Most Versatile Distortion Pedal

[Schappy]

What is the most versatile distortion pedal?

It can be a diy pedal or store bought.

[anchovie]

How versatile do you want it to be? Do you want it to cover everything from sweet blues to noisecore?

Personally, I'd much rather have a pedal that does a particular flavour of distortion brilliantly and is so well tuned that it sounds great into almost any amp.

[ninjaaron]

I'm thinking RAT on this one.

[MohiZ]

Is this like a poll or are you looking for a specific answer?  

[Mark Hammer]

Fundamentally, not an answerable question.  It assumes there is only one way to produce distortion, when of course there are a great many.  Few pedals incorporate more than one or two "mechanisms" of producing distortion. Anythng that incorporates more than 2 ways to generate distortion (over and above whatever pre and post-clip EQ-ing it might have) moves from "pedal" to "multi-FX" status.

[jacobyjd]

I think to be able to clarify your question, we'd need to know some of your preferences...as in what style(s) of music are you wanting to play? There are some pedals that will easily bridge stylistic gaps, but you can only reach so far...meaning a tubescreamer won't really do metal...but most metal-sounding distortions won't do a tubescreamer's job.

If you're needing a vast array of versatility for, say, a cover band that plays everything from mid-90's guitar pop to Zeppelin to Metallica and beyond, you're probably looking for something from line6. Something that will allow you to completely change your sound at a moment's notice.

[earthtonesaudio]

I think there should be a knob/switch limit to that question.

[ninjaaron]

but most metal-sounding distortions won't do a tubescreamer's job.

except a RAT

[jacobyjd]

but most metal-sounding distortions won't do a tubescreamer's job.

except a RAT

Even then, it's still subjective. I know a lot of metal players who wouldn't be satisfied with a Rat...at least not by itself. Without more info, it's impossible to give a reasonable answer.

[CynicalMan]

What about the omnidrive or the tube screamer lab?

[panterica]

I'll skip all the subjective talk and give you my opinion.

The Boss Metal Zone is hard to beat. The controls and sounds are awesome. They're each very useful and super-versatile. The Line 6 Uber Metal is in the same league. It has just as impressive sounds and controls on it. It has a selector switch for three different flavors of distortion as well as a noise gate switch with two different settings. Both have impressed me more for metal sounds than any other pedal so far.

[mnordbye]

The omnidrive is versatile as hell, sounds great too. But it's not gonna get you into metal territory without some help or mods to it.

[R O Tiree]

I once saw an innovative approach to modding a RAT which involved a simple switching system to remove the "clipping to ground" diodes and connect 2 diodes between output and +ve input of the opamp instead. That gets you the best of both worlds.

It would be just as easy to do this the other way around, though, and convert a TS-808/9/whatever into a RAT-style topology...

[Schappy]

I guess Im looking for a pedal that does overdrive--hard rock.

I have built a BSIABII and TS that I modded to 808 specs.

I love the BSIABII but it seems to be a one trick pony for me. I love the gain past 1 or 2 o'clock but not for overdrive.


Im interested in

Fulltone OCD
Way Huge Fat Sandwich
Jekyll and Hyde
IBANEZ Jem distortion
Various Wampler pedals
One of the Radial Tonebones

or possibly building a unit.

[Schappy]

Im not familiar with the omnidrive?

Is it a production unit?

[slacker]

Jekyll and Hyde

Isn't the Jekyll and Hyde basically a Tubescreamer and a Marshall Shred Master in the same box?
So just build a Shred Master and box it up with your TS and away you go, or just stick the BSIAB and the TS in one box.

The Omnidrive is a DIY pedal by the great John Hollis, the schematic and stuff is here http://www.hollis.co.uk/john/circuits.html

[jacobyjd]

Ok, that makes sense--Out of the group you mentioned, I know the Jekyll and Hyde will do exactly what you want--mostly because it has 2 separate circuits in it.

If that's the direction you're looking, you could do something like a TS, OCD or Rat paired with something a lot heavier.

[Schappy]

I should also mention I have become a fan of distortion done with multiple gain stages ala the BSIABII.

[valdiorn]

MI Audio Tube Zone, check out videos on youtube
Anything from Texas twang to full on recto metal!

[JasonG]

What about a sansamp?