Digitech Tone Driver

[Nelskie]

Some of our forum's recent postings re: 80's metal have re-kindled an interest in re-exploring my heavy metal roots. Why that is, I do not know. Maybe it's instinctive - to go back to where we started. Anyways, I spent some time noodling around with all (3) of my amps, and was not quite able to get that "over the top" metal sound I was looking for. Some of the tones in my G2 were close, but maybe more suited to today's newer / alternative metal, and not the "vintage" 80's metal I cut my playing teeth on. The Bad Monkey added some "oomf", but lacked some of the drive & high-end harmonics common to that genre of music.

After a bit of online research and reading a few reviews, I decided on the Digitech Tone Driver - mostly because it had the Ibanez TS-808 and TS-9 distortion models, along with the DOD 250. I had an original lime green TS-9 back in the day, and it really got that metal OD tone. True, I could have purchased either of the Ibanez re-issue pedals - but neither of them would have the cool "morphing" control that the Digitech pedal had. Plus, it was considerably cheaper than the Ibanez RI's - about $50 or so!!

Well, the pedal arrived late last week, and I put it through its paces over the weekend. The Tone Driver stacks up to my original Ibanez pedal quite well, and in many instances, surpasses it as far as tonal versatility is concerned. The controls are similiar to those on most Digitech pedals, and the settings outlined in the manual are pretty accurate as to modeling the (3) different pedals. I played the Tone Driver through my Peavey tube amp, and was able to get some excellent "vintage" 80's metal tones using a number of different guitars. Perhaps the most surprising came using my Les Paul. Using the TS-808 setting, I came up with a very convincing, Marshall-esque tone reminiscent of early, "Slide It In" era Whitesnake. I also was able to coax a raspy, growling Jake E. Lee / Badlands type vibe with the TS-9 setting & my 60's Strat. Single-coil Strats, I found, really warm up to this pedal nicely. In some cases, I found myself doing double takes, as the OD tones were very humbucker-like. Sweet.

Anyways, I had a blast jamming all of my "old standards" over the weekend, and am anxious to warm a few of them up for our upcoming New Year's Eve gathering. More on the Tone Driver later. If you have a chance to play through one of these pedals, definitely check it out.

[6STRINGS 9LIVES]

Hey Nelskie..how solid is the construction..i generally like the digitech stuff, and am looking for another od tone just for variety..i still have my ts808 from the old days...it reminds me of the 80's ..love that Whitesnake "still of the night" tone .. how about KROKUS ."STAYED AWAKE ALL NIGHT"..6S9L

[Robert****]

Gotta say I get pretty awesome killer 80s higher gain tone with my Vox AD50VT, using the UK Modern model. Through my Hellhound I can't really get that tone, regardless of pedals used, which is fine with me.

[Tone2TheBone]

You guys wanna borrow my Marshall sometime? Buy me a drink.

[Nelskie]

69SL - The construction of the Tone Driver is identical to the Bad Monkey pedal - solid metal base and pedal. Very sturdy. Really, the TD just a horse of a different color, with some different tone control features.

Krokus' "One Vice at a Time" has been in my collection for years, with the killer track on that LP being "Long Stick Goes Boom". When I played in a band during college, we'd frequently use that one as our opener. Those guys had a great sound, as did Whitesnake - and both were solid guitar bands.

Man, I don't know about you guys, but I was really surprised how much I missed that "vintage" 80's metal tone. While still firmly rooted in the "hard rock" genre, in a traditional sense, it also had a very distinctive tone and feel. Some of that era's most influential guitarists did some amazing things with that sound, much more so than what I'm hearing from today's players. Don't get me wrong, there are some fantastic players out there now - but very few that I would describe as "vituosos" of their craft. The 80's were loaded with dudes who could really "bring it", like EVH, George Lynch, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jake E. Lee, Warren DiMartini, and Vivian Campbell to name a few.

Looks like it'll be ripped jeans and Aqua Net for me for the next few weeks. At least that . . .

Now about that drink, Tone . . . shaken - not stirred?

[Tone2TheBone]

Nelski,

Nah mate just make it a nice cold Newcastle and I'll plug you in...with or without pedals.

I really liked George's, Jake. E Lee and Warren's sound. Definitive 80s sound. Modded Marshalls and gobs of mascara to go with your Aqua Net Nelski. I was also heavily into the neo-classical genre that produced the likes of Yngwie, Vinnie Moore and Tony MacAlpine (the dude playing the wicked blue Carvin guitar with Vai at the Crossroads Festival). I'm classically influenced due to me being a Fine Arts music major in college and so I really got into that stuff. My rock guitar influences date further back into the 60s and 70s though but yeah the 80s produced some rockin' players and rockin' sound for sure.

[Nelskie]

Brown Ale fan, eh? Me too!

I was lucky enough to see Steve Vai at the Fargo Theater this past summer. Man, what a clinic! Both Tony MacAlpine AND Billly Sheehan were playing in the band w/ Steve, and the show was a totally mind-bending experience. I've heard tight bands play live before, but this kind of tight was like something from another planet. Amazing would be an absolute understatement.

Eric Sardinas opened the show, and man, what a treat he was to hear / watch. Eric is a wicked electric slide player, kinda' like a harder-rock version of Johnny Winter. And quite a performer, too, I might add. If you are looking for sumthin' different, check him out - you won't be disappointed. Esp. if you like hard-edged electric blues.

Anyways, back to my jean-ripping.

[Tone2TheBone]

Thanks for the tip Nelski. Theres a local bar here in town that specializes in presenting groups like those and I'll bet you I might get to see them soon. I still have yet to see Steve Vai, I've always been a big fan of his since the "Attitude Song" days. Sardinas sounds like a plan. I love that slide stuff. Been practicing my slide and open 'A' tuning playing ever since I got that Clapton DVD.

Nothing like a cold English brown ale mate!!! *clink*

[Nelskie]

Tone - I see you've changed your avatar again. As it would appear, we both own very similar Stratocasters - my Classic 60's model is also a Mexican-made 3TS w/ a rosewood fretboard. Spooky? Maybe not. As for the Vai show, we have a super cool 1930's era theater here in Fargo, which was recently updated / restored. In short - the absolute best, most perfect place I could have ever thought of at which to see that particular show. Anyways, I hope to see Steve again very soon, and surely hope you do, too. Quite simply, the Vai show I saw here in Fargo last summer may have been the single most amazing, moving, inspiring, fulfilling, and soul-shaping guitar performance I've ever had the priviledge of seeing. Knowing that you're very keen to things on the "spiritual" level, I can only say this - be prepared, my friend.

[Tone2TheBone]

We have awesome Strats man what can we say!

I believe what you say about Vai. You have a profound way of saying things and it came through loud and clear to me what you had to say about him. I'm preparing myself for the Vai experience...might even be inspired to pick up a JEM guitar afterwards wouldn't that be awesome!

[marnold***]

Gotta say I get pretty awesome killer 80s higher gain tone with my Vox AD50VT, using the UK Modern model. Through my Hellhound I can't really get that tone, regardless of pedals used, which is fine with me.

Care to share your settings? Either here or at Valvetronix.net?

I was listening to Cinderella's "Night Songs" today for the first time in eons. I heard their song "Nothin' for Nothin'" and went into 80s mode. Not one of their best-known songs but one of my favorites.

In that same vein, the best thing on T.V. these days is "Metal Mania" on VH1 Classic. Nothing consistently brings a smile to my face like that show.

[Robert****]

UK Modern
Gain 1 o'clock
Volume 3 o'clock
EQ to taste (for me between 11-1 o'clock)
A bit of delay
That produces a gainy sound with lots of sustain on a humbucker guitar!

[Tone2TheBone]

Marnold,

I always made fun of the glam bands back in those days (cept for Stryper I really dug them...even though I still made fun of them lmao) and the guys in my band at the time would pretend they were either someone from Poison or Stephen Pearcy singing "Lay it Down" at sound checks just to annoy me. LOL BUT I always dug a lot of that music and so when you mentioned Cinderella I distinctly remember playing the opening part of "Gypsy Road" on my Stratocaster...loving that single coil tone and the lick associated with that tune. My personal favorite show during that time was MTV's Headbangers Ball. Great memories.

[Nelskie]

MTV's Headbanger's Ball RULED! And shame on you, Tone, for making fun of 80's glam bands!! My take on the 80's glam movement is that it was a pivotal transition point in modern guitar playing. I mean, really, where would we be now if it didn't happen? Let's see - rap & grunge metal? Dammit! I take that back. Let's hope the boys from The Darkness get this thing glam going again, cuz' music's present day state of affairs is, at least in my opinion, somewhat un-fun, a little too serious, and even a wee bit depressing. I sure miss those carefree days of yesteryear, and havin' "Nothin' But A Good Time" down on "Gypsy Road".

[Tone2TheBone]

I'm sorry buddy but...someone really needed to give C C Deville a REAL amp. *cringes at the sound and sight of him sitting on his stack of 'quasi-amps" playing the lick from Nothing but a Good Time from the video* lol

[Nelskie]

Not just ANY amps, mind you - NEON PINK & GREEN quasi-amps! *also laughing out loud remembering that very same sight* I should maybe point out that my reference to Poison was purely out remembering those good ol' days as carefree, and a whole lot of fun. And NBAGT was definitely part of the Nelskie soundtrack during those days. The last thing I'd ever try and do is try and paint C.C. DeVille as some sort of glam-metal guitar god. But dude, I do have to tell you this: I saw Poison back up DLR (the Steve Vai, Skyscraper-era DLR!! Right on!), and there were soooo many hot chicks up close to the stage during their set, I almost had myself convinced that I liked them! Almost. BTW - Dave opened up his set with "Yankee Rose" - now there's a totally smokin' jam. "And she looks wiiillllddd, wiiillldddd, waaaaaaaIIIIIIIILLLLD!!!" (insert screaming, spinning karate-kicking, spandex unitard-clad, Jack Daniel's-swilling front man here)

And Stryper . . . *sheesh* If those garish costumes weren't bad enough, I didn't figure out that they were actually a guy group until they'd disbanded.

[Tone2TheBone]

One thing I loved about the 80s were the oh so hawt rocker babes. Ssssssssssssssss.

Yeah I loved Vai during the Skyscraper period. I think I still have that "cassette". Funny.

Well both Michael Sweet and Oz Fox of Stryper had the rippinest dragon slaying high gain Mesa Boogie sound of that period. Out of all of them though the drummer really did look like a chick. But I thought he looked cool sitting sideways to the audience when drumming. That was a great gimmick.

Don't get me started on C.C. hahahaha

[Tim]

I do not know where I was in the 80s, because you guys are talking an awful strange language.

I do remember getting married in 1980 and I also remember when MTV came on the cable. But that is where it becomes a blur.

Like I said in an earlier post, I never got into the metal sound. I guess I was being a good husband and father by not influencing my kids with all that bass inflicted music. Now my 2 youngest (both in their 20s) listen to all the rap music.

I guess the only person who lost a decade (or 2) of music was me. LOL

[Nelskie]

Tim - The 80's were, indeed, a strange decade, though I am a bit curious as to what "non-bass-inflicted" music you were listening to at that time.