Which Distortion Pedal?

I currently use my overdrive channel on my peavey classic 30 and as I'm sure you know it's very geared towards blues/classic rock tones.

What are some good options for pedals that I can use on the clean channel to get a more aggressive sound? Something like what you'd expect out of a Marshall. I currently do not want to buy an amp so a 70-150$ pedal is a better option for me right now.

I was told to try out a rat by proco, but that's all i've gotten so far.

Originally Posted by: icebreaker1588I currently use my overdrive channel on my peavey classic 30 and as I'm sure you know it's very geared towards blues/classic rock tones.

What are some good options for pedals that I can use on the clean channel to get a more aggressive sound? Something like what you'd expect out of a Marshall. I currently do not want to buy an amp so a 70-150$ pedal is a better option for me right now.

I was told to try out a rat by proco, but that's all i've gotten so far.

That really depends upon the style & genre you want to play. The Rat is a very fuzzy, buzzy pedal. So that can work well for certain applications & not for others.

When you say "what you'd expect out of a Marshall" that's a HUGE range of expectations. All the way from the relatively cleanish overdrive of classic ACDC & ZZ Top (big Marshall users), to the more heavy sound of classic Van Halen to the modern high-gain tones of metal players.

I encourage you to find out what your favorite players or bands use. Then go to You Tube or the product sites & listen to demos to hear what the pedals actually sounds like.

Then, go to a music store & try them out before you buy! Have fun pedal shopping!

Also, FWIW, I find that the Boss Super Overdrive SD-1 is one of the best all around gain pedal at covering lots of bases. You can deal it up, down or in the middle & it almost always works for whatever style I'm trying to accomplish.

http://www.bossus.com/products/sd-1/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpvyfdOJMpk

Compare with the Boss Distortion pedal!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLpHoZQ3u4k

Be careful. It's easy to watch gear demos all day long. :D

AHHHH Sorry I meant to write the Marshall jcm 900!!!!!

I'm not that great at describing tones, but its I guess kinda crunchy sounding

And yeah its a high gain metal style sound

Originally Posted by: icebreaker1588AHHHH Sorry I meant to write the Marshall jcm 900!!!!!

I'm not that great at describing tones, but its I guess kinda crunchy sounding

And yeah its a high gain metal style sound

Describing tones is hard! And even if you find words that you think are accurate, it's no guarantee that someone else will know what you mean. So, the best way to guarantee you are getting your point across is to point to an audio example & say, "I mean this!" :)

So, is there a song, riff, player that you can refer to?

Many of the modern high gain metal players do not use Marshall. They typically use Mesa Boogie type amps with triple rectifier & multiple gain stages: Mesa, Engl, Blackstar, Randall, Soldano.

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/The_Monsters_of_High_Gain

I think you might enjoy the Boss Metal Zone. It can get pretty heavy & thick sounding. The ability to control the EQ mids really helps make this pedal a interesting option. I have one & used it in a metal & hard rock setting. It's possible to use in other settings, but you have to keep it dialed down.

http://www.bossus.com/products/mt-2/

Another option I've heard about but never tried is the budget line of Joyo pedals. A friend told me the Joyo Hi-Gain pedal is very inexpensive & sounds great.

http://www.cheaperpedals.com/products/joyo-high-gain-distortion-jf-04-pedal

Way Huge Electronics Fat Sandwich is my recommendation. I own one and it's killer!

Second to that
- Pro Co RAT2
- Boss DS-1

Can't beat the price on those!

Probably because I am lazy and don't like bending over to change settings during a set , I use a combination.

1) Gain Channel , just on the edge of breakup
2) Boss Blues Driver- set for a bit more drive and bite ( good for solos , Blues )
3) T C Electronic Dark Matter Distortion ( heavy rock )
4) All three ( totally out of control , stay well away from the amp this is feedback central )
This is what works for me , brand names really don't matter , there is a lot of good gear out there at reasonable prices . Best of luck on your voyage of dicovery

I too am looking for that distortion pedal that has a good range from crunch to high gain (not over the top scream). I have a V-amp which has a good range of gain/distortion, but have to run it through the effects loop which takes away the gain and tone controls of my (VHT 18W) amp. Want something to punch up the tone I think this amp lacks by running it straight to the input.

Those Joyo pedals are amazing for the price and perfect if you want to try a few out to decide what pedal fits your needs.
Personally I'm a big fan of both the Boss DS-1 and the Proco Rat but they are also two totally different tones.
My advice is buy both :)

Originally Posted by: fuzzb0xPersonally I'm a big fan of both the Boss DS-1 and the Proco Rat but they are also two totally different tones.
My advice is buy both :)

I'll throw my vote in the ring. +1 for the Pro Co RAT. Industry standard (if there is such a thing haha)!