Experiences with DIST +

[petemoore]

I'm inviting DIST+ users to type about the chain your using [pickups to speakers], and other related issues about this type build like volume levels used, mods, anything else related to DIST+....New Clippers, DOD250's all fall in this category.
 The intention of this inquiry and future ones, is to find out which circuits work well in which circumstances, also about what you guys are using, and what you're using with it that makes you   .
 I find SS combo amps internal beefing a bit hard to beat, or noise problems, oscillations, oversaturation being 'culprits' that appear with these amps.
 My theory is that the inputs of these amps, tend to be already voiced and boosted, so that boosting and voicing the pre-input [adding boost/dist efkts] is met with challenges I don't see with tube amps.
 So the subject...:What pickup goes into, and what amp do you plug your DIST+ into, what results do you find, what mods are inplemented...[and any other what/how/result info you can provide relating to this circuit?].
 I picked this circuit for the first inquiry, as there have been posts alluding to: "Why does my DIST+ sound like crap" issues.
 Here's mine...: PAF Humbuckers >Fetzer Valve [T.Bypass]/DIST+ {TBypass] in the same box> either DYNA ST70 [7199's into EL34's] or MkII 50w [3 X 12ax7 into EL34's]> 4 X greenback celestions.
 The Fetzer adds saturation/harder distortion when kicked in at the input of the DIST+.
 The DIST+ is: a 5534, 2 x 4148 diodes pairs [two diodes series each way], and 'Twangy bite' saturation control. I pulled it out again yesterday, and it has a great DIST sound into either aforementioned amps. Guitar Volume rolloff is not of profound usability, but does degain some before dulling the highs.
 I've tried countless DIST+ types, this one does a trick I like very well, with the Fetzer driving it hard, theres' a squashyness to the hard hit low end notes [oversaturation?] that I find sounds powerful for leads, lacks definition for rythm [why it's bypassable]
          Here's mine...: PAF Humbuckers >Fetzer Valve [T.Bypass]/DIST+ {TBypass] in the same box> either DYNA ST70 [7199's into EL34's] or MkII 50w [3 X 12ax7 into EL34's]> 4 X greenback celestions.
 The Fetzer adds saturation/harder distortion when kicked in at the input of the DIST+.                
 My boxes are voiced by ear using tube amps, and when I try them on a friends SS Fender, Crate, or other SS amps, the amp's internal distortion 'wins' [generally], providing clean boost [via clean channel's voicing] and Heavy Distortion [Via Dist channel]. New heavier tones can be had, with heavier noise accompanying it. I agreed that boosts and distiortions are sometimes easily written off by SS amp owners, [at least the ones of mine we tried were] especially those with no intention of buying into tubes, that have only heard efkts tried through their SS amps....as has been reported, the differences of an efkt into an SS amp Vs Tube amp can be quite stark.
 Here's mine...: PAF Humbuckers >Fetzer Valve [T.Bypass]/DIST+ {TBypass] in the same box> either DYNA ST70 [7199's into EL34's] or MkII 50w [3 X 12ax7 into EL34's]> 4 X greenback celestions.
 The Fetzer adds saturation/harder distortion when kicked in at the input of the DIST+.

[u1061810]

Hello,
  My chain is:G+L Legacy(stock pickups)Fuzz Face, Vox Wah, Dist+, into Fender HR Deluxe.
  I recently put a 3PDT switch in and replaced the original 1n270 diodes with 1N34As.The sound of the distortion is much improved with the diode switch IMO, much fuzzier and heavier sounding.

[bwanasonic]

One of the most memorable tones I ever heard a Dist. + produce, was a guy named Mikey Kalendarian playing a Strat into a Dist. + into a Pignose in a doorway in Harvard Sq. circa mid 1970's.

Kerry M