ShortScale.org

I recently bought a 66 reissue jaguar. I love the way it plays but I can't really coax a nice thick but mild overdrive out of it with my Blues Driver through my Silverface Super Reverb. No matter how much I tweak the knobs it always sounds thin, or there is too much distortion for my liking. When I play my guitar through my bandmate's Hot Rod Deville with some gain it sounds much closer to the sound I am looking for. I'm not about to go out and buy a new Amp though. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

A jag into a super reverb is pretty much jangly treble city. 'Mild blues overdrive' is a bit of an ask. I wouldn't normally suggest such a drastic course of action, but have you tried your tone knob?

timhulio wrote:I wouldn't normally suggest such a drastic course of action, but have you tried your tone knob?

Have you tried a RAT pedal?

You could get a MD-2. I like it because it has adjustable bass and treble so you can tweak the sound more if it sounds too thin.

Sounds like a job for a boost pedal a la LPB-1/Saltbooster or something like a Dano Transparent Overdrive...

OCD...LP mode...low gain, low tone

My bandmate has an OCD. I'll give that ole boy a whirl. I had been looking at an LPB-1, they are pretty inexpensive too which is also nice.

But timholio is right, you may as well call me Jingle Jangle. However, it sounds great with my Jagmaster that sports a GFS "vintage split humbucker" in the bridge.

SGJarrod wrote:OCD...LP mode...low gain, low tone

^ this. A lot of people seem to have unnecessary hatred for the OCD. Mine's always supplied exactly what you seem to be looking for....admittedly, I have a clone which I scored for cheaps on Gumtree, but if you have access to one to try out hopefully this should fit the bill.

The OCD could well work for you - it has a darker quality than, say, a Blues Driver (which is what it replaced on my board in the end) but that aspect might work in your favour if your amp's very trebly to begin with. The distortion's mild but it's very responsive and the LP/HP switch adds a bit of versatility.

RATs are the best dirt boxes ever created IMO, especially one of the older ones with the original chip (or a clone of one of them; Mike the admin guy did a great job of building one for me). They're not so big on the bottom end though; its 'thickness' is in the lower mids, but that might be better in a band setting.

timhulio wrote:A jag into a super reverb is pretty much jangly treble city. 'Mild blues overdrive' is a bit of an ask.

+1, the Blues Driver is a bright pedal as well.
Without spending a lot of money Bad Monkeys have a decent EQ and are very clean sounding.

I have found the Catalinbread Formula No.5 to be nice and thick...I usually run it with the tone up full through my Bassman so it cuts through.

I always loved how a RAT beefed up a thin singlecoil clean sound.

@ somemothersson......if u r a Cub fan I take back my helpful advice

Thom wrote:I have found the Catalinbread Formula No.5 to be nice and thick...I usually run it with the tone up full through my Bassman so it cuts through.

It's my most used dirty pedal at the moment with the bassman and playing with others. Really does sound nice across the full range of the gain spectrum

Reading the subject I was gonna say OCD too... that's what I use with my jag. Pretty versatile as overdrives go and very thick if needed.

I must be the only person who can't get a good tone out of an OCD or CCv1? I find them really generic.

SGJarrod wrote:@ somemothersson......if u r a Cub fan I take back my helpful advice

Yeah no. I live in cubs territory, but I'm from the southside boy.

George wrote:I must be the only person who can't get a good tone out of an OCD or CCv1? I find them really generic.

I found them generic too, I've never really been completely happy with pedal overdrive. I do however like the Toadworks Lil' Leo, but its quite trebly and I wouldn't call it fat. Maybe a DLS?

Nah I'm sacking off everything and buying a Fender Mustang head and 2x10

Honestly, sick of tube amps and pedals fucking me about, being heavy and generally "sometimes sounding shit" for no reason.

George wrote:I must be the only person who can't get a good tone out of an OCD or CCv1? I find them really generic.

*stands alongside George*

I'd also like to add Rats to this list - they just sound like hair metal to me. I say get a Timmy/clone (secondhand Dano TOD).