I purchased an ashdown jlo hyperdrive pedal and now I use it more often than not. Has a blend knob and a q knob which makes it one of the most versatile pedals I've ever heard as it's so much more than a tone knob. It's designed to mostly add dirt to the mids so the lows never get sucked. Plus a +10 boost switch and a switch that gives you a tight focused sound or a fatter looser sound. I love it.
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Best overdrive that won't kill my tone
- Thread starter jacoby75
- Start date
I am not surprised you like the Sparkle Drive but am really surprised you didn't like the BB. I run mine with the gain set pretty low and its really open and natural sounding to my ear.
I used to adore my HAO Rust Ride but despite being a bass overdrive, it cut out way too much low end. If that pedal was re issued with more low end, it would be a contender.
I used to adore my HAO Rust Ride but despite being a bass overdrive, it cut out way too much low end. If that pedal was re issued with more low end, it would be a contender.
http://www.silvermachine.de/
the silverstone might well do what you're after I think.
I for one was really impressed when I tried it.
the silverstone might well do what you're after I think.
I for one was really impressed when I tried it.
Hi there,
I have a very similar instrument as you(Mike Lull PJ5) and I'm running the Electronix/Zeibeck Gemni Drive. I use it as a light drive and the clean volume control really comes in handy. Just as a note, it gets loud very quickly.
I also run a loop with a Woolly Mammoth but thats for a more synth like application.
I am trying several others but the previous suggestion for the BB or the Gemni I think will get you there.
I have a very similar instrument as you(Mike Lull PJ5) and I'm running the Electronix/Zeibeck Gemni Drive. I use it as a light drive and the clean volume control really comes in handy. Just as a note, it gets loud very quickly.
I also run a loop with a Woolly Mammoth but thats for a more synth like application.
I am trying several others but the previous suggestion for the BB or the Gemni I think will get you there.
No. But it doesn't add any either, which can sometimes make it seem like it's losing lows (to me). I had one and got rid of it and (surprise, surprise) I'm going to buy another.
BUT, I'm not saying that people are making stuff up when pedals do lose low end, because that totally happens.
- Mar 11, 2010
- 5,661
- 10,716
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Mike Lull Custom Guitars, DR Strings
I just wanted to follow up to say thanks for all of the advice, and to let you know that I wound up with a Pork Loin, and love it. There were so many different pedals that I saw online with differing opinions about them all, I wanted to be able to try one out in person to help with the decision.
Call your local guitar center, because they are closing them out! I got one that was a clearance (in their case forever, missing one foot on the bottom, but otherwise new) for $72! Insane. On the negative side, because they don't know what they're doing and nothing worked in the demo area, I had to try two pedals out on an egnater guitar amp, just to see how they sounded. Obviously not the best idea, but at least it gave me some idea how they sounded. I tested the sparkle drive and pork loin, and the loin had the fatter low end of the two, so I got it. Plus, for the price, how do you turn it down?
My thoughts: Initially when I got home and tried it on my amp I was really upset because it sounded like utter garbage. Fizzy, harsh, digital sounding crap. I could not get a usable tone out of it. Also, it did not function quite like I thought it did. I thought the "clean" blend would mix in your dry signal to maintain low end and definition. But not really. It's not a dry signal, it's a clean boost, based on a british guitar amp, so it greatly colors the tone and you lose some attack and clarity. At least I did. Of course, that's also sort of natural when you throw an overdrive into the chain.
However, I was testing it in my apartment, where I can't turn my amp up past 1 without shaking the whole building. Obviously, volume matters when you're testing overdrive. Once I got out and cranked it up, it's sweeeet! It's a nice subtle, very warm, overdrive, which is just what I was looking for. It has plenty of low end when you push up the clean channel. However, as noted above, you do lose some clarity and articulation.
As some have suggested, I'll be getting a blender pedal to blend in just the right amount of overdrive (as well as other effects like fuzz, octave, etc. once I get them), while still having my thumping clean signal running through. I really think it will be an absolutely perfect combination.
Thanks again for the tips.
Call your local guitar center, because they are closing them out! I got one that was a clearance (in their case forever, missing one foot on the bottom, but otherwise new) for $72! Insane. On the negative side, because they don't know what they're doing and nothing worked in the demo area, I had to try two pedals out on an egnater guitar amp, just to see how they sounded. Obviously not the best idea, but at least it gave me some idea how they sounded. I tested the sparkle drive and pork loin, and the loin had the fatter low end of the two, so I got it. Plus, for the price, how do you turn it down?
My thoughts: Initially when I got home and tried it on my amp I was really upset because it sounded like utter garbage. Fizzy, harsh, digital sounding crap. I could not get a usable tone out of it. Also, it did not function quite like I thought it did. I thought the "clean" blend would mix in your dry signal to maintain low end and definition. But not really. It's not a dry signal, it's a clean boost, based on a british guitar amp, so it greatly colors the tone and you lose some attack and clarity. At least I did. Of course, that's also sort of natural when you throw an overdrive into the chain.
However, I was testing it in my apartment, where I can't turn my amp up past 1 without shaking the whole building. Obviously, volume matters when you're testing overdrive. Once I got out and cranked it up, it's sweeeet! It's a nice subtle, very warm, overdrive, which is just what I was looking for. It has plenty of low end when you push up the clean channel. However, as noted above, you do lose some clarity and articulation.
As some have suggested, I'll be getting a blender pedal to blend in just the right amount of overdrive (as well as other effects like fuzz, octave, etc. once I get them), while still having my thumping clean signal running through. I really think it will be an absolutely perfect combination.
Thanks again for the tips.
