good overdrive for steel

Justin Douglas · From: Austin, TX

So I've got a ton of pedals for guitar, but finding a great overdrive (not full on distortion) that's full range, not scooped (smiley face eq) or thin or harsh sounding, and most importantly that's got great string separation is proving difficult.

I recorded Cindy Cashdollar over the summer and she used the Durham Sex Drive which sounded awesome, but is a little pricey for an overdrive. Any suggestions? Anyone ever try playing through a bass overdrive?

Thanks!

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Well, I bought a Marshall half stack to play my Sho-Bud through 'cause I wanted the real deal and not a simulated tube overdrive coming out of a box.

However, there are stompboxes out there that do sound okay and are not heavy metal machines. The Boss Blues Driver and Super Overdrive come to mind if you're looking for a compact solid state device, or if you like tubes there are some tube driven stompboxes that put out some decent grind too (Electro-Harmonix and Radial Engineering are two manufacturers I know of that make tube driven stompboxes).

Whatever you do, avoid any stompbox that is designed to generate a square wave distortion (this includes all boxes labeled with the word 'fuzz'). A fuzztone effect sounds absolutely horrid with steel.
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Sho-Bud Pro III + Marshall JMP 2204 half stack = good grind!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Are you really looking for an overdrive - which pushes an amp that's driving hard into natural distortion - or are you looking for a distortion unit that is designed to *create* a distorted signal in an amp run at lower volume?

Most real overdrives have some distortion characteristics, but they either go the scooped-mid (as you describe) or the mid hump) ala Tube Screamer) routes and IMO sound like crap.

For a "real" distortion, the best I've ever tried is the BJF Dyna Red. It turns out a natural, smooth distortion at just about any volume level though an otherwise clean amp.

But it's also pricey. That's the kicker - really high quality, good sounding distortion units that work with a clean amp are neither easy to engineer (you don't toss in a few transistors and diodes, clip the signal and call it a day) nor cheap. If you want good tone, you pay for it.

That's the effects world. Over the years I've amassed a pretty hefty stock of what some would call ridiculously expensive stompboxes...but when I compare the tone to the "retail" mass-market stuff there just *IS* no comparison. I'd rather pay $300 once to get a good sound than $50 or $75 half a dozen times trying to find a cheap box that will work...and never find one. Every once in a while you get lucky (I was stunned by a few of the $15 Dano FAB boxes) but with effects...just like with amps...you get what you pay for.

Justin Douglas · From: Austin, TX

yeah, i've got an original ts-10, a z vex fuzz probe, a z vex box of rock (best pedal EVER for guitar), a custom colorsound fuzz, and octavia, and probably a couple more.

i'm looking for a box that simulates overdrive, not something to push my amp (a supro tremolectric, btw). i guess the 3 things i'm not finding all together are:

- a nice crunch with low end clarity
- note/string separation
- reacts to volume pedal - ie. cleans up a when you back off and gets dirtier when you dig in

i got no problem with expensive pedals (as you can see), so any advice or experience would be appreciated.

thanks jim and leslie!

David Doggett · Posted 6 Oct 2008 7:19 am

For authentic tube distortion for pedal steel through clean amps, after trying many low-end boxes, on Dan Tyacks advice I got a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube box. I put it before the volume pedal, for pick sensitivity. For me it gets the blues/rock slight grit and breakup I want when I pick hard, and cleans up when I pick softer. It probably will do the same after the volume pedal. But I haven't tried that, because I want the VP to control only the volume, not the distortion.

I've also tried the ZenDrive 2 from Hermida. It has beautiful boutique amp tone, but it is either on or off - I can't get it to be pick sensitive.

Steve Hamill · From: California, USA

Have any of you guys found one of the Dumble type pedals that would do the Lindley Dumble sound?
Most of them are going for the Robben Ford or Santana genre.

Wayne Franco · From: silverdale, WA. USA

How could someone go wrong with something named Durham Sex Drive. Especially with that kind of endorsement !! Smile

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I like the Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and the fulltone OCD. The OCD maybe a little better.
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Bob

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Radial ToneBone Classic is my fav, it would probably chain really well with the Durham Sex Drive ...

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Spencer Cullum · Posted 6 Oct 2008 3:21 pm

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

I've tried:

Lovepedal COT
SMF Greenline
Radial Tonebone Brit
Xotica RC Booster

all sound pretty good.

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

I have a ZenDrive, which sounds good for distortion/OD. It has good gain to drive the amp but adds its own distortion, but the tone is good. I just got an old DOD FET Preamp, which is more like a true OD in that it is simply driving the front of the amp. It sounds pretty good, but there is no switch, so it's always on. Good sounding drive, though.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Here I am with boxes full of boutique stuff - and one of the best low-level, OD-like distortion pedals for steel I've found is the plain ol' MXR Distortion+. It's one of the few that doesn't go thin at low volume levels as well.

I'd forgotten about it when I posted earlier - which is silly because the thing is velcro'd upside-down on my two-pickup Fender 400 (which with one stock and one Stringmaster pickup has a huge amount of output signal) - I use my knee to kick it in!
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

I picked up the Nobels ODR-1 based on recommendations in an earlier discussion, and I like it quite a bit. It sounds great and has been very reliable so far.
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Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Justin Douglas · From: Austin, TX

anybody tried pedals that will mix in your clean signal with the dirty signal? like the voodoo labs sparkle drive?

i would think that would be a nice way to get some dirt with some clarity.

Steve Hotra · From: Camas, Washington

TTT
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Guitars: Rittenberry SD S-10, Gretsch Black Falcon. Effects: Wampler Paisley, Strymon Timeline, Sarno Earth Drive.
Fractal FM9
Amps: Mesa Express 5:25, Jazzkat Tomkat & Boss Katana head / various cabs.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Here's an unbeatable deal on a Zendrive pedal. I bet this deal won't last thru the night. I'd jump on it if I didn't already have one.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=148056

Brad

Henry Nagle · From: Santa Rosa, California

I've had great results with a Homebrew Electronics "Big D".

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Ditto on the Duncan Twin Tube and Zen Drive, to my tastes. I like the Twin Tube best of anything I've heard - definitely not scooped or harsh, metalheads hate 'em. But naturally, this is all strictly a matter of taste, not to mention that it probably also depends heavily on the guitar and operator.

Of course, a properly-sized classic-style tube amp that can be appropriately cranked without blowing everyone away still sounds best to me.

Michael Haselman · From: St. Paul

I just got my BBE "Green Screamer" yesterday. Lots of good reviews of this, and true bypass, which sold me. Very reasonably priced and comes with an AC adaptor. I won't be playing out with it until 12-26, so I won't really know until then. Damn, but there's a lot of these OD pedals, aren't there? I think many of the high-priced ones have the same basic components as the lower-priced ones, just hipper names and looks and such.
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Mullen RP D10, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. Hound Dog reso. Piles of other stuff.

Steve Hotra · From: Camas, Washington

I found an old Marshall "Bluesbreaker" pedal at my church. Its the one with the blue lettering.
I'll give this a try before I buy a OD/distortion pedal.
Michael;
I like the BBE "Green Screamer", too.
Is yours the newer one or the older model?
Steve
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Guitars: Rittenberry SD S-10, Gretsch Black Falcon. Effects: Wampler Paisley, Strymon Timeline, Sarno Earth Drive.
Fractal FM9
Amps: Mesa Express 5:25, Jazzkat Tomkat & Boss Katana head / various cabs.

Michael Haselman · From: St. Paul

Steve: it just came yesterday and is the newer model with the airplane cartoon. Like I said, for playing steel, the thing that sold me was true bypass. I don't want anything messing with my clean signal. Harmony Central reviews are rave, but lots of amateurs on there.
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Mullen RP D10, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. Hound Dog reso. Piles of other stuff.

Steve Hotra · From: Camas, Washington

John Groover McDuffie · From: LA California, USA

I love the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive for PSG as wll as for standard electric guitar. The ability to blend the clean sound and overdrive really helps retain full-range sound and punch. Used after the volume pedal it seems really responsive to different levels, giving it more "gas" brings out more of the overdrive when set appropriately.
(my settings, in "clock-face" terms are roughly drive 10:00; tone 11:00; blend 11;00 and level 11:00~12:00)

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