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Author Topic:  Earth Drive
George Macdonald

 

From:
Vancouver Island BC Canada
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2015 8:16 am    
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I have a Sarno Earth Drive on order and I'm wondering where in the effects chain it should go? I'm currently using a Black Box to volume pedal to Flashback Delay to Wet reverb to amp. Thanks, George
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Ken Metcalf


From:
San Antonio Texas USA
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2015 9:10 am    
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I like to run it before the volume pedal so I can get the distortion/drive effect at different volumes. If you put it after the V.P. it will get less distorted as you back off the volume.
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Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2015 9:16 am    
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I'd put it right after the Black Box and before the volume pedal.
If you put it after the volume pedal, you get more fuzz the louder you go, so the Tom Scholtz thing of thick overdrive at low volume is out, BUT it can be cool to have a direct link between volume and drive.
I usually run it before the pedal, but there are times when it belongs after.
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George Macdonald

 

From:
Vancouver Island BC Canada
Post  Posted 29 Nov 2015 2:17 pm     Earth Drive
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Thanks Ken and Lane. Just heard from "the man", and that's what he said too. Thanks again, George
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Paddy Long


From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2015 3:17 pm    
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Yes with mine I go straight out of the guitar into the ED then to the volume pedal, works best that way for me. I also have mine mounted to the back leg of the guitar, and I got Brad to put a toggle switch on it, rather than the stomp knob.
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George Macdonald

 

From:
Vancouver Island BC Canada
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2015 3:43 pm     Earth Drive
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Paddy, I've seen the pics of your ED, and the leg mount and toggle is a good idea for pedal steel, but I plan to use it for lap steel also, so I ordered the stomp version. Brad did offer to do the leg mount if I wanted. I just ordered it on Sat. so it probably won't get here till Jan. with Brad being very busy and the Christmas mail problems. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not really into distortion but I understand that it can warm up the sound without pushing it too far.
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Ron Funk

 

From:
Ballwin, Missouri
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2015 5:38 pm    
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The Earth Drive is also very popular with six stringer Lead Guitarists
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2015 8:06 pm    
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Ken Metcalf wrote:
I like to run it before the volume pedal so I can get the distortion/drive effect at different volumes. If you put it after the V.P. it will get less distorted as you back off the volume.

That's the very reason I put it after the volume pedal. I like it cleaner at lower volumes, like amp distortion.
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Brad Sarno


From:
St. Louis, MO USA
Post  Posted 1 Dec 2015 7:42 am    
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There are basically these two philosophies when using a dirt pedal on steel. If you place it before the volume pedal as most do, then the amount of distortion/drive/sustain is constant and the volume pedal is a master volume.

But some people, including me sometimes, like to place it after the volume pedal. You can get it to mimic a driven tube amp like bOb said. Back off and play quieter and the sound is clean. But play harder and lay into the volume pedal and it begins to overdrive just like playing into a tube amp. This can be handy if you have a SUPER-loud amp rig. The Earth Drive can work as a loudness ceiling controller. You can set it to begin clipping and driving at a point you feel is the absolute loudest you'd want to get. You can make a 400 watt steel rig behave like a 20 watt Deluxe or an 80 watt Twin this way depending on how you set it.

B
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 1 Dec 2015 8:26 am    
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Right. I have a Milkman Half & Half (300 watts), and the Earth Drive after the volume pedal makes it respond like a loud 25 watt tube amp. That's exactly what's required in rock and blues. When I want to control the amount of distortion with my right hand for more of a "slide guitar" effect, I take my foot off the volume pedal. A light touch has less distortion than digging in.
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Mitch Adelman


From:
Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 1 Dec 2015 5:39 pm    
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I use mine after the volume pedal as well. I set the drive high, to 3-4 o'clock, then volume about 10 o'clock. This gives me a wide range of dynamic overdriven tones with the pedal without being real loud. Works great for me!
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Steve Lipsey


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 2 Dec 2015 2:45 pm    
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I used to have one overdrive/distortion before and one after - totally different feel, best of both worlds...now I just put it before, set for a bit of hair, and use my hand to get more or less...
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George Macdonald

 

From:
Vancouver Island BC Canada
Post  Posted 2 Dec 2015 3:04 pm     Earth Drive
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Very helpful info. Thanks everyone, George
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