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Post by JChance on Nov 30, 2005 10:13:35 GMT -7
I know there are TONS of stomp boxes on the market these days.. And while I've either owned or tried a ton of them, I haven't had the time lately to check out some of the newer boo-teek type distortions boxes. This is what I'm after- I love my Keeley pedals with my Z amps. I use the BD-2 for pushed, broken sounds and the Keeley TS-9 for more saturated leads.
But I'm looking for more of a *distortion* for soaring leads. Kind of like the "commercial radio" sound. Along the lines of Dann Huff, Steve Lukather, EJ, Neal Schon, etc. Something with more saturation on tap than the Tubescreamer, but that's still warm and not buzzy.
Wondering what some of you kind folks have found success with when using your Z's.....
I'm curious if something like the Tonebone Classic British, the new Vox Bulldog, Bad Cat pedals, etc, will get me into the territory I'm looking for? Any experience with any of those pedals (or other suggestions!) are welcome-
JC
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Post by jzguitar on Nov 30, 2005 12:01:33 GMT -7
Hey
Have you tried stacking your BD2 and TS9? I've had really good luck running two OD's together. I used to run a Keeley BD2 into an AnalogMan Boss SD1 and it sounded really nice (replaced the Keeley with an AMan modded TS9 - also very nice). I just got my Timmy, so I'm experimenting with stacking it with my other OD's. Maybe the Zendrive of Mosferatu would do the trick, too (haven't tried them myself). Have fun!
jz
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Post by hdahs143 on Nov 30, 2005 12:22:42 GMT -7
I've found that kicking on my Keeley Compressor with the Fulldrive does exactly that. You get that singing sustain, and it kind of makes the distortion "velvety" By the way, I've been a Dann Huff fan since I heard the first "Giant" album. As a guitar player he is the best blend of taste and technique I've ever heard. An he's not too shabby as a producer ;D Good luck! Harold
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Post by JChance on Nov 30, 2005 13:51:24 GMT -7
jzguitar- As far as stacking the BD-2 and TS-9, that's what I usually do when I just need "more, more, more." But, while it's a great tone, it's still not quite the effect I'm after. It still sounds like overdrive, and not "distortion" if that makes sense... :-P Of course, the distortion I'm after is hard to define. One thing I can't handle is scooped, buzzy distortion. I'm looking for very distorted and saturated, but warm & mellow at the same time.
And yes, Dann Huff is awesome. Easily one of my favorites. I always kind of liked Keith Urban before, but I'm pretty sure Dann has a LOT to do with why Keith's tone and "stardom level" have increased over the last 2 or 3 years. His guitar tone is definitely a lot better since working with Dann....
JC
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Post by billyguitar on Nov 30, 2005 14:22:10 GMT -7
The Xotic BB preamp seems to really have a good cranked Marshall sound.
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Post by kruzty on Nov 30, 2005 14:29:59 GMT -7
I have a ToadWorks Mr. Ed ( www.virtualtoad.com/me/index.html) that might be what you are looking for. You can get a good range of distortions with the Brown knob. It also is very interactive with the guitar volume - if you roll off the volume the distortion decreases (you can get it almost totally clean) but the level doesn't drop too much.
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Post by Lefty on Nov 30, 2005 19:47:22 GMT -7
I would say the AM DS-1 PRO is the ticket. I've had the Tone Bone Classic, great pedal but seemed to miss something with the band. No to mention the size and walwart were a bit of a turn off.
The AM DS-1 Pro reminds me of the Old Van Halen tones. It's not scooped and buzzy like the stock version, and cleans up well with the volume knob. From the AM site...
DS-1/Super/Pro
The DS-1/Super mod takes the orange DS-1 distortion pedal, and gives it a professional makeover. The DS-1 can get a lot more distortion than a tube screamer type pedal (like the Yellow Boss SD-1) and make a Fender amp sound like a Marshall after our mods- very full, deep, and rich. The stock Boss DS-1 is fairly thin and buzzy sounding, with a loss in low end. After our mod, the pedal will be a bit louder with all knobs at 12:00, and a much thicker, fuller sound, with no high end tinny buzzing. Just a true distortion sound, a lot less like the sound you get out of a pedal.
Our DS-1/Super mod was designed by Ohbayashi San (CAMTAC) and fine-tuned by Analog Mike. It replaces many of the cheap components that Boss uses (in order to make the stock pedal a super deal for the price) with expensive, high grade audio parts. It does not use LEDs in place of the diodes, but a special NOS diode as used in our SILVER mods. We also re-equalized the pedal for a punchier sound without adding more distortion or noise. Our mod actually removes a ton of high frequency noise from the pedal! This mod has been outdone by the PRO mod below, so it's only done now if you have an older DS-1 that has the old style chip that we can't change.
DS-1/Pro
The DS-1/Pro mod is the same changes as the Super mod but it pulls out the stock inline chip, and replaces it with a JRC op-amp chip. This chip really improves the tone, giving it more warmth, clarity, and headroom. It's still a DS-1: more distortion, crunchier, and more low end than a tube screamer, and after the mod it sounds awesome even with the DIST knob down all the way. It does not have the midrange hump of a tube screamer. Most people will use them at high DIST settings, but they sound awesome at low DIST settings too. Play gently and get a clear, clean tone, play harder and the crunch and distortion comes out clear and full!
The PRO mod is only available on new style DS-1 pedals which have the power jack attached to the circuit board. The chips we use will not fit in the older Japanese or 1st issue Taiwan DS-1 pedals (on the right in the picture). The older version's chips are good sounding anyway, so they sound great with just our SUPER mod. If you have a newer DS-1, or are buying a new one from us, the PRO mod is the best choice for sound.
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Post by Curt on Nov 30, 2005 20:48:57 GMT -7
I stack the two keeley pedals also and I know what your lookin' for !! Lefty sounds like he's on to something there.... and G'OlPeachphan has been raving about a new dist pedal over on the ghia page...check that thread out or drop him a PM. Let us other Tele whackers know how this progresses !!
Curt
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Post by hollywood5150 on Nov 30, 2005 22:17:11 GMT -7
I have been looking for the same thing "J". I get real close with the OCD, but there is something there I can't explain, close but not quite. I have an AC and BB right now. I think these are two of the best tube screamer type pedals, but not close enough to the singing almost metal stuff. I want that Mesa Rectifier lead tone, and have to A/B the Nomad and Ghia to get it. If I can find the right pedal, I could sell my Boogie and get more "Z" toys.
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Post by jzguitar on Nov 30, 2005 22:35:16 GMT -7
I was checking out some clips of the Subdecay Blackstar pedal - sounds like it has a ton of gain without the fizzy highs or flabby lows. It's hard to tell with soundclips, but it seems to be a pretty cool high-gain pedal. The MI Audio Tube Zone clips sound nice, too. I have a Maxon SD9 with the AnalogMan mod - that's a really nice higher-gain pedal, too. The cool thing with a lot of these pedals is that if you don't like them, they are pretty easy to sell.
jz
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Post by LittleBlindShakey on Nov 30, 2005 23:01:36 GMT -7
J,
My 2 cents.
I find my OCD pedal set with low gain (approx 8:00) in front of my Analog Man TS-9 does the trick for me. I think it is because the OCD is on it's own a bit "crisp". But in front of the TS-9 or another pedal (like my Zendrive) it tends to provide a platform for the second pedal to excell at what it does with added distortion but clarity in the notes.
I happen to like the OCD but a few members have commented they do not. So, if you don't have one perhaps you can pick up one cheap on e-bay.
Good luck.
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