John Brown Mesa Triple Crown Amp Playing Seymour Duncan P Rails Guitar Pickups Review

Overdrive and baloney

The market place overflows with overdrive and distortion pedals. Information technology can be a tough challenge to decide and to detect pedals that suits your rig and purpose. In this feature we’ll look at a handful of models and how to comprise these in your rig, with David Gilmour’s tones and bedroom setups in mind.

Overdrive and distortion isn’t just about getting dissonance and proceeds. The wrong pedal for your amp and guitar, can do more harm than good and cause a lot of frustration. On the other hand, an pedal that’s selected to match perfectly with your amp and taste, will make your tones shine and bring out the best in your setup.

Do yourself a favour when you’re ownership gain effects and ask yourself these questions: How will I exist using the pedal â€" phase or rehearsal, studio or bedroom? Do I desire boost, overdrive, distortion or fuzz? Will I exist using two or more proceeds pedals at the aforementioned time?

Know your amp!

Overdrive and distortion pedals can be divided in two categories. Transparent and mids scooped and on the other side of the spectrum, compressed and mids boosted.

The transparent and mids scooped models were originally designed in the belatedly 60s and early 70s to bulldoze large tube stacks into distortion. These pedals tin sound horrible on an uncompressed, mids scooped Twin or smaller bedroom amps, merely creamy and smooth on a compressed and mids boosted Marshall.

Pedals with a noticeable mid range and pinch, like the Tube Screamer, started to appear in the late 70s. The idea was to capture the tone of those huge tube stacks in all their glory in a small box. The design with new technoligy, was too more relieable than the previous silicon and germanium transistors.

In other words, knowing what amp you have, is crucial for understanding how overdrive and baloney pedals works and ultimately sound. Read more about how to choose the right pedal for your amp here.

Stacking pedals

David Gilmour, and others similar him, often combine or stack two or more than gain pedals. This can either be to produce a book or gain boost for solos or, like David does, to alloy the character of 2 pedals, for more saturation and sustain.

Big Muffs oftentimes sound better with a transparent booster placed after it, set for a very mild boost and EQ enhancement. David often does this with either a Muff and Powerbooster or Tube Driver.

Boosting with more mids boosted and compressed pedals, like the Tube Screamer and OCD, can often make a Muff sound muddy and almost choked. Try placing the overdrive pedal in front end of the Muff but be conscientious with the total amount of proceeds and volume.

Stacking should only be washed if it’south needed. Some Big Muffs, similar the Sovtek models and clones, are oft best alone. As can distortion pedals like the Rat and like, similar the Buffalo Evolution, TopTone G2 etc.

Stacking ii or more pedals, is like cooking up the finest sauce. The perfect blend will produce a dandy tone. Likewise much, and everything sounds like crap. Trust your ears and know your gear.

All pedals listed beneath were tested on a Stratocaster featuring D Allen Voodoo 69 neck and middle pickups and a Seymour Duncan SSL5 span pickups and a Radix Palatial PRS model with Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P90s into Reeves Custom fifty and Laney Lionheart L20h tube stacks.

Transparent boosters and overdrives

David’due south Colorsound Powerboost/ Cornish ST-2 (1972-1983) and Chandler/BK Tube Driver (1993-present) are typical vintage style boosters/overdrives with a archetype bright, mids scooped tone similar to the early on Marshalls. Smaller, typical bedroom setups are ofttimes improve matched with overdrives with more midrange and compression.

Colorsound Powerboost/Overdriver

It doesn’t really get more Dark Side, WYWH and Animals than this. The Powerboost’due south unmistakably super transparent tone, glassy highs and fat lower cease, sat the standard for all other overdrives. Be aware though that this pedal demands a loud tube amp and can audio a scrap flat and fizzy on lower wattage and volume. The 18V has more headroom compared to the 9V, although both delivers a wide range of tones from clean boost to about fuzz.
Chamber setups: half dozen/ten
Gilmour tones: ObC, DSotM, WYWH, Animals, DG 78, Wall, FC
Gilmourish.Com score: 10/10

Electronic Orange Bananaboost
The Bananaboost has that vintage flavour of the original. It sounds huge, with tons of headroom and a massive low finish. You tin can easily crank it upwards for polish well-nigh fuzz-like tones and the powerful ii-ring EQ makes it easy to tailor the tones to match your amp and guitar. Of all the Powerbooster clones out there, I find this to exist the most authentic sounding, with much of the same graphic symbol and mojo as the original. See my total review of the Bananaboost here.
Sleeping accommodation setups: vi/10
Gilmour tones: ObC, DSotM, WYWH, Animals, DG 78, Wall, FC
Gilmourish.Com score: 10/ten

Buffalo FX Power Booster

Like all Buffalo FX pedals, the Powerbooster is a faithful replication of the original, with a few mod tweaks. It has a huge headroom but tin hands be set up for some nice overdrive and fuzz tones. It's slightly darker and the meridian end noticeably smoother, making this an splendid option for smaller amps and bedroom setups. Come across my total review of the Power Booster hither.
Bedroom setups: 8/10
Gilmour tones: ObC, DSotM, WYWH, Animals, DG78, Wall, FC
Gilmourish.Com score: 9/10

Vick Audio Overdriver
As the name implies, this is a clone of the United states branded Powerbooster, the Overdriver. Information technology has a distinct vintage flavour and of all the clones out at that place, perhaps the smoothest fuzz tone of them all. Information technology is also slightly more than compressed than most models, which can exist tricky on already compressed amps but on the correct amp, you lot'll go a very smoothen and well balanced graphic symbol. Encounter my full review of the Overdriver here.
Bedroom setups: 6/10
Gilmour tones: ObC, DSotM, WYWH, Animals, DG 78, Wall, FC
Gilmourish.Com score: 8/10

Throbak Overdriveboost

The Overdriveboost was one of the first Powerbooster clones to hit the market and it's even so one of the best. Of all the clones listed here, this one has the most headroom, with an almost twangy grapheme. The pedal is packed with modernistic features, including a germanium gain stage and pre-gain. Use information technology every bit a stand up lonely overdrive pedal or as a clean booster to add life and character to your amp and pedals. See my full review of the Overdriveboost here.
Sleeping accommodation setups: 8/x
Gilmour tones: ObC, DSotM, WYWH, Animals, DG 78, Wall, FC
Gilmourish.Com score: nine/10

Effectrode Fire Bottle tube booster

This is not a booster in the traditional sense but rather a tool for maintaing the pure signal from your pickups and enhancing the tone from your tube amp – much like plugging your guitar straight into a tube amp. A mini toggle switch allows three unlike frequency stages – flat for clean heave and two with a high frequency roll off making single coils audio closer to P90s and humbuckers. The Fire Bootle is an incredibly dynamic pedal that can make your guitar and amp sound similar a one thousand thousand bucks and bring out nuances in your tone and playing that you thought never were there. If you're looking for a booster for your Muff, then look elsewhere. If y'all desire a powerful tool that will probaly alter your conception of tone then this is it. See my full review of the Fire Canteen hither.
Bedroom setups: ten/10
Gilmour tones: suitable for whatsoever tone
Gilmourish.Com score: 10/x

TopTone Shine Boost
Clean volume boosters doesn’t do much for your tone other than, obviously, boost the volume, which is what you lot often want for a solo but as important is mid range. A scooped tone can drown completely and boosting the book doesn’t aid. Add a mids boost and your guitar will cutting through the mix like a sharp knife. The Shine Boost offer both. A crystal clean volume heave and, by the film of the switch, book boost and mids boost like to the EP booster. This pedal is an awesome tool for adding life to your amp and for boosting fuzz and Large Muffs, that often has a scooped character.
Bedroom setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: suitable for whatsoever tone
Gilmourish.Com score: 10/10

Custom Pedal Boards Mini Commuter
The Mini Driver is a versatile booster featuring controls for volume and gain. Use it every bit a transparent volume booster or, add together a chip of dirt for tube-like pinch and grit much like the EP preamp. The Mini Driver tin either be used to boost other pedals, drive your tube amp or every bit a stand alone mild overdrive. Excellent culling to the Colorsound Powerboost or for simply calculation a fleck of life and sparkle to your tones.
Bedroom setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: all eras
Gilmourish.com score: 10/10

BK Butler Tube Driver

The Tube Driver has a classic Marshall graphic symbol, similar to the JTM and JCM. The tube makes a huge difference compared to near other overdrives, adding a unique warmth, pinch and dynamics. Similar the Powerboost, this i demands a loud tube amp. Non a lot of headroom, although lower gain settings allows a nice, crunchy clean boost. The electric current 2006 model also has a bit more meridian and gain, compared to older models, such as the Chandler. Using unlike tubes, like a 12AU7, tin modify the gain structure dramatically and add lots more headroom and warmth.
Bedroom setups: half-dozen/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: eight/10

Buffalo FX TD-X
The TD-Ten from Buffalo FX is an attempt at recreating the tone of the Tube Driver, without a tube and with a few modest tweaks to make it more amp friendly. The Tube Driver can often audio a tad fizzy in the meridian end and flabby in the lows but the TD-X sounds perfectly balanced and the top cease in particular, sound smooth and nicely rounded off for an overall warmer and more dynamic graphic symbol. Similar the Tube Driver, the TD-Ten has a nice headroom and plenty of gain, when you crank it up. To me, the TD-X sounds much smoother and mayhap more linear when you set up it up for distortion tones, which makes it more versatile for most setups. Highly recommended for David Gilmour’due south Tube Driver tones and both stage and bedroom setups. See my total review of the Buffalo FX TD-Ten here.
Bedchamber setups: ten/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/Pulse/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: 10/10

Electro Harmonix Crayon
The Crayon is a versatile full range overdrive very like to the Tube Driver. Like the Tube Driver, the Crayon can deliver annihilation from clean boost to tube-like overdrive and distortion and its 2 EQ controls allow you to shape the tone to any amp. The Crayon can also be tweaked for more than vintage tones similar to the Colorsound Powerboost that David Gilmour used during the mid 70s. Dont’ get fooled by the two designs. The circuits are identical!
Bedroom setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Fragile/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.com score: viii/10

Having trouble using the Tube Driver with your sleeping room setup? Try Eric Johnson’southward settings! The agile tone controls makes the Tube Driver very brilliant and aggressive, merely roll them all the fashion downwards, like Eric does, and increase the gain for aTube Screamer-ish overdrive with lots of pinch and midrange!

Wampler Plexidrive

As the name implies, the PlexiDrive is based on the archetype Marshall JTM45. It has a transparent, bright tone with lots of tube-like pinch and warmth and a gain character ranging from clean boost to distortion. What I like about this pedal is that the more you increase the gain and tone, the more compressed it gets, which means that it will never get thin and fizzy. An excellent alternative to the like sounding Tube Commuter, particularly for bedroom setups.
Bedchamber setups: ten/10
Gilmour tones: Frail/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: 10/10

Dominate BD-ii Blues Driver

Capable of producing annihilation from clean boost to near fuzz, the BD2 is an incredibly versatile pedal that works every bit well with larger amps as with typical bedroom setups. It’s transparent, mids scooped tone and fatty lower stop makes it a great culling for the Colorsound Powerboost and BK Tube Driver. I strongly recommend the Robert Keeley modified version for a smoother and warmer tone.
Bedroom setups: 9/ten
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: nine/10

Overdrives

David has always relied on vintage style transparent boosters and overdrives or the occasional amp gain just for a more than versatile setup and for your bedroom rig, you might want overdrives with a bit more mid range and warmth.

Ibanez TS9/Maxon OD 808

The original Tube Screamers. Nothing really beats these two in terms of shine, flossy overdrive and endless sustain. Not everyone appreciates the lack of lower terminate and gain but you can’t find a more versatile and easy to ready overdrive than these ii. Of all the different Ibanez and Maxon models, the TS9 and OD808 are the all-time sounding. Check out some of the many clones available also, similar the MJM Phantom Overdrive and Style Huge Green Rhino for a fleck more lower end and proceeds, as well as a few more features.
Bedroom setups: 10/x
Gilmour tones: Frail/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: 8/ten

Buffalo FX Carrera
While the TD-X is based on that classic Tube Driver pedal, with a typical tube amp graphic symbol similar to the early Marshall plexi models, the outcome for some is that there isn’t enough mid range for the pedal to cut through properly. At least not with the typical Gilmour settings. The Carrera address that and offer the same tube amp tones and character, with more mid range and compression. This pedal is extremely responsive and dynamic and ideal for bedroom setups and scooped amps. See my full review of the Carrera here.
Bedroom setups: 10/x
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.com score: 9/10

Vick Sound Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is based on 2 classic overdrive pedals, the OCD and Zendrive. Both are more or less based on the elusive Dumble amp, which had an enormous amount of mid range. The Tree of Life blends both pedals perfectly together, creating a versatile mix of low end, mid range, headroom and gain. You tin hands apply this pedal for beefing up a boring make clean tone, boosting other pedals or as a dedicated overdrive or distortion. The high amount of mid range makes it fit almost any amp and bedchamber setup. It works particularly well for David’s Pulse and current tones only it can easily cover pretty much the whole span from the earliest days upwards until today. See my full review of the Vick Audio Tree of Life hither.
Sleeping accommodation setups: x/10
Gilmour tones: Fragile/Pulse/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: ten/10

Lovepedal Dover Drive
Based on the Tube Driver, the Dover Bulldoze is teaked towards Eric Johnson's tones, with a pronounced mid range, rolled off low end and endless sustain. Non an obvious Gilmour pedal perhaps just the Dover Bulldoze easily covers all of David's recent overdrive tones, from Segmentation Bong to present. Information technology's impossible to dial in useless or harsh tones with this one. It's merely creamy sweetness all the way and personally, this is my new get-to overdrive for recording sessions. See my full review of the Dover Bulldoze hither.
Bedroom setups: 10/x
Gilmour tones: PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: 7/x

EHX Soul Food
The Soul Food is EHX's take on the legendary, and ridiculously overpriced, Klon Centaur overdrive. Like the original, the Soul Nutrient provides a wide range of tones, from fat, transparent cleans to creamy overdrive saturated with warm mid range. It can sound a bit boxy and dull on its own but it cuts nicely through a dumbo ring mix and pairing with a cranked amp will produce the sweetest sustain. An splendid pick for whatever amp and sleeping accommodation setups in particular.
Sleeping room setups: x/ten
Gilmour tones: PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: ix/10

Fulltone OCD

The OCD is basically a hot wired beefed up Tube Screamer with the typical mid range heave and dark, creamy overdrive. The pedal has lots more gain and lower stop though, which makes it work simply as practiced as a distortion with a RAT-ish tone. A toggle switch allows you to add a scrap more top finish and presence, taking the pedal towards a Tube Driver. An incredibly versatile overdrive and swell alternative for David’south 90’s and nowadays overdrive tones on chamber setups.
Bedroom setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: ix/ten

Electro Harmonix Glove
An first-class version of the popular and versatile Fulltone OCD. The Glove offer the same huge tones, with a distinct tube-similar character, fat lows and a smooth mid range that will match any amp. The Glove has enough gain on tap to serve either as an overdrive or distortion and it’s an fantabulous alternative to David’s more contempo Tube Driver tones.
Bedroom setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Fragile/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.com score: 8/10

SviSound OverZoid
SviSound creates some stunning looking pedals and the OverZoid sounds as good as it looks. It’s difficult to compare this one to anything that’southward out at that place but think of a mix between an Klon, OCD and Rat and you’re pretty much there. There’s tons of mid range and gain here, so don’t expect any lush cleans, merely the harmonics and sustain this pedal is producing is hard to beat. Highly recommended for sleeping room setups and mids scooped Fender and Vox amps in particular. Encounter my full review of the SviSound OverZoid here.
Bedroom setups: x/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/Pulse/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: eight/10

Strymon Deco
Perhaps an odd selection for your Gilmour tones but this pedal has so much to offer. The Deco replicates the compression, saturation and overdrive you lot would get from plugging your guitar into those onetime tape machines. Either as a stand alone overdrive or as a booster, the Deco provides super smoothen tones from clean to moderate overdrive, nicely compressed and with enoygh depression cease. Like those old tape machines, the Deco also offering amazing sounding flanger, chorus and delay. Highly recommended for boosting and David’south more than recent Tube Driver tones. See my review of the Deco here.
Bedroom setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Fragile/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.com score: 10/10

Baloney

Although David ever favoured the vintage fuzz and Muffs, he did utilize a RAT in the 80s and 90s for some of the songs. His 1989-90 setup also featured a Tube Screamer. It’due south also worth noting that the Cornish G2 featured on the 2006 bout has a similar tone as the RAT. Depending on your amp, in most cases you’re probably better off with a category ii distortion (more than mid range and compression) for your bedroom setup.

ProCo Rat

Naught beats the RAT when it comes to classic distortion. This has always been my go to pedal and it works perfectly on any setup for whatsoever genre. The tone ranges from warmth overdrive to flossy tube-similar distortion to screaming fuzz. It has a pronounced mid range and all the sustain in the world. There are many clones on the market, with different modifications, but the onetime blackness box keeps up with most of them.
Bedroom setups: x/x
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
Gilmourish.Com score: 8/10

Arc Effects Soothsayer
Since its introduction in the tardily 70s, the RAT has been i of the nigh versatile distortions on the market place, with it’due south smoothen character and sugariness sustain. The Soothsayer is based on the one-time classic and the LM308 chip and in addition to covering the original tone, you lot can also switch betwixt dissimilar clipping modes. The RAT tin announced a bit boxy and lack low end but the Soothsayer has a much more than open tone and nicely counterbalanced lows. Definitely one of the better RAT clones out there and a great option for typical sleeping accommodation setups. Come across my full review of the Soothsayer here.
Chamber setups: ten/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
Gilmourish.Com score: 9/10

CostaLab Dirty Affections
The Dirty Affections is based on the classic Rat excursion, with lots of gain, compression and mid range. In addition to the familiar controls, the Bad Angel feature a heave switch for a 2d proceeds stage, allowing more of pretty much everything on solos and heavier parts. Compared to the Rat, the Bad Angel has more depression end and more of that tube amp-like graphic symbol, with more compression kick in at higher gain settings. At lower proceeds settings, the pedal also doubles nicely as a warm overdrive. Excellent alternative to the Rat and similar clones and specially recommended for smaller sized bedchamber setups and scooped amps. Meet my full review of the Bad Affections here.
Bedroom setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/Pulse/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: 9/10

Buffalo Evolution
Although David Gilmour is perhaps mostly associated with the Big Muff, he also use distortions like the RAT and Pete Cornish G2. These have more mid range and an overall more saturated character. The Evolution is based on the G2, with much of the same grapheme but Buffalo FX has addressed some of the issues as well, like designing a more linear proceeds stage and an overall warmer sounding grapheme. The result is an incredibly versatile distortion, with a tube amp similar tone, sweet singing sustain and a very low noise level. See my total review of the Evolution here.
Chamber setups: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: x/ten

TopTone DG2

The DG-two is loosely based on the Pete Cornish G2. Not actually a Large Muff simply closer to the classic RAT with a warm, flossy germanium tone and tons of sustain. Compared to the Cornish, the DG2 is really noticeably quieter and even a bit smoother. An excellent option for a versatile setup and for bedchamber setups. Run into my full review of the DG2 here.
Bedroom setups: 9/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: 9/10

Vick Sound Five-2
The V-2 taps into the Cornish G2 territory simply unlike the TopTone G2 and Buffalo FX Evolution, the V-ii sounds closer to a Muff, rather than a Muffish Marshall. There’s lots of gain, mids and low end hither but what sets information technology apart, is less compression and more harmonics. The Five-2 tin easily cover David’s more than current pb tones, produced by the Cornish G2 but besides double equally a Muff and even a fuzz, with some tweaking. The V-2 sounds best alone, without a booster, and works as well on smaller bedroom amps and bigger stage rigs. Run into my full review of the Vick Audio V-ii here.
Chamber setups: ten/10
Gilmour tones: Frail/Pulse/Gdansk/Rattle
Gilmourish.Com score: 8/10

Experience free to use the comments field below and share your experience, recommendations and tips!

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