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I thought it was about time I contributed something other than grumpy two-line comments!
A long post then, but hopefully it may be of interest to one or two of you at least.
I have been going through a bit of a low-gain OD head-scratch of late. I've pretty much been through the same thing with all the positions on my board (this is the final one, honest) and my approach is, funds allowing, to cane the pedal GAS to make sure I get a a nice mix of pedals, and then sell off those what don't make the final slot. First world problem I know, but a man needs a hobby for chrissake.
The Contenders....
Background...
I use a low-gain OD for two things: 1). to add a bit of hair (edge of break-up) to my base clean sound, making it ideal for rhythm playing and neck pup noodling, and 2). to kick the LGW (itself a TS type pedal) up the backside into increased gain, sustain and harmonic interest for more of a lead sound.
My amp is a CARR sportsman, it's kinda Fender Princeton like, but it has a mid control so can be set up with a bit more girth, it also has a 12" speaker which leans more towards the Celestion side rather Jensen, so I would label my base clean sound as "robust" Blackface, just to give you an idea of the starting point.
So pedal time..................
Subdecay Liquid Sunshine III
The Liquid Sunshine has been in this position on my board for a year or so, I have a huge amount of respect for this pedal, it's great, but just recently I've been wanting something that is a little tighter in the bass, a bit more colourful in the mid, and a tad less shrill in the top - now, these are characteristics that seem more aparent with the CARR than with my previous amp (Fender Supersonic 22), and they are very subtle, so no biggie, but time for a change none-the-less, not blaming the pedal, just the matching with the amp and my current needs wants.
What the LS does do very well is add a lot of full-range hair to a clean tone, it sounds very natural, doesn't push the midrange, but also doesn't scoop, plenty of bass too. It can get quite tweed-like if set right, but it really sounds like your amp being pushed. And it doesn't sound like a TS varient, it very much does it's own thing, yeah!
First up to try and take the crown...................
Fredric Effects Golden Eagle
This is a UK made Klone (maker is a forum member) - I've never tried the real deal so I can't vouch for it's accuracy to an original Klon but it is supposedly an exact circuit board replica so I've no reason to doubt that it is close.
First impressions - it's a well made and well presented pedal, can certainly stand up tall with any of the others here.
Sound wise? well, it's transparent in the sense that it cares what you plug it into, and so builds on that sound, but it also stamps its authority over everything; essentially Klonifies everything within reach! With the gain at zero and used as a clean boost (this is how many use a Klon(e) it would seem), it certainly imparts a lovely characteristic; tightens the bass without losing it, adds a fuller yet very sweet midrange, and the treble is a beaut; zingy and plentiful but never harsh. Has the effect of adding a syrupy glow to your sound.
BUT, I don't want a clean boost, I want an light overdrive, and with the gain cranked to 3 o'clock; hhmm, this is just the right amount of gain I am looking for, but with it comes a load more mid-range. Now I love the drive, it keeps the bass and treble charater I've just described, but that midrange hump becomes HUGE. At gig levels, I bet this would cut through a band like a hot knife, but at the volumes I play at most of the time, it's a bit too full on for me.
It's weird, because I'm certain Bill F designed the original Klon to be useful over its entire gain range, but you hear so often that most use it as a clean boost with the gain at zero, I can't help wonder if this is because the mid-range becomes so dominent as the drive increases. Give me one without quite so much mid-hump with the gain turned up and I'm sold.
Stacked with the LGW (which has a medium sized mid hump itself), it certainly excites it that's for sure, trying to show the LGW who's in charge, but it's just too much midrange for me, and the LGW sounds a little like its being rogered against its will!
Still, a unique pedal and one, if I was gigging regularly, that I could find a space for as a boost I reckon.
Next!
Cmatmods Signa Drive
I've had this pedal before, it was my main drive for around 18 months some time ago, never tried it with the CARR so had to get another as it was one of the ones that really stuck in my mind.
It really is an exceptional pedal this, the three-mode switches allow for a lot of gain (in down position), quite compressed and TS like but without such a big mid hump. Switch up it has a lot more headroom, less gain, but for edge of breakup stuff it sounds great. A little tighter in the bass than the LS, a tad more midrange, though not much, and plenty of sweet highs - now we are getting somewhere. The middle position on the switch is even more open and uncompressed and sounds equally as good, and more towards nuetral than the other positions. I keep flicking between this and the top position.
Hhmmm, I just wish it had a bit more sweetening to it, it can sound a tad flat compared to the others, just a tad though. It also has it's TS routes showing throughout but again, it's much more open sounding in the top two positions.
Stacks pretty well with the LGW, pushes it into a sweet saturated lead tone, but maybe just a little too TS like to be paired with a very TS like pedal.
Overall though, nice!
TC Spark Booster
A bit of a wild-card, do I need more of a clean boost I wonder to myself? Well, one came up on the forum at a good price so I had to try. Good thing about this pedal is it has bass/treble controls, a gain control and three modes: Clean/Mid/Fat. So not your regular one-knob boost then!
As a boost (in clean mode) it's great as you would expect, and you can add very neutral sounding hair, which is an odd thing to hear as most OD's colour the sound to some degree. The Fat and Mid positions add a bit of additional flavour, and what's great is that they are not too extreme, they do just what you want without the mid being too in your face or the fat being unuseable with 'buckers. They both add a slight eq curve to your clean boost essentially.
As a very well spec'd boost, i.e. what it's designed to do, it's fantastic, if I had space ahead of the LGW for a volume solo boost (and was gigging!), this would be vying with the Golden Eagle for a spot.
But, as an OD, it always sounded a tad, er, clean (surprise!), and pushing the LGW it has the strange effect of adding gain and sustain but making it sound cleaner and more precise. Not quite what I was looking for.
Just a second......
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Comments
..... so then....
Back to the start....
I plumb back in the LSIII to see how things feel after these other imposters have had their way. It still sounds bloody great and none of the above, although all have their own merits, have knocked it for 6. Choices, choices, damn am I back to square one?
Phew, still reading? Well done.
So which did I ultimately pick?
Tune back in shortly if you haven't already taken your own life...................................
More to follow when Ive read your post further.
Waz
Unusually for a Carr, my initial feelings are that its picky regarding Ods...
No plans to replace my Redplate, so at the moment I've got both !! Ive got a Lehle Little Dual on the way from the 'Bay (superb rhyming, I know...) to compare the two, and to run em together...hmmmm...
I'm a huge Bearfoot fan, and have several of their pedals, and have been involved in the last few Tourboxes. Tell you what, I'll have a play in a little bit, and tell you which of my ODs work...
But, i'll share this, one of the big surprizes for me has been how using POWERFUL (or even fuzz pedals) are ideal for giving that v slight clipped sound...
For example, the Pink Purple Fuzz (Bearfoot) sounded fantastic at v low levels of gain (eg 8 o clock) with my Sportsman.
More nonsense and ramblings to follow....
@Dindude - so you stuck with the LS then? Good choice. Did you not fancy the MP Bluebird to pair up with the LGW? I still want try a Bluebird and love the concept of delay and OD in one pedal. Good demo of both MP pedals, individually and stacked
Huge Kingsley fan you're right - and also I do prefer LOW gain, so may get one.
Did you buy yours direct from Simon mate ?
Sales talk over...