Best cheap dirt

[pingu]

thanks LJ

I borrowed an original Tubescreamer
from a mate a long time ago
but it didn’t seem to do much ….

probably in front of a good tube stage
it would have been great but i was
using a JC50 at the time ….

[medblues]

Hotone Skyline Grass Modern Overdrive | Reverb

[Billy Z]

The joyo taichi is a zendrive clone. Sounds very good and very cheap cost . Good quality construction. I just ordered one brand new for $44 shipped.

[blille]

TC MojoMojo. Cheap, sounds great, and takes batteries. It does not have much gain though, if that's relevant.

This. Remarkable for the price, particularly with the EQ. Very dynamic as well. I think the TC dark matter is the distortion version if more gain is needed.

[jorgemg1984]

The joyo taichi is a zendrive clone. Sounds very good and very cheap cost . Good quality construction. I just ordered one brand new for $44 shipped.

I forgot about the Zendrive - besides Klones and RATs, it's another one that works very well with clean amps, if you dig the Dumble sound.

[Little Jay]

thanks LJ

I borrowed an original Tubescreamer
from a mate a long time ago
but it didn’t seem to do much ….

probably in front of a good tube stage
it would have been great but i was
using a JC50 at the time ….

You probably need a drive pedal that offers a more dedicated allround solution then, perhaps with cab sim and a more elaborate EQ (I was able to make a Tubescreamer sound good on my AER Alpha acoustic amp with the help of an EQ pedal and drastically cutting off all high frequencies).

But just for information’s sake I’ll also point out the Kokko Supa Drive, again very low budget for $20, but an open and neutral sounding OD, more like a Klon or Bluesdriver, without the mid boost and bass cut of the Tubescreamer.




These Kokko pedals rock! I made a board with them that I use in a professionally gigging Amy Winehouse Tribute band (we play theaters, clubs and festivals, so I can’t afford to sound bad).



And this is what I use on jamsessions that are not jazz:

[pingu]

Ok
I’ve ordered a Zeus (and a
pp3 battery cable)
(and a rubber band)

we’ll see how we go with that ….

thanks for all the advice , help and
suggestions ….
you folks on here are great ….

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I forgot about the Zendrive - besides Klones and RATs, it's another one that works very well with clean amps, if you dig the Dumble sound.

It’s great - but it ain’t cheap.

[jorgemg1984]

It’s great - but it ain’t cheap.

True, but there are plenty of cheap clones!

[Billy Z]

Not sure what cheap is. A used “Way huge Green Rhino” is excellent though.
I just got one for $60 , mint in the box. It is a mkIV version . I see MkII’s for about the same.

[RomanS]

for reference

this the nicest sounding one
i’ve found (to my taste)

but it’s £185 ….

Drive-Thru Overdrive (Pedal) — Huw Price

I don’t really want to spend that
kinda dough ….

I quite liked the Zeus
so maybe I’ll get one and a battery
pack
It must be the Germanium diodes
sound that appeals to me

In the two soundclips on that page, this sounds more like a fuzz rather than an overdrive...

[pingu]

1285872[/URL]]In the two soundclips on that page, this sounds more like a fuzz rather than an overdrive...

fair enough
i do like those kinda sounds tho

(maybe I’ll still end up getting
one …. if the tc zeus germanium
Klon centaur clone thing doesnt
work out)

[pingu]

What i think i understand about
types of dirt pedals (generic term
for all boosts / distortion/ OD / Fuzz box / dirt box / crunch etc etc)
———————-
1 Germanium diode based pedals
Klon Centaur is the classic
(also fuzz face , Big muff etc etc
———————
2 Rat types (hard ragged aggressive
sounds)
———————
3 TS types (used to boost the level to drive the front of a tube amp harder)
SRV etc
———————
4 Zen drive type pedals
(Dumble type of sound in a box)
———————
i’m sure there are many sub classes
but am i basically on track here ?

[palindrome]

My (sketchy) understanding of this:

1960s: Fuzz pedals predate all the others. I know nothing about silicon versus germanium.

1970s: First came distortion pedals (w/ hard-clipping diodes) pioneered by MXR (Distortion+) and then overdrive pedals (w/ soft-clipping diodes) pioneered by Boss (SD1), on which Ibanez would subsequently model their sundry Tube Screamers.

1990s: Marshall Blues Breaker as a "transparent" (i.e. without the midrange hump) soft clipper, Klon Centaur as a "transparent" hard clipper, and later on (ca. 1995) the "transparent" Blues Driver by Boss (BD-2) based on a unique transistor-based design.

2000s: Zendrive in an attempt to capture the "Dumble" sound.

I'm sure this list isn't complete. So far, I have found that distortion- or tubescreamer-type pedals are not for me, but I sort of "like" the Blues Driver (I still have a cheapish old Screamin' Blues, the blue brother of the green Bad Monkey mentioned here before). For what it's worth, the current-production TC Electronic "Cinders" would also be a cheap Blues Driver clone. I do have the "Afterglow" chorus pedal of the same series, which was equally cheap but does not feel or sound cheap. Quite on the contrary.

[perfumed]

TC MojoMojo. Cheap, sounds great, and takes batteries. It does not have much gain though, if that's relevant.

I second that, got one for £30 on reverb.com, its just perfect for adding enough colour and dirt without going metal/rock.

[pingu]

update
i got hold of a TC zeus

tried it out , liked it better than my
American sound clone

still not that happy , so it’s gone
back ….

[Stevebol]

There are so many good dirt pedals I haven't tried. I'm happy with the Tumnus;

[Stevebol]

My (sketchy) understanding of this:

1960s: Fuzz pedals predate all the others. I know nothing about silicon versus germanium.

1970s: First came distortion pedals (w/ hard-clipping diodes) pioneered by MXR (Distortion+) and then overdrive pedals (w/ soft-clipping diodes) pioneered by Boss (SD1), on which Ibanez would subsequently model their sundry Tube Screamers.

1990s: Marshall Blues Breaker as a "transparent" (i.e. without the midrange hump) soft clipper, Klon Centaur as a "transparent" hard clipper, and later on (ca. 1995) the "transparent" Blues Driver by Boss (BD-2) based on a unique transistor-based design.

2000s: Zendrive in an attempt to capture the "Dumble" sound.

I'm sure this list isn't complete. So far, I have found that distortion- or tubescreamer-type pedals are not for me, but I sort of "like" the Blues Driver (I still have a cheapish old Screamin' Blues, the blue brother of the green Bad Monkey mentioned here before). For what it's worth, the current-production TC Electronic "Cinders" would also be a cheap Blues Driver clone. I do have the "Afterglow" chorus pedal of the same series, which was equally cheap but does not feel or sound cheap. Quite on the contrary.

The Dumble sound isn't what I was going for when I got a Kingsley Page but that's what it is. I decided to get something that modeled my favorite amp- The old Fender Bassman so I got the Kingsley Constable.
It's a minor letdown since the Boss GT 1000 Core already simulates the Bassman and some other amps pretty well. Now I'm back to using the Page as a basic boost. For smooth Dumble-like breakup or just a boost with flexible EQ, I'm very happy with the Kingsley Page.

For breakup, overdrive, etc.. I use the Wampler Tumnus. It's versatile.

[st.bede]

I like no pedals as much as a tube amp that is cranked. Maybe your dislike of dirt pedals is based on the desire to get the hot amp sound. A lot of things (pedals, and modelers) get really close, so close that I doubt in a mix anyone could tell, but there is still a little difference.

[pingu]

1286672[/URL]]I like no pedals as much as a tube amp that is cranked. Maybe your dislike of dirt pedals is based on the desire to get the hot amp sound. A lot of things (pedals, and modelers) get really close, so close that I doubt in a mix anyone could tell, but there is still a little difference.

i think you’re right ….

but a tube amp isn’t practical for
me
i have a nice mk1 tweed
blues jnr but even that small combo
is way too big n heavy for my needs

yup pathetic i know , but that’s the situation ….
so i use an ultra minimalist SS amp/neo speaker combination
and get by

but a decent tube amp like pedal would be a great thing
for my needs ….
it might not exist as you say

i’ve just ordered a gas fx drive thru
pedal so we shall see

[Peter C]

Probably not cheap and certainly no battery option! The only pedal I heard that improved any amp you plugged it into.

[Peter C]

^ Actually may have been a "Blue Tube" pedal made by the same company. Long time ago.

[st.bede]

I can not think of an inexpensive option that would really nail an amp type break up, at a critical level.

I can say that I have used Origin Revival Drive in front of different ss amps (JC40 and Henriksen Jazz) and they still sounded like ss amps.

When I was young my first expensive amp was a ss dean markely. I tried to use chandler tube driver to get it to sound more tube-ish. It did not work. Eventually I bought a jcm800. That worked.

I do remember liking an old DOD 250 in front of a ss amp. It has been too long for me to really remember exactly what amp. Maybe I will head down into the depths of my garage and pull out the DOD pedals. I also remember thinking that the DOD 308 was a lot like the 250. The new 250 are not that expensive. Also I think JHS makes a clone.

I personally think the most critical piece of gear is the amp.

In my experience, even a highly sought after fuzz pedal in front of the right amp and guitar still sounds/feels like a pedal in front of an amp… all be it a great sound. People have told me that one reason is that a pedal changes the impedance. If that is true, IDK.

There is something about plugging straight in, pushing up the volume, standing back, and basking in the glories and nuances that can be pulled out from the amp… my ears thank me that I have settled for less glory.

[pingu]

yes I agree with this ‘it’s the amp’ thing ….

just I would like to get close to that
as I can with a small 9v pedal ….
(which might well not happen)

if the ‘gas fx drive thru’ doesn’t do it for me I think I’ll try a Junior Barnard pedal (if I can get a free returns
policy or try before you buy etc ….)

people here seem to like ‘em
well enough ….

its just taste , and there’s no accounting for it ….

[Peter C]

The pedal I tried out in a shop yonks ago was probably the one below. I asked the assistant to plug it into the worst, most dead-sounding SS combo he had on hand, and it sounded absolutely workable. I was very fussy about overdrive in those days and haven't heard anything as good since then (early 90s?).
PS @Pingu - this has been a topic of discussion practically since I started playing in the 70s. These days when I want to get a bit boisterous, the "Dyna amp" (I think) setting on my Roland Cube is good 'nuff.