Thunderchief.....how much gain?

[powerplayj]

How much gain does this thing have say compared to a BSIABII........or what type of musical territory can it reach going into a clean amp? 

[olcircuits]

Powerplayj,

I had just built a Thunderchief for a photo-essay to post on my site. Timing was right and your question interested me, so I went about addressing it. This was a fun little excursion to break up my day. Battle of the cranked Marshall amp-u-lators, anyone?

For a direct comparison, check out the first Thunderchief clip vs. the only BSAIB2 clip (at the bottom). I use a Re@mp for this type of comparison (the reason the playing sounds identical) and there is no amp distortion in any of my clips. I don't know if you could audition two pedals more directly than this!

http://www.olcircuits.com/olckits.html

[tcobretti]

That's a nice comparison.  It's pretty interesting hearing how similar they sound, but then also to identify the differences.  The BSIAB sounds alittle brighter to me.  Was that your impression as well?

[olcircuits]

tcobretti,

The BSIAB2 is brighter, but has a tone control which the Thunderchief does not have. I really like the midrange of the BSIAB2 with the tone control at 50%-60%. For a wide-open sound, though, I like the Thunderchief.