The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #51

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    Quote Originally Posted by alltunes
    Unless the OP just has to have boutique I’ll toss in another suggestion in for the lowly Boss Blues Driver. A fine pedal indeed.

    In Praise of the Humble, Underrated Boss Blues Driver | Reverb News
    Blues Driver is good, but I recommend the Waza version, which is more money of course. But it's like a modded Blues Driver, there is a setting where it does not cut the bass like the standard version. It's worth the upgrade.

    Altho for the extra $16 over the Waza, you could get the Rockett Blue Note which is better. I owned them both simultaneously, along with a Timmy. All 3 are good overdrives. Opinions are subjective, But I rate them like this:

    1) Blue Note
    2) Timmy (and the first 2 are interchangeable, really)
    3) Blues Driver Waza

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  3. #52

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    This looks very interesting.

    I discovered it through this video (which is rock oriented but shows the versatility of the unit):


  4. #53

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    Based on this thread, I got curious about the Blue Note. I made a low offer on Reverb that I didn't think would get accepted but it did. I tried it out last week and have some thoughts.

    Preamble: I don't really use OD but I did go down the rabbit hole once. My impression was that all of them have a pretty cheesy "too overdriven" sound for me that doesn't really represent what a vintage tube amp sounds or feels like when overdriven. Even the much-hailed Timmy has what I consider to be an artificial sounding OD once you push it. Additionally, I hated how much they all changed the tone of my guitar. That mid hump is fine in something like rock where you want two distinct tones (clean and driven), but in jazz, it just is really annoying that you can't get just a little more gain without having your whole sound EQed.

    The Blue Note is pretty cool, but I think it's very consistent with the experiences I've had. I wouldn't consider this a neutral overdrive. I'm sure compared to a lot of overdrives it's pretty neutral, but it definitely bumps the mid range dramatically. Additionally the overdrive characteristic is very modern sounding. I'm not sure how to articulate that in words but to me it is more marshall than fender sounding, it's a smoother more compressed sound that I associate with fusion.

    I've only ever played one OD pedal that is definitely an exception to the criticisms I've shared above: Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop V2. The interface is dead simple: volume, gain, sag. The sag control basically emulates the effect of running your amp at a lower voltage. If you click it on with the drive down and sag all the way up, it sounds exactly like your dry signal. If you start messing with the sag and drive, it starts to distort but your basic tone is not changed at all. The characteristic of the overdrive is vintage, not fusiony. When you bring the sag control down, the pedal compresses and distorts earlier, which results in a different tangible experience that to me actually feels a lot like a driven tube amp.

    Check out the Barbershop if you haven't.
    Last edited by omphalopsychos; 10-17-2022 at 02:44 PM.

  5. #54

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    When set to "not hot" mode, the BN doesn't bump mids. Mine doesn't. Yes the hot switch definitely adds mids. But for a "hint of drive", you can keep the hot switch off, and crank the drive control. It's EQ is very powerful/useful and it can definitely be a "mostly transparent" drive pedal.

    For more transparency, you'd have to go with a Timmy or some kind of clean boost like a TC Spark.

  6. #55

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    I'll politely disagree with the above. Mine is the tour series which is the same as the larger one with the "hot" switch deactivated.

    Ruger9, have you played the Barbershop? If not I think you have an obligation to try it, since you seem to have broad experience with OD pedals and this one seems totally up your alley.

    Also if anyone wants a Blue Note for $100, DM me.

  7. #56

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    I haven't played the Barbershop, but I've played a hundred (literally) others. Overdrives are overdrives. I've had "transparent" ones, "tube screamery" ones, Klon ones, Bluesbreakers... King of Tone... ODR-1... there are only so many variations on overdrive pedals. Basically, those that add mids whether you like it or not, and those that can be set to not add mids. I've owned multiple examples of both.

    As I said earlier, it's not just about the pedal; the pedal has to "mate well" (it IS a recipe), with your guitar and amp. Some guitars/amps "like" some overdrives better than others. It's all trial and error (which is why I've owned a hundred through the years).

    If someone wants an absolutely flat EQ drive pedal, especially if only looking for a "hint" of drive, I'd start with the clean boosts: RC Booster and TC Spark. If they do not have enough (or the type of) drive you like, as I said above, I'd recommend the Timmy, Blue Note, and Boss BD-2w. But you won't know what's going to work with your rig until you try it.

  8. #57

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    Yeah I get you. Just saying I went down the rabbit hole too and this is the one pedal that stood head and shoulders above the rest.

  9. #58

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    Quote Originally Posted by ruger9
    When set to "not hot" mode, the BN doesn't bump mids. Mine doesn't. Yes the hot switch definitely adds mids. But for a "hint of drive", you can keep the hot switch off, and crank the drive control. It's EQ is very powerful/useful and it can definitely be a "mostly transparent" drive pedal.

    For more transparency, you'd have to go with a Timmy or some kind of clean boost like a TC Spark.
    I have a Timmy and I would definitely not consider it for this purpose. The distortion sounds too grainy to me, for want of a better word. I do like it to boost a Marshall for rock tones.

    I use a King of Tone for this, warmer, smoother OD, just a slight mid hump. Whatever OD one uses, the EQ or mid-hump has to enhance the basic tone of the guitar. The KOT works great with one of my arch tops but not the other. The other needs an EQ pedal to fill the mids os a Fender style amp.

    So it's a bit of a roll of the dice in my experience.

  10. #59

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    Moskyaudio Mini Silver Horse Effect Pedal Overdrive..this is what i bought and use, klon copy


    https://a.co/d/apCWmxE

  11. #60

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    Dear OP- it sounds like you want a Revv Tilt Overdrive.
    It was designed to address the exact issues you are having.
    there was a good TPS episode where the signature artist described the how and why. Neat idea.
    Emike.

  12. #61

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    A good low cost pedal is the ehx hot tubes. It work very well as an always on pedal and seems to work well going into other drive type pedals as well. Unlike a tube screamer type, it also has some good low end.

  13. #62

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    i have a couple of dozen drive pedals, blackstone, timmy, zendrive, lovepedals, tubescreamers, rat, marshall, boss, ibanez,.. all sorts from eqs and clean boosters to different overdrive types and distortion boxes. Nothing really compares to the dynamics and response of a cranked non master volume tube amp. I also love playing with a slightly hot sound that you can control with the pick and the guitar volume.

    Best solution is to get an amp that is not too loud for smaller gigs. I use small fenders, princeton, pro junior iv, champ. If not, attenuators do the job, but they are not as practical as pedals, and they still affect the sound. For pedals it is luck really, you have to figure out what type of drive you need (probably a clean boost or a transparent overdrive) and keep trying different ones till you find your sound. I don't think there are pedals more subjective and dependent on the rest of your gear other than drive ones, what is perfect for one player and setup is awful for another!!

  14. #63

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    I use a Kingsley Juggler (proper D-style tube preamp) into Fender amps with the amp tone controls set close to zero to flatten the amps inherent EQ curve. Simon makes Fender style preamps as well. Feels and sounds like a nicely voiced tube amp with a clean and an overdrive channel and a master volume because it literally is

  15. #64

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alter
    i have a couple of dozen drive pedals, blackstone, timmy, zendrive, lovepedals, tubescreamers, rat, marshall, boss, ibanez,.. all sorts from eqs and clean boosters to different overdrive types and distortion boxes. Nothing really compares to the dynamics and response of a cranked non master volume tube amp. I also love playing with a slightly hot sound that you can control with the pick and the guitar volume.

    Best solution is to get an amp that is not too loud for smaller gigs. I use small fenders, princeton, pro junior iv, champ. If not, attenuators do the job, but they are not as practical as pedals, and they still affect the sound. For pedals it is luck really, you have to figure out what type of drive you need (probably a clean boost or a transparent overdrive) and keep trying different ones till you find your sound. I don't think there are pedals more subjective and dependent on the rest of your gear other than drive ones, what is perfect for one player and setup is awful for another!!
    Yes, and even with the same amp setup and with different guitars! You just have to experiment and see what works. For jazz, tube screamer variants never work for me. Timmys don't work for me (good for rocking out a Marshall, and great eq if needed), Bluesbreaker variants like the King of Tone work for me, and other folks like the other ones. But only for one jazz guitar and not the other! However it works for blues and rock with any guitar and amp so it is on my board.

    But nothing works better than a slightly pushed amp with maybe an EQ pedal out front. YMMV etc.

  16. #65

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alter
    i have a couple of dozen drive pedals, blackstone, timmy, zendrive, lovepedals, tubescreamers, rat, marshall, boss, ibanez,.. all sorts from eqs and clean boosters to different overdrive types and distortion boxes. Nothing really compares to the dynamics and response of a cranked non master volume tube amp. I also love playing with a slightly hot sound that you can control with the pick and the guitar volume.

    Best solution is to get an amp that is not too loud for smaller gigs. I use small fenders, princeton, pro junior iv, champ. If not, attenuators do the job, but they are not as practical as pedals, and they still affect the sound. For pedals it is luck really, you have to figure out what type of drive you need (probably a clean boost or a transparent overdrive) and keep trying different ones till you find your sound. I don't think there are pedals more subjective and dependent on the rest of your gear other than drive ones, what is perfect for one player and setup is awful for another!!
    Yes, the pushed amp tone works best for me. I tried a lot of drive pedals (mostly with telecasters in a blues setting) and they kind of work, but I prefer the drive of an amp. If I say drive I mean the slightest hint of drive – think Grant Green, Melvin Sparks (well these probably never thought about it, just plugged into a twin and played), Eddie Roberts (he seems to use a booster in front of a twin but I guess he plays much louder than I can or want) – not a Tube Screamer tone. A TS even with drive at zero and the volume not pushed gives me more drive than I want. What I want is maybe better described as "saturation" – the tubes slightly fattening and compressing the tone.
    But I also figured out that you never really know how much volume you need. I have two amps, one is a 15 Watt Blues junior, the other a 40 Watt Vibrolux. And I've run into situations with both of them where either the blues jr. was not enough and fighting to be heard or the vibrolux was just a little too much (couldn't open it enough to get to the "sweet spot". I do not bring two amps to a gig, so I thought it would be nice to bring the bigger one and than have some kind of strategy to tame it down just a little bit.
    FWIW sometimes on the same gig, the blues jr. is fine in the first set, but the drummer drinks a beer in the break and plays just slightly louder in the second set and the tiny amp is fighting.

    What do you guys think of adding a master volume to the vibrolux?

  17. #66

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    Quote Originally Posted by guavajelly
    What do you guys think of adding a master volume to the vibrolux?
    I think it’s pointless in a brown, silver,
    or blackface Fender. I added one to a brown face (which I wound up removing), and have played through many SF and BF amps that had them. The preamp stages are too clean for it to result in usable overdrive.

    That tasty singing Fender tone is mostly happening in the output stage and speaker. MV only makes it harder to get that tone by attenuating the signal that hits the output stage.

  18. #67

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    My preferred pedal for jazz often is the Boss EQ7, just an eq pedal for a slight boost. It ain't fancy, but it works, and you get all that control over frequencies.

  19. #68

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    Everybody hear things differently. Personally I'm not that fond of the Zendrive type for very low gain applications. They are a but sweet and smooth for me until the gain is a bit higher

    Personally I like something Klon like, or even that old classic the RAT, even if the latter is a bit coarser.

    Xotic also have a couple of boosts with distortion that sound good

  20. #69

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    The Boss GE7 works pretty well. You can play with the sliders or just leave it all flat, and use it as a boost or volume cut pedal just by changing the output slider. It's rather easy to add just the slightest touch of boost, or to tame too much from another pedal. It's perhaps the most versatile pedal I've ever tried. The Analogman mod, which replaces chips with upgraded versions, makes it even better.

  21. #70

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    The Boss GE7 works pretty well. You can play with the sliders or just leave it all flat, and use it as a boost or volume cut pedal just by changing the output slider. It's rather easy to add just the slightest touch of boost, or to tame too much from another pedal. It's perhaps the most versatile pedal I've ever tried. The Analogman mod, which replaces chips with upgraded versions, makes it even better.
    Yes, I have the Analogman mod as well, it cleans it up to some extent. I find it essential for a jazz tone from a Fender style amp, especially one with no mid control.

    I just raise the middle two bands a slight bit and it fills in the missing mids and delivers a nice jazz tone.

    Once you understand the frequencies, it is useful in a wide variety of applications. There is a video of a Nashville studio player explaining how he uses it, he can get a mind boggling array of tones from one guitar, make a Fender sound like a Gibson etc. Very useful gizmo.

    Again, if you are looking for a drive pedal to do this, it can be done, but the mid EQ in every drive pedal is different, so you need to go through some trial and error to find one that works with your setup. Lage used a Morning Glory for this, a Bluesbreaker variant. Not a bad place to start.

  22. #71

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    Thank you all. I see that my options are
    • A boost or EQ to get the tubes cooking
    • An overdrive of some sort (thousands of options, really overwhelming)
    • An attentuator to tame the cranked amp

    OR just stopping to obsess ....

  23. #72

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    BTW, here is a video with the ES-330 (neck pickup, flat wounds) straight into the vibrolux. If I remember correctly the volume was something around 2 on the scale, treble at noon, bass around 3 or 4. I think it sounds OK, just a bit blank ...

  24. #73

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    I always prefer amp gain to pedal gain. But I have yet to find an amp that I can turn up that loudly and have it still be low enough volume for reasonable home use. That's why Master Volumes were invented. But even they don't always get the job done, and they are not all created equal.

    To this end, "getting all the gain from the amp, for home use", I have been considering the Cornell Romany, which comes with NOT a master volume, but a built-in attenuator.

    But truth be told, pedals are just easier. And cheaper. And there are great one that do the job really well.

    I'm always looking for Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue tone (which has been reported as a Fender 5E3 Deluxe tweed and a CC pickup), or Julian Lage's more recent tone with his Collings 470JL and Magic Amps Vibro-Deluxe. But even he uses on OD pedal frequently, there was a video of him playing in his home (one of the Collings demos maybe), where you could see the JHS Morning Glory turned ON in the background...)

  25. #74

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    Hey... this one looks promising... brand new, Supro Amulet. Built-in attenuator... I think I might have to get one for a look-see.... no dirt pedal needed for this one! I have a Supro Tremoverb, and love it's tone, but it has no master volume ... it gets loud fast. Too loud for around the house (if you want a little drive), without using an attenuator (which I do, but it's not ideal).






  26. #75

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    One more from Supro... it has a master volume instead of the attenuator...


    Delta King 12 - Supro USA

    Supro amps are new; they are new circuits, not reissues. However, they are designed to have that old-school tone, from the days of old. Owning one, I can verify that they DO have that tone... it's not Fender, it's more of a Supro/Valco/Gibson tone. My Supro can't sound like a GA-50, but it gets alot closer than a Princeton Reverb does.

    My local store carries Supro... if they have a Delta King 12 AND an Amulet at the same time, I will be making the trip...