Overdrive/Distortion Pedals - Help

I use the Boss Mt-2 and i love it, very versatile

What amp are you using?

I personally HATE distortion pedals, i think they all sound like crap. This is because so much of your overdrive tone is derived from the power in your amp.

I'd reccomend using your amp distortion, and setting it between 4-6, then putting a boss sd-1 on top of it with the gain between 1-3.

The mxr wylde OD is superior for this, but the switch has proved countless times to be very unreliable.

My personal opinion is that usaully the ubar "metal pedals" (like the metal zone) don't usually do so well. More distortion doesn't necessarily mean heavy tones. I you listen to S.O.A.D.'s first album the distortion really isn't to high. (sorry it's the only really good example I could think of at the time) Anyway, usually I stay away from the pedals that are commercialy marked "metal." just try different stuff.

Originally Posted by: ccdwiuI need some input. I'm playing in a metal band and I need to buy a pedal because the overdrive on my amp isn't cutting it. I'm playing an Epi Les Paul through a Marshall Valvestate half stack and need a very heavy distortion that also has good highs. Any ideas?

go for the marshall guvnor or blues breaker 2 marshall do some great pedals and they sound awesome on a marshall stack. also get your amp checked out incase it's developing dry joint.

What is dry joint?

Originally Posted by: ccdwiuWhat is dry joint?

Dry Joint is where the soldering on the electronics gets brittle and breaks dow. Dry joint can be cured when the offending joint is located by reheating with a soldering iron. Also dry joint can be produced by using the wrong solder for the job or overheating the area being soldered. Most dry joint problems come about with age and use of the equipment. With use the constant heating and cooling effect of the unit induces moisture in the system which has an adverse effect on the solder joints. The moisture comes from sweat from the moisture in the air. Joint brittleing has also been a major factor over recent years and temperatures become higher, in more desert and tropical areas of the world, such as a great deal of the USA eg Arizona etc the heat of the air combined with the unit heat can indue brittleing in the solder joints leading to eventual breakdown.

DigiTech Df-7s are Great and very versatile.

I just bought a Rocktron Zombie off ebay. Does anybody have an opinion on it. It got great reviews every where I looked but I personally don't like distortion pedals. in a perfect world I would be able to afford a great amp, but this is far from a perfect world. I picked it because it seemed like it would have a rather distinctive sound compared to other metal pedals.

Any way I don't have it yet but I thought I would throw that idea out there. The sound clip sounds good...

I have an OD20 and almost never use it. I use it for recording sometimes because I would other wise run my guitar straight into my interface and into my computer. I started using it in between and using a virtual amp to make it sound not like ass (as any pedal would without an amp). The amp kinda sucks though, and it doesn't sound great. It did make my solid state sound a lot better but when I run it into my tube it just sounds weird to me like it is sucking out all my guitar's personality and tone.

Anyway just my two cents. Like I said in a perfect world I would have a Mesa or two and probably a Fuchs, they seem pretty cool and from what I have heard of them they rock hard core.

Edit: alright I just got it and so far after tweakin a bit and trying out different settings, this thing ROCKS. It's real easy to use and sounds awesome. EVery distortion pedal I have used has sucked tone like crazy and it has made me a bit paranoid when it comes to pedals but so far this thing is great. I will write a review after I have had a chance to play on it a bit more.

try goin with the coffin case blood drive pedal, the thing sounds amazing it boosts the mid and high range, it makes sure peoqle will hear you