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Small OD recommendations

FirewalZ

FirewalZ

Aug 14, 2014
3,766
7,359
S.E. Michigan
#1
Fairly new to OD’s and effects in general, but looking for a small form factor OD. Searching through other threads I’m narrowing it down to:
  • EWS Stormy
  • Way Huge Pork and Pickle
  • DG B1K
also another called Hookers Green Bass Machine?
Tonally, Big beefy grit, but tight and punchy, cuts through without being overly bassy or trebly. I have a TC Spark booster and it sounds ok, I just cant quite find a sound I really like.
 
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#2
I’ve only played the B1K but I like it. I personally feel it’s more distortion than OD but you get still get overdriven sounds. I like it because it does have the mid bump but the bite switch also really helps keep the low end. Only issue is the switches and knobs in the back.
 
#3
Mana Latte said:
I’ve only played the B1K but I like it. I personally feel it’s more distortion than OD but you get still get overdriven sounds. I like it because it does have the mid bump but the bite switch also really helps keep the low end. Only issue is the switches and knobs in the back.
Click to expand...
Yea, the B1K was what I was initially looking at. However, I saw that it had some knobs underneath and thought that maybe a PITA to adjust when Velcro’d to a pedal board?
 
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#5
Mana Latte said:
I’ve only played the B1K but I like it. I personally feel it’s more distortion than OD but you get still get overdriven sounds. I like it because it does have the mid bump but the bite switch also really helps keep the low end. Only issue is the switches and knobs in the back.
Click to expand...

I want to just +1 this!

I got myself a B1K because of space limitations, and even though the tone is pretty much identical to the B3K, some of the controls being hidden behind that rear panel really don't do it any favors. Especially when velcro'd to a board.

I do a lot of tweaking and trying things out for different recordings and mixes, and it was honestly a hastle. Eventually sold it with the intention of getting a B3Kv2 again. Ended up getting the B7Kv2 instead and ditching some other things to make space for it.

The Alpha Omicron is also a very versatile drive that's capable of a much harsher grit than the B*Ks, making it stand out more. But it can also do very mellow. If you have the space for it and are already looking at Darkglass, I would consider the B3Kv2 and the Alpha Omicron. Most versatile pair of DG pedals in that size enclosure.
 
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#8
FirewalZ said:
Fairly new to OD’s and effects in general, but looking for a small form factor OD. Searching through other threads I’m narrowing it down to:
  • EWS Stormy
  • Way Huge Pork and Pickle
  • DG B1K
also another called Hookers Green Bass Machine?
Tonally, Big beefy grit, but tight and punchy, cuts through without being overly bassy or trebly. I have a TC Spark booster and it sounds ok, I just cant quite find a sound I really like.
Click to expand...
Of those, the only one I'm familiar with is the One Control Hooker's Green Bass Machine. I own it and like it a lot. It has no shortage of beefy grit nor does it lose any low end. I also find the treble knob very useful for adding some definition to the beef and I tend to keep it set above 12:00. That being said, I have the older three knob version. The current one has four knobs on top, adding a bass knob to the config. Mine does have a bass control, but it's set via a screw on the side of the pedal - not very useful in my opinion but I luckily don't feel a need to add bass to it. Like it said, it's beefy enough for me as-is.

I had a Darkglass Microtubes OD but sold it. It's supposed to sound more vintage-y than the typical Darkglass pedal but, to me, it still had that famous Darkglass tone which doesn't fit what I play so I sold it. My impression is that the B1K is similar to a Microtubes but in a different package so, if you like the more modern Darkglass tone, this may be a good choice.

Another small format bass OD I love is the [sfx] Micro Red Dragon. Unfortunately they're no longer made so they're really tough to find and are typically pretty expensive. if you do happen to find one that hasn't been marked up (I was lucky enough to get one that was reasonably priced - under $100 on Reverb), it would be worth grabbing. I find it kind of Blueberry-like, which I love for a low to mid gain OD (I own three different Blueberry variations). However, the Blueberry's I've seen have all been standard-sized pedals, so they may not fit your needs.
 
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#9
I'm a big fan (maybe even a way huge one) of the Pork & Pickle. If I had to cut down to one and only one dirt pedal, that'd be it. Both a great OD and a terrific fuzz. Nice and small with top-mounted jacks so very space-friendly as well.

I have both a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes and a Darkglass Alpha Omicron. I haven't tried the 1k but my understanding is that it's somewhere in between those two, so maybe a little more distortion than OD. If you like that Darkglass sound, you'll probably like the B1K. The mini DG pedals make some of the controls kind of inaccessible, so as long as you're OK with set it and forget it for those controls, you should be fine.

However, I don't know the Stormy so I can't give you a direct comparison there.
 
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#12
The pork and pickle is a great device. I'm currently using the pork side to hit the front end of a sushi box Elementary or a broughton sv-pre, which works nicely to add hair. The pickle side is also great and might just narrowly pip the pork side as the best side of this device: It is indeed a dense russian style muff.

PS: I think a low-pass filter really helps you get the best out of the pork and pickle.
 
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#13
I use Pork Loin frequently and I wouldn't say it's punchy... but it's beefy. It has a mellow drive characteristic and it isn't trebly. Some other overdrive would cut through the mix better.
Check out the new Earthquaker Devices Zoar or Fuzzrocious Li'l Fella.
Darkglass Alpha Omicron also comes to mind.
 
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#15
FirewalZ said:
Thanks for the suggestions…I’m leaning to the pork and pickle, seems straightforward and flexible. Also I’m a finger style player so I think something with the blend maybe be helpful, just what I don’t like about the spark boost.
Click to expand...

Bear in mind that blend in Pork & Pickle / Pork Loin isn't clean blend per se.
It's blending "clean side" of the pedal ("warm British preamp", according to the manual).
It's a great sound, but it can distort easily if you have hot pickups!
 
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