Blues pedals?

[cadillac]

I've been testing the Bluesbreaker II lately, any inputs on the others as Boss BD-2 and Screamin' Blues pedal from Digitech?

I know the Boss pedal is favored by many (including the different mods), but have very little info about the pedal from digitech.

[MartyMart]

I was given a "screamin blues" for a week, to try out ( a friend had one )
I thought it was a pretty decent pedal and the "amp sim" output was
great for direct to desk work !!
I think its meant to be a TS-9/BD-2 "sound alike"
If you want a nice "Blues" pedal the ROG Tube Reamer is fantastic....
www.runoffgroove.com
After all this is DIY  

Marty.

[mojotron]

I have built some great TS808 and Fulldrive clones - they sound great - but I just use a BSIAB2 90% of the time and turn the gain to about "-0" (9 oclock) and the tone where ever it sounds best. And, I've played with a few caps here and there... but you can get a really warm sound with BEEFY mids and piercing high end all the same time or favoring the low end by using either the tone on the guitar or the tone on the BSIAB2.

However, the sound is not timid at all - but fits an aggresive playing style well... Best sound I have ever had after 30+ years of playing with some really good amps with strats and/or les pauls.

I'm a big Tube Driver fan as well, but the tube driver has a very different sound because of it's fullness. But, although the sound is great, the Tube Driver is a little over the top for blues, but not as much as a Fuzz Face (which is certainly not a blues pedal...). So, I guess it depends on your style..

[Fret Wire]

I've built/modded all the usual suspects, and I have to second the BSABII as a good choice. It may not fit every blues player's style, but it's a great ckt.

What I really like most is Doug Hammond's Highway 89. Real nice blues type OD that cleans up nicely with the guitar volume.
http://dhammond_1.tripod.com/sounds.htm

Also, the Tube Reamer still impresses me. The first time I perfed it, I wanted more gain variation than the stock ckt had, so I adapted the TS-9 type clipping section with different values. Quite a nice ckt, much better sounding than the TS-9/808 IMHO.

[bwanasonic]

Well it depends what your idea of a "blues" tone is, and what kind of setup you are using. When I think of blues, I think of music recorded in the USA 20-30 years before the advent of the Tube Screamer, that is not characterized by gobs of distortion and is extremely dynamic. Try the ROG Peppermill or Supreaux for these tones. I haven't found any mass-market commercial pedals that have the proper dynamics and touch sensitivity (or any with diode-clipping for that matter). The BD2 is a useful pedal, but IMO the only thing *blues* about it is the paint job.  If you use a tube amp, you might want try a booster type pedal (or two in series) rather than a OD/ distortion, per se. The AMZ Mosfet Boost, ROG Fetzer and other so-called *clean* boosts driving the input of a tube amp, can yield some really nice blues breakup.

Kerry M

[Fret Wire]

Well it depends what your idea of a "blues" tone is, and what kind of setup you are using. When I think of blues, I think of music recorded in the USA 20-30 years before the advent of the Tube Screamer, that is not characterized by gobs of distortion and is extremely dynamic.

I agree wholeheartedly. If the thread title was "blues tone" instead of "Blues Pedals", my answer would be: a guitar, a cord, a tweed or brown faced Fender, or one of the budget amps. Cranked until they break up and sing nicely. The rest of the tone comes from the volume and tone knob, and your fingers.

In that respect, the best effect has always been a 10' cord and nothing else between your guitar and amp.

[Gringo]

Yesterday i tried the BSIAB2 loaded with all 5 mpf102, and i have to say it's a great overdrive. You gotta love the tone control too

[Gilles C]

What kind of amp do you use?

For Blues, I think you need a tube somewhere in your path.

If you use a tube amp, you can use a "normal blues pedal", but if you use a transistor amp, you would need a "tube pedal" before it to get the Blues sound you want.

Gilles

You can disagree with me... but it will always be my opinion...  

[cadillac]

the best effect has always been a 10' cord and nothing else between your guitar and amp.

Very true!

I guess I should have specified my needs better, in this case I'm in need of something that will break up a small SS combo for home practising.

Even a small 15w all tube amp as the FBJ will be to loud at home when it starts to sound nice.

[cadillac]

In this case I use a VOX AD30 VT

[Gilles C]

I like the sound of this, but I'm hooked on Fender, and it may not be the case for you...

http://runoffgroove.com/professor.html

FETs are the closest things to tubes  :roll:

But I'm hooked on Blues, and there we could agree.  :wink:

[cadillac]

I like the sound of this, but I'm hooked on Fender, and it may not be the case for you...

http://runoffgroove.com/professor.html

FETs are the closest things to tubes  :roll:

But I'm hooked on Blues, and there we could agree.  :wink:

Oh! Hell yes!! I dig that one

[RDV]

I like to play blues through a Superfuzz or an Uglyface! But that's just me.

RDV

[Fret Wire]

I guess I should have specified my needs better, in this case I'm in need of something that will break up a small SS combo for home practising.

The Professor Tweed is a good choice for a SS amp. Believe it or not, the Sans Amp GT-2 does really good tweed tones, and works good with ss amps. Definately more intense, build wise though.

[brett]

For a great BB King sound, use what he uses (ie nothing but a sweet guitar and a cranked, almost clean amp :wink: ).
For a SRV sound, try a tubescreamer (or reamer) or a BluesBreaker (which I think is even better sounding than the TS).
For dirty swamp blues, a fuzzface or axis fuzz is quite handy.
The list goes on...

[Ben N]

What kind of amp do you use?

For Blues, I think you need a tube somewhere in your path.

Hmmm, I seem to recall a certain BB King sounding "bluesy" enough with Lucille running through his Gibson Lab Series L5, and not a tube in sight.  That doesn't mean that I am about to give up my Fenders and Traynors and Ampegs, but that's just me.  They are not blues requirements.

It's in the feel, folks; the gear is just tools, and whatever works, works.

Caddy, it sounds from your original question like you are not really looking for a DIY solution, although if you are there have already been several good suggestions.  I would add the various CMOS-based pedals, like the Craig Anderton Tube Sound Fuzz, E-H Hot Tubes or 3-legged Dog.  A commercial variant that ought to work for you is the Snarling Dogs Tweed-y-Dog.  I would stay away from anything that has a pronounced tonal emphasis (a mid-humper through a small practice amp sounds really tinny) or relies on a boosting effect (as I think the BD2 does when used well).
HTH
Ben

[RDV]

The Blues is about feeling, equipment is irrelevant. That's why I posted my silly little samples. The best I've heard blues played was just guit and amp.

RDV

[mojotron]

The Blues is about feeling, equipment is irrelevant. That's why I posted my silly little samples. The best I've heard blues played was just guit and amp.

RDV

Totally agree, after decades of playing, I just got so fed up with how all the stuff I played sounded the same, and not enough dynamics..

So, durring 2001-2003 I played with no effects - nada, zip, 0.... Just a strat and a deluxe reverb... and I play quite a bit everyday... this setup revamped every aspect of my playing. I don't know if anyone else can tell, but when I play now, with effects, I use them to create more natural sounds and just use effects to reinforce what I'm playing. Now, it's like i pulled earplugs out of my ears and I'm hearing a lot more of what I'm playing tone-wise.

[cadillac]

Thanks for all your input, I decided to go for a used BD-2 I found in a shop.
Maybe mod that one later, but I'll definetly have a go at the "Professor Tweed" when I have the time.