Dave- very interesting! I'll google the 3 you mention in a sec. How much more gain will they actually provide though?

EDIT: TO- googling as we speak, thanks. :)

[Stevepage]

the good ol' Maxon 808.

Vox Satchurator

[mikeluke]

Well, I am biased because I have one....

You will find them quite often on the Evil Bay - if you are lucky you'll get one for under £45 and if you hate it you'll get your money back on it.

Early Mark 1s were made in England - like rocking horse doo-doo now - and then in Korea. The Mark 2s are nowhere close.

If it is good enough for Gary Moore then maybe worth a try?

[Twinfan]

Korean and English ones sound the same to me - I have one of each of course  ;)

Great pedals the Guv'nors, and worth a try?

[sambo]

^Googled that Phil Hilborne boost; looks extremely interesting and possible exactly what I'm looking for.

Trouble is I can't find any examples of what it SOUNDS like. :? And nowhere that stocks them except his website.

Mikeluke- the Guv'Nor is now officially on the "look out for" list, cheers.

[Twinfan]

There's a Hilbourne at my place if you bob round  ;)

[sambo]

Maybe if you move a few hundred miles to the South-East!!! :lol:

[mikeluke]

Sambo - where are you in the South East?

btw - there is a nice Mark 1 on Evil Bay at the moment

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MARSHALL-THE-GUVNOR-ORIGINAL-DISTORTION-PEDAL_W0QQitemZ170261557327QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170261557327&_trkparms=72%3A12|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14