Tubescreamer/OD pedals - now which to buy?

CHrisP86

How important is a tubescreamer or overdrive pedal for a good metal tone?  By metal I mean the 'lighter' types (nu metal, emo, metalcore etc)

Obviously the amp is going to have a lot to do with it but just interested in opinions as I have never really been a pedal user.

Thanks

Bidley

I'd say it's pretty important for more 'modern' tones. An OD in this context is mainly used to tighten up the bottom end, so if your amp's bottom end is a bit flubby and loose, a TS-type will tighten it up and give your palm-muting a bit more kick.

Personally, I couldn't do without a TS. I don't generally like amps that give a tight 'metal tone' on their own, I much prefer to use a slightly more vintage-voiced amp and boost it with an OD. YMMV.

joeyowen

It's massively popular in that field and I can only assume it is because it works so well.

Buy a second hand bad monkey and try it out see if it helps, they always flip for about £20 ish

ThePrettyDamned

ThePrettyDamned

There are cheaper alternatives the the tubescreamer, but it does work in front of Recs and 6505's really well - you can have lots of resonance on, for that hit on the chat THUMP but then keep it tight by using a tubescreamer style pedal.  

Joyo do a tubescreamer clone cheap if you want to test the sound for yourself. gain low, volume up to unity or above and tone set brightish.

Dave_Mc

joeyowen said:

It's massively popular in that field and I can only assume it is because it works so well.

Buy a second hand bad monkey and try it out see if it helps, they always flip for about £20 ish

You can get them new for £20ish. Used should be even less.

Bidley

ThePrettyDamned said:

gain low, volume up to unity or above and tone set brightish.

I believe the accepted settings are gain almost off, volume maxed and the tone at 3 o'clock

ThePrettyDamned

Bidley said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

gain low, volume up to unity or above and tone set brightish.

I believe the accepted settings are gain almost off, volume maxed and the tone at 3 o'clock

Mine is a VS Route 66 - which goes louder and brighter than a regular one, so my setting compensate probably work out about the same though, I prefer to use it to tighten a heavy rhythm tone than for a solo boost.  

Bidley

ThePrettyDamned said:

I prefer to use it to tighten a heavy rhythm tone than for a solo boost.  

Same. When the gain on your amp is already high, boosting it won't give much - if any - more volume, just sweet saturation and tightness

guitarfishbay

Bidley said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

gain low, volume up to unity or above and tone set brightish.

I believe the accepted settings are gain almost off, volume maxed and the tone at 3 o'clock

IMO this works on a lot of amps but with a Recto the gain can be as high as 50%, pulling some gain back from the amp. I don't like using more than half gain on modern and about 13:00 on vintage, as the amp can get too bassy/loose sounding for modern stuff. 

Some amps don't need a TS, the EVH 5150 iii being one example. I do like that amp but in general I also find myself generally preferring bigger voiced amps and boosting them. It does make for a bit of tap dancing if you need to use cleans with no boost though.

guitarfishbay

I don't think a boost is needed for nu metal but it depends if you mean Linkin Park style or Slipknot style. When I think Metalcore I think Killswitch Engage, they definitely boost with tube screamers. I'm not familiar with much emo, and again it is quite a broad genre, so not sure what to recommend there.

Bidley

guitarfishbay said:

It does make for a bit of tap dancing if you need to use cleans with no boost though.

You're goddamned right. I've tried umpteen looper/switcher pedals but I always just end up coming back to just stomping the pedal and amp switcher, in that order.

CHrisP86

Thanks guys.  Sounds like it's worth getting one to have a play around with.  It would only be for my own amusement rather than gigging so luckily won't need to practice my dancing!

Gassage

Very interesting re the TS settings In my world of Cornish one of the best settings I discovered on the G2 distortion was a clean boost- gain 0 tone 4 vol 8.....absolutely delicious

ThePrettyDamned

CHrisP86;353921" said:

Thanks guys.  Sounds like it's worth getting one to have a play around with.  It would only be for my own amusement rather than gigging so luckily won't need to practice my dancing!

The digitech bad monkey is an excellent ts ish pedal which can boost an amp (@mike_l will testify iirc).

It's not so much for big chords as it is tight palm muting, fast riffs and stabs.

Jetfire

I thought it was all hokum but they make a HUGE difference!

MattG

surely if your'e just using them with the gain down low and the volume up high you could just use some sort of boost like a mxr micro amp or something.

Also as for the emo thing i got alot of good MCR/Lost Prophets etc tones without one

(TS hater here)

exocet

MattG said:

surely if your'e just using them with the gain down low and the volume up high you could just use some sort of boost like a mxr micro amp or something.

Also as for the emo thing i got alot of good MCR/Lost Prophets etc tones without one

(TS hater here)

The difference with a TS type pedal is the frequency shaping ie.. bass roll off and possibly treble roll off as well depending upon where you set the controls. You don't get this effect with a simple straight boost.

Dave_Mc

^ Agreed. Also compression and a little bit of pedal dirt as well.

It's a similar idea but it's not quite the same either- not as good, IMO and for what I use it for.

CHrisP86

Digging up an old thread but trying to decide what pedal to buy.

Tried a friends keeley modded ts9, which was great, but not sure I want to spend that kind of money, even second hand, on a boutique pedal. Are the boutique versions really worth it?

Otherwise thinking something like a joyo vintage or ultimate drive or a boss sd1 that maybe I, or one of the modders on here, could play around with if required. Don't really fancy a bad monkey. Or would a boss ds1 do the job?

hugbot

nu metal didn't use tube screamers. Nu metal guitar was all about that flabby low end. It's the new(lol) school hardcore influenced stuff that uses them for a more tight, hifi sound.