Imagine you have the top comment. It’s 4 words. And permanently placed next to is a sign that says you had to literally edit one of those words. At minimum 25% or your content needed fixing. That’s more embarrassing that not having $100
Zach Broyles’ denim jacket with the collar popped and sleeves rolled up is what I want my guitar tone to be. Josh Scott’s bicycle t-shirt and dad jeans is what my guitar tone is.
So true, I kicked the pedal obsession (almost) after buying about 50+ of various types. Cheap, expensive, boutique, factory, all chasing "the tone". Ultimately I found out I still sound like me through all of them. Yes, some are better than others, but in the long run, I sound better by practicing more than any pedal is going to improve my sound.
@pvbaelen...I tend to agree here. We seem to get lost in the fact that such content is really business & clouds the viewers into thinking they have to get this or that new pedal. And actually when it comes to overdrive, likely the least important pedal in terms of differentiation. So, it really comes down to ones playing. Cheers. 🎸🎸🎸
Went to see the band Big Thief play live a few days ago. What really struck me was how fantastic Adrienne's Lenkers guitar playing sounded. And she says she prefers to almost always play just guitar direct into a great amp. It was Collings guitar into Magnatone Twilighter. Apart from the tight playing, I think her choice of a particularly well-built guitar, with the P-90 pickups were another reason it sounded so good. Great projection - it sounded so crunchy and alive and pushed out in the room. So having a couple of choice options when it comes to pickups might be preferable to tons of pedal options.
The Hot Tubes is a fantastic pedal. Feels like 80% Overdrive / 20% fuzz with a very large range of gain. It's capable of very subtle low gains while always retaining an identity of its own. At higher gain the sound gets pretty thick as the fuzzy aspect gets more and more noticeable. Very unique and probably not suited for every situation but definitely one of my favorite OD.
I did not like mine when I purchased it in 10th grade, but now I love it! it sounds way better on my ac15 than it did on the cheap solid-state Crate amps I used to jam with in high school, lol
The Blues Driver is my first overdrive and is still, after so many, my favorite. I can use it literally in any position I want, in any config and it will sound brilliant.
When it comes to UA-cam channels and musicians, describing the category as "over-saturated" is a massive understatement. From professional producer musicians to lifelong studio greats, to virtuosos and even future guitar legends, the amount of content at our fingertips is seemingly endless. That being said, there are individuals who stand out.. who rise above the rest. Some, because of their insane riffs and licks.. others, their attention to cinematic details and incredible audio/video quality. Who's one of my favorites you may ask? Fuckin' Rhett, man. He consistently uploads a variety of educational, entertaining, engaging, and killer guitar content.. he just gets it. I've been playing instruments longer than I can remember. I've played in all kinds of scenarios.. studios, bars, churches, weddings.. I've been writing music for decades. At this point in my life, I mostly play acoustic guitar. Somehow Rhett has caused me to purchase a resonator, a handful of slides, a Les Paul, a semi-hollowbody, and the list goes on. He's given me inspiration in musical avenues I'd never even considered checking out over the years. I truly hope there's a mass of guitarists out there who feel the same and get excited every time a new video is posted. Rhett, you're doing something great and special.. I appreciate your dedication and hard work. Keep creating and following your dreams! Sending peace & love from Missouri -Todd
If you're really on a budget, get the EHX hot wax. It's a single pedal combining the crayon and the hot tubes. You can use either side or stack them. I've enjoyed mine for a while now.
I also think you really need to have the EHX Soul Food in here. It's one of the most affordable Klon Centaur-like circuits out there and imparts a very interesting tonal tweak whether you're using low gain/high volume or high gain/low volume.
I have a battered old blues driver which was my first overdrive and is pretty much a stable on my board ever since. Others ODs come and go but the BD-2 is always in the mix.
I tried a few ODs a few years ago, and as soon as I switched on the Blues Driver, I knew this is it. And I still love it. Does everything from nearly no gain to almost Fuzz Face Territory. Also works fine with both Single Coils and Humbuckers. The only other 'drive' I use is an old EQ, as a booster, most of the time after the BD2
Rhett! You should talk about the EHX Soul Food! Of everyone I know, I'm the only one that actually uses it like an overdrive rather than boost but I find it's one the most kickass cut-through-the-mix kind of overdrive, super underrated and has been a mainstay on my board for years
@@joshuamirabal822 I had the odr1 and it isn't as versatile as the od3. I remember getting mine for about $80. It's not bad but I had a harder time foaling in a good tone
@@patricksommer3971 I had one for years it was hard dialing in a good tone. It's easier to get the tone with the od3. I gave it away to a friend of mine after it being on and off my board for a few years in and out of a few bands across genres. I hear they work better with a stratocaster than the guitars I have
Awesome pedal, super thick and glassy, cleans up really well without too much volume and clarity loss. Sounds just like my amps overdrive channel but a bit more definition. Prob my fav!
Many swear with the BD-2. Some say strat, some say humbucker. I love strats but never felt anything for the BD-2. From clean to Fuzz? Yes, pretty much. But not the fuzz I like. And the low gain retains some fuzziness. Misses something soft in between to be an overdrive. I modded an SD-1 to clipper choices and felt higher treshold clipping in such a circuit is more to my taste.
The hot tubes is my favourite guitar pedal, period. To me it sounds very "amp like" and dynamic, I use it to add a bit of gain to my clean sound all the time, or stack other overdrives into it, to push the input stage.
Boss SD-1 is my fav value pedal. Sounds amazing boosting a dirty channel with a lot of gain. Has the perfect voicing for that specifically. I got mine for like $50 and run it at 13.5v. Love it into my Laney and Marshall.
the TC MojoMojo needs to be on this list. I purchased the EHX Crayon that you feature here and basically couldn't use it with my set-up. It had way too much noise and didn't sound good at low-gain / boost type settings. So I swapped it for the Mojomojo which was $20 cheaper and I'm glad I did. The Mojomojo is much more versatile and less noisy.
I had one of these for about a week. loved the sound, but the volume would cut out if i had both sides cranking, so I returned it and got a Fuzz pedal instead.
It's worth noting that the Plumes, while being similar to a tube screamer, uses only opamps giving a higher input impedance. It also runs the opamps on a bipolar supply that is -9V/9V giving 18 volts of headroom. These factors combined give it a lot more clarity than a classic tubescreamer. It also explains why it has so much output as well.
Just purchased my second Digitech Bad Monkey. I think that is one that should be on the list, especially for recording ... using the mix output direct. That may go beyond what these pedals do, but I think it is worth mentioning. Can only find it used now, but worth the search. As for new gear, Sweetwater rocks!!! \m/
F@*king Blues Driver! First pedal I bought when I picked up a Tele. Sold it. Don’t regret it because it got sold to a friend’s guitar student. For me, it’s the benchmark OD! Even over the OD-1. Thanks, Rhett! Great and much needed video! The EHX Soul Food is another outstanding OD under $100.
I used the Blues Driver for years, then the Plumes came out and I had to try it. Ever since I got my Plumes it has replaced my Blues Driver. I mainly use the Plumes on the OP Amp setting with the tone and gain set pretty high (almost like a treble booster), which just completely obliterates my amp. A while back I watched a Premier Guitar Rig Rundown for the band All Them Witches. Their guitarist, Ben McLeod, uses a spartan rig of a Gibson LP with a Super Distortion in the bridge, a wah, a Blues Driver, a delay, a ehx Freeze, and a tuner. The sounds this guy gets are truly massive, fuzzed out tones, and he mainly used a Blues Driver for the first couple of albums they released. He said his favorite thing about the way he uses the Blues Driver (which is into a cranked Twin Reverb), is that he loves how it sounds like a pedal is being clicked on. He'll go from clean to boooooooming tube saturation.
The Blues Driver is the first distortion pedal I ever had in the mid 90's when I was a teenager. Back then Boss was absolutely dominant and it seems in the recent years that the "boutique" stuff has sorta become more in vogue but I'm sure Boss is still awesome. Just an aside for Rhett, I know this is not a "budget" pedal but I'm just curious if you know anything about T-Rex. I have the Mudhoney and that thing is PHENOMENAL with my AC30. I'd HIGHLY recommend you check out T-Rex if you haven't and especially since you're a Vox fan as well.
Have to say, I’m not a big fan of tubescreamers either, so have always ignored the Plumes, but that things sounded fantastic... particularly liked the LED clipping!
If you include used pedals here, the Sparkle Drive Mod is a wonderful pedal imo. I love the wet/dry blend for a drive pedal. Can regularly find it used under $100.
I think it might have to do with how he is using it here. It works great as a boost into a dirty amp, but I don't think he likes it as much as a traditional overdrive. Most of the time I run my amps on the edge of breakup (so less gain than Rhett was using there) and I like the tube screamer less in that type of situation anyways. It is just a bit too extreme most of the time. I like that it tightens up the low end, but it goes really far with pushing the mids and you loose so much of the high end too. Its an important pedal to understand, but I definitely agree that it lacks the versatility that a lot of other great overdrives have.
Had 3 back in the day, sold one and gave two away, and I wish I'd kept them because they would be worth SO much now. That said I would sell them and buy something else, because like Rhett I just don't get on with em.
I bought a ts808 in 1980. Rhett is right...it doesn't work well in certain set-ups. I sold mine for a big sum. I bought a Plumes recently, and it is far better. *I'm sure I will get some hate for that, but the Plumes is far more versatile. Price wasn't a consideration. EQD got it right.
I’m not a fan of the original TS but other developers take on a TS are what I dig. Like another EQD pedal that is next on my list to buy Palisades. It’s based on the TS 808 but with 6 different versions of the 808, 2 OD buttons and a boost. Massive versatility. Way Huge Saucy Box is what I have now and it’s in that vein. Kind of a mashup of a klon, TS and a plexi. Great sound,
I find it has way too much low end and gets dark and muddy because of it. I still have it though as Paul Gilbert simply loves it. Gives me the feeling I'm using it wrong and might still get positively surprised one day.
I run mine with the switch down, gain about 1030, bass about 10, treble at 3. Works well like that with a Fender DR at about 4-5 volume. Gotta remember the EQ is active so theres a lot of adjustment there
My go-to is the "Hot Wax", which is a Hot Tubes and a Crayon in a combo pedal. I love both sides, but I also really enjoy being able to place one in front of the other in a chain - either direction. The color provided by the Crayon really helps if you're looking to revoice the tone, and it sits well with the drive from the Hot Tubes.
Bro, one thing I like about you is your transparency. That's how I know you are legit. You don't hide your flaws, you always say if you are sponsored or not, so when you vouch for something, I'm always in.
Rhett I just wanna say that I discovered your channel through Rick Beato's channel and then I have been watching your backstage vlogs. Man, thanks for presenting the life on the road, a musician's life. That's the life I've been wanting to live and you're really ignited the flame in me and those videos have been inspiring and encouraging! You are my favorite youtuber now. Keep going and good wishes to you.
@@anemaldemomusic8182 it’s not really tight enough to get a good metal tone i think. Allthough you could probably use it as a boost to tighten up an amp
@@anemaldemomusic8182 it doesn't do modern Metal but it has plenty of gain for Hard Rock up to 80s Heavy Metal. It can go beyond overdrive, into distortion territory.
More love for the EHX Glove here. It on my board alongside a Hudson Broadcast, Matthews Architect and Walrus Iron Horse. More than holds its own! Very versatile, but I use it as a clean(ish) boost. It’s 'OCD' like, I believe. Great pedal.
The Crayon is one of the best overdrives I've bought. In fact, when I don't have my Sansamp, I use it as an always-on pedal to sculpt my fuzzes. But thanks to this video, I have a better appreciation. It killed my Tube Screamer-type GAS.
for years I pretty much used only one pedal for gigs and jamsessions: the OD3. I did disconnect 2 diodes which made the pedal a bit more transparent without losing it`s character. Going into a Clean(ish) amp set to: as loud as you can get away with, vol 2/3 ´o clock, tone 12 ´o clock, gain 10/11 ´o clock and play with the guitar volume a lot to get beautiful cleans and thundering overdrive sounds. amazing pedal.
He could've mentioned here the MI Audio Effects Blues Pro and Super Blues Pro. They have always tweaked the TS style to have more variety/versatility in the sounds and tone as well as more gain and slight Fuzzy option. They were doing this affordably before the Plumes, tho I love EQD too.
I have the Plumes and find it really versatile with all my guitars. And so loud (!) I’ve even used it in the effects loop of my AC30s1 to boost the power section, works a treat. One thing you didn’t mention was that the soft footswitch has a momentary latching feature, which is great for an occasional fill 👌🏻
With plumes, If you tap switch with your foot it turns on like normal, if you push down and hold switch down, it will turn off when you take your foot off.
All of those sound fantastic. Great vid Rhett-excellent playing to highlight the pedals. Love my BD2 into an old Pro Jr-such a good mix. Would love to see you do a similar vid for FUZZ!
I like every one of these for different reasons. Great video. I especially love the Boss OD-3. It can be an “amp in a box” into a clean amp, and it’s also great for pushing an amp with the drive at minimum and the level cranked. Again, great video!
For the people out there who might not know, there is a Hot Tubes and Crayon combo pedal called the Hot Wax, crayon stacks pretty nicely before the Hot Tubes, can go anything from a light tube breakup kinda sound to pretty agressive overdrive/distortion territory
the crayon is a great pedal to start with on your board. it doesn't add too much artificial gain unlike ts-9 but boosts your amp and makes the sound fuller. the eq's make it lot more versatile for treble, mid, and bass boost, perfect for any tone-chasing. i wonder why it doesn't get that much appreciation on the comments tho
I love my Blues Driver pedal, and I have some pretty fancy pants OD pedals. It’s not that the more expensive pedals don’t have a place, but sometimes I just love that tone that the Blues Driver brings. Reminds me of the blues bands I used to listen to in Memphis and N Mississippi when I lived down there. Maybe it’s the nostalgia that I’m in love with.
Rhett: Would you be able to do a comparison between (a) what doesn't suck, and (b) what really really sucks? I'm not sure whether UA-cam audio is detailed enough to record the difference but, if it is, it could be very helpful. Also: I haven't checked to see if you've done an Ibanez Tubescreamer video, but the little bit of research I found on it explained the wide range of prices for used units (everyone wanting the one that SRV used). Apparently, they've used a number of different circuits/chips, and it would be useful to know whether the circuit/chip differences among the various iterations of the pedal have made any sonic difference. Cheers, Paul.
I play my boss sd-1 more than any other pedal 😳 including benson preamp, Greer lightspeed, and many other of same boutique type.... it’s all hype and really 90 % of tone is in your hands 🙌🏽still love the boutique stuff but most of them have come and gone 🧐
That Blue Driver sounds really good. But I am biased towards that style of music. On a side note, Sweetwater is a great place to get gear. Everyone I've dealt with has been very cool.
Truth ... me too ... I put boutique drives on my board for a while and then try the BD-2 again ... dang it... I want the bullet-proof BD-2 goodness back.
I didn’t read all 1000+ comments on this video, so I’m sure someone has already made the comment I’m about to make. The EHx Hot Wax is a great low budget overdrive. It’s 2 in 1, both the Hot Tubes and the Crayon in one box. Also has the added benefit of a blend control to blend in your clean signal making it able to cover a ton of ground. I prefer it over most of my more expensive ODs. Some gripe that the eq controls are more flexible, but it’s a great pedal. Grabbed it used for $80.
Haha I currently have a jhs 3 series od on craigslist for 65 bucks and had no bites in over a week, maybe this will help. Definitely a decent pedal but I made a morning glory clone and can't fit both in my board.
i have always thought you have one of the best ears for tone rhett ...you know what are after ..,and you get it . I think this is a listening skill ...and i am starting to hear what i like too .....did you learn this from somebody ? Or did you just teach yourself ? Nobody really talks about this stuff ....but its crucial
I have 3 overdrive pedals : A cheap Kokko overdrive, an old BOSS SD-1, and a Digitech DF-7 (in the TS-9 setting) that I bought sometime in the late 90's. I love all 3 of them for very different reasons, and I don't think I'll ever need another overdrive pedal down the road (except maybe for a Blues Driver).
The Hot Tubes sound more like a Fuzz pedal. For my taste, I'd go for the OD3, JHS or BD2. You are correct about the Tube Screamer, I have one plugged into my Bassman and play a Paul jr, with a P90. It sounds horrible on my Marshall.
Never heard the Plumes before. pretty cool. I purchased a EHX HotWax a while back, but used the Crayon side more than the other, or the combination. To conserve pedal board space, got a second hand Crayon. The Crayon resides on my board next to a JHS Bonsai. I have the OD-3 as well, just never quite jelled with that one. Dipped in Tone is on my spotify, love it. Good luck with the house
Loved this. I think you should do the vid again with like a Roland cube or something else common for beginners so they know what these things sound like through a cheap amp as well.
imagine having 100 bucks
Yikes, sorry bro😬
Imagine you have the top comment. It’s 4 words. And permanently placed next to is a sign that says you had to literally edit one of those words.
At minimum 25% or your content needed fixing.
That’s more embarrassing that not having $100
@@Thearcherfl “or your content” is “of your content”. Better go edit.
@@DS-nw4eq 🗿
Imagine replying to a comment 2 years later just to point out it was edited. Gay.
Zach Broyles’ denim jacket with the collar popped and sleeves rolled up is what I want my guitar tone to be. Josh Scott’s bicycle t-shirt and dad jeans is what my guitar tone is.
In all honesty, though, that whole 3 Series is severely underrated. So good.
Lol!
What Applebee's appetizer would Zach be?
@@randolphgallagher7942 mozzarella sticks for sure.
🤭🤭🤭
So true, I kicked the pedal obsession (almost) after buying about 50+ of various types. Cheap, expensive, boutique, factory, all chasing "the tone". Ultimately I found out I still sound like me through all of them. Yes, some are better than others, but in the long run, I sound better by practicing more than any pedal is going to improve my sound.
@pvbaelen...I tend to agree here. We seem to get lost in the fact that such content is really business & clouds the viewers into thinking they have to get this or that new pedal.
And actually when it comes to overdrive, likely the least important pedal in terms of differentiation. So, it really comes down to ones playing.
Cheers. 🎸🎸🎸
I suscribe to this comment 100%.
The more I practice, my guitar mysteriously begins to sound better
Amen
Went to see the band Big Thief play live a few days ago. What really struck me was how fantastic Adrienne's Lenkers guitar playing sounded. And she says she prefers to almost always play just guitar direct into a great amp. It was Collings guitar into Magnatone Twilighter. Apart from the tight playing, I think her choice of a particularly well-built guitar, with the P-90 pickups were another reason it sounded so good. Great projection - it sounded so crunchy and alive and pushed out in the room. So having a couple of choice options when it comes to pickups might be preferable to tons of pedal options.
The Hot Tubes is a fantastic pedal. Feels like 80% Overdrive / 20% fuzz with a very large range of gain. It's capable of very subtle low gains while always retaining an identity of its own. At higher gain the sound gets pretty thick as the fuzzy aspect gets more and more noticeable. Very unique and probably not suited for every situation but definitely one of my favorite OD.
Every ehx pedal is about 20% fuzz lol
Perhaps the best pedal for making a boring amp sound better. Great on bass too.
@@misterknightowlandcohaha
My first pedal back in the 70s. Was 120v. It would keep blowing up, I'd keep rewiring it, and it would sound even better. Like thunder.
The Blues Driver is amazing tbh
the blues driver is good. the angry driver is amazing.
Honestly that is the one pedal I have never played. Maybe one day :(
It really is, I wish my dumb ass thirteen year old self would have gone for it instead of the Turbo Distortion in my local guitar shop
@@GuitarJawn you'd like it does great for buckers and singles
I did not like mine when I purchased it in 10th grade, but now I love it!
it sounds way better on my ac15 than it did on the cheap solid-state
Crate amps I used to jam with in high school, lol
The Blues Driver is my first overdrive and is still, after so many, my favorite. I can use it literally in any position I want, in any config and it will sound brilliant.
Can't go wrong. I use it for light-ish rhythm gain and fat Duane type leads. Does it all.
When it comes to UA-cam channels and musicians, describing the category as "over-saturated" is a massive understatement. From professional producer musicians to lifelong studio greats, to virtuosos and even future guitar legends, the amount of content at our fingertips is seemingly endless. That being said, there are individuals who stand out.. who rise above the rest. Some, because of their insane riffs and licks.. others, their attention to cinematic details and incredible audio/video quality. Who's one of my favorites you may ask? Fuckin' Rhett, man. He consistently uploads a variety of educational, entertaining, engaging, and killer guitar content.. he just gets it. I've been playing instruments longer than I can remember. I've played in all kinds of scenarios.. studios, bars, churches, weddings.. I've been writing music for decades. At this point in my life, I mostly play acoustic guitar. Somehow Rhett has caused me to purchase a resonator, a handful of slides, a Les Paul, a semi-hollowbody, and the list goes on. He's given me inspiration in musical avenues I'd never even considered checking out over the years. I truly hope there's a mass of guitarists out there who feel the same and get excited every time a new video is posted. Rhett, you're doing something great and special.. I appreciate your dedication and hard work. Keep creating and following your dreams!
Sending peace & love from Missouri -Todd
Man, Todd I really appreciate reading this comment. This is so encouraging, thank you.
Hell yea brother
Amen to that. Rhett is the only guitar UA-camr that I watch every video from.
You're right, .... Rhett is really good!
with a real dose of passion...
If you're really on a budget, get the EHX hot wax. It's a single pedal combining the crayon and the hot tubes. You can use either side or stack them. I've enjoyed mine for a while now.
I just got one about six months ago. It stacks well with the East River Drive too.
Gonna be one of my next.
@@FunWithMastaAce I still have the hot wax, but I’ve since replaced the East River Drive with a Boss SD-1, I highly recommend it.
That is a great pedal!
@@keithpennington6141 Both those are tube screamers.
The Earthquaker Devices Plumes is really great.
The three different clipping modes are super useful.
It's like a hifi ts, way more useful.
With plumes, I like the middle toggle setting, with the gain low and volume at 2 oclock and tone adjusted to taste for a nice boost and breakup effect
I also think you really need to have the EHX Soul Food in here. It's one of the most affordable Klon Centaur-like circuits out there and imparts a very interesting tonal tweak whether you're using low gain/high volume or high gain/low volume.
I have a battered old blues driver which was my first overdrive and is pretty much a stable on my board ever since.
Others ODs come and go but the BD-2 is always in the mix.
I tried a few ODs a few years ago, and as soon as I switched on the Blues Driver, I knew this is it. And I still love it. Does everything from nearly no gain to almost Fuzz Face Territory. Also works fine with both Single Coils and Humbuckers.
The only other 'drive' I use is an old EQ, as a booster, most of the time after the BD2
My first pedal was the OD3 I changed to the BD and never went back.
Rhett! You should talk about the EHX Soul Food! Of everyone I know, I'm the only one that actually uses it like an overdrive rather than boost but I find it's one the most kickass cut-through-the-mix kind of overdrive, super underrated and has been a mainstay on my board for years
Wish the Nobels ODR-1 was on this list.
Loooove the ODR1. The mini was a near instant add to my board
It’s about $120
@@joshuamirabal822 I had the odr1 and it isn't as versatile as the od3. I remember getting mine for about $80. It's not bad but I had a harder time foaling in a good tone
Bd-2 is pretty much the one pedal I would choose if I could have only one.
Agree, does everything from nearly clean to Fuzz
@@patricksommer3971 I had one for years it was hard dialing in a good tone. It's easier to get the tone with the od3. I gave it away to a friend of mine after it being on and off my board for a few years in and out of a few bands across genres. I hear they work better with a stratocaster than the guitars I have
@@larrykhulmann6262 probably it did'nt work with your setup
With my amp and the Bluesdriver, it's hard to get a bad tone
Awesome pedal, super thick and glassy, cleans up really well without too much volume and clarity loss. Sounds just like my amps overdrive channel but a bit more definition. Prob my fav!
Many swear with the BD-2. Some say strat, some say humbucker. I love strats but never felt anything for the BD-2. From clean to Fuzz? Yes, pretty much. But not the fuzz I like. And the low gain retains some fuzziness. Misses something soft in between to be an overdrive. I modded an SD-1 to clipper choices and felt higher treshold clipping in such a circuit is more to my taste.
The hot tubes is my favourite guitar pedal, period. To me it sounds very "amp like" and dynamic, I use it to add a bit of gain to my clean sound all the time, or stack other overdrives into it, to push the input stage.
It does some very throbby tones.
OD 3 gets super gnarly. Great with p90s or firebird pickups
The OD-3 is the best one here
@@joshuamirabal822 totally. I really like the tone with the drive up 2/3 and the tone up half way. My guitar comes alive with that into a vox ac30
Brilliant,fat-silky single coil,heavy spongy humbucker sounds all else klon clone and ts type
Boss SD-1 is my fav value pedal. Sounds amazing boosting a dirty channel with a lot of gain. Has the perfect voicing for that specifically. I got mine for like $50 and run it at 13.5v. Love it into my Laney and Marshall.
My go to pedal :)
the TC MojoMojo needs to be on this list. I purchased the EHX Crayon that you feature here and basically couldn't use it with my set-up. It had way too much noise and didn't sound good at low-gain / boost type settings. So I swapped it for the Mojomojo which was $20 cheaper and I'm glad I did. The Mojomojo is much more versatile and less noisy.
My first pedal was a Hot Tubes / Crayon pedal called the Hot Wax, been on my board for close to 4 years
Great pedal. Kinda wish it had independent tone controls for each side but it's fantastic the way it is
I've been using that on my Bass rig for a few years, the blend is a godsend and I love the option of stacking.
Hot wax is a tremendous pedal,!!!!!!!
I had one of these for about a week. loved the sound, but the volume would cut out if i had both sides cranking, so I returned it and got a Fuzz pedal instead.
@@OneTinSloth1 : the more your signal distorts the less the volume increases when stacking overdrives since distortion means compression.
It's worth noting that the Plumes, while being similar to a tube screamer, uses only opamps giving a higher input impedance. It also runs the opamps on a bipolar supply that is -9V/9V giving 18 volts of headroom. These factors combined give it a lot more clarity than a classic tubescreamer. It also explains why it has so much output as well.
Just purchased my second Digitech Bad Monkey. I think that is one that should be on the list, especially for recording ... using the mix output direct. That may go beyond what these pedals do, but I think it is worth mentioning. Can only find it used now, but worth the search. As for new gear, Sweetwater rocks!!! \m/
by far my favourite tubescreamer. such an underated classic
This aged like fine wine 😂
Did you sell either of them during the craze??
@@jordanpratt3821no, I like the pedal too much to do that. Plus, I didn’t want to take advantage of someone else’s zealousness. Haha
F@*king Blues Driver! First pedal I bought when I picked up a Tele. Sold it. Don’t regret it because it got sold to a friend’s guitar student. For me, it’s the benchmark OD! Even over the OD-1. Thanks, Rhett! Great and much needed video! The EHX Soul Food is another outstanding OD under $100.
I used the Blues Driver for years, then the Plumes came out and I had to try it. Ever since I got my Plumes it has replaced my Blues Driver. I mainly use the Plumes on the OP Amp setting with the tone and gain set pretty high (almost like a treble booster), which just completely obliterates my amp.
A while back I watched a Premier Guitar Rig Rundown for the band All Them Witches. Their guitarist, Ben McLeod, uses a spartan rig of a Gibson LP with a Super Distortion in the bridge, a wah, a Blues Driver, a delay, a ehx Freeze, and a tuner. The sounds this guy gets are truly massive, fuzzed out tones, and he mainly used a Blues Driver for the first couple of albums they released. He said his favorite thing about the way he uses the Blues Driver (which is into a cranked Twin Reverb), is that he loves how it sounds like a pedal is being clicked on. He'll go from clean to boooooooming tube saturation.
Love the Plumes!
Joyo Ultimate Drive is one of my favorite cheap pedals of all time. Does anyone remember Freekish Blues Alpha Drive pedal LOL.
Thanks for keeping it real, Rhett. The Blues Driver is my ‘always on’ pedal and I use an OCD as a second gain stage for solos.
The Blues Driver is the first distortion pedal I ever had in the mid 90's when I was a teenager. Back then Boss was absolutely dominant and it seems in the recent years that the "boutique" stuff has sorta become more in vogue but I'm sure Boss is still awesome. Just an aside for Rhett, I know this is not a "budget" pedal but I'm just curious if you know anything about T-Rex. I have the Mudhoney and that thing is PHENOMENAL with my AC30. I'd HIGHLY recommend you check out T-Rex if you haven't and especially since you're a Vox fan as well.
I have the Boss SD-1 and have never grown tired of it. I had the Blues Driver back in the day and never fully appreciated what it was good for.
Have to say, I’m not a big fan of tubescreamers either, so have always ignored the Plumes, but that things sounded fantastic... particularly liked the LED clipping!
If I'm not mistaken, Tom Scholz was the first to use LEDs as a clipping component. At least, that was the first I heard of. Pretty ingenious.
If you include used pedals here, the Sparkle Drive Mod is a wonderful pedal imo. I love the wet/dry blend for a drive pedal. Can regularly find it used under $100.
I really appreciate your level of honesty. Integrity doesn’t come easy today. Thank you, Rhett.
Can't decide which I love the most between the OD3 and BD2. They're both in constant rotation on my board.
I have both on my board and stack them all the time. This combo is killer!
I bought a Behringer fake tube screamer for my Mesa boogie triple rectifier distortion channel and it is amazing. I paid $25 for the pedal.
With the absolutely SWEET tones that Rhett can get using a tube screamer type pedal, it makes me wonder why he hates them so much
It is probably the "feel" of playing the tube screamer.
I think it might have to do with how he is using it here. It works great as a boost into a dirty amp, but I don't think he likes it as much as a traditional overdrive. Most of the time I run my amps on the edge of breakup (so less gain than Rhett was using there) and I like the tube screamer less in that type of situation anyways. It is just a bit too extreme most of the time. I like that it tightens up the low end, but it goes really far with pushing the mids and you loose so much of the high end too. Its an important pedal to understand, but I definitely agree that it lacks the versatility that a lot of other great overdrives have.
Had 3 back in the day, sold one and gave two away, and I wish I'd kept them because they would be worth SO much now. That said I would sell them and buy something else, because like Rhett I just don't get on with em.
I bought a ts808 in 1980. Rhett is right...it doesn't work well in certain set-ups. I sold mine for a big sum. I bought a Plumes recently, and it is far better. *I'm sure I will get some hate for that, but the Plumes is far more versatile. Price wasn't a consideration. EQD got it right.
I’m not a fan of the original TS but other developers take on a TS are what I dig. Like another EQD pedal that is next on my list to buy Palisades. It’s based on the TS 808 but with 6 different versions of the 808, 2 OD buttons and a boost. Massive versatility. Way Huge Saucy Box is what I have now and it’s in that vein. Kind of a mashup of a klon, TS and a plexi. Great sound,
The Mojo mojo is a excellent pedal for guitar and bass.
Is always a personal preference. I had it and sold it in a few hours. Simply hated it. Now i use a Nobels od
I find it has way too much low end and gets dark and muddy because of it. I still have it though as Paul Gilbert simply loves it. Gives me the feeling I'm using it wrong and might still get positively surprised one day.
It's a little wooly as a main od for me, but I have it now as post-mod, post-delay dirt, and for that it's absolutely perfect.
I run mine with the switch down, gain about 1030, bass about 10, treble at 3. Works well like that with a Fender DR at about 4-5 volume. Gotta remember the EQ is active so theres a lot of adjustment there
My go-to is the "Hot Wax", which is a Hot Tubes and a Crayon in a combo pedal. I love both sides, but I also really enjoy being able to place one in front of the other in a chain - either direction. The color provided by the Crayon really helps if you're looking to revoice the tone, and it sits well with the drive from the Hot Tubes.
Bro, one thing I like about you is your transparency. That's how I know you are legit. You don't hide your flaws, you always say if you are sponsored or not, so when you vouch for something, I'm always in.
Well they all sound great. I personally love the Crayon. I have the Hotwax and it can cover every tone I need. Amazing dual OD.
Rhett I just wanna say that I discovered your channel through Rick Beato's channel and then I have been watching your backstage vlogs. Man, thanks for presenting the life on the road, a musician's life. That's the life I've been wanting to live and you're really ignited the flame in me and those videos have been inspiring and encouraging! You are my favorite youtuber now. Keep going and good wishes to you.
The Boss Blues Driver is one of the most underrated pedals out there. I think it creates a smooth, pleasing and musical distortion.
Underrated? Hardly.
The "Plumes" is badass on bass!
That Boss Blues Driver with the Strat sounds amazing! Sparkle and grit.
The Blues Driver has been my staple for 20 years. I feel a lot of people dismiss it because "it's just another Boss pedal"
The keeley modded blues driver was the only pedal I had for a long time. Though it was easily available when I bought it.
I can't decide this and the SD1. The BD has more growl and gain, but the SD is sweet and nice booster.
not really I kinda dismiss because I feel like its really made for blues, which I love but idk if its good for metal, is it?
@@anemaldemomusic8182 it’s not really tight enough to get a good metal tone i think. Allthough you could probably use it as a boost to tighten up an amp
@@anemaldemomusic8182 it doesn't do modern Metal but it has plenty of gain for Hard Rock up to 80s Heavy Metal. It can go beyond overdrive, into distortion territory.
More love for the EHX Glove here. It on my board alongside a Hudson Broadcast, Matthews Architect and Walrus Iron Horse. More than holds its own! Very versatile, but I use it as a clean(ish) boost. It’s 'OCD' like, I believe. Great pedal.
Congrats on the house man!
Side note, if you have a Tubescreamer pedal with led diodes, they sound amazing with the gain cranked.
The Crayon is one of the best overdrives I've bought. In fact, when I don't have my Sansamp, I use it as an always-on pedal to sculpt my fuzzes. But thanks to this video, I have a better appreciation. It killed my Tube Screamer-type GAS.
Another absolutely unbeatable drive unit is the Hardwire CM-2 Tube Drive. I still use this one to this day.
Bd 2 is my first pedal ever and i love this.
Thank you. Greetings from Catalonia.
I recently got a Wampler Tumnus. I absolutely love it.
Blues Driver is the only pedal that has never been taken off my board
for years I pretty much used only one pedal for gigs and jamsessions: the OD3. I did disconnect 2 diodes which made the pedal a bit more transparent without losing it`s character. Going into a Clean(ish) amp set to: as loud as you can get away with, vol 2/3 ´o clock, tone 12 ´o clock, gain 10/11 ´o clock and play with the guitar volume a lot to get beautiful cleans and thundering overdrive sounds. amazing pedal.
I think that HotCake deserves it's own episode.
The hotcake was my second overdrive after a blues driver. To this day yhey are still the two drives I have on my modest board.
The Infamous HC!
Agree
Kiwi hotcakes
He could've mentioned here the MI Audio Effects Blues Pro and Super Blues Pro. They have always tweaked the TS style to have more variety/versatility in the sounds and tone as well as more gain and slight Fuzzy option. They were doing this affordably before the Plumes, tho I love EQD too.
I use a crayon (with my vox amp) to replicate almost a treble boost and it sounds great. Would recommend the crayon!
I’m with you. The Crayon is a great pedal. Even better, EHX has combined the Crayon with the Hot Tubes in one great dual-overdrive pedal.
For a quick run out and do a gig board I would use both boss pedals in line and delay and a reverb. That's it.
I have the Plumes and find it really versatile with all my guitars. And so loud (!) I’ve even used it in the effects loop of my AC30s1 to boost the power section, works a treat. One thing you didn’t mention was that the soft footswitch has a momentary latching feature, which is great for an occasional fill 👌🏻
Hi, what do mean by "momentary latching feature"? Don't most Boss pedals use the soft foot-switch?
With plumes, If you tap switch with your foot it turns on like normal, if you push down and hold switch down, it will turn off when you take your foot off.
The bluesdriver is very nice. Great also in front of a very clean amp -> great for bedroom/practice loudness drive tones
All of those sound fantastic. Great vid Rhett-excellent playing to highlight the pedals. Love my BD2 into an old Pro Jr-such a good mix. Would love to see you do a similar vid for FUZZ!
My local music store manager - who I've known for what seems like forever - recommended the EHX Crayon. and I love it. Very versatile.
The Digitech Bad Monkey and the Joyo Ultimate Drive are excelent!
Bad Monkey and an SD-1mare my go to’s.
The riffs for the Hot Tubes pedal were very Rival Sons-esque…specifically the song “Secret” 👌
I like every one of these for different reasons. Great video.
I especially love the Boss OD-3. It can be an “amp in a box” into a clean amp, and it’s also great for pushing an amp with the drive at minimum and the level cranked.
Again, great video!
For the people out there who might not know, there is a Hot Tubes and Crayon combo pedal called the Hot Wax, crayon stacks pretty nicely before the Hot Tubes, can go anything from a light tube breakup kinda sound to pretty agressive overdrive/distortion territory
Thanks Rhett for sharing this. Also, glad it didn't get rained out.
Cheap and effective always make for great must haves in the guitar collection and gear. Great and informative
I have the Hot Wax, which gives me the Hot Tubes and the Crayon in one pedal. Plus you can blend the original signal back in. Super versatile!
I have the crayon, I'm just going to say, if you're thinking of buying it, go for it. it's great
the crayon is a great pedal to start with on your board. it doesn't add too much artificial gain unlike ts-9 but boosts your amp and makes the sound fuller. the eq's make it lot more versatile for treble, mid, and bass boost, perfect for any tone-chasing. i wonder why it doesn't get that much appreciation on the comments tho
I love my Blues Driver pedal, and I have some pretty fancy pants OD pedals. It’s not that the more expensive pedals don’t have a place, but sometimes I just love that tone that the Blues Driver brings. Reminds me of the blues bands I used to listen to in Memphis and N Mississippi when I lived down there. Maybe it’s the nostalgia that I’m in love with.
Rhett: Would you be able to do a comparison between (a) what doesn't suck, and (b) what really really sucks? I'm not sure whether UA-cam audio is detailed enough to record the difference but, if it is, it could be very helpful. Also: I haven't checked to see if you've done an Ibanez Tubescreamer video, but the little bit of research I found on it explained the wide range of prices for used units (everyone wanting the one that SRV used). Apparently, they've used a number of different circuits/chips, and it would be useful to know whether the circuit/chip differences among the various iterations of the pedal have made any sonic difference. Cheers, Paul.
I play my boss sd-1 more than any other pedal 😳 including benson preamp, Greer lightspeed, and many other of same boutique type.... it’s all hype and really 90 % of tone is in your hands 🙌🏽still love the boutique stuff but most of them have come and gone 🧐
Agreed 100%. I’ve got an SD-1 and a Bad Monkey on my board, both set as boosts with low to moderate gain, covers 95% of my overdrive needs.
Disagree. I have the sd1 and it's unusable for me due to the huge bass cut.
@@jc5512 Weird, I’ve never had a bass cut problem with mine.
That Blue Driver sounds really good. But I am biased towards that style of music. On a side note, Sweetwater is a great place to get gear. Everyone I've dealt with has been very cool.
I swear by the BD2 ! I have a Wampler Tumnus and Snouse Blackbox, but I still find myself gravitate towards the BD2 in 75% of situations
Same here. Might be the best pedal ever made.
That Tumnus is absolutely killer though. But yea that BD2 is great
Me too. My BD2 is a main stay on my board
Truth ... me too ... I put boutique drives on my board for a while and then try the BD-2 again ... dang it... I want the bullet-proof BD-2 goodness back.
Should be rebranded and marketed for shoegazers as the SG2
I think your playing on this video is perfection. Bravo Rhett.
Love my Plumes!
I don't like Tube Screamers. Do you think the Plumes would change my mind?
@@Supernautiloid I think the Plumes has a much smoother organic sound.
I didn’t read all 1000+ comments on this video, so I’m sure someone has already made the comment I’m about to make. The EHx Hot Wax is a great low budget overdrive. It’s 2 in 1, both the Hot Tubes and the Crayon in one box. Also has the added benefit of a blend control to blend in your clean signal making it able to cover a ton of ground. I prefer it over most of my more expensive ODs. Some gripe that the eq controls are more flexible, but it’s a great pedal. Grabbed it used for $80.
I actually own the Boss OD-3! A gift from a really good friend. It's an amazing pedal
I wish I could be as cool as Zach Broyles - popped collar, rolled up sleeves, Ecto-1 pin on the jacket...
Excellent video, Rhett!
The crayon paired with hot tubes was one of my favorite combos
Big fan of the Timmy style pedals, Caline makes the Pure Sky and it does the job
You are such a good player. I was surprised by how good the EHX pedals sounded, and I had never heard of them, so thanks for the introduction!
I’ve used the boss super over drive for 30 yrs. still love it.
"Six pedals which, because of this video, are gonna double the price in three days"
The good thing with a big company like boos is that prices stay stable. Now the other ones...
Haha I currently have a jhs 3 series od on craigslist for 65 bucks and had no bites in over a week, maybe this will help. Definitely a decent pedal but I made a morning glory clone and can't fit both in my board.
@@leftovernoise send me a link
Only suckers fall for that shit...but,then again,there are a lot of suckers.
@@amaiahmusik If the demand goes up, so does the price. Basic market and finance law.
Hot Tubes,,,EH fan for years (LPB 1, Red script Big Muff, Holy Stain).
Journey "Standing In The Line Of Fire".]
LP, Hot Tubes, Peavey Mace.
Dude just for the heck of it i kinda wanna buy me the hot tubes , you made it sound so proper.
i have always thought you have one of the best ears for tone rhett ...you know what are after ..,and you get it .
I think this is a listening skill ...and i am starting to hear what i like too .....did you learn this from somebody ? Or did you just teach yourself ? Nobody really talks about this stuff ....but its crucial
The hot tubes sound absolutely monstrous (in a good way)! Almost edging into distortion territory.
I have 3 overdrive pedals : A cheap Kokko overdrive, an old BOSS SD-1, and a Digitech DF-7 (in the TS-9 setting) that I bought sometime in the late 90's. I love all 3 of them for very different reasons, and I don't think I'll ever need another overdrive pedal down the road (except maybe for a Blues Driver).
The Crayon is perfect for Marines who play guitar , and it cannot be eaten . Semper Fi from a RM vet in the UK .
First time seeing your videos. Just wanted to say your voice is incredibly clear and crisp! I dig it
Great video Rhett! imo the blues driver is still the best option for less than a hundred bucks. Keep it going bro, this channel has a nice vibe
The Hot Tubes sound more like a Fuzz pedal. For my taste, I'd go for the OD3, JHS or BD2. You are correct about the Tube Screamer, I have one plugged into my Bassman and play a Paul jr, with a P90. It sounds horrible on my Marshall.
Never heard the Plumes before. pretty cool. I purchased a EHX HotWax a while back, but used the Crayon side more than the other, or the combination. To conserve pedal board space, got a second hand Crayon. The Crayon resides on my board next to a JHS Bonsai. I have the OD-3 as well, just never quite jelled with that one. Dipped in Tone is on my spotify, love it. Good luck with the house
I have the first 2, Plumes is always on, OD-3 is not on the board currently, but I revisit it every now and again.
Loved this. I think you should do the vid again with like a Roland cube or something else common for beginners so they know what these things sound like through a cheap amp as well.
What about the Mooer Pedals Rhett? Blues Crab is a stunning little pedal and wouldn’t be without it on my board now
My favourite gain stage combo (the one that I own lol) is:
Blues Driver < Sd-1 < Fuzz Factory
Just get an ODR mini. It's incredible.
Congrats on the house! Thats awesome i hope all the inspections go well. I hope that it all plans out well for you.