Pedals: How many ODs or: Am I overdoing it?

[Montelovesco]

This is my pedal board in its actual configuration (the final setup with velcro and stuff isn't done yet). I wonder: How many ODs/Distortions do you have on your board? I am counting five on mine - for a three channel amp. Means: Two more OD/Gain Channels. Too much?

[bubs_42]

Hard to choose just one or two isn't it.

[Bobby Marshall]

Between channels with gain and pedals, three total should be enough, maybe a fourth as a boost.

Mind you this is just for show/rehearsal. For home/studio, just have fun

Also some pedals "stack" so if you use pedals that can add another "level" of grit. Three pedals could offer six different sounds if they all "work" but I doubt anyone needs that many degrees of dirt for live performance. Using your volume control on your guitar can also change the behavior of the pedals, pick attack, wah, you get the idea.

Rant over.

[carfish7]

[Montelovesco]

@carfish7: I knew you would understand... :-)

[Montelovesco]

Between channels with gain and pedals, three total should be enough, maybe a fourth as a boost.

Mind you this is just for show/rehearsal. For home/studio, just have fun

Also some pedals "stack" so if you use pedals that can add another "level" of grit. Three pedals could offer six different sounds if they all "work" but I doubt anyone needs that many degrees of dirt for live performance. Using your volume control on your guitar can also change the behavior of the pedals, pick attack, wah, you get the idea.

Rant over.

It is just a year now that I am getting into single pedals (got rid of my zoom multi fx), actually because of one pedal I got from here. I am still amazed how different different guitars make the pedals react. I mean, I know: Different woods, different PUs, but anyway. Sometimes the difference between the guitars is bigger with than without pedals. So I am still playing around.

For gigging? I don't know. The darn thing is getting far too heavy so I will have to sort things out just because of my back...

[zorrow]

When I was playing just metal, I was relying on a Digitech RP250 and a treble booster for gigging. Had just two custom tones: clean and dirty, with the treble booster off for rhythm and on for leads. The expression pedal of the RP250 was configured as a whammy, just down to two octaves -and no up. This was enough to cover all the tonal ground our band needed in a live situation.

On the other hand, when I began playing in my current (not metal at all) band, I needed more "snap" in the rhythm dept. The tones produced by the RP250 plainly sucked.

After some experimentation, I've ended using just one overdrive, one treble booster and a wah. The amp (which in my case is a Tech21 Liverpool pedal plugged into a Tech21 Power Engine 60) provides enough brilliance and attack to play my rhythmic stuff, often peppered with the wah.

For soloing I engage either the overdrive or the treble booster -the former to cover the rocking solos; the later to sound more rock'n'roll, funky or reggae.

This gear, plus a single-coil equipped guitar (my vintage German-made Hoyer 5069, with its vintage, non-potted, low output singles) is enough to do my current job.

The downside is that if that guitar ever smells more gain than what she likes, she will feedback like a banshee -I tried engaging both the treble booster and the overdrive, and there's no way that will work with her without causing a total "microphonic mayhem".

[LordsoftheJungle]

Three...

one fuzz

one overdrive

one specialty- like a Plexi pedal, Vox pedal, Metal pedal,,, of course this last selection can turn into several selections rather easily!

[pfxc]

Love the Formula #5

[bubs_42]

Three...

one fuzz

one overdrive

one specialty- like a Plexi pedal, Vox pedal, Metal pedal,,, of course this last selection can turn into several selections rather easily!

Totally agree. I run a TS Style Pedal, a fuzzy OD, a lead boost of some sort. I auditioning the TC Spark Booster and the TC Mojo Mojo which is kind of a Plexi Style. The Mojo sounds killer in the chunky fat kinda way but gets a little to squishy in the bottom end single notes.

I miss my Way Huge line up. Pork Loin into the Green Rhino, into the Red Llama . The Red Llama and the Green Rhino together is the Camel Toe Pedal by George T. It was mention that Mike Campbell is in talks to produce the Campbell Toe based on this pedal.

[gtone]

Personally, I never had any luck stacking OD's, as things start to get sludgy or muddy sounding pretty quick. A boost (especially a treble boost type pedal) with an OD or a fuzz or a clean boost with a distortion pedal, on the other hand can be the cat's nads.

[Bobby Marshall]

The catalinbreads get along with each other fairly well and stack nicely. That formula 5 should make a nice foundation pedal to go with any other pedals if my SFT is any indication.

[Disturber]

I use a Fulldrive 1 that I step on for solos. And a Fulltone Catalyst for when I need fuzz. Other than that it's all natural Marshall tube gain. What more do you need...?

[dragan]

Whatever works

[veatch]

If it sounds good, it is good.

I set the gain on the amp to be on the edge of OD, so light playing, or rolling down the volume stays fairly clean, and digging in a bit gives me some crunch. Timmy for clean boost gets my into creamy goodness (and gets me the volume to cut through a little better for solos). A Fulltone and a Barber for distortion (not at the same time, though, just different colors of cool), and an old MXR EQ for color. Have an echoplex pre in there as well, but it is more color than gain.

Overall, a whole lotta choices for gain. Most combinations work except for the Barber and the Fulltone together.

[rj2858]

I don't know what everything is that you've got there, but I see no;

Ethos Overdrive

Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret

OKKO Diablo

Mad Professor 1

ProCo Rat

Looks like you've got some work to do to me, Mister! (not suggesting you need all of these, but none?)

[hamerhead]

I stack 2 OCDs (never did that before) and it works really well. Slight breakup with the first, nice creamy sustain with the second, and an EP Boost to let you hear it.

Keeping it simple for playing out is good, but at home go nuts. That's why we do it, right?

[cloakerz]

2 maxon od808's stacked and a zvex box of rock. seems to work for me.

[Montelovesco]

I threw that Ultimate (Art of 59) out - anyone interested? - and now I am good and on my way to 'my' sounds. At least for now. BTW, stacking works with the RD and the Catalinbread or the Mad Prof quite well.

[The Shark]

Any pedal you like along with a Klon is just better.....

[Jakeboy]

I just crank my amps into distortion....occasionally use a treble booster and lately a Pigtronix disnortion for OD and fuzz....rarely do I step on them though. I like it straight in and nasty.......

[jaberwock]

I like it straight in and nasty.......

Got to agree with that, nothing quite as satisfying, and complex as a good amp when it starts to get angry; but for gigs with volume constraints the Wampler paisley drive, and pinnacle do an amazing job of emulating just that.

I spot a Mad Professor Snow white auto wah, one of my favourite pedals, outrageously expensive for the hand wired version though !!

Jaberwock

[tommy p]

Tube distortion only for me - no pedals.