# Advice for overdrive pedal



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I've been on a hiatus from Electric guitar for almost the last couple years sticking to only acoustic. Sold all my gear and invested in a couple of really nice acoustics. Well now I got the irresistible urge to put together a fairly inexpensive rig for electric. So I bought my self a Wildwood 52 thin skin Telecaster, found a really nice used Allen Old Flame head and 2X12 cabinet for the Blackface sound, which is my preference and this past week I've been focused on building a very small and moderately priced pedal board. The pedal board I want to keep really simple and something that stays out of the way of the music. What I mean is fairly transparent, mostly pedals that build on the foundation of my tone and not a lot of fiddling or noticing that they're there.. I've decided on a compressor (has a blend knob and I dial out about 80%) 2 overdrives and 2 analog delays.. The tumnus deluxe I'm using for that edge of breakup, the Boss DM-2W I'm using for a slight slapback for thickening the tone and the Carbon Copy for some longer delays and modulation.
As you can see in the pic I've got everything except for a second over drive for midgain crunch. I could use the tumnus deluxe for mid to higher gain as it does it well if I find another OD for the edge of breakup thing.
I'd like something transparent that could work well with the gear I have.
There are so many options out there its a bit dizzying. Watching youtube videos almost seems pointless. Eventually I may have what I need in a Kingsley double page pedal when Simon develops it but I'm on a 325 week waiting list then he has to actually create it which may have some challenges of its own. In the mean time I'm looking for a temporary solution. Hence why I'd prefer not to spend a lot of money. I've been looking at the new Boss BD2-W and I could probably buy it from L&M and if I didn't like it, return it within 30 days. As well theres a used Lovepedal Blackface Deluxe on Kijiji thats not much money. I thought maybe with the Lovepedal that is voiced to the blackface would suit my amp well as it should be voiced the same as the amp. The pedal can't be anymore than 3 inches wide or 5 inches deep so it can fit on the board.
So any other suggestions that anyone has that could help I'd like to hear them. Would prefer not to spend more than $200 give or take.


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## Cups (Jan 5, 2010)

If you like the Tumnus then get another. There's so many there's almost no bad choice.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

I am currently using an Arc Effects Klone for my main overdrive.

What interests me more is your signal chain order, delays first and drive and comp last?


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

If you can fit it on the board, I'd suggest a Sparkle drive. Its a ts808 with a blend knob.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

vadsy said:


> I am currently using an Arc Effects Klone for my main overdrive.
> 
> What interests me more is your signal chain order, delays first and drive and comp last?


I've just got them sitting there for now. I don't want those patch cables, looking for some shorter with pancake heads, etc and want to add my last pedal.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

cboutilier said:


> If you can fit it on the board, I'd suggest a Sparkle drive. Its a ts808 with a blend knob.


I've thought of that as I've seen a couple used on kijiji fairly cheap. I've never been plugged in to one. I used to see them modded by keeley a lot. I have no idea what the mod did.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2018)

I have found the old Barber Burn Unit to be a great sounding OD to distortion. Also the Tone Pump by Barber as well is really nice.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Cups said:


> If you like the Tumnus then get another. There's so many there's almost no bad choice.


I thought of that as well and its certainly an option. The Tumnus does sound good at a mid gain.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

a new OCD will stack nicely with the Tumnus.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2018)

I have a few Klones and they are great, but after a while when you try something different they don't seem as great. I would keep to just one Tumnus.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

For your price point, an OCD, the Arc Klone suggested is great but a bigger footprint, and the Barber units are good choices. 

An Xotic BB or AC or the RC Boost would be other good options.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

davetcan said:


> a new OCD will stack nicely with the Tumnus.


I once owned an OCD and did not like it. However at the time I was using a Wampler Hotwired. The OCD did stack nicely with other overdrives but on by it self I wasn't impressed.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2018)

Alex said:


> For your price point, an OCD, the Arc Klone suggested is great but a bigger footprint, and the Barber units as well.
> 
> An Xotic BB or AC or the RC Boost would be other good options.


the newer Barber units are small. I have had issues with the Xotic stuff. The 9v jacks don't line up with the case causing a loose and non fitting power connection. Never again. Plus no response from their support, or zero support. Just tumbleweeds.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

Player99 said:


> the newer Barber units are small.


I meant Barber would be a good choice as well (size comment was for the Arc which is not that big but a bit more girth than a regular pedal)


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

vadsy said:


> What interests me more is your signal chain order, delays first and drive and comp last?


I edited the original post to reflect the correct pedal board layout


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

Player99 said:


> the newer Barber units are small. I have had issues with the Xotic stuff. The 9v jacks don't line up with the case causing a loose and non fitting power connection. Never again. Plus no response from their support, or zero support. Just tumbleweeds.


I have not had any issues with the half dozen or so Xotic's I've owned but recall some issues on the forums years back.

I forgot one great unit - The Soul Driven. That unit is very transparent and has a nice phat tone. I have the Allen Hinds version of the SD but I think the regular production SD would also be a good fit.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2018)

Alex said:


> I meant Barber would be a good choice as well (size comment was for the Arc which is not that big but a bit more girth than a regular pedal)


Sorry I misread your post. Here is the Burn Unit EQ. You get a double pedal with it...


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I like the thought of a double pedal. Is this currently in production?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

davetcan said:


> a new OCD will stack nicely with the Tumnus.


Seconded.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

For a light, fairly transparent gain, I'd consider a Timmy. New they run right about the max you want to spend.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

The gang have great suggestions.
I change drives on my board more than I change socks...
This weeks choise is the Xotic BB Preamp Comp.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The Tumnus will behave differently, depending on how you push it with the Ego. So, unless you are absolutely need to have a second overdrive on hand and set entirely differently, why not fill the space with something that provides more versatility and expands your tonal range, such as a phaser or vibe unit?


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

mhammer said:


> The Tumnus will behave differently, depending on how you push it with the Ego. So, unless you are absolutely need to have a second overdrive on hand and set entirely differently, why not fill the space with something that provides more versatility and expands your tonal range, such as a phaser or vibe unit?


I'm not in to phasers or vibes. The carbon copy modulation gives me somewhat chorus tones. I like tremolo but in practical would probably have little use for it. Only one overdrive pedal would work if I kept the tone of my amp at slight breakup, which the Allen old flame does amazingly well, but I usually go for a clean amp and a pedal for slight breakup then another pedal for mid gain crunch. If I did decide to go with setting the amp for the slight breakup and just the tumnus to push it in to mid gain I think I'd rather just go with the 4 pedals on my board as my focus here is a minimalist approach.
Having said all that maybe I'd consider something to expand my tonal range, but what?
I'm even second guessing the compressor pedal. I have the blend knob set for about 9-10 oclock, so nearly all clean signal, and thats with the amp set really clean. If I make the foundation of my tone on the amp with some hair, I'm wondering if I even need the ego.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Ever used an autowah? or an octaver, either up or down? Nothing against overdrives or having multiples of a given effect category (I'm just waiting for the clearcoat to dry on what will probably be my 20th fuzz), but both of those will give you a kick in the arse and make you think differently about your playing.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Ever used an autowah? or an octaver, either up or down? Nothing against overdrives or having multiples of a given effect category (I'm just waiting for the clearcoat to dry on what will probably be my 20th fuzz), but both of those will give you a kick in the arse and make you think differently about your playing.


Not in to wah. However in the past I've loved using an octaver. I love to fatten up some over driven sounds both above or below. I've not liked any octaver pedals I've used in the past Usually they connect to the direct signal then the over drive will distort the octaver signal as well, which I don't like.
The best octaver sound I ever had was back in the 80's using a Roland GP8 midi'd with a Roland G50 and GK2 synth driver. The octave was a sampled bass from the G50 and remained clean on top of the overdrive signal from the GP8.
The next best was from a digitech harmonizer pedal that had send\return outputs for the OD pedals so that they wouldn't distort the pitch shifted signal.
Also not in to fuzz pedals or heavy gain distortion. I like at most a mid gain.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Analog octave-up units will always yield a somewhat distorted tone. I've made/had about 8 or more of them. My preferred one is the Foxx Tone Machine, which yields one of the most robust and audible octaves IMHO. The nice thing about that is you don't have to crank the gain very hard to get the octave. 

Happily, the guy who owned Foxx bought Danelectro, making it possible for him to use the Foxx design for their French Toast pedal without encountering any legal hassles.

Alternatively, something like a Micro or Nano Pog provides a clean polyphonic octave up AND down, and has separate clean and effect outs, so if you JUST want octave up, you can get it.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

More delay.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Budda said:


> More delay.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Brian's a true genius. Just ask this guy, he knows ............


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## WhiteFalcon (Jun 9, 2015)

I've tried quite a few overdrives, and I have yet to find one that will replace my good old Boss SD1. It's got a very transparent crunch tone. I did the C6 mod to mine, which opened it up in a good way.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Thorpy Shotgun


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