The Watering Hole

What do you have?  What do you use?  How does it sound? Even if it's your favorite, is there something it could do better for you?  What else have you tried, and why did you keep it or sell it?  

And, how do you use the ones you use?  OD's with your clean channel for your gain?  OD's with clean and OD channel to push the channel further?  Solo boosts?  All the above?  

I use a yellow one. It sounds the best. That's why I use it. It being yellow is just a bonus. I've tried a green one and a black one and even a newer shinier yellow one. Always go back to my trusty old scraped up yellow one.



Sounds best going into amps with gold brushed metal faceplates. It's weird like that.

Naming names my old Boss SD-1 sounds best going into the low input of a JCM 800.

How I set it up comes from playing live long long ago. Ya set the amp's gain to where you can get a half decent clean sound with the pedal off and your guitar's volume backed off some. Set the pedal's level to match up clean and dirt boxed levels(maybe a boost, maybe not, whatever). Drive gets tweaked to the song or syle but usually up there past 12 o'clock. Tone gets tweaked too but probably not as often, typically keep it under 12 0'clock. Crank amp just passed the "it's too loud" level.

DreamTheaterRules — Aug 22, 2008What do you have?  What do you use?  How does it sound? Even if it's your favorite, is there something it could do better for you?  What else have you tried, and why did you keep it or sell it?  

And, how do you use the ones you use?  OD's with your clean channel for your gain?  OD's with clean and OD channel to push the channel further?  Solo boosts?  All the above?  

For dirt.....I have 3 pedals all used for different things.

I have all Fulltone shit.  Fat Boost II, MOSFET Fulldrive II, OCD.  (also that's the order they are in on the board)

I only ever run the OCD into the clean channel under NORMAL conditions.  There are times when fishing for sounds that I would use it with a LOW LOW LOW gain setting and the volume cranked into the dirt channel.  But that's RARE.  

I use the OCD for A LOT of tones.  It is very versatile and just breaking up to heavy distortion....and everything in between.  How I use it really depends on what I am going for.  More often than not I use it on the LOW gain setting because I find that's it's a really smooth distortion and I get a good buttery sound that way.  I'd say the OCD is my main rhythm dirt sound.

Fulltone Fulldrive II......my desert island dirt box.  I use this in a plethora of ways but here are a few main ones:
1.  In Tube Screamer mode......to feed the OCD as a booster pedal.
2.  Comp Cut....when I want LOUD clean and boost to dirty it up JUST a hair.
3.  FM.....I use this mainly for the Strat Rhythm sound.  I just think this setting owns for a good strat sound.  Again I favor just breaking up tones on this cause I still want that snap and clarity in the Strat sound.
4.  Vintage mode to feed the dirt channel on my amp for a lead tone.

Fat Boost II
This pedal is somewhat of an enigma.  I can't say I use it all the time.  BUt it certainly has it's uses.  It's fairly versatile too but it's a REAL subtle pedal.  You have to take time to get to know this one I think.  The other two you just turn on and go....but this one requires some thought.  
1.  I use it as a clean volume booster to fatten up the tone.  
2.  I use it to feed the OCD as a booster.....it's a bit different flavor than when I use the FDII.  
3.  As a dirt box all by itself.  When I want that small ass Fender Champ sound.
4.  To take the COMP CUT mode on the FDII and and a bit of dirt with out killing yaks with the boost on the FDII

At some point I have played nearly everything I think ... way too many remember.  Which are my favorites depends on the amp and what I am trying to get it to do.  If it is the pedal tone I am after ...

Java Boost
Twin Tube Channel 1.
Bad Monkey.
Fuzz Head.

If it is pushing the amp ...
Java Boost (general Favorite)
Fuzz Head
Bad Monkey
OD3
SD1
BD2
Old Daddy O can work in some cases
Others that have been good I have tried ...
TS9
TS808
Direct Drive
Silver Kiss
Copperhead (Mojo Hand)
Skreddy Screw Driver (I would like to get one of these)


Java Boost, Bad Monkey, Fuzz Head and Twin Tube get the most work here by far.

1. TS-808 clone ( 2 )
2. BSIAB
3. Marshall Blues breaker clone ( 2 )
4. Boss Blues Driver
5. Boss Distortion
6. Boss Metal Zone
7. ProCo Rat Distortion
8. MXR Distortion +
9. Muff Fuzz
10. Highway 89
11. May Queen Boost

I usually use my Boss Blues Driver with the Blues Breaker and the TS-808
Blues Driver for clean fat tone , Bluesbreaker for some extra oomph and the TS-808 for lead boost.

When I play metal , I use my Boss Distortion for the mellow stuff and the Metal Zone for that kick-in-your-face thrash/death metal.

If I could keep only 1 pedal , I'd go for the Marshall Blues Breaker clone. Great pedal. Built 4 of 'em now.
Just finished one for my buddy. He wanted a 4558 instead of a TL072.

The Rat distortion and the MXR Distortion aren't used.
Just got them for free from two buddies of mine.

Also have a Queen booster that sounds kinda distorted. Don't use that one , might modify it at some point.
Built a Muff Fuzz also but haven't used that one yet.

Then there's the Highway 89 . Cool pedal but not useful for me.
Will be sold in the next few weeks.

Sam, whose Blues Breaker clone are you building?  GGG?  

If we add Fuzz used as Fuzz and Distortion that is a bit of a different list for me.

look up...

;)

I know, I read it.  I was just going off Clad's list which had a number of pedals that would not really typically be OD was all but appeared before the title mod.  Now that it has a bit of a tweak to it I would say for me the more gainy stuff would include ...

Twin Tube Classic
Top Fuel
Huckleberry Fuzz
Little Big Muff Fuzz

In this area stacking becomes very helpful for me.  The Java Boost is nearly always on, and hotting one of the list - or using the Fuzz Head after the Java Boost into the Top Fuel is very nice for somethings.  A TS style pedal like a SD1 or Bad Monkey into the Little Big Muff are really nice as well.

9 times out of 10:





time 10 (I couldn't find my backpack on the day of a gig):

DreamTheaterRules — Aug 24, 2008Sam, whose Blues Breaker clone are you building?  GGG?  

Yep , these are the bluesbreakers I built. A total of 4 now.
Switched the TL072 for a JRC4558 in the last one .

Are you selling the Blues Breakers?

I sold 2 , kept one and gave one to a friend of mine.

Tried at TLC 2272 or Burr Brown OPA 2134 in one yet?  Also, what clipping section did you use?  

I've heard some great samples of these and want to build one (and they're on sale now), but I have a layout for a Clay Jones OD clone (which is the BB without the buffers and LED clipping) so I don't know which I want to build first.  Also, the ORIGINAL Gov'nor kits are on sale now too, at GGG.  

Ok here be the arsenal of pedals I pimp:

Lovepedal 200lbs (fuzz).  Designed to be an Eric Johnson type fuzz sound.  This pedal is the shit (ask Howie how he found out about it).  It really sings.  If I kick it to the neck position with the tone rolled back, synth sound for days.


Pedalworx Tejas (OD).  This is basically a TS808 clone with a little extra (the Spice knob).  The spice knob kicks in when you get the tone up over %50.  I think it opens up the frequency response (low and high).  Doesn't matter since I use it as a clean booster for the roudier channels of my Boogie (kill the drive, dime the volume).  Compared to my TS9DX, it just has a less honky sound.  More HiFi, with True-Bypass to boot.  


Menatone King of the Britains (Plexi in a Box).  Yes that is a coconut-laden swallow on the top of the pedal.  As I mentioned, it gives me a Plexi in a box sound.  It destroys.  The only thing I know in the same class is the Zvex Box of Rock.  It does have a seperate boost circuit (the button on the right), but I don't really care for how the booster makes it sound.  If I need more, I'll either kick in a clean booster or the Solo Boost on my amp.


MI Audio Boost N Buff.  (Clean Booster/Buffer).  I mainly use it to take my clean channel to the edge of breakup.  I also like to use it to boost my King of the Britains (I actually run it after the KoB).


I'll post the full pedalboard in another thread.

man, I'd really like to try a KOTB!  

Haven't tried any other op amps in it. I don't have those you mentioned.
I used the regular 4 diode ( 914 ) clipping section.
I don't buy kits as I make my own circuit boards too.
Would love to get my hands on the PCB for that 200lbs. love pedal.
I don't experiment a whole lot with electronics , just follow the schematic most of the time as I don't want to spend too much time building these things.
I do try out things that people come up with sometimes.

FYI : I use a Muriatic Acid and Peroxide mixture to etch my boards instead of a regular etchant.

Dearth : great collection of pedals you got there !

DreamTheaterRules — Aug 25, 2008Tried at TLC 2272 or Burr Brown OPA 2134 in one yet?  Also, what clipping section did you use?  

I've heard some great samples of these and want to build one (and they're on sale now), but I have a layout for a Clay Jones OD clone (which is the BB without the buffers and LED clipping) so I don't know which I want to build first.  Also, the ORIGINAL Gov'nor kits are on sale now too, at GGG.  

Here's my quick list of OD/distortion boxes right now. I've tried a ton of different pedals (Howie can attest to that!).

MI Audio Blues Pro set to a light/medium OD (fuller sounding than any tubescreamer I've tried)
BYOC Mighty Mouse with Landgraff MO'D (killer Rat tones!)
MI Audio Boost N' Buff in the effects loop for solo boosts

I mostly use the OD/distortion on my Rivera Chubster. I do want to buy an OCD v4 again. I traded it plus cash for a PRS Soapbar II.

OD pedals not currently on my gigging board:
Bad Monkey
Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff

comments on the MI Blues Pro are right on.  It's just fatter and fuller (lower mids) than any other screamer type pedal I've tried.  Love that pedal!