OD/Distortion Pedals For Drive Channel

[MrBump]

I'm retiring my Visual Sound Route 808, which is a brilliant TS style pedal, but has developed an annoying hum...

So I'm thinking about what else I should get - whether to get another TS style pedal, or something else. 

My issue is that it has to work with the red channel of my Egnater Renegade; TS style pedals work fine, by Juan Solo Klone also is great.  But my Crunch Box is variable; it can sound really good, but takes on weird and unpleasant overtones when using the neck pick up of my strat.

I'm wondering if that's just the nature of higher gain distortion pedals going into modern high gain channels?

[Andrew W]

I've only ever heard good things about AmpTweaker pedals though I don't own any myself:

http://www.andertons.co.uk/compact-pedals/pid37784/cid692/amptweaker-tight-drive-pedal.asp

Might be worth a demo?

[Dave Sloven]

I'm wondering if that's just the nature of higher gain distortion pedals going into modern high gain channels?

My experience with the Peavey 5150/6505 series is that doing that makes them squeal like a pig.  Best off using those pedals through the clean channel.

[MrBump]

I'm wondering if that's just the nature of higher gain distortion pedals going into modern high gain channels?

My experience with the Peavey 5150/6505 series is that doing that makes them squeal like a pig.  Best off using those pedals through the clean channel.

Yeah - I'm thinking of more convenient live switching though.

My main guitar is currently a Strat, so fairly low levels of drive into the amp.  "Clean" is mostly through my Klone, and I've been getting crunchier tones either by ramping up the gain on the Klone or kicking in a TS pedal.  Solo volume boost through the second master volume on the amp.

Now I'm playing with getting the solo boost through the drive channel of the Egnater - certainly while using the Klone I can get awesome effects.  But ramping up the gain too much on that pedal (especially into a gainier channel) creates a lot of noise.

Hence, I'm looking at something that can provide more gain with less noise, but that won't be scared of the Egnaters red channel, if that makes sense...

[PK]

I use both a MXR GT-OD and a Lovepedal Kalamazoo.
Both are very different, but awesome pedals and work great with the drive channel of my budda superdrive.
The kalamzoo works a little better, I think, with my Strat. And I think the GT-OD works a little better with my PRS.

[MrBump]

Cool - the MXR GT-OD looks awesome and I suspect will do what I want.

[PK]

and the fun is, that with a bit of tinkering, you get the zakk wylde overdrive for free................
(there is an internal switch, probably to make production cheaper)

[JimmyMoorby]

I can't recommend my CMAT MODS Signa Drive enough.  Tried lots and lots of other things and for my tastes nothing comes close.
It is a tubescreamer type pedal.  As a booster with a 'smudge' of overdrive it works well with all the overdrive channels on my 5150 iii even with the gain maxed out.

[Lucas]

what about Maxon OD808?

[Dave Sloven]

Personally I prefer the Custom Badass Modified O.D. to the GT-OD. I also preferred it to a Maxon OD-9, which I ended up selling

[MrBump]

Just to update, I got the MXR GT-OD, and it's great.  Just this morning flipped it to the Zakk overdrive - not sure I can tell much difference at the moment, maybe a little more bass.  But I'll have a rehearsal with it tonight so I should know more soon.

[PK]

Nice!!
The thing I noticed when switching to the ZW mode is that it seems to have a little less gain.

[p4vl]

Seymour Duncan 805 is very nice.  Basically a variation on a TS808 with a 3-band EQ.  I love it. 

[CommonCourtesy]

I have a 6505+ which I use on the red channel with an Ibanez TS9 tubescreamer. Works great and you get a tighter punchier tone.

At first I had the gain way too high on the amp, it was on 6 pre-gain which made my sound mushy and I got loads of feedback squealing as a result. Also didn't help I wasn't using my ISP decimator properly by running it in the FX loop solely to combat the noise of the amp, with nothing controlling the tubescreamer.

Since then I had the amp head modded so the lead channel is silent, no hum and no need for a gate in the loop. I now run the TS9 in the loop of the ISP meaning any noise is cut out. I have the pre-gain on the amp on 3.5/4 and turn the drive to zero on the pedal. No more feedback, no noise and a great chugging sound!

[fdesalvo]

You need the SL Drive.  Sounds amazing into every amp I've run it through.