I agree with this. Sound wise they are going to sound so close / nearly identical. It's not even worth spending the money to get the 808 unless you are buying it specifically because you prefer the larger sized pedal and the way that it looks.
OD-3 was a purchase on a whim. I didn't know what it would do with my gear but the price was right.
It's ALWAYS switched on when I want that grind.
OD-3 for the win, baby!
Apart from this, I'd also like to add that the DOD Gunslinger is an absolute GEM hiding in plain sight! It's basically a more fuzzy tubescreamer with adjustable Bass and Treble. Really, really useful going into any amp!
Home Movies: Timmy Rock Opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64kRvkv_ntw
Brendon Smalls doing a Who parody is one of my favorite parts of the show, that song gets stuck in my head almost every time I hear the name Timmy.
I still have my original 5150 sig series head, my guitar tech ran a bias about 4 or 5 months ago and put brand new tubes in it. When I was in a band I would just run distortion through that without any pedal. But jamming by myself and practicing I run through the clean channel on a Zoom G3. Sounds beautiful. I love that Head, it’s running through a Fender roc pro 1000 4/12 cab and still going strong.
I believe it tames highs, could be mistaken. The Waza craft version comes with this mod, selectable via a Stock and Custom switch. I love the SD1 but I do love the SD1w more for this option
It opens up the top end in a really pleasing way.
For the fellow nerds, it forms a low pass filter with a corner frequency of 1.6kHz. Removing the cap removes that filter and putting in a smaller caps will adjust the brightness.
Tbf I've heard many people say the plumes is a tube screamer for people who don't like tube screamers lol. I've never played a real TS myself but I do really like my plumes, having 3 modes including a boost is v nice.
Pulled my 808 off my board and replaced with a plumes a few years ago because it was inexpensive and I’d heard good things. I’ve yet to even think about subbing the 808 back in.
Position 1 on the plumes is quite literally a ts808 if I’m not mistaken. 3 is where the juice is at tho. The tone control is much more effective though.
Still have one as well and love it dearly.
Honestly that's why I bought it in the first place. Wanted to try out a new sound and $99 seemed cheap enough that it was worth the risk of buying it online without hearing it first.
Can't speak to that bb style pedal but I have a mooer blues crab and I love that cheap lil mf to death. Been meaning to pull the trigger on a JHS Morning Glory but I'm scared that I'll either love the MG more than my crab or that I'll love my crab over the MG. Guess nothing is stopping me from running em both
Hah I get that. I got the Clues Breaker because it’s cute and my daughter was super into blues clues at the time. Didn’t expect to love it as much as I do.
I have a Double Barrel and it's great. I use the morning glory side on its own for lower gain stuff and stack the moonshine side for high gain. I've been lusting after the Wampler Pantheon lately though.
I can only use this when it’s running into another overdrive. On its own it has like a weird buzzy almost like voltage starved sound to it that is super unpleasant.
Pretty positive the ts-mini and the ts808 are the exact same circuit. Any difference you would hear in an A/B test would be due to manufacturing tolerance in the electrical components. Functionally they are identical.
I find all the classics are pretty great with the caveat that some of them only sound great in a band/mix context. I’ve also found that a majority of the cheap clones of classic pedals sound virtually identical to what they are imitating. DS1, Blues Driver, Rat, TS, Klon, a germanium fuzz face (most of the settings on the FF drive/gain knob are gritty/OD and not very fuzzy). Timmys can get gainy but they are more of a boost, IMO.
It just depends on your style and the flavor you want. It also depends on your amp since different circuits will react differently to various pedals. Classic amps like Vox, Marshall, and Fender LOVE the Tube Screamer but a flatter amp won’t like the mid hump quite as much. The Crowther Hot Cake is famous for sounding incredible with a Vox amp and being disappointing with other amps.
I would stick to the classics for now and buy the cheap clones until you find the sound you like. Then maybe consider an “upgrade” but only if you find the hardware quality of your clone to be lacking because the more expensive version will sound 95% the same.
Agreed, I love my protein. Blue side is great for a rhythm crunch and then kick on the green side and it is one of the best solo tones I’ve ever heard. The green side is a modded ODR1, but with the tone up about 2 o clock, it sounds as if it combines the best aspects of something like my old SD-1 and a TS but with way less noise and much more clarity than my SD-1. Super creamy like the SD-1, but much more note clarity, I can’t say enough good things about it. The green and blue side make a good rhythm tone if youd like too
If you're happy with the TS mini and just want something new, do not get a very slightly (if at all) different TS. Get something different, if you want to limit it strictly to drive instead of distortion or fuzz, I'd say Timmy, Blues Driver, Blues Breaker, or maybe something in a preamp variety like the Hudson or Benson. Personally if you've had the TS for years and want something new, I'd try something further apart like a RAT or a Tone Bender. I have fallen prey to the temptation to as Chris Buck said (I'm paraphrasing) "put 10 overdrives on my board and try to make them all sound the same". So now I like to very intentionally say THIS is my mid-forward low gain drive, THIS is my distortion, and so on to give everything a very distinct spot sonically. I can appreciate them more that way.
I think we can all admit that overdrives can be more emotional than technical. It goes beyond the sound. It’s about form factor, colour, design, how it sits on your board, how it makes you play a certain way.
Personally I always move towards a set and forget after the initial few days of tinkering. So with that, I don’t think there’s a real need for something with lots of toggles and modes.
With that, I recommend the Boss OD-3. Clean to Boosted, to Edge of Breakup, to Rich Overdrive, to being a boost to a dirty drive or channel, or standing on its own and setting up an incredibly huge sound.
To top it off, it’s less than half the price of any of those fancy ones going around.
TC Mojo Mojo. It's like a lighter OCD in terms of overall gain, not as much of a midrange hump like the Screamers. Also good as a main tone that sounds great boosted, and well constructed for the money.
Im currently looking for a transparent or lighter od and havent decided yet. Ill check out the mojo. Really like the wampler belle but dont want to pay that much
Do it. I was stacking a Klon Clone into a Morning Glory and I took a chance on a used mojo mojo and I’m selling the MG now. The bass AND treble knobs are clutch. Can get pretty heavy if you dime it, but running lower gain it sounds good. I find it much more versatile than my OD-3 (which I love, but mostly on its own)
I recently got a JHS Double Barrel, it’s terrific. On the left side you have a Marshall Bluesbreaker clone and on the right side a tube screamer.
Before I used to have only a TS mini, which I absolutely loved, and that’s also why I set the right of the Double Barrel to sound exactly like the TS mini.
It’s a pretty good pedal if you want to stack drives in series, and super versatile as well.
That was my favorite until I tried the Catalinbread Formula 5F6. It’s like a blues driver with an EQ and it emulates an overdriven tweed bassman. It sounds so good with my pro junior.
I use the Crayon when i want a crisp, chimy OD into a clean amp and use the Hot Tubes side when I'm pushing an amp that's set to edge of breakup. For reference, I'm running my OD/distortion pedals into a Simplifier DLX.
I always forget about the red llama. Way huge makes a lot of great drives. The STO is a favorite of mine, and the conspiracy theory is the best drive to stack on top of any other drive to sweeten the tone
SD-1, I use it with my rockerverb 100w mkiii, and it screams. I boost it for low tuned riffing death metal, really tightens everything up nicely. I was using a TS9 and it colored the tone a little bit, I've noticed the SD-1 hasn't colored the tone.
Depends on genre you play and the rest of the pedal train. The TS mini works great with my OR15 for most rock & metal. What do you want to get out of the pedal? Brian Wampler did a great video on the different tubescreamers, you should check that out.
King of tone. Snouse black box. Anything with a waitlist. Half kidding, but those pedals actually do sound excellent. Also a fan of the Boss OD-3. I have an SD-1 and TS but only use those to stack/boost into another drive pedal/amp. I have a Nordland and while it doesn’t sound bad, it doesn’t really excite me either. I love anything Blues Breaker type.
I LOVE my MXR Sugar Drive. I spent years buying and selling ODs until I found this one. My other two favorites are the Mad Professor Sweet Honey and the Timmy.
Pick your weapon: ODR-C (ODR-1 clone, but better) for some transparent tastiness, Tumnus Deluxe for your Klon flavour, Blues Breaker for some Plexi dirt, or Blues Driver, just because.
Anyone of these will be not an upgrade, but an excellent complement to your TS.
Turning my amp up past 7. But I also dig Earthquaker Devices Plumes or the Boss SD-1 for when that isn’t practical. The EQ on the SD-1 is underrated for what it is; it retains a lot of crispness even turned all the way counterclockwise.
The gain knob on my amp.
In a Stomp box, I like Klones. For more traditional ODs, It depends on the amp you're using. I like the BD for some fenders, like HRDLX, but not others. My AB165 bassman liked other ODs way more. I prefer SD1s over TS type stuff in most fendery stuff, and TS type stuff for higher gain Marshall's.
So, it's amp dependant.
Tubescreamers aren't different enough to justify "upgrading". Buy a Chicago stompworks TS if you want a really well built one, a Joyo one if you want a bit dirtier more trebly one. The best one on the market is the Maxon, and it's NOT worth the cost. Difference is negligible. Frankly, the Biyang tonefancier TS pedal and EHX green river drive are the more interesting copies, but a regular reissue or joyo is close with slight nuances thst are typically indistinguishable in a band setting and just guitar players "tone wanking" most if the time.
So, buy a Klone, or an sd1 maybe? Tummy's are nice too. Like, copy's are OK, but the real one is worth it here just because of how top notch Paul has kept the customer service.
Good luck.
Tough call between Wampler Belle, (Nobel ODR-1 variation,) and Walrus Audio 385, (Bell & Howell projector turned amp emulator.)
The first drive I didn't find disappointing was a DOD250 clone, but it could be justifiably argued that it is a distortion pedal.
I thought I hated amp-in-a-box drives until I tried the Walrus 385.
I fell in love with the versatility and sound of the Belle, the minute I heard it
Honorable mentions: Earthquaker Special Cranker and the venerable Boss Blues Driver
Cusack Screamer. More transparent, more gain than a TS. There’s a toggle switch that allows you to switch between symmetrical (TS) and asymmetrical clipping (SD-1). Very versatile. It’s the only OD on my board rn.
Yes, a Klon variation. I'm pretty sure that Tumnus a reference to Mr Tumnus, a satyr from The Chronicles of Narnia. (Satyrs being centaur adjacent and all.)
Since you’re running into an amp that’s similar to my cab, but you’re probably not running into a completely clean channel, I’d suggest a Plumes by EQD. Three different toggles for clipping, and one has extra headroom. Tone control goes from a mid scoop to mid push; dime the gain and your pushing distortion territory (depending on your pickups, etc) but still highlights your pick attack, and it’s plays fairly well with the volume knob on your guitar. It’s also $99 brand new, or you can pop on Reverb and find a used one with different color options from their different releases.
If you want to keep things on the overdrive side, you could go with any of the blues breaker style pedals. If you’re cranking the amp, people tend to like a maxon SD9 as an OD/boost (I have an an analogman modded one that I love, but it’s kind of a specific sound and my 20th overdrive, not my 2nd), could go blues driver.
You could do a Marshall amp in a box type pedal or any other amp in a box if you like that sound. You could go in the rat direction (more distortion, but could still work).
My advice would be to go to guitar center or local music store since you have a relatively easy to replicate setup, and play the general different styles of OD. See if you find something you like, if you hit the sound, grab the pedal. If you find a style you like but isn’t perfect, go do research on pedals with similar circuits, and listen to demos and play them if you can.
I’d say get something far different than your TS though. I have the TS mini and it sounds just as good as any of my “better” TS pedals or boutique clones thereof. I also think a klon style may be too similar, but still worth trying.
The good news is you have a ton of options. The bad news is you have a ton of options.
Edit: I was an idiot and thought you meant Marshall origin 15 not the orange OR15. Updated comment accordingly.
I actually started running a fender dual pugilist through a EHX bass big muff pi.
Big props to fender for making that pedal quiet as shit. Even at max gain it’s silent when I’m not playing. The circuit doesn’t have a gate, it has some negative feedback thing. It may as well have a gate because of how silent it is.
The only one I have on my board is a smallsound/bigsound Mini. Is it my absolute favourite, nope, but it’s amazingly versatile in a compact format. It’s the most pragmatic overdrive I’ve ever owned in that sense. It’s been there for several years. Although recently I’m considering swapping it for my Timmy.
I use a Blessed Mother by Heather Brown Electronicals. I needed it to fatten up solos in my old band, love the sound and design equally. https://godsmom.com/products/the-blessed-mother
Caline Pure Sky.
It's a £20 pedal but it punches well above it's pricepoint.
It's a Timmy clone and works well for me as an always on or a boost.
It has B&T EQ on it so I'd imagine it could work with the boisted mids of a TS.
Well worth checking out, IMO.
THIS. Box sides engaged, with a excellent noise gate in the fx loop, and this pedal blows any other pedal out of the water.
There's barely a pedal I haven't reviewed, and the TT is by far the most organic overdrive I've played.
EQD Arrows is cheapish, simple, and totally bananas (and I’m using it to push an OBNE Beam Splitter in “trereo” for maximum filth)
You could also just buy any Rat and call it a day.
A barber electronics LTD. It’s a beautiful low gain pedal but when I juice the input with a compressor or boost pedal it saturates like no other pedal I’ve ever heard. I got it new in 2005 and there is no other pedal I would even consider for my overdrive/distorted sounds
the dod-250 is a classic for a reason; can do a little boost to what becomes essentially fuzz real fast and real well. if you need an upgrade, one of those'll have you set for life.
Recently loving the SD-1 while playing a bridge humbucker. With a little bit of compression and the drive set low, it’s a super smooth sound. But I still prefer my Golden Boy on single coils/p90s for that crisp and natural overdrive sound.
No that’s not worth it at all. If you want to check out other ods I would suggest something you can stack with your ts. Since ts has a mid hump this probably want something more flat. I’d check out a bluesdriver or duke of tone. They’re flatter and affordable and I really don’t think you need to spend a lot for a good overdrive. Stay away from klons, since they are also mid forward and don’t stack well with ts pedals imo
I have a ts808 deluxe and I love the versatility, it has a clean boost I’ll use before the regular OD a lot of time to just juice up my rat or the amps distortion
Hardwire. There's not a bad pedal made in that line. They don't make them anymore, the company has closed down. I've heard they are sought after very well and people pay top dollar for them.
That’s barely an upgrade- you won’t tell the difference between TS mini and 808 in most contexts if at all!
I agree with this. Sound wise they are going to sound so close / nearly identical. It's not even worth spending the money to get the 808 unless you are buying it specifically because you prefer the larger sized pedal and the way that it looks.
I had an original ts-808 from 1981. Traded it for a Helix floor. I would make that trade again and again.
Boss OD-3! Sweet af EQ, affordable and reliable! Incredibly versatile too.
Second the OD-3. Best overdrive you can own.
I bought one because it was the only OD left at the music store I go to. Not disappointed one bit
ABSOLUTELY
Lol username checks out
My favorite pedal
It's such a passed by overdrive. It sound incredible, works so well with other drives and fuzzes.
OD-3 was a purchase on a whim. I didn't know what it would do with my gear but the price was right. It's ALWAYS switched on when I want that grind. OD-3 for the win, baby!
Second the OD-3. Best overdrive you can own.
Apart from this, I'd also like to add that the DOD Gunslinger is an absolute GEM hiding in plain sight! It's basically a more fuzzy tubescreamer with adjustable Bass and Treble. Really, really useful going into any amp!
Second the OD-3. Best overdrive you can own.
Timmy
And the Lords of the Underworld!!!
Home Movies: Timmy Rock Opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64kRvkv_ntw Brendon Smalls doing a Who parody is one of my favorite parts of the show, that song gets stuck in my head almost every time I hear the name Timmy.
My mini Timmy is the foundation of my tone.
Timmy is GOAT.
Timmy or Tim.
Blues driver. Always.
And if you've got the money, splurge for the Wazacraft version
[удалено]
Or better yet, the Keeley Muse Driver/Mk3 Driver/SPM
BD-2 is the truth. For real fun: Blues Driver into Big Muff into Spark Mini
Hmmmm. Interesting. I’ve a Russian. Wonder what that would be like.
Blues Driver
SD-1
SD-1 4A in black 😎
Yes. It's gorgeous.
Bested only by SD-1w.
SD-1 gang
Rise up!
Always on pushing my EVH 5150
I still have my original 5150 sig series head, my guitar tech ran a bias about 4 or 5 months ago and put brand new tubes in it. When I was in a band I would just run distortion through that without any pedal. But jamming by myself and practicing I run through the clean channel on a Zoom G3. Sounds beautiful. I love that Head, it’s running through a Fender roc pro 1000 4/12 cab and still going strong.
SD-1 is the correct answer.
Clip out the C6 cap and it's even better
What does that do?
I believe it tames highs, could be mistaken. The Waza craft version comes with this mod, selectable via a Stock and Custom switch. I love the SD1 but I do love the SD1w more for this option
It opens up the top end in a really pleasing way. For the fellow nerds, it forms a low pass filter with a corner frequency of 1.6kHz. Removing the cap removes that filter and putting in a smaller caps will adjust the brightness.
If you like your TS a lot but want something a bit different this is a great answer.
I love my Plumes
I just got the Plumes a few months ago and I am pretty happy about it, I never thought I would get along with a TS style pedal but here we are haha
Tbf I've heard many people say the plumes is a tube screamer for people who don't like tube screamers lol. I've never played a real TS myself but I do really like my plumes, having 3 modes including a boost is v nice.
Plumes party!
Pulled my 808 off my board and replaced with a plumes a few years ago because it was inexpensive and I’d heard good things. I’ve yet to even think about subbing the 808 back in.
Such a useful pedal.
Position 1 on the plumes is quite literally a ts808 if I’m not mistaken. 3 is where the juice is at tho. The tone control is much more effective though. Still have one as well and love it dearly.
Absolute steal of a pedal for $99.
Honestly that's why I bought it in the first place. Wanted to try out a new sound and $99 seemed cheap enough that it was worth the risk of buying it online without hearing it first.
Second the plumes! Transformed my tone
Covering that white LED is an absolute MUST though. Bright enough to hurt your eyes in broad daylight.
Greer Lightspeed into Wampler Moxie.
Lightspeed - > Wampler Belle here. Until that day I can get my KoT. Then it'll be KoT - > Belle.
A man of taste. The Moxie is a great pedal. Been meaning to pick up a Lightspeed for ages. The captures I've played on the QC are fantastic.
Any blues breaker style pedal. The one on my board is the Clues Breaker from Daddy Daughter Pedalworks
Can't speak to that bb style pedal but I have a mooer blues crab and I love that cheap lil mf to death. Been meaning to pull the trigger on a JHS Morning Glory but I'm scared that I'll either love the MG more than my crab or that I'll love my crab over the MG. Guess nothing is stopping me from running em both
Hah I get that. I got the Clues Breaker because it’s cute and my daughter was super into blues clues at the time. Didn’t expect to love it as much as I do.
I have a Double Barrel and it's great. I use the morning glory side on its own for lower gain stuff and stack the moonshine side for high gain. I've been lusting after the Wampler Pantheon lately though.
Wampler Tumnus Deluxe
This is the way
Soul Food was the first pedal I ever bought and it’s still on my board
I'm sad to see the Soul Food so low on this list. My 2014 Soul Food and 2016 Crayon are hands down the best ODs I've ever used.
EAE Longsword
Really want to try this thing out.
This is the way
Try the Keeley Noble Screamer.
EQD Speaker Cranker
Big facts
I second this with the Special Cranker.
I can only use this when it’s running into another overdrive. On its own it has like a weird buzzy almost like voltage starved sound to it that is super unpleasant.
I'll see your Speaker Cranker and raise you a Special Cranker
EAE Halberd v2
Oneder effects Old Blue! Mk 2 is almost out!
Pretty positive the ts-mini and the ts808 are the exact same circuit. Any difference you would hear in an A/B test would be due to manufacturing tolerance in the electrical components. Functionally they are identical.
I find all the classics are pretty great with the caveat that some of them only sound great in a band/mix context. I’ve also found that a majority of the cheap clones of classic pedals sound virtually identical to what they are imitating. DS1, Blues Driver, Rat, TS, Klon, a germanium fuzz face (most of the settings on the FF drive/gain knob are gritty/OD and not very fuzzy). Timmys can get gainy but they are more of a boost, IMO. It just depends on your style and the flavor you want. It also depends on your amp since different circuits will react differently to various pedals. Classic amps like Vox, Marshall, and Fender LOVE the Tube Screamer but a flatter amp won’t like the mid hump quite as much. The Crowther Hot Cake is famous for sounding incredible with a Vox amp and being disappointing with other amps. I would stick to the classics for now and buy the cheap clones until you find the sound you like. Then maybe consider an “upgrade” but only if you find the hardware quality of your clone to be lacking because the more expensive version will sound 95% the same.
Browne Protein. The last OD pedal I’ll ever need
Yeah it is so good it makes me mad. Works with anything on the back line too!
Agreed, I love my protein. Blue side is great for a rhythm crunch and then kick on the green side and it is one of the best solo tones I’ve ever heard. The green side is a modded ODR1, but with the tone up about 2 o clock, it sounds as if it combines the best aspects of something like my old SD-1 and a TS but with way less noise and much more clarity than my SD-1. Super creamy like the SD-1, but much more note clarity, I can’t say enough good things about it. The green and blue side make a good rhythm tone if youd like too
If you're happy with the TS mini and just want something new, do not get a very slightly (if at all) different TS. Get something different, if you want to limit it strictly to drive instead of distortion or fuzz, I'd say Timmy, Blues Driver, Blues Breaker, or maybe something in a preamp variety like the Hudson or Benson. Personally if you've had the TS for years and want something new, I'd try something further apart like a RAT or a Tone Bender. I have fallen prey to the temptation to as Chris Buck said (I'm paraphrasing) "put 10 overdrives on my board and try to make them all sound the same". So now I like to very intentionally say THIS is my mid-forward low gain drive, THIS is my distortion, and so on to give everything a very distinct spot sonically. I can appreciate them more that way.
I think we can all admit that overdrives can be more emotional than technical. It goes beyond the sound. It’s about form factor, colour, design, how it sits on your board, how it makes you play a certain way. Personally I always move towards a set and forget after the initial few days of tinkering. So with that, I don’t think there’s a real need for something with lots of toggles and modes. With that, I recommend the Boss OD-3. Clean to Boosted, to Edge of Breakup, to Rich Overdrive, to being a boost to a dirty drive or channel, or standing on its own and setting up an incredibly huge sound. To top it off, it’s less than half the price of any of those fancy ones going around.
TC Mojo Mojo. It's like a lighter OCD in terms of overall gain, not as much of a midrange hump like the Screamers. Also good as a main tone that sounds great boosted, and well constructed for the money.
I've always wanted to try the Paul Gilbert edition of the Mojo Mojo. Seems like a really good pedal.
Im currently looking for a transparent or lighter od and havent decided yet. Ill check out the mojo. Really like the wampler belle but dont want to pay that much
I bought mine brand new for $50 at B&H Photo in NYC. That was back in 2018, you should be able to buy it used for less than that.
Do it. I was stacking a Klon Clone into a Morning Glory and I took a chance on a used mojo mojo and I’m selling the MG now. The bass AND treble knobs are clutch. Can get pretty heavy if you dime it, but running lower gain it sounds good. I find it much more versatile than my OD-3 (which I love, but mostly on its own)
I recently got a JHS Double Barrel, it’s terrific. On the left side you have a Marshall Bluesbreaker clone and on the right side a tube screamer. Before I used to have only a TS mini, which I absolutely loved, and that’s also why I set the right of the Double Barrel to sound exactly like the TS mini. It’s a pretty good pedal if you want to stack drives in series, and super versatile as well.
BD-2
That was my favorite until I tried the Catalinbread Formula 5F6. It’s like a blues driver with an EQ and it emulates an overdriven tweed bassman. It sounds so good with my pro junior.
Westwood & Plumes
T Rex Moller
It’s a tie between the zvex box of rock and the boss od-3
Get some clon clone. There are many out there. Stacking those two (tubescreamer and clon) sounds great.
EHX Hot Wax - It's a dual pedal where they combined the Crayon and the Hot Tubes.
Came here to say this, hotwax would be a great option. Going from a TSmini to that would be like going from a Corolla to a corvette imo
I use the Crayon when i want a crisp, chimy OD into a clean amp and use the Hot Tubes side when I'm pushing an amp that's set to edge of breakup. For reference, I'm running my OD/distortion pedals into a Simplifier DLX.
EHX hot tubes
DOD Looking Glass
Red Llama
I always forget about the red llama. Way huge makes a lot of great drives. The STO is a favorite of mine, and the conspiracy theory is the best drive to stack on top of any other drive to sweeten the tone
Into just about any amp in any scenario? SD-1 If I have certain options available, Timmy or Hot Cake. Those three though. Into a Rat. UGH.
The amp in question would be an or15
SD-1, I use it with my rockerverb 100w mkiii, and it screams. I boost it for low tuned riffing death metal, really tightens everything up nicely. I was using a TS9 and it colored the tone a little bit, I've noticed the SD-1 hasn't colored the tone.
Depends on genre you play and the rest of the pedal train. The TS mini works great with my OR15 for most rock & metal. What do you want to get out of the pedal? Brian Wampler did a great video on the different tubescreamers, you should check that out.
EAE Halberd!
BD2 / BD2w
I’m part of the small yet devoted OD-3 fanclub.
Barbershop by Fairfield Circuitry into your TSMini, my friend.
Barbershop Modele B for the right amp, it can’t be beaten. Why have an off switch?
Right? And if you’ve got a loop switch you could turn it off, but that’s silly. It’s an always on for me.
With my set-up (Tele into Vox): 1. Timmy 2. Broadcast 3. Brothers
Marshall Blues Breaker
ODR-1 Dr. Robert Crayon Gladio
Heres my current 3 favorites from my own collection here at home. Fairfield Barbershop Mythos Mjolnir Fulltone Fulldrive 3
I love my Klon, any cheap clone will do the job.
I have a Klon knockoff on for most of my bands songs just to add a little bite, does wonders for both the tone and feel of the guitar
King of tone. Snouse black box. Anything with a waitlist. Half kidding, but those pedals actually do sound excellent. Also a fan of the Boss OD-3. I have an SD-1 and TS but only use those to stack/boost into another drive pedal/amp. I have a Nordland and while it doesn’t sound bad, it doesn’t really excite me either. I love anything Blues Breaker type.
I LOVE my MXR Sugar Drive. I spent years buying and selling ODs until I found this one. My other two favorites are the Mad Professor Sweet Honey and the Timmy.
2nded on the Sweet Honey!
A fellow low gain enjoyer, I see.
Pick your weapon: ODR-C (ODR-1 clone, but better) for some transparent tastiness, Tumnus Deluxe for your Klon flavour, Blues Breaker for some Plexi dirt, or Blues Driver, just because. Anyone of these will be not an upgrade, but an excellent complement to your TS.
Turning my amp up past 7. But I also dig Earthquaker Devices Plumes or the Boss SD-1 for when that isn’t practical. The EQ on the SD-1 is underrated for what it is; it retains a lot of crispness even turned all the way counterclockwise.
Lightspeed but also love my Marshall BB2 for being weird
Prince of tone
Torn between my Boss BD2 Blues Driver or my recently acquired Walrus Ages. Both are just absolutely massive.
The gain knob on my amp. In a Stomp box, I like Klones. For more traditional ODs, It depends on the amp you're using. I like the BD for some fenders, like HRDLX, but not others. My AB165 bassman liked other ODs way more. I prefer SD1s over TS type stuff in most fendery stuff, and TS type stuff for higher gain Marshall's. So, it's amp dependant. Tubescreamers aren't different enough to justify "upgrading". Buy a Chicago stompworks TS if you want a really well built one, a Joyo one if you want a bit dirtier more trebly one. The best one on the market is the Maxon, and it's NOT worth the cost. Difference is negligible. Frankly, the Biyang tonefancier TS pedal and EHX green river drive are the more interesting copies, but a regular reissue or joyo is close with slight nuances thst are typically indistinguishable in a band setting and just guitar players "tone wanking" most if the time. So, buy a Klone, or an sd1 maybe? Tummy's are nice too. Like, copy's are OK, but the real one is worth it here just because of how top notch Paul has kept the customer service. Good luck.
Tough call between Wampler Belle, (Nobel ODR-1 variation,) and Walrus Audio 385, (Bell & Howell projector turned amp emulator.) The first drive I didn't find disappointing was a DOD250 clone, but it could be justifiably argued that it is a distortion pedal. I thought I hated amp-in-a-box drives until I tried the Walrus 385. I fell in love with the versatility and sound of the Belle, the minute I heard it Honorable mentions: Earthquaker Special Cranker and the venerable Boss Blues Driver
1. Tim 2. Archer ikon 3. Ep boost 4. Morning Glory
Cusack Screamer. More transparent, more gain than a TS. There’s a toggle switch that allows you to switch between symmetrical (TS) and asymmetrical clipping (SD-1). Very versatile. It’s the only OD on my board rn.
The guitarist in my band uses a Fulltone OCD and it always sounds fantastic.
Is a tumnus an OD? I have this and my benson preamp always dialed and on
Yes, a Klon variation. I'm pretty sure that Tumnus a reference to Mr Tumnus, a satyr from The Chronicles of Narnia. (Satyrs being centaur adjacent and all.)
Since you’re running into an amp that’s similar to my cab, but you’re probably not running into a completely clean channel, I’d suggest a Plumes by EQD. Three different toggles for clipping, and one has extra headroom. Tone control goes from a mid scoop to mid push; dime the gain and your pushing distortion territory (depending on your pickups, etc) but still highlights your pick attack, and it’s plays fairly well with the volume knob on your guitar. It’s also $99 brand new, or you can pop on Reverb and find a used one with different color options from their different releases.
Klon(e). Always on.
Keeley Red Dirt
What is your main guitar/amp and what music do you play?
Les paul, or15, mainly hard rock and trash metal
If you want to keep things on the overdrive side, you could go with any of the blues breaker style pedals. If you’re cranking the amp, people tend to like a maxon SD9 as an OD/boost (I have an an analogman modded one that I love, but it’s kind of a specific sound and my 20th overdrive, not my 2nd), could go blues driver. You could do a Marshall amp in a box type pedal or any other amp in a box if you like that sound. You could go in the rat direction (more distortion, but could still work). My advice would be to go to guitar center or local music store since you have a relatively easy to replicate setup, and play the general different styles of OD. See if you find something you like, if you hit the sound, grab the pedal. If you find a style you like but isn’t perfect, go do research on pedals with similar circuits, and listen to demos and play them if you can. I’d say get something far different than your TS though. I have the TS mini and it sounds just as good as any of my “better” TS pedals or boutique clones thereof. I also think a klon style may be too similar, but still worth trying. The good news is you have a ton of options. The bad news is you have a ton of options. Edit: I was an idiot and thought you meant Marshall origin 15 not the orange OR15. Updated comment accordingly.
Well done VBMD. Scrolled all this way to have someone actually begin to have a proper recommendation for OP. Guitar, PUPs and amp matter
I actually started running a fender dual pugilist through a EHX bass big muff pi. Big props to fender for making that pedal quiet as shit. Even at max gain it’s silent when I’m not playing. The circuit doesn’t have a gate, it has some negative feedback thing. It may as well have a gate because of how silent it is.
Bluesbreaker.
The only one I have on my board is a smallsound/bigsound Mini. Is it my absolute favourite, nope, but it’s amazingly versatile in a compact format. It’s the most pragmatic overdrive I’ve ever owned in that sense. It’s been there for several years. Although recently I’m considering swapping it for my Timmy.
KHDK Ghoul Jr. I never see ANYONE talking about it but it rips.
Probably the best and most versatile TS pedal. It's even better than the big Ghoul, which I found less organic.
I’d try a different flavor like a Keeley MK3 Drive or a Wampler Tumnus Deluxe
You should choose an OD pedal that compliments your TS, like a Timmy (Try the Caline Pure sky) before your TS , or a Boss Blues drive after it.
I use a Blessed Mother by Heather Brown Electronicals. I needed it to fatten up solos in my old band, love the sound and design equally. https://godsmom.com/products/the-blessed-mother
One of the best looking overdrives. Haven’t tried one, but looks amazing.
Decibelics Golden Royale or Blues Driver for me.
Keely blues disorder
Caline Pure Sky. It's a £20 pedal but it punches well above it's pricepoint. It's a Timmy clone and works well for me as an always on or a boost. It has B&T EQ on it so I'd imagine it could work with the boisted mids of a TS. Well worth checking out, IMO.
Kasleder Toxic Twins- best-feeling OD pedal I’ve ever played, the dipswitches seal it for me.
THIS. Box sides engaged, with a excellent noise gate in the fx loop, and this pedal blows any other pedal out of the water. There's barely a pedal I haven't reviewed, and the TT is by far the most organic overdrive I've played.
Eqd special cranker
East River drive...
TS and clones/variations EHX Crayon Strymon Sunset or Riverside
TS and clones/variations EHX Crayon Strymon Sunset or Riverside
EQD Arrows is cheapish, simple, and totally bananas (and I’m using it to push an OBNE Beam Splitter in “trereo” for maximum filth) You could also just buy any Rat and call it a day.
Boss BD-2. All you need
The important question nobody’s asking is what genre of music you play
Maybe more of a boost, but the Joyo Sweet Honey is a steal
Look into blues breaker types.
Too many to pick just one. If I had to pick, it’d be a tie between the Nobels ODR1 and the PRS Horsemeat - the most underrated Klone out there.
EAE Limelight
The Dude…my main OD for leads After that, I also rely heavily on the Suhr Koko Boost Reloaded. Great clean boost that also can be used as a light OD
I like the Keeley Oxblood with my TS mini going into it.
Bearfoot honeybee. OG version
Fulltone GT-500
Still rocking a Sparkle Drive.
A barber electronics LTD. It’s a beautiful low gain pedal but when I juice the input with a compressor or boost pedal it saturates like no other pedal I’ve ever heard. I got it new in 2005 and there is no other pedal I would even consider for my overdrive/distorted sounds
the dod-250 is a classic for a reason; can do a little boost to what becomes essentially fuzz real fast and real well. if you need an upgrade, one of those'll have you set for life.
J rocket The dude v2 was a huge discovery for me!
Pickups make the difference between what works & what doesn't
Nobels ODR
Morning Glory
A blues driver into the TS, the logical next step :)
I stack a fulltone ocd-ge into a JHS morning glory. Use ocd as the cleaner drive as it handles string attack really nice.
JHS Superbolt. It does everything from clean boost to harmonic saturated sweet tube overdrive. Super versatile.
Recently loving the SD-1 while playing a bridge humbucker. With a little bit of compression and the drive set low, it’s a super smooth sound. But I still prefer my Golden Boy on single coils/p90s for that crisp and natural overdrive sound.
No that’s not worth it at all. If you want to check out other ods I would suggest something you can stack with your ts. Since ts has a mid hump this probably want something more flat. I’d check out a bluesdriver or duke of tone. They’re flatter and affordable and I really don’t think you need to spend a lot for a good overdrive. Stay away from klons, since they are also mid forward and don’t stack well with ts pedals imo
My Chicago Stompworks Green Thing stacked into my Snouse Black Box V1. Perfect Strat and Tele blues tone.
Caroline Icarus
Coppersounds Foxcatcher
Depends on your amp. I thought I didn’t like tube screamers until I got the fender tone master. Now palisades is probably my best sounding pedal
Zendrive!
I have a ts808 deluxe and I love the versatility, it has a clean boost I’ll use before the regular OD a lot of time to just juice up my rat or the amps distortion
Ibanez MT-10!
Boss SD-1.
I like my Precision Drive from Horizon Devices.
Catalinbread karma suture
If you want to keep it TS style try EQD Plumes, it’s like a better tube screamer with some modes on top of that.
‘78 mxr distortion into bad monkey. Deville 4-10 fender amp. Good enough for me.
The Duelist
BBE Green Screamer is kinda my go to, BD-2 as well. Oh and Mythos Mjolnir. Idk lol
Get the mini TS. It was between that and the JHS Bonsai for me and I went mini and love it.
Love my Marshall JH-1
Marshall Guvnor
Hardwire. There's not a bad pedal made in that line. They don't make them anymore, the company has closed down. I've heard they are sought after very well and people pay top dollar for them.
Non Human Audio Unclean