Whats the Difference Between a Distortion Pedal and an Overdrive Pedal?

[goldenhose]

Which one is better for tube amps?

[V]

Well, they're kind of just semantic definitions. Generally an overdrive will have a smoother less "high gain" sound than a distortion pedal and is designed to boost your amp with extra volume as well (which also overlaps into the territory of a boost pedal).

 

Distortions are usually higher gain and rougher/heavier sounding but they perform a similar function to an overdrive. Both types function by clipping your signal, where distortions tend to have a harder clipping sound and overdrives tend to have a softer clip.

 

There are also pedals that fall into both categories. The Fulltone OCD is a case of that where it's usually considered an overdrive but has enough gain to sound more like a distortion. (It's even advertised as overdrive/distortion, actually.) Then there's fuzz as well, which also overlaps with the two. I could see the OCD, for example, being reasonably called a fuzz in some respects, too. Then there's the Big Muff which is billed as a distortion but is generally considered a fuzz. Or something like a Wolf Computer which can sound like anything from clean boost to self oscillating fuzz to light overdrive depending on how you play with the knobs.

 

As for which is better...there's no real answer to that. It's just personal preference. I wouldn't get hung up on the definitions myself as the line between boost, fuzz, distortion, and overdrive is blurry at best.

[warmeverest]

I would say it's based on application.

 

Overdrive pedal in front of an amp to force tube-breakup.

 

Distortion pedal to help achieve the colour you want.

 

I would say try to get the tone from your tube-amp, usually why people buy them. Get a nice cheap overdrive like the Bad Monkey or a step up and get an OCD. Try to achieve a nice sound with as little as possible.

[IamBurnout]

One is orange, the other yellow.

[goldenhose]

Is a tube screamer used to force amp breakup as well?

 

Also, is that the purpose of hot cermanic pickups?

[warmeverest]

Well there are tons of different pedals labeled both distortion and overdrive that'll push your amp into break up. I should have been more clear. The LATTER looks to be as least-intrusive as possible.

 

A distortion will more than likely colour your tone. So you gotta read up on reviews of each pedal before you buy them, to make sure you will get the desired effects of the effect you choose. The OCD and Bad Monkey are pretty transparent.

 

Hot pickups.... I was always under the impression that it meant they were overwound to achieve a particular MID tone.

[IamBurnout]

The Dimarzio Super Distortion was indeed created to help 'push' amplifiers harder than stock pickups, but the advent of high-gain amplifiers minimize the effect.

[goldenhose]

 

The Dimarzio Super Distortion was indeed created to help 'push' amplifiers harder than stock pickups, but the advent of high-gain amplifiers minimize the effect.

 

 

Yeah its funny how some guitars are marketed for having "hot pickups" but it doesnt mean the pickup sounds good.

[Webinfront_]

 

Yeah its funny how some guitars are marketed for having "hot pickups" but it doesnt mean the pickup sounds good.

 

 

A "hot" pickup only means higher output, not necessarily better. Think of the difference between a super strat and a vintage tele. Also, keep in mind that questions like the ones you've been asking lead to a giant black hole of money and GAS...

[warmeverest]

giant black hole of money and GAS...

this

[frenchji]

I used to think distortion was smooth.. overdrive was rough and highgain. Then I used to think the exact opposite. Now I really don't think it means a darn thing anymore...

[goldenhose]

Im embarrased to ask, what is GAS?

[V]

 

Im embarrased to ask, what is GAS?

 

 

Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

 

Basically, when you see something and decide that you really want it a lot.

[warmeverest]

 

a giant black hole of money...

 

 

this

[goldenhose]

oh yeah, Im in the midst of this affliction. The plan is to use as much different gear possible at once.

 

This requires using a seperate amp for each pickup on the strat. And the strat has a humbucker at the bridge, soapbar in middle and single coil at the neck.

 

The 3 amps are tube amps that use different tubes. One uses 6L6's, EL34's, and EL84's. I am very curious how its all gonna sound together.

[Facing Failure]

The only limit is your imagination!

[goldenhose]

and money

[Thomas Rojo]

GAS is like a beautiful woman that the only way you can still be with her is throw money at her.

[V]

oh yeah, Im in the midst of this affliction. The plan is to use as much different gear possible at once. This requires using a seperate amp for each pickup on the strat. And the strat has a humbucker at the bridge, soapbar in middle and single coil at the neck. The 3 amps are tube amps that use different tubes. One uses 6L6's, EL34's, and EL84's. I am very curious how its all gonna sound together.

 

 

Ha ha have you been reading about my new strat or something?

 

I might be able to help.

 

Although mine is a little more complicated, despite being stereo instead of....trio?

[V]

Actually, the way I would do what you're describing is with a custom plate for 3 jacks and three volume pus/pull pots wired between the pickups and the pickup selector so that pulling each one would send it out to its own jack.

[goldenhose]

When did you build that V? Ive been wanting to build mine for couple years now.

 

I got the idea when playing with a friend of mine with a les paul. I liked how the guitars sounded together. I was using the middle pickup and was planning on putting a humbucker in the bridge.

 

Initially I was gonna just use 2 amps. One for the humbucker, and another for the 2 single coils wired up like a tele.

 

Are you familiar with the old skool stereo headphones that used 1/4" jacks? I was going to use a similar stereo jack and cable. That way there would be just one jack for a cleaner look.

 

Now Im leaning towards 3 seperate amps. I havent gotten everything sorted out yet. Im still aquiring parts. The soapbar pickup should be here next week. And right now Im trying to get a EL84 amp.

 

Then it will be time to order a pickguard. The guitar is a Fender 2004 50th anniversary Strat with ash body, maple fretboard and CS 54 pickups. Its a nice guitar and want to cut the body as little as possible.

[goldenhose]

tell me more about your strat V. What amps are you using? Are you mixing a dirty amp with a clean one?

[V]

Um, I use a combination of either a JCM 800 18 watt clone and a maz 18 or maz 18 and blues jr so it depends. I just built/had it built in the past week or so so i haven't gotten to really get it working totally properly yet (most of my gear is in new york while i am on vacation in ct at the moment). I'm troubleshooting some of the wiring on it as well. It works perfectly in stereo, but the mono mixed output is acting a little funny.

 

Basically mine is wired as two four way telecasters that are then mixed together in either series or parallel via the jaguar switches.

 

So, the neck/middle can be sent to a separate amp via a push/pull pot on the lowest knob.

The two bridge pickups always go to output 1.

 

Each set has a 4-way tele switch so you get pickup 1/parallel/pickup 2/series for each set of two.

 

Then those go to the jaguar plate and are mixed together (for mono).

 

For stereo, that plate isn't really functional because the one set goes directly to the second jack.

 

The humbucker also has a rotary switch (middle "knob") which selects series/coil 1/parallel/coil 2 (out of phase)/series (out of phase).

 

I have been getting a weird issue with the jaguar switches, though, which my dad and I tested out thoroughly all afternoon.

 

For some reason, whenever the bridge single coil is involved, the neck/mid group turns off in series mixing mode (very odd). However, if the bridge HB is involved and it's in series mixing mode, the neck/mid group refuses to turn off! The parallel mixtures work properly.

 

Weird stuff.

 

But it sounds like your project is much easier. I would just use two push pull pots and use them to send whatever pickup they correspond to to a second (or third) jack. You could wire the rest of it as usual, for the most part.

 

You could use a stereo jack and go the rick-o-sound route. i chose not to do that because I don't want to be tied to a special cable in case it breaks. I'd rather be able to use normal mono cables if I can. I have been using a y-cable a bit and that is not a big deal to use. The custom plate only cost me like 50 bucks to have hand made. Or you could grind one yourself.

[sparkfriction]

i didnt read all posts - but some (not all) "Distortion" pedals can't things like clean boost - a overdrive with the right settings yet...

[JRBain]

 

Well, they're kind of just semantic definitions. Generally an overdrive will have a smoother less "high gain" sound than a distortion pedal and is designed to boost your amp with extra volume as well (which also overlaps into the territory of a boost pedal). Distortions are usually higher gain and rougher/heavier sounding but they perform a similar function to an overdrive. Both types function by clipping your signal, where distortions tend to have a harder clipping sound and overdrives tend to have a softer clip. There are also pedals that fall into both categories. The Fulltone OCD is a case of that where it's usually considered an overdrive but has enough gain to sound more like a distortion. (It's even advertised as overdrive/distortion, actually.) Then there's fuzz as well, which also overlaps with the two. I could see the OCD, for example, being reasonably called a fuzz in some respects, too. Then there's the Big Muff which is billed as a distortion but is generally considered a fuzz. Or something like a Wolf Computer which can sound like anything from clean boost to self oscillating fuzz to light overdrive depending on how you play with the knobs. As for which is better...there's no real answer to that. It's just personal preference. I wouldn't get hung up on the definitions myself as the line between boost, fuzz, distortion, and overdrive is blurry at best.

 

 

Yes, this.

 

Typically I view an overdrive as being something that's either a tube screamer or something that sounds "amp-like". Typically smooth and middy.

 

On the other hand I view distortion much as you described. I think the area of fuzz and distortion is quite blurry, but there are some pedals that are definitely one or the other. The Boss DS-1 is definitely a distortion and nothing else. The Big Muff on the other hand as you said is often considered a fuzz. I definitely view it as being at the fuzz end of distortion. It's not hard edged and tight like a DS-1, but it doesn't exactly fit with typical fuzz face and tonebender fuzzes either. (IMO)