It's funny cuz I don't really like the tube screamer either but I still have one on my board cuz I always get compliments from it. People come up to me after a rehearsal and ask what I used for my lead tone. Just a tube screamer style
@@IndyRockStar no, they are not. It always depends what you want to achieve. If you want a replacement for your dirty channel, TS are definitly not the best sounding pedals. If you use them as a boost, they are awesome.
@@IndyRockStar Rhett is useing it exactly wrong here ... as distortion/overdrive in a clean channel. For that it's the wrong pedal. Get a Marshall at breakup, Les Paul bridge pickup and a little boost from a tube screamer ... it's THE sound we heard on so many records.
I love the TS! If you aint got it, go and buy it right now! Can't quite agree with your statement though, I belive he uses it a vit wrong and with to little top end. Still cool vid though.
Tube Screamer really shines when used to boost a crunchy amp, with Drive almost zero and Level almost full. I had a great heavy sound with an 808 into a Fender Deluxe Reverb (volume on 7, Normal channel) and a Les Paul. If you want something more "mild" you can use a Boss SD-1. With a Marshall style amp, the sound is more Judas Priest with a TS and more Ratt with the SD-1, to give you a reference.
I have used both the TS-9 and SD-1 with both my Marshalls and Mesas. Both pedals are top choices for me, but currently I am using the SD-1. Classic and reliable.
I was going to say the same thing. When I first started using a TS9 I ran mine close to how Rhett had his set in the first sound clip with way more gain than I use it for now. Then I watched an interview on Philip Sayce and he was basically Level at 3 oclock and drive at 9 oclock or less with tone to taste. Works pretty well in my situation as well so that's how I use it now.
The Boss DS-1 is a very versatile pedal, especially when you know how to dial it in properly for your guitar and the type of pickups it has. People tend to want to crank overdrives to 10, and that’s not usually going to get the best sound profile on ANY pedal! The DS-1 is on most professional guitarists boards for a reason, and I tend to believe it’s because of the versatility. You can use it with a very gentle bump to give your guitar a tad of kick, or you can go all in and make your guitar growl without totally distorting your guitar’s underlying tone characteristics (maybe just a bit of color added, depending on your dialed settings on the pedal and the knob/s on your guitar. Plus, the DS-1 and most other Boss pedals don’t cost a ton of money even when they’re brand new. I’ve seen amazing priced used ones in nearly pristine condition without the original box/paperwork on eBay for $30-$50c. Always be careful that it’s not a bootleg (always look at the seller history and reviews), but some home guitarists who don’t like some of the pedals they buy stuff them in a closet or they sit on a shelf for a while, which is why they are in like new condition. Those sellers are trying to make a quick few bucks and pass the savings and a pedal in great condition along to someone else who may enjoy using it.
Yes DS1 is probably the most versatile pedal given you know how to use it. It's good enough for Satch, Steve vai and George Lynch so they must be doing something right.
I recommend an EQ pedal in your chain. I currently use the Boss EQ-200 that has 4 presets. The EQ pedal will make any OD pedal usable, and sound great. Try it! 😀
I have an EQ pedal in the FX loop, set to filter out the 1K freq. Whatever overdrive I put in front of the amp it sounds the same. The EQ effect is brutal.
If the Boss EQ-200 was available 20 years ago I (most of us?) would have saved a lot of money on amps and pedals on the quest for the ultimate tone. It is a tone sorcerer and all pedals/amps I´ve tried so far mingle perfectly with the EQ-200. As for the video, Rhett is an excellent infortainer and musician.
Rhett, thank you for validating what I've felt over the course of 15 years with a TS-9 on my pedalboard. Its use was limited to me hitting it and going, "ah, nevermind" and clicking it off. But yet, decades of everyone saying they were the greatest pedal ever had me thinking maybe my ears were deceiving me. I finally sold it on Reverb, and someone snatched it within 24 hours. I felt like I had been freed.
I always used a Tube Screamer as a lead boost. Turn up the dirt a little, turn up the volume enough to get the boost, and then solo to your heart's content.
Rhett, This was one of the most useful, well presented, & thus, best rock guitar vids to have ever been placed on the internet or promulgated anywhere. Despite you having nearly an impossible task to surpass this vid, pls, keep it up. You did well, quite well. Richard
Rhett I always like listening to you bro, to me you sound confident and knowledgeable, I tend to believe you. You neither talk down to any of us no matter our experience level we all know things just a little differently, you project you are sharing your knowledge. Thanks man, keep up the good work it's rare any more.
I'm one of those rare birds that started playing/and gigging before there were 'pedals'!! The first one I bought was a BOSS BD, and still use it today! I have only added a verb, as one of my heads does not have verb, a comp_90, a tuner (Korg) and a BOSS Acoustic simulator. The last one for more of a boost (it was a wife present 8) I do have 7 speaker cabs, with different combos of Celestian speakers. What I'm looking at now is a 5w supra amp, to plug into the effects loop of my main head and bypass its preamp stage. We'll see how that goes, but my BOSS BD is still the workhorse. I get all the tones I use from that. JMHO --gary
I started when there were pedals but never bothered with an overdrive pedal as, well, I used the channels on the amp. Kinda neanderthal for the modern day I imagine. I think these days there are too many pedals to choose from and it's really a tyranny of choice. Music shops back then would just have Boss pedals and some cheaper crappy ones and maybe a Cry Baby Wah pedal. Now there must be 10s of thousands on the market and more every day. Seeing as I rarely gig these days, all I use at home is a cheap mosky klon clone and a Bluesbreaker 2 pedal. I guess I'm not a real modern guitar player type - I just play the guitar and occasionally twiddle a knob on the guitar, amp or pedals. In a lot of ways things are brilliant for guitarists these days but also really confusing with so much conflicting advice and a desire for so much tech between you and your amp. I could never have handled (or afforded) all the alcohol and drugs with all that complexity with the pedalboard set ups back on the crap venue circuit in my day. Still it was fun and I managed to live through it all to be able to enjoy the new age of guitar gear and youtube vidz. Even know how to fix guitars these days after years of abusing and destroying them. Ah well, we all have to grow up eventually I guess :)
I bought the Morning Glory because of your channel. It's everything you said it would be. But--I'm keeping my Tube Screamer on my board because it has a killer vintage tone. I switch between the two drives depending on the song and the mix.
The BEST advice/guide to buying overdrives! Excellent video! The only thing I’d add would be to try out the pedal in a band setting, if at all possible, before you make up your mind on whether the drive is for you.
I have three, all Greers. 1. Lightspeed (Transparent/Organic) 2. The Southland (Harmonic) 3. Super Cobra (Heavy Overdrive) all running through my Twin . Cream of the crop. All that being said, I get the best tone through my AXE FX III running through Yamaha Studio Monitors.
I’m a beginner/ intermediate and I have a friend ( yes only 1) and he gigs and I asked him about his pedals and he has 3 overdrive and he tried to explain it to me but I didn’t quite get it. This video is exactly what I need.
I have 3 different ODs for all 3 types. MXR Timmy for light gain / transparent, Wampler Tumnus for medium gain and Gtown Holy Grail (a D type) for high gain / most colored
I recently discovered a really cool combination. Rolling off the volume on your guitar, going into a fuzz and then going into a klon. I’ve gotten some awesome results from that
This totally explains why I’ve been unhappy with my guitar sound lately. I think you also sealed the deal on a purchase of the morning glory for me. Thank you for this video.
I have a very similar taste in overdrive pedals as you do Rhett , transparent overdrive has become something that really fits with my playing style and they tend to be a bit more dynamic compared to a TS. My new overdrive pedal the Nobles ODR1 Mini is a pedal I just added to my board and absolutely love . It stacks well with a boost pedal in front of it and it also sounds great going into another overdrive pedal for already beefy solo tone ( my guitars are all single coils ) I do really like the Morning Glory as well . This topic never gets old only we do LOL.......Cheers!
My favorite overdrive is the EHX Hot Tubes nano which is definitely a "amp in a box" type overdrive. I love it when I play bass, it does everything from fattening the tone, farty breakup (like Grand Funk bass tone), to full on searing distortion/fuzz. It's almost always on if I'm playing rock music.
I went back and forth on the Mjölnir and the Tumnus for an hour or so. Ended up getting the Tumnus simply because the 3 band EQ. Both amazing pedals and I may still get a Mjolnir. I currently run three ODs. OCD, Morning glory, and Tumnus Deluxe.
Run a ocd and tumnus deluxe into a Princeton. For single coil I go back and forth between the tumnus and ocd. For humbuckers it's almost always the ocd.
I have one condition when looking at overdrive pedals: get something with a full EQ stack. Solves all the problems of tone knob only pedals. Are you a TS fan? You can decide to bump your mids and cut your bass. Are you a transparent fan? You decide to match your pedal EQ to your amp tone. Like a treble boost? You decide to boost your highs. I don’t understand why so many people choose a pedal that decides your EQ curve for you and gives you zero other options besides cutting treble.
I agree with your whole "you have to try it" approach. It varies so much based on your guitar/amp, that's the only way to know for sure. I ended up buying/trying/selling probably 20 overdrives over the last 18 months before settling on a Barber Gain Changer SR (fairly transparent) and Barber Direct Drive (Marhall-esque) with a Tubescreamer Mini boosting out front. I can get just about any drive sound I want out of those 3 pedals. Thing is ... out of the 20 or so drives I tried, most could have easily been "good enough" as a primary drive. But what fun is that? The only ones I actually disliked were the Wampler Tumnus / MXR Sugar Drive which are both Klon clones, and the Boss SD1. The MXR Timmy and Timmy v3 were both really, really good -- I just preferred the Gain Changer and they fill a similar role. Of course, if I ever change amps or get another to run in stereo, then I might need to revisit. Maybe I should've kept them...
Rhett, tube screamers are better imo as EQ tools with overdriven/loud amps. they sound bad as overdrives, they sound better when in conjunction with an amp producing power tube or high preamp distortion. also great with fuzzes. they have a great way of tightening up or boosting distortion whether its cranked amp or a pedal producing it. like I said as an eq tool, they will help you sit in the mix much better without pushing higher decibels to be heard. the frequencies the pedal pushes ir articulates will let your rig cut and not compete let alone disappear in a mix. i wont disagree that they arent the best sounding overdrive but they are the best tool when used correctly
started to craft a comment to this effect but looked for someone else to upvote instead; a TS w/humbuckers and a high gain amp is a tried and true thing. I know it's not really Rhett's thing, but I think it's arguably the TS' thing and bears mention.
I need a tube screamer for my LesPaul Special I with P90s. It is crying out for it. I love the rip of a tube screamer with P90s. And an octave pedal too. On Bad Penny Rory Gallagher used a Tube Screamer and an Octave Pedal. I think he used it on Moonchild too. He would use the AC 30 mic to a Marshall Stack. He Frank Marino and Robin Trower had similar gear but such distinctive sounds. Take three ballads and listen to the pinch harmonics and the touches each make: Rory Gallagher on : A Million Miles Away, Robin Trower on Daydream, and Frank Marino/ Mahogany Rush: Moonlight Lady. So ethereal but such talent and similar gear.and time frame.
I ran through a ton of OD's, from boutique to big brands. I've settled on the Greer Lightspeed for about 2 years now and can't ever see myself getting rid of it. It's just perfect. My Boss OD-3 also beat pretty much every boutique and expensive pedal I had as well. Classic for a reason.
Good video. Good explanation of different overdrives. You were pretty fair to tube screamers giving a good explanation of why someone would want to use one.
A simple, old fuzz face gives me a bunch of flavors throughout the sweep of the guitar volume from clean to fuzz. Honestly, it's the best pedal purchase I've ever made. I found my favorite one and gave everything else away.
Great video! I've been playing for about 30years, but just over the past few have I actually started to practice more of the guitar "fundamentals" and truly attempt learning about the instrument and music. I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio and Marshall 2x12 valve and Fender '64 Vibroverb 2/x10 reissue that I use. I didn't know this about distortion pedals, and this info will give me some good knowledge base to experiment with.
I played along with you thru my v40 deluxe. Changed pedals and amp settings as you did, and got some good sounds. Great video, and I agree. You can’t know what you like until you try it
I think midrangey overdrives work great for medium to high gain stuff, my problem with the TS is it lops off all your top end. Pedals like the Rat, Klon clones and even modified TS circuits do the medium gain thing while retaining your top end clarity.
@@BrewReview There are two types of guitar players: those who use a RAT, and then those who have not yet figured out that they are supposed to be using a RAT.
@@tritonmosquito9348 To clarify, I’m talking about using one into a clean amp as your drive sound. A TS used to boost an already overdriven sound is different.
Before watching my first thought is that my two overdrive pedals have different settings depending on which guitar I’m using. If I just plug in another guitar without tweaking settings on the pedal and amp it’ll likely sound not so great. I think a lot of people starting out with pedals, and who are likely to watch this video might get discouraged that a certain pedal doesn’t meet expectations at first. I think it’s good to just get one and live with it for a while to begin to figure out what you like, and the take a leap to another pedal that you’ve researched and you’re a step closer to the sound you want. Start cheap and work your way up to avoid buyers remorse I’ve got an older tube screamer like pedal and a newer klone and I feel like the only other thing needed in that class of pedals would be a clean boost. Don’t even really need a distortion and a fuzz sound is attainable by combining the two pedals.
Hi ! I’m French and I’m living in nice south east of France we have a brand here called Anasounds which is mostly famous now in USA. You should have a look at the savage pedal it’s a wonderful drive always on on my board !!! Kind of klone made in France 🇫🇷 ! Love your videos ! Greetings from France !
Experienced overdrive purchaser here. Still enjoyed your detailed, yet succinct, explanation. WHERE WERE YOU FORTY YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS STUMBLING THROUGH THIS!?!? :-)
Wow! No garbage overdrive tones in your video! This is a great demo of what awesome tones that can be had by what you are demonstrating. I own a bunch of overdrive pedals, but my most favorite go-to overdrive pedal will always be my Boss Super Overdrive.
Awesome vid Rhett! One thing I have a different view on is how useful forums and the net in general are for finding out what musicians used for their overdriven sound. There is of course some good info out there but I've rarely seen the actual musicians talk about this. On forums I have tended to come across people giving their own opinions which is then disputed by other forumites. Not dismissing the entire concept of googling these things of course, but I've found that there are perhaps too many people conflating their opinions with fact. Keep up the great work sir!
Interesting video! The first test between Morning Glory and Tubescreamer was very revealing. I can see a usage for both drives. But finally I understand thanks Rhett.
I think the part of OD pedals giving the sound on saturated power tubes needed a mention. You won’t sound like Frusciante unless the amp is dimed and that’s the basis of the clean sound. Then he adds in those boss pedals and MXR fuzz. Good video! Try things!
Thanks Rhett I never get tired of overdrive videos. I've been into Dual drives the last year or so and find them useful, but tweaking them can be challenging. My list so far D & M drive, Truetone VS -XO, KOT Duellist , Analogman King of tone. Now I'm working with single drives and stacking them, just got a Souse Black box. Cool pedal and another rabbit hole.
Watching fromKentucky!!! I just gotta say you will definitely reach that goal of 1M SUBS honestly I believe you’ll blow that out of the water by triple at least. Mark my words. This is definitely one of my favorite channels for information! And that’s saying something because there’s no shortage of channels to turn to. Keep it up man. -Dustin
Interested in more on the Klon and what puts it in its own category, from an EQ sense. I sort of lump it into the "better tube screamer" category but thats admittedly reductive.
What about TS as a better klon. Its fantastic! Turn up the tone-control on the TS and u get the same frequency boost as the klon. Also the TS has more even clipping, great for soloes, but also a nice, low gain, high headroom boost ability.
I'm not sure what circuit it's based on, but I really enjoy my Transparent Overdrive pedal by Deadbeat Audio. Sounds great, it's pretty versatile, and it's very inexpensive. The clear cover and blue LEDs look pretty cool as an aesthetic bonus if you enjoy that kind of thing. 🙂 I've also found that it stacks well with my Ram's Head Big Muff to get a really cool distortion sound. It's not a sound that everyone would use, but if you need something really dirty/heavy it's very interesting. The OD fills in the mids that the Big Muff naturally scoops and creates an interesting tone. You just need to put the OD before the Big Muff in the signal chain. If you do the opposite, it just doesn't work. It ends up sounding muddy and terrible.
@@marijnvanriet3857 it really is. I like the fact that it has two channels, one like a pre-amp gain, and the other for a more saturated & driven overdrive. Never needed anything more
Thank you Rhett. Very informative. I like the Tube Screamer, and I also like the Blues Driver from Boss. I'm not gigging or anything and I just got my self a Fender Lacquered Blues Jr. Great amp, and sounds great with the Screamer and the Blues Jr. Thank you again brother.
Great topic, Rhett. My biggest complaint with OD pedals is most that I’ve tried amount to being a treble booster. That might be great for a guitar tone that can cut thru a loud drum kit while gigging. But at the house, it totally ruins the toned I like to hear (scooped kids with a slightly bumped up low end). Thanks for posting this.
I recently modded my 808 screamer to the Keeley Mod plus. Never was a fan of screamers, however the Keeley mod is flawless. Thats how they should've originally been made IMO.
I have a JHS Bonsai and run a TS808 as a single coil boost. While I liked the double TS Setup, I stumbled upon the Keeley mod almost by accident and it takes it to a completely different territory
@@DiogoBianchi5 Exactly. Much smoother mids and a higher low and smoother high response. Less drive when brought down, and plenty of gain when dined. And most importantly, a useable tone knob.
I don’t understand how the morning glory is always referred to as “transparent”. There is a very drastic bass roll-off. It sounds great, especially in a mix, but to me doesn’t feel transparent.
I don't think that's what they're referring to when they use the term transparency, I think it's more like "does it sound like the same guitar with more overdrive"
@@DooblesGoDoobles If I understood Rhett in this video correctly, the Klon and TS have mid-hump, so it's the EQ shift that makes them not transparent in his view. I'd argue the MG is not transparent because the bass roll-off also alters the EQ a lot. From what I've tried so far I think sth. like a Boss Blues Driver (JFET overdrive) is transparent, and the MG feels much closer to the Klon and TS from a "feel" perspective. I know it's just a stupid buzzword and I'm sounding like the Gearpage. I was just really surprised when I first played a MG. I expected sth. different after hearing from everyone how transparent it is.
The Morning Glory aint perfect and its correct to say that you loose some lows. Its very slightly though, so doesn't effect to much of the tone. The Timmy is even better at transparency.
Got myself a used EHX Soul Food a couple of months ago and I'm really liking it a lot. It seems to work well with all my different guitars from Les Pauls to Telecasters.
I think the best way to know if a pedal is right for you, is if possible, GIG with that pedal as much as you can. I know this puts a purchase in the “make a leap” category, but even a pedal that sounds great in the store with your guitar and amp may not sound as good or sound right for your gigs. I was fairly indifferent about a Tube Screamer-Type pedal until… I used one at a gig with a Tele and Deluxe Reverb in a band that already had an acoustic and a Gretch. I appreciated that my rig simply sounded different so that we all found out “sonic lanes” in the band, but just as importantly, the pedal pushed the mids, and allowed my solos to project without tremendous actual increase in volume, whereas through a different pedal type, to get those solo parts to speak as clearly, would have also involved any other frequencies that would have at least more dramatically increased the perceived volume, and maybe gotten a bit more stink-eye on stage, and would have contributed to a muddier mix for the band as a whole. Again, this couldn’t have possibly been divined from even the best in-store demo of any length of time. You have to get out there and GIG THE PEDAL! Ideally at least a few times before making a decision that a pedal is not for you.
Good tips. I'm a bassist and I've yet to find a good bass overdrive. I'm looking for one that sits back but responds progressively when I dig-in rather than going suddenly from clean to fuzz.
I have tried and liked a lot of different pedals for bass overdrive; right now i’ve landed on the Zvex Basstortion. It’s very amplike and dynamic IMO. Others i’ve liked; Way Huge Green Rhino, EQD Speaker Cranker (really would like to try the new version), Xotic Bass BB Preamp, Xotic Bass RC Booster, EBS Multidrive, Mad Professor Blueberry and more. My favorite low gain overdrive however is the Strymon Deco on the saturation side. Pretty overkill perhaps, but I can never go back…
Great video. I just recently bought a MAXON 808 and am really happy out it. Foolishly I sold my original TS808 I sold in the lates 80s but this pedal has that covered again. Like you, I think I prefer it mostly with single coils. Never had the chance to test a Klon
Ever since I discovered the Rock Your Repaired Amp Klon Klone and put it on my board, it's never turned off! The combination of it with a good 2 channel tube amp is magic!
I actually have 3 overdrive pedals on my board. A vintage DOD 250, a Waza Blues Driver, and a JHS Notaklon. They all have a unique sound and are fun to stack.
@@Willis_S Yes it does, and also it has a good bit of sustain built into it. It probably compresses partially if I had to guess. It's not exactly transparent, but it's not so aggressive that it takes over your entire tonal signature of guitar/amp.
I'm starting to rebuild my rig after my passion for guitar has been reignited, and I've been trying to get ideas for pedals and such that I plan to buy going forward, and figuring out what gain pedals to go with has been tough because there is just SO much out there. I like to play thru a really clean amp know I want a good clean Boost and a more heavily saturated Distortion on my board (the DS-1w is currently at the top of my list) but I've been trying to figure out a good mid-gain kind of pedal for that sweet in between spot that plays well with other types of gain. I've been leaning towards a Klon-style pedal and I think this video has really solidified that plan. A Klone just feels the most flexible out of these different types you showcased, working well for both single coils and humbuckers, it's fairly transparent but still giving a bit of extra character and punch
We definitely lean towards similar sounds/overdrives. There was really only one pedal in the TS vein that I actually did like, and that was the PedalworX Tour Pro Toggle. It had bass roll off which was good for getting rid of the mud, and a much gentler mid boost, keeping most of the top end. It also had a 3 position toggle to control the amount of compression. I bought 2, one for my practice board, and one for my large gigging board. Still have them both after 20 years (one very early production model, one much later) and are my "go to" when I need something "TS-ish" without giving up my sound.
I've owned lots and lots of overdrive pedals, different styles, different brands. Ended up having the Green Rhino MKII by Way Huge as my one and only pony-of-all-trades overdrive. Is like a TS but with extra gain, extra headroom, extra sensitivity and extra EQ (low and midrange). I play a Tele and a Strat mainly through a Deluxe Reverb, so the Rhino's natural midrange bump fills in the blank spaces on my guitar-amp setup and gives me great, full, big, sharp and versatile tone :)
Great video. For years I used to use TubeScreamer pedals, right from the TS-5 to the UE300. Which I come back to over and over again. The BluesBreaker mk2 has featured on my board, often next to the UE-300. But currently have a TC mojo mojo. In the video I liked all the pedals but the morning glory only seemed to come into its own with the Gibson and humbuckers. I did quite like the character the Klon-clone gave to both single coil pickups and humbuckers as well as both Fender style amps and Marshall-esque hi gain amp. I’ve not gone down the Klon route as yet. And can see it as an option.
Ocd is my go to, but I still have never seen a clear explanation what type of circuit it is. It feels like it can go from the transparent thing (where I use it) to a full out RAT like distortion.
I’m not a Tube Screamer fan by any means, but I’m really digging the new JHS 3 Series Screamer. It’s a lot more clear and open sounding than a typical TS pedal, imo.
That Tele Custom is gorgeous. Tubescreamer does what it does. And does it well. It may not be the best one if listened to in sterile conditions, but no reason not to have a TS style OD - if you want cut through in a mix or band setting.
I recently decided to try something different. I'm using OD with a modeller. I have a Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor that I have set to the edge of breakup (on the green channel). That goes into my modeller which I use for the amp sound - which currently is a modelleed PRS Archeon. I will also use the modeller for any time based effects. In the loop (which can be placed anywhere in the chain after the Tube Screamer), I have a Danelectro Cool Cat Overdrive V2 going into a JHS 3 Series OD. I can then run that direct, and it seems to work really well for me.
I've got a Superbolt to focus my fat pickups and an Oxblood to fatten my thin pickups. Both have the most satisfying clip cascades and I'll never stop recommending them.
I also like to run an amp clean and use multiple overdrive pedals in front of it for different amounts of gain. I think my favorite setup right now is the Vox AC30 with a Timmy overdrive, Zen overdrive and a clean boost in front of it. I run the amp just barely before the edge of break and have the pedals set so that the Timmy by itself is a light gain sound, the Zen by itself is a medium gain sound, and both together is a heavy gain sound. And the clean is for a solo boost/push the amp into a little more breakup.
went in to buy my 2nd ever guitar pedal. 1st was a Vox Wah. and ended up walking out with a tube screamer. didnt pan it but loved the sound on my bass and my les paul style guitar
I use a Behringer green OD, works really well in front of a slightly driven amp. Either the clean channel breaking up, or the gain channel with the gain less than half, then just a touch of gain on the pedal, sounds great without coloring the sound too much.
I'm with you on transparent overdrives. They maintain tone consistency if you have multiple pedals and also stack nicely. Switching between a low and higher gain pedal with radically different circuit types sounds odd and can be difficult to set levels because you are hearing very different frequencies.
Like you demo and your take on which pedals you like and why. However, I believe in the “right tool for the job” theory. Most tube screamer guys (IMO) use a more distorted sound with usually higher output pickups. Where as most morning glory guys may tend to use a cleaner sound with moderate to vintage output pickups. Also, the tube screamer sound (for me) isn’t a turn on and off sound, because the low end seems to drop out with the tube screamer. (I have an 808, and a jhs bonsai). I also have a Decibelics Golden horse which is billed as an exact Klon copy. It has a great sound, but as you’ve stated, not “completely transparent”. Works great for a little extra kick for certain solos. I have a Nemphasis X7 which is my “desert island pedal”. Good luck finding one though. Also, LOVE the Nobels OD-1 for a very clean boost under $100. But the Best clean boost I own. Kingsley Paige, hands down. I’ve also been sampling some full on distortion pedals, such as the KHDK Paranormal 2. It has a true parametric mid control. Boss OD-3 and Blues driver never let me down either. Amp in a box? Ethos TWE. YUM!!! Also, I own all of the AMT bricks series. These lil’ babies are amazingly close to the real thing. (I own a JCM 800, Fender twin, Mesa boogie dual rectifier, and a VOX AC-30. Convincingly accurate for around $200. Hey, there are so many pedals out nowadays it’s crazy. (Everyone has an option and this is mine 😂🤣😂.)
Let’s all send Rhett a bunch of tube screamers. Let’s build his collection! 😂
Haha Rhett doesn’t like tube screamers? Lets send him every single version that’s ever been made
Josh Scott, plz send Rhett all the screamers 😅
all clones of tube screamers!! hahha
I got a modded one called the Lube Dreamer!! How do I send
Or send me one? I don't have one yet
Awesome video!! I always recommend to buy a Ibanez TS9 Classic!
magic green box!
It's funny cuz I don't really like the tube screamer either but I still have one on my board cuz I always get compliments from it. People come up to me after a rehearsal and ask what I used for my lead tone. Just a tube screamer style
I’ve seen your videos recommending the TS9 Classic! 😉
@@IndyRockStar no, they are not. It always depends what you want to achieve. If you want a replacement for your dirty channel, TS are definitly not the best sounding pedals. If you use them as a boost, they are awesome.
@@IndyRockStar Rhett is useing it exactly wrong here ... as distortion/overdrive in a clean channel. For that it's the wrong pedal. Get a Marshall at breakup, Les Paul bridge pickup and a little boost from a tube screamer ... it's THE sound we heard on so many records.
The Tube Screamer actually sounds great with everything in your setup when recorded...😄
I think it was the best sound of them🤔
I love the TS! If you aint got it, go and buy it right now! Can't quite agree with your statement though, I belive he uses it a vit wrong and with to little top end. Still cool vid though.
Tube screamers are my favorite. I own the bonsai by jhs which has them
There's a reason the Tubescreamer was used by SRV to Santana. It's iconic and sounds great when dialed in correctly.
And if you have a good amp
Crappy amps plus Tube Screamer are Heee😢
Tube Screamer really shines when used to boost a crunchy amp, with Drive almost zero and Level almost full. I had a great heavy sound with an 808 into a Fender Deluxe Reverb (volume on 7, Normal channel) and a Les Paul. If you want something more "mild" you can use a Boss SD-1. With a Marshall style amp, the sound is more Judas Priest with a TS and more Ratt with the SD-1, to give you a reference.
I have used both the TS-9 and SD-1 with both my Marshalls and Mesas. Both pedals are top choices for me, but currently I am using the SD-1. Classic and reliable.
@@darko714 Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes, yes, yesyes!
I was going to say the same thing. When I first started using a TS9 I ran mine close to how Rhett had his set in the first sound clip with way more gain than I use it for now. Then I watched an interview on Philip Sayce and he was basically Level at 3 oclock and drive at 9 oclock or less with tone to taste. Works pretty well in my situation as well so that's how I use it now.
Yup that's the way I use it as well. Works great.
There, it's been said, thank you. This is exactly how I use the TS9.
The Boss DS-1 is a very versatile pedal, especially when you know how to dial it in properly for your guitar and the type of pickups it has. People tend to want to crank overdrives to 10, and that’s not usually going to get the best sound profile on ANY pedal! The DS-1 is on most professional guitarists boards for a reason, and I tend to believe it’s because of the versatility. You can use it with a very gentle bump to give your guitar a tad of kick, or you can go all in and make your guitar growl without totally distorting your guitar’s underlying tone characteristics (maybe just a bit of color added, depending on your dialed settings on the pedal and the knob/s on your guitar.
Plus, the DS-1 and most other Boss pedals don’t cost a ton of money even when they’re brand new. I’ve seen amazing priced used ones in nearly pristine condition without the original box/paperwork on eBay for $30-$50c. Always be careful that it’s not a bootleg (always look at the seller history and reviews), but some home guitarists who don’t like some of the pedals they buy stuff them in a closet or they sit on a shelf for a while, which is why they are in like new condition. Those sellers are trying to make a quick few bucks and pass the savings and a pedal in great condition along to someone else who may enjoy using it.
Yes DS1 is probably the most versatile pedal given you know how to use it. It's good enough for Satch, Steve vai and George Lynch so they must be doing something right.
I recommend an EQ pedal in your chain. I currently use the Boss EQ-200 that has 4 presets. The EQ pedal will make any OD pedal usable, and sound great. Try it! 😀
If you can't get your amp to overdrive how you want with an EQ (using as a boost), then an overdrive isn't going to solve your tone quest.
Agree 100%
I have an EQ pedal in the FX loop, set to filter out the 1K freq. Whatever overdrive I put in front of the amp it sounds the same. The EQ effect is brutal.
If the Boss EQ-200 was available 20 years ago I (most of us?) would have saved a lot of money on amps and pedals on the quest for the ultimate tone. It is a tone sorcerer and all pedals/amps I´ve tried so far mingle perfectly with the EQ-200. As for the video, Rhett is an excellent infortainer and musician.
Rhett, thank you for validating what I've felt over the course of 15 years with a TS-9 on my pedalboard. Its use was limited to me hitting it and going, "ah, nevermind" and clicking it off. But yet, decades of everyone saying they were the greatest pedal ever had me thinking maybe my ears were deceiving me. I finally sold it on Reverb, and someone snatched it within 24 hours. I felt like I had been freed.
I always used a Tube Screamer as a lead boost. Turn up the dirt a little, turn up the volume enough to get the boost, and then solo to your heart's content.
Amazing, me too!
l remember buying a brand new fender supertwin reverb and a mxr dist+ and a superfuzz in the mid 70s. That was a good day.
So many overdrives!!A Barber Gain Changer can cover ALL those bases!
I literally have the same 3 types of pedals on my board. They stack really well together. All the overdrive I need. Thanks for sharing.
I like my Fairfield circuitry barbershop but I use most of the time my strymon deco saturation that I love !
Rhett, This was one of the most useful, well presented, & thus, best rock guitar vids to have ever been placed on the internet or promulgated anywhere. Despite you having nearly an impossible task to surpass this vid, pls, keep it up. You did well, quite well. Richard
Rhett I always like listening to you bro, to me you sound confident and knowledgeable, I tend to believe you. You neither talk down to any of us no matter our experience level we all know things just a little differently, you project you are sharing your knowledge. Thanks man, keep up the good work it's rare any more.
I'm one of those rare birds that started playing/and gigging before there were 'pedals'!! The first one I bought was a BOSS BD, and still use it today! I have only added a verb, as one of my heads does not have verb, a comp_90, a tuner (Korg) and a BOSS Acoustic simulator. The last one for more of a boost (it was a wife present 8) I do have 7 speaker cabs, with different combos of Celestian speakers. What I'm looking at now is a 5w supra amp, to plug into the effects loop of my main head and bypass its preamp stage. We'll see how that goes, but my BOSS BD is still the workhorse. I get all the tones I use from that. JMHO --gary
I started when there were pedals but never bothered with an overdrive pedal as, well, I used the channels on the amp. Kinda neanderthal for the modern day I imagine. I think these days there are too many pedals to choose from and it's really a tyranny of choice. Music shops back then would just have Boss pedals and some cheaper crappy ones and maybe a Cry Baby Wah pedal. Now there must be 10s of thousands on the market and more every day. Seeing as I rarely gig these days, all I use at home is a cheap mosky klon clone and a Bluesbreaker 2 pedal. I guess I'm not a real modern guitar player type - I just play the guitar and occasionally twiddle a knob on the guitar, amp or pedals. In a lot of ways things are brilliant for guitarists these days but also really confusing with so much conflicting advice and a desire for so much tech between you and your amp. I could never have handled (or afforded) all the alcohol and drugs with all that complexity with the pedalboard set ups back on the crap venue circuit in my day. Still it was fun and I managed to live through it all to be able to enjoy the new age of guitar gear and youtube vidz. Even know how to fix guitars these days after years of abusing and destroying them. Ah well, we all have to grow up eventually I guess :)
@@martin-1965 Christ, you old guys are long winded. So many words to just say “I don’t really use pedals”.
The BD-2 is such an underrated pedal. It does everything from a slight boost to angry growl and sounds great everywhere in-between.
I bought the Morning Glory because of your channel. It's everything you said it would be. But--I'm keeping my Tube Screamer on my board because it has a killer vintage tone. I switch between the two drives depending on the song and the mix.
The BEST advice/guide to buying overdrives! Excellent video! The only thing I’d add would be to try out the pedal in a band setting, if at all possible, before you make up your mind on whether the drive is for you.
I have three, all Greers. 1. Lightspeed (Transparent/Organic) 2. The Southland (Harmonic) 3. Super Cobra (Heavy Overdrive) all running through my Twin . Cream of the crop. All that being said, I get the best tone through my AXE FX III running through Yamaha Studio Monitors.
I’m a beginner/ intermediate and I have a friend ( yes only 1) and he gigs and I asked him about his pedals and he has 3 overdrive and he tried to explain it to me but I didn’t quite get it. This video is exactly what I need.
I have 3 different ODs for all 3 types. MXR Timmy for light gain / transparent, Wampler Tumnus for medium gain and Gtown Holy Grail (a D type) for high gain / most colored
IMHO this was probably the best video for explaining the various overdrive pedals. Well done. 👍🏼 👍🏼
I recently discovered a really cool combination. Rolling off the volume on your guitar, going into a fuzz and then going into a klon. I’ve gotten some awesome results from that
That can be fun with other allegedly “transparent” overdrives too!
This totally explains why I’ve been unhappy with my guitar sound lately. I think you also sealed the deal on a purchase of the morning glory for me. Thank you for this video.
I have a very similar taste in overdrive pedals as you do Rhett , transparent overdrive has become something that really fits with my playing style and they tend to be a bit more dynamic compared to a TS. My new overdrive pedal the Nobles ODR1 Mini is a pedal I just added to my board and absolutely love . It stacks well with a boost pedal in front of it and it also sounds great going into another overdrive pedal for already beefy solo tone ( my guitars are all single coils ) I do really like the Morning Glory as well . This topic never gets old only we do LOL.......Cheers!
2:34 Tele custom*, the tele deluxe is the one with a humbucker in the bridge. It also has a fat 70s strat headstock
My favorite overdrive is the EHX Hot Tubes nano which is definitely a "amp in a box" type overdrive. I love it when I play bass, it does everything from fattening the tone, farty breakup (like Grand Funk bass tone), to full on searing distortion/fuzz. It's almost always on if I'm playing rock music.
I second this. Ehx Hottubes is a total sleeper. One of the best out there and cheap
I love my EHX Tortion.
I went back and forth on the Mjölnir and the Tumnus for an hour or so. Ended up getting the Tumnus simply because the 3 band EQ. Both amazing pedals and I may still get a Mjolnir. I currently run three ODs. OCD, Morning glory, and Tumnus Deluxe.
I think the Tumnus Deluxe is good for a Klon clone; Mjolnir would be similar. I would be looking for a Dumble clone next.
The Dumble sounds nice. I’d need to see how it reacts to my Deluxe reverb.
@@ezyrider556 Yep, you won't know until you try it and fiddle with the knobs. Cheers.
Run a ocd and tumnus deluxe into a Princeton. For single coil I go back and forth between the tumnus and ocd. For humbuckers it's almost always the ocd.
I have one condition when looking at overdrive pedals: get something with a full EQ stack. Solves all the problems of tone knob only pedals. Are you a TS fan? You can decide to bump your mids and cut your bass. Are you a transparent fan? You decide to match your pedal EQ to your amp tone. Like a treble boost? You decide to boost your highs. I don’t understand why so many people choose a pedal that decides your EQ curve for you and gives you zero other options besides cutting treble.
Metalzone it is, then.
I agree with your whole "you have to try it" approach. It varies so much based on your guitar/amp, that's the only way to know for sure. I ended up buying/trying/selling probably 20 overdrives over the last 18 months before settling on a Barber Gain Changer SR (fairly transparent) and Barber Direct Drive (Marhall-esque) with a Tubescreamer Mini boosting out front. I can get just about any drive sound I want out of those 3 pedals. Thing is ... out of the 20 or so drives I tried, most could have easily been "good enough" as a primary drive. But what fun is that? The only ones I actually disliked were the Wampler Tumnus / MXR Sugar Drive which are both Klon clones, and the Boss SD1. The MXR Timmy and Timmy v3 were both really, really good -- I just preferred the Gain Changer and they fill a similar role. Of course, if I ever change amps or get another to run in stereo, then I might need to revisit. Maybe I should've kept them...
Rhett, tube screamers are better imo as EQ tools with overdriven/loud amps. they sound bad as overdrives, they sound better when in conjunction with an amp producing power tube or high preamp distortion. also great with fuzzes. they have a great way of tightening up or boosting distortion whether its cranked amp or a pedal producing it. like I said as an eq tool, they will help you sit in the mix much better without pushing higher decibels to be heard. the frequencies the pedal pushes ir articulates will let your rig cut and not compete let alone disappear in a mix. i wont disagree that they arent the best sounding overdrive but they are the best tool when used correctly
Can confirm they work fantastic with fuzzes.
and they really tighten up gainy amps for any type of extreme metal.
started to craft a comment to this effect but looked for someone else to upvote instead; a TS w/humbuckers and a high gain amp is a tried and true thing. I know it's not really Rhett's thing, but I think it's arguably the TS' thing and bears mention.
I need a tube screamer for my LesPaul Special I with P90s. It is crying out for it. I love the rip of a tube screamer with P90s. And an octave pedal too. On Bad Penny Rory Gallagher used a Tube Screamer and an Octave Pedal. I think he used it on Moonchild too. He would use the AC 30 mic to a Marshall Stack. He Frank Marino and Robin Trower had similar gear but such distinctive sounds. Take three ballads and listen to the pinch harmonics and the touches each make: Rory Gallagher on : A Million Miles Away, Robin Trower on Daydream, and Frank Marino/ Mahogany Rush: Moonlight Lady. So ethereal but such talent and similar gear.and time frame.
I ran through a ton of OD's, from boutique to big brands. I've settled on the Greer Lightspeed for about 2 years now and can't ever see myself getting rid of it. It's just perfect. My Boss OD-3 also beat pretty much every boutique and expensive pedal I had as well. Classic for a reason.
This confirmed my purchase of the light speed! Bukovac loves it, too, so it must be good!
I kinda liked the TS9 with the Les Paul… great informative video, cheers Rhett.
Good video. Good explanation of different overdrives. You were pretty fair to tube screamers giving a good explanation of why someone would want to use one.
A simple, old fuzz face gives me a bunch of flavors throughout the sweep of the guitar volume from clean to fuzz. Honestly, it's the best pedal purchase I've ever made. I found my favorite one and gave everything else away.
Great video! I've been playing for about 30years, but just over the past few have I actually started to practice more of the guitar "fundamentals" and truly attempt learning about the instrument and music. I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio and Marshall 2x12 valve and Fender '64 Vibroverb 2/x10 reissue that I use. I didn't know this about distortion pedals, and this info will give me some good knowledge base to experiment with.
#1 most helpful video on overdrive pedals. Saved me hours of research!
I played along with you thru my v40 deluxe. Changed pedals and amp settings as you did, and got some good sounds. Great video, and I agree. You can’t know what you like until you try it
I think midrangey overdrives work great for medium to high gain stuff, my problem with the TS is it lops off all your top end. Pedals like the Rat, Klon clones and even modified TS circuits do the medium gain thing while retaining your top end clarity.
All hail King Rat! 🤘🏻
@@BrewReview There are two types of guitar players: those who use a RAT, and then those who have not yet figured out that they are supposed to be using a RAT.
I use a TS to boost a big muff when I want some plam muty goodness while retaining the great saturation of the BM. I never use one by itself though.
If folks think they need a TS I always have them try an Fulltone OCD first.
@@tritonmosquito9348 To clarify, I’m talking about using one into a clean amp as your drive sound. A TS used to boost an already overdriven sound is different.
Before watching my first thought is that my two overdrive pedals have different settings depending on which guitar I’m using. If I just plug in another guitar without tweaking settings on the pedal and amp it’ll likely sound not so great. I think a lot of people starting out with pedals, and who are likely to watch this video might get discouraged that a certain pedal doesn’t meet expectations at first. I think it’s good to just get one and live with it for a while to begin to figure out what you like, and the take a leap to another pedal that you’ve researched and you’re a step closer to the sound you want. Start cheap and work your way up to avoid buyers remorse
I’ve got an older tube screamer like pedal and a newer klone and I feel like the only other thing needed in that class of pedals would be a clean boost. Don’t even really need a distortion and a fuzz sound is attainable by combining the two pedals.
Hi ! I’m French and I’m living in nice south east of France we have a brand here called Anasounds which is mostly famous now in USA. You should have a look at the savage pedal it’s a wonderful drive always on on my board !!! Kind of klone made in France 🇫🇷 ! Love your videos ! Greetings from France !
Experienced overdrive purchaser here. Still enjoyed your detailed, yet succinct, explanation. WHERE WERE YOU FORTY YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS STUMBLING THROUGH THIS!?!? :-)
Wow! No garbage overdrive tones in your video! This is a great demo of what awesome tones that can be had by what you are demonstrating. I own a bunch of overdrive pedals, but my most favorite go-to overdrive pedal will always be my Boss Super Overdrive.
Thank Rhett for this!
For me, the best is the fulltone OCD with de Archer (stacked) into a vintage AC30.
love my OCD.
@@jamespatrick3462 What voltage do you use? 9, 12 or 18 volts?
Awesome vid Rhett!
One thing I have a different view on is how useful forums and the net in general are for finding out what musicians used for their overdriven sound. There is of course some good info out there but I've rarely seen the actual musicians talk about this. On forums I have tended to come across people giving their own opinions which is then disputed by other forumites.
Not dismissing the entire concept of googling these things of course, but I've found that there are perhaps too many people conflating their opinions with fact.
Keep up the great work sir!
Interesting video! The first test between Morning Glory and Tubescreamer was very revealing. I can see a usage for both drives. But finally I understand thanks Rhett.
I think the part of OD pedals giving the sound on saturated power tubes needed a mention. You won’t sound like Frusciante unless the amp is dimed and that’s the basis of the clean sound. Then he adds in those boss pedals and MXR fuzz. Good video! Try things!
Thanks Rhett I never get tired of overdrive videos. I've been into Dual drives the last year or so and find them useful, but tweaking them can be challenging. My list so far D & M drive, Truetone VS -XO, KOT Duellist , Analogman King of tone. Now I'm working with single drives and stacking them, just got a Souse Black box. Cool pedal and another rabbit hole.
Watching fromKentucky!!!
I just gotta say you will definitely reach that goal of 1M SUBS honestly I believe you’ll blow that out of the water by triple at least. Mark my words. This is definitely one of my favorite channels for information! And that’s saying something because there’s no shortage of channels to turn to. Keep it up man. -Dustin
The JHS Series 3 OD is a great place to start. For $99 it's a great transparent OD pedal and American made to boot!
I love that pedal, but wouldn't call it transparent. With Body up, mids are huge, and it drops a bunch of low-end.
The mid boost is the very reason I prefer a TS over a transparent od. That's said, I totally see why someone's taste might differ.
Interested in more on the Klon and what puts it in its own category, from an EQ sense. I sort of lump it into the "better tube screamer" category but thats admittedly reductive.
What about TS as a better klon. Its fantastic! Turn up the tone-control on the TS and u get the same frequency boost as the klon. Also the TS has more even clipping, great for soloes, but also a nice, low gain, high headroom boost ability.
The Nobles ODR-1 is the go to pedal in this category.
I'm not sure what circuit it's based on, but I really enjoy my Transparent Overdrive pedal by Deadbeat Audio. Sounds great, it's pretty versatile, and it's very inexpensive. The clear cover and blue LEDs look pretty cool as an aesthetic bonus if you enjoy that kind of thing. 🙂
I've also found that it stacks well with my Ram's Head Big Muff to get a really cool distortion sound. It's not a sound that everyone would use, but if you need something really dirty/heavy it's very interesting. The OD fills in the mids that the Big Muff naturally scoops and creates an interesting tone. You just need to put the OD before the Big Muff in the signal chain. If you do the opposite, it just doesn't work. It ends up sounding muddy and terrible.
Boss OD-2 is the only one i've ever needed. Had mine since 1987, and it works like new
i have that one too it's really good
@@marijnvanriet3857 it really is. I like the fact that it has two channels, one like a pre-amp gain, and the other for a more saturated & driven overdrive. Never needed anything more
I love mine too but I wish it had a bit more level. With no gain and full level it's only just above unity haha
@@danec1384 ya, that's more of a SD2 Dual Overdrive. Separate lead channel, & distortion-crunch-fuzz rhythm channel --rock on
Those Boss ODs sound good, and are super cheap.
This is video I needed. By 3:05 I knew it's the transparent overdrive that I'm looking for, for me. Thank you! ✌️
Thank you Rhett. Very informative. I like the Tube Screamer, and I also like the Blues Driver from Boss. I'm not gigging or anything and I just got my self a Fender Lacquered Blues Jr. Great amp, and sounds great with the Screamer and the Blues Jr. Thank you again brother.
TS9 into a gainy amp sounds awesome!
Great topic, Rhett. My biggest complaint with OD pedals is most that I’ve tried amount to being a treble booster. That might be great for a guitar tone that can cut thru a loud drum kit while gigging. But at the house, it totally ruins the toned I like to hear (scooped kids with a slightly bumped up low end). Thanks for posting this.
I have found that matching specific OD pedals to specific amps works best
I recently modded my 808 screamer to the Keeley Mod plus.
Never was a fan of screamers, however the Keeley mod is flawless.
Thats how they should've originally been made IMO.
I got one of the modded pedals from Keeley way back when they sold the modded pedal direct . I love it .
I have a Keely modified DD-3 Digital Delay, some neat feautures.
I have a JHS Bonsai and run a TS808 as a single coil boost. While I liked the double TS Setup, I stumbled upon the Keeley mod almost by accident and it takes it to a completely different territory
@@DiogoBianchi5 Exactly. Much smoother mids and a higher low and smoother high response. Less drive when brought down, and plenty of gain when dined. And most importantly, a useable tone knob.
I don’t understand how the morning glory is always referred to as “transparent”. There is a very drastic bass roll-off. It sounds great, especially in a mix, but to me doesn’t feel transparent.
I don't think that's what they're referring to when they use the term transparency, I think it's more like "does it sound like the same guitar with more overdrive"
@@DooblesGoDoobles If I understood Rhett in this video correctly, the Klon and TS have mid-hump, so it's the EQ shift that makes them not transparent in his view. I'd argue the MG is not transparent because the bass roll-off also alters the EQ a lot. From what I've tried so far I think sth. like a Boss Blues Driver (JFET overdrive) is transparent, and the MG feels much closer to the Klon and TS from a "feel" perspective.
I know it's just a stupid buzzword and I'm sounding like the Gearpage. I was just really surprised when I first played a MG. I expected sth. different after hearing from everyone how transparent it is.
The Morning Glory aint perfect and its correct to say that you loose some lows. Its very slightly though, so doesn't effect to much of the tone. The Timmy is even better at transparency.
Got myself a used EHX Soul Food a couple of months ago and I'm really liking it a lot. It seems to work well with all my different guitars from Les Pauls to Telecasters.
I think the best way to know if a pedal is right for you, is if possible, GIG with that pedal as much as you can. I know this puts a purchase in the “make a leap” category, but even a pedal that sounds great in the store with your guitar and amp may not sound as good or sound right for your gigs.
I was fairly indifferent about a Tube Screamer-Type pedal until… I used one at a gig with a Tele and Deluxe Reverb in a band that already had an acoustic and a Gretch. I appreciated that my rig simply sounded different so that we all found out “sonic lanes” in the band, but just as importantly, the pedal pushed the mids, and allowed my solos to project without tremendous actual increase in volume, whereas through a different pedal type, to get those solo parts to speak as clearly, would have also involved any other frequencies that would have at least more dramatically increased the perceived volume, and maybe gotten a bit more stink-eye on stage, and would have contributed to a muddier mix for the band as a whole.
Again, this couldn’t have possibly been divined from even the best in-store demo of any length of time. You have to get out there and GIG THE PEDAL! Ideally at least a few times before making a decision that a pedal is not for you.
Good tips. I'm a bassist and I've yet to find a good bass overdrive. I'm looking for one that sits back but responds progressively when I dig-in rather than going suddenly from clean to fuzz.
I have tried and liked a lot of different pedals for bass overdrive; right now i’ve landed on the Zvex Basstortion. It’s very amplike and dynamic IMO. Others i’ve liked; Way Huge Green Rhino, EQD Speaker Cranker (really would like to try the new version), Xotic Bass BB Preamp, Xotic Bass RC Booster, EBS Multidrive, Mad Professor Blueberry and more.
My favorite low gain overdrive however is the Strymon Deco on the saturation side. Pretty overkill perhaps, but I can never go back…
@@mikkejohansson thanks for the recommendations - I'll check those out.
11:50 “torn it up” lol!😂 wurdz is hard!! Love the video and channel your the best Rhett!
Rhett, thank you for the education on this subject... it really helps, umm, clear things up for me.
Great video. I just recently bought a MAXON 808 and am really happy out it. Foolishly I sold my original TS808 I sold in the lates 80s but this pedal has that covered again. Like you, I think I prefer it mostly with single coils. Never had the chance to test a Klon
Turn the tone knob to 3 o clock and the drive down, there I your klon, just better!
Great video! Really appreciate learning about the different distortion pedal types. Thanks.
Good run through of the various types of overdrives.
Fair points. I do like the new, or Nu tube screamer. Mostly as you can blend in the gain levels, and making it a transparent drive.
Nice job Rhett. Hey, hopefully you're getting plenty of footage of the studio construction. Really looking forward to some of those videos coming...
Ever since I discovered the Rock Your Repaired Amp Klon Klone and put it on my board, it's never turned off! The combination of it with a good 2 channel tube amp is magic!
I actually have 3 overdrive pedals on my board. A vintage DOD 250, a Waza Blues Driver, and a JHS Notaklon. They all have a unique sound and are fun to stack.
My favorite overdrive currently is the Boss OD-3. It can be pretty gainy and versatile which helps in a lot of song situations.
Second that, it sounds bright, not shrill, even at very high volumes.
@@Willis_S Yes it does, and also it has a good bit of sustain built into it. It probably compresses partially if I had to guess. It's not exactly transparent, but it's not so aggressive that it takes over your entire tonal signature of guitar/amp.
I'm starting to rebuild my rig after my passion for guitar has been reignited, and I've been trying to get ideas for pedals and such that I plan to buy going forward, and figuring out what gain pedals to go with has been tough because there is just SO much out there. I like to play thru a really clean amp know I want a good clean Boost and a more heavily saturated Distortion on my board (the DS-1w is currently at the top of my list) but I've been trying to figure out a good mid-gain kind of pedal for that sweet in between spot that plays well with other types of gain. I've been leaning towards a Klon-style pedal and I think this video has really solidified that plan. A Klone just feels the most flexible out of these different types you showcased, working well for both single coils and humbuckers, it's fairly transparent but still giving a bit of extra character and punch
We definitely lean towards similar sounds/overdrives. There was really only one pedal in the TS vein that I actually did like, and that was the PedalworX Tour Pro Toggle. It had bass roll off which was good for getting rid of the mud, and a much gentler mid boost, keeping most of the top end. It also had a 3 position toggle to control the amount of compression. I bought 2, one for my practice board, and one for my large gigging board. Still have them both after 20 years (one very early production model, one much later) and are my "go to" when I need something "TS-ish" without giving up my sound.
I've owned lots and lots of overdrive pedals, different styles, different brands. Ended up having the Green Rhino MKII by Way Huge as my one and only pony-of-all-trades overdrive. Is like a TS but with extra gain, extra headroom, extra sensitivity and extra EQ (low and midrange). I play a Tele and a Strat mainly through a Deluxe Reverb, so the Rhino's natural midrange bump fills in the blank spaces on my guitar-amp setup and gives me great, full, big, sharp and versatile tone :)
I have loved my Boss OD-2 in the past but now I really love my Ibenez TS9DX and I can bring up my high frequency and it delivers
Would love to see a show and tell video of your guitar collection man
Great video.
For years I used to use TubeScreamer pedals, right from the TS-5 to the UE300. Which I come back to over and over again. The BluesBreaker mk2 has featured on my board, often next to the UE-300. But currently have a TC mojo mojo.
In the video I liked all the pedals but the morning glory only seemed to come into its own with the Gibson and humbuckers. I did quite like the character the Klon-clone gave to both single coil pickups and humbuckers as well as both Fender style amps and Marshall-esque hi gain amp.
I’ve not gone down the Klon route as yet. And can see it as an option.
Ocd is my go to, but I still have never seen a clear explanation what type of circuit it is. It feels like it can go from the transparent thing (where I use it) to a full out RAT like distortion.
Absolutely. To me it gives the best of each end of the spectrum. Its very warm when dialed down. The OCD is by far my favorite.
I will never be moved. My first pedal was a TS, and I will never get rid of it!!! But great video as always!!
Thinking about a Supro Amulet and a Waza craft Blues driver. I’m brand new to tube and single channel amps as well as the pedal world.
I’m not a Tube Screamer fan by any means, but I’m really digging the new JHS 3 Series Screamer. It’s a lot more clear and open sounding than a typical TS pedal, imo.
Nobels ODR-1, IMHO, is one of the best ODs out there, especially at its price point.
That Tele Custom is gorgeous.
Tubescreamer does what it does. And does it well. It may not be the best one if listened to in sterile conditions, but no reason not to have a TS style OD - if you want cut through in a mix or band setting.
This my favourite channel, keep going Rhett
I recently decided to try something different. I'm using OD with a modeller. I have a Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor that I have set to the edge of breakup (on the green channel). That goes into my modeller which I use for the amp sound - which currently is a modelleed PRS Archeon. I will also use the modeller for any time based effects. In the loop (which can be placed anywhere in the chain after the Tube Screamer), I have a Danelectro Cool Cat Overdrive V2 going into a JHS 3 Series OD. I can then run that direct, and it seems to work really well for me.
Honorary mention: Fairfield Barbershop v2. havent tried the v1 but the v2 kicks ass for sure. the sag nob makes things real gritty when turned down
I've got a Superbolt to focus my fat pickups and an Oxblood to fatten my thin pickups. Both have the most satisfying clip cascades and I'll never stop recommending them.
Best explanation of Overdrive, ever!
Great video, I've experimented & nailed it.! TC Electronic Cinders pedal. Transparent threw my VOX AC 50 Cambridge amp.
I also like to run an amp clean and use multiple overdrive pedals in front of it for different amounts of gain. I think my favorite setup right now is the Vox AC30 with a Timmy overdrive, Zen overdrive and a clean boost in front of it. I run the amp just barely before the edge of break and have the pedals set so that the Timmy by itself is a light gain sound, the Zen by itself is a medium gain sound, and both together is a heavy gain sound. And the clean is for a solo boost/push the amp into a little more breakup.
went in to buy my 2nd ever guitar pedal. 1st was a Vox Wah. and ended up walking out with a tube screamer. didnt pan it but loved the sound on my bass and my les paul style guitar
I use a Behringer green OD, works really well in front of a slightly driven amp. Either the clean channel breaking up, or the gain channel with the gain less than half, then just a touch of gain on the pedal, sounds great without coloring the sound too much.
I love the GEAR TALK WITH RHETT and the vintera tele 😍 More clips of you noodling please so I can learn new riffs!
I'm with you on transparent overdrives. They maintain tone consistency if you have multiple pedals and also stack nicely. Switching between a low and higher gain pedal with radically different circuit types sounds odd and can be difficult to set levels because you are hearing very different frequencies.
Long time viewer, and have just subscribed!! Great channel!!
Like you demo and your take on which pedals you like and why. However, I believe in the “right tool for the job” theory. Most tube screamer guys (IMO) use a more distorted sound with usually higher output pickups. Where as most morning glory guys may tend to use a cleaner sound with moderate to vintage output pickups. Also, the tube screamer sound (for me) isn’t a turn on and off sound, because the low end seems to drop out with the tube screamer. (I have an 808, and a jhs bonsai). I also have a Decibelics Golden horse which is billed as an exact Klon copy. It has a great sound, but as you’ve stated, not “completely transparent”. Works great for a little extra kick for certain solos. I have a Nemphasis X7 which is my “desert island pedal”. Good luck finding one though. Also, LOVE the Nobels OD-1 for a very clean boost under $100. But the Best clean boost I own. Kingsley Paige, hands down. I’ve also been sampling some full on distortion pedals, such as the KHDK Paranormal 2. It has a true parametric mid control. Boss OD-3 and Blues driver never let me down either. Amp in a box? Ethos TWE. YUM!!! Also, I own all of the AMT bricks series. These lil’ babies are amazingly close to the real thing. (I own a JCM 800, Fender twin, Mesa boogie dual rectifier, and a VOX AC-30. Convincingly accurate for around $200. Hey, there are so many pedals out nowadays it’s crazy. (Everyone has an option and this is mine 😂🤣😂.)