And here's those timestamps for you people on phones: 00:00 Hello and all about the Timmy and the Lightspeed 00:57 Today’s rig and what we’re going to do 01:23 Timmy controls and features 02:26 Lightspeed controls and features 03:03 Loop 1: Fender Telecaster single coil bridge pickup 07:15 Loop 2: Epiphone Les Paul bridge humbucker 11:21 My thoughts and why I love these two pedals so much 12:05 Timmy pedals are hard to find! 13:00 Sounds discussion 14:50 Things I don’t like 16:25 What other transparent overdrives are out there? 17:28 Final conclusion and goodbye
I agree - I love them both! And I agree about the bass control too - it just lets you dial out the boominess a little more than a single tone knob might!
@@RichWordsMusic I really appreciate you dude! Ive almost got what I want for my live set up. TU3 tuner, Keeley Compressor, MXR PHASE 90, greer lightspeed, Keeley Noble Screamer, MXR Timmy, Boss DD8, and soon a Strymon Flint.
I’m not sure what type it is but my joyo sweet baby is a very cool od, into my amps it sounds go from almost no perceptible boost all the way to a fender being pushed just right. IMHO
I have the Sweet Baby too, and it's really sweet, baby. It's built after the Mad Professor Sweet Honey, which I haven't played, but the internet certainly can't agree on what it's based on! I like the fact it has that Focus/Tone knob that does something a bit different though. It's a really lovely pedal (the Joyo)... I'm going to do a 10-pedal drive shootout soon, I think, withe the Sweet Baby in there alongside the two in this video.
I have a Joyo Sweet Baby too. I'm not sure I actually need another overdrive, but I've been looking at the Greer Lightspeed (largely due to Danish Pete's use and love this pedal) and the Nobels ODR-1(largely due to a TPS video comparing it to a Boss Blues Driver) I just want to see if I like either of them better than the Sweet Baby.
@@PooNinja I compared the Nobels ODR-1 and the mini and the Greer Lightspeed. I preferred the mini over the ODR-1. The bass was tighter. In my opinion, the bass cut switch on the ODR-1 was too drastic. Although it was more than twice the price, I chose the Greer Lightspeed. To my ear, the clarity and the balance of the tone was undeniably better. I'm sad to say, it even trumps my Sweet Baby. I could probably get by with it, but I can't go back to the farm now that I've seen Paris.
@@myguitarsandme that visit to Paris thing is why I don’t touch things I’m not budged for, I don’t wanna know how awesome a green to blue to purple burst burl top 7 piece Thru neck J custom seven string feels in my hands through A W/D/W REVV Triple full stack rig, I’m happy on the 400€ guitar farm with my 300€ solid state amps. 😂🤘🏽
I also suggest trying a Barber Electronics Gain Changer SR. I live in NYC (no shortage of choices & options) & have tried many Drive-pedals. It's absolutely Killer with a Strat and a Fender Amp. Nice demo - enjoyed it.
Ooh, I've heard a fair bit about the Gain Changer, but have never seen one to try! I shall endeavor to do soon as soon as I can. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed the video :)
Me too, and I'm happy to have both on my board. I agree too - the Lightspeed is so simple and easy to dial in with any guitar and rig. The Timmy is too from a neutral standpoint, but you can also take it to even more exciting tonal places with a bit of tweaking! Two truly great pedals :)
The V3 is even more tweakable as it ditched that clip switch that everyone leaves in the center anyway (internal if some weirdo shoegazer really wants it) and gives you much needed extra gain.
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 Yep, I leave the switch in the middle at all times! And a smidgen more gain wouldn't go amiss either... sounds like I need a V3 in my future!
They are essentially the same circuit, with a few minor component value differences. Which is why they both sound nice and musical, plus make for a good comparison. Nice video!
Yes, I thought so. You can make them sound almost identical with a little tweaking, but they both also have their own identity. The answer is to own both if you can ;) Cheers, glad you enjoyed the video!
I have a Tim v1, Greer lightspeed and southland. The Greer pedals stay on board for both rockabilly and classic rock cover band. The Tim sounds great though, just like 3 knobs for live work
Had both the Tim and timmy version 1 and also the Organic overdrive. Had to go with the Lightspeed. Organically good sounding . Just personal preference
Interesting, but if I would have to get rid of one now I think I'd keep the Lightspeed too. It just always makes me sound better! Would love to try one of the newer Timmy models, though.
i don't know what it is but i have never liked the breakup on the Timmy- now to say something negative about the light speed... i wish it had treble bass (2 knobs)
15:49 I can see a Lightspeed + Southland, or more likely Southland + Lightspeed considering where on the pedal is which sooner or later. I guess Nick Greer is just thinking: MIDI? Individual loops? How much will this cost? Do I go the the JHS thing or the Wampler route? Can I call Brian? Etc....
Yeah, I think we would all love to see that! I've stacked two Lightspeeds together before (did a video on it as well!) and that was incredible... and lots of people have mentioned that the Lightspeed and the Southland would be amazing together. One day, hopefully!
@@RichWordsMusic I have both the light speed and the south land and they stack together perfectly. If you haven’t tried it I would highly recommend it.
@@RichWordsMusic I wish I could explain it but the two best stacking pedals made. Greer mad a distortion pedal that continues from over drive into distortion. They are absolutely incredible together!!!!
Cheers Bob! I've kept both... they play together really nicely too. Top tip though: try stacking two Lightspeeds together if you can. Amazing! I wish Greer would make that pedal... I even made a video about it: th-cam.com/video/9JySeTauMxs/w-d-xo.html
Nice work - it's worth a lot more than that now, probably! Prices here in Europe are verging on the ridiculous now, but at least the MXR Timmy makes the format more affordable. They are great pedals... something to leave on all the time. And often you don't actually notice what they're doing until you switch them off, and then you sound a lot worse!
@@RichWordsMusic I have the exact same one that you have in this video. Prices seem to be all over the place on Reverb, but some are around $200-$250, so deals can still be had. I got a lot of cool, inexpensive pedals many years ago that are now pushing $1,000.... including a Klon I paid $400 for, and a sweet 1990 Deluxe Memory Man that I got at a yard sale for $50!
Yup, bought my light blue V2 around that time for $120. Came in a plane white box with a paper towel folded around it. At first, I thought i may have been ripped off with some sort of knock off haha. It’s been sent back to Paul C once though because the foot pedal was popping loudly after several clicks.
@@RichWordsMusic IMHO overdrive sound have a grain less pronounced (smother) and have a knob for something like "presence" in addition to the concentric two knobs for treble and bass.
The Looking Glass is nice, but very scooped in my experience, and the low end gets pretty flubby when the gain is turned up. Timmy is much more versatile IMO.
@@Unusednickname_1970 On my single coils and P90s no. Maybe that is on humbuckers? ....no HB on my arsenal to test, I hate them :-) By the way, my amp is the brillant Fener Deluxe reissue and a Vox AC15 2007 handwire reissue with EF86 tube....
The Lightspeed is a modified TImmy. The Timmy can do everything the Lightspeed does and more. (bare in mind it has twice the gain, and keep the switch in the middle position to match the compression / clipping)
@@RichWordsMusic One of the main reasons is that when you turn the guitar volume down, Timmy sounds like shit and Lightspeed (or Vemuram) doesn't! that's why. Cheers!
I stack the my light speed after the MXR timmy and it sounds magical, I’m about to drop the extra cash to get the real timmy hopefully get an extra 10% percent of magic.
Oh, the Timmy and the Lightspeed are a magical pairing for sure! They sound fantastic together however I set them, and in either order as well. Once you get your Paul Cochrane you should try stacking all three! And let me know if you do think it sounds better than the MXR - to my ears they're extremely close but there are subtle differences!
Great question! I have an ODR-Mini, which I love (I have a video about that pedal too: th-cam.com/video/JjZVfGAm51I/w-d-xo.html). The ODR-Mini does very nice transparent low-gain drive sounds, just like the Timmy and the Lightspeed, but as you wind it up it has a different tonality. It's certainly got a more raunchy rock sound, and it is fantastic with a Telecaster - it's the pedal all the Nashville pros use for a reason! Actually, I think I should probably make a video where I compare these three, and maybe a few more similar drives.
@@RichWordsMusic Hi Rich; thanks for your answer. I actually play Tele's, so the ODR-1 might be an interesting prospect. I used a Timmy at the moment (albeit a clone), but before I make my (final - or so I say 😝) decision to get the real Timmy or Lightspeed, I think I should look into the ODR-1. It might be the low-to-medium transparent overdrive I'm looking for for classic/hard rock tone. A video comparing the three would be most appreciated. Thanks again.🌟
@@amercieca No worries! It sounds like the ODR-1 really might be a cool one for you to try. By the way, last night I was on the BluGuitar livestream and we looked at all three pedals, starting with the ODR-Mini - check that out if you like. You need to then skip through for the Timmy and Lightspeed stuff: th-cam.com/video/zAIrTEQbXqE/w-d-xo.html And with Thomas playing you hear some different styles tome as well :) But I will also try for a comparison with all three soon too!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks so much for the link; did have a listen and the Nobels ODR-1 mini sounded very good IMHO. I might get one to try it out and see how it fares against my Timmy. Thanks
I would use a Timmy like a mild compression, pre amp, solo boost. Even though it can clip. That isn’t its strength. The light speed could do that as well, but was actually producing a passable crunch tone, so I would say that is more versatile
Yes, good points. I don't play many solos but the Timmy is great as a compressing boost. The Lightspeed is definitely more usable across the sweep of its controls, and does some great low and medium drives too.
I don’t know why the Greer pedals southland and lightspeed got so popular , they are just copies of the Timmy pedal, which in my opinion should be sweeping Nashville instead
Well, while I absolutely LOVE the Greer pedals (and the Timmy too!), I first came across Greer because of the ridiculous online hype a few years ago. And in my opinion that hype is justified, as the pedals are excellent, but without that wave of publicity I'm sure there would still be more people talking about the Timmy. Or some other pedal that got the hype ;) A lot of it is in the marketing these days. Just to make this really long comment even longer, I guess availability was also a factor. The Timmy has always been made in really limited quantities, and Lightspeeds have always been easier to find. Especially here in Europe.
How do you think the Teisco Overdrives compares to these two? And which would you choose? Also, have you ever tried the Emerson Paramount or EM-drive? I think they're supposed to be in that same transparent category.
I think the Teisco is very much based off of the Timmy. I love it. It's got a cool Kick switch as well, which gives you a really nice boost. The one thing I wish about the Teisco is that it had a bit more headroom on tap! Perhaps I should do a comparison video between them though. That might be quite interesting! Which one would I choose between the three? Right now I'd have to say the Greer Lightspeed, as it's the one I use literally every time I play. If I was building a mini board, I'd use the MXR Timmy :) I've not tried the Emerson, no... but I did just Google it, and now I want to! From the videos, they seem pretty sweet. More transparent overdrive GAS!
Excuse my intrusion but if you have a tube amp know is the time to get a whole set of backup tubes do to soon to be expected critical shortages for what may be a very,very long time.
I’m trying to source a 6c10 damn compactrons are 200 bucks ?!? Do you know of an “affordable “ substitute for my fender super twin reverb? I’ll probably end up just buying a used one for 100 😖
We were just going over your comments on the CatPick Fridays episode we pre-recorded this morning, Paul. Luckily I don't use tubes in my main amps and at the company we've already bought up all the NanoTubes of the kind we need that existed. But I absolutely see your point, even though I pray for things not to go that way.
@@PooNinja Yeah, they'd be at least €100 over here too, but most places I know are out (I just checked). Maybe Paul can help, but sadly I can't. Good luck with it my friend!
@@RichWordsMusic yea I may just mod the amp, I believe that tube is for the reverb circuit and “distortion“ the latter I have not nor plan to use so I could possibly delete that section. I fear (without looking at the circuit first ) that it may also have something to do with the 5 band EQ I. That case I’m going to have to try something like a 6d10 they aren’t as hot but it should work?? Don’t anyone still make (and I know this probably sounds blasphemous) solid state transistor replacements ?
@@PooNinja Well, I'm sure you could get someone to build you a replacement part, but at what cost I don't know. Maybe ask Fender themselves, or on a Fender forum - there are sure to be people out there who will know what you can and cannot mess with there!
The Lightspeed has been top of my wishlist since I discovered your channel. Both sound so good. What's the first song you played (on the Tele)? Sounds really familiar!
Oh yes, definitely worth a try if you get the chance! It's a wonderful pedal. The first song is one of mine - I've played it on the channel before though, which is where you may know it from. Hopefully I've not subconsciously ripped anything else off ;) It's mostly influenced by one of my very favorite bands, Nada Surf :)
@@RichWordsMusic Ahh yeah it is, I've actually got one of your demo videos saved in a playlist called 'Riffs to learn' haha. Only ever heard Inside of Love but I'll check more out. Cheers!
@@peterklein5861 Aha, there we go! Makes me very happy when someone wants to learn the riffs I play, so thank you! It's not that hard to learn either - the intro is around F, C and G chords (three finger chords, always with the little finger on the third fret of the high E string) and near the end a couple of barre chords (F sus2 and C sus2 I think they're called!). Plenty of Nada Surf songs have riffs like that. Give the album Lucky a spin, that's one of my favorites, full of lovely melodies and great guitar work :)
Great video! I have a Timmy on my board since I know it (years ago) and I really want to like the Lightspeed but it has something that is not my thing... I always prefer the Timmy 😅
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, they're similar pedals but there are some subtle differences, and I totally get why some people might prefer the Timmy over the Lightspeed (and vice versa)... for me the solution is to have both ;)
The best test for a transparent drive is to use a Strat with vintage PU's and see if it does or does not mask the bell like chime of the PU's It would take me paragraphs to list all I have tried. I only found 2. The Cornerstone Gladio SC and the Browne Amplification Carbon. The Cornerstone only works by keeping it backed off a lot. The Browne works very well over a broader range. The Lightspeed and the Timmy both started with a Tube Screamer circuit and heavily modded them. Nice enough OD's but to me not even in the ballpark as being really clean and transparent. If all really want to do as give your guitar a bit of a poke nothing beats the now defunct DOD 250 pre. Fortunately the parts are readily available. Mosky do their D250x. Exactly the same parts and I only paid $25.00 USD for mine with free shipping from AliExpress.
I love both of these pedals with my Strat (which is a '91 Japanese one with Eric Johnson pickups), but I do find they can get a little shrill, as with the Tele bridge pickup. I would love to try both of the pedals you mention here - maybe some day I will get the chance. And yes, I have recently bought a soldering iron and a kit (I actually bought a Jan Ray clone to build) but would love to try the DOD 250 as well, as I have heard great things. The transparent overdrive thing really is a bit of a misnomer, isn't it...
@@RichWordsMusic Yes it is a myth, lol. The Browne Carbon although stating life as a Bluesbreaker is about as close as you get to a dead clean boost pedal without any distortion. It adds just touch of hair barely any and a just right compression. Very much like a Fender Twin on 10, lol ...but of course without the volume of a Twin.It is also killer for a semi if you flatpick it as if it was Martin.
@@Paul_Lenard_Ewing Yep, you're really making me want to try this one! About to go watch some videos on it... not cheap over here at €249, but if it's all that it could be worth a try. A cranked Twin at friendly volume levels would be a beautiful thing! My poor wallet...
@@RichWordsMusic Seriously write to Browne and give them your credentials. Send it to attention __Ben Woodword Tell them I raved to you about how good it is.
@@Paul_Lenard_Ewing I will try that. A little bit of researching yesterday tells me (a) the Carbon sounds incredible and (b) it's actually one side of the Protein pedal, which has been on my to try list for a long time now!
@@aer-theacousticpeople1330 Ha ha, so it's like I had a bus to catch and had to rush to finish the video so I didn't miss it?! Interesting. I live in Germany but I never heard anyone say this! I do sometimes get a few comments from people telling me I talk too fast... once I get passionate I am hard to stop 😉 But I will take note and always try and slow down in future. If there's anything you missed feel free to ask!
@@otaviosmartins1 I know what you mean, the Lightspeed does have a bit more clarity to it as you roll up the drive. The Timmy seems to sort of collapse in on itself a bit more... which for some people is also perfect. Both great pedals!
Maybe we can colaborate; with gear that is. I have the v3 Timmy with the reverse knobs as it is now. I wanted to build a mini pedal board and considering the MXR version along with the TS Mini for a perfect combo. If you want to borrow the Timmy v3 let me know! :D it comes with the plain white box and paper/kitchen towel that Paul C uses as padding lol
Yeah man, what the hell?! I know we generally get screwed over a bit in Europe on gear prices, but this is ridiculous! I consider the €220 I paid for my Timmy a bargain in comparison, and no, I absoultely won't sell it! At least Paul Cochrane and MXR have done the MXR Timmy now though, which is really excellent.
@@RichWordsMusic Yea there's one up on Reverb as a V3 but it's actually a blue V2. The V3 mite become they rarest Tim or Timmy in years to come. Its also more transparent then the V2. I'm sure Paul will do a V4 that's digital (Keeley style) because of the global parts shortage as he hasn't restocked the V3 in over 18 months now and the 25th anniversary has long gone.
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 It was basically impossible to get a V3 in Europe when they came out... I hope at some point I get the chance to at least try one! Interesting points about going digital... I'm not sure whether that will happen, but would be happy to try it if it ever does! I feel like the selling point of the Timmy pedals is also their analogness...
@@RichWordsMusic Problem is there's a global parts shortage which isn't ending anytime soon. Companies like Boss probably make there own diodes, switches and so on and they are based in Asia making it easier to source parts. Some boutique pedals belive it or not (and mamy of these are gling digital) only sell a few thousand units so they can have limted edition runs at massively bumped up prices with backlogs of parts and a few overpriced parts and improvisations (as not everyone really cares that much about the quality really for those pedals - there not work hourses). Problem with the Timmy is it's a HUGE success amd it's a workhouse pedal for many - I doubt Paul could source the parts to put out another 20,000 unit this quarter in 2022 at $200 retail per unit, is that even possible in late 2022? JHS have gone to Robert Keeley and had him and his team write an algorithm for a digital pedal and JHS have done a few in house. If the Timmy doesn't go digital it'll probably be handed over to MXR (fully) who can source or buy companies that make the parts. Paul won't live forever unfortunately - I hope this is not the case but the V3 mite be the last "real" Timmy we get.
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 Yep, a lot of that actually makes total sense. And yeah, I hope it won't come to this, but we do have to be realistic about the current global situation. It's not going to get any better for a long while, if ever. And did you hear that Fulltone is shutting its doors? I'm sure there is also a related reason for them. The thing is, I've never heard a digital drive that performs 100% as well as the analog ones. Modeling is getting closer and closer (the two digital Strymon drives are excellent, for example), and in some cases the sounds are basically spot on (especially in a mix), but it's the feel and the dynamics. If we can get there one day, everyone will be doing it. It'll be interesting to see how the MXR Timmy fares, and whether they'll go on producing that.
Hmmm. The tele loop sounds too brittle to start with for my taste, so both pedals sound brassy and trashy. The Timmy on the LP loop with gain way down at 7 o’clock or so sounds good.
I do like a lot of top end in my tone! ;) But with this exercise I really wanted to emphasize the difference between the single coils and humbuckers. You can wind that out with both these pedals to taste, no problem. Hopefully this won't put you off trying either of these! They're both wonderful pedals.
There are perfect clones of both for a fraction of the price. People always have that false moral thing going when it comes to clones but they tend to forget that clones are also a demand thing. People build clones precisely because of the fact that the “originals” are so massively overpriced. Just imagine a pizza would suddenly cost 50 bucks everywhere. Nobody in their right mind would say things like “let’s support the original restaurant”. Of course not, it’s a freaking pizza, an overdrive pedal. There are no owners of the recipes and there is nothing original about 99% of all overdrive circuits. But most people are lemmings so nothing will ever change. We brought this upon us ourselves. 😩 I like both pedals, I own a Timmy (bought it when they were 60 bucks used). Will get a cheap clone of the LS which all sound 100% the same.
Great points. It's a really interesting discussion, the clones one. To an extent, I agree with you. And, ultimately, you can't copyright a circuit - so everything is fair game. And are the Timmy and Lightspeed 'original' designs? What is an original design? Like you say, 99% of all overdrive pedals originate from a handful of genuine originals. And 99% of people will never be able to access or afford those originals, hence clones! On the other hand, if a company 100% takes someone else's design (regardless of the originality of that design for the sake of this point), replicates it and sells it for 20% of the original's price, and it pushes the original maker out of business, is that fair? It's a tough one. My favored way of doing things in this regard is licensed pedals, like the MXR Timmy, but I know this won't be the case for many. Like you say, we brought this on ourselves ;) One thing I am actually yet to see is a Lightspeed clone (apart from DIY kits): do you know of any?
I think it’s great that there are a ton of choices out there, and companies have the right to set whatever prices they want. If you don’t want an original, and don’t want to pay that, don’t pay it and buy a clone. But there’s nothing wrong with charging a premium for your hard work. People are allowed to set whatever prices they want. If they’re successful, good for them. We didn’t “bring anything on ourselves”. We just have more choices. That’s a great thing.
Timmy. This will be looked back on with confusion - so note to viewers from the future the Lightspeed was a passing fad. It had a lite non offencsive worship sound that was at the time used by Southern USA alt right churches to spread hate and prejudice - a few hipsters also brought it and attempted to defend their purchase.
And here's those timestamps for you people on phones:
00:00 Hello and all about the Timmy and the Lightspeed
00:57 Today’s rig and what we’re going to do
01:23 Timmy controls and features
02:26 Lightspeed controls and features
03:03 Loop 1: Fender Telecaster single coil bridge pickup
07:15 Loop 2: Epiphone Les Paul bridge humbucker
11:21 My thoughts and why I love these two pedals so much
12:05 Timmy pedals are hard to find!
13:00 Sounds discussion
14:50 Things I don’t like
16:25 What other transparent overdrives are out there?
17:28 Final conclusion and goodbye
Exactly the comparison I was looking for. Very thorough and well put together. Excellent work.
Glad you found and enjoyed it then Gregg! These are two excellent pedals, that's for sure. Thanks for watching :)
Both are really great! I do appreciate the Timmy's Bass control though, I wish more drive pedals had that.
I agree - I love them both! And I agree about the bass control too - it just lets you dial out the boominess a little more than a single tone knob might!
As ever you're delivery is impeccable Rich 🧐✨
Thank you kindly!
I know this is 2 years late, but I would love to hear a comparison between the greer Lightspeed and Mxr sugar drive
Doesn't matter, I still read these! I would love to try a Sugar Drive, so hopefully one day!
@@RichWordsMusic I really appreciate you dude! Ive almost got what I want for my live set up.
TU3 tuner, Keeley Compressor, MXR PHASE 90, greer lightspeed, Keeley Noble Screamer, MXR Timmy, Boss DD8, and soon a Strymon Flint.
I’m not sure what type it is but my joyo sweet baby is a very cool od, into my amps it sounds go from almost no perceptible boost all the way to a fender being pushed just right. IMHO
I have the Sweet Baby too, and it's really sweet, baby. It's built after the Mad Professor Sweet Honey, which I haven't played, but the internet certainly can't agree on what it's based on! I like the fact it has that Focus/Tone knob that does something a bit different though. It's a really lovely pedal (the Joyo)... I'm going to do a 10-pedal drive shootout soon, I think, withe the Sweet Baby in there alongside the two in this video.
I have a Joyo Sweet Baby too. I'm not sure I actually need another overdrive, but I've been looking at the Greer Lightspeed (largely due to Danish Pete's use and love this pedal) and the Nobels ODR-1(largely due to a TPS video comparing it to a Boss Blues Driver) I just want to see if I like either of them better than the Sweet Baby.
@@myguitarsandme the ODR intrigues me aswell.
@@PooNinja I compared the Nobels ODR-1 and the mini and the Greer Lightspeed. I preferred the mini over the ODR-1. The bass was tighter. In my opinion, the bass cut switch on the ODR-1 was too drastic. Although it was more than twice the price, I chose the Greer Lightspeed. To my ear, the clarity and the balance of the tone was undeniably better. I'm sad to say, it even trumps my Sweet Baby. I could probably get by with it, but I can't go back to the farm now that I've seen Paris.
@@myguitarsandme that visit to Paris thing is why I don’t touch things I’m not budged for, I don’t wanna know how awesome a green to blue to purple burst burl top 7 piece Thru neck J custom seven string feels in my hands through A W/D/W REVV Triple full stack rig, I’m happy on the 400€ guitar farm with my 300€ solid state amps. 😂🤘🏽
Thanx man. Great demo.
I have the lightspeed and absolutely love it.
But now I gotta get a Timmy.
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! I find the Timmy and the Lightspeed to be an amazing pairing, and I think you might too. Cheers and rock on :)
I also suggest trying a Barber Electronics Gain Changer SR. I live in NYC (no shortage of choices & options) & have tried many Drive-pedals. It's absolutely Killer with a Strat and a Fender Amp. Nice demo - enjoyed it.
Ooh, I've heard a fair bit about the Gain Changer, but have never seen one to try! I shall endeavor to do soon as soon as I can. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed the video :)
Yeah the Barber GC SR is incredible
Like both. The Timmy is more versatile and tweakable, but the Lightspeed is more “plug and play”.
Me too, and I'm happy to have both on my board. I agree too - the Lightspeed is so simple and easy to dial in with any guitar and rig. The Timmy is too from a neutral standpoint, but you can also take it to even more exciting tonal places with a bit of tweaking! Two truly great pedals :)
The V3 is even more tweakable as it ditched that clip switch that everyone leaves in the center anyway (internal if some weirdo shoegazer really wants it) and gives you much needed extra gain.
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 Yep, I leave the switch in the middle at all times! And a smidgen more gain wouldn't go amiss either... sounds like I need a V3 in my future!
They are essentially the same circuit, with a few minor component value differences. Which is why they both sound nice and musical, plus make for a good comparison. Nice video!
Yes, I thought so. You can make them sound almost identical with a little tweaking, but they both also have their own identity. The answer is to own both if you can ;) Cheers, glad you enjoyed the video!
Jan Ray?
@@Musicsports Yes: the Jan Ray Venuram, Greer Lightspeed and Timmy are 95% the same circuit.
I have a Tim v1, Greer lightspeed and southland. The Greer pedals stay on board for both rockabilly and classic rock cover band. The Tim sounds great though, just like 3 knobs for live work
Great trio! I still need to try the Southland... hope to get one this year :) Should be a super versatile pairing with the Lightspeed.
Had both the Tim and timmy version 1 and also the Organic overdrive. Had to go with the Lightspeed. Organically good sounding . Just personal preference
Interesting, but if I would have to get rid of one now I think I'd keep the Lightspeed too. It just always makes me sound better! Would love to try one of the newer Timmy models, though.
i don't know what it is but i have never liked the breakup on the Timmy- now to say something negative about the light speed... i wish it had treble bass (2 knobs)
Very good demo.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! These are two excellent pedals.
15:49 I can see a Lightspeed + Southland, or more likely Southland + Lightspeed considering where on the pedal is which sooner or later.
I guess Nick Greer is just thinking: MIDI? Individual loops? How much will this cost? Do I go the the JHS thing or the Wampler route? Can I call Brian? Etc....
Yeah, I think we would all love to see that! I've stacked two Lightspeeds together before (did a video on it as well!) and that was incredible... and lots of people have mentioned that the Lightspeed and the Southland would be amazing together. One day, hopefully!
@@RichWordsMusic I have both the light speed and the south land and they stack together perfectly. If you haven’t tried it I would highly recommend it.
@@echopark78 You're giving me more GAS now... gotta try this soon!
@@RichWordsMusic I wish I could explain it but the two best stacking pedals made. Greer mad a distortion pedal that continues from over drive into distortion. They are absolutely incredible together!!!!
@@RichWordsMusic all three have the same topology just different levels of clipping
Outstanding video! Thank you!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Both good but sold my Timmy and kept the Lightspeed. Nice demo!
Cheers Bob! I've kept both... they play together really nicely too. Top tip though: try stacking two Lightspeeds together if you can. Amazing! I wish Greer would make that pedal... I even made a video about it: th-cam.com/video/9JySeTauMxs/w-d-xo.html
Wow, I got my Timmy several years ago for around $175. And its a GREAT pedal.
Nice work - it's worth a lot more than that now, probably! Prices here in Europe are verging on the ridiculous now, but at least the MXR Timmy makes the format more affordable. They are great pedals... something to leave on all the time. And often you don't actually notice what they're doing until you switch them off, and then you sound a lot worse!
@@RichWordsMusic I have the exact same one that you have in this video. Prices seem to be all over the place on Reverb, but some are around $200-$250, so deals can still be had.
I got a lot of cool, inexpensive pedals many years ago that are now pushing $1,000.... including a Klon I paid $400 for, and a sweet 1990 Deluxe Memory Man that I got at a yard sale for $50!
Apparently, in 2016 my V2 Timmy was $119 brand new.
Yup, bought my light blue V2 around that time for $120. Came in a plane white box with a paper towel folded around it. At first, I thought i may have been ripped off with some sort of knock off haha. It’s been sent back to Paul C once though because the foot pedal was popping loudly after several clicks.
Consider to try DOD Looking Glass, very similar to Timmy and very affordable price.
Great shout - I've heard a lot about the Looking Glass and would love to give it a go one day!
@@RichWordsMusic IMHO overdrive sound have a grain less pronounced (smother) and have a knob for something like "presence" in addition to the concentric two knobs for treble and bass.
@@gobeco I'm looking forward to trying it! It looks like it is a very flexible overdrive.
The Looking Glass is nice, but very scooped in my experience, and the low end gets pretty flubby when the gain is turned up. Timmy is much more versatile IMO.
@@Unusednickname_1970 On my single coils and P90s no. Maybe that is on humbuckers? ....no HB on my arsenal to test, I hate them :-)
By the way, my amp is the brillant Fener Deluxe reissue and a Vox AC15 2007 handwire reissue with EF86 tube....
The Lightspeed is a modified TImmy.
The Timmy can do everything the Lightspeed does and more.
(bare in mind it has twice the gain, and keep the switch in the middle position to match the compression / clipping)
I've owned both of these pedals for a long time. If I had to choose, I'd go with the Lightspeed.
Could you explain why ?
Yep, would love to hear why also...
@@RichWordsMusic One of the main reasons is that when you turn the guitar volume down, Timmy sounds like shit and Lightspeed (or Vemuram) doesn't! that's why. Cheers!
@@PhillipMoita weird. I don't have that issues with my Timmy, but then it's not the MXR version, but the OG
@PlottingTheDownfall thanks bro. Your the best! 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂
I stack the my light speed after the MXR timmy and it sounds magical, I’m about to drop the extra cash to get the real timmy hopefully get an extra 10% percent of magic.
Oh, the Timmy and the Lightspeed are a magical pairing for sure! They sound fantastic together however I set them, and in either order as well. Once you get your Paul Cochrane you should try stacking all three! And let me know if you do think it sounds better than the MXR - to my ears they're extremely close but there are subtle differences!
@@RichWordsMusic my PC came in, I got a a V2 costume color. The mid range on the MXR is a bit muddy compared to the PC. Besides that there both great.
How would you compare these two to the Nobels ODR? These two here sounded quite similar to me. But the ODR is a different beast no? What do you think?
Great question! I have an ODR-Mini, which I love (I have a video about that pedal too: th-cam.com/video/JjZVfGAm51I/w-d-xo.html). The ODR-Mini does very nice transparent low-gain drive sounds, just like the Timmy and the Lightspeed, but as you wind it up it has a different tonality. It's certainly got a more raunchy rock sound, and it is fantastic with a Telecaster - it's the pedal all the Nashville pros use for a reason! Actually, I think I should probably make a video where I compare these three, and maybe a few more similar drives.
@@RichWordsMusic Hi Rich; thanks for your answer. I actually play Tele's, so the ODR-1 might be an interesting prospect. I used a Timmy at the moment (albeit a clone), but before I make my (final - or so I say 😝) decision to get the real Timmy or Lightspeed, I think I should look into the ODR-1. It might be the low-to-medium transparent overdrive I'm looking for for classic/hard rock tone.
A video comparing the three would be most appreciated. Thanks again.🌟
@@amercieca No worries! It sounds like the ODR-1 really might be a cool one for you to try. By the way, last night I was on the BluGuitar livestream and we looked at all three pedals, starting with the ODR-Mini - check that out if you like. You need to then skip through for the Timmy and Lightspeed stuff: th-cam.com/video/zAIrTEQbXqE/w-d-xo.html
And with Thomas playing you hear some different styles tome as well :) But I will also try for a comparison with all three soon too!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks so much for the link; did have a listen and the Nobels ODR-1 mini sounded very good IMHO. I might get one to try it out and see how it fares against my Timmy. Thanks
TIMMEHHHHHH! \m/
Ha ha, my thoughts exactly!
I would use a Timmy like a mild compression, pre amp, solo boost. Even though it can clip. That isn’t its strength. The light speed could do that as well, but was actually producing a passable crunch tone, so I would say that is more versatile
Yes, good points. I don't play many solos but the Timmy is great as a compressing boost. The Lightspeed is definitely more usable across the sweep of its controls, and does some great low and medium drives too.
I don’t know why the Greer pedals southland and lightspeed got so popular , they are just copies of the Timmy pedal, which in my opinion should be sweeping Nashville instead
Well, while I absolutely LOVE the Greer pedals (and the Timmy too!), I first came across Greer because of the ridiculous online hype a few years ago. And in my opinion that hype is justified, as the pedals are excellent, but without that wave of publicity I'm sure there would still be more people talking about the Timmy. Or some other pedal that got the hype ;) A lot of it is in the marketing these days.
Just to make this really long comment even longer, I guess availability was also a factor. The Timmy has always been made in really limited quantities, and Lightspeeds have always been easier to find. Especially here in Europe.
How do you think the Teisco Overdrives compares to these two? And which would you choose?
Also, have you ever tried the Emerson Paramount or EM-drive? I think they're supposed to be in that same transparent category.
I think the Teisco is very much based off of the Timmy. I love it. It's got a cool Kick switch as well, which gives you a really nice boost. The one thing I wish about the Teisco is that it had a bit more headroom on tap! Perhaps I should do a comparison video between them though. That might be quite interesting! Which one would I choose between the three? Right now I'd have to say the Greer Lightspeed, as it's the one I use literally every time I play. If I was building a mini board, I'd use the MXR Timmy :)
I've not tried the Emerson, no... but I did just Google it, and now I want to! From the videos, they seem pretty sweet. More transparent overdrive GAS!
Excuse my intrusion but if you have a tube amp know is the time to get a whole set of backup tubes do to soon to be expected critical shortages for what may be a very,very long time.
I’m trying to source a 6c10 damn compactrons are 200 bucks ?!? Do you know of an “affordable “ substitute for my fender super twin reverb?
I’ll probably end up just buying a used one for 100 😖
We were just going over your comments on the CatPick Fridays episode we pre-recorded this morning, Paul. Luckily I don't use tubes in my main amps and at the company we've already bought up all the NanoTubes of the kind we need that existed. But I absolutely see your point, even though I pray for things not to go that way.
@@PooNinja Yeah, they'd be at least €100 over here too, but most places I know are out (I just checked). Maybe Paul can help, but sadly I can't. Good luck with it my friend!
@@RichWordsMusic yea I may just mod the amp, I believe that tube is for the reverb circuit and “distortion“ the latter I have not nor plan to use so I could possibly delete that section. I fear (without looking at the circuit first ) that it may also have something to do with the 5 band EQ I. That case I’m going to have to try something like a 6d10 they aren’t as hot but it should work?? Don’t anyone still make (and I know this probably sounds blasphemous) solid state transistor replacements ?
@@PooNinja Well, I'm sure you could get someone to build you a replacement part, but at what cost I don't know. Maybe ask Fender themselves, or on a Fender forum - there are sure to be people out there who will know what you can and cannot mess with there!
The Lightspeed has been top of my wishlist since I discovered your channel. Both sound so good. What's the first song you played (on the Tele)? Sounds really familiar!
Oh yes, definitely worth a try if you get the chance! It's a wonderful pedal. The first song is one of mine - I've played it on the channel before though, which is where you may know it from. Hopefully I've not subconsciously ripped anything else off ;) It's mostly influenced by one of my very favorite bands, Nada Surf :)
@@RichWordsMusic Ahh yeah it is, I've actually got one of your demo videos saved in a playlist called 'Riffs to learn' haha. Only ever heard Inside of Love but I'll check more out.
Cheers!
@@peterklein5861 Aha, there we go! Makes me very happy when someone wants to learn the riffs I play, so thank you! It's not that hard to learn either - the intro is around F, C and G chords (three finger chords, always with the little finger on the third fret of the high E string) and near the end a couple of barre chords (F sus2 and C sus2 I think they're called!). Plenty of Nada Surf songs have riffs like that. Give the album Lucky a spin, that's one of my favorites, full of lovely melodies and great guitar work :)
@@RichWordsMusic Sounds more Foo Fighters like!
@@DMSProduktions It's certainly generic 😉 I'll take that comparison though!
Great video! I have a Timmy on my board since I know it (years ago) and I really want to like the Lightspeed but it has something that is not my thing... I always prefer the Timmy 😅
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, they're similar pedals but there are some subtle differences, and I totally get why some people might prefer the Timmy over the Lightspeed (and vice versa)... for me the solution is to have both ;)
both sound great and there's certainly a hefty similarity
Agree 100%... having both is the only option ;) Still loving the stand, by the way... might need more soon! Cheers :)
At 6:00 you really had them sounding similar!
Yep, they will go really close - that was at fairly neutral settings too! Both wonderful pedals :)
The best test for a transparent drive is to use a Strat with vintage PU's and see if it does or does not mask the bell like chime of the PU's It would take me paragraphs to list all I have tried. I only found 2. The Cornerstone Gladio SC and the Browne Amplification Carbon. The Cornerstone only works by keeping it backed off a lot. The Browne works very well over a broader range. The Lightspeed and the Timmy both started with a Tube Screamer circuit and heavily modded them. Nice enough OD's but to me not even in the ballpark as being really clean and transparent. If all really want to do as give your guitar a bit of a poke nothing beats the now defunct DOD 250 pre. Fortunately the parts are readily available. Mosky do their D250x. Exactly the same parts and I only paid $25.00 USD for mine with free shipping from AliExpress.
I love both of these pedals with my Strat (which is a '91 Japanese one with Eric Johnson pickups), but I do find they can get a little shrill, as with the Tele bridge pickup. I would love to try both of the pedals you mention here - maybe some day I will get the chance. And yes, I have recently bought a soldering iron and a kit (I actually bought a Jan Ray clone to build) but would love to try the DOD 250 as well, as I have heard great things. The transparent overdrive thing really is a bit of a misnomer, isn't it...
@@RichWordsMusic Yes it is a myth, lol. The Browne Carbon although stating life as a Bluesbreaker is about as close as you get to a dead clean boost pedal without any distortion. It adds just touch of hair barely any and a just right compression. Very much like a Fender Twin on 10, lol ...but of course without the volume of a Twin.It is also killer for a semi if you flatpick it as if it was Martin.
@@Paul_Lenard_Ewing Yep, you're really making me want to try this one! About to go watch some videos on it... not cheap over here at €249, but if it's all that it could be worth a try. A cranked Twin at friendly volume levels would be a beautiful thing! My poor wallet...
@@RichWordsMusic Seriously write to Browne and give them your credentials. Send it to attention __Ben Woodword Tell them I raved to you about how good it is.
@@Paul_Lenard_Ewing I will try that. A little bit of researching yesterday tells me (a) the Carbon sounds incredible and (b) it's actually one side of the Protein pedal, which has been on my to try list for a long time now!
Do you still have to catch the bus?
I'm not sure I quite understand the reference 😅 But no, I don't, either way!
Sorry, that means your language is so super fast that non-native speakers have a hard time following it.
@@aer-theacousticpeople1330 Ha ha, so it's like I had a bus to catch and had to rush to finish the video so I didn't miss it?! Interesting. I live in Germany but I never heard anyone say this! I do sometimes get a few comments from people telling me I talk too fast... once I get passionate I am hard to stop 😉 But I will take note and always try and slow down in future. If there's anything you missed feel free to ask!
@@RichWordsMusic All good. Thanks fore the vid.
Much prefer the compression on the Lightspeed
Sounds much more “””clear””” and high fidelity to me
@@otaviosmartins1 I know what you mean, the Lightspeed does have a bit more clarity to it as you roll up the drive. The Timmy seems to sort of collapse in on itself a bit more... which for some people is also perfect. Both great pedals!
@@RichWordsMusic exactly that
The hipsters who don't really want an overdrive do love the Greerd yeah.
Maybe we can colaborate; with gear that is. I have the v3 Timmy with the reverse knobs as it is now. I wanted to build a mini pedal board and considering the MXR version along with the TS Mini for a perfect combo. If you want to borrow the Timmy v3 let me know! :D it comes with the plain white box and paper/kitchen towel that Paul C uses as padding lol
Well that sounds cool! I would love to try the V3 but they're like gold dust here. Where are you based though?
@@RichWordsMusic Prague 😉
@@quiksilver78 Ah, so EU! That actually could work then. I'll think a out a few ideas and let you know!
The V3 is better - more gain and everyone kept the clipping switch in the center anyway.
600 whatttt now for a what??? It sound good but I’ll go budget option or at minimum a sub 200 unit.
Yeah man, what the hell?! I know we generally get screwed over a bit in Europe on gear prices, but this is ridiculous! I consider the €220 I paid for my Timmy a bargain in comparison, and no, I absoultely won't sell it! At least Paul Cochrane and MXR have done the MXR Timmy now though, which is really excellent.
@@RichWordsMusic I’ll have to check them out
@@PooNinja It sounds identical to the Timmy, at least to my ears. I compared them here: th-cam.com/video/dMlz_GNP3EQ/w-d-xo.html
@@RichWordsMusic I’ll compare on something better than my at work ear bud 🤣so I know what it really sounds like.
Get a Nordland if you want one of the best od's ever made for a fair price. Handmade in Germany too.
Timmy by a mile but I actually prefer the V3 timmy because the extra gain is needed and the clip was always left in the middle by everyone anyway.
Oh yes, I really need to try a Timmy V3 soon! Hard to find in Europe though, especially at reasonable prices.
@@RichWordsMusic Yea there's one up on Reverb as a V3 but it's actually a blue V2. The V3 mite become they rarest Tim or Timmy in years to come. Its also more transparent then the V2. I'm sure Paul will do a V4 that's digital (Keeley style) because of the global parts shortage as he hasn't restocked the V3 in over 18 months now and the 25th anniversary has long gone.
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 It was basically impossible to get a V3 in Europe when they came out... I hope at some point I get the chance to at least try one! Interesting points about going digital... I'm not sure whether that will happen, but would be happy to try it if it ever does! I feel like the selling point of the Timmy pedals is also their analogness...
@@RichWordsMusic Problem is there's a global parts shortage which isn't ending anytime soon. Companies like Boss probably make there own diodes, switches and so on and they are based in Asia making it easier to source parts. Some boutique pedals belive it or not (and mamy of these are gling digital) only sell a few thousand units so they can have limted edition runs at massively bumped up prices with backlogs of parts and a few overpriced parts and improvisations (as not everyone really cares that much about the quality really for those pedals - there not work hourses). Problem with the Timmy is it's a HUGE success amd it's a workhouse pedal for many - I doubt Paul could source the parts to put out another 20,000 unit this quarter in 2022 at $200 retail per unit, is that even possible in late 2022? JHS have gone to Robert Keeley and had him and his team write an algorithm for a digital pedal and JHS have done a few in house. If the Timmy doesn't go digital it'll probably be handed over to MXR (fully) who can source or buy companies that make the parts. Paul won't live forever unfortunately - I hope this is not the case but the V3 mite be the last "real" Timmy we get.
@@ushnicyuvnikof2748 Yep, a lot of that actually makes total sense. And yeah, I hope it won't come to this, but we do have to be realistic about the current global situation. It's not going to get any better for a long while, if ever. And did you hear that Fulltone is shutting its doors? I'm sure there is also a related reason for them.
The thing is, I've never heard a digital drive that performs 100% as well as the analog ones. Modeling is getting closer and closer (the two digital Strymon drives are excellent, for example), and in some cases the sounds are basically spot on (especially in a mix), but it's the feel and the dynamics. If we can get there one day, everyone will be doing it. It'll be interesting to see how the MXR Timmy fares, and whether they'll go on producing that.
Already sounded great without either pedal.
You're actually totally right about that! These pedals just give you a little more goodness on top of what you already have.
Your fucking with the knobs was so all over the place that I cannot get a comparison out of this mess
Timmy💜
Yeah, I love the Timmy :)
Timmy can do more and same. More full sounding.
Yep, there's a reason it's such a modern-day classic! Such a great and understated pedal.
They both have almost the same schematics hence their similarity.
Lightspeed, easytimmy is cold, lightspeed has dynamics/touch sensitivity and is more tube like
Interesting, but I do agree that the Lightspeed has a certain warmth to it, perhaps because of the extra saturation/drive on tap.
👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks man!
Hmmm. The tele loop sounds too brittle to start with for my taste, so both pedals sound brassy and trashy.
The Timmy on the LP loop with gain way down at 7 o’clock or so sounds good.
I do like a lot of top end in my tone! ;) But with this exercise I really wanted to emphasize the difference between the single coils and humbuckers. You can wind that out with both these pedals to taste, no problem. Hopefully this won't put you off trying either of these! They're both wonderful pedals.
There are perfect clones of both for a fraction of the price.
People always have that false moral thing going when it comes to clones but they tend to forget that clones are also a demand thing. People build clones precisely because of the fact that the “originals” are so massively overpriced.
Just imagine a pizza would suddenly cost 50 bucks everywhere. Nobody in their right mind would say things like “let’s support the original restaurant”. Of course not, it’s a freaking pizza, an overdrive pedal. There are no owners of the recipes and there is nothing original about 99% of all overdrive circuits.
But most people are lemmings so nothing will ever change. We brought this upon us ourselves. 😩
I like both pedals, I own a Timmy (bought it when they were 60 bucks used). Will get a cheap clone of the LS which all sound 100% the same.
Great points. It's a really interesting discussion, the clones one. To an extent, I agree with you. And, ultimately, you can't copyright a circuit - so everything is fair game. And are the Timmy and Lightspeed 'original' designs? What is an original design? Like you say, 99% of all overdrive pedals originate from a handful of genuine originals. And 99% of people will never be able to access or afford those originals, hence clones!
On the other hand, if a company 100% takes someone else's design (regardless of the originality of that design for the sake of this point), replicates it and sells it for 20% of the original's price, and it pushes the original maker out of business, is that fair? It's a tough one.
My favored way of doing things in this regard is licensed pedals, like the MXR Timmy, but I know this won't be the case for many. Like you say, we brought this on ourselves ;)
One thing I am actually yet to see is a Lightspeed clone (apart from DIY kits): do you know of any?
I think it’s great that there are a ton of choices out there, and companies have the right to set whatever prices they want. If you don’t want an original, and don’t want to pay that, don’t pay it and buy a clone. But there’s nothing wrong with charging a premium for your hard work. People are allowed to set whatever prices they want. If they’re successful, good for them. We didn’t “bring anything on ourselves”. We just have more choices. That’s a great thing.
Which clones do you have for the lightspeed?
Timmy.
This will be looked back on with confusion - so note to viewers from the future the Lightspeed was a passing fad. It had a lite non offencsive worship sound that was at the time used by Southern USA alt right churches to spread hate and prejudice - a few hipsters also brought it and attempted to defend their purchase.