How many overdrives do you have?

[CapnCrunch]

Just curious, how many overdrive pedals have people built, and/or own?  The next question, is how many do you actually use?  I'm coming off a period where I've used only amp overdrive.  I haven't used an OD pedal in about 4 years, though sometimes I use a Dallas Rangemaster clone with my AC15.  I'm now needing to use more effects and my amps are all old school non master volume, no effects loop, type amps.  So, I'm backing off the amp volume to clean the amps up so they will sound good with delay, modulation, reverb etc.  I'm needing some OD pedals for the first time in years. 

So, how many does a guy need?  Kind of a dumb question because the answer is usually "just one more".........

[Rich_S]

Do distortion pedals count?  If so, three with another on the way.

I have a Boss SD-1 that's not on my pedalboard.  It's modded like a Monte Allums GT, but with stock clipping diodes.  I loan it to friends, or us it for jams when I don't have my board.  Bersides, everybody should have at least one SD-1 around the house.

My main OD, after years of experimenting, is a Nutrino.  I love its clarity, dynamics, lack of mid-hump.  Its tight, chunky low end doesn't overwhelm my 18 Watter clone the way pedals like the OCD and Box Of Rock do.

As my "other" dirt sound, I have a Recto-mod DS-1 on my board.  I use it mostly for times when I need really saturated high gain, but without the volume boost I get from the Nutrino.  The DS-1's distortion pot is usually almost all the way up, and its volume control really low.  (Example:  I was forced against my will to cover Journey's "Separate Ways" at the recent band-reunion gig.  I used the DS-1 for the arena-rock rhythm part.)

On the bench, I have a Rat clone.  It's going to replace the DS-1 on my board for special cases, weird noises, and faux-Ebow parts.

[mjcyates]

Main board - Barber Direct Drive, Barber Dirty Bomb, Barber LTD, Garage Tone Drivetrain on order

DIY board - Sunking, Deadringer, Neutrino (in the works), Egodriver, Quasar (not in the works yet), Fat Pants Boost

[Haberdasher]

Right now I've got 3 if we are counting distortions as well.

I have a BBE Green Screamer OD that isn't too bad, but it doesn't have the balls to do everything you want.

I also have a Vox Cooltron Bulldog that has 2 channels and uses a 12au7.  Sounds good and can get pretty mean too.  It's good for kind of making your clean have 3 channels.  I may end up selling this pedal down the road though.  It can be kind of a chain hog and it doesn't seem to like sitting where you would normally keep a distortion, depending on what else you are running.  Almost like a preamp instead of a distortion...

I just built a Neutrino and so far I'm liking it quite a bit.

Going to build a Krunkee as my next project here.  I have the board and most of the parts.  I just need to wait a little while before I make my next order to pick up a case and the switches.

\,,/ (-_-) \,,/

[CapnCrunch]

One of the things I was wondering is how many OD or distortion pedals do folks use on their board at the same time?  Not necessarily engaged at the same time but on the board and potentially in the path.  The other thing I'm interested in is how many of those do use regularly (not just occasionally like you step on it once in a gig for like a 10 second part).  Maybe a better way to ask would be which OD's or distortions are your "go to" pedals, the ones you just couldn't live without?

[mjcyates]

For rhythm, 95% of the time I have guitar into Tone Press into Direct Drive into Barber EQ into Nova Repeater. For leads I have the same chain with the Barber LTD stacked after the Direct Drive and before the Barb EQ.

[CapnCrunch]

I've had a number of people recommend various Barber pedals in the past couple of weeks.  I think I'll start looking at them

[ibodog]

Umm, I've probably built 20 or so overdrives in the last year or two.    At any time there are probably 3-4 of them on my pedal board.  Which ones depends on what way the wind is blowing that day.  The Timmy pretty much stays put there, though.  Honey Bee, Klon, Barbershop, Screwdriver, Colorsound Overdriver, Hotcake are all favorites.

[jkokura]

All of them...

But seriously, probably a dozen or so. I have a lot that I like and use often, and some that I like a little and use seldom.

I've been through soooo many over the years though.

The real question should be though - how many overdrives/dirt/fuzz do you have/use on your pedalboard?!? In that case, I use 2-4 depending on if you count some that are two in one enclosure as one or two. I always have a low gain and mid-high gain that stack nicely. I rarely, rarely have just one. If I were to have just one though, it would be the Timmy clone I built recently. Boy oh boy that thing sounds like it has magic dust in it... Paul Cochrane is my hero.

jacob

[madbean]

I just picked up an AC4TV. It has a very sweet overdrive, and I've just been diming it and using the volume on my guitar to control it. I think one boost and one OD would work well with it.

I did a session a few years ago where I brought every OD/Fuzz/Distortion I gad built (9 or 10). I had all the pedals on two boards. One one tune, I turned all of them on. It was absolute chaos...esp. with an Ocatavia.

Anyway, I think two will cover most needs these days

BTW Marvin: any chance we could have a couple of guts pics of your Tone Press and EQ? I'm really curious about them. Dave Barber has really well executed designs.

[mjcyates]

Brian, yes I will try to get those posted for you. David Barber is the man! I love his stuff.

[mjcyates]

Here is the Tone Press.

[mjcyates]

Here is the Barb EQ

[eniacmike]

I have bought two overdrives the fulltone ocd, and the eh lpb-1 (technically a boost), I have built a zvex sho clone, craig andertons tube sound fuzz, son of screamer, rangemaster clone, dirty little secret clone, and the trotsky.

The one I like the best is the trotsky, followed by the dirty little secret (grapevine board). I used to really love the fulltone ocd, and it is a good pedal but I think the dirty little secret is better and has a quieter noise level.

Sometimes I step back and think how many dirt pedals can I have, because it kind of ridiculous and most of them do actually sound the same (at least with my amp and guitar they do).

[pauloman80]

Three overdrives (Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, two Ibanez TS7 Tone Lok Tubescreamers) and a Krankosaurus build I call the Marsh Box. 

Interested in an overdrive with a different voicing, would love to try the Timmy.  Have nearly enough info to build one, just debating if I want to open up that can of worms.  Friend of mine has one and loves it, wants a second so he'd be interested if I can build one.