Enough distortions? Time to give it a rest?

[aron]

My friends keep buying yet another variation on the Tube Screamer. It's come to the point where if they mention a kickers new pedal, I go online and YEP, it's a modified tube screamer or Timmy. Of course if EH or some well known company makes the exact same thing, somehow it doesn't sound as good! Gotta have an oyster shell top or a new name to really sound different.
OH and don't get me started on how everything sounds like a Dumble.

[davent]

My friends keep buying yet another variation on the Tube Screamer. It's come to the point where if they mention a kickers new pedal, I go online and YEP, it's a modified tube screamer or Timmy. Of course if EH or some well known company makes the exact same thing, somehow it doesn't sound as good! Gotta have an oyster shell top or a new name to really sound different.
OH and don't get me started on how everything sounds like a Dumble.

A Dumble? And just in...

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kenny-wayne-shepherd-reveals-his-onstage-fender-amps-are-actually-dumbles-in-disguise
dave

[11-90-an]

Somebody invent a new type of pedal already...

[Harry Muff]

if you play live out in a band you will need this type of effect, at least I always did  ..when I played out I had to have a wah, some type of booster or fuzz; and sometimes I had a univibe or phase 90 to round out the trio..most people buy an amp without a foot switch or lose theirs somehow and its easy to get a clean/dirty or a simple boost for solos and loud jams. 

so in my opinion, its one of the needed pedals for gigging live. especially if you are not a person who works the volume knob on the guitar a lot ..my buddy did this but he also had like a 5000 dollar bassman tweed amp

you could also make the argument, for fuzzes, its an effect that will completely change your amps tone.

I dont play in bands or out anymore but I have quite a large board in comparison with those days when I did; running a looper, a wah, a delay, a fuzz, uni vibe and a aby tuner out box - running two amps. starting to get into ambient noises and shoe gaze, thinking about adding a chorus and a reverb to the board soon. Couldnt imagine my board without some weird arse fuzz on it lol

[Harry Muff]

My friends keep buying yet another variation on the Tube Screamer. It's come to the point where if they mention a kickers new pedal, I go online and YEP, it's a modified tube screamer or Timmy. Of course if EH or some well known company makes the exact same thing, somehow it doesn't sound as good! Gotta have an oyster shell top or a new name to really sound different.
OH and don't get me started on how everything sounds like a Dumble.

thing about that is alex dumble design each amp to a specific client/artist and no two amps are even remotely voiced the same making it near impossible to "clone" a dumble sound in my opinion ..the magic of the dumble is in the hands of alexander and his skills with tubes and the clients needs for their particular guitar and genre or music. 

[aron]

Yes, but just like the Trainwrecks have a sound, the "typical" Dumble sound is somewhat recognizable. At least it was before everyone copied it. But my point was that there are so many boxes out there that say they nail the Dumble sound. Too bad Dumble didn't realize he could have done it with a few op amps and transistors! :-)

[Harry Muff]

I hear you, I was more taking a jab at the pedal makers and the previous point made about a shiny new box ( all marketing )

you will never get dumble valve tones from a small box

is why my boosts/od are all biased out fets or bjt devices with one knob similar to a rm lol .then you can start to cascade the devices like darlingtons to make fuzz !

[Electron Tornado]

The whole thing reminds me of the tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign that Post cereals ran several years back, in which they touted the "new" diamond-shaped Shreddies - the same thing, but rotated 1/4 turn.

Actually, one of those had a symmetrical crunch, while the other one was asymmetrical. However, both remained "transparent", so that no matter which type of crunch you were enjoying, you still got that 100% whole grain wheat tone ...er...flavor.

[FiveseveN]

you will never get dumble valve tones from a small box

Is it because the fragile harmonics can't survive in the crystal lattice of Hammond enclosures?
Are you aware of the dozens of amp-in-a-box products out there, some of them including valves? How about DSP?

There is an enormous degree of redundancy out there

Absolutely. Can anyone name a "pedal company" that doesn't offer a Tube Screamer variant? On the other hand, would you be surprised to find white bread in any bakery?

[bluebunny]

These days I have nothing left but fuzz on the top of my head, distortion through my eyeballs, so I think, hell, why not just join the party and build another overdrive pedal? 

[Harry Muff]

you will never get dumble valve tones from a small box

Is it because the fragile harmonics can't survive in the crystal lattice of Hammond enclosures?
Are you aware of the dozens of amp-in-a-box products out there, some of them including valves? How about DSP?

There is an enormous degree of redundancy out there

Absolutely. Can anyone name a "pedal company" that doesn't offer a Tube Screamer variant? On the other hand, would you be surprised to find white bread in any bakery?

in my opinion its the entire amp itself - this soldano listed at 10k !

https://reverb.com/item/1739406-soldano-hiwatt

you dont need pedals with amps like that just a foot switcher for channels lol i dont think any pedal will sound like that amp !

probably some digital tone print out there on youtube with some guy running through apple computer making dumble noises

[Sesh]

At this point, yes, there aren't any places to go for the basic circuits. I roll my eyes, too, at new "Dumble"-emulating pedals or "xxx's take on the classic Bluesbreaker". Ever since I got into DIY'ing pedals here during the start of my pandemic, my bullshit detector is even more sensitive. I'm so glad I've learned to make pedals myself, so I don't get lured in with GAS-inducing marketing and pay big bucks for the simplest of circuits.

I would say there ARE still places to go, designwise. I personally think too few people look to the pro-audio world for circuit inspiration - it has resulted in some of the best new pedals of their kind like the Hudson Broadcast, Cali 76 comp. And there's definitely more obscure gear to be reinterpreted (I personally dream of a Grampian 636 preamp clone in pedal form). But then again, simpler overdrives and Ross-style compressors work just fine for a lot of people.

Also digital control and extra features is a good way to improve upon bread-and-butter circuits. The Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp is a good example... but then again, it's so expensive I'd rather use the money on a good amp and actually get the pure tube tone. And I don't need presets on overdrive pedals.

For me it boils down to MY pleasure of having a smorgasbord of options, of flavors (as some have already used as an analogy). Are people gonna notice a huge difference between my DIY Broadcast and somebody else's Joyo Overdrive on stage or on a recording? Probably not.

I have to add, though, that I'm surprise at the many different interpretations of fuzz. Sputtery, gated fuzzes. Self-oscillating fuzzes. Fuzzes with octaves or PLL harmonizers. Starved, experimental fuzzes. Thick silicon and smooth germanium.
This is the dirt type I find most joy in DIY'ing different pedals of, even though I probably won't find a musical context for 90% of them!

[Steben]

While so many songs are recorded in the studio on a supro or a deluxe reverb they keep telling me.

[andy-h-h]

A lot of people that don't play, just can't hear the difference - if it's roughly the same kind of sound, then it must be the same thing (case in point my wife's view of guitar pedals / guitars in general).  Everything we might overthink / find enjoyment in, is not a consideration for the listener. 

A lot of really good musicians have used all kinds of exotic gear, and a similar amount have used next to none or very garden variety gear, all for the same result.  Music. 

[Steben]

Yes, gear is pleasure of the musician. How many led Zep II owners knew what guitars effects and amps Page used on the album?

[matmosphere]

Yes, gear is pleasure of the musician. How many led Zep II owners knew what guitars effects and amps Page used on the album?

I've listened to that record hundreds of times since I started playing and never really thought about it.

Then again I have always assumed I'd never be able to sound that good even if I had the exact same gear.

[11-90-an]

Again,

Somebody invent a new type of pedal already...

[Steben]

Yes, gear is pleasure of the musician. How many led Zep II owners knew what guitars effects and amps Page used on the album?

I've listened to that record hundreds of times since I started playing and never really thought about it.

Then again I have always assumed I'd never be able to sound that good even if I had the exact same gear.

Well, the exact same gear would be plentiful. He used a vox 12 string, some Les Paul and probably some Tele as well. Acoustic...
And a Wah like the whole lotta solo mid part I presume. Supro definitely. And other amps.
I'm sure he still used the MkII tonebender on some parts on the album.
I recently saw a youtube thing with a guy playing the lemon song through an MkII... god that was convincing. While I think it is played on a Supro.... Makes you wonder. But then again distortion is saturated

And look here a tele through the tone bender makes it sounds beefy:

[davent]

Yes, gear is pleasure of the musician. How many led Zep II owners knew what guitars effects and amps Page used on the album?

I've listened to that record hundreds of times since I started playing and never really thought about it.

Then again I have always assumed I'd never be able to sound that good even if I had the exact same gear.

Well, the exact same gear would be plentiful. He used a vox 12 string, some Les Paul and probably some Tele as well. Acoustic...
And a Wah like the whole lotta solo mid part I presume. Supro definitely. And other amps.
I'm sure he still used the MkII tonebender on some parts on the album.
I recently saw a youtube thing with a guy playing the lemon song through an MkII... god that was convincing. While I think it is played on a Supro.... Makes you wonder. But then again distortion is saturated

Detective work on the acoustic used...

dave

[Steben]