JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Guitars and Guitarist Forum Overdrive/dist. stomp boxes

I just got myself a new Turbo Rat pedal to replace my old one that finally broke down (after 15 years of abuse).
I just want to sing its praises. I really only use it for when I play solos, or need some extra OOMPH like that for a radical dynamic shift.
It is the freaking bomb. It's the only effect that I use (aside form reverb) and it's all that I really need, outside of pickup selection.

Nasty, nasty, nasty.

Almost got an Ibanez Tube Screamer (I know that some of you will sing the praises of that green monster), but I had to stick with what I already know and love.

It's all about what fits your music and makes you comfortable bro. I could never get along with Rat pedals myself, I usually go for the Boss Blues Driver or similar...lately I'm using nothing at all, but I'm considering a Fulltone 70's Fuzz for a couple tunes on the new record. If that Rat's makin' you happy STOMP IT!!!

I'm kinda partial to Boss stompers. Nice heavy duty gizmos. People have a tendency to over use effects. I knew a guy that used an overdrive and one of them Rat boxes at the same time. He couldn't figure out what was wrong and wouldn't believe me that they were both distortion producing gizmos. All he got was feedback. Kinda partial to that blues driver too...

I like the RAT as well... but I don't have the turbo. I always thought it was a great stomp box, nice n' smooth distortion if you want it and raunchy if you need it.
Works well with my Fender DSP amp but doesn't do as well with the Marshall TSL 100 4x12 combo. I guess I'm already looking for a certain sound with the Marshall anyway.
I hooked it up to my fiddle one time and got some cool sounds out of it but very hard to control the feedback. Maybe I needed a noise suppressor or something. (Probably an electric fiddle not a violin with an acoustic pick-up would exponentially help out the situation)

Other stomp favorites:
Boss-Metal Zone (Maybe not your particular brand of bourbon but you can dial this one in)
Big Muff Pi
****and Yes the Ibanez-Tube Screemer****

Later, Nate

Todd:

Cool Very Nice.
I think the new ones has double the output as the older versions did and if I am remembering correctly the new ones are allmost 3v. at max peak output.

Serious battery muncher make sure you have power input instead lol.

The T.S. is a Monster and probley is next on my hit list.
I use the Z.W. O.D. it gives me the gain and crunch when needed.

Take Care:

I have used just an old electronic reverb unit or played right out of my sound card. Although I recently purchased an M-Audio sound card. Which is supposed to be a good sound card for guitarists.
At one time, I had an Arion stereo delay pedal.
I played both the guitar and keybaord through that.
It was almost space sounding.
Almost an early seventies feel.
Unfortunately, it got lost or stolen when I moved from my last place.

Matt

Paul Cochrane makes a great OD pedal called the 'Timmy' or a larger box with an additional boost called the 'Tim'. They are hand made and exceptional pedals. $100 for Timmy, $150 for Tim. They are very popular and unfortunately there is about a three month wait, but it is worth it. Used Timmy's sell regularly for over $300 on Ebay. Here's mine.

I used a Rat briefly many years ago when I was in heavier bands. I remember that I liked it, but I must have lost it or something. I used a TubeScreamer after that for many, many years. Then, when we recorded our first album a couple years ago the studio had a Fulltone Fulldrive 2. I fell in love instantly, and bought one for myself. That's all I've used since - it's exactly the smooth, creamy overdrive I want. I play strats & teles through a Dr Z and it works really, really well with my gear. I have no complaints, other than I've had to have it repaired twice.

Years ago I bought a Budda Phatman overdrive based on glowing reviews, but I've never been able to get a sound I like out of it. It's just too metal-ish. True, I was an idiot for spending all that money for something I didn't try out first. Lesson learned. I also have cheap little Guyatone OD2, but that's pretty much an unused backup.

I'm kind of fond of my old MXR Distortion+ Pedal with the script logo. Lovely sounds.

I use a Maxon OD9 Pro+ as a boost to kick my tube amps over the top !
http://www.maxonfx.com/9/od9+/
The Rat is too ratty for me.
It changes the guitar tone WAY more than I want.
Probably great for heavier stuff.

JJ

Same here. My absolute favourite is the Blues Driver BD2. I also like the Overdrive/Distorsion OS2 but if i had to keep only one, it would be the Blues Driver. It's both powerful and smooth, it's the perfect overdrive

I had my old, original Big Muff that I bought new back in 1978 out the other day. Still works! Nothing beats that for noise - tele/Strat?/les Paul/ Doesn't matter, they all sound the same with that fuzzmonster.

That's why I like the Fulltone pedals. Finally found the TONE I was after - the SoulBender. The box is discontinued and going for way too much on ebay.

I have personally never enjoyed using a pedal when gigging. I played an old tele for 30+ years and I loved it's sound through my tube amp. I had a master volume and could get every bit of overdrive I ever wanted straight from my amp. Most of the boxes to my ear added too much of a processed quality to the sound, where I got less of the actual guitar tone and more of the stompbox. As I got older I became more and more enamored with cleaner tone with less overdriven tubes. I will use just a light amount most of the time. I now have a new tele because I no longer feel comfortable taking my old one out to clubs. It has a stock tele sound which, for me, sounds great through a Vox amp. Nowadays I use a much cleaner more country sound most of the time, but I am not playing as much straight ahead rock and roll anymore. It all comes down to personal taste.

No pedal.
Just amp that I mic and occasionally a reverb unit.
But I have had pedals and intend on getting a new one.
Don't want one really that would knock someone out of their chair like I used to. Just more for compression and versatility when I am playing.
I like what Mike Ruthorford does with his bass on it though with his stomp box.
I would like the stomp box to where I could switch from the guitar to other instruments and not deprive myself on food and bills doing so with it sounding decent.

Now I am really considering that.
I would like to do more than embellish with my electric guitar now.
So far I have panned it so the guitar has more of a stomp feel and have taken the acoustics into account.

I prefer the amps overdrive BUT I can't always turn it up that far.
I have my pedal so that it is very subtle when it's on.
It's a high headroom (18v) unit that responds to pick attack just like my old tube amps !

JJ

Thats the beauty of the stomp boxes, you can get pretty close to the same effect at much lower volumes.

Gotta protect them ears, if you wanna use them your entire life.

I also prefer overdriving a tube amp. I have a selection of amps between 2.5W to 100W, most of which I designed and built (the 100W an exception, an Ampeg V4). But even 2.5W can be a bit loud.

But there are times a solid state stomp box actually has the most appropriate sound. My favorite is an old 8 transistor National pedal (originally designed and built by Shin Ei) which I very heavily rewired so that it sounds nothing like the original pedal. I also have a modified Tube Screamer clone that I occasionally use. But most solid state pedals, even when modded with Keeley-like and other mods, sound a bit harsh for the stuff I do.

Agreed, gents, natural tube overdrive is the best. Smaller wattage is the key. I got a Fender 15-watt for sale on the Trade/Sell board Brand-new + 5-yr warranty. You can crank it indoors without going deaf


I'm not a fan of solid-state boxes, but for those of you who use Tube Screamers, I've been told the best usage is 2 side-by-side. Some folks even combine 3 ts in a row. Here's what I use:

Seymore Duncan, "Twin Tube Classic." I swear this is the best-sounding overdrive and distortion pedal around (it has 2 channels, so you can do either OD or Dist with one click). I'll post a photo if you're interested. Trust me, it's way better than any TS or Boss and I use Boss pedals. Tubes my friends. Tubes always sound better.

Do you mean if you turn up the overdrive too far the volume is too loud, so you cannot get it overdriven enough? That is what I think you are saying, but if you reduce your master volume when you turn up the overdrive then your overdrive will have more of an affect than if you leave your volume up high and try and bring the overdrive up, too. I get all the tube sound I want by simply adjusting the knobs. However, as I stated before I have gotten more interested in cleaner tones in recent years.

If you are happy with a pedal, then it really doesn't matter, since you can get what you want.

I just gave my son a marshall micro stack that really cranks. If you crank the gain you get a pleasant distortion that is controllable with the volume knob. Great little practice amp.

I've never been much of a Marshall player, for no particular reason, but I know someone who collects ancient / original Marshall heads and cabs. I once plugged into 4 different setups of his, I wanna say the JCM 100 was my favorite. They were all from the early 1970s. I've yet to hear a modern-made Marshall head that rivals the oldies. Anyway, regardless of the brand or date, I think we all agree tubes are better than solid-state.

My pedal board is 99% Boss except for one pedal..BBE Green Screamer..i like it (still experimenting with other pedals as well)

Cant go wrong with BOSS....IMO

Nothing beats a natural tube amp overdrive, but occationally you need that extra grit. I like the smoothness of the Boss pedals, though, but for my taste the Boss pedals suck a lot of tone.

For the moment I favour my Fulltone OCD (v.2) and my TC Electronics Nova Drive. I used to have the TC Electronics Octa Screamer, but it was a tad too brittle for my taste. Next up for me will be the Visual Sound Open Road. The recent TC Electronic Tone Print series looks exciting too!

Never tried the Turbo Rat, but it's definitely important to have that full drive sometimes!

Have used the Timmy, very nice. I am switching to Wampler pedals.There are many diferent styles and tones.