Just how similar is the Transparent Overdrive to the Timmy?

malko · Post by **malko** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:03 pm

Im new here and you guys seem a little more honest and less blinkered by boutique pedals than other forums. I got the Transparent Overdrive and while its pretty close to being a great pedal it just lacks something, maybe a little less of the blanket over the speaker sound (which admittedly is very slight!)

Can anyone give an honest comparison here?

Mike i notice you have made a Timmy clone. Whats your view?

Post by **Mike** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:23 pm

I thought the EQ was pretty powerful so you should be able to dial that out? It could get reaaaal trebly as I recall?

What guitar and amp are you using? Pickups?

I sold mine on I'm afraid and never had it at the same time as the Timmy clone I built and sold to ProgRockAbuse for a tenner. Electronically it is identical aside from the op-amp (because it's SMD and the Timmy op-amp isn't make in Surface Mount) and power supply filtering - neither should make a difference to the sound.

However I recommend you get on the list and buy a genuine one, the Timmy is very reasonably priced and I'm sure the list isn't too bad these days - plus Paul Cochrane could definitely use your business. I built that Timmy before this whole Danelectro thing and I will definitely never build another.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:24 pm

Erm. I'm pretty sure Mike went over the differences in his demo. But heres a side by side thing.

[youtube][/youtube]

EDIT: Didn't realise che Mike posted before me

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:25 pm

malko wrote:Im new here and you guys seem a little more honest and less blinkered by boutique pedals than other forums.

This is one of the main reasons I ended up here too. Welcome aboard, sailor. I have nothing else to add, other than I've got a TOD and I like it a lot.

endsjustifymeans · Post by **endsjustifymeans** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:31 pm

Noirie. wrote:Erm. I'm pretty sure Mike went over the differences in his demo. But heres a side by side thing.

[youtube][/youtube]

EDIT: Didn't realise che Mike posted before me

Just listened to a bit of that... for being identical the Timmy seems to have a better treble tone to me. Is it just me?

malko · Post by **malko** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:33 pm

Mike wrote:I thought the EQ was pretty powerful so you should be able to dial that out? It could get reaaaal trebly as I recall?

What guitar and amp are you using? Pickups?
.

I'm using a Baja into a Blues Deluxe with a Weber 12f150. The Dano can get trebley but its a tiny bit harsh when really pushed, it doesnt quite open up the top end as much as my Blueboy Deluxe does and thats kinda what i am after, a nice smooth top end. The problem i have with most OD pedals is they can sound great with the neck pickup but I mainly use the bridge pickup and play lots of full chords. The transparent overdrive is pretty much spot on but it just needs to be a little more open sounding. I have toyed with the idea of putting an EQ after it but i dont want to buy anymore pedals for a while. I have even played with the Dano into the Blueboy set with as low a gain as i can to use the tone shaping on that and it gets closer. However i have read on every forum that the Timmy has no mid bump and the Dano definitely does

Yep im defo going to treat myself to a proper Timmy come xmas but i need something to tide me over til then.

Post by **Mike** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:33 pm

That GearManDude demo is pretty wack for the following reasons:

1. Terrible Cam Audio
2. He doesn't realise the Treb and Bass controls are reverse on the original and non reverse on the Clone
3. He doesn't want to believe it, so he doesn't spend time dialing them in to be the same.

Post by **Mike** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:34 pm

malko wrote:
Mike wrote:I thought the EQ was pretty powerful so you should be able to dial that out? It could get reaaaal trebly as I recall?

What guitar and amp are you using? Pickups?
.
I'm using a Baja into a Blues Deluxe with a Weber 12f150. The Dano can get trebley but its a tiny bit harsh when really pushed, it doesnt quite open up the top end as much as my Blueboy Deluxe does and thats kinda what i am after, a nice smooth top end. The problem i have with most OD pedals is they can sound great with the neck pickup but I mainly use the bridge pickup and play lots of full chords. The transparent overdrive is pretty much spot on but it just needs to be a little more open sounding. I have toyed with the idea of putting an EQ after it but i dont want to buy anymore pedals for a while. I have even played with the Dano into the Blueboy set with as low a gain as i can to use the tone shaping on that and it gets closer. However i have read on every forum that the Timmy has no mid bump and the Dano definitely does

Yep im defo going to treat myself to a proper Timmy come xmas but i need something to tide me over til then.

Fair enough.

I would get on the list now, I don;t think you have to pay until he's done...

BradK · Post by **BradK** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:37 pm

I agree about GMD's old demos, but he's finally started miking his amps. Some stuff still sounds a bit odd, but it'd miles and miles away from his old videos.

malko · Post by **malko** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:40 pm

Incidentally am i right in assuming there's only 2 real OD types. Tubescreamers and Blues Breaker/Driver variants? I'm coming to the conclusion i might be more after the latter. My criteria is, no mid up, preserves bottom and and has nice open highs. Am i right in think the Blues based peals are the way to go?

Post by **Mike** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:43 pm

Nah man there are more like 20+ Overdrive types.

You're missing pedals like the Box Of Rock that are cascaded boosters with filters, pedals like the BSIAB and teh Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret that are JFET based with MuAmp structures mimicing the Push Pull of a Tube Amp, FET Amp Emulators like the Run Off Groove stuff (and various other pedals), the RAT circuit is also different and can be tweaked to form an overdrive pedal, the OCD is also distinct from the Tubescreamer and BluesBreaker (it is a rip off of the Voodoo Labs Overdrive), etc etc.

Watch some of the videos on shortscalegeardemos and see what you like the sound of, I use a Baja on a bunch of them:

http://www.youtube.com/shortscalegeardemos

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:45 pm

i can attest to the blanket over the speaker thing at times.

i tend ti run it with the bass and treble controls almost maxed but sometimes it's just missing some sparkle.

malko · Post by **malko** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:46 pm

Mike wrote:Nah man there are more like 20+ Overdrive types.

You're missing pedals like the Box Of Rock that are cascaded boosters with filters, pedals like the BSIAB and teh Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret that are JFET based with MuAmp structures mimicing the Push Pull of a Tube Amp, FET Amp Emulators like the Run Off Groove stuff (and various other pedals), the RAT circuit is also different and can be tweaked to form an overdrive pedal, the OCD is also distinct from the Tubescreamer and BluesBreaker (it is a rip off of the Voodoo Labs Overdrive), etc etc.

Watch some of the videos on shortscalegeardemos and see what you like the sound of, I use a Baja on a bunch of them:

http://www.youtube.com/shortscalegeardemos

shit now it all becomes complicated again. the quest for the perfect OD pedal is not as simple as i was hoping

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:47 pm

malko wrote:
Mike wrote:Nah man there are more like 20+ Overdrive types.

You're missing pedals like the Box Of Rock that are cascaded boosters with filters, pedals like the BSIAB and teh Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret that are JFET based with MuAmp structures mimicing the Push Pull of a Tube Amp, FET Amp Emulators like the Run Off Groove stuff (and various other pedals), the RAT circuit is also different and can be tweaked to form an overdrive pedal, the OCD is also distinct from the Tubescreamer and BluesBreaker (it is a rip off of the Voodoo Labs Overdrive), etc etc.

Watch some of the videos on shortscalegeardemos and see what you like the sound of, I use a Baja on a bunch of them:

http://www.youtube.com/shortscalegeardemos
shit now it all becomes complicated again. the quest for the perfect OD pedal is not as simple as i was hoping

seriously.
DLS.

if you like marshall, DLS.

malko · Post by **malko** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:54 pm

Reece wrote:i can attest to the blanket over the speaker thing at times.

i tend ti run it with the bass and treble controls almost maxed but sometimes it's just missing some sparkle.

yep sparkle is the word. It just needs to sound open with a little sparkle and then its a winner

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:26 pm

The tone knobs are pretty mad on the cool cats. Very sensitive...

My cool cat drive sounds a little muffled at low levels but I think when you start cranking the amps volume and the treble is enhanced it comes into its element. And I also think knocking back the gain to at least 3/4 helps too.

Have to tried it at rehearsal / gigging volumes ?

malko · Post by **malko** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:57 pm

othomas2 wrote:The tone knobs are pretty mad on the cool cats. Very sensitive...

My cool cat drive sounds a little muffled at low levels but I think when you start cranking the amps volume and the treble is enhanced it comes into its element. And I also think knocking back the gain to at least 3/4 helps too.

Have to tried it at rehearsal / gigging volumes ?

this is a good point. I havent had a chance to really crank it as we rehearse most of the time in someones attic and my room at home has wooden floors and no absorbent material on the walls. Im intrigued to see what its like when we gig in a couple of weeks. Currently i cant decide whether i like the MI Audio or the Danelectro..........maybe its the other forums rubbing off on me. I want to think a pedal over twice the price is better

chisa · Post by **chisa** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:16 pm

i love the TOD, i wanted a timmy but couldn't get in touch with paul c no matter how many emails i sent, so i thought fuck it and got the clone. imo paul isn't doing himself any favours when it comes to being a salesman.

here is a demo i did which is closed miked so it should sound a bit clearer.

[youtube][/youtube]

Post by **Mike** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:02 am

Maybe so, but it's well documented he doesn't do email, only phone calls, so I am unsurprised you had no contact.

chisa · Post by **chisa** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:09 am

i went of what he says about contact on his myspace, where he gives an address - that he says he uses.

Just how similar is the Transparent Overdrive to the Timmy?

Just how similar is the Transparent Overdrive to the Timmy?

Re: Just how similar is the Transparent Overdrive to the Tim