Favorite Distortion?

[TXOldRedRocker]

For hard clipping pedals, my two favorites are the DS-1, the standard, and the Suhr Riot.

The JHS PG14 is really cool. Runs in the both the worlds of soft clipping and hard clipping, or rides the fence using both. Plus, has controls for shaping the mids within the circuit.

 

[TheWelder]

Strat > Big Box RI RAT > Deluxe Reverb. I find I can cover a lot of bases with this simple setup.

RATs are pretty darn versitile for being such a simple circuit.

 

[frater106]

FWIW, I bought a REVV G3 blue a few months back but I have never bonded with it. The online reviews all sounded fantastic but I have not had the same results.

That's a bummer. I've actually been wanting one-but that price tag, though!!

 

[frater106]

I can imagine this sounded like ass. Yes, run it in front of a clean amp.

Or, better yet-edge of breakup.

 

[frater106]

Seems like there are two types of distortion/ overdrive pedals:
1) trying to emulate an amp e.g. Marshall sound, Tweed sound, Dumble, etc.
2) a distinctive “pedal” sound e.g. TS9, Rat, Klon

I love having both, so I use everything:
- Marshall Blues Breaker I
- Zen Drive Red
- Lovepedal High Power Tweed Twin
- EWS Fuzzy Drive
- Mooer Black Secret

But there’s something really great about being able to get natural overdrive / distortion from my Swart STR Tweed, Fender 65 DRRI, and Fender Tweed Champ and Champ II.

I actually grew up playing lap steel on a Champ II! I'm actually buying a Twin II on Nov. 1st, too.

 

[Nobby Mc Nobsworth]

Mesa V-1 bottle rocket if it has to be a pedal

 

[Neffco]

Suhr Riot, lovepedal vintage modern.

 

[NJDevil]

For years I mostly played clean except gigging with the TS9 for overdrive in gigs into my 60W Tech 21. Whenever I needed true distortion. the Tech 21 really did the trick.

Now I have a Roland Blues Cube Artist. There is gain but only breaks up the clean but switching back and forth with amps is not what I want to do for an upcoming recording project.

Just bought a RAT and love it. I don't drive it to fuzz territory but the overdrive is tight. Very versatile and will be a "go to" for many "hot" solos like both in Comfortably numb.

For heavy break up but not distortion, I'm using the J. Rockett Blue Note........chain it with the Vertex SSS at the gain dialed in and I get serious overdrive.

Currently looking at: OCD, Wampler options (Pinnacle, Hot Wired V2, Paisley), Bogner (La Grange, Ecstasy), Jackson Audio Golden Boy, Keeley D&M, and a few others.

Any like or have used either the Strymon Sunset or Compadre?

 

[Mustard Caps]

Pete Cornish G2
Butler 5 knob Tube Driver
Roger Mayer Metalloid

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

For hard clipping pedals, my two favorites are the DS-1, the standard, and the Suhr Riot.

The JHS PG14 is really cool. Runs in the both the worlds of soft clipping and hard clipping, or rides the fence using both. Plus, has controls for shaping the mids within the circuit.

Since this post I made a month ago, I've gotten a T-Rex Mud-Honey II. It's freakin' awesome.

Just for grins, I'm ordering an MXR Super Badass Distortion. It has a 3 band EQ in it. Inexpensive and appears quite flexible. We'll see.

 

[HRC]

Boss DS-1 for me.

 

[JMP]

Boss DS-1 for me.

I really like my DS-1. I find it sounds best fed into the front of an amp that is working hard.

 

[rich85]

For me the Rat into a Clean British style amp is just perfect. Especially gigging where you might not be able to turn your valve amp up to the volume where it really sounds good, just use a Rat pedal. Problem solved. So easy to dial in the same tone at any volume. Even a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, just keep the mids turned up. Perfect.

 

[st.bede]

During this time period, I have been using a Boss Angry Driver. It is a pretty fun pedal. I like being able to blend in the different circuits together. If I was doing music that called for more dirt, I think I could get some really cool things happening with that pedal. I was using Earthquaker Devices Plumes.. that was really good. I am always changing things up.

 

[Goodcleanfun]

The Monarch Pedals Sundog Mini is my fave. Handmade in Auckland, New Zealand. They say it's a setlist in a box and it's bang on. Gain from boost to chugs and a huge eq sweep. The knob called "intense" changes the whole feel as well, it's more lofi and raggedy all the way left and full steam ahead all the way right. It's a nice touch that I've not seen before.

 

[AJK1]

Friedman Smallbox! I have a Boss Katana that I use with its clean channel as a pedal platform and the Friedman is my main dirty sound. I get all the Plexi sounds I ever need with it. Then, to get variation, I boost it with Little Green Wonder and Ruby Red Booster from Mad Professor. The sounds are great.

Yep, I have a Smallbox too that I use with my Lesters, and I use a Waza Blues Driver with my Strats and Gretsch 6120 for a bit of grit
The Lesters through the Smallbox is fffing huge
It all goes into my Vox Ac15 Greenback with my 2x12 Greenback box as well
3x12 Greenbacks at Full Throtle is fully sick bro

 

[Brek]

mines still my waza craft blues driver. it just works for me. I've had a King Of Tone and replaced with a clone, but the blues driver just is the sound I prefer. I have a ton of pedals languishing in a box right now.

 

[THAWK819]

this one.

View attachment 557127

I second this one; it's a crazy versatile pedal.

 

[elephantrider]

it doesn't seem like that pedal took very well... maybe it did.

 

[bjorn218]

I’ve kind of always wanted a Distortion + after hearing that PJ Harvey used one.

Randy also used one to great effect.