How do I get a smooth, creamy overdrive sound?

Personally (and I think there are a few folks around here with similar setups) I really like the Behringer TO800 Vintage Overdrive pedal running into an Epiphone Valve Junior. Between the two of those you can get some great distortion, anything from just a hint of crunch right up to reasonably heavy. There's also the advantage that both pieces of kit are reasonably inexpensive.

don't know about Creamy but the DigiTech Bad Monkey is a heck of a nice OD for a great price.
some sound samples
All Monkey~ http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/media/product/mp3/15/150831_bmonkey_4.MP3
Bottom Boost~ http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/media/product/mp3/15/150831_bmonkey_2.MP3
OD punch~ http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/media/product/mp3/15/150831_bmonkey_1.MP3
Off then On~ http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/media/product/mp3/15/150831_bmonkey_3.MP3

I agree with fluid on the Behringer TO800. Smooth and creamy is the perfect description of the overdrive this pedal gets. It is modeled after the original Ibanez Tubescreamer that Stevie Ray Vaughan made famous. Many claim this pedal sounds even better than the original Tubescreamer.

The TS-808 is not the same as this original tubescreamer. There is a site on E-Bay that will upgrade your TS-808 or TS-9 with the original chips that made this pedal so great.

Moho Mods

Here is a very interesting guide to Tubescreamers.

Tubescreamer Guide

Now, no way the Behringer pedal is as durable as the Ibanez. But it only costs $25. :shock:
But it is built pretty well and if you take care of it, it will last.

Behringer TO800

I took a chance on this pedal, for $25 what have you got to lose? But it is awesome, way better than you would ever expect. Try it and see for yourself.

Wes,

Are you using a tube amp or solid state? Is it going to take a tube amp for me to get the sound I want, or do you think I can get it using the Marshall 10W I have?

jkeel546

All of my amps are tube amps. I have used this with my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as a boost for the clean channel with the Drive (Gain) dialed down. Man, this thing wil nail SRV type tones.

I mostly play this through my Epiphone Valve Jr 5 watt head into an Avatar cab with 2 Celestion Vintage 30s. The combination of this pedal with this amp and speakers is great. With gain up about 1/2 I get great Marshall crunch type tones.

I have also played this through my Marshall DSL401. This of course sounds Marshall as well.

As Fluid wrote, you can go from a very mild breakup to a fairly high gain distortion. Not Metal at all, but great Classic Rock tones like Bad Company. At about 1/2 you get that great AC/DC type crunch tones.

It also has a Tone which works very well. You can go from really warm tones to harsh. That is not bad, it has a good range. I tend to like the Tone knob about 12 o'clock personally. Very warm.

But this pedal has an extremely smooth, violin type tone. Similar to Carlos Santana type tones. It gets great sustain and excellent harmonics. It really is that good. It is pretty versatile as well. But it is an overdrive pedal, not a distortion pedal.

I'm tellin' ya, this is a fantastic pedal for the price. I can hardly imagine a pedal sounding better. Serious.

But I do feel that speakers make a difference. I have pretty good speakers in my amps, that has a LOT to do with getting great tone. Took me a long time to learn that. So I can't promise this pedal will sound great through your amp.

But I bet it will. :D

Wes

Here is a pretty good sound clip of the TO800. I would guess this is with the gain up about 3/4.
I can get tones like this easy with mine. Listen to the great pinch harmonics and smooth tone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G62WWki3gIE

Booster pedals, including the TO800 (or the To100, which I have) are mostly supposed to boost tubes. Boosting a solidstate amp is pretty useless, you have a gain and volume knob for it. My TO100 sounds cool on my little Epi VHJ but absolutely crap on my SS behringer amp. I doubt you'll like it very much on your amp, sorry. But try it in the store and see for yourself.

Here is a pretty good sound clip of the TO800. I would guess this is with the gain up about 3/4.
I can get tones like this easy with mine. Listen to the great pinch harmonics and smooth tone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G62WWki3gIE

iv watched that video a few times and i didnt notice it was the to800 he used, think i`ll order 1 next week, might make my mrs more happy if i buy this rather than a £100 tube screamer :D

ive found my EQ to give me a nice creamy OD with my all-tube Epiphone

I also REALLy like the Danelectro FAB OD, just for the price. You really can't go wrong for $15, and it sounds pretty cool. i use that one on my Vox amp, which is a hybrid, with the neck pickup of my strat. yum

U2Bono269

Yeah, the reviews on the Dano Fab OD are excellent. I've never heard it, but I own the older Dano Daddy O and have recommended it many times. A super versatile OD pedal that you can get many great tones from.

To me (just my opinion), the Dano is better to get a rhythm guitar tone, but not as great for solos. The TO800 is not nearly as versatile, really a one-trick pony (you can get good rhythm tones from it), but it gets a great solo tone. This is how I use the TO800, for a solo boost.

I agree about the TO800. Man you cant go wrong for the price. It doesnt sound like a $30 pedal. Also, when Wes said that you can get a Santana sustain sound he is right on. I was thinking about what I had been playing lately and that sound is what mine sounds like minus the playing ability (which I am working on).

I also own the Behinger Blues Overdrive and can recommend it. I like both pedals and will use either one depending on what sound I am shooting for.

They may be plastic but as someone else said, "When they called them stompboxes they werent speaking literally" (paraphrased). Its durable.

Wes was the one that turned me onto the TO800 and I have no regrets.

Jim

STOP IT!!!!

I'm afraid my wife is going to leave me if I don't stop buying gear! :cry:

I was sitting here dumb and happy, minding my own business, when I came along this post... now, I suddenly feel like I can't lvie without this pedal!

I'm absloutely sick. Is there a 12-step program for affliction of GAS?

So, you say I can pick one up for about 20 buck? :twisted:

So, you say I can pick one up for about 20 buck? :twisted:

HEREis the link to the person I bought mine from. Great seller. Looks like he/she went up a bit. I got mine for 28 delivered. Looks like $33 delivered now. Still not a bad deal.

I cant relate to the married thing. Been too long since the divorce. LOL But I think I remember that my ex would have preferred me getting a 30 dollar pedal over a $150 dollar one. :0 But, no pressure. Tell me how you like it when you get it. :lol:

Jim

The TO800 is probably the best deal out there period. This pedal sounds every bit as good (and maybe better) than the Ibanez TS808 Tubescreamer that sells for $170. No way is it as durable as the Ibanez, but if you treat it with reasonable care it will last. I have plastic pedals from Danelectro and Arion that are over 10 years old and have had heavy use and still work as good as the day I bought them.

Just don't yank the cords out or actually stomp on the thing. :roll: