Overdrive question

[eyesore]

hi I recently got back into playing my Tele again. I use a tiny Bugera amp. I always play clean ,but if I want some overdrive ,I have to adjust the Gain and Volume. Is there a pedal where I can get some SLIGHT overdrive with just a click of a pedal? I don't really like distortion much but in a few weeks I will be jamming with friends , so I want ,maybe even a volume boost for leads.[I ain't much of a lead guy either].Thanks for any suggestions.

[MissoulaFlood]

There's literally hundreds of them (well, almost). You can just look on Craigslist or Reverb and get something used and cheap. Boss has the SD-1 which is a generic overdrive.

[ghostnote]

One good thing about OD pedals is that there are so many to pick from. Another is that you can get a really good one for $40. You can also spend $400 dollars on one, and some people do, but it’s absolutely not necessary. I’d check out some the pedals from Donner, Caline, Joyo, etc - the Chinese companies do some very cool takes on classic pedal designs. They’re clones, but have their own things going on, too. And they’re inexpensive. I have many overdrives. I like to keep the gain low on them, and stack them if I want more grit on something. Some, like a Caline Orange Buzzer, add a nice top-end shimmer to the OD. There are other ones that do that, too, to varying degrees. You may or may not want that with a Tele, but I like it with all my guitars.
Happy hunting.

[acoustigoat]

I have a Tele and Bugera V5, so it sounds similar to your setup. I really like my Earthquaker Devices Plumes. It has three modes with one being pretty much just a boost. Not so many options it's hard to figure out. Enough to have some fun playing around.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by eyesore

...I use a tiny Bugera amp. I always play clean, but if I want some overdrive I have to adjust the Gain and Volume...

You just need a bigger Bugera amp, that's all :



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...tube-combo-amp

- or if you still want to keep things small and you have a spare cab lying around, this little tone monster costs about as much as some of the better OD stompboxes, and if you're handy with a soldering iron (and don't mind voiding the warranty) the push-button Phat control (which boosts the gain and bypasses the tone stack) can be converted to foot-pedal operation:



https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...ss-a-tube-head

FYI it's also a great dedicated headphone practice amp, one of the very few that can lay claim to real-deal tube circuitry...

[1neeto]

3 classics that belong on any pedal board.

Boss SD-1
Boss Blues Driver
Ibanez Tube Screamer

[rmp]

this ^-- and. Fulltone OCD

[perttime]

How does your amp react if you dial Gain and Volume for the mild overdrive that you want - and then dial back the Volume on the guitar?

[rokdog49]

Here’s a simple solution for a great price:

https://www.amazon.com/JOYO-Low-Gain...dDbGljaz10cnVl


You can dial in a nice mild crunch and just leave it. It’s the one I use.

[davidd]

I've literally been through dozens of overdrives. IMO the best affordable OD for a transparent clean boost that can also add some grit is the Caline Pure Sky. It is very similar to a Timmy. $31.00. Fabulous pedal.

https://www.amazon.com/Caline-Guitar.../dp/B07BK51JHB

[eyesore]

Originally Posted by perttime

How does your amp react if you dial Gain and Volume for the mild overdrive that you want - and then dial back the Volume on the guitar?

I do like the sound when it is JUST breaking up a little. This works but it is inconvenient to keep playing with the knobs . I 'm in a cramped corner with my gear and it 's a pain to work my way in there to get to the amp. These other pedals you guys are showing seem to be a bit too much , I guess ya can dial em back ,but I 've never owned one .

[J Patrick]

Originally Posted by eyesore

I do like the sound when it is JUST breaking up a little. This works but it is inconvenient to keep playing with the knobs . I 'm in a cramped corner with my gear and it 's a pain to work my way in there to get to the amp. These other pedals you guys are showing seem to be a bit too much , I guess ya can dial em back ,but I 've never owned one .

…yes you can dial most overdrive pedals back to little or no distortion….you can also roll back your guitars volume knob when using an OD pedal to get less distortion….just get any well regarded pedal in your price range and give it a go….and don’t pay too much attention to videos….they’re all over the map in terms of what any pedal is capable of…

[rmp]

yea like has been said you can dial in whatever amount of gain you want, just like your amp but, in a pedal.

you can also get a bit of control with your guitars volume, especially with a set of humbuckers.

[redir]

I could not be happier with my Klon clone. I hear the EHX Soul Food is a good one at a reasonable price.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by redir

I could not be happier with my Klon clone. I hear the EHX Soul Food is a good one at a reasonable price.

Me too - I have a TC Zeus ‘klone’, also modestly priced.