Overdrives to boost high-gain amps

[Dave Sloven]

I just picked up a Boss SD-1 cheap in new condition from a local pawnbroker.

I used to have an MXR Custom Badass Modified O.D., which is basically a modified SD-1 circuit, and I liked that, so I bought the SD-1 for $60 (AUD).

I also had a Maxon OD-9 but found it too middy and I didn't like the switch on it.

To boost a high gain amp you generally set the pedal up with level maxxed and the gain on zero, setting tone where it sounds good to you. It is especially common to do this with 6L6 amps to tame some of the huge bottom end that they provide.

Has anyone else done this? Any favourites? I figure doing a NPD or posting photos is pretty useless. Everyone knows what an SD-1 looks like.

Same guy/gear with an Ibanez TS808:

 

[gball]

Exactly the method I use. Mostly a Blues Driver with the gain at zero and level high in front of my Mesa’s. I find it to be much better than preamp gain on its own.

 

[Kerry Brown]

I don’t usually use pedals but if I do depending on which guitar I’m using it’s a Blues Driver or a Green Rhino with the gain on zero and the level on ten.

 

[Thatbastarddon]

Way Huge Red Llama(homebrew) here....gain at around 8:45.
Though, I’m digging the pedal Ray made for me...lately. It’s got a cool flame job!
Edit: It’s only got one knob...I like it around 1:30-2:00.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

One alternative might be the Boneshaker - it has three band EQ and you can sweep each band to whatever freq center you want. Plus it has an extra knob specifically for tightening the super lows you get when playing downtuned guitars with lots of gain. [EDIT: they aren't made anymore, but you can find 'em used - dirt cheap - because it isn't a pedal for everyone.]

If you're getting plenty of gain from your amp already, drive pedals might not really be the answer. Maybe an EQ pedal would be worth exploring - trim some lows, add some cut up top and tailor the mids only if you want to.

 

[BFT Gibson]

Marshall..i use amp for gain..but the only boost i can use(i feel the M mids are the best period..the circuits record & sit just right live) only way i can get along with pedal on marshall,,is Vol up whole way..gain off..tone to flavor..just to tweak a hair..most pedals are basically marshall mid eq in a box...i keep 9 of em in row..they do nothing for the M's but fender..except for the Super..they are missing what marshall put in...it is night in day, its why a twin can be lost on stage with a M beside it..it becomes a bass amp..but Fender.cleans are the stuff...i use pedals to to fill in the mid on them or break the clean for OD....high gain..i think its crucial to find your tone in the amp circuit & then find a pedal to fill in...EQ's --LPB1--RC Booster type pedals help high gain maybe more than pedals do,,,just my experience...my studio guy last year..took my board away..the dif in the signal was very evident.in the recordings...or run high gain down a lil then the TS to bring up but not using gain..gain on gain equals fizz...but i have friends who do it well..but they are on the radical side of metal..chugga -chugga..maybe the pedal tries to restore the guitar back to a guitar frequency again..

 

[eSGEe]

pedals ?

 

[syscokid]

I just picked up a Boss SD-1 cheap in new condition from a local pawnbroker.

I used to have an MXR Custom Badass Modified O.D., which is basically a modified SD-1 circuit, and I liked that, so I bought the SD-1 for $60 (AUD).

I also had a Maxon OD-9 but found it too middy and I didn't like the switch on it.

To boost a high gain amp you generally set the pedal up with level maxxed and the gain on zero, setting tone where it sounds good to you. It is especially common to do this with 6L6 amps to tame some of the huge bottom end that they provide.

Has anyone else done this? Any favourites? I figure doing a NPD or posting photos is pretty useless. Everyone knows what an SD-1 looks like.

Same guy/gear with an Ibanez TS808:

I don't have any super high gain amps. My JCM's may have a lot of gain, but not high gain like your Peavey JSX or 6534+. Anyways, I love slamming my JCM's with a treble booster type of pedal like my (Don Butler) Rangemaster or my Catalinbread Naga Viper, which equals to super high gain and no mud... :dood:

 

[67plexi]

 

[guitarweasel]

Have you ever tried one of these?

 

[BFT Gibson]

just put some time in jamming...how hot the pickup is really influences the process.

 

[67plexi]

I got lucky with this amp it kills any amp I have played in my life 471 volts DC to the GEC KT77 pair infinite sustain clean and overdrive
channel's and it goes out of control if I use if I use a boost pedal on it the pre amp boost and overdrive foot switch is all I use
treble boost two different values 3 way switch middle normal mid boost switch and rock/jazz switch middle bypass the tone stack
master volume clean channel master volume overdrive channel 1968 output transformer primary filter 220uf secondary filter 16.5 uf
dead quite no hum or hiss dimmed EVM-12S 300 watt speaker combo.

 

[Dave Sloven]

I don't have any super high gain amps. My JCM's may have a lot of gain, but not high gain like your Peavey JSX or 6534+. Anyways, I love slamming my JCM's with a treble booster type of pedal like my (Don Butler) Rangemaster or my Catalinbread Naga Viper, which equals to super high gain and no mud... :dood:

With a JCM800 I think I would probably use my MXR CSP104 Script Reissue Distortion+

Have you ever tried one of these?

View attachment 28642

No, but I do have an MXR/CAE Boost/Linedriver that I use as a clean boost. I guess I am really just looking for something that might tame the lows of the JSX if the 6L6 tubes introduce too much bottom end, otherwise I would just stick with the clean boost. The bit of compression from the SD-1 might help as well. I bought it because it was cheap and I regret selling the more expensive SD-1 variant the MXR M77, which I did like more than any other overdrive I've tried but this is half the price.

 

[67plexi]

Back in May I scored a NOS 784-139 output transformer from the late 1960's just for a backup.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I don't boost my high gain amps usually. Sometimes the TSL sounds really good with gain lower and boosted with OP's method - level high, gain off on pedal. I have a Bad Monkey and MXR Super Badass. I like having at least a 2 band EQ. I find Tone control to be useless on a boost. The JCM800 4010 needs it as well as channel 2 mode B on the 6101 or Channel 2 Red on the JVM.
Otherwise I run without.

 

[mcblink]

I don't boost my high gain amps usually. Sometimes the TSL sounds really good with gain lower and boosted with OP's method - level high, gain off on pedal. I have a Bad Monkey and MXR Super Badass. I like having at least a 2 band EQ. I find Tone control to be useless on a boost. The JCM800 4010 needs it as well as channel 2 mode B on the 6101 or Channel 2 Red on the JVM.
Otherwise I run without.

I run my TSL similarly...it's a pretty gainy amp as it is, but with the gain knob down a bit and a boost of some type (I've been using a TubeScreamer Mini for this) it sounds pretty killer. With my DSL, I've been using the clean channel, gain knob set JUST under the point of breakup, and then running a Friedman BE-OD in front, and man, it's the meanest-sounding amp I have now. The Triple Rectifier did not respond well to the BE, and typically I don't use any pedals with it at all. I had a JOYO BanTamP Zombie for quite a while that took well to the TubeScreamer, but after I got the BE and paired it to the DSL, I gave the JOYO to a cousin of mine who needed a more aggressive metal amp and he really had no idea what he was doing, or looking for ("I just wanna be loud and heavy like Dime", he said)

Jeez, that JOYO really blew me away. I almost want another one. A single 12ax7 in the preamp and a 20w class-D solid state output section...but holy e it was a pissed off sounding tiny little amp..