Which Distortion/OD pedal should I go for?

[Exile252]

Hey guys, I'm thinking of getting a distortion/OD pedal, and I noticed both the two pedals mentioned in the title on sale. So here comes the big question..... Which would you say is the best value for money?

Edited August 31, 2008 by Exile252

[Kev]

i cannot STAND the trex bass juice, iv never heard it being used by anyone and sounding good, there is a horrific demo of it on youtube you might wana look at, but you need to try it. i tried it through a hiwatt amp and thought it sounded terrible, actually the worst distortion id ever tried, no exaggeration, but thats probably due to it not being to my taste.

blowtorch, on the other hand, is a bloody superb pedal, and would recommend it to anyone

[Exile252]

Thanks for the info. The Blowtorch does look pretty hardcore aswell hehe.

[umph]

[quote name='Exile252' post='274108' date='Aug 31 2008, 10:54 PM']Thanks for the info. The Blowtorch does look pretty hardcore aswell hehe.[/quote]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDn45pM38xk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDn45pM38xk[/url] this is the clip i think half the reason it sounds so bad is his normal tone is so scooped and has so much high end going on as it is, i wouldn't have high hopes for that pedal anyway, i don't think a blow torch is going to do an od/distortion sound as good as some other pedals will either

Edited August 31, 2008 by umph

[1976fenderhead]

I have the T-Rex and LOVE IT. Will post sound samples later for you if possible. Best distortion of the dozens I tried. I settled for it long ago and never looked back (although now am using fuzz so don't have it on my board).

I tried the Blowtorch and hated it. Like and expensive ODB-3 if you ask me...

[Exile252]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Seeing as their are mixed reviews I'll just change the question to what Distortion/OD pedal should I get for about £100 or there around?

[lukeward2004]

I spent years playing and trying out different Overdrives and Distortions - I had a Russian Big Muff, a USA Big Muff, a HAO Rust Ride, a Boss ODB-3 and all of them either sucked tone or low end and just didnt "do" it for me.

In the End I approached Dave Hall at DHA, and asked for a custom box to be made based on his VT2 box. It was basically two tubes with an EQ and few other tricks that Dave chucked on board, and I could choose to run it with just one tube, which gave a nice bit of valvey warmth and a touch of grit if pushed, and then a second Gain stage that I could kick in with the 2nd tube that just gave a fantastic valve overdrive.

All I can say is try out a few Valve overdrives/distortion boxes, like the DHA gear, EBS etc -in my experience you simply cannot get better than a valve OD.

[1976fenderhead]

Here are a couple of samples recorded with the American Deep amp sim (basically, an SVT sound) setting in Logic Pro and an MIA Jazz Bass Deluxe with everything neutral except slight emphasis on neck pickup:

1 file played with fingers, Gain and Mix at around 1 or 2 o'clock, Tone and Level at 12.
The other file played with pick, Gain and Tone at around 10 o'clock, Mix and Level at 12.

1st part of recording clean, 2nd part distortion and 3rd w/Boost.

[escholl]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' post='274190' date='Sep 1 2008, 01:12 AM']Here are a couple of samples recorded...[/quote]

i'm impressed...makes me wonder why TRex don't have any decent samples online, i think it would sell a lot better.

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='escholl' post='274287' date='Sep 1 2008, 10:11 AM']i'm impressed...makes me wonder why TRex don't have any decent samples online, i think it would sell a lot better.[/quote]

It actually sounds a lot better live too... When you set your amp to have just that little bit too much Bass so that you take advantage of the room's natural reverberation, so you have those extra lows that you can hear and FEEL but can't really replicate in the kind of direct recording I did... It's creamy distortion heaven!

[Dubs]

It depends what kind of sound you want, but if you want something really vicious and aggressive with a hint of some smooth distorted harmonics, then you won’t get more bang for you buck than with a Little Big Muff. For £45 new I think they’re possibly the best value for money distortion on the market at the moment. Try one with bass, you can’t go too wrong for that kind of money…

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='274293' date='Sep 1 2008, 10:29 AM']It depends what kind of sound you want, but if you want something really vicious and aggressive with a hint of some smooth distorted harmonics, then you won’t get more bang for you buck than with a Little Big Muff. For £45 new I think they’re possibly the best value for money distortion on the market at the moment. Try one with bass, you can’t go too wrong for that kind of money…[/quote]

Didn't really work for me (same as the Bass Big muff), it adds excessive lows which sound muffled and undefined IMO. I still vouch for any Russian model...

[Kev]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' post='274153' date='Aug 31 2008, 11:53 PM']I tried the Blowtorch and hated it. Like and expensive ODB-3 if you ask me...[/quote]
justify that. they are entirly different pedals, i mean seriously they are nothing at all alike, and i owned both for quite a long while

Edited September 1, 2008 by BassManKev

[umph]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' post='274190' date='Sep 1 2008, 01:12 AM']Here are a couple of samples recorded with the American Deep amp sim (basically, an SVT sound) setting in Logic Pro and an MIA Jazz Bass Deluxe with everything neutral except slight emphasis on neck pickup:

1 file played with fingers, Gain and Mix at around 1 or 2 o'clock, Tone and Level at 12.
The other file played with pick, Gain and Tone at around 10 o'clock, Mix and Level at 12.

1st part of recording clean, 2nd part distortion and 3rd w/Boost.[/quote]
i like, nice playing ;<

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='BassManKev' post='274305' date='Sep 1 2008, 10:43 AM']justify that. they are entirly different pedal, i mean seriously they are nothing at all alike[/quote]

They have the same kind of crappy sounding distortion, and they are both very consistent in that no matter how much you turn their knobs, they always sound like cr*p.


The Blowtorch looks way cooler though, I'll give you that, nothing at all alike...

Edited September 1, 2008 by 1976fenderhead

[Kev]

if you think that dude, id just stick to cranking your ampeg

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='BassManKev' post='274329' date='Sep 1 2008, 11:09 AM'] if you think that dude, id just stick to cranking your ampeg [/quote]

No thanks, very happy with my real life SWR gear ;-)

[dangerboy]

There's no answer to this question. There's just personal taste.

There isn't even a single pedal we can all agree is crap, is there?

[umph]

[quote name='BassManKev' post='274329' date='Sep 1 2008, 11:09 AM'] if you think that dude, id just stick to cranking your ampeg [/quote]
as apposed to raping peoples ears with high end fizzle? to me it just seems like you like bad tone i'm sorry but thats the impression i get.

[dangerboy]

[quote name='umph' post='274349' date='Sep 1 2008, 11:47 AM']as apposed to raping peoples ears with high end fizzle? to me it just seems like you like bad tone i'm sorry but thats the impression i get.[/quote]

I don't think there's such a thing as 'bad tone'. Every tone has a home somewhere. Depends on the style of music, and what other people are playing around you.

So there's 'bad tone for the situation', but not 'bad tone'.

As evidence I present this:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLr5EXyoQCE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLr5EXyoQCE[/url]

Edited September 1, 2008 by dangerboy

[umph]

[quote name='dangerboy' post='274360' date='Sep 1 2008, 12:00 PM']I don't think there's such a thing as 'bad tone'. Every tone has a home somewhere. Depends on the style of music, and what other people are playing around you.

So there's 'bad tone for the situation', but not 'bad tone'.

As evidence I present this:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLr5EXyoQCE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLr5EXyoQCE[/url][/quote]
true theres a time and place for everything, but if you don't use things in the right time and place it can be bad and i generally consider anything physically painful to listen to as "bad tone"

[cheddatom]

[quote name='umph' post='274349' date='Sep 1 2008, 11:47 AM']as apposed to raping peoples ears with high end fizzle? to me it just seems like you like bad tone i'm sorry but thats the impression i get.[/quote]

Lol, really, I will try and contribute to the ODB-3 thread tonight - if I get time, it's a great pedal.

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='dangerboy' post='274360' date='Sep 1 2008, 12:00 PM']I don't think there's such a thing as 'bad tone'. Every tone has a home somewhere. Depends on the style of music, and what other people are playing around you.

So there's 'bad tone for the situation', but not 'bad tone'.

As evidence I present this:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLr5EXyoQCE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLr5EXyoQCE[/url][/quote]

All fair points mate.

Sh*t I like those guys! I wish some English bands would revive this kind of thing, instead of all the rubbish they recycle these days... All those "Indie" bands need some balls like these guys!

[dangerboy]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' post='274378' date='Sep 1 2008, 12:14 PM']All fair points mate.

Sh*t I like those guys! I wish some English bands would revive this kind of thing, instead of all the rubbish they recycle these days... All those "Indie" bands need some balls like these guys![/quote]

You need to come and see my new band, then ;-)

[Kev]

[quote name='umph' post='274349' date='Sep 1 2008, 11:47 AM']as apposed to raping peoples ears with high end fizzle? to me it just seems like [b]you like bad tone[/b] i'm sorry but thats the impression i get.[/quote]

your knowledge of tone outstands me, all hail your opinion i'm sure that the chances are, some of the gear you like i will think is 'bad tone', whether or not it is is totally subjective.


and fyi, the eq knob on pedals means you can adjust how much high or low end you get, thus turning down the high eq control on an odb-3 or a blowtorch will reduce 'high end fizzle', you'll go to bed a wiser man now but tbf if you dont know how to use a pedal as simple as an odb-3, its quite worrying

Edited September 1, 2008 by BassManKev