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Topic: Fuzz mania |
Ally
From:
Edinburgh, UK
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 6:37 am |
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What distortion devices are steelers using? I get a fantastic overdriven tone putting my Ricky 100 through a 1950s 12 watt tube amp ... but at volumes unsuitable for practice (that goes tenfold for the Fender Twin under the dining room table -- and the built-in overdrive on the Fender is too ratty).
Looking for a pedal that provides a little bit of grit and thickens the tone ... so I don't thinka boss hyperfuzz or thrashmetal is the answer!
Any suggestions?
I sold a stack of pedals when I switched from guitar to steel, which I know regret, of course! |
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Geoff Brown
From:
Nashvegas
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 7:50 am
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Hi Ally,
I have gotten some nice sounds on slide guitar using a Danelectro Daddy-O. Similar to the Ibanez Tube Screamer, but with more tonal control. You can dial in very subtle, warm overdriven sounds, or take it over the top as well. I get some nice fat, warm sounds with nice sustain and a little dirt. Very natural sounding. Here in the states, they can be found in pawn shops for little money. I think I paid $30.00 for mine used (it was like new).You might look on eBay. I would think that there would be some there. |
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Geoff Brown
From:
Nashvegas
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 10:36 am
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I'm currently using a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and reasonably happy with it, particularly with my Fender Champion. I've used many different overdrive pedals in the past, including the Big Muff Pi distortion pedal, a Voodoo Labs pedal now belonging to Andy Volk, and a Boss Heavy Metal 2 pedal.
I'd love to try out a whole bunch of pedals just to see what really works best, but the Boss pedals have been my choice both for their price and ruggedness.
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 11:25 am
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Greg Liesz used a Reverend Drivetrain I think when I saw him. Sounded great.
There are lots of great overdrive pedals out there. The Fulltone Fulldrive II is highly esteemed by guitar players, and so is the Ibanez TS9. Have heard good things about the Maxon OD-8 also. |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 11:52 am
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| I have a lot of fuzz boxes, but I tend to go with the Stamps Drive-O-Matic and/or Drive-O-Matic XL. Before the pedal it delivers full grind, after the pedal it works like an overdriven amplifier and there's a lot of range available. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 1:38 pm
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| I'm fairly pleased with my Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. I'm not clear enough in my own mind of what I want, sonically, so I'm day-to-day as to whether I'm real happy or ok happy with this box. I'll follow up with its features if anyone asks. |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 7:31 pm
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| I'm not too much into fuzztones and artificially distorted steel cause it's starting to sound a little too teenage to me these days.Nevertheless,I do like the Hughs&Kettner Tubeman especially on the more subtle settings and it's a great device for direct recording as well.It sounds better to me than stomp boxes,Bosstones or the so called amp modeling boxes cause it's a real tube device and doesn't sound like transistors or software.It's not cheap like a stomp box but at $300 you get your moneys worth.Of course you could take the $300 and get a Fender Blues Junior tube amp and be done with it. -MJ- |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 9:01 pm
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| Has anyone played around with THD amplifiers? I went to the demo at the NAMM show and I want the bi-valve. Really not cheap. |
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Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 31 Jan 2002 11:17 pm
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Chas,
I'll have a prototype THD Bi Valve with me on this tour I'm doing. I'll be using a Fulltone Fulldrive II with it along with a Lovetone Meatball for the distortion stuff.
Everybody is welcome to check it out.
Check dates here:
steelguitarforum.com/Forum4/HTML/002255.html
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 1 Feb 2002 7:15 am
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| I use a Boss Bluesdriver. It's a nice overdrive pedal that sounds more like amp overdrive than the grind out of many pedals. |
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Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
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Posted 1 Feb 2002 9:51 am
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Bob;
what tubes are you using in the BiValve?
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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
shobud.cjb.net
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 2 Feb 2002 12:39 am
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Greg,
I'll be using KT 88's and or EL 34's.
Bob |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 2 Feb 2002 1:38 am
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| I'd buy a Lovetone Meatball just for the name. |
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jsaine
From:
Charlottesville, VA
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Posted 5 Feb 2002 7:41 pm
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My new favorite is a Boss sd-1 modified to Ibanez ts-808(tubescreamer)specs by analogman. The Sd-1 is the only Boss pedal that can be modified as such. I bought the pedal used for $30 and had it modified for $55. I believe a ts-808 or ts-9 modified to a ts-808 would set you back a couple of hundred dollars. I also use a Boss blues-driver as well, sometimes in conjuction with the sd-1. Greg Leisz also uses a ts-9 in his road rig as well as a Red Snapper which I've never heard of. For more info on these mods and everything you ever wanted to know about tubescreamers, or any pedal for that matter try analogmans website-analogman.com.
-Jeff |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2002 11:10 pm
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| Jeff, Greg was hitting me up for the phone number at THD, it was his opinion that the best you could do was a single tube overdrive. [This message was edited by chas smith on 05 February 2002 at 11:11 PM.] |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 7 Feb 2002 12:50 am
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So far the THD bi valve is absolutly the most amazing amp I have ever played through.
I'll go into detail about it when I have some time to fart around on the computer.
Bob |
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Sage
From:
Boulder, Colorado
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Posted 7 Feb 2002 6:45 am
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I heard the UniValve and BiValve at NAMM too. The Uni seems to have a softer attack, which would work well for lap steel IMHO, and the Bi is crisper, which might be better for pedal (depending on what you are looking for). They have amazing flexibility and gorgeous tone. They can be used inline before your favorite power amp, turning them into a *very premium* stomp box. I want one. Hey Bob- have you tried using the attenuator switch to go from lead style to rhythm while playing out?
T. Sage Harmos |
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Dan Tyack
From:
Olympia, WA USA
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Posted 15 Feb 2002 7:32 pm
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I have been using the BiValve for about 3 weeks now, and it is by far the best sounding, most versatile amp I have ever played. I just finished tracking an album with Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta (some guys who know tone) and they loved it. I use it in two ways: for recording I love to mix tubes (e.g. an el84 and a 6550) to get a complex sound which encorporates the best of the characteristics of each tube. I also have been using it live with a couple of 6550s to get about 3 times the clean headroom of my Univalve. This amp isn't just about overdrive. There's a universe of clean and semi-clean sounds on this puppy, as well as any kind of overdrive you would ever want. It's not a channel switching thing, though. However, it is so dynamic that I never miss channel switching, because you can go from clean to overdriven really easily with just your volume pedal.
It's by far the best amp I have ever heard.
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www.tyacktunes.com |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 16 Feb 2002 10:35 am
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So what's the price for the THD BiValve? THD's web site doesn't list any information at all for this amp. The UniValve is around $900 or so, so I'd expect this to be somewhat more.
For that price, I'll have to stick with a fuzz box. 
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
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Posted 16 Feb 2002 10:56 am
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Brad;
over on the Univalve User's Forum - yep, there's a website for everything these days - Ed DeGenerro of THD mentioned that the list on the BiValve is $1495.
Plexi Palace is selling the Univalves for $699, that's the cheapest I've seen them new.
I'd guess that you'd be looking at somewhere around $1100-1200 for a BiValve when they hit the street.
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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
shobud.cjb.net
[This message was edited by Greg Simmons on 16 February 2002 at 11:23 AM.] |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 17 Feb 2002 10:44 pm
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| Back in the dark ages where I come from, we had weak 30 watt tube amps which constantly gave us a disturbing distortion as we dreamed of a clean, pure sound. Now that we have clean amps, the younger generation yearns for distortion ! Perhaps in some funky rock music it fits, but can you imagine someone like Jerry going for any of those gimmicks ? Personally, I feel they are bad enough on a regular guitar without running a steel through them. JMHO |
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