difference b/w overdrive and distortion

afarid

can any one tell me the difference. and have you guys recievd your holiday cd

Pacomc79

#2 = No, its probably going to be the easter single this year.


#1 Overdrive, boosts the output of the amp "overdriving" the preamp causing the amp to clip. This is especially nice in a tube amp because of the sound produced when the amp clips. It allows one to have this sound at a lower volume than turning the amplifier all the way up to ten. Essentially a good overdrive is an extention of the amplifier and will be transparent enough to let the amps natural overdriven tone come through. Some Overdrives like the Tubescreamer add a fatness (midrange boost) to the sound, this is especially desirable with single coil guitars like the Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster but works well with Humbucker equipped guitars like Les Pauls as well.


Distortion picks up essentially where you leave off with overdrive. By definition Distortions generate distortion by themselves. The components involved determine the character of the distortion. They can also overdrive the amplifiers tubes depending on the volume output but generally distortions have an edgier sound than overdrives and a greater level of compression and consequently sustain.

FinsburyParkCarrots

That's the best explanation I've read on the topic, Pacomc79. Thanks.