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Topic: Distortion box |
Nathan Guilford
From:
Oklahoma City
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Posted 8 Dec 2013 9:12 pm |
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My cover band has made some different choices lately. The Band Perry, Carrie Underwood, etc. and I need some heavy gain on the steel guitar. Anybody else have this issue? What dirt box would you use that's not too expensive?
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'02 Carter S-12 uni
‘76 MSA D-12
www.toothbrushers.com |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 9 Dec 2013 4:26 am
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Define "too expensive." I like both the Sparkle Drive and the Mahoney Buzz Tone (a clone of the old Sho-Bud/Jordan Boss Tone). The Sparkle allows varying degrees and intensities of dirt, while (IMO) the Boss/Buzz Tone is best at NRPS/HippieRock levels of fuzzy. But I dig that. I also have an old (like late 70s) MXR Distortion + still in box (but it's used) that I might part with, but I'd wanna test it first to make sure it runs.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2013 7:15 am
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Sarno Earth Drive is very good for steel !!
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MSA 12 String E9th/B6th Universal.
Little Walter PF-89.
Bunch of stomp boxes |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 9 Dec 2013 4:07 pm
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Digitech Bad Monkey is what I use. It's $49.00 at most online stores. Works good for me. I use it for guitar too.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--DGTDBM
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Dwight Lewis
From:
Huntsville, Alabama
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Posted 9 Dec 2013 6:15 pm Distortion
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I use an MXR Classic Distortion box with Humbucker TA-10 pup. For me it can be as subtle as almost nothing to short of ZZ-Top. It can give me smooth and warm to high and bright. My opinion  .
Dwight
ijaash@yahoo.com
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Dekley 7p4k(PRS-10C), BMI S12 5p5kn |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 10 Dec 2013 1:07 am
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| Lane Gray wrote: |
| ...late 70s MXR Distortion +... |
Thats what I use for steel. Its so old the foam inside had turned to dust (just like me haha). It only ran on 9v battery, so I hardwired an adapter cable inside so it runs off my pedalboard iSpot now. I run it full output/no distortion so it adds just a bit of fuzz. Sounds great and really doesn't color the tone at all. I only wish it had an on/off led like all my other pedals so I can tell when its active by sight. The other pedal I use for 6 string is the Fulltone OCD v.3. |
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Paddy Long
From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted 10 Dec 2013 2:27 pm
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Another tick for the Sarno Earth Drive - it's awesome for steel !
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14'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
08'Zumsteel Hybrid D10 9+9
94' Franklin Stereo D10 9+8
Telonics, Peterson, Steelers Choice, Benado, Lexicon, Red Dirt Cases. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2013 11:12 am
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Another inexpensive one (Check Craigslist) that will turn your Steel into a screamin' Banshee right quick is the Boss MT-2.
As you can see the tone is very tweakable:
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Michael Hummel
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 12 Dec 2013 8:41 am
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I don't use it often; but the Sarno Earth Drive is my overdrive of choice for steel when I need it. It brings smiles from all the band members when I engage it!
Being a recording engineer, I liken the Earth Drive to a good-quality neutral microphone, like the AT4050. You get out whatever goes in, plus some drive. People choose other overdrives and microphones to give particular character to sounds, which is cool, but I still want the sound of my steel to be identifiable. The Earth Drive is nicely neutral in that respect.
FWIW.
Mike
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MSA Classic 5+4
Too many 6-strings and amps to list |
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Steve Schmidt
From:
Ramsey, MN, USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2013 10:53 am
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| I am curious where you all put your OD boxes? I go from my guitar direct into the Zendrive, then to my volume pedal, then to the rest of my effects, and then to my amp. Just curious what everybody else does? |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2013 2:02 pm
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There are two approaches, basically.
1 - place the pedal before the volume pedal. That way the amount of distortion is constant at any volume.
2 - place the pedal after the volume pedal. That way the pedal behaves more like an overdriven amp, the more volume you throw at it, the dirtier it gets. Back off the volume pedal and it cleans up a bit.
It seems that most (but definitely not all) choose #1.
B |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 12 Dec 2013 5:06 pm
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I run all my stomp pedals thru the post eq loop on the front of the NV1000. I know it may not be the optimal method according to some obsessive purists out there, but I should preface this by mentioning I also play guitar and mandolin thru the same rig. I do this mostly because: 1. It works and sounds just fine to me (and at least eleven other people haha), 2. its easy to setup, 3. it conserves a few extra cables.
A short cable goes from the steel to Hilton VP, a long one to amp in. Two long cables connect the pedalboard in/out to the send/return of loop respectively. I use another long cable for 6 string or mando into the second input of amp. The tuner is engaged to mute line signal when switching from guitar to mandolin.
I use a fairly typical order in the effects chain pictured above.
It goes something like this from in to out on the pedalboard: Dunlop Crybaby, MXR Dist+, Exotic SP, Boss GE-7, Fulltone OCD, Boss TR-2, MXR Carbon Copy, Boss RV-3, Boss TU-2. The Exotic SP is a comp/boost which I use on guitar and mandolin to equalize levels of all instruments sent to the PA via the XLR out on the back of the amp. I use all pedals for guitar, but mostly just the Boss RV-3 for steel (and occasionally the MXR Dist+ or Carbon Copy). |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 12 Dec 2013 6:13 pm
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I like everything but the reverb before the volume pedal. I have found that, as I get better with my right hand, I can vary the amount of "dirt" with the amount of pick attack, but I usually don't want just a little: I wanna sound like Buddy Cage when I hit the switch, and I haven't yet acquired a taste for that "lightly dirty" tone that many lap steelers like.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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