Overdrive/Distortion + Archtops = ??

[mrventures]

Thanks again for all of the advice from everyone. Sorry for the delayed response; my partner had a nasty run-in with a neighborhood dog and she has required much care and attention this past week. Luckily she will be OK.

if you have the right amp, and can turn it UP to get power tube distortion (instead of preamp tube distortion), NOW you're talking some cool sounds...

The right amp has been the key as well. On my clean preset, I am using a Princeton model with a Polytone 1x12 cab IR. I tried copying this and then adding drive, and it sounded like poop. After posting here, I decided to change things up and use an Orange Rockverb model with a 4x12 Mesa V30 model and what a difference! Perhaps a little too heavy, but gives me hope that what I’m after is achievable.

I trust that roundwounds would definitely improve things, so I may try that out someday.

[steve burchfield]

Heres a man who could pull it off! Terry Haggarty.One of Robben Fords favorites and mine too! I think his amp is an old 4-10 Bassman

[steve burchfield]

Heres early Robben Ford with a Super 400 and a Super Reverb!

[steve burchfield]

One more for the road. Jerry Miller with Moby Grape and his L-5.

[One_Note]

I think it definitely helps if you can cut some low end from the signal (something like a Tubescreamer will help with this). Overdrive and lots of low end don't work well together.

[bluejaybill]

As I've said before, a King of Tone works well for me to fatten things up as if my tube amp was up a bit louder. Not full on distortion, just a bit of hair and fullness.

I've read that Lage uses a Morning Glory for this, very similar pedal.

[pingu]

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Heres early Robben Ford with a Super 400 and a Super Reverb!

wow that’s some low down bluesy sh1t
love it
I didn’t know RF could do THAT
playing on the neck pickup too ??
(well it looks that way to me)

thanks so much for sharing steve

[steve burchfield]

Robben Ford with Gibson Super 400 Live!!!

[steve burchfield]

You are quite welcome!!!

[steve burchfield]

Stuff Live with Eric Gale and his Gibson L-5 and Cornell Dupree and Steve Gadd

[Little Jay]

I really like the tone of my ES-125 with my Tubescreamer pedal.

Here’s with some delay and a wah pedal as well:
(Have posted it before, sorry)

[JaxJaxon]

I can get good over drive sounds with My Jazz Box uesing flat wound nickel strings. It has more to do with the pickups used the pedal used and the amplifier. First dont use overwound pickups try different alnico magnet types each type gives a different tone character make sure the pickups are well potted. Next get a lower gain OD. I use a low cost TC Tube Pilot and put a EQ just after it to shape the tone. And You should use a clean amp with a good amount of head room. I use Fender amps.

[ThatRhythmMan]

In contrast, I feel like I got a very good metal tone using flatwound strings on a Super 400 with original unpotted pickups using a high gain amplifier, all preamp distortion, and the amps built in noise gate.