Suggestions: OD/Dist Pedal Into a Clean JCM800

[RobB]

Need some suggestions, please.

My bandmate has his pedalboard going into a clean, loud JCM800. He uses a EB volume pedal and a Crunchbox (HA! Marshall into a Marshall, LOL!) to go between clean/dirty/in between. He does not play leads. Looking for a new overdrive that's a bit less "harsh."

Greg mentioned he got a great sound years ago with a BK Butler TubeDriver into a Marshall. He was thinking a TS9, but I thought that if he ever needed that "extra push over the cliff", he should consider an OD with a boost? FDII?

Not really looking for a saturated, "metal" rhythm tone, so raging input gain is not necessary.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[savethematches]

Vox Satchurator

[murkat]

Menatone

BJFE

[Hackubus]

Box of Rock. Killer Marshally OD with a 2nd boost stage.

[kenjones]

I played a JCM800 2203 half-stack for years. My favorite amp by far. I don't like to drag it around anymore so it stays at home while I take something more portable. I always played my JCM800 clean - preamp on about 9-11 AM, master volume set depending on venue. I usually kept the guitar volume controls set at about 6-7 to get a clean tone, and then would roll the volume up to 10 to get distorted. If I need more distortion on top of that my favorite has always been the VoodooLab Sparkledrive. I like that the Sparkledrive doesn't turn my overdrive sound into total mush.

The best thing about running the preamp at such a low volume is that the amp has tons of headroom. For example, I use a boost pedal for solos, such as a Fulltone Fat Boost or TC Electronics Booster + Line Driver & Distortion. If I use one of these boost pedals with a non-master Fender amp (Deluxe Reverb, for instance) it does get a little bit louder but really just gets more overdriven. When I use a boost pedal with the JCM800 it gets way, WAY louder without an appreciable difference in overdrive.

[gtone]

Tried a variety of Marshall-in-a-box type pedals and TS variants over the years and they all left me wanting. The MIB's all sounded harsh/strident/fizzy at some settings; the TS's seemed nasally, harsh or lacked tonal flexibility. The Greenhouse Effects Goldrive OD I have now is staying put - smooth, tonally versatile and I really can't get a bad sound of the damn thing thru any amp I've played it thru.

[bubs_42]

I'm drooling over this one. Played it a couple of times straight into a Class 5 and man did it sound good.

http://www.guitarcen...904-i1980889.gc

Demo

[Hamer95USA]

You might suggest to your friend to check out a 2 channel amp with good Fender clean tone and Marshall style crunch since that's what he's trying to get out of the amp that's basically a one trick pony amp. You can set up each channel for different tones and not have to use a volume pedal. I'm not a fan of the "keep the volume knob/pedal low on the guitar for cleans, turn up volume knob/pedal to 10 for crunch or solo" type of setup. If the amp can't make a good overdrive tone on its own, I'm looking for another amp. My main gigging amps are all high gain, channel switching via MIDI type of amps.

That being said, I'm a big fan of the MI Audio Crunch Box especially into blackface or silverface Fender amps used as a clean platform. I've recently got a Zoom G9.2tt on a trade and programmed my presets into it. I got my Crunch Box hooked up into the effects loop of my Zoom G9.2tt floor effects processor going into a Reverend Goblin combo amp as my grab and go guitar rig. That pedal makes my Goblin amp into 15 watts of kick ass high gain tone plus using the Zoom's overdrive or EQ to boost for leads with/without effects makes it an awesome distortion box for me. Far better sounding than any of the Zoom's distortion presets.

I also had the Analogman DS-1 Super mod distortion pedal which works well with a Marshall amp. Fat sounding pedal!

Guitar George

[RobB]

You might suggest to your friend to check out a 2 channel amp with good Fender clean tone and Marshall style crunch since that's what he's trying to get out of the amp that's basically a one trick pony amp. You can set up each channel for different tones and not have to use a volume pedal.

Well, THAT'S not going to happen, as the 800 sounds so good and he's got the volume pedal thing down pretty good. Going from that POS TSL2000, 3-channel monstrosity to the 800 was a godsend. So, it's not going anywhere...

I'll let him know about the DS-1. Thanks, George.

[Disturber]

An old Rat from 1986 or so, or earlier, set to: first knob (distortion) to quarter to twelve, second (filter) to quarter past twelve and third (volume) to quarter past twelve. Then adjust the drive knob according to taste.

Or go with a Fulldrive, (or an OCD I guess, never tried 'em though).

[gtone]

So many can get muddy or have a narrow "sweet spot" of settings. Tough to find a dirt pedal with good dynamics, flexible enough to go through gritty/sweet/smooth/saturation and back, excellent harmonics, so on and on. Gone thru about 25 of 'em since '77, so I must be fussy or sumpin....

[hardheartedbill]

Picked up the OCD last week. Yet to gig it but it can really do old school at home

[RobB]

Thanks, everybody, for the great suggestions. Greg is going with the mosfet FDII (I've encouraged him to try one out before purchasing).

Will report my findings later...

[Disturber]

That will be great for him. The Fulldrive will ad the extra edge. I have an old Fulldrive 1. I keep the drive almost on zero, and tone pretty high, as it is made to tame a bright marshall. Roll the tone down and it gets a little dark for my taste. If the amp is set to clean then he should get a great overdriven tone with the drive set on quarter to twelve to twelve-ish.

The FD is great for humbucker guitars into a Marshall. I usually go with my old Rat when I play the T62 strat.