Best of which?
xtremehardy388
Posts: 2,759
All right, I'm sure most of us have played a plethora of effects out there. My question/discussion is...Which pedal is the best at what it's supposed to do?
Best Delay: Digital: I love my Digitech Digital Delay. It's got tons of options and it's not as expensive as some of the other digital delays. Analog: I've got less experience in here. The only one I can remember playing is the Ibanez AD9.
Best Phaser: I have the Digitech Hyper Phase, which I love, BUT it's not close to the best. It's got great options but I'm gonna have to say the best would go to the Maxon Rotary Phaser. My ex's dad had one and I loved it's sound. Great wet feeling. However, it's a pretty pricey pedal and a little big for a usual board
Best Flanger:The Ibanez FL-9! Analog, smooth warmth with loads of room for tweaking
Best Chorus: Hands down, the DOD Ice Box, chorus. I've had many chorus pedals but the ice box is vastly underrated and forgotten about. Tons of options and pretty reliable. The danelectro Milkshake is also a pretty good one, too. It's not as reliable but it's got a great sound.
Best Vibe effect:Probably my favorite effect. I used to think it was the rotovibe but, after buying the BBE Soulvibe, I'm gonna have to change. The Soulvibe is low priced and a huge bang for your buck. The only drawback is the trimpot on the inside of the pedal. Next time, BBE, put all the adjusting knobs on the outside of the pedal.
Best Overdrive: The BOSS BD2 is the most versatile, I'll say that now. The Ibanez TS-5 has a great sound but isn't built like a tank(however it's called a soundtank...go figure...) but my BOSS Superoverdrive (modded) is the best sounding. I've played many OD's, including the Klon but I'm gonna stick to my word. Built like a tank, not expensive, easy to mod (especially for beginners), and very reliable.
Best Distortion: BOSS DS1 Distortion. Stock, it's got a GREAT crunch feeling but modded, it's even louder and gustier. Price is great, easy to use, built like a tank, it's a classic.
I'd like to see what everyone else thinks
Best Delay: Digital: I love my Digitech Digital Delay. It's got tons of options and it's not as expensive as some of the other digital delays. Analog: I've got less experience in here. The only one I can remember playing is the Ibanez AD9.
Best Phaser: I have the Digitech Hyper Phase, which I love, BUT it's not close to the best. It's got great options but I'm gonna have to say the best would go to the Maxon Rotary Phaser. My ex's dad had one and I loved it's sound. Great wet feeling. However, it's a pretty pricey pedal and a little big for a usual board
Best Flanger:The Ibanez FL-9! Analog, smooth warmth with loads of room for tweaking
Best Chorus: Hands down, the DOD Ice Box, chorus. I've had many chorus pedals but the ice box is vastly underrated and forgotten about. Tons of options and pretty reliable. The danelectro Milkshake is also a pretty good one, too. It's not as reliable but it's got a great sound.
Best Vibe effect:Probably my favorite effect. I used to think it was the rotovibe but, after buying the BBE Soulvibe, I'm gonna have to change. The Soulvibe is low priced and a huge bang for your buck. The only drawback is the trimpot on the inside of the pedal. Next time, BBE, put all the adjusting knobs on the outside of the pedal.
Best Overdrive: The BOSS BD2 is the most versatile, I'll say that now. The Ibanez TS-5 has a great sound but isn't built like a tank(however it's called a soundtank...go figure...) but my BOSS Superoverdrive (modded) is the best sounding. I've played many OD's, including the Klon but I'm gonna stick to my word. Built like a tank, not expensive, easy to mod (especially for beginners), and very reliable.
Best Distortion: BOSS DS1 Distortion. Stock, it's got a GREAT crunch feeling but modded, it's even louder and gustier. Price is great, easy to use, built like a tank, it's a classic.
I'd like to see what everyone else thinks
Grand Rapids '04, Detroit '06
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Analog: Hands down, without a doubt, the Roland Space Echo, with honorable mention to the Echoplex. Can't beat tape delay.
Best Phaser: I continue to kick my own ass for not buying the Shannon Phaser when I had a chance. I was short on funds, but always figured I'd get the cash together. Alas, Eric stopped making them. I'd buy one now in a heartbeat. The Maestro two-speed phaser and the script-logo MXR Phase 90 are the runners-up here.
Best Flanger: I don't use them.
Best Chorus: Don't use them, either.
Best Vibe effect: Nope, don't use them.
Best Overdrive: There are holy-grail vintage TS-808's that just had that vibe... but totally hit or miss. My favorite remains my Keeley Modded TS-9's. The Plus has great clarity, and the gain range is *perfect*. The Baked is my from-my-cold-dead-fingers overdrive. Don't get between momma bear and her Baked Keeley Tubescreamer.
Best Distortion: Again, there are some really good examples of the ProCo Rat that you cannot beat. Then again, there are some real lemons wearing that logo. But find a good Rat, you don't need anything else. Honorable mention to the SansAmp Driver.
Add a few here...
Best Tremolo/Vibrato: Fender tube unit. Duh. But the Line 6 Tap Tremolo is what I own, and it fits on my pedalboard. Honorable mention to the Diaz Tremodillo.
Best Compressor: I use the MXR DynaComp, because dbx hasn't released a pedal version of their venerable 160X rack unit.
Best Reverb: Again, Fender tube unit. Duh. Again, I default to my Line 6 VerbZilla, although I was also very pleased with the DigiTech DigiVerb. The VerbZilla does sound much better, though... everything from springy, to bright tile, to dark plates, to enormous halls. And everything is usable.
Best Wah: I use the Vox 847, the standard if there was one. But I think you can't beat the Real McCoy or Teese Picture wahs. I use my Vox for static-wah effects, so I'm not the best person to ask.
Best Volume: For action and taper, the Ernie Ball VP and VP Jr. are tops. I've heard about them breaking, but never had a problem with mine in the 4 years I've had it. The Dunlop volume pedal, for the record, is crap.
Best Tuner: Korg pitchblack. I know there are doubters, but I would never trade it for anything else.
Best Power Supply unit: Can't beat the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power (Original, 2, 2-Plus, or Extra-Crispy). I know you can get a 1-Spot for $20, and you can daisy off a Boss TU-2 or a Korg pitchblack, but honest-to-McCready, the PP2 makes my board *sound better*. Less noise and hiss, less interference b/w pedals, and solid as a rock.
Best Fuzz: This one will probably elicit some debate. I'm sticking with vintage Sovtek-made Russian Big Muffs. Dirty, fuzzy, totally lo-fi, and unapologetic.
Best Looper: Don't use one, but hey, if I'm adding some categories...
Best weird sound pedal: Shannon UniPhase. It's like outer-space in a box.
best phaser:phase 90. tried and true.
dont use flanger much
best chorus:again, the visual sound h20. i love this pedal!
best vibe:lovepedal vibe. this is awesome, but is pretty expensive for one effect. most "lush" sounding vibe ive ever heard.
best overdrive: lovepedal super6. great subtle overdrive. keeps the notes super clear whill making the sound "gritty" but in a good way.
dont use distortion
Best Phaser: You cannot go wrong with the MXR Phase 90. It's the classic phase pedal that Eddie Van Halen used on many of the early records. If you got the scratch, go for the new Script model.
Best Flanger: Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress
Best Chorus: Of all time its the Boss CE-2 but, it hasn't been made since the 80's. They can still be picked up on E-Bay for a price that isn't much higher than current Boss pedals
Best Vibe effect: Currently the best is probably MJM Sixeties Vibe. I have the Dunlop UniVibe and love it.
Best Overdrive: The absolute best is the BK Butler Tube Driver. After that would be modded TS-808 and TS-9.
Best Distortion: For me it's the classic silicon Fuzz Face. Right now the best clone of that pedal has to be the MJM London Fuzz 2. There is also the classic Big Muff, which BYOC currently produces the clones of the Muffs. You can never go wrong with a ProCo Rat but, try to find and old one as the new ones are very sketchy in build quality. The absolute pinnacle of distortion units right now is the Pete Cornish G-2.
I'd like to see what everyone else thinks
Tremolo/Vibrato: Rotovibe. It's the only one I've really used. The BOSS TR2 Was good...I thought the volume issue was fixed but it's not. Still, I'm selling mine to my bassist. He uses it and loves it.
Compressor: Never used one
Reverb: I like the deluxe tank in my roc pro. It's NOT stock.
Wah: I don't like the Tremonti one, really. I love my moded crybaby.
Volume: My VP jr. is the cat's pajamas
Tuner: BOSS TU-2. I love the bypass function. It's great for changing guitars, too and you don't get that pop.
Power Supply: 1-Spots. At one time, I have 4 going, three with daisy chains. Not I have three (not all using each daisy chain function).
Fuzz: The DS1 is good for that. Also, the Fender Blender
Looper: The DD6 or Digi delay gets it done, for me
Weird Sound: Fender Blender. So unpredictable. I got mine and it was kinda off when I recieved it in the mail. I took it to be fixed back in August and I haven't gotten it back, yet. I guess it was made like poopy...which is how Mizzou is playing, right now(GO LONGHORNS!).
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Best distortion: Marshall Shredmaster.
Best Phaser: I really like the sound of the Retro-Sonic phaser AND it has a level control (A+)
Best Flanger: MXR Flanger. It's a tank.
Best Chorus: I've heard a few chorus' and for a while I used an MXR Stereo Chorus. I'm not really sure which is the "best" but I really do have to give props to the Boss CE-5. It has a really good sound (especially for digital), not too complicated and not too simplistic.
Best Vibe effect: I haven't used a vibe but I wouldn't really like to try one.
Best Overdrive: I can't give this review yet because I'm still waiting on my Tim pedal to be built (hopefully that should end my need for overdrive for a while). It's supposed to be one of the smoothest ever.
Best Distortion: Not sure about distortion, I think I'm more of a fuzz person. Also waiting to get a Skreddy Lunar Module so I'll review that when I get one.
7/9/06 LA 1
7/10/06 LA 2
10/21/06 Bridge 1
Best Delay: Digital: boss DD-20
Analog: diamond delay. but i currently have an EHX deluxe memory man boxed away.
Best Phaser: phase 90 with R28 removed.
Best Flanger: n/a. i hate flange.
Best Chorus: boss CE-2
Best Vibe effect: n/a. i just use the phase 90.
Best Overdrive: the only mass-market overdrive i own is a keeley BD-2. the rest are ones i've made myself. the BD-2 and an english channel are currently in use. the keeley BD-2 has no colour of it's own really. it's up to the guitar and amp. the best SRV type, colouring overdrive is the old marshall bluesbreaker.
Best Distortion: amp turned up. i have a marshall clone for this. i don't have any distortion pedals currently.
Best Tremolo/Vibrato: fender bias tremolo as per the princeton reverb, vibro champ etc. i'm about to build my own vibro champ.
Best Compressor: barber tone press.
Best Reverb: i have a fender 63 reverb with a mod or two and an old 6K6 tube and it's perfect. in pedal form, the line 6 verbzilla.
Best Wah: n/a. don't use.
Best Volume: EB vp jr.
Best Tuner: i've only used a TU-2.
Best Power Supply unit: voodoo labs
Best Fuzz: i have a handmade one i really like. but i use a dunlop reissue currently.
Best Looper: DL-4.
Best weird sound pedal: line 6 tape eater (if you have a POD)[/quote]
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and scope of experience. i haven't played the vast majority of all the boutique stuff for instance.
whats best is very different for each of us, but here is my opinion.
Best Delay: new Fulltone tube tape echo !!!
Best Phaser: script phase 90
Best Flanger: i hate flange, too !!
Best Chorus: not a big user either, but the H2O is pretty sweet.
Best Vibe effect: H&K tube rotoshpere
Best Overdrive: to me, this depends on the amp used and the sound wanted.
I have a Keely BD-2 , Keely TS-808 , Klon , Visual Sound Route 66, and an OCD.
I love the Route 66 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and combine the Route 66 with the TS-808 and you've got one great screaming OD sound.
The Klon is , so , so on some amps, but try it on a bassy amp like a 57 Twin and it rocks !! also, the Klon mixed with the Rotoshpere ( used like a leslie without rotation) is awesome.
and I think everyone should also check out the Fulltone OCD, its great too.
Best Clean Boost: I'm throwing this in because I just love the ZVEX Super Hard On.
Best Distortion: dont use much, OD is enough for me, but , I like the Rat and the Russian Big Muff
Best Tremolo/Vibrato: the Demeter Tremulator !!!!
Best Compressor: barber tone press and the Route 66 a close second.
Best Reverb: reissued Fender reverb unit , hands down
Best Wah: I have an old Thomas Organ wah I just love.
Best Volume: any Ernie Ball
Best Tuner: peterson strobo-tuner
Best Power Supply unit: I've been using a DC brick and it works great. want to try the Voodoo Lab someday.
Best Fuzz: ZVEX Fuzz Factory / Frantone The Sweet !!
Best Octave pedal: I threw this in because I've been playing around with a Chicago Iron Octavian and its really cool !! I also hear that Fulltone makes a killer OctaFuzz pedal.
well, thats my personal taste in pedals.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
My favourites in each category are probably best shown on my pedalboard (I'm a modulation whore):
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j167/Mike_Muse_Rage/PedalboardSeptember2008.jpg?t=1224516730
I'm sure people will disagree with some of the choices, but I've been through a lot in each category and these are my personal favourites.
EDIT: I didn't mean to sound like an ass; it just didn't sound like you'd played many effects and we're just recommending the ones you happened to use. Whatever works for you is cool.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Hell, I'm bored. I'll take a stab at it.
Left to right, top row first:
BBE Sonic Stomp sonic maximizer (good pedal!), Ibanez FL-9 flanger, Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser, DigiTech Bad Monkey (still haven't tried one...), Boss NS-2 noise suppressor, Korg pitchblack, and the last little box looks like a PSU? Next row... Electro-Harmonix Pulsar tremolo, Boss DD-7 delay (the little switchbox above the Pulsar is maybe a tap tempo for this?), Orion Stereo Chorus, Danelectro Fish n' Chips equalizer, below that appears to be a custom/homemade amp channel switch box (educated guess), Dunlop Crybaby 535Q, and the DigiTech WH4 Whammy.
So, the three items I can't accurately identify are the little switchbox above the Pulsar, the two-button job below the Fish 'n Chips, and the black box to the right of the pitchblack.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
Hey, my guesses are at least good guesses.
JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
"Pearl Jam always eases my mind and fires me up at the same time.”-Jeff Hardy
doohickey below the EQ is a footswitch for the amp methinks.
doohickey above the pulsar is the tap for the boss delay.
doohickey above the whammy has to be power though i think most of the pedals are daisied off the NS-2. edit: wait, i think it might be a midi interface for the whammy.
<b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
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EDIT: Signal path:
Korg Pitchblack>Digitech Whammy>Dunlop 535Q Wah>Digitech Bad Monkey>Boss NS-2
FX Loop: Danelectro EQ>EHX Small Stone>Ibanez FL9>Arion SCH-1>EHX Stereo Pulsar>Boss DD-7 (with tap tempo footswitch)>BBE Sonic Stomp