What overdrive to build?

[Marbles]

Ok, very stupid question to ask probably since it's very subjective, but I just love overdrives and am looking for another awesome pedal to build.

What I really love, is the stratocaster-in-fender=amp-overdrive sound. I just bought a blues junior Tweed, and knowing it's not the most popular thing to say: I love that overdrive! With a stratocaster it's just about perfect. I would love to have that saggy, swampy overdrive that sounds round, but really works with your pick dynamic when digging in. The low gain overdrives. As low as the intro in One Rainy Wish by Jimi Hendrix. It gives the guitar that amplified sound. I describe it as glassy, but maybe that's not the right description.

Sounds vague probably, but what the heck :) maybe you guys have a good suggestion.

So far the Lovepedal Kalamazoo comes closest. Especially with the glass knob.

I just built the Zendrive, and though it sounds great, it's just too 'smooth'?

The DOD 250 I like, but dialing low gain still gives a bit too much grit.

Catalinbread Formula5 and SFT the same thing

Hotcake I couldn't get to work. Sounded good though, but oscillation in all 3 i built.

Screwdriver is awesome, but not for this sound.

Timmy sounded great, but wasn't it either


Maybe the sound i'm looking for is not possible as a pedal, but hey, that shouldn't stop me from building more overdrives :)


If any of this makes sense, let me know! I can put it on my to build list :D

[induction]

Have you considered using a compressor for that? Mictester's Cheap Compressor gives a very nice 'amplified but not distorted' tone.

[MAO]

My alltime favorite OD - and I have built all you mentioned plus many more!

Maxon OD820 with separate clean and gain controls. But I play humbuckers... (If you give it a try, use 20k W taper for the tone control)

I would say the Wampler Ecstacy is my distant 2nd favorite. (Use a JRC4580 for the opamp)

[Travis]

I think you may really like the Fairfield barbershop with your Strat and Fender amp. It can be glassy, saggy, always sounds very clear and articulate. It can not only overdrive your amp but also make it cleaner. It is a nice pedal and a quick build

[Marbles]

Never really played with a compressor... Always felt they would mess with dynamics too much, but maybe I should give it a shot!

[Marbles]

Thanks!

The Maxon has been on my radar for a while.. Maybe I should finally start building it!

The Ecstacy sounds a bit too grainy even on low settings. Maybe with another chip it's better? But that is based on YouTube demos, so maybe not too representive... :)

[Marbles]

Sounds great! Never heard of it before. Shouldn't take long. Thanks!


(maybe I should put my replies in 1 post, sorry )

[moda]

I still rate the ghetto stomp. Has not left my board since i built it.

[Marbles]

Seems a bit too fuzzy for what I want right now, but defenitely cool! Will add it the list!

[induction]

Marbles wrote

Never really played with a compressor... Always felt they would mess with dynamics too much, but maybe I should give it a shot!

Overdrives compress by nature. You can think of them as compression plus dirt. It sounds like you want the feel of an overdrive without the dirt, which just shouts 'compressor' to me.

For what it's worth, if you set it right, a compressor will increase your playing dynamics, even while it decreases your volume dynamics. When you play totally clean, the stuff you pick harder is so much louder that the stuff you pick more gently, that the latter often gets completely lost, so you are forced to play with an extremely consistent pick attack, even if you want to change the intensity of the music. The compressor allows you to change you pick attack so that you can play aggressively or gently, and both get heard. If I wanted to reproduce the chordal parts of One Rainy Wish, I'd use a compressor rather than an overdrive. If you try a decent compressor in front of a barely breaking up tube amp, I think you'll understand what I'm talking about.

[Marbles]

:) Alright.. Never hurts to have one I guess and worth a try. Any suggestions which one to build?

[induction]

Mictester's Cheap Compressor is perfect for this purpose and there's a layout on the main page. I posted my own layout on FSB, including a mod for a bright switch, but I mostly use it in non-bright mode.