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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2855.0. "Best Crunchy Effects Box" by ROBRT::VEZINA () Tue Nov 16 1993 15:03

My son is looking to purchase an effects box to produce even more distortion than
his current abilities as a guitarist can make possible.

All kidding aside, he is into all of that shred stuff and his current effects
loop on his Peavey Classic 50 isn't grundgy enough ( his terminology ).

Anyone out there care to comment / recommend on a device that is reasonably
priced and produces a sound that you can saw wood with ?

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2855.1DOD Overdrive?ISLNDS::BELLEFEUILLETue Nov 16 1993 17:3514
    
    Hi,
    
    I just recently bought a DOD Overdrive Plus box for my son which works
    very well. "Grunge" level is very adjustable, and sound quality is
    quite good.
    
    DOD boxes are quite inexpensive ('specially used ~ $25 - $30). They 
    don't seem to get rave reviews from the "gigging" set because they tend
    to introduce their own noise at hi volume. I think for home/practice 
    use they're more than adequate
    
    Rich
              
2855.2DOD has just what you needRICKS::CALCAGNIWill work for '59 Les PaulTue Nov 16 1993 17:423
    I've seen several ads recently for a DOD Grunge pedal.  It has controls
    with names like "Butt" and "Face" (no, I'm not making these up).
    
2855.3WAaaaaahahahaha!!GOES11::HOUSEYou sick little monkey!Tue Nov 16 1993 19:161
    Butt, Face???  I gotta *HAVE* one of these!!
2855.4right under your nose :-)CSC32::J_KUHNJay KuhnTue Nov 16 1993 19:325
    Greg, you already have one.
    Just play guitar through your shure vocal master cranked. Same effect,
    that is until it blows up. and make sure you get those cheezy column
    speakers to get the real effect.
    :-)
2855.5For the want of a commaZYMRGY::samI made life easy just by laughingTue Nov 16 1993 19:399
   GH>> Butt, Face???  I gotta *HAVE* one of these!!

   JK> Greg, you already have one.

   I'm not gonna touch it.  :-)

   -- Sam

   
2855.6"welcome to the metal zone"COMET::LAURICHTue Nov 16 1993 19:455
    
                The BOSS MT-2 is the most distorted pedal I have ever
    played. A new one should cost you about 90$. 
    
                                    Jeffy
2855.7woa! column speaker overloadCSC32::J_KUHNJay KuhnTue Nov 16 1993 19:4619
    :-)
    I'm not either. Now gosh darn it. I was speaking in highly technical
    terms about a classic piece of equipment (vocal master), and what
    happens? Dirty (grunge) or (flannel) minded people take it the wrong
    way. I am sick and tired of the lack of respect the vocal master gets.
    Heck, EVERYONE out here in Colorado seems to own one. And (I'm not
    kidding) a speaker shop has one for sale here for $900 new. Hey,
    everyone one wants 50's guitars and amps, why not have PA technology
    at about the same level??? eh???
    So there!
    :-) :-) *8^)  
    I think I'm losing it.
    
    Serious (as much as I can be) though, I read in a guitar magazine that
    some grunge (flannel, 100% cotton) players run more than one stomp
    in series to really get the grunge effect. You may want to try that
    also. 
    
    j
2855.8GOES11::HOUSEYou sick little monkey!Tue Nov 16 1993 19:584
>  -< For the want of a comma >-
    
    I think you got an extra "m" in there...
    
2855.9mxr dist +,, DWESEL::PELKEYLife, It aint for the sqeamish!Tue Nov 16 1993 23:574
    you really want grunge, get an old MXR Distortion +
    
    dripping grunge...
    
2855.10good one, HousemeisterFRETZ::HEISERdweller on the thresholdWed Nov 17 1993 12:411
    >    I think you got an extra "m" in there...
2855.11Happy Grunging!!!COMET::DURHAMTue Nov 30 1993 19:0517
    
    Try a 100 watt Marshall with a Boss GE-7 EQ.
    I currently use this set up and it's about as much grunch or crunch or
    grunge as I need. The GE-7 is not a distortion box, but it gives you
    an incredible gain boost when you kick it in. This GE-7
    is better than any other boxes I've heard. Of course the 100 Watt
    Marshall sure wouldn't have anything to do with it.
    
    Give it a try anyway. You can pick up a GE-7 at almost any pawn shop.
    
    Grunge on!!!
    
    
    
    
    
    
2855.12That amp'll do grunge...GOES11::HOUSEYou sick little monkey!Tue Nov 30 1993 19:319
>All kidding aside, he is into all of that shred stuff and his current effects
>loop on his Peavey Classic 50 isn't grundgy enough ( his terminology ).
    
    That's the same amp that Kim Thail from Soundgarden uses (the 4x10
    version).  I don't know what effects he uses with it, but you don't get
    much more "grunge" then Soundgarden.  I read that he's into simple
    setups, so I wouldn't expect a lot of extra junk along for the ride.
    
    Greg
2855.13KDX200::COOPERThere's a moon in the sky!Tue Nov 30 1993 20:135
    Bob V - You may have your boy try Bob Durhams (-.2) idea with his
    current rig - GE-7's go used *CHEAP* all the time...  I played thru
    a PV 4x10 combo, and thought it sounded great!!
    
    jc (bump up the grunge!)
2855.14Rad Grunge DudeDPDMAI::COXCOooh Noooo- Mr. Bill!Thu May 05 1994 21:017
    I've come across several articles which tout the
    "BIG MUFF" peddle.  Billy Corgan(Smashing Pumkins) uses one
    and listen to their grunge.  I've had a SOVTEK, Russian line
    of military components made into effects/amps, on back order 
    for 3 months on their BIG MUFF peddle.  May be something there!
    
    BC
2855.15Electro-Harmonix Clone.KIRKTN::WATSONTHocus PocusFri May 06 1994 06:0521
    	I had a Big Muff up till 3 years ago when it and my EH Electric 
    Mistress flanger were stolen 8-(
    
    	It`s a great pedal with a real smooth distortion,hard to describe
    the sound I`ve got/had various Boss/Ibanez distortion/overdrive units
    and none of them sound remotely like the Big Muff (IMO).
    
    	I doubt if I`d really use it much now,but it might have been handy
    for my soon to be built basement studio.Incidentally the old Electro-
    Harmonix gear is fetching ludicrous prices in the UK in the so-called
    `vintage` market.
    
    	The Sovtek is I believe a close,if not exact,replica of the EH
    model.BTW I`m not sure if it`s just the circuitry that`s copied or the
    whole shooting match.
    
    	I`ve seen Sovtek amps advertised here,but never seen one in any
    store.If the prices of the pedal is anything to go by ~90 pounds($130),
    then I don`t imagine the amps will be cheap either.
    
    Tom.
2855.16RICKS::CALCAGNII Got You Babe (Slight Return)Fri May 06 1994 11:1010
    The Sovtek Big Muffski looks nothing like the original Big Muff
    physically; it's a deeper, squatter box, finished in Red Army tank
    green, with different graphics.  The sound is close to the old EH,
    but I've heard a few people say they still like their old Muffs
    better.
    
    Hey, I recently saw a review comparing 5 different versions of
    original EH big Muff's; there's even a hierarchy there!
    
    /rick_still_waiting_for_a_reissue_hogs_foot
2855.17Whoooooossshhhh!!!!!KURMA::WATSONTHocus PocusFri May 06 1994 11:534
    	I`d love a quiet Electric Mistress,not like my old one that did a 
    brilliant Atlantic Ocean impression   8')
    
    					Tom.
2855.18LEDS::BURATIWhat the HEY HEY HEYFri May 06 1994 13:532
    I was thinking of aquiring a Pro-Co RAT. Anyone have experience with
    this beast?
2855.19NEEPS::IRVINESobriety has it's own drawbacks!Fri May 06 1994 14:056
    a little unsufisticated (sp?), but a helluva lot of fun!
    
    I used one for around a year, great metal tones but found it needed
    careful EQ to get the best from it!
    
    Bonzo
2855.20Not bad at allNACAD::HERTZBERGHistory: Love it or Leave it!Fri May 06 1994 19:415
    I always liked the Turbo Rat I own.  You can get a very nice variety of
    distortions by varying the amount and the EQ control.  A bunch of
    distortions were rated a year or two ago in one of the guitar
    magazines.  They preferred the regular rat to the turbo, and they liked
    real old ones even better.  Isn't ProCo selling a Vintage Rat now?
2855.21LEDS::BURATIWhat the HEY HEY HEYMon May 09 1994 12:3011
> Isn't ProCo selling a Vintage Rat now?

    I think they make 3 different RAT models, the RAT (the original), the
    RAT II, and the Turbo RAT.

    Although my Fender Sidekick 25 is the best distortion box I've ever
    played through (I attenuate the preamp out and patch it into the
    frontend my my bigger amps), I need to own a real fuzz box. I understand
    Beck uses a RAT. Izat true?

    --Ron
2855.22Check out a RATT II!NEST::CURRYMon May 16 1994 11:239
    The last I knew, Beck was using one of these Ratts....
    
    I own the RATT II and after owning several other distortion boxes, this
    is the best one that I've heard. (IMHO) It offers a wide variety of
    tones and is reasonably priced. 
    
    My $.02
    
    Mike
2855.23GOES11::HOUSEAren't you glad I asked?Mon May 16 1994 14:175
>    My $.02
    
    What a DEAL!  Where can I get one for only .02??  Heck, I'd even pay
    double that!!
    
2855.24LEDS::BURATIhuman crumple zoneFri May 27 1994 14:2710
    I picked up a used RAT 2 yesterday. It's not bad. In fact, as a "stomp
    box", it's pretty good. It is better than the TS9 Tube Screamer that I
    used back in the early 80s. But it doesn't match the (very pleasing)
    variations (crunch/growling-overdrive/way-distorted) that I get out of
    my Sidekick 25 preamp.

    BTW, the unit was "showcase" clean, no evidence that it ever had
    anyone's foot near it, in original box with papers, $39.

    These are made like Sherman tanks, too.
2855.25LEDS::BURATIhuman crumple zoneTue May 31 1994 18:354
    Had time to play some with the RAT over the weekend. This is a bitchin
    little unit. Set the amp up so that its just beginning to breakup, then
    dial up a little drive (dist=9 o'clock, volume=3 o'clock, filter=max)
    and whoa baby, it's pretty sweet. I think I'll keep it.
2855.26Rat holeLEDS::BURATIhuman crumple zoneThu Jun 02 1994 19:4227
    More on this RAT thing:

    I've found that getting something good out of this unit is certainly not
    a given. I tried it straight into my Twin and didn't care for the
    result. Also it sounds a *lot* better when you roll the tone off on your
    single-coils a bit (50-60%), even with the on-board filter max'd out.
    This makes it important to have a tone control on a Strats' bridge PUs.

    And the distortion control is very sensitive between 8 and 10 o'clock.
    This is the range that I've found most usable. Above 10 o'clock gets
    pretty wild. At 8 o'clock there's barely anything happening.

    The best results I've found are with the dist control at 9 o'clock
    (tweeking it +/- makes a big difference) with it feeding into my
    Sidekick 25 preamp with the input level set so that playing soft is
    clean and playing hard slightly distorts (i.e. the signal has room to
    breath) and the presence control is at 0 (Sidekick 25 has 4 band EQ).

    For the record, the Sidekick preamp out drives a Microverb which
    provides stereo reverb sends to my plexi 50W Marshall top running an old
    white 2-12 Bandmaster cab with stock Oxford speakers and a Twin Reverb
    running a pair of JBL D120 in another small 2-12 Bandmaster cab.

    The result is somewhere between Billy Gibbon's sound on Antenna and Jeff
    Beck's Guitar Shop, which I like just fine but in limited doses.

    rjb