{"id":1616,"date":"2018-02-09T08:24:55","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T08:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/delaydude.de\/?p=1616"},"modified":"2018-06-04T06:02:28","modified_gmt":"2018-06-04T06:02:28","slug":"the-right-overdrive-pedal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/the-right-overdrive-pedal\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find the right overdrive pedal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ask<\/a>To many guitarists the chase for the perfect overdrive pedal is a never ending story.
\nAnd not only because of different ideas of sound, have other guitarist\u2019s recommendations leaded to disappointment as not every overdrive pedal is suitable for all kind of sounds.<\/p>\n

Clean or distort amp?<\/h3>\n

One of the most important aspects with regard to the choice of the right overdrive pedal is the adjustment of your amplifier.
\nFor a totally clean amp, used as a platform to create varying kinds of sound, some overdrive pedals are inappropriate:<\/p>\n

Midrange emphasizing overdrives<\/h3>\n

Overdrive pedals that push the midrange like for example the Tubescreamer, the Klon Centaur or similar ones may create a nasal sound in front of a clean amp.
\nWith fuzz effects like Fuzz Face<\/a>, Tonebender and Big Muff<\/a> the sound soon becomes some kind of harsh.
\nAnd it is best not to try treble booster in front of a clean amp because they will – as the name already suggests \u2013 only emphasize treble. Combined with a clean amp this will lead to a sound that is too bright and weak.<\/p>\n

All this types of overdrive pedals are more suitable to be used in front of a lightly distort amplifier.
\nThey will boost the tubes by pushed mids or treble and therefore provide a punchy sound that cuts through the mix.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmp in a box\u201d pedals<\/h3>\n

For clean amps the manufacturers invented overdrive pedals that emulate the distortion of a certain amplifier.
\nThese \u201camp in a box\u201d pedals (like for example the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret<\/a>, ZVEX Box of Rock<\/a>, Catalinbread 5f6<\/a>) would lose their character when you use them in front of an overdriven amp.<\/p>\n

Humbucker or Single Coil?<\/h3>\n

The type of the pickups of your guitar also matters. Humbucker pickups provide more output and thereby allow more distortion and in addition their sound is less bright than the sound of a single coil which makes some pedals sound quite punchier.<\/p>\n

However the lower output of a single coil is able to clear up an overdrive pedal which\u2019s sound before seemed some kind of undifferentiated or muffled.<\/p>\n

Volume and Tone<\/h3>\n

Another question that is important is if you always leave the volume and the tone pot of your guitar in full clockwise position or if you experiment with the adjustments of volume and tone to find out how your overdrive pedal sounds best.<\/p>\n

Full-Stack or Combo?<\/h3>\n

Apart from the (mostly low) possibilities to adjust the sound of your amplifier it may be relevant if you use a full-stack or a small combo.
\nWhen you use a full-stack to play in a great hall it makes sense to choose another overdrive pedal as if you are playing a small club.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

I think that it is impossible to make a decision just because of the recommendation of somebody else. Even if a review describes the sound of a new overdrive pedal as creamy and punchy it may sound \u2013 objectively – totally different with your own setup.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[256,265,694,893,687,259,263,268],"tags":[307,546,547,544,246,545,162,542,9,81,543,206,541,425,548],"class_list":["post-1616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7000-questions-to-the-dude","category-amps-guitars","category-catalinbread","category-dunlop","category-electro-harmonix","category-overdrive-pedals","category-pedalboard","category-pedals","tag-big-muff","tag-catalinbread-5f6","tag-catalinbread-dirty-little-secret","tag-combo","tag-distortion","tag-fullstack","tag-fuzz","tag-fuzz-face","tag-klon-centaur","tag-overdrive","tag-tone","tag-tubescreamer","tag-verzerrer","tag-volume","tag-zvex-box-of-rock"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9GLlF-q4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1220,"url":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/overdrive-distortion-fuzz\/","url_meta":{"origin":1616,"position":0},"title":"Overdrive – Distortion – Fuzz","author":"Delay Dude","date":"Monday October 2nd, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I guess every guitarist knows the three types of overdriven guitar-sounds: overdrive, distortion and fuzz. But what is the difference between them? Overdrive An overdrive-pedal creates the gentlest kind of overdriven guitar-sound. It emulates the sound of an overdriven power-amp. Especially with low gain the signal stays almost clean and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Keeley"","block_context":{"text":"Keeley","link":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/category\/hersteller\/keeley\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/delaydude.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/DSCF6915-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3000,"url":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/multi-overdrive-teil-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":1616,"position":1},"title":"Multi Overdrive Part 1","author":"Delay Dude","date":"Monday October 22nd, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In the first part of this article, I would like to engage with multi overdrive pedals in general. In the second and third part I would like to introduce some interesting analog multi overdrive pedals in detail. And the third part will be dedicated to digital multi overdrive pedals. Almost\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Analogman"","block_context":{"text":"Analogman","link":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/category\/hersteller\/analogman\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/delaydude.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/DSCF6915-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1560,"url":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/fuzz-as-booster-overdrive\/","url_meta":{"origin":1616,"position":2},"title":"Tips & Tricks: Germanium Fuzz as a Booster\/Overdrive","author":"Delay Dude","date":"Monday January 8th, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The germanium fuzz was one of the first overdrive pedals that have been available in the first days of history of electric guitars. Those days this effect offered totally new kinds guitar sound. Unfortunately most guitarists forgot about the fuzz pedal although the wiring is \u2013 especially for small pedalboards\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boss"","block_context":{"text":"Boss","link":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/category\/hersteller\/boss\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tips & tricks","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/delaydude.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tips-tricks-300x172.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1694,"url":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/sound-like-my-idol\/","url_meta":{"origin":1616,"position":3},"title":"Why do I not sound like my idol?","author":"Delay Dude","date":"Monday February 19th, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Some guitarists might think \u201cStevie Ray Vaughan uses an Ibanez Tubescreamer \u2013 when I get myself a Tubescreamer too, I will sound like him.\u201d Or \u201cEric Johnson is using a BK Butler Tube Drive for his lead tone, by using the same pedal I will also create exactly this sound.\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7000 questions to the Dude"","block_context":{"text":"7000 questions to the Dude","link":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/category\/7000-questions-to-the-dude\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Frag den Dude","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/delaydude.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Frag-den-Dude-300x169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2698,"url":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/overdrive-pedal-after-delay\/","url_meta":{"origin":1616,"position":4},"title":"An overdrive pedal after a delay","author":"Delay Dude","date":"Friday September 7th, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Commonly, you arrange the pedals in a way that the guitar signal first passes the overdrive pedal and is then send to modulation effects like delays or reverb pedals. But in my honest opinion, it is worth it to change this accustomed layout. Overdrive before the delay By using the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Analog Delays"","block_context":{"text":"Analog Delays","link":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/category\/pedals\/analog-delays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tips & tricks","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/delaydude.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tips-tricks-300x172.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4079,"url":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/review-byoc-crown-jewel-part-i\/","url_meta":{"origin":1616,"position":5},"title":"Review: BYOC Crown Jewel Part II","author":"Delay Dude","date":"Friday August 30th, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Some of you already know BYOC for their DIY kits for famous effect pedals. But lately, BYOC created an own overdrive pedal that might be able to set new standards. The Crown Jewel is probably the most versatile overdrive, booster, distortion and fuzz pedal ever invented. This is why I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "BYOC"","block_context":{"text":"BYOC","link":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/category\/hersteller\/byoc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Crown Jewel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/delaydude.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/IMG_5932-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delaydude.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}