Distortion pedal fun (12 of them)

[equipboard]

Recently got a chance to play with lots of distortion pedals at once... thought I'd share a cool photo that I got of the family (most of them at least).



The full list is: Pro Co RAT2. Boss DS-1, MXR Super Badass Distortion, Fender Pugilist, TC Dark Matter, KHDK Dark Blood, Keeley Filaments, Wampler Dracarys, Walrus Iron Horse V2, EQD Acapulco Gold, JHS Angry Charlie V3, and Big Ear Woodcutter.

If you're wondering anything about any of them, let me know! (and no I did not plug them all into each other )

[lefty]

I've been looking into the Acapulco Gold lately. What's your opinion?

[equipboard]

The Acapulco Gold is a beast. I got a chance to try their one-knob fuzz pedal, the Erupter, and to be frank I like that one better. The Acapulco Gold is supposed to emulate a cranked Sunn Model T amp. It's a bit of an acquired taste, and not quite my taste. For me to give up any adjustment parameters the tone has to be out of this world, and for *my* taste the Acapulco Gold is a bit unwieldy. You HAVE to use the volume knob of your guitar with it to clean it up.

[paranoid]

What no metal zone, or tube screamer!

[BenoA]

So, what is your verdict?

[PowerTube]

I've been looking for a way to add a bit more distortion/drive to my current rig:



Which of the pedals tested above would you recommend?

[equipboard]

So, what is your verdict?

As with any pedal shootout, it's very subjective and there rarely is one verdict. I can show you the full distortion pedal rundown, where we name our favorites and go through some pros and cons.

I'll do the best I can answering --

Perhaps it's not the most exciting answer, but my personal favorite is the RAT. I just think it has SUCH a unique tone that's hard to imitate. The Iron Horse comes close to imitate it in one setting, but has more low-end overall.

In terms of versatility, my pick is the MXR Super Badass. If you wanna go boutique and crave even more tone shaping, then the Keeley Filaments would be the "upgrade pick." The Super Badass can just about do it all.

The one that probably surprised me the most in terms of how much I dig it is the Fender Pugilist. Being able to stack 2 gain stages is very cool.

The biggest let-down is the TC Electronic Dark Matter (we left it off the list). More of an overdrive flavor, can't really compete with the other pedals in terms of gain.

I won't rehash everything from the guide, but I hope that's helpful!

[equipboard]

I've been looking for a way to add a bit more distortion/drive to my current rig:

Which of the pedals tested above would you recommend?

I think if you want creamy mids, a huge wall of distortion that is also super articulate, a warm tone that can also be harsh and cutting on demand, a big-low end without being too big, and a distortion that can span from classic rock to metal and everything in between, I would add a Metal Zone to your board. I might also put a Tube Screamer in front of each Metal Zone to push it a little or you risk your tone sounding a bit anemic.

[PowerTube]

I think if you want creamy mids, a huge wall of distortion that is also super articulate, a warm tone that can also be harsh and cutting on demand, a big-low end without being too big, and a distortion that can span from classic rock to metal and everything in between, I would add a Metal Zone to your board. I might also put a Tube Screamer in front of each Metal Zone to push it a little or you risk your tone sounding a bit anemic.

Good suggestions. I might also slice my speaker cones like they did in the 60's to get that little extra bit of fuzz.