Pedal through an overdriven amp

[werdna]

Chaps, please could you assist with some knowledge.

I wanted a tight modern overdrive sound.

I have a JCM800.

I tried a Mesa Throttle Box.

The sound is not much different from if I put through my Xotic AC boost. Yet they are meant to be totally different tones.

I guess pedals work better through clean amps not gainy amps?

[Miza]

Tube screamer. Meant to be played through an overdriven amp. Can't be beat.

[alanp]

The Lovetone Brown Source is also supposed to be very good through an already overdriven amp. Probably overbudget for you, though.

[druz15]

hotcake, OCD, tubescreamer, even just a clean boost will give a tighter gainier sound through most overdriven amps.

[higainer]

Tube screamer. Meant to be played through an overdriven amp. Can't be beat.

^ This
Or Boss SD-1, MXR GT-OD , Fulltone OCD, Maxon 808.
All will do what you want, remember to dime the level & have the gain knob barely on.

Tried & true formula

[Pastasauce]

Hotcake and BB Preamp both got me this kind of sound through my JCM800, of the recent pedals I've owned. I find the Hotcake more useful all around.

[werdna]

The Xotic AC boost is basically the same tone as the Fulltone OCD, which one of you recommended.

I take from this that it doesn't matter which of the pedals you recommended that I adopt - the sound is going to be more or less the same through the JCM 800. And it's not going to be a tight modern tone, it's going to be that classic amp plus tube screamer tone, which I already get.

Since I want a tight modern tone, I have to put the Mesa Throttle Box through a clean amp, or get a Dual Rec.

[Miza]

Have you tried an EQ pedal? Might give you more tweaking options. You'd be able to scoop the mids and bit and add a bit of bottom end.

[werdna]

Yes, have tried an eq pedal - still sounds like a Marshall.

This whole pedal thing is a dead end.

[willow13]

This whole pedal thing is a dead end.

you have your answer here .... get an amp that has the tone you want and run straight in for the WIN

[TmcB]

The Xotic AC boost is basically the same tone as the Fulltone OCD, which one of you recommended.

I take from this that it doesn't matter which of the pedals you recommended that I adopt - the sound is going to be more or less the same through the JCM 800. And it's not going to be a tight modern tone, it's going to be that classic amp plus tube screamer tone, which I already get.

Since I want a tight modern tone, I have to put the Mesa Throttle Box through a clean amp, or get a Dual Rec.

Yeah, there's a point where you're just pissing into the wind.
Pedals will help to give you more gain and different EQ but they're not going to make a sandwich out of a brick.
Depends if you like the tone your amp has inherently.
You tried something like a Dirty Little Secret? Only thinking hot rodded marshall might be what you're after, but if you're set on Mesa, nothing is going to scratch that itch properly, but that's a lot of coin.

Personally I think something with heaps of gain and lots of EQ capability pedal-wise like the MI Audio Megalith would work. That thing can do every high gain tone under the sun.

[godgrinder]

Since I want a tight modern tone, I have to put the Mesa Throttle Box through a clean amp, or get a Dual Rec.

How tight do you want to get? Pretty sure you can get Slayer type of tight by smashing it with an overdrive or EQ but obviously you won't get into the modern territory with just that.

I wouldn't call Recto's "tight" at all, they are flubby and loose. The Throttle box doesn't sound "modern" or "tight" to me either. If you are dead set on Mesa, get a Mark V. Otherwise get an Engl Powerball which is the epitome of tight modern tone imo. A 6505/5150 would do too if you are looking for something on the cheaper side.

Actually a good idea might be getting Ryan to mod your 800. A switchable Jose mod would get you there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGMN4jx4-6Y
Adding a depth control helps a ton too.

[AiRdAd]

Chaps, please could you assist with some knowledge.

I wanted a tight modern overdrive sound.

I have a JCM800.

I tried a Mesa Throttle Box.

The sound is not much different from if I put through my Xotic AC boost. Yet they are meant to be totally different tones.

I guess pedals work better through clean amps not gainy amps?

What speakers are you using? What model jcm800 is it?

[Kris]

i used to use the fx loop to bypass the pre on my 800,then flavour with what ever pedal to suit:)

[Aquila Rossa]

problem these days is there are two very different types of overdrives. the older type is generally used to boost and add little dirt to a clean or crunchy amp. the new type is what are called foundation overdrives/distortions. they are the Marshall in a box and amp flavour types. they are more about plugging into a clean amp and giving it the sonic flavour of this or that popular amp.

Tube Screamer, Boss Super Ovedrive, DOD 250, or even KLON are typical of the first type. Examples of the second type would be Dirty Little Secret doing the Marshall thing, RAH doing the old Hiwatt thing ala Jimmy Page, Wampler AC30 pedal that can make a clean Fender sound like a cranked up Vox, or Tech 21 pedals that can make a clean amp sound like a cranked up tweed amp etc. Foundation pedals are basically all analog amp modelling pedals to get a very specific tone out of a clean amp, but they can be used the traditional overdrive way; but with mixed results.