What to use for good distortion on steel?

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 26 Mar 2003 12:38 pm

Hi folks,
I've been trying for a year to get a distortion set-up that sounds good. So far, I've tried the old Boss Tone I had in the closet and the Daddy O by Danelectro. I'm playing a D10 Mullen thru a Walker Stereo Steel Amp. I've tried different amp settings, different bars, and various picking positions, but it continues to sound like the tones are passing thru a barrier, or that they're too fuzzy.(That may not be the best description)
Our guitar player swears by the Boss pedals so I'm trying his Blues Distortion this weekend.
Is there something else out there that is a proven piece of gear? Also, is there an impedance issue with steel pickups vs guitar pickups? Is there a different pickup that I should be using? Right now my guitar has George'L E66's. Using distortion is an INTEGRAL part of the gig I'm on, so I'm anxious to resolve this. Thanks for any feedback.

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 26 Mar 2003 12:51 pm

Are you looking for a "natural overdrive" sound like a small fender tube amp? If so, I have had good luck with Ibanez Tubescreamers. The Daddy0 pedal is junk, sell it ASAP.

If you are looking for a cheap tubescreamer, try buying an Ibanez Metal Charger, dont let the name scare you, it has the same chipset as a TS808 onlyt it has 4 chips instead of 2 and also has a handy midrange control. Due to the cheesy name, you can still find these on the cheap, instead of the stupid miney people are paying for vintage tubescreamers.

Oh yeah, if you want to buy new, check out analogman, they mod old and new tubescreamers and i have heard nothing but great things. Cool website too.

Good luck!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 26 Mar 2003 12:52 pm

So, you have more than one Mullen?

I don't think that the E-66 is a good pickup choice for driving distortion effects. I tend to favor the 10-1 (or 12-1) for that.

I've never found a stomp box that gives a great distortion tone, but the Mesa V-Twin Preamp pedal does a reasonable job. I expect that the Hughes & Kettner Tubeman probably does well, too, though I've never really played with one.

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<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
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Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 26 Mar 2003 1:30 pm

None of the 10-string pedal steel pickups I have heard are designed for a colored distortion that we appreciate in 6-string guitars. Some of the 6- and 8-string pickups in steels give great tone; there may be a reason Sneaky Pete plays an 8-string Fender pedal. (Part of this has to do with the space between pole pieces.)

The shape of the body of a pedal guitar, with the hollowed out chassis, affects feedback and resonance. A comparable issue in 6-strings during the rise of rock, when guitarists abandoned the hollowbody in favor of solidbodied axes.

It would take a dedicated and skillful builder to make a real rock pedal steel. Someday maybe someone would care. Can you say "limited commercial potential"?

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 26 Mar 2003 1:55 pm

Goodrich makes the Steel Driver, which goes between the pickup and the volume pedal, and attaches to the leg of your steel. It has a hand switch (which many pedal steelers find easier to use than stomp boxes) that toggles between a fuzz box (actually harmonic distortion) with adjustable intensity, and a Matchbox 7A (with a tone and volume control) that gives a pot volume pedal better tonal balance across different volume levels by "matching" the pot impedance better with the amp. I wish it had a little more finesse at the low intensity end of the fuzz control knob, nevertheless it's a great device for steel distortion, and I wouldn't use a pot volume pedal without a Matchbox. You could get one of these overnight from Scotty's Music, Steel Guitar Nashville, or other steel guitar shops, and they'll usually let you return something if you don't like it.

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 26 Mar 2003 6:12 pm

I used to use a ProCo Rat and was well satisfied with it. You can get anything from mild overdrive to completely unuseable.

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Doug Earnest
The only Zum Keyless U12, Fender Cyber Twin

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 26 Mar 2003 7:38 pm

I have: a Boss Tone (Jordan), a Goodrich, a TC Electronic Booster+ Distortion, Stamps Drive-O-Matics, a Drive-O-Matic XL, a Prescription Electronics COB, a Peavey Rockmaster and a MetaSonix Hellfire Modulator. But the best sounding overdrive thing I have is the THD BiValve amp head. The best sounding stomp box I have is the Stamps Drive-O-Matic XL followed closely by the Prescription Electronics. Prescription Electronics is a company in Portland that makes a bunch of cool boxes.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 26 Mar 2003 8:30 pm

I took the advice of some fellow forumites and bought the Fulltone Fulldrive II. It is really versitle and has "true bypass" which is why I got it. Most of the other boxes I've used muddied up the clean signal. This unit has overdrive and a clean boost as well.

Dave Z

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 26 Mar 2003 9:50 pm

As noted above, the Pro-Co RAT will do it. I got one after it was recommended by Bobbe Seymour. It's a stomp box and I think you will be extremely happy with it.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 27 Mar 2003 1:15 am

I've got to disagree about pedal steel pickups not being appropriate for rock and roll. I love the Bill Lawrence 705 (and 805) for overdriven sounds. They are s lot similar to a hot p-90 tonally.

In terms of pedals, they all suck, but some that suck less than most are the Fulltone pedals or other Tube Screamer clones. One key is to put the overdrive pedal after the volume pedal.

THere is no substitute for a great tube amp, however.

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www.tyack.com

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 27 Mar 2003 3:43 am

I use a Rat also. An Ibanez Tube Screamer is an excellent choice too. On my Emmons I use my tone control to darken things a little so that the highs don't sound like a light weight McColluch chain saw.

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1985 Emmons push-pull, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele

Wayne Brown · Post by **Wayne Brown** » 27 Mar 2003 5:16 am

martin try this web site www.kickinsteel.com he is one of my students and a wiz with this stuff...i've been using his steel driver witch is fully ajustable and also has a op amp or matchbox in the same unit ...this thing is great ...the control i have on the fuzz from a very little to the van halen type ...and on the clean side ...my guitar sounds great to

thanks
wayne

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 27 Mar 2003 7:16 am

On the one or two instances a year I need a distortion unit, I use a Chandler Tube Driver pedal. It has (I think) a 12AX7 tube installed, and it's AC powered.

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Texas Steel Guitar Association

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 27 Mar 2003 8:20 am

Thanks for the feedback! If there's more I'd appreciate it. Again, thanks!!

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 27 Mar 2003 8:53 am

POD

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Click on the pic!

Carter York · Post by **Carter York** » 27 Mar 2003 9:45 am

ditto on the POD, I've had fun with those, and they are programmable to some extent. I use (and love) my Big Muff! I have the Russian version (here is a link I found to a page http://www.stevesmusiccenter.com/EHBigMuffPiRussian.html) and I mostly use it with a Gibson SG, but have gotten some nice effects with a steel as well. Thru a Peavey Classic Twin....

Carter

Buck Dilly · Post by **Buck Dilly** » 27 Mar 2003 11:35 am

Fulldrive II/ Fulltone has a new unit out now but I haven't tried it.

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 27 Mar 2003 3:37 pm

?????

Why would anyone want to use a distortion with a steel ?????

We play a 6 string ( gibson) if we want that S123 !!!!! or let the other folks screw up the sound ..

Terry Downs · Post by **Terry Downs** » 27 Mar 2003 5:44 pm

Well Bill, I think is a little sacrelig to distort a steel too. I never thought I'd see the day/ It took me 22 years before I ever used one. After being in one band for 8 years and another for 9, I found myself playing pickup gigs. Many of these situations had me playing only steel (not steel and guitar). When they did a blues or rock song they gave me a solo whether I wanted one or not!! I would have been happy just laying out on the solos. That's how I got started. I use a BOSS DS-1 distortion pedal that I got a good deal in. Since that is the only one I have used I have nothing to compare to, but it work OK for me.

Regards,
Terry

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 27 Mar 2003 5:55 pm

"Why would anyone want to use a distortion with a steel ?????"

One word FREEBIRD!!!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

David Mullis · Post by **David Mullis** » 27 Mar 2003 5:59 pm

I like my Marshall Drive Master a lot. It has bass, mid and treble controls, and of course gain and volume. It's fun to have around for the occasional rock tune.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 27 Mar 2003 6:41 pm

<SMALL>Why would anyone want to use a distortion with a steel</SMALL>

Another tool in the tool bag, and I can do things the guitar player can't. I had a call, recently, to play on a movie, to be released, "Envy". The composer wanted a fuzztone-slide-up-an-octave for a shot where the camera did a pull up and then follow it back down.

I've done recording/playing with a metal/noise band. If the argument was why do you want to play that stuff? Either there's no argument or I would have to reply, because it's a lot of fun and a lot easier to play than some of the other stuff I try to do. And like I said earlier, I can do a lot of things the guitar can't do.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 27 Mar 2003 7:48 pm

I just recieved my Randall Model #RG-25RM
"practice amp" in the mail a couple days ago.

This little dogie can give it all. Use it as
a stand-aloner, or pump her thru your main amp.

Hey gang.....this amp was on sale last month, and maybe now, for $89.

To me , this is the real way to control your
fuzz/distortion......better control and better tone.

Hey......I like it. So, go ahead, fight me.

Chip Fossa

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 28 Mar 2003 3:16 pm

Why would anyone post on a thread about distortion on steel if they were not interested in using distortion on steel?

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 28 Mar 2003 9:59 pm

I suggest turning everything wide open, and let 'er rip! If it doesn't distort, your equipment is Ok. If it distorts, it's time to look around for something new! jOHN

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"Big John" Bechtel http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels