the oft asked question, “What
is the best distortion
pedal?” is impossible
to answer . . . it’s
like asking, “Which
is better—cumin,
tarragon, cinnamon,
or cardamom?”
The Ibanez TS9 and earlier TS808 are perhaps the most storied and copied overdrive
pedals in history, which is why the company has reissued these replicas. They’ve been
key to the tones of notable players such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rory Gallagher, Green
Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong, and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Stone Gossard.
The Klon Centaur and Menatone Red Snapper are two pedals that aim to produce transpar- ent overdrive and preserve the tone of your amp.
In the Overdriver’s Seat
The next step up in the saturation
chain is the overdrive pedal. As previously mentioned, with overdrives there
can be considerable overlap with boost
pedals. Many overdrives are used for
boosting the amount of amp overdrive
as well as adjusting the tone and adding
extra dirt to the signal.
The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (street
$99, ibanez.com) and TS808 Tube
Screamer (street $179) are touchstones
of overdrive in that most other overdrive
effects are compared to and/or contrasted
with them. While TS9-style overdrives
can impart enough distortion for lead
work at unity gain, quite often they are
employed as boost pedals with some
added grit. By keeping the overdrive low,
the level high, and using them with an
amp that’s slightly distorted, you can
