best distortion pedal?

ViperZ · Post by **ViperZ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:05 pm

I own a Jackson RR3 and a Les Paul custom and run them through a digitech RP300A, an MXR Stereo Chorus, MXR Ten Band EQ, and an MXR Phase 100 leading into a Marshall JCM900. I hate using the RP300A because each individual effect sounds way better than having them all come from one effects board. I only use that for distortion and delay. I do have an MXR distortion+ but when I replace the RP300A with it, it sounds like crap because Marshall amps already have fuzz on them and putting alot of distortion on top of that sounds terrible. If you have a very clean amp, the distortion+ sounds great. I'm looking for a new cleaner amp myself and looking to replace the RP300A with the distortion+ and a Lexicon MX200.

Paul Wolfe · Post by **Paul Wolfe** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:07 pm

why not use the clean channel on the Marshall and add the Distortion + to that?

ViperZ · Post by **ViperZ** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:18 pm

I do but even on the clean channel there is a little fuzz. It is the celestion speakers. I really wish I could replace them with altecs like Randy did but they are hard to find.

Post by **Stiltzkin** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:10 pm

MXR Dist+ is naturally fuzzy ... or so I've heard.

Paul Wolfe · Post by **Paul Wolfe** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:22 pm

I'll always prefer the ProCo Rat...

rrfan313 · Post by **rrfan313** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:56 pm

Tommy wrote:Well, the pod is only like $200, and the dime distortion is $120, the ZW-pedal is $80, and the MXR Dist+ is $60.

now the dime is much cheaper if you get the one thats not camoflage painted its only 70 instead of 120 and dont get the zakk cause its overdrive instead of distortion and it doesnt have that good crunch i own the dime pedal and the crybaby from hel both excelent dime knew his stuff

Post by **Stiltzkin** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 6:18 pm

rrfan313 wrote:i own the dime pedal and the crybaby from hel both excelent dime knew his stuff

except Dime didn't use the Dime Distortion

Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:55 pm

Stiltzkin wrote:MXR Dist+ is naturally fuzzy ... or so I've heard.

Randy got his sound by clean boosting his Superleads. Lots of people do not realize that....... He didnÃƒâ€šÃ‚Â´t use his MXR dist as the soil to get his distortion. I found out that the Mxr dist reissue is not transparant enough (too fuzzy) to do a good clean transparant boost. To get the dynamic, rich, thick, organic distortion of a Superlead you should not throw much distortion in the front end, because that way you will loose dynamics which te Marshall cannot respond to.
I never tried an old (script logo) MXR dist, but I heard they did sound different than the reissues made by Dunlop.........

Stiltzkin wrote:except Dime didn't use the Dime Distortion

Yep, and Zakk doesnÃƒâ€šÃ‚Â´t use his signature Marshall ZW amp either.

ViperZ · Post by **ViperZ** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:42 am

How do you clean boost the Superleads? Do you just set the output high and the distortion low?

Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:05 am

ViperZ wrote:How do you clean boost the Superleads? Do you just set the output high and the distortion low?

Yep, output to the max and minimal dist level, and if one uses KT88 / 6550 tubes in the amp (like Randy probably did) you may find out that only a overdrive pedal alone doesn't give enough output for the desired gain, that's why (at least I think) he used also an mxr eq to boost even more, especially the mid frequencies where the superlead are sensitive for. They really come alive with that. But it depends how many gain you want. Lot of people won't be able to play as they want when they use as much gain as Randy did, they will probably get feedback all the time and having a hard time to keep the guitar in control.

For clean boost I think the ZW overdrive works excellent, I like it even more than the Ibanez TS9 tubescreamer which is less transparrant imo, the mxr dist+ reissue however sounds horrible in front of a superlead.
Keep in mind that the real sound is created in the amp, as long one uses good transparant overdrive/boost pedals (Boss overdrive pedals, TS9 etc.)then a different pedal will not change the final sound that much, if it even does.

Post by **Stiltzkin** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 1:38 pm

Flying Dutchman wrote:
Stiltzkin wrote:except Dime didn't use the Dime Distortion
Yep, and Zakk doesnÃƒâ€šÃ‚Â´t use his signature Marshall ZW amp either.

True.
I wonder why, they're supposed to be exactly the same
as his originals.

Paul Wolfe · Post by **Paul Wolfe** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 5:17 pm

Stiltzkin wrote:
Flying Dutchman wrote:
Stiltzkin wrote:except Dime didn't use the Dime Distortion
Yep, and Zakk doesnÃƒâ€šÃ‚Â´t use his signature Marshall ZW amp either.
True.
I wonder why, they're supposed to be exactly the same
as his originals.

If you've got the original, why play a copy? None of these guys play their signature model guitars of the rack at Guitar Center either, the companies custom make the axes that go to the artist... the "signature series" is just a way to sell more stuff and give a "legit" reason for jacking the prices.

Post by **Stiltzkin** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 5:33 pm

RockyRhoads wrote:
Stiltzkin wrote:
Flying Dutchman wrote: Yep, and Zakk doesnÃƒâ€šÃ‚Â´t use his signature Marshall ZW amp either.
True.
I wonder why, they're supposed to be exactly the same
as his originals.
If you've got the original, why play a copy? None of these guys play their signature model guitars of the rack at Guitar Center either, the companies custom make the axes that go to the artist... the "signature series" is just a way to sell more stuff and give a "legit" reason for jacking the prices.

What bothers me most is that I knew that

Charvel65 · Post by **Charvel65** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:53 pm

I don't use any pedals. I run straight through a Crate 212. If I want effects, then I plug into my Line 6 Spider II.

Like others have said, take your guitar to the store and try the pedals. You could play your guitar through the pedal & amp, and then hand it to me, and it would sound different.

You may want to look at different pickups.

JohnELee · Post by **JohnELee** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:22 pm

Overdrive your distrotion pedal. Sounds are different when you overdrive an all-tube than a solid-tube... Or so I've heard. I have a MXR Zakk OD and a Digitech Distortion Factory. I overdrive the distortion on the Distortion Factory. I can get close to a Jake live sound and Zakk.. Not exact, but sounds a little like it and I'm happy. Oh yeah, I have a mid-boost on a MXR Ten Band EQ for fullness.