Overdrive

Anybody have an suggestions for a good overdrive pedal to run with the Mark v? I am currently using a digitech "screaming monkey" overdrive and I am not very happy with it at all.

Overdrive with a Mark V?????????? What the hell kind of guitar are you using? :roll:

I haven't needed an overdrive pedal since I bought the mark v. I can't imagine how I could use one besides making a 4th channel by only using it on the clean channel...

hubba069 said:

Anybody have an suggestions for a good overdrive pedal to run with the Mark v?.

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I am using a BB Preamp from Xotic effects. Works nicely. Link below. Note I use it with Drive set low and the gain pulled back on the MV.

http://www.xotic.us/effects/bb_preamp/

im usein a maxon od808 just for more character. Set your balance full your tone just about 11 oclock and use gain to taste. I use it at 9 oclock on my crunch to acheive a vht pittbull cl type lead which is what i sold for my mark v. When i use it on channel 3 its usually on mark iv settin with its gain around noon maybe inbetween noon and 1. Get massive crunch which is nice and i like it to my ears. Most metal guitarist use a maxon od in their set up no matter what amp they have jsut to tighten up sound and add a bit more crunch. I also run the maxon through the effects loop of my ns2 i got to talk to ken susi of unearth and adam d of killswitch and they both do this they say it gives the 808 a type of true bypass in a sort. It does sound alot diffrent if its in the effects loop of the ns2 and when its in the actually guitar loop it self before the ns2. But then again i did use a maxon od808 with 6505s, my vht, oranges, duals, even mesa studio preamp i just like the crunch before anythin but everyones taste is diffrent.

Barber LTD. On board the amp you already have clean, crunch and high gain. Any mid gain overdrive can be matched in channel 2. The LTD is great because it a low gain pedal, use is for a solo in your clean channel or shape some tone in channel's 2 and 3 with out overloading on gain.

I Use a Fulltone OCD in Channel one as a psuedo 4th channel

I'm using a Red Witch Famulus. 8)

I'm currently using an MXR Distortion III. I've had allot of more expensive OD's, but this guy works just fine for the little amount I need it. It's listed as a distortion pedal, but it's really more like a Tube Screamer.

Thanks for the info guys. I've been looking through all of your suggestions and I'm feeling kinda torn between the BB Preamp and the Maxon OD808.

I really want an overdrive pedal that will tighten up the amp a bit and give that extra push, but without coloring the tone too much.

Few questions to those of you with the BB and OD808:
1. Can it do heavy metal good (Specifically which is better suited for high gain on channel 3)?
2. Can it achieve a killswitch type of tone (This question is mainly for owners of the BB)?
3. Does it sound overly fuzzy?

BTW, the guitars I primarily use are:
1. Jackson with Seymour Duncans (jazz in neck, Invader in bridge)
2. Jackson with EMG 81/85

Lately I have been digging the sound of the humbuckers with my Mark 5. Seems like that has been the preference of most owners with Mark Series amps.

i play in a pretty heavy fuckin band, 7 strings tuned to a, with dimarzios and it gives a perfect tone in the 3rd channel. and i find with my 6 strings in drop b and drop c that in channel 3 my tone is pretty simliar to acacia strain's tone and my channel 2 with the od sounds exactly like end of heart ache era killswitch tone.

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I have an overdrive that I use on the clean channel. Like 'cuda above said it's like having a 4th channel. I can go from clean to just breaking up without having to actually change channels or flip to tweed mode. But yeah I agree with you on the tightness of the amp already out of the box. Can't see needing it tighter or more gain. But hey to each their own. If it sounds good cool.

th0rr said:

I have an overdrive that I use on the clean channel. Like 'cuda above said it's like having a 4th channel. I can go from clean to just breaking up without having to actually change channels or flip to tweed mode. But yeah I agree with you on the tightness of the amp already out of the box. Can't see needing it tighter or more gain. But hey to each their own. If it sounds good cool.

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I agree, but an OD adds saturation which is hard to achieve at low volumes, so I can see wehre an OD would have it's place. It would also be useful for light breakup if/when needed. This amp is tight as hell though! I have an MXR classic distortion that I might play with just to see what tones I can get...

Koprofag said:

hubba069 said:

I really want an overdrive pedal that will tighten up the amp a bit and give that extra push, but without coloring the tone too much.

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You've invested in a fine amp that is tighter than most amps straight out of the box. It has a graphical EQ, three solid channels, insane amounts of gain and various power settings. I just don't see why you'd want to add an overdrive pedal to all that. :wink:

Not to come out as arrogant, but I suspect speaker choice, cabinet design, guitar pickups, tone settings and output will do much more for your sound than some pedal. But to each his own!

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Agree as well. However, maybe he ain't using an OD pedal to tighten up his amp. Running an OD with the clean channel could be another tonal variation that he might want to seek...

Rezamatix said:

I haven't needed an overdrive pedal since I bought the mark v. I can't imagine how I could use one besides making a 4th channel by only using it on the clean channel...

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+1 here.

This is the only reason why I keep my OCD...

I use a Digitech Bad Monkey just on occasion (mainly for some more beef during solos) and couldn't be happier with it. If they doubled the price of this pedal, I think it would still be great.

The V definitely has a more compressed feel than the Recto I had, in which I used an OD constantly. Not really for more gain, just smoothness.

I haven't needed an overdrive pedal since I bought the mark v. I can't imagine how I could use one besides making a 4th channel by only using it on the clean channel...

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Bingo. I use channel two pretty much exclusively for solo tones in Mark I mode. If I switch to edge or crunch, the EQ settings have to be totally redone which makes them about useless to my setlist/style. So, I use the clean channel and the Bad Monkey for lower gain crunch. In fact, channel two could only have Mark I mode, and that would be fine with me. In a way, an OD can make it seem like you have a 4th channel, which is VERY helpful for gigging with a diverse setlist.

scott7d said:

I use a Digitech Bad Monkey just on occasion (mainly for some more beef during solos) and couldn't be happier with it. If they doubled the price of this pedal, I think it would still be great.

The V definitely has a more compressed feel than the Recto I had, in which I used an OD constantly. Not really for more gain, just smoothness.

I haven't needed an overdrive pedal since I bought the mark v. I can't imagine how I could use one besides making a 4th channel by only using it on the clean channel...

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Bingo. I use channel two pretty much exclusively for solo tones in Mark I mode. If I switch to edge or crunch, the EQ settings have to be totally redone which makes them about useless to my setlist/style. So, I use the clean channel and the Bad Monkey for lower gain crunch. In fact, channel two could only have Mark I mode, and that would be fine with me. In a way, an OD can make it seem like you have a 4th channel, which is VERY helpful for gigging with a diverse setlist.

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just write more songs in a style that you can use the mark v for :lol:

didn't seem like it was clarified whether the od was for the "4th" channel layering or for the gain tightening...

i would think a tube screamer type od would make it a little too middy or honky. i like (and have used) the sparkle drive on the iv on channel 2, but not really quite as successful for the v. i think the gain and eq are a little different (in a better way) that imo doesn't work as well with the sparkle drive. however, if you needed a more straight-up gain boost, then you can still get that (although also kind of useless if you just use the solo feature). idk where i was going with that.

anyway, imho i don't think an od is really necessary. i could see how you could want the 4th ch thing, but if you tune your ch 2 in that way, then you would probably not even need that, really. it simplifies your pedal, anyway. i'm thinking i might even sell my keeley ds-1 (which i can clone any time, if i like) and sparkle drive. maybe i can put the $$ towards rack gear

hubba069 said:

Thanks for the info guys. I've been looking through all of your suggestions and I'm feeling kinda torn between the BB Preamp and the Maxon OD808.

I really want an overdrive pedal that will tighten up the amp a bit and give that extra push, but without coloring the tone too much.

Few questions to those of you with the BB and OD808:
1. Can it do heavy metal good (Specifically which is better suited for high gain on channel 3)?
2. Can it achieve a killswitch type of tone (This question is mainly for owners of the BB)?
3. Does it sound overly fuzzy?

BTW, the guitars I primarily use are:
1. Jackson with Seymour Duncans (jazz in neck, Invader in bridge)
2. Jackson with EMG 81/85

Lately I have been digging the sound of the humbuckers with my Mark 5. Seems like that has been the preference of most owners with Mark Series amps.

Click to expand...

I've had both pedals, the od808 and the bb preamp. Personally, the 808 was very trebly sounding to me and it took away from the characteristics of the amp I use (Mark IV), I bought a BB and haven't looked back since. The OD808 handled metal well, neither were fuzzy, the bb can probably get what you want out of it, but don't rely on it for all your gain. Hope that helped.

There are only 2 or 3 types of overdrive not covered by the Mark V:
A 'Clean Blend' overdrive, where you can blend in your clean like a 2-amp setup (Think Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, T-Rex Møller or TC Nova Drive), an old school Page/Hendrix/Gilmour fuzz tone (Tonebender, Fuzzface or Big Muff style), and maybe a Dumble type drive, like a Zendrive or something to round it out even more.

With those 3 pedals and a Mark V, I can't imagine which color you would be missing, even for pro session gigs.