Pedals And Effects: Overdrive Wars

As if Fuzz Wars wasn’t enough, Pedals And Effects has decided to make a segment for overdrive pedals called, what else, "Overdrive Wars!"  I'm just flying solo in this installment, but it was nice to get out of my comfort zone with this sort of effect. This is the first time I have actually done a comparison of overdrives, I actually learned a few new things about overdrives during the making of this video.

Photo credit: Big City Music

The Overdrive Wars shows off four overdrive pedals that deliver different results while highlighting why shopping for a good overdrive should be a serious endeavor.  We start the video off with Loud Button’s, Balls Deep Overdrive. This pedal delivers a pretty hard hitting overdrive that gets really good distortion, while offering some pretty different tonal varieties. (The Loud Button also has the silliest and most obvious innuendos ever). The second drive up is DOD’s reissue of their 250 Overdrive pedal that DOD made for years. This pedal is a simple two knob overdrive but gets a really solid sound while remaining simple.

Photo credit: Tonereport

I am guilty of being an impulse shopper, and the third pedal in the shootout was an impulse buy. Skychord’s Truck Loud overdrive pedal was a pedal I purchased while at Big City Music in Studio City, while shopping for a synthesizer. When I was at the store, I of course, had to check out what pedals they had, and the owner mentioned he really loved this new overdrive pedal Skychord makes. I tried it right there and bought it and never used it on anything after that. After this shootout, I may consider finding a spot for it on one of my boards!

Photo credit: Equipboard

The last overdrive is Earthquaker Devices’ Crimson Drive.  This effect is another three knob pedal so the sounds it delivers are pretty varied.  I am always very partial to Earthquaker Devices because the quality and the ability of every one of their pedals is mind blowing. Their Crimson Drive is not my favorite, but I hear that a lot of guitarists prefer it. It definitely stood up to the other three pedals, but is unfortunately now discontinued.

And as I mention in the video, I am not an overdrive freak to say the least.  I rarely use one but, after this video was shot I have a new interest in overdrives.

-Juan