A lot of the pedal had the tone up in the demo I noticed. Me thinks new guitar is a dark low mid voiced beast. She looks light and bright but I have a feeling she is more of a Soundgarden kinda crowd girl. I still can not get over that neck.
I worked with Dan Armstrong in the UK developing his original line of six, jack plug effects units. The original effects you see most often are those made by Musitronics in the USA, like the one you have, but my recollection (which could be wrong, it's a long time ago) is that the six effects were first released in England using the extruded aluminium enclosures sold by Vero Electronics. These pedals have much finer corrugations on the extruded sides than the later units. Dan owned the company, he was the name and face and would come up with the outline ideas of what he wanted. Dan had some quirky ideas and the small box with a jack plug sticking out of it was his idea. As time has shown the product range would have been more practical as a floor pedal with a foot switch and might have been more successful in that format. The main engineer on the project was George Merriman. He was the man turning Dan's rough concepts into working circuits. I helped out and did development work that George did not have the time for. With some suggestions from George I designed the Purple Peaker and the Yellow Humper, essentially the same circuit with different filter cap values. One of the principles of designing these pedals and I think this was true of all effects pedals at the time, was that the circuit had to use as few components as possible to save on manufacturing cost and it didn't matter if, as a result, the circuit did not function quite as well as it might if it had a few more parts. I re-drew the circuits (in those days in pencil on a piece of sectioned graph paper) to provide a cleaner copy for manufacturing of all of the pedals, from George's original rough pencil sketches. Amazingly I still have the copy of the circuit I produced of the Blue Clipper. It is dated the 7th of April 1975. It is probably safe to assume that the English units were in production within two months of that date. The English Blue Clipper used a 741 op-amp and a back to back pair of 1N4148 silicon diodes for the clipping.
That was so awesome to read. I wish you were in the room with Josh talking about all this. Now that could make a great episode. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love the "Loud Is More Good" on your amp. So often I find that when I'm dissatisfied with my tone, everything gets better when I turn my volume knob up. Volume might be one of my most favorite "effects." :)
I have a friend who puts boost on his stuff all the time. Like, his base tone is boosted because it sounds better. I'm like, man, it's louder! Have a little restraint! Louder is more better, so be less better so you can be more better when you need to be... betterer.
I bought a DOD 250 brand new in 1996, they had just released the reissue. Almost 30 years later I'm still impressed with how that pedal pushes a tube amp. Killer tone!
Fun House by The Stooges is not only one of my favorite 1970s records but probably my favorite of all time. Not just because it’s so good but because a lot of my favorite bands were inspired by it. Thanks for another great episode!
There’s no other youtube channel that goes so deep into the history of music production as this one. Plus your love for the subject translates so easily through the screen, it’s truly mesmerizing!
I had a Roland sustainer pedal that looked exactly like that distortion one you got. Don't know what happened to mine since I have all kinds of old stuff from early days.
Gotta say, the Rat will always have a special place in my heart. I worked at ProCo in the late 80’s in Kalamazoo and soldered untold hundreds of cables, snakes, and yes, the Rat. If memory serves me right, employee pricing was $25. Many local musicians paid their dues working at ProCo to get employee pricing. :)
What’s great now is you can more than likely find a RAT for about 25 bucks now. It’s without a doubt the best pedal ever made. Do you ever miss working at ProCo?
The 70's is by FAR my favorite era for any kinda music and 1973 is the best year for music period. So it is always really hard for me to pick my favorite.
First time I watched your channel. Guitarist and audio engineer. I like my big box rat second run. I did have an MXR distortion plus. Have no clue what I did with it and I'm keeping my Rat and Boss CE-2
Great video and info, as always! My favorite 70s Rock album is Rush: Hemispheres. Of course, my favorite album of any decade starting with the 70s is going to be a Rush album. Alex Lifeson's playing pretty much inspired me not only to start playing guitar, but to use pedals. Every early pedal (BOSS) I had was attempt to sound like my favorite Rush songs. Flanger, Phaser, Overdrive, Chorus, Distortion, T-Wah (ok, I didn't really understand how Wah pedals worked, lol), they were all so I could sound like Alex Lifeson and, to a lesser extent, Rik Emmett of Triumph.
Spent my early guitar years at a buddy’s house learning Sabbath tunes with an Ibanez SD-9 into a Fender Bronco. Great fun! Favorite 70s album has to be Kiss Alive II. It’s the album that started my love of rock music!
My parents told me they were taking a trip to Memphis so I mentioned (in passing) that one of my favorite bands was from Memphis and recorded at a studio called Ardent. So my 70+ year old parents took an Uber to Ardent, walked in the front door and were greeted by Jody Stephens (drummer for Big Star) while I was toiling away in a cubicle at a soul crushing corporate gig... I digress. Even though I was only 5 years old when #1 record was released Big Star was a huge part of my musical journey. Thanks for shining a little light on this under-appreciated band. Alex Chilton and Chris Bell were way ahead of their time.
You are such a dork. Also, please never change I enjoy these videos too much and feel like it's a master class in using guitar effects pedals. It's just the right amount of technical explanations with straightforward explanations on how (and the order) to use them in depending on the sound your chasing. Thanks for the videos!
1st distortion pedal I ever owned was a Ross. Loved it. Chorus, Flanger, and a Digital Delay and my chain was complete. Had a Vox Wah for awhile but the first 4 were with me until I sold the whole rig. 4 guitars, p.a. system, Tascam 4 track, and assorted cables and mics. I first began playing in the Bay Area in Northern California. Got the Ross there. Had a Memphis Les Paul copy that I loved and miss very much. Believe it or not I can't remember the name of the amp I toted around for years. It was a German name and I never saw another. Not even I music stores. I could get a Robin Grower tone, like on Bridge of Sighs, and would get lost for days. That Ross was a great pedal and if I had any idea what things would be worth today I would've never have sold any of my gear. But 2 marriages and 4 kids and 3 grandchildren later and I've begun to buy new equipment. The technology that has taken pedals so far is incredible. Hell you don't even need an amp anymore! Also, my nephew bought and showed me his TC Helicon voice live play vocal processor. Now you don't have to be able to sing! As the Kardashians can testify to, you don't need any talent whatsoever.
First, I love these, and your obsessive and unhealthy collector-brain makes me feel a lot better about my own hole into which I throw money periodically. Top 70s rock record is a tough one. But if I'm thinking about the distortion sound I quested after as a kid it's David Gilmour's cranked lap steel guitar on One Of These Days from the Meddle LP. To this day every time I hear that song and the full band kicks in with that rolled-up, big distorted chord the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My first "pedal" was the Electro Harmonix Muff Fuzz that had a quarter-inch jack built into the output. You plugged it straight into the amp's input and plugged your cable into the input. It had a slider switch and a single knob on it. I didn't have an amp early on, so I used an adaptor from Radio Shack to plug it into the tape input on my bedroom stereo and within about two months I'd totally shredded my speakers and realized I needed to hustle and get an amp. I graduated to a Boss DS-1 that I bought in 1979 at Leo's Music in Oakland. I still have that pedal and it shows up in my board to this day off and on. People see it, scoff and then shut up because I know how to dial it in for the sound I want. Mostly though I leave it at home because it's got a ton of sentimental value for me.
That St.Vincent guitar is so cool and sounds great. Favorite Albums: Machine Head by Deep Purple and Highway to Hell. But also a lot of punk like Ramones, Pistols and Stranglers.
Was just here to comment on the guitar too. One of the coolest designs on the market. Having said that I don't think she even uses a pink one that is distracting. Guitar center has these for roughly half the price of a comparable Gibson so also not a bad deal for top line instrument
I have no idea how you do it, but you’re the only person I’ve ever heard (or read from) that makes all the internal works of a pedal/ amp interesting. I wish we could be best friends and I could just absorb all of that circuit knowledge
For over a decade I used a Ross distortion as my main dirt pedal. It has a slightly browner sound than a MXR distortion plus. It didn't sound good into a clean amp, but running into a distorted amp it is glorious! I was pretty much a head banger back in those days, but have since moved on to music more suited to fuzz. Thanks for the great episode!
Favorite Big 70s Rock albums (in no particular order) Stones - Sticky Fingers Kiss - S/T The Kinks - Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround T.Rex - The Slider Bowie - Diamond Dogs Thin Lizzy - Black Rose
Thankyou for taking the time showing these great pedals memories of pedals i had in the past that i never should of sold, MXR distortion plus my first my favorite 1977.
Mxr distortion+ made in 78 I acquired it in 1999 and it has never left my board. It has become a major component of my tone. Advice collect all the pedals you want but stick to a few that never leave your board and get to really know those tones.
Dear Josh my beloved distortion pedal is the first i had, the Coron 15, as you said a mxr copy I bought it in Greece and i still own it. No led no dc input, only battery, and i love it!
My favorite rock album of the 70's is STILL "Cheap Trick: Live At Budokan." It's got everything! As for favorite distortion pedals, it's got to be my '86, small-box, RAT (the so-called 'Jeff Beck RAT'). It's, well, basically, perfect. I picked it up in 1999 at Johnny Guitar in Hollywood (across the street from the GC mothership) for $76.00. I still can't believe that.
Led Zeppelin III is my favorite; the members still had that fresh energy with them but they had reached their peak status as musicans, and the album contains so many variations in style, each sounding equally fantastic. From the soft timbre of gallow's pole to the head banging heartbreaker, that album's got it all.
SO glad you left the Iron Horse in there - I have the V2 and it's just perfection, covers everything from smooth overdrive to OMG WHAT THE HELL IS THAT distortion.
Rowland S Howard used to use the MXR + His sound is amazing ! All through the Birthday Party, Crime city solution and his solo albums. For a 70s album ? Everything where Mick Ronson played...but that was fuzz !
fav pedal-the first one that plugged straight into the guitar sounded awesome! fav record-static age by misfits; the album flows well and has some great crooning plus killer punk thrash
that dod pre amp pedal in front of a dirty orange amp is pure heaven. Also, I was born in 1978 and grew up on classic rock and heavy metal. We used to go on these huge camping trips almost like a family reunion and I had this little single speaker realistic boombox radio. And I would sit in my grandpas pick up camper and rock out to Black Sabbath. It was my first album I recorded to cassette as a 7-year-old. Black Sabbath's Paranoid. So I would have to say that it is my favorite 1970s rock album.
Great episode! 🤘 😎 My first distortion pedal was the DOD FX-57 Hard Rock Distortion it has a 40 ms delay on it that gives some king of "guitar voice" changes to your tone, that I use at 9 - 11 o'clock to get some punk rock. And then I got the Boss DS-1 Distortion that I consider the most versatile pedal ever, you can rock the tone from the 1970 to 20xx. With the tone knob at 10:30, drive knob between 1 - 2 o'clock and level knob full up (5 o'clock) it's the real heavy blessed distortion ever.
One of the coolest things about guitar players is that we are all so different. I love the St. Vincent guitars .... Some people don't. Everybody likes a different flavor of fuzz or distortion. And Josh is so cool he shares all his pedals with us .... not just JHS pedals ...., all the cool pedals. Thanks Josh !
Thanks for sharing. I bought a used Ross Distortion pedal around 2002/3 that I didn’t know anything about other that it sounded good and fit my budget. It was much more versatile than my army green Sovtek Big Muff so I leaned on it for a while before another pedal came my way. My favorite memory using the Ross Distortion was on an overdub. We had a splitting adapter out the guitar where one cable entered the first input of my no-name “200G guitar amplifier” while the second cable went through the Ross into the second input. The result was unexpected and incredible. I will see about putting a link to the song as a reply comment.
Favourite album of the 70s: Alice Cooper - Killer. Still listen to it quite often. I think it was the first record I owned... First distortion pedal: MXR Distortion + (bought 79 or 80 - still have it)
Man I really love your videos. You’re honest and open, have no problem citing brands despite they’re competitors. The music clips are awesome, the camera shots are great, scenario, music, all so tasteful. I guess that’s the word: tasteful. Thanks so much
Mahogany Rush IV, most underrated guitarist ever, Frank Marino, tone freak, distortion all over everything. Check out his version of I'll Play The Blues For You on the Tribute To Albert King album.
I really loved my DOD overdrive preamp 250. I was able to get a reissue some years ago... It was beautiful, I used to do everything with it (from a light overdrive to a medium distortion, and could be stacked with other overdrive/distortion pedals), and what I've used to play was alternative and classic rock. It fits well to that type of music.... I really miss it, since it is out of order due to an electric shock. Some friend tried to fix it, but it burned some components by mistake.. And I live in Mexico, so it was pretty difficult to get it and buying one again it's very expensive due to taxes and shipping costs (even a used one). I wish I could have it again.... All these videos where the DOD is presented just make me feel uneasy and give me some nostalgia :(
I’ve had I don’t know how many DS1’s and it’s is a pedal that always sounds better when someone else plays it. That pedal just doesn’t take me very well!
I know this video was posted a year ago but i just picked up a black Ross Distortion and I’m really impressed with how great it sounds. Cool to see it featured in this vlog!
Honestly, Big Star’s first album is THE definition of good 70s rock. Yeah, there’s the Ramones and Blondie and lots of New Wave, but whereas the Ramones grabbed an idea of rock & roll, Big Star was a progression OF rock as it was in the early 70s from guys that were totally disgruntled by what was going on. Alex Chilton and Big Star (and Badfinger) championed a wholly different alternative to what we now call ‘classic rock’, and it pretty much fell on deaf ears until the late 70s. A goddamn rock & roll trail of tears that saw more than a few casualties (Chris Bell and most of Badfinger, ultimately). I pilgrimaged from Michigan to Memphis to see Big Star perform at a festival in the early 2000s. They were amazing.
Love the Rat. And not blowing smoke but I regret selling my JHS All American. Loved and still love. Its one of best Rat style pedals Ive played. I just love that it can be an overdrive, distortion and then get into fuzz territory all with a turn of theknob. Love the vlog too. Thanks Josh and team
The pink guitar is lovely. My first pedal was the black Ross R50 Distortion purchased new for $20 in 1984 or 5 from a Cleveland music store where I also used my X-mas money to obtain my first guitar (a used super cheapo hollow body knock off for $125 cash). The low price of the Ross was influenced by the purchase of the guitar, but according to my band mate, the best cheap pedal at that moment. I was delighted to learn that Ross is again active and I could actually walk to their Cicero Av office.
I used the MXR circuit to build on with modded values on all components thru trial and error with op pre-amp with tone controls had switches to set tone range hi and low with two foot switch to go between distortion settings. I made many for friends including one for bass guitar. I would call OP amp makers and they would send samples of there latest designs. I was amazed at the tones by changing the op amp made. Never made them for money mite be a few out there. I dug mine up recently but has bad cap on the fix list. I called it Zombie Distortion! No lie it is true. This was in the time you could go to Radio Shack buy components and create now every thing is not repairable and throw away, Yes, I'm 70 years young. Z.K.
Other than the shape of the Coron Distortion 15, which you were right in assuming I’d like, the sound from your custom Ernie ball guitar was worth waiting to hear.
My buddy just gave me a Gretsh ContoFuzz a couple months ago, which he had not used in well over a decade. Had a local amp shop (Big Crunch, Baltimore MD) open it up, clean it up, and mod it for more volume, because as-is stock the "Boost" (clean signal output knob) only boosted the volume a hair when dimed, and the "Distort" (distorted signal output) never got nearly as loud as the clean signal did, so if you wanted an all-fuzz blend, your volume got cut in half when you turned the pedal on. Now it'll actually boost volume instead of cut it. It's a cool sounding pedal.
Oh, forgot. When you're standing there looking at it on the board, the input is on the left and the output is on the right, so I sorta wonder if I should of had them switch those while they had it, because it kinda makes me feel they way I do when I see a car drive the wrong way onto an off-ramp.
Love the series! Cool topics and Josh has so much interesting pedal past knowledge. PS. the DOD Preamp ist my favourite because I have one and it always sounds great with all my guitars and amps.
Love your videos Man! It's great to have someone who is so crazy about the unique tone of every kind of circuit talking People around them! Keep it up you crazy pedal lover!!!
May not be your forte but I’d LOVE, and I’m sure other would too, a video on how pedals interact with synths and drum machines. Half of the tones we can achieve on those instruments are based on pedal (reverb, distortions, delays, filters, etc) I think you’d have such an interested and detailed look into that world! Thanks!
I built so many of fuzz / overdrive pedals.. The principle is relatively easy.. All we need is to clip the guitar signal to get the fuzzy sound. What is really difficult is how to get the right clipping and distortion character .. In my own opinion, Maxon did really good in OD880 and OD808 pedals.
I don't have any of those pedals you're missing but I would gladly take a JHS pedal off your hands :) Love this podcast, it's so great, informative and entertaining!
@@thesuccessfulbarber My ears and other parts of my body worked better when I was younger, but the my point is that circuit topology may not be as important as you want to believe it is. Categorization certainly makes your world easier to understand and manage. We are all educated to believe that technology makes life easier, but not as well educated about the organic side that benefits from it because it is far more complex than an op-amp with some diodes. Even if you don't take into consideration the variables of contained in the player, guitar, amp and even the density of the air being pushed by the speaker(s), the diodes and caps in those simple circuit can have a noticeable impact on the sound. The issue for me is not whether I can hear it, but how much those small variances matter to me.
You need to talk about the difference between putting the clipping diodes after the opamp to ground, and putting them in the NFB loop of the opamp. Also get Starz first album. An unknown classic.
I see you put the tone knob on the DS-1 past noon. I too like to live dangerously.
A lot of the pedal had the tone up in the demo I noticed.
Me thinks new guitar is a dark low mid voiced beast.
She looks light and bright but I have a feeling she is more of a Soundgarden kinda crowd girl.
I still can not get over that neck.
I was frightened when I saw the tone knob that high. I knew I was in a rough neighborhood.
Lol thought the same thing
That riff reminded me of Henry Van Holtman. Hey Josh, do you listen to Psycotic Pineapple?
DS1 sounds best* with Tone knob at 3ish and I will fight you to the death over this claim.
*Through an amp. Through DI DS1 can just GTFO
Me watching old JHS videos over and over again
It's like this and Binging With Babish, come back, catch-up, fallout, repeat 😂
And they are still great!
I worked with Dan Armstrong in the UK developing his original line of six, jack plug effects units. The original effects you see most often are those made by Musitronics in the USA, like the one you have, but my recollection (which could be wrong, it's a long time ago) is that the six effects were first released in England using the extruded aluminium enclosures sold by Vero Electronics. These pedals have much finer corrugations on the extruded sides than the later units. Dan owned the company, he was the name and face and would come up with the outline ideas of what he wanted. Dan had some quirky ideas and the small box with a jack plug sticking out of it was his idea. As time has shown the product range would have been more practical as a floor pedal with a foot switch and might have been more successful in that format.
The main engineer on the project was George Merriman. He was the man turning Dan's rough concepts into working circuits. I helped out and did development work that George did not have the time for. With some suggestions from George I designed the Purple Peaker and the Yellow Humper, essentially the same circuit with different filter cap values. One of the principles of designing these pedals and I think this was true of all effects pedals at the time, was that the circuit had to use as few components as possible to save on manufacturing cost and it didn't matter if, as a result, the circuit did not function quite as well as it might if it had a few more parts.
I re-drew the circuits (in those days in pencil on a piece of sectioned graph paper) to provide a cleaner copy for manufacturing of all of the pedals, from George's original rough pencil sketches. Amazingly I still have the copy of the circuit I produced of the Blue Clipper. It is dated the 7th of April 1975. It is probably safe to assume that the English units were in production within two months of that date. The English Blue Clipper used a 741 op-amp and a back to back pair of 1N4148 silicon diodes for the clipping.
Terry Relph-Knight way cool background story!
That was so awesome to read. I wish you were in the room with Josh talking about all this. Now that could make a great episode. Thanks so much for sharing.
WHERE IS THAT JFET FROG PREAMP? NO ONE CLAIMS TO HAVE ONE THEY'VE SEEMINGLY DROPPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH
Terry Relph-Knight please email me! Vlog@jhspedals.com
@@jhspedals Yeah, dude. Please email him! I'd like to hear ALL you've got to share. We all would, I'm sure.
That "Electric Funeral" with Roland, sounds sooo mighty
REFLEX IN THE SKYYYYYY
That was what made me subscribe to this channel. Seeing that clip was the confirmation to subscribe
I love the "Loud Is More Good" on your amp. So often I find that when I'm dissatisfied with my tone, everything gets better when I turn my volume knob up. Volume might be one of my most favorite "effects." :)
I have a friend who puts boost on his stuff all the time. Like, his base tone is boosted because it sounds better. I'm like, man, it's louder! Have a little restraint! Louder is more better, so be less better so you can be more better when you need to be... betterer.
@@cmck1777 Eloquently put! :)
I too make it louder! ‘1 louder’
This one goes to 11, so its “1” more louder...
“Louder is gooder”...
woo hoo! 50/50 shout out! thanks josh ;-)
As someone who completed a EE program in 1984, seeing the op-amp circuit brought a nostalgic sniffle to me!
I bought a DOD 250 brand new in 1996, they had just released the reissue. Almost 30 years later I'm still impressed with how that pedal pushes a tube amp. Killer tone!
Fun House by The Stooges is not only one of my favorite 1970s records but probably my favorite of all time. Not just because it’s so good but because a lot of my favorite bands were inspired by it. Thanks for another great episode!
"Holy Trinity",~ Pop, Bowie, and Reed,~
There’s no other youtube channel that goes so deep into the history of music production as this one.
Plus your love for the subject translates so easily through the screen, it’s truly mesmerizing!
This is one of my favorite you tube channels ,You are really passionate about pedals and are quite the historian on them.
You Tube, more like You Solid State
Yup
I had a Roland sustainer pedal that looked exactly like that distortion one you got. Don't know what happened to mine since I have all kinds of old stuff from early days.
I especially dig how he has respect for all the other brands and doesn't explicitly promote his as the best ever.
Gotta say, the Rat will always have a special place in my heart. I worked at ProCo in the late 80’s in Kalamazoo and soldered untold hundreds of cables, snakes, and yes, the Rat. If memory serves me right, employee pricing was $25. Many local musicians paid their dues working at ProCo to get employee pricing. :)
What’s great now is you can more than likely find a RAT for about 25 bucks now. It’s without a doubt the best pedal ever made. Do you ever miss working at ProCo?
The 70's is by FAR my favorite era for any kinda music and 1973 is the best year for music period. So it is always really hard for me to pick my favorite.
Josh is a real pedal savant. Thanks for nerding out for our edification and enjoyment
Favorite 70's rock album has got to be Marquee Moon by Television. Such inventive playing on that record
Hungry Moose yeah, such a hidden gem!
And played with no effects outside of amp reverb, if I'm not mistaken.
My favorite has got to be queen, live at the rainbow 74
Marquee Moon changed my life
Which Vox amps (model/year) did they use for that album?
First time I watched your channel. Guitarist and audio engineer. I like my big box rat second run. I did have an MXR distortion plus. Have no clue what I did with it and I'm keeping my Rat and Boss CE-2
Great video and info, as always! My favorite 70s Rock album is Rush: Hemispheres. Of course, my favorite album of any decade starting with the 70s is going to be a Rush album. Alex Lifeson's playing pretty much inspired me not only to start playing guitar, but to use pedals. Every early pedal (BOSS) I had was attempt to sound like my favorite Rush songs. Flanger, Phaser, Overdrive, Chorus, Distortion, T-Wah (ok, I didn't really understand how Wah pedals worked, lol), they were all so I could sound like Alex Lifeson and, to a lesser extent, Rik Emmett of Triumph.
Spent my early guitar years at a buddy’s house learning Sabbath tunes with an Ibanez SD-9 into a Fender Bronco. Great fun! Favorite 70s album has to be Kiss Alive II. It’s the album that started my love of rock music!
Man I look forward to these every week! Been with you guys from the beginning, love seeing this new online success!
Promoting his product in an educational way, excellence in action
My parents told me they were taking a trip to Memphis so I mentioned (in passing) that one of my favorite bands was from Memphis and recorded at a studio called Ardent. So my 70+ year old parents took an Uber to Ardent, walked in the front door and were greeted by Jody Stephens (drummer for Big Star) while I was toiling away in a cubicle at a soul crushing corporate gig... I digress. Even though I was only 5 years old when #1 record was released Big Star was a huge part of my musical journey. Thanks for shining a little light on this under-appreciated band. Alex Chilton and Chris Bell were way ahead of their time.
I’m always impressed by your general love for pedals and how you’re not at all reluctant to recommend another company’s pedals
You are such a dork. Also, please never change I enjoy these videos too much and feel like it's a master class in using guitar effects pedals. It's just the right amount of technical explanations with straightforward explanations on how (and the order) to use them in depending on the sound your chasing. Thanks for the videos!
Rush - Hemispheres 1978. God, I love the distortion sound on that record.
This whole video series is absolutely brilliant. I've learned so much from them. They've also been giving me a whole new layer of GAS.
Favourite pedal today: I'd have to go with the Proco RAT. Favourite 70ies rock album: Raw Power by The Stooges
1st distortion pedal I ever owned was a Ross. Loved it. Chorus, Flanger, and a Digital Delay and my chain was complete. Had a Vox Wah for awhile but the first 4 were with me until I sold the whole rig. 4 guitars, p.a. system, Tascam 4 track, and assorted cables and mics. I first began playing in the Bay Area in Northern California. Got the Ross there. Had a Memphis Les Paul copy that I loved and miss very much. Believe it or not I can't remember the name of the amp I toted around for years. It was a German name and I never saw another. Not even I music stores. I could get a Robin Grower tone, like on Bridge of Sighs, and would get lost for days. That Ross was a great pedal and if I had any idea what things would be worth today I would've never have sold any of my gear. But 2 marriages and 4 kids and 3 grandchildren later and I've begun to buy new equipment. The technology that has taken pedals so far is incredible. Hell you don't even need an amp anymore! Also, my nephew bought and showed me his TC Helicon voice live play vocal processor. Now you don't have to be able to sing! As the Kardashians can testify to, you don't need any talent whatsoever.
First, I love these, and your obsessive and unhealthy collector-brain makes me feel a lot better about my own hole into which I throw money periodically.
Top 70s rock record is a tough one. But if I'm thinking about the distortion sound I quested after as a kid it's David Gilmour's cranked lap steel guitar on One Of These Days from the Meddle LP. To this day every time I hear that song and the full band kicks in with that rolled-up, big distorted chord the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
My first "pedal" was the Electro Harmonix Muff Fuzz that had a quarter-inch jack built into the output. You plugged it straight into the amp's input and plugged your cable into the input. It had a slider switch and a single knob on it. I didn't have an amp early on, so I used an adaptor from Radio Shack to plug it into the tape input on my bedroom stereo and within about two months I'd totally shredded my speakers and realized I needed to hustle and get an amp.
I graduated to a Boss DS-1 that I bought in 1979 at Leo's Music in Oakland. I still have that pedal and it shows up in my board to this day off and on. People see it, scoff and then shut up because I know how to dial it in for the sound I want. Mostly though I leave it at home because it's got a ton of sentimental value for me.
Your boost overdrive, the blue bottomed one, is the most beautiful design a pedal can have.
That St.Vincent guitar is so cool and sounds great. Favorite Albums: Machine Head by Deep Purple and Highway to Hell. But also a lot of punk like Ramones, Pistols and Stranglers.
Was just here to comment on the guitar too. One of the coolest designs on the market. Having said that I don't think she even uses a pink one that is distracting. Guitar center has these for roughly half the price of a comparable Gibson so also not a bad deal for top line instrument
@@dirkbonesteel Me too. Love the blue color ones, though I'd rock this pink one, just because!
Looks like one of the original rosewood neck models too.
I have no idea how you do it, but you’re the only person I’ve ever heard (or read from) that makes all the internal works of a pedal/ amp interesting. I wish we could be best friends and I could just absorb all of that circuit knowledge
MXR Distortion + is an awesome pedal and served me well in the 80's with a Marshall Jubilee 2555 and Fender Twin!
For over a decade I used a Ross distortion as my main dirt pedal. It has a slightly browner sound than a MXR distortion plus. It didn't sound good into a clean amp, but running into a distorted amp it is glorious! I was pretty much a head banger back in those days, but have since moved on to music more suited to fuzz. Thanks for the great episode!
Favorite Big 70s Rock albums (in no particular order)
Stones - Sticky Fingers
Kiss - S/T
The Kinks - Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround
T.Rex - The Slider
Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Thin Lizzy - Black Rose
I'm a little surprised that this was the first comment I read mentioning `The Kinks'. I thought they would get much love on this subject.
Love how the camera vibrates with the demo music - makes it 1000x cooler
"Sold 50 Buhmillion Units"
more than a kajillion for those who don't know.
Thankyou for taking the time showing these great pedals memories of pedals i had in the past that i never should of sold, MXR distortion plus my first my favorite 1977.
Favorite 70s (and also best rock album ever) album is BY FAR Dark Side of the Moon. David Gilmour's guitar will always and forever give me chills.
My first distortion in 71/72 was a Jordan Bosstone, similar to the blue Armstrong box that plugs into the guitar. It made a great radio too.
Television - Marquee Moon
Tom Verlains guitar tone was described by Patti Smith to sound like “1000 blue birds screaming”
How about Richard Lloyd's? 10,000 blue birds?
@@mattgilbert7347 People always overlook Richard Lloyd, but he is one of my favs.
Lloyd is an animal. I definitely prefer his playing to Verlaine’s. He’s more sophisticated and phrases more.
I’m so happy this video format is back! Your knowledge of pedals and their history is incredible.
Favorite 70s rock album.. The Stooges' "Funhouse"
Very important record!!
Mxr distortion+ made in 78 I acquired it in 1999 and it has never left my board. It has become a major component of my tone. Advice collect all the pedals you want but stick to a few that never leave your board and get to really know those tones.
"Because we're all really nice on the internet" lmfao.
At least in Mister Rogers Pedal Neighborhood.
WATT ? At least that's a great IDEAL we can all strive for.
Dear Josh my beloved distortion pedal is the first i had, the Coron 15, as you said a mxr copy
I bought it in Greece and i still own it. No led no dc input, only battery, and i love it!
My favorite rock album of the 70's is STILL "Cheap Trick: Live At Budokan." It's got everything! As for favorite distortion pedals, it's got to be my '86, small-box, RAT (the so-called 'Jeff Beck RAT'). It's, well, basically, perfect. I picked it up in 1999 at Johnny Guitar in Hollywood (across the street from the GC mothership) for $76.00. I still can't believe that.
i have the Ross distortion,,and an original big muff..found them at a yard sale when i was a kid..very cool info ,thanks
Led Zeppelin III is my favorite; the members still had that fresh energy with them but they had reached their peak status as musicans, and the album contains so many variations in style, each sounding equally fantastic. From the soft timbre of gallow's pole to the head banging heartbreaker, that album's got it all.
"Heartbreaker" is on Led Zeppelin II.
when i hear gallow's pole "soft timbre" doesn't come to mind
2 > 1 > 3
I think you are referring to Inmigrant song instead of Heartbreaker
SO glad you left the Iron Horse in there - I have the V2 and it's just perfection, covers everything from smooth overdrive to OMG WHAT THE HELL IS THAT distortion.
Bruce Springsteen, “Darkness On The Edge Of Town” - catch the short solo on Prove It All Night. Screaming guitar!
I have one of those OG yellow DOD 250s and absolutely love it. It's the first pedal in my chain.
Favorite 70's rock album? Too many good choices, but I'll throw King Crimson's "Red" out there. Awesome distorted guitar on the title cut.
UFO live in Germany.
Rowland S Howard used to use the MXR + His sound is amazing ! All through the Birthday Party, Crime city solution and his solo albums.
For a 70s album ? Everything where Mick Ronson played...but that was fuzz !
Another fab show, N.o 1 for me the "Blue Clipper", sounded immense !
fav pedal-the first one that plugged straight into the guitar sounded awesome! fav record-static age by misfits; the album flows well and has some great crooning plus killer punk thrash
I loved that roland bee gee. I think I might need one now. Also the guitar sounds and looks amazing.
that dod pre amp pedal in front of a dirty orange amp is pure heaven. Also, I was born in 1978 and grew up on classic rock and heavy metal. We used to go on these huge camping trips almost like a family reunion and I had this little single speaker realistic boombox radio. And I would sit in my grandpas pick up camper and rock out to Black Sabbath. It was my first album I recorded to cassette as a 7-year-old. Black Sabbath's Paranoid. So I would have to say that it is my favorite 1970s rock album.
Glad they left in the "you're such a dork"
That’s got to be a T Shirt!
Definitely not scripted
Yes, our dork,,,, and I couldn't be more proud.
@@WhoWouldWantThisNamemore prouder-er
@@scroogemcj7851 :)
This Channel needed to exist. Great History Class
70s albums I frequently listen to are Marquee Moon by Television and both T Rex albums, Electric Warrior and The Slider.
frank marino and mahogany rush live 1978 … sooooo many awesome effects and an arena rock staple.
You scared me, Josh... I thought I wasn't gonna get my Thursday fix!
Bravo! Keep 'em comin'!
Great episode! 🤘 😎 My first distortion pedal was the DOD FX-57 Hard Rock Distortion it has a 40 ms delay on it that gives some king of "guitar voice" changes to your tone, that I use at 9 - 11 o'clock to get some punk rock. And then I got the Boss DS-1 Distortion that I consider the most versatile pedal ever, you can rock the tone from the 1970 to 20xx. With the tone knob at 10:30, drive knob between 1 - 2 o'clock and level knob full up (5 o'clock) it's the real heavy blessed distortion ever.
My favourite rock album of the 70s is Sheer Heart Attack by Queen. It still would be with Killer Queen as the only track on it.
I don't like Queen much, but Killer Queen is astonishingly good.
I do have a love/hate relationship with this channel. This guy makes me want to buy every pedal in this world
My cat has a DS-1
My dentist has a Bad Monkey but that's a whole different story
One of the coolest things about guitar players is that we are all so different. I love the St. Vincent guitars .... Some people don't. Everybody likes a different flavor of fuzz or distortion. And Josh is so cool he shares all his pedals with us .... not just JHS pedals ...., all the cool pedals. Thanks Josh !
Thanks for sharing. I bought a used Ross Distortion pedal around 2002/3 that I didn’t know anything about other that it sounded good and fit my budget.
It was much more versatile than my army green Sovtek Big Muff so I leaned on it for a while before another pedal came my way.
My favorite memory using the Ross Distortion was on an overdub. We had a splitting adapter out the guitar where one cable entered the first input of my no-name “200G guitar amplifier” while the second cable went through the Ross into the second input.
The result was unexpected and incredible. I will see about putting a link to the song as a reply comment.
Favourite album of the 70s: Alice Cooper - Killer. Still listen to it quite often. I think it was the first record I owned...
First distortion pedal: MXR Distortion + (bought 79 or 80 - still have it)
Man I really love your videos. You’re honest and open, have no problem citing brands despite they’re competitors. The music clips are awesome, the camera shots are great, scenario, music, all so tasteful. I guess that’s the word: tasteful. Thanks so much
Mahogany Rush IV, most underrated guitarist ever, Frank Marino, tone freak, distortion all over everything. Check out his version of I'll Play The Blues For You on the Tribute To Albert King album.
I really loved my DOD overdrive preamp 250. I was able to get a reissue some years ago... It was beautiful, I used to do everything with it (from a light overdrive to a medium distortion, and could be stacked with other overdrive/distortion pedals), and what I've used to play was alternative and classic rock. It fits well to that type of music.... I really miss it, since it is out of order due to an electric shock. Some friend tried to fix it, but it burned some components by mistake.. And I live in Mexico, so it was pretty difficult to get it and buying one again it's very expensive due to taxes and shipping costs (even a used one). I wish I could have it again.... All these videos where the DOD is presented just make me feel uneasy and give me some nostalgia :(
DigiTech has pretty much given up on DOD and they're unloading the reissue pedals really cheap right now. $40-45 plus shipping.
I’ve had I don’t know how many DS1’s and it’s is a pedal that always sounds better when someone else plays it. That pedal just doesn’t take me very well!
I know this video was posted a year ago but i just picked up a black Ross Distortion and I’m really impressed with how great it sounds. Cool to see it featured in this vlog!
Honestly, Big Star’s first album is THE definition of good 70s rock. Yeah, there’s the Ramones and Blondie and lots of New Wave, but whereas the Ramones grabbed an idea of rock & roll, Big Star was a progression OF rock as it was in the early 70s from guys that were totally disgruntled by what was going on. Alex Chilton and Big Star (and Badfinger) championed a wholly different alternative to what we now call ‘classic rock’, and it pretty much fell on deaf ears until the late 70s. A goddamn rock & roll trail of tears that saw more than a few casualties (Chris Bell and most of Badfinger, ultimately). I pilgrimaged from Michigan to Memphis to see Big Star perform at a festival in the early 2000s. They were amazing.
Guv'nor! I bought one around '89. One of the best pedals I've ever used.
One of the riffs you played reminded me of “Feel” but I wasn’t sure, and then you pull out Big Star for record time! That was awesome
Love the Rat. And not blowing smoke but I regret selling my JHS All American. Loved and still love. Its one of best Rat style pedals Ive played. I just love that it can be an overdrive, distortion and then get into fuzz territory all with a turn of theknob. Love the vlog too. Thanks Josh and team
7025??
I love how you play just different enough to not get blocked 👏🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽
The pink guitar is lovely. My first pedal was the black Ross R50 Distortion purchased new for $20 in 1984 or 5 from a Cleveland music store where I also used my X-mas money to obtain my first guitar (a used super cheapo hollow body knock off for $125 cash). The low price of the Ross was influenced by the purchase of the guitar, but according to my band mate, the best cheap pedal at that moment. I was delighted to learn that Ross is again active and I could actually walk to their Cicero Av office.
Favorite 70’s album: Deep Purple’s Machine Head and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
This channel brings me great happiness.
That BeeGee AF-60 sounds absolutely killer!
Ya, i agree. The first thing I thought of was very early Black Sabbath tones...
With an ES335 in front and an AC30 behind it I sounded the best I have ever been. The WEM copycat helped. Sadly gear theft is the bane of guitarists.
Maybe it was partially what he was playing but I agree.
I used the MXR circuit to build on with modded values on all components thru trial and error with op pre-amp with tone controls had switches to set tone range hi and low with two foot switch to go between distortion settings. I made many for friends including one for bass guitar. I would call OP amp makers and they would send samples of there latest designs. I was amazed at the tones by changing the op amp made. Never made them for money mite be a few out there. I dug mine up recently but has bad cap on the fix list. I called it Zombie Distortion! No lie it is true. This was in the time you could go to Radio Shack buy components and create now every thing is not repairable and throw away, Yes, I'm 70 years young. Z.K.
Other than the shape of the Coron Distortion 15, which you were right in assuming I’d like, the sound from your custom Ernie ball guitar was worth waiting to hear.
This guy is great! He puts a smile on my face everytime. I've also upped my pedal game.
"You're such a dork"
That's a compliment.
...but if it isn't - here, hold my Op-Amp...
My buddy just gave me a Gretsh ContoFuzz a couple months ago, which he had not used in well over a decade. Had a local amp shop (Big Crunch, Baltimore MD) open it up, clean it up, and mod it for more volume, because as-is stock the "Boost" (clean signal output knob) only boosted the volume a hair when dimed, and the "Distort" (distorted signal output) never got nearly as loud as the clean signal did, so if you wanted an all-fuzz blend, your volume got cut in half when you turned the pedal on. Now it'll actually boost volume instead of cut it. It's a cool sounding pedal.
Oh, forgot. When you're standing there looking at it on the board, the input is on the left and the output is on the right, so I sorta wonder if I should of had them switch those while they had it, because it kinda makes me feel they way I do when I see a car drive the wrong way onto an off-ramp.
Love the series! Cool topics and Josh has so much interesting pedal past knowledge. PS. the DOD Preamp ist my favourite because I have one and it always sounds great with all my guitars and amps.
Love your videos Man! It's great to have someone who is so crazy about the unique tone of every kind of circuit talking People around them! Keep it up you crazy pedal lover!!!
May not be your forte but I’d LOVE, and I’m sure other would too, a video on how pedals interact with synths and drum machines. Half of the tones we can achieve on those instruments are based on pedal (reverb, distortions, delays, filters, etc)
I think you’d have such an interested and detailed look into that world! Thanks!
I'm 2 years late and also a guitar player, but I'd totally like to see a video like that.
Drums on the demo track are a welcome addition. More pedals reviewers need to demo them in a mix.
Love that st. Vincent
The best subtitles ever! Great video
The DOD 250 is easily my favorite overdrive ever. My desert island guitar pedal.
Colin Smith my 250 yellow is my go too!
@@pahackett1978 First OD pedal I ever bought (back in 1980 - I paid $29).
My first pedal. Bought in 1982. Still have it. The only gain pedal I had for many years.
Big Star #1 Record is essential listening! Thanks for the super fascinating history lesson.
I built so many of fuzz / overdrive pedals.. The principle is relatively easy.. All we need is to clip the guitar signal to get the fuzzy sound. What is really difficult is how to get the right clipping and distortion character .. In my own opinion, Maxon did really good in OD880 and OD808 pedals.
I don't have any of those pedals you're missing but I would gladly take a JHS pedal off your hands :) Love this podcast, it's so great, informative and entertaining!
That Blue Clipper sounds awesome. How come nobody has made a clone of that?
I thought he said the MXR distortion is a clone of it.. And the DOD250 is a very similar circuit as well
@@thesuccessfulbarber My ears told me different.
bet
@@greyblooz your ears must be so amazing bro
@@thesuccessfulbarber My ears and other parts of my body worked better when I was younger, but the my point is that circuit topology may not be as important as you want to believe it is. Categorization certainly makes your world easier to understand and manage. We are all educated to believe that technology makes life easier, but not as well educated about the organic side that benefits from it because it is far more complex than an op-amp with some diodes. Even if you don't take into consideration the variables of contained in the player, guitar, amp and even the density of the air being pushed by the speaker(s), the diodes and caps in those simple circuit can have a noticeable impact on the sound. The issue for me is not whether I can hear it, but how much those small variances matter to me.
I got the DOD 250 way back in the early 80s and I still got it. A kick ass pedal and my most used stomp box.
You need to talk about the difference between putting the clipping diodes after the opamp to ground, and putting them in the NFB loop of the opamp.
Also get Starz first album. An unknown classic.
pair of diodes In NFB loop = soft clipping, across the output and ground = hard clipping