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bosshog
Silver Member
Canada
493 Posts |
 Posted - 11/05/2007 : 07:12:47
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Ok,
Writers are known to suffer from writers block which they 'can't'
write anything. This guiitarist is suffering from Overdrive block. Help me overcome my Overdrive challenges....I can't get any sounds that my band or I like...
I own, BD-2 Keeley, DS-1 Japan, Df-2, SD-1, and OD-2.
BH |
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pedals 4 pv
Platinum Member
Canada
1351 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 07:20:45
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| what kind of stuff do you play? |
Edited by - pedals 4 pv on 11/05/2007 07:21:15 |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 10:53:56
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quote:
Originally posted by bosshog
Ok,
Writers are known to suffer from writers block which they 'can't'
write anything. This guiitarist is suffering from Overdrive block. Help me overcome my Overdrive challenges....I can't get any sounds that my band or I like...
I own, BD-2 Keeley, DS-1 Japan, Df-2, SD-1, and OD-2.
BH
Hi bosshog
A few months ago I wrote about Overdrive & distortion fatigue,
FRANZONNI als did a lengthy write up on listening fatigue as well.
I have found, that depending on hoe tired or fatigued I feel,
it changes my perception & appreciation, or lack there of, of
dist. & OD Petals 7 their respective tones.
I Bought a DOD Mystic Blues, & for a few days it was "The Pedal"
that I had been searching for, for all my musical career.
But not too long afterwards, I changed my opinion of it 180 degrees.
This effect-syndrome, call it what you want, has occurred many times, so I started to analyze what was happening, & all I could deduct, was that it seemed to be related to how fatigued I felt, on any day that I didn't seem to appreciate, a tested & loved OD or dist. pedal, or sound.
What Many of us have learned over the years, is that:
Less is More.....
Distortion or OD or Chorus or any effect.
But perhaps in your case, you may not be getting the tone that you
hear in your head-mix,
sometimes a graphic or parametric EQ, might help you, & your band out.
But how is your amps clean sound? if you don't have a clean sound that you like listening to, then this might be half the battle.
I have a little story I tell new & old players, & it goes something like this:
"You can own a hundred (100) distortion OD pedals, & you'll still buy another one."
I believe-know that many companies know this simple rule, & base some-all of their marketing campaigns around it.... 
Don't believe me? how many mobile phones do you have? 
How many pairs of runners do you own?
How many more dirt pedals will you buy?
Regards Dr. Bob |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 12:17:31
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As Dr Bob writes, get a really good clean (or semi-clean) sound at first, this is important, no pedal can add ”a good clean sound”. This is the base of all the rest happening.
It should be a joy playing with this clean sound. Not a sound that you immediately want to go away from with a pedal.
I think it is much easier to get this with tube amplifiers, but far from impossible with solid state.
I have all Boss overdrives and distortions (and some others too), but I don´t like most of them up to 100%, nearly all of them have their shortcomings. On a good day I can use any of them but some days I don´t like the gritty part of the otherwise great sound from a BD-2.
I have two overdrives that always “saves” me when I´m in the bad “overdrive-mood”, Boss SD-2 and Digitech Bad Monkey.
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Edited by - Goran on 11/05/2007 12:18:12 |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 12:28:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Goran
As Dr Bob writes, get a really good clean (or semi-clean) sound at first, this is important, no pedal can add ”a good clean sound”. This is the base of all the rest happening.
It should be a joy playing with this clean sound. Not a sound that you immediately want to go away from with a pedal.
I think it is much easier to get this with tube amplifiers, but far from impossible with solid state.
I have all Boss overdrives and distortions (and some others too), but I don´t like most of them up to 100%, nearly all of them have their shortcomings. On a good day I can use any of them but some days I don´t like the gritty part of the otherwise great sound from a BD-2.
I have two overdrives that always “saves” me when I´m in the bad “overdrive-mood”, Boss SD-2 and Digitech Bad Monkey.
Hi Goran & Guys
Great Choices, the SD-2 and the Bad Monkey are really great.
You can get lots-most of the Boss's OD tones, out of the SD-2.
And the Bad Monkey is very much like a vintage Ibanez Tube Screamer
but with more tone control options & tones.
I have heard that a lot of vintage 808 owners are now using the Bad Monkey, & putting their vintage 808's into long term storage.
Regards Dr. Bob |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 13:34:26
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how to cure overdrive block? simle..
GET AN OD-1. you will be cured forever. i used to feel the same thing. i would be happy with my OD tones but with the OD-1 i can just cut loose with the strat. |
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Caliban
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
145 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 13:56:46
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| I know this is a pedal forum, but can I ask what guitar and amp you're using, and what sort of sound you're after? |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 14:30:20
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I think most people here know my prefered overdrive is the twin tube by seymour duncan..but then it suits my style of music and the sounds i'm trying to achieve,as others have pointed out the amp and guitar are important as is the type of music you play....looking at the pedals your using i would be thinking your more of a classic rock type of player...??....Dr Bob raised a discussion we had a while ago about ear fatigue..and we played a gig last weekend and it happened again..the singer in our band is incapable of leaving the P.A. alone between songs and keeps hiring the volume up,it causes the drummer to play harder and the stage volume increases as a result...i find playing cleaner with less distortion really helps to cut through these situations..but if your using a 'scooped' EQ type of sound on the amp your problem could be your frequencys are clashing with the bass and cymbals...but i've told my band we need to upgrade our monitoring system and turn the stage volume down...something else i've found is people tend to have a different slant on live sound when there is too much of this..  involved........i try to party after the gigs these days and keep my head clear for the music...... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 11/05/2007 14:30:50 |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 15:12:45
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There´s much more to it…
Too much distortion sounds blurry, try heavier strings, heavier pick etc etc
Angus Young don´t use that much distortion, he hits the strings really hard and that makes for a more dynamic overdrive. I think this is an important thing to try, push the tubes (if you have any…) with by a moderate adjusted overdrive and push them further with the force of your picking, and play with dynamics.
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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 16:18:47
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quote:
Originally posted by bosshog
....I can't get any sounds that my band or I like...
One thing to keep in mind is these are two different things. I've been lately, trying to decide which overdrive ends up on my board - my Monte Allums GT Mod, or my own HAM version, which has a lot of Monte's tricks in it, but with the stock clipping diodes. After hours of back and forth, I decided I like the way the HAM barks more, has a bit more mids, and is overall a bit less polite than the GT.
Of course, as soon as I got it into the band context, it got buried. What sounds great solo at home may not fit into the full-band mix very well.
That said, look at modding an SD-1. Several of the mods out there give you extra toggle switches to fiddle with when the sound is not quite right. For example, Allums' GT mod has a switch to select symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping, and another to select 2x gain (with more presence).
Simply removing C6 from an SD-1 is a big improvement. |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 16:50:21
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quote:
Originally posted by StratoSphere
how to cure overdrive block? simle..
GET AN OD-1. you will be cured forever. i used to feel the same thing. i would be happy with my OD tones but with the OD-1 i can just cut loose with the strat.
Hi Strato
Did you read in the other "New Pedals" thread.
I just won my first OD-1 8PIN IC, last week..
I've been working on ShakeTheDevil's 70's Shin-Ei Wah,
and it's now completely rewired, repaired & working.
I took his wah out fro a test drive... Just magic, I do a new tread on the repair, with some pics...
So that's been keeping me from rocking out with the OD-1 a bit.
I have an schematic for a Germanium & silicon hybrid OD, & some sound samples, that's the next rainy day project.
Strato, is your Strat single coil?
How do you think it will sound with a Tele with Vintage singles?
Regards Dr. Bob
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marqueemoon
Bronze Member
USA
121 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 18:09:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Caliban
I know this is a pedal forum, but can I ask what guitar and amp you're using, and what sort of sound you're after?
That's the key in my opinion. You mentioned to me before that you were using a Jazz Chorus...is that still the case? I know it's not Boss, but if you are still using that amp you might want to look into a Rat. A friend of mine has his JC-120 sitting in my house until he comes back from school this winter and the best od/dist sounds I could get from it was using an old Rat (from Rich S, actually  ) |
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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 18:32:58
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Oh, yeah! 
A Rat through a JC120 is one of the great overdrive sounds. Actually most of the wear and tear on that RAT I sold MM was from a time that I loaned it (for several years, it turned out) to a friend who used it with his JC77, playing 80's original Indy-kinda rock in clubs. It always sounded great. |
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StratoSphere
Double Platinum Member
Canada
2232 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 23:43:52
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well Dr Bob, all 3 pups on my "strat" are singles. it has all different kinds of parts on it, but the ONLY thing i didnt change is the neck pickup. its some cheap piece of crap but it just sounds incredible for some reason. i dont understand it. i think that all the hardware upgrades match it well and it all came together to sound the way it does.
good work on the Shin Ei wah. i havent used mine in a while. like distortion/OD pedals, i have an equal love for wahs and have been hooked on the Snarling Dogs Wonder Wah 2 lately. i think Snarling Dogs are generally seen as lower quality by the public but for whatever reason it sounds great through my setup. im using it over my Crybaby from Hell, GCB95, Shin-Ei etc
and congrats on the OD-1. to answer your question about the OD-1 with a tele, i think that the OD-1 shines with single coils. i find dynamics to be better with single coils over buckers, and the OD-1 is one of the most dynamic Boss ODs out there. its a perfect combination for any blues/rock where you want to express yourself |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 01:15:26
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quote by stratosphere.. "i have an equal love for wahs and have been hooked on the Snarling Dogs Wonder Wah 2 lately. i think Snarling Dogs are generally seen as lower quality by the public but for whatever reason it sounds great through my setup. im using it over my Crybaby from Hell, GCB95, Shin-Ei etc"
thats strange strato..i alway think of snarling dogs being up there with the likes of teese,budda and fulltone when it comes to wah pedals..i think jeff beck uses one (or did) i like the way the dogs eyes light up when in use....really is the dogs... ....whatever works for you 'bro......
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Edited by - FRANZONI on 11/06/2007 01:16:11 |
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FunkenGrooven
Silver Member
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 02:25:48
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| Well my 2 cents is on the OD-3 I have all these other boss OD's but that one stays on the board at all times. At about 1 or 2:00 on the drive it starts to say "Hello I'm Stevie Ray Vaughn's illegitimate love child" Of course I'm going into a Mesa Rectoverb Tubes baby!!! |
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Topic |
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Overdrive Block...
