The Steel Guitar Forum

I currently use a reverb and delay pedal. Does anyone use a super overdrive pedal with their steel guitar and how often do you use it and what type of songs. Also where do you place it after your volume pedal? Thanks for your help...Bob

Do a search on "overdrive" and you will find hundreds of responses.

I play in 4 or 5 different bands, ranging from classic country to new country and oldies/rock. I have a Damage Control Liquid Blues overdrive/distortion pedal that I use mostly on rock songs. In the new country band, I sometimes have to play the guitar parts on steel (new country is very dependent on distorted - or overdriven - guitar sounds) to get the "signature" licks when they don't have a guitar player. I plug the unit in between my guitar and the volume pedal. It has 2 12AX7 tubes and 2 modes of operation, overdrive and "nuclear" (like a real fuzz box). Mostly, I use the overdrive mode with a moderate amount of distortion to try and emulate a tube amp being overdriven. If I need to "scream" like Jimmy Page or someone like that, I use the nuclear mode.

I use a boss Super Overdrive pedal sometimes and a Visual sound Route 808. Great for rock or blues styles. I always put the overdrive before the volume pedal so it gets the full output of the steel guitar pickup. Then I use the volume pedal to control how loud I play.
Having the option of clean and overdriven tones gives you more variety, and can inspire you to even play differently like a sax or lead guitar.
Dom