Best distortion pedals

[exfakto]

"Hi Guys, hope you can help out here. I did a search on the topic but only found 1 post and its almost 2 years old and wasnt very helpfull.

80% Of what I record is heavy metal, nu-metal, and hardcore bands. I have a Dual Rectifier and Marshall TSL heads, but people get tired of the same flavor, plus "The MEsa Tone" is a litle over used. I plan on buying 3 or 4 pedals to cover a varierty of heavy tones.

From your experience, which heavy distortion pedals (or processors) have you used in recording sessions that you've liked ? Most surely I'll order like 6 or 7 and just keep 4. But I always like hearing your opinions as they have helped me alot in past purchases.

Thanks alot!

[HudHudson]

ProCo Rat is a classic. Keeley's 3-way Rat mod just shreds. Also might try some stuff like the Keeley Java Boost (like a Rangemaster but with three distinct tones) or Durham Sex Drive (it's a boost pedal but has gain, level & tone controls - super heavy sound thru my JMP 50).

[doorknocker]

Z.Vex Fuzz Factory.

Besides the mad scientist vibe of the pedal, it also provides the best fuzz sound I ever got with my '57 reissue Strat and a 1971 Marshall Super Lead amp. Truly inspiring!

O.k, I'm not into the 'modern heavy' sound but you should give this pedal a try. As a Strat/Tele player it's refreshing to have a pedal that has gain to spare. Actually you have to be careful not to turn it up even to 1/4 when you try it, it's EXPLOSIVE and despite the warning in the manual I still managed to almost have a heart attack when I first hooked it up.
With ANY other pedal I always wished it had more gain/power and the ones that did always weakened the sound/impact. Not so with the Fuzz Factory.

But the bottom line is the great and versatile sound.

Another pedal that got great reviews from mostly heavier players is the Prescription Electronics Face Lift. I never tried it myself though but I could very well imagine that it's in your ballpark.


Andi

[Jetblack]

Try using a Mesa V-Twin pedal with different tubes. I've gotten great results.

[theAdmiral]

I would use a clean boost to acheive natural tube distortion before using distortion pedals. It's like having super loud pickups. I use the catlinbread chile picoso. Way more musical. The harder you play the more the tube amp will break up.

[Bob Ross]

I've got 3 faves which I keep in heavy rotation:

SansAmp GT-2
Ibanez TS9 (original; not a resissue, not an "original reissue")
ProCo Rat

If I was shopping for more of that ilk I'd probably add a BOSS Super Distortion + Feedbacker, and maybe something to do the quacky vintage 60's fuzzbox vibe, like an original Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, the orange & blue Univox thing, or the old Maestro wedge-shaped POS.

Been really getting into combining massive clean gain (via a Sloth Systems custom stompbox preamp) plus a graphic EQ in front of a tube amp or model thereof in order to do tailored idiosyncratic distortion. More distinctive than just a fuzzbox per se.

[retropete]

Before you scoff at this suggestion, check out www.indyguitarist.com and go to the sound samples.

I have a Boss Metal Zone that was modded for the Bogner/Diezel tone. I know, I know, the Metal Zone is one of the most "fizzy" pedals out there. But this mod put the guts back in. Lot of low-end umphh. Very much like the Bogner Ecstasy.

I also vote for Robert Keeley's work. Haven't heard the ProCo Rat mod but I have a TubeScreamer modded by him, the Keeley compressor, and a Boss DS-1. He really does incredible work and he's not too expensive. Plus a super nice guy to buy from.

P

[dj_who]

Bixonic Expandora

Menatone King of Britains

SIB varidrive

Barber Burn Unit

[sysexguy]

I really like retroman stuff, the Sybill in front of my /13 is unbelievable. Retroman's build quality and grounding is way better than anything else I've seen so far. stike

That being said, I've found certain combinations that really work and ymmv as with all things.

Other winners:

Burriss Boostiest with a Fuchs
Urso Splinter with the Cornford

It's hard to predict, my Time Machine rocks with an AC-30, the /13 and the Cornford, but was more irritating than anything with the Fuchs ?????

best option is as you mention, find a dealer that will send a bunch and let you return the runner-ups.

Andy

[infiniteposse]

For metal I'd check out the Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde:
http://www.visualsound.net/jh.htm

It covers a tone of ground and would really give you two different pedals to work with that work well together as well... Mine makes me a metal god in seconds in front of my JCM800...

Good luck.

[paterno]

I end up using the Voodoo Lab SuperFuzz quite a bit. There is a low end 'resonance ' knob that adds a cool bottom end to the tone. It's not quite the metal thing but I've found it useful for a lot of things, not just guitars...

John

[kudzu]

Just bought an Ampeg "Scrambler"....weird.....but f*ckin' good......recommended

[lofi_lothario]

Fuzz Face, Guyatone OD2, Big Muff and a Boss orange thing- these seem to give me a good variety of tones.

[chrisgraff]

Honestly, you might consider buying another amp before investing in a bunch of pedals. Nothing against them, (I probably have $6k in stomp boxes); but, in my experience a different amp or cab will yield a better variety of tones.

[sysexguy]

so will mult'ing to different amps

Andy

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by Jetblack

Try using a Mesa V-Twin pedal with different tubes. I've gotten great results.

Somebody want to buy mine? I hate it (and I've got vintage Telefunken 12AX7's in it which didn't make much of a difference as compared to the stock Sovteks). Some people love it though.

[cdog]

Originally Posted by exfakto

80% Of what I record is heavy metal, nu-metal, and hardcore bands. I have a Dual Rectifier and Marshall TSL heads, but people get tired of the same flavor, plus "The MEsa Tone" is a litle over used. I plan on buying 3 or 4 pedals to cover a varierty of heavy tones.
Thanks alot!

In my experience "heavy" tone just doesn't come out of a pedal.

It is the sound of the amp (primarily) and the speakers.

Distortion pedals are best used with a nice clean amp, like a 60s Fender, Vox, or Marshall, to give the amp a "second channel" - devices from Zvex, Analogman, Foxrox, Stephenson Amps, can all accomplish this quite well. Cheaper crap like stock Boss pedals can suck your tone dry, turning into mush.

But you are talking about nuclear meltdown heavy riffage, 7 string guitars, the whole 9.

For this, you need CLARITY, and HIGH GAIN - from TUBES.

You should look at buying a new amp.

I can suggest as alternatives to your Mesa DR and Marshall TSL:

VHT Ultralead or CLX

Bogner Uberschall

Diesel Herbert or VH4

Soldano SP77 Preamp (modified for higher gain) w/ VHT power amp

Mesa Stiletto (sounds like a modified Marshall)

[84K]

Best Distortion Pedal:

Definitely #1:

Landgraff ODS and Mo-D


close runner-ups:

Old OD-1s
Vintage Marshall Gov'nor
Schumann Two Face Fuzz
Fender Blender (now being made again)
Hot Cake
Wells 5:00 Shadow

[everybody's x]

the old-school thrash guys used to dig the Boss super overdrive (the yellow one)

think "milano mosh"

Rats are awesome, Tube Screamers, tech 21 had an ill fated pedal out for awhiloe called the "XXL" that was insane

but then again I'd buy a marshall 2550, boogie mkII C or something like that instead

[js1]

ProCo Rat fans - which one do you prefer? Vintage (I mean the new ones ProCo sells as "Vintage Rat") or Rat2?

js

[pan60]

not a big stomp box fan to start with, i mostly like small amps cranked for drive,
but i did recently get a carl martin plexi-tone and i find it is growing on me.
it has found its way into the link.
it has a nice clean boost, and two separate drive settings which makes it versatile.
i like the clean boost for pushing the front of a small amp, and the two overdrive settings can be dialed in anywhere from tame to get it.
not sure if it would come up to metal standards as that is out of my league, but its is way more drive then would be needed for most R&B.
on a scale of one to ten for the gain, i do not go above a two or three on ether channel.

[DC11]

The Fulltone OCD is amazing. I got rid of my FullDrive 2 for it. Best I've heard in awhile.

[brownmouse]

Originally Posted by chrisgraff

Honestly, you might consider buying another amp before investing in a bunch of pedals. Nothing against them, (I probably have $6k in stomp boxes); but, in my experience a different amp or cab will yield a better variety of tones.

i would echo this as well. the randall mts system is very cool and versatile.
joshua

[soundwarrior]

I agree with cdog. Get a new amp. The Vht Ultralead sounds amazing to me for high gain stuff. You can get so much gain in there and it does not sound fizzy or loose. It is also records really good. The Diezel Herbert is awesome also. You also have to remember that the type of amp you have will reflect the way the pedal sounds. Some amps take pedals differrent than others. If you have a fast,tight sounding amp then the pedal is going to react that way. I would sell the Mesa before I sold the Marshall. I have owned all four amps and this is just my opinion.

[exfakto]

Thanks alot for all your replys. I dont think I would sell any of my amps, they get used here alot and people ask them by name. I did thought of buying other amps like some of you guys suggested, but my main budget right now is focused on Rack Equipment (Massive Passive, more control room tratment). I just wanted to see your opinions on pedals. Im very greatful for all the suggestions, thanks!!

JP thumbsup

[hopeless_opus]

Some I like are....

Overdrive:

Ibanez TS9
Boss SD-1
RAT
Fulltone Fulldrive 2
Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Distortion:

Rat
Marshall Shreddmaster
MXR Distortion +
Boss OD-2 Turbo

Fuzz:

Big Muff Pi (Russian/USA)
Prescription Yardbox
Frantone Sweet

Check out these sites: www.pedalgeek.com and www.guitargeek.com

[3rd world order]

most pedals are good for 1 or 2 sounds.. i can get 20 radically different sounds from the fuzz factory depending on the GTR i use, volume setting, pickups, and where the 5 Fuzz Factory knobs are set... most versatile and extreme fuzz pedal i've ever used. I love it so much i just ordered a MACHINE pedal. the Woolly Mammoth is next..

I also dig the EH graphic fuzz.. but the compressor weirds me out and i can only get a few sounds out of it... i think it's best application is eqing the Fuzz Factory.. or processing drum loops, actually...

RAT pedal can be cool too... *and* it's got enough gain to use as a mic pre for a shure 58..

another ReallyCoolThing™ is the old red & blue SUPER FUZZ pedal. goes louder than anything else, always. stike

and for WEIRD find a FOXX Tone Machine... it has blue fuzz.. erm.. i mean fur. really.

[kosi]

Originally Posted by 84K

Fender Blender (now being made again)

What ? Who ? How? Where ?
Looking for one since 6 months and don't find even a smell over here.

[writethis]

I agree strongly with the Randall MTS System to add a whole pallatte of new tones. Also small combos driven hard can be very cool; I have a late-40s Supro 1-10" that sounds like nothing else I've ever heard, and in a good way.

Maybe a cabinet with a Vox Blue speaker or two, if you don't already have an AC-30 lying around. Expensive but killer.

Pedals I'd consider: A Tonebender MKII clone (think Jimmy Page), a Fuzz Face clone, a Dallas Rangemaster clone. Fred at Divided By 13 makes a very versatile Rangemaster clone+ called the DynaRanger, which IMHO almost always improves the sound of any Marshall or higher gain type amp. More cut and harmonic content, better string-to-string balance. That's not always a good thing, but sure can be.

Also check out ProAnalog.com. Scotty is a mad scientist freak, just brilliant. He made my MKII and Fuzz Face clones, but apparently has stopped making those. Instead he's focusing on original designs. This is the high end of the high end, IMHO they're all very very good. I also have his Dual Drive, and a PowerDriver (based on Colorsound Overdriver) allegedly on the way. He uses all hand-selected new-old-stock transistors, tuning every pedal individually.

Just don't be in a hurry if you order anything from Scotty. He's a one-mad-scientist operation, and apparently, brilliance takes time.

[jumpnyc]

Sounds like you like gain. For that I recommend the Plexi-Tone pedal it offers crunch high gain and a volume boost. It's excellent. For that classic rock sound with all the overtones the OCD can't be beat by Fulltone. I use both pedals for different sounds and I am set. My band prefers the OCD to my dual rectifier.