Versatile Distortion Box

[valvestate]

This question may sound repetitive already but, I can't seem to find a stomp box that suits my style of playing. My band is into grunge (Bush) to heavy rock such as Dream Theater, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumkins, Disturbed, Silver Chair, & Incubus... even old rock and roll stuff from Beatles and Lynyrd! I already have a Metal Zone but, kinda thin and not very good on stage. I like the sound of my Russan Big Muff but sometimes also having a hard time to palm mute with it. My Zoom 606 is only good inside my room but playing live, just all f*cked up hum and feedbacks and leads/ solo doesn't cut.

 

What do you think of Digitech's Hot Rod/ Grunge? I heard the clip from the offical site and I think it sounds good. Any other suggestion or ideas? Maybe I'm looking for a big, not so fuzzy... all around DIRT box... I play a Washburn w/ double coil on a Marshall Valvestate.. if that helps.

[hempathy]

Proco Rat, pure and simple.

I recommend the Vintage Proco Rat.

very versatile dirt box, nails alot of those early 90's sounds.

[FLYING V 83]

Check out the AMT line at pedalgeek.com
Some impressive sound clips there.
I just got a Du Hast heavy distortion to try.

[utterhack]

If you want versatile...

+1 on the Rat

You might also want to try the Jacques Fuseblower 2 - there are a LOT of sounds in that little box.

[dZjupp]

EHX Graphic fuzz, don't let the fuzz fool , this thing is really a distortion unit with envelope and a 6 band eq, i've used it for a year now and the sound of it still brings a smile to my face beacuse of how frekin aweaome it sounds.

[derek_32999]

Originally posted by utterhack You might also want to try the Jacques Fuseblower 2 - there are a LOT of sounds in that little box.

 

 

I see these on ebay for 90 bucks all the time. If you play heavy, this pedal is great bang for the buck!!

[Woody777]

did anybody suggest a Rat yet?

that's your best bet... it's the most "amp-like" dirt box I've played... to me that's always the most important quality.

If you want to really get versatile... get multiple pedals... run a Tubescreamer into a Rat into a Big Muff.

What kind of amp do you have?

[valvestate]

Originally posted by Woody777 did anybody suggest a Rat yet? that's your best bet... it's the most "amp-like" dirt box I've played... to me that's always the most important quality. If you want to really get versatile... get multiple pedals... run a Tubescreamer into a Rat into a Big Muff.

Originally posted by Woody777 What kind of amp do you have?

I'm using a Marshall Valvestate. Yeah, I think a Rat will do good... I'm surprised that nobody suggested a Digitech/ BOSS pedal! lol!

Thanks for the suggies!

[ScreamCage]

Originally posted by marvin_19 I'm surprised that nobody suggested a Digitech/ BOSS pedal! lol!

Really?...well, that makes one of us...

Seriously now, The Rat is one of the better ways to go.

Still, however, there is one better and superior route to go. The Marshall Guv'nor. Perfect for every single band you've mentioned. It can do Pearl Jam and Bush with ease, and running into your Big Muff will give you a great Pumpkins sound. Mess around with the EQ on it and you can get just about anything (including the old school bands you mentioned). The older version (big black one) is a bit better, so if you can find it on Ebay, it's well worth the price (up to about $90. Don't buy from those "starting price $120" guys), but the new one that Marshall is putting out now is very good and is what I'm using right now. It's so awsome, and like I said, Pearl Jam and Silver Chair dream.

It will have some trouble with Disturbed and palm muting (not really what it's geared for), but you can get a Rat for that stuff, and it should work fine. The Guv'nor into your Muff into a Rat will give you some very good stuff.