Most over-rated pedals? What are superfluous?

[bwanasonic]

It makes absolutely no sense to discuss a pedal outside of the context of the rest of the signal chain. Especially fuzz/ OD/ distortion/ booster effects. A player who uses active humbuckers and solid state amps, is going to *rate* a Fuzz Face much differently than a player who favors vintage single-coils and vintage tube amps. Another factor is the volume you play at. *Stage* volumes will yield much different results than bedroom/ practice levels. And of course there is the question of musical styles. A country/ bluegrass player is not likely to get much use from a Big Muff Pi. I get a lot of use from my Blue Ringer ring modulator, and *rate* it very highly, but that only make sense in the context of the music I play. I'm not going to recommend it to a player who plays mostly classic rock covers, as an *essential* effect.

Kerry M

[Doug_H]

This is kind of a stupid thread, IMO...

[The Tone God]

Lounge ?

Andrew

[TELEFUNKON]

Lounge.

[ildar]

Everything I use, or any guitarist I admire uses is great. Anything you or any guitarist I dislike uses is overrated.


Lounge.

[R.G.]

I deliberately bit my tongue on this one for quite a while.

I've said this a number of times, but it still seems to need saying:

Threads looking for "What's the best/most/least/worst/etc.?" are at best a waste of time and space.

There is not, and can not be a coherent answer because (a) the criteria for best/most/least/worst/etc. can never be stated, let along agreed on as a way to get to an answer and (b) the opinions are always a matter of taste. There can be no disagreement about matters of taste - and it's unusual to have any agreement about matters of taste.

I suggest that any thread which asks for such a poll on opinions be immediately moved to the lounge.

[B Tremblay]

What about a thread that discusses the worst threads?  Where do we put that? 

[tcobretti]

For the newbs, the reason this belongs in the lounge is because the "Building Your Own Stompbox" part of the forum is generally for technical questions only.  Any non-technical questions belong in the lounge.  This way we keep the Forum's signal-to-noise ratio tilted in the right direction.  The lounge was created the last time we had this conversation, and there have been many new members since then.

Ask whatever you want, but let's separate it from the real reason the forum is here - diystompboxes.

[jonathan perez]

ok, so not everyone will agree with everyone on this specific thread.

but i think the intention here was to find "your opinion" on a pedal.

i think that if youre going to post in a thread titled "over-rated pedals", at least throw in one or two over rated pedal opinons.

alot of people would agree that a fuzz/overdrive sounds really harsh on the clean channel of a 6505+. thats an opinion, but youll hear MANY of those same opinions.
alot of people would agree that the fender twin sounds fantastic with alot of pedals, but bad with some.
and alot of people would agree that alot of pedals sound fantastic on a jcm800, but some dont.

maybe this thread was started to relate to, maybe feel a little bit closer to this forum, than to be shunted back into the corner of tubes and solder.

[markm]

I deliberately bit my tongue on this one for quite a while.

I've said this a number of times, but it still seems to need saying:

Threads looking for "What's the best/most/least/worst/etc.?" are at best a waste of time and space.

There is not, and can not be a coherent answer because (a) the criteria for best/most/least/worst/etc. can never be stated, let along agreed on as a way to get to an answer and (b) the opinions are always a matter of taste. There can be no disagreement about matters of taste - and it's unusual to have any agreement about matters of taste.

I suggest that any thread which asks for such a poll on opinions be immediately moved to the lounge.

Well said RG.

[brett]

Hi
I thought about putting this in the lounge, but decided to keep it here because there are a lot of posts here asking "what to build?" or offering build reports.

I agree with RG's observation:

the opinions are always a matter of taste

. 
IMO, a thread such as this is good because it raises opinions about pedals and tone.  Subjective assessments and opinions might at first seem unimportant (as implied in RG's comment above).  But we use them and need them all of the time.  Besides soundclips, they are the main way that we decide on which build to attempt.  Can we (as a group) describe how a tubescreamer and a fuzzface are different, or suited to different tasks?  Easily.  Does that have value and could it help someone "Building your own stompbox?" ?  Quite possibly. 

OK, I've learned that a thread about over-rated pedals is bit offensive to some, and considered a waste of time by others.  But I've always liked the "what's cool" and "what's not" threads and polls, and learned from them.  I can only assume that other feel the same way.

Thanks for the feedback.  It's been interesting.

[8mileshigh]

I think some of you "politically correct" members have been a bit harsh.  I have personally  enjoyed everybody's opinion on what they believe is over-rated.  Yeah,  maybe the post belongs in the lounge but I don't necessarily consider the thread wildly off topic here either.   To say that it's stupid is a bit excessive and quite rude.   I actually learned that not everybody considers the Tube Screamer, Big Muff and the Fuzz Face are To Die For.  Stupid to some, interesting to others......

I don't recall ever seeing a flame here and I have to credit the moderators and the other neighbourhood police for keeping this place such an enjoyable place to hang out. I just think we need to make sure that feelings don't get hurt in the process.

8

[lovric]

stop biting your tongue, it hurts you too. who'd really have a dictatorial nerve to proclaim stupid other's conversations. because you don't approve of them. standards seem to thin out at your point of judgement. remain high as teachers instead of bringing yourselves down to censors. 

i do not appreciate that open vote of the 'house of lords' on wether this topic should be 'demoted'. so proud. 'lounge' thus seems to be the place for pariahs onsted of a proper place this topic belongs to.

unfortunately, the above was also off-topic.

back to it:
any booster is a redundant thing in front of a master volume amp, any box with a speaker emulation in front of a guitar amp, too. the moment you find that something is reduntant within your gear is when you realize that some other piece does it's role as well. so, you prune.

than, the results of G.A.S. and the most by the B.U.M. (cough)

all things that I find reduntant help me understand the interdependencies in the entire chain of sound creation.

this topic's side-effect is that it may relax the hype following some of the products and may even tangle the 'boutique' stuff in simmilar manner. you arrive to knowledge from ignorance, not from principles.

[Somicide]

The "summer influx" has reached here, too, it seems.  At least school's in/almost in session now, so we should calm down a bit, no?

[Toney]

 Ok!!!

For goodness sake.... IT DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON YOUR GUITAR / AMP/ SPEAKERS!!!

It's all about this goes with that / doesn't go with that.

I used a MT-2 with great effect for years...but that was due to using a JCM800 as my main amp. It was a great combo, the EQ swept beatifully with that one and I could nail the tone I was chasing. Sounds like poo with any bright amp. I think that's been well established.

Guess what... I have some absolutely killer recordings with an OD-2. I had virtually given up on the thing. It was my bassplayer who found the trick with that one. Tele through the od-2 straight into the desk. Sounded absolutely killer. But again, poo with most other combos. Real poo.

Just depends what you're chasing and every effect may have some hidden charms. I prefer it that way. Who want's generic easy to dial up sounds? Gotta work for your own tone.

This goes with this/doesn't go with that.   

[Toney]

    Oh and having said that...I'm voting the Fuzz factory as a near useless on stage.

    Really too many knobs. More of a fun time waster. Still I'm sure it would be ok recording...if you had lots of time.

    Not a very big fan of it's sounds though.
   
    To me, it's definitely over rated.

[bwanasonic]

    Oh and having said that...I'm voting the Fuzz factory as a near useless on stage.

    Really too many knobs. More of a fun time waster. Still I'm sure it would be ok recording...if you had lots of time.

    Not a very big fan of it's sounds though.
   
    To me, it's definitely over rated.

I just saw Bill Frisell put one to great use live a couple of weeks ago. So even there I think you have clarify: On stage playing what? 

Kerry M

[hubble]

I had a Tubescreamer TS9 clone in my pedal line-up for ages, but rarely used it.  It doesn't do distortion as well as the amp or the Real McTube, and it doesn't do fuzz.  So I got rid of it a few weeks ago and had forgotten until I saw it in the shed today.

So the Tubescreamer is my vote for the most over-rated pedal.  What's yours?

am i the only one who realizes that tubescreamers arent supposed to do fuzz?  i see this all the time in reviews, its not a high gain pedal so why would you expect fuzz

[brett]

Hi

am i the only one who realizes that tubescreamers arent supposed to do fuzz?  i see this all the time in reviews, its not a high gain pedal so why would you expect fuzz

If you were new to pedals, the name would be misleading.  Neither "tube" nor "screamer" applies.  But nobody was going to buy it if it described what it actually does: "mild diode distorter".
cheers

[petemoore]

  I like having pedals that are plenty over-rated.
 When I'm riding my bicycle, the last thing I want to have to think about is a pedal breaking, I'm particular about having that part heavier duty than I'll ever need.
 If your in a Motor Cycle club or gang, even talking about riding a bicycle may seem silly.
 If your a mountain biker, you probably won't like motorcycles there.
 BTW, what's the one best tire for all Bicycles, Motorcycles, Small Cars, Racing Cars and Semi-Trucks?
 If a bicycle which does it's task well, and makes you happy, it is a good thing.
 If riding a motorbike which does it's task, and riding it makes you happy, this too is a good thing.
 Is it possible that Bicycle and MotorBike riding can make an individual equally happy, in different ways?
 I love my dog best.