OD with Boost VS Stacked OD's

[lilkuku]

I love some of the OD tones I get from an LP front humbucker (with treble bleed) and my OCD V3. However, when I switch to my bridge humbucker it can be glassy, so I'm looking for more OD on the switch. I have another OD pedal and was wondering about the different thoughts on stacking VS a good boutique OD pedal with a boost. Consider this without $ in mind. What will give me the best solo OD for the rhythm pup and the best "boost" of OD when switching to the bridge pup?

 

[Paulinator]

I love some of the OD tones I get from an LP front humbucker (with treble bleed) and my OCD V3. However, when I switch to my bridge humbucker it can be glassy, so I'm looking for more OD on the switch. I have another OD pedal and was wondering about the different thoughts on stacking VS a good boutique OD pedal with a boost. Consider this without $ in mind. What will give me the best solo OD for the rhythm pup and the best "boost" of OD when switching to the bridge pup?

I can only recommend based on what I own and I've had great results with the recent addition of a Way Huge Green Rhino in front of my OCD V6. It helps out in just the department(s) you're asking about (stacking as well as boosting), plus it compliments the OCD very well being that it's got more midrange than the OCD. The Green Rhino is TS808 based, but it's got two extra knobs for fine tuning, a 100Hz bass freq (+ or - 12dB) and an upper-mid freq curve knob. The WHGR is pretty transparent and cleans up nicely. Definitely on par with boutique OD pedals IMO.

So yeah, based on my limited experience (and starting threads almost exactly like this) can't go wrong with the Green Rhino!

P.S. - OCD + WHGR > Boutique OD w/ boost

 

[LesterNtele]

Stacking two separate drives is probably a better way to go because you can control the gain and the EQ section.
There are some ODs (with a boost) that add more dirt while some only add volume. They all will share the EQ section. That is unless they are completely separate units in one housing.
Also, you can simply roll back the tone knob on your bridge pup. If your tone gets muddy when rolling back you can try changing the tone capacitor between the vol & tone pots. I changed my Les Paul caps to NOS Vitamin Q caps and the tone is amazing-even when the tone is rolled back all the way.

 

[gibsonguitar1988]

I have three OD + Boost pedals. They are the Fulldrive II MOSFET, Tim, and the ZVex Box Of Rock. Right now the BOR is the last pedal (closest to the amp) on my fly board and I do use it's boost for all pedals before it including the BOR side as it's independent. The Fulldrive I prefer just the regular channel. The Tim I like the Boost on for the Tim itself.

I much prefer two sided overdrives with two separate overdrives. I have a few. Wampler Hot Wired, Analog Man King Of Tone, JHS State Line, and probably others I'm forgetting.

To me it's a great thing. Granted, you have to like the overdrives and it's even cooler when they aren't two of the same thing (JHS State Line is a perfect example) and two different circuits.

Of course two separate OD's works great too.

And then I have a separate volume boost at the end on my big board.

 

[lilkuku]

I have three OD + Boost pedals. They are the Fulldrive II MOSFET, Tim, and the ZVex Box Of Rock.

Those are three I've been looking at. If you could only have one of the three which would it be?

 

[gibsonguitar1988]

Those are three I've been looking at. If you could only have one of the three which would it be?

Oh boy tough question. I just started recently getting back into the Tim pedal it's very nice. That said the BOR has a lot more range of gain and a boost function that can boost ANY pedal, not just the OD side itself.

I'm going to go with Box Of Rock I think... Just for the independent boost and a bit more darker tone.

 

[Marshall & Moonshine]

OP, if Austin still has those 3 pedals on his board, they sing for their supper! If you've seen his boards (big or small), you know there's no room for loafers. He's our resident dirt pedal expert.
What kind of music do you play? What amp? Amp clean/dirty??
I'll vouch for the FD2 into a dirty Marshall, especially cranked into the power section. Tried it into a Fender and didn't like it as much. Plus it doesn't really grab you until you're playing loud with the band, then it won't let you go. It has good tones for low volume, but probably not the best available. It's not an "amp in a box", and if I recall, Austin said it was a decent TS in its "vintage" mode. I prefer it in "comp cut" because it really gives those 12ax7's a workout without changing the voice too much.

 

[Occultapus]

Given that whichever o/d or distortion pedal you put clostest to the amp is what you will be hearing the most of, any o/d or distortion you stack with it (by putting it in front) is reduced to little more than a boost in function anyway.

I would generally prefer to put some kind of clean boost infront of whatever my favourite o/d is at the time. Things like the Xotic EP and ZVEX SHO or Super Duper add a little pre-amp magic to the sound which I like. Lots of options out there on boosts and it's pretty hard to go wrong IMO.
In the past I've have had success with using a RAT as a boost; dialling in the distorion low and adding a large volume boost, eq to taste (love the EQ on the RAT). I think the eq is what makes it a great booster, it can really put some Zing in to your solo.

Have you considered using a Rangemaster type circuit in front of your o/d? They make great booster pedals too...

As for what overdrive or distortion to use, the sky is the limit. I won't recomend anything specific, but I'm currently interested in owning a Crowther Audio Hotcake and a Manlay Sounds The Sound. Might be worth a look-see for you.

 

[Marshall & Moonshine]

I run the Beano Boost into my FD2 and with mixing and matching, my dirt search is over. They really do stack well, plus I have:
Amp dirt
BB dirt
FD dirt
FD&Boost dirt
FD&BB dirt
FD, Boost&BB dirt.
Plus fuzz.
Add your guitar volume, espicially on the BB, and it's all I need, in the flavor I like it in.

 

[gibsonguitar1988]

OP, if Austin still has those 3 pedals on his board, they sing for their supper! If you've seen his boards (big or small), you know there's no room for loafers. He's our resident dirt pedal expert.
What kind of music do you play? What amp? Amp clean/dirty??
I'll vouch for the FD2 into a dirty Marshall, especially cranked into the power section. Tried it into a Fender and didn't like it as much. Plus it doesn't really grab you until you're playing loud with the band, then it won't let you go. It has good tones for low volume, but probably not the best available. It's not an "amp in a box", and if I recall, Austin said it was a decent TS in its "vintage" mode. I prefer it in "comp cut" because it really gives those 12ax7's a workout without changing the voice too much.

Thank you!!

Yes I love the Fulldrive for a TS vibe but with true bypass but I'm not crazy about the boost function. Maybe if it was more of a level boost or an independent boost it'd be different.

I'm stoked for the Fulldrive 3 which will be out hopefully soon. Mike Fuller said it will be voiced like the baby blue colored push/pull no switch FD2s non mosfet like in the 90s and it will have an INDEPENDENT clean boost. He said those two things (non mosfet and boost) were the biggest requests. It also will be in a smaller housing among other things.

When it hits the market I'll definitely get one.

 

[lilkuku]

Great info guys, thanks. Looking at BOR and Tim