I second that suggestion. A good overdrive is a good first, and DVM builds 'em. My first was a used Digitech Bad Monkey, which is a tubescreamer type that can be found very inexpensively used, and it is a good starting point for another option. Or you could get one of Vood's Rabid Rodent pedals, which has several distortion and several overdrive options you can dial in, all in one pedal. It's overdrive is a bit less mid-rangey than a tubescreamer type, but you get distortion and overdrive in one pedal.
Steve Thompson
Sun Valley, Idaho
Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary Std. Strat, Squier CVC Tele Hagstrom Viking Semi-hollow, Joshua beach guitar, Martin SPD-16TR Dreadnought
Amphs: Peavey Classic 30, '61 Fender Concert
Effects and such: Boss: DS-1, CE-5, NS-2 and RC20XL looper, Digitech Bad Monkey, Korg AX1G Multi-effects, Berhinger: TU100 tuner, PB100 Clean Boost, Line 6 Toneport UX2, Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi, DuhVoodooMan's Rabid Rodent Rat Clone, Zonkin Yellow Screamer Mk. II, MXR Carbon Copy Delay
love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart. . .
- j. johnson