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What a mate of mine has done is gets a pedal he thinks will be ok through research and then gets Waylon McPherson to modify it.

Maybe the sound you want is a OD1.

I'm going to attempt to actually answer Molly's question:
'Anybody want to simplify it for me and share the pros and cons of the more popular ones that might be a good fit with an essentially clean amp?'

Klon/KTR/Klone - More of an upper mid boost with possible overdrive, rather than an actual overdrive. It's probably far better as a boost pushing an amp in to overdrive that it is at creating the overdrive and feeding it to a clean amp. So best into a amp on the edge.

Timmy/Barber LTD/Boss BD-2 - 'Transparent' Overdrives. These essentially keep your EQ profile intact, but add some grit. All really good into a clean amp. I personally prefer more coloured ODs.

DLS/G2D Classic/Box of Rock - Marshall Style OD's. Supposed to bring the Marshally tone even into a Fender or whatever. I've never tried the BoR or DLS so can't say too much. G2D Classic is fantastic though. These would be great into a clean amp.

Bluesbreaker/King of Tone/Prince of Tone/Morning Glory - all based on the Bluesbreaker pedal. I've never had any of them so can't say much. As I under stand it, these are more colored and compressed that the transparent drives, and are loved by many. John Mayer seems to sound OK using his into a clean amp.

Hotcake - To me the holy grail in many ways. With the gain down, it's a clean boost, then it moves into a nice overdrive, then a gritty distortion, and finally a full on fuzz. Unlike most pedals, it never cuts the bass. The presence/tone knob is pretty full on, so I usually leave it off, unless I'm on the fuzz mode, when I turn it on. There is something in the Hotcake' tone which is not great into a squeaky clean amp, so another that I think it better into a slightly OD amp, and orgasmic into a Vox AC30 or Marshall

bbrunskill wrote:I'm going to attempt to actually answer Molly's question:
'Anybody want to simplify it for me and share the pros and cons of the more popular ones that might be a good fit with an essentially clean amp?'

This is exactly why I suggested:

bender wrote: I'd highly recommend the Catalinbread foundation pedals- either DLS (Marshall), SFT (Ampeg), Formula 5F6 (Fender Bassman) plus something from Silverpistol (TMcB)- probably a Rogue (Klonish) or Bronson (which is its own thing- in the Timmyish camp). The foundation pedal to give you a different amp flavour and the Rogue or Bronson to bump the front end of your amp or the foundation pedal. That'd be a great combination.

The Catalinbread foundation pedals are the best I've tried for adding dirt to a squeaky clean amp.

Define "popular"
Mass produced and bought by a lot of people?
Handwired on a mystical isle by virgin maidens using components made from authentic unicorn poo?

I'm pretty sure none of these are what you're looking for, but I'll get them out of the way:

MXR M75
Pro: Sounds good. Proper 3 band eq.
Con: I couldn't dial it up to a real thick heavy crunch. Wants to feedback.

Would not repurchase.

MXR M77
Pro: Sounds good. First in my chain and hasn't moved from that spot for a long time.
Con: Not booteek

I own 2. I have 1 for sale, but I've overpriced it because deep down I like having 2.

MXR M78
Pro: Crunchy
Con: Doesn't do clean. Maybe a bit digital sounding. Dialled up to a heavy crunch it wants to feedback.

Would not repurchase.

MC 401
Pro: Smashes anything after it with +20db
Con: Doesn't add dirt. This isn't really a con because that's not it's job.

I own 2. Very useful tool when stacking many drives attempting to get every sound from SRV to Pantera.

DLS MKIII
Pro: Thick crunchy Marshall in a box
Con: Thick crunchy Marshall in a box

Sold to me by bender for $175. Might on-sell for same. Haven't decided. Some days I like Marshall distortion, some days I think it's same same boring.

M264 FET Driver
Pro: Doesn't get that shrill sound when wound up. Doesn't cause feedback.
Con: Bass is hard to control. Hard to dial in.

Another constant on my board. Sounds great when recorded. Not fizzy.
Would buy again.

bender wrote:

bbrunskill wrote:I'm going to attempt to actually answer Molly's question:
'Anybody want to simplify it for me and share the pros and cons of the more popular ones that might be a good fit with an essentially clean amp?'

This is exactly why I suggested:

bender wrote: I'd highly recommend the Catalinbread foundation pedals- either DLS (Marshall), SFT (Ampeg), Formula 5F6 (Fender Bassman) plus something from Silverpistol (TMcB)- probably a Rogue (Klonish) or Bronson (which is its own thing- in the Timmyish camp). The foundation pedal to give you a different amp flavour and the Rogue or Bronson to bump the front end of your amp or the foundation pedal. That'd be a great combination.

The Catalinbread foundation pedals are the best I've tried for adding dirt to a squeaky clean amp.

Agreed!

Still got a spare OD1 if you're interested. really need to get around to selling some of the crap I dont use, but cant be arsed.

Thanks for all the replies chaps and the kind offers to loan gear. That's bloody good of you.

Just back from a very long day driving to Dunedin / six open homes / driving back. Will re-read this thread and digest it all tomorrow.

Thanks again.

Green Bastard wrote:Still got a spare OD1 if you're interested. really need to get around to selling some of the crap I dont use, but cant be arsed.

I've made a rule for myself that new crap must be funded by selling existing unused crap.

Molly if you don't take the OD1 off the Bastard I might just because.

Well, my need to buy / try any number of overdrives was kind of negated this morning when I discovered someone had gone with the fixed price offer on the TopHat. So, all being well, it's now sold. As it 'appens the Boogie MkV combo arrives today.

Thanks very much for all the advice above and especially to those of you who very kindly offered to send me their pedals to try. That was just fantastic of you.

That's ok Molly, bookmark this thread for when you buy the next amp.

just get a Fulltone OCD and be done with it

Molly wrote:Well, my need to buy / try any number of overdrives was kind of negated this morning when I discovered someone had gone with the fixed price offer on the TopHat. So, all being well, it's now sold. As it 'appens the Boogie MkV combo arrives today.

Thanks very much for all the advice above and especially to those of you who very kindly offered to send me their pedals to try. That was just fantastic of you.

The Mark V likes pedals too.

I tried the OCD and didn't like it. Guess it just depends on the particular combination of guitar / amp etc. as it came highly recommended.

Yesterday I bought a Hot Cake from Troy (cheap - good bloke that he is) and this morning bought an early Archer with Germanaliens so I'll have a couple in stock for when I decide the MkV is too complicated and go back around in circles.

Will be interested to hear your thoughts with the Rogue vs the Archer