What is the best distortion and/or overdrive pedal?

[Robert****]

Let's hear what you say! There are many options of course....

I'll start by saying Maxon Sonic Distortion SD-9. A very smooth and fat sounding distortion pedal.

For a super cheap, good sounding pedal, I say Danelectro FAB Distortion.

The Proco Rat is also great, but I'm not quite sure which model is which anymore - Turbo Rat, Rat 2, Rat this, Rat that. Maybe someone can clarify this.

For overdrive - the already legendary Zonkin' Yellow Screamer, by our very own DuhVoodooMan himself! (Ask him nicely and send him lots of gifts if you expect him to make you one...)

What rocks your world in the distortion pedal department?

[Adrian30]

Just recently I read few good reviews on Nobels ODR-1. I've never tested one but I'm just throwing this in here. Perhaps some of the fretters own(ed) or tested one.

It's obviously an overdrive, so technically not a distortion pedal.

Here's the link to manifacturer.


http://www.nobels.com/en/index.htm


No afiliations etc. etc. etc....

[stingx]

HAO Rust Driver, hands down!

[Robert****]

Let's talk about overdrive pedals in a different thread. Keep the topic on distortion pedals only, if possible.

[LowEndWonder]

The Electro Harmonics Double Muff !

[Justaguyin_nc]

The Proco Rat is also great, but I'm not quite sure which model is which anymore - Turbo Rat, Rat 2, Rat this, Rat that. Maybe someone can clarify this.

What rocks your world in the distortion pedal department?

Welp..to make it easy... get the RAT that has them all!! Im really thinking about this one.. nice features!
http://www.ratdistortion.com/deucetonerat.htm

Im still so new to all these sounds for the last few years. The one Distortion that I keep finding more sounds in though , is The Vintage Rat..

Not Original rat.. but original circuit..does that make sense? It can be a muff,fuzz,zipper,fly etc etc... and can clean up to overdrive..
In fact.. a much more expensive B.K.Butler I had, to see how good it was has been e-bayed because the RAT is so close at times..
and the B.K although very warm in overdrive was to fuzzy "to me" on distortion and was so HUGE!! (about 4 pedals in board size)
The foot print of the RAT though is the size of two pedals.. it's only fault..

I recently got a pedal with a RAT clone..well its nice.. but NOT! this same pedal though has a TS9 clone in it..
I never had or tried the real thing here either..
but another nice sounding Distortion/overdrive it seems.. I am hoping to match The RAT to it.

Yet, each has its own feel.. but if I can only have one..
The Vintage RAT...loves tubes..

Maybe it has to do with which you play with the most..
and figure out how to use it..
as they all seem adjustable to some point..

my 2 cents..
and about all my opinion is worth..
REALLY! I know this..
But I have fun...
Try a Vintage or Original RAT sometime..
and give it some time and adjustments..

[stingx]

Let's talk about overdrive pedals in a different thread. Keep the topic on distortion pedals only, if possible.

I thought that is a distortion pedal

Semantics...

[Robert****]

Ahh, good point. I guess the difference is not so clear. Let's change it then to distortion AND overdrive pedals! :

From http://www.bossus.com/bugonline/how_...art=great_tone :

What’s the difference between an overdrive and a distortion?

Generally, an overdrive is designed to work and sound like an old tube amp turned up loud. A good overdrive can produce the same overtones and harmonics that an overdriven tube amp produces, hence the name Overdrive. BOSS started the overdrive revolution with the legendary and very collectible OD-1.

A distortion usually goes beyond the amount of gain and harmonic crunching typical of an overdrive. They tend to get more distorted, are usually (but not always) louder than typical overdrives, and often have multiple gain stages for abnormal amounts of sustain. The BOSS MT-2, probably the best selling distortion pedal ever, is a good example of a distortion pedal with those features.

[Sblack]

Ibanez SM-10 Super Metal -- I bought one in 1986, and to this day and several pedals later, its distortion is unmatched to my ears.

[markb]

Older RATs with the LM308 chip do it for me. Everything from boost to fuzz that cleans up nicely when you back off.

Here's what Robert Keeley says about the difference between old and new RAT's. I can hear the difference and I'm not that picky usually.

ATTENTION OLD RAT FANS!!!! Hey, they don't make them like they use to. Heck, they don't make like they did last year, so if you are hoping our Rat mods will make your pedal sound like the one you remember 10, 15 years ago.... might not be the thing to hope for! These pedals have changed so much over time, and only the Name Badge is the same. They act very differently. So, if you had favorite settings, etc., buy an old one and check it out. Some folks say ours nail it perfectly, others hear some nuances in the old one they are just addicted to.

[Spudman***]

Best distortion hands down for me is the Radial Tonebone Hot British. Nothing else even comes close, but it has a tube in it.

Next in line would have to be a Rat, and I wish I had one of the old ones because they do sound different.

[marnold***]

Normally I just take what the amp gives me, perhaps with some OD to push it over the edge (yes, I like my Behringer pseudo-Screamer a lot). I have a lot of fun when I use the Muff model on my EX-7. The Muff is by no means a be all/end all. It's more one of those "if you need this particular sound, it's the only way to go" pedals.

[GREENMACHINE]

Hey Guys
Well I don't have much experience with pedals but I have found the Eric Clapton Crossroads pedal is pretty versatile with the sounds you can get out of it. Like blues, jazz, rock, hard rock to maybe alittle metal distortion.

Cheers
GREENMACHINE

[deeaa*]

I've said it a dozen times, Marshall JH-1 Jackhammer in OD mode is the best JCM-800 in a box I ever heard. But all these are largely matters of taste.

[DeanEVO_Dude]

I've got one...

Washburn LSESLD Soloist Distortion (a rebranded Artec SESLD). It has a good bit of gain and I think it sound great... and it's real cheap to boot (if you can find 'em still), got mine from Target when they were clearing them out for under $30. There is a store near that has them for $20, I was thinking about picking up a 2nd one for backup.

Cheers!

[ZMAN]

Best distortion hands down for me is the Radial Tonebone Hot British. Nothing else even comes close, but it has a tube in it.

Next in line would have to be a Rat, and I wish I had one of the old ones because they do sound different.

+1 on the Radial tone bone. Tweakability and it's own 12AX7

[tunghaichuan***]

I've got one...

Washburn LSESLD Soloist Distortion (a rebranded Artec SESLD). It has a good bit of gain and I think it sound great... and it's real cheap to boot (if you can find 'em still), got mine from Target when they were clearing them out for under $30. There is a store near that has them for $20, I was thinking about picking up a 2nd one for backup.

Cheers!

+1. I like that pedal a great deal. Does a nice cranked plexi sound.

[jpfeifer]

I think that it depends on what type of sound you want from your overdrive. I don't think that there is one pedal that does it all, they all excell at different things. I have the Fulltone OCD and now the Hermida Zendrive. Both of these pedals are amazing at what they do, but they are totally different.

The OCD is great for nice tube-like distortion. It works really well for big power chords and fat sounding lead tones.

The Zendrive is more for mild distortion and bluesy sort of tones, where you need a fat sustaining sound that is very sensitive to your dynamics, but not so grainy or saturated. It's kind of like the Boss Blues Driver on steroids. It does the Larry Carlton/Robben Ford thing really well. It a fantastic pedal.

--Jim

[kiteman]

Is the DOD Grunge a distortion pedal?