What Overdrive pedal might sound like this?

[steveyraff]

Hey guys,

A guy just asked if I could build him a pedal and gave me this rather ambiguous description of what he was after (and this is his words, not mine):

"I'm in a cover band and love a distortion that gives you the overtones. I'm a huge fan of the gain stage on the Rockerverb gain channel. Ideally it would be a twin circuit that was a TS type crunch too. Any ideas?"

So I guess he means he wants a double pedal and for one side to sound like a Rockerverb Orange amp, and the other side a Tubescreamer.

Any ideas on a OD that sounds like the Rockerverb? I use an Orange Dual Terror personally, but I'm not overly familiar on the Rockerverb in particular - although I guess he might mean an Orange sounding drive?

[Kipper4]

Hey Stevey.
Good to see you man.
Has he got a sample tone. fave you tube clip that would illustrate this. maybe a record that nails what he's after?

I'd like a pedal that can do. a dumble on one side and a Dr Z maz 18 on the other with a spring reverb on a toggle.

What is his set up?

[steveyraff]

Hey Stevey.
Good to see you man.
Has he got a sample tone. fave you tube clip that would illustrate this. maybe a record that nails what he's after?

I'd like a pedal that can do. a dumble on one side and a Dr Z maz 18 on the other with a spring reverb on a toggle.

What is his set up?

Hey man,

I've been trying to keep up to date with the guy over facebook messages to my pedals page, but communication has been a little erratic and his replies are very short with little info. I asked similar questions and so far this is all I've really gotten out of him. I don't even know exactly what he means by 'overtones'. I am guessing an Orange, British voiced amp style overdrive?

Good idea about the youtube clip, or band/song example. I'll try asking that and get back to yall

[garcho]

he probably doesn't know what he's talking about. he's just throwing around words around, so make him something and describe it as what he's looking for, plus throw in a few technical terms he won't understand, and the power of suggestion will make him a very happy customer.

[steveyraff]

he probably doesn't know what he's talking about. he's just throwing around words around, so make him something and describe it as what he's looking for, plus throw in a few technical terms he won't understand, and the power of suggestion will make him a very happy customer.

You know what, as harsh as that sounds man - I really don't believe its too far from the truth lol 
I guess I just always fear a paying customer then turning around and saying they don't like it after all that work.

[lethargytartare]

You know what, as harsh as that sounds man - I really don't believe its too far from the truth lol 
I guess I just always fear a paying customer then turning around and saying they don't like it after all that work.

And that's always the risk of doing commission work.  A way to mitigate that -- and depending on the cost, you can decide if the extra effort is warranted -- is to breadboard the circuit and have him test it out.  Take payment at that time if he green-lights it.  And record the test drive, so if there's any dissatisfaction later, you can compare the final product to the test-drive to confirm you delivered what he approved.  This also gives you a chance to tweak it for him on the spot, which would help build his commitment to buying it (knowing it was tweaked to his liking).

[slashandburn]

In the meantime we could all try to translate for this guy?  Maybe there'll be some correlation in our guesses.

"crunchy orange with overtones"
I'd shoot straight for Robert Dalhqvist era Hellacopters.

From what you've said so far, I'd be wary he thinks you can just magic him up this mystery box that will be forever provide him with that tone he can't quite describe. 

[robthequiet]

Here's one: Ola Englund -- https://youtu.be/Yr53Fv3UuGc

How to get a stompbox to sound like a $2K stage amp.

[slashandburn]

Holy crap, that amp is way higher gain than I'd have guessed. I've always associated Orange with more a more mildly driven sound. This is well into dual-rectifier territory!

If you can build him a pedal that sounds like that amp, I'd buy three!

[garcho]

If you can build him a pedal that sounds like that amp, I'd buy three!

I'd be wary he thinks you can just magic him up this mystery box that will be forever provide him with that tone he can't quite describe.

I just always fear a paying customer then turning around and saying they don't like it after all that work.

not trying to be a downer, just a realist.

maybe charge him an exorbitant price so he's feels like he HAS to like it, since he dropped all that coin on it. or just make him a tube screamer. 

[slashandburn]

not trying to be a downer, just a realist.

Ah me neither, hope my own comments aren't coming across really negative. 

If he's mentioned the Tubescreamer, I suppose thats a fairly straightforward starting point if nothing else.   Something like the Green Rhino would be a good pimped out 808 if you can wow him with the extra switches.  If he's a high gain junkie like that solitary video of the amp might suggest, I dunno, he might be underwhelmed.

The ROG tube reamer is good stripped down version (no tone control), personally if it was me and I had to take on a job like this I'd likely frankestein a minimal verse of that along side whatever my metal-distortion flavour of the month happened to be at that moment.  But I'm derailiing this thread giving away my lack of experience and knowledge by getting into that. I'm the kind of idiot who'd build him a Distortus Maximus and then find out he was in a wedding band.