I have a friend who's asked me to build him an OD/Boost combo pedal. He's expressed interest in order switching via toggle or footswitch. All he can tell me is that he wants a low-med gain transparent overdrive and boost.
I'm thinking maybe a SHO type boost and an Eternity OD. He mentioned a Timmy OD. I know this is pretty subjective stuff but I'm looking for personal experiences and preferences here. Thanks:)
I think you are on spot with a Timmy and a SHO.
The Timmy is about as transparent as it gets with OD. Its actually one of the reasons I got rid of my original because it has a definite "lack of character" really. But, that could be a good thing for those looking for some relatively uncolored dirt tones.
This or maybe a King of Tone.
Thanks for the feedback! I really want to put a Fatpants boost in there but he seems adamant about transparency.
If you want transparancy, give the Thunderpuss some thought. It is out of production, but maybe somebody has one lying around or you can get one etched or from OSHPark. I have one combined with a Greenbean, with a switch to change the order (OD into Boost or Boost into OD), that gives a whole bunch of different sounds. It also plays nice with a host of different OD's (good experience with Egodriver and raulduke's Prince Albert) and fuzzes.
Paul
Quote from: PhiloB on March 25, 2014, 04:22:13 PM
I have a friend who's asked me to build him an OD/Boost combo pedal. He's expressed interest in order switching via toggle or footswitch. All he can tell me is that he wants a low-med gain transparent overdrive and boost.
I'm thinking maybe a SHO type boost and an Eternity OD. He mentioned a Timmy OD. I know this is pretty subjective stuff but I'm looking for personal experiences and preferences here. Thanks:)
Eternity is TS based? Never played one but Tube Screamers tend to have a certain character. I would say maybe a Timmy or a ROG Peppermill. Also any JFET boost will have plenty of headroom given his amp can support the extra volume without breaking up. If you want a one stop shop you can either try jmkpcb's for a clean drive (yes it's a TS, but it has a clean blend which infinitely increases its usability) and a wakizashi or beauty booster (keeley katana and bearfoot baby pink) or maybe have haberdasher etch you a lavanche and a thunderpuss?
I found the Bacon Bits to be really nice when I used it with a LaVache in a 2-in-1 build for a guy who loved the sound of a Les Lius but wanted a boost after it for a volume increase for solos. After the LaVache it retained all the character, but was just louder. Having it slam the front end of the LaVache was not as nice as it just overloaded the LV at higher gain settings and especially with the LV "gain boost" toggled. With something like an OCD or Timmy it would probably work nicely.
Timmy is a great OD. I really have been digging the Naga Viper as a boost lately. It has boost, full range to treble boost knob and a "heat" knob for extra saturation.
Quote from: PhiloB on March 25, 2014, 04:59:52 PM
Thanks for the feedback! I really want to put a Fatpants boost in there but he seems adamant about transparency.
Fatpants
is "transparent" on the full-range side, and it'll have a treble cut switch or bass cut switch for when he discovers that an actual transparent boost can make an overdriven amp or overdrive sound like crap ...
Brian's Egghead would be fine for the OD side, and I don't think you need anything more complicated. No bass control, but hey, he wants transparent, right? So that means that he doesn't want a bass control. And you can just leave the presence control off, because he doesn't need any tone knobs, because he wants it transparent, right?
Jon, that's funny. He said he wants transparent but then asked about having an EQ section:) I talked him out of that.
Anybody around here do a Timmy-like pcb?
My first thought when he approached me was the EM drive. Mike H from Prymaxe Vintage makes that thing sound great!
Matt, I have an Eternity clone and would have never compared it to a TS sonically speaking.
Quote from: PhiloB on March 25, 2014, 07:35:02 PM
Matt, I have an Eternity clone and would have never compared it to a TS sonically speaking.
Ahh never actually played one just think topologically theyre very similar
Quote from: PhiloB on March 25, 2014, 07:24:22 PM
My first thought when he approached me was the EM drive.
Barf. Horrible design. But I think I've ranted enough about that pedal elsewhere ...
Seriously, the Egg Head minus the presence control is about as basic an OD as you can find. It's just amplification and asymmetric diode soft clipping and nothing else. If the guy really wants transparency, that's all you need. If you really want to get fancy, you could make a diode switch or something.
I have a few of my own Laudah pcb-s still around, if you want a clean boosting Thunderpuss. I havent advertized them here as its the same Jack Orman boost, but now as Brian dont stock them no more... PM if interested.
Cheers
I built an egghead recently and I'll let him play it and see what he thinks Jon. But it's got no tone knobs;)
Thanks Vallhagen. I may PM you.