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December 12, 2009

By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com

Best Overdrive Pedal

What is the best overdrive pedal? Not an easy answer, since the number of good overdrive pedals available these days is mind boggling.

I have started a top overdrive list here, and I am trying to stick to pedals that deliver overdrive more than distortion, although many pedals cover both territories. It's also sometimes difficult to distinguish between overdrive and distortion. I have written about the difference between overdrive and distortion on this site, and you may want to check it out.

My personal favorite overdrive is the Zonkin' Yellow Screamer Mk II, built by my friend at Duhvoodooman.com. It is based on the BYOC overdrive, but Bob has added some very cool features to it, which makes it flexible and great sounding.

Best Overdrives - the LIST

Here is a starting point for checking out some great overdrive pedals. Some may cover both distortion as well as overdrive tones, so keep that in mind. Feel free to add your comments if you think I missed some! Note: The order of the pedals listed has nothing to do with how good I think they sound, so a higher number does not mean it sounds worse than a pedal listed with a lower number. Only YOU can decide which you think sounds best.

Here is a great deal on the Cool Cat Pedals

Danelectro Cool Cat Series Cat Pack Guitar Effects Pedals Package

Danelectro Cool Cat Series Cat Pack Guitar Effects Pedals Package

Now get 3 Danelectro Cool Cats effect pedals in one hot package with the Cat Pack—the CV-1 Vibe, CT-1 Tremolo, and CTO-1 Transparent Overdrive effect pedals.Cool Cat CV-1 Vibe: Gives you a metal stompbox for the price of plastic. Dial in your Mix, Speed, and Intensity for organic, swampy, trippy tone.Cool Cat CT-1 Tremolo: Better tone than your vintage amp. You'll dig the Square Wave setting.Cool Cat CTO-1 Transparent Overdrive: Adjust your Treble/Bass and Gain for anything from clean boost to glassy crunch. It has a durable metal construction, like all its Cool Cat cousins.
  1. Zonkin' Yellow Screamer MK II
  2. Maxon OD-9
  3. Way Huge Pork Loin
  4. LovePedal Eternity
  5. Menatone Red Snapper
  6. Danelectro Transparent Overdrive
  7. Danelectro Drive
  8. Hermida Zendrive
  9. Hermida Mosferatu
  10. Analogman TS-9/808
  11. Keeley TS-9/808
  12. Maxon 808
  13. Ibanez TS9
  14. Ibanez TS808
  15. BYOC TS808
  16. Analogman TS-9
  17. Analogman TS-808
  18. Analogman King of Tone
  19. Electro-Harmonix XO Germanium OD Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal
  20. T-Rex T-Rex Twin Boost Overdrive
  21. Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor Overdrive Pedal
  22. Krank Krankshaft Overdrive Pedal
  23. DOD 250
  24. Boss OD-3 OverDrive Pedal
  25. Carl Martin PlexiTone
  26. Plush Noxious Overdrive
  27. Fulltone GT-500
  28. Radial Bones R800-7110 Texas Overdrive
  29. Lovepedal Purple Plexi
  30. XOTIC BB Preamp
  31. TREX Alberta
  32. Digitech Hardwire Tube Overdrive
  33. Timmy
  34. Tim
  35. Delta Labs Tube Driver
  36. MI Audio Blues Pro
  37. Klon Centaur
  38. Fulltone OCD
  39. Barber LTD
  40. Damage Control Womanizer
  41. Visual Sound Jekyll and Hide
  42. Reverend Drivetrain 2
  43. Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive
  44. Keeley TS9DX FLEXI-4X2
  45. Boss Blues Driver
  46. Keeley BD-2
  47. Radial Tonebone Hot British
  48. Blackstar HT-DUAL
  49. Blackstone Mofset Overdrive
  50. Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor
  51. Banzai Cold Fusion
  52. Crowther Audio Hotcake
  53. Digitech Bad Monkey
  54. DigiTech Screamin Blues
  55. Vox Cooltron Big Ben
  56. Boss FBM-1 Fender Bassman
  57. Behringer VT999

Have a look at the list of best wah pedals too.

Musician's Friend has most of these pedals

Have a look at the selection from Musician's Friend.

By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com

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Posted by Robert Renman on December 12, 2009

Great Deals at Musician's Friend

Comments on this blog entry

Tom said...

What about MXR GT-OD, this one should be also on the top of the list

Comment added on May 30, 2010
nailll said...

Chris Custom Scream TS9 mod pedal is a true sound! MUST!

Comment added on April 23, 2010
seanathonedward said...

CMATMODS Signa Drive -- Best one I've used. The Luther Drive for me is #2, followed by the Time Bomb Boost (a DOD 250 clone by the same guy who makes the Luther.) All different, all GREAT pedals. DeltaLab TD-1 #4. Good choice.

Comment added on April 07, 2010
Jordan Dedo said...

Saw my 3 favorites on your list: Lovepedal Eternity, Fulltone OCD, Xotic BB.

The Luther Drive is amazing also.

Comment added on January 04, 2010
GE1 said...

I saw #36 by MI Audio's "Blues Pro", but what about their "Tube Zone" pedal? Excellent overdrive!

Comment added on January 02, 2010
Todd Rothenberger said...

You forgot the menatone working man's blues pedal. It is one of the best overdrives I have ever heard

Comment added on December 28, 2009
Csaba said...

I would also mention Behringer's VT999. Behringer says it's an overdrive, I use it rather like a distortion (as an overdrive I use a Boss OD3). I think it is on the thin red line between overdrives and distortions. On the lower gain settings it behaves more like an overdrive and when you crank it up it starts to be more like a distortion. It's a really cheap unit, but the original tube in it is rubbish, just replace it with something decent. I used a TAD tube and it really made a difference. Oh yes, one more good thing about it: it has a built-in noise gate and quite good one. Of course if you don't need it or don't want to use it you can turn it off too.

Comment added on December 13, 2009
Robert said...

Hi Steve, I added that pedal to the list. I have not tried it but Analogman makes great stuff, so I am sure it would be good!

Comment added on December 13, 2009
Steve Thompson said...

Robert: I am quite interested in the Analogman King of Tone, for getting drive and sustain but pretty clean, to get that Mayer sound. What do you think of that one? It did not make the list I see, and I wonder your thoughts. I love my Bad Monkey of course, which I purchased for next to nothing.

Comment added on December 12, 2009

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