You're personal favorites...

[gutsofgold]

So I'm at that point in my DIY career where I've built a little of everything and found that some pedals really are just "worthy" of being a BEST OF in a certain category. I think it would be cool if we all posted our own personal favorites in terms of category. Feel free to add or modify my categories too! I won't include ones such as Delay or Filters seeing as how there are only four or five popular circuits out there and are generally the same idea.

Overdrive: Peppermill
Distortion: Thor
Boost: Unidrive w/ added Gain control
Fuzz: Original fuzzface with transistors from smallbear (can't be beat!)

Post your own!

[MarcoMike]

Overdrive: Red Llama/thor (RL without 100k res on the gain to achieve lower gain values)
Distortion: Thor/red llama (explanation needed: I don't use heavy distortions, just overdrives... gain knobs rarely higher than 12.00)
Boost: LPB, the easier the better!
Fuzz: BigMuff Pi, close to triangle specs, but actually I have some 20% difference in resistors and caps... I guess it doesn't matter...

[fpaul]

The chain I'm currently using with my chinese squire strat is:

fuzzface-neovibe-colorsound overdrive

I'm enjoying the heck out of this.  I bought he strat years ago because so many greats played them.  I picked it out of about 6 I tried; they all sounded and played like crap except this one, it's actually pretty good.   It sounded good clean but sucked on lead.  With this setup I'm starting to see the attraction.  Single coils seem to have more "soul" used in the right setup.  I am looking into upgrading the pickups though, or may try winding my own.   

With my Gibson L6S it's the BSIBII for a cranked up Marshall sound.  Good for AC/DC type sound.  Fuzzface sounds too dark, although ok if I put a rangemaster in front.  Neovibe and Colorsound work okay but I prefer using the strat.

The pedals are all clones I have made over the last year or so; amp is a Pignose G60VR.

Anyway, I guess my point is that the type of pickup I'm using really makes a difference in my satisfaction with the pedal I'm using.  I've read alot of people saying the L6S can sound like a strat.  IMHO, NOT!

Cheers.

[sean k]

Could you guys add links to the schematics? that way we can check out what makes one different from another. A little about the colours you get from them would help too. I suppose some mention of what driving stuff makes sense as well; SC, HB and/or active etc.

[blester]

The Marshal BluesBreaker is my favorite all time.  I use the EA tremolo a lot and I like the tonepad CE-2 chorus but the BluesBreaker is at the top of the heap.

[Renegadrian]

I really love some of my pedals...
- Valvecaster (of course!!!)
- DoD 250 Grey specs with switchable diodes and input caps - actually 4 different sounds...Better than my original 308!!!
- Yun Rocket boost - man, what a sound!!!

[gutsofgold]

How would you say that Colorsound overdrive compares to a Tubescreamer? I've been meaning to check it out.

My setup right now is just my bedroom amp, an Epiphone Valve Jr head into matching 12" cab, using a standard Fender Tele.

[petemoore]

Overdrive: Tube amp...and booster>~Minibooster [w/tone control]..still thinking of working on an 'Overdrive'..but like the variability and tone available with that or swap LPB for Compressor...
Distortion: DIST+ Got soaked and died, don't really have [exept above] and a couple FF's and a TB for 'dist'...
Boost: Triboost [usually the LPB one], Minibooster, FF [see *below].
Fuzz: Original fuzzface with transistors from smallbear (can't be beat!)
  Yupp...don't even know what transistors other than they're definitely 'chosen' out of large batch [IIRC and "SB" From SB is in Q1], nice heavy FF, cleans up some.
*the other FF is an Si with only medium gain, that and my treble bled HB's volume control on 8 is really quite the treble boost.
  But for really heavy fuzz I use the Tonebender, or the FF with something at least boosting in front of it, quite a lot, also for lead boost I have the Mini-Booster/TC last.

[fpaul]

I haven't tried a tubescreamer yet so I can't compare it to the colorsound.  I'm mainly using it for a clean boost, but it does get some grit if it's cranked up..

[Sir H C]

As a fuzz junkie:

Rosac Nu Fuzz.  This is an improved Mosrite Fuzzrite that bites and tears, from dark to a blizzard of broken glass.

JOrdan Bosstone.  Alhambra version.  Another fire breather, this is the version that has more grind than the others.

Ibanez/Bruno/Standard Fuzz.  A version of the Superfuzz with a FET at the input.  More grainy and powerful.  Fav of the bunch.

Foxx Tone Macnhine.  This is the only octive (sic) fuzz that you can turn the octave off on (that I know of).  So much range and control, it is truly a jack of all trades. 

Shin-ei FY-2.  This is the fuzz to sound like a bad case of indigestion.  Splattery, almost an octave, a bronx cheer of a fuzz.

[cheeb]

Overdrive: Amp preferably, but also Bluesbreaker. Peppermill is cool too.
Distortion: Trotskydrive: Still more of an overdrive, but it's distortion enough for me
Booster: Beginner Boost
Fuzz: Big Muff Pi
Tremolo: Amp preferably, but also Voodoo Labs (because it sounds like an amp)

[DougH]

boost/overdrive/distortion/whatever: for turning an amp into a 60's Marshall, that would be my Tonesource - http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/DougH/booster/ToneSource/ToneSourceOutside.jpg.html

modulation: only modulation pedal I've built so far, "script" Phase 90 (sounds really great  ) - http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/DougH/phaser/IMG_0103.JPG.html

fuzz: Brick - http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/DougH/fuzz/Brick/

[Steben]

overdrive: a classic 50-watt plexi or small 5-watt amp
distortion: any over-overdrive ;-) as in: "boosted amp"
fuzz: classic fuzz face, yet smoothed out silicon face (as the axis face) is nice and more reliable.
modulation: phase 45. that's a classic. Not in the least because of the easy build.

[arawn]

overdrive Professor Tweed
distortion Rat Clones
Boost Haven't found one I like yet
Fuzz Whisker biscuit (bmp/bazzfuzz hybrid)

[guitarman89]

overdrive: ibanez ts9
distortion: dr boogey/rat/dist+
boost: amz minibooster
fuzz: multiface (personal mix of the popular settings)
They are all diy, but for normal pedal distortion i love so much my boss ds-2, it is a nice pedal with a rude distortion!

I want to try that double channel distortion stompbox which uses cmos inverter as gain stage. I don't remember how it names, but i love that sound! It's very similar to valve sound!
I can use it as a preamp for my small tda amp...mmmm