What have been your favourites over the years?

For me the OCD has been on my board for nearly the past decade. There's something just so alive sounding about it! It has that tube-like response. Stack it and you're in heaven.

I also use a Condor in a more Klon-like way, as a tone sweetener and for a light drive boost. Plus the EQ to goose the mids of other drives I use.

Just recently got a Timmy (the MXR one) and a Heavy Menace so I'll have to see how they integrate. I've heard the Timmy can go anywhere in the dirt chain and improve things.

OCD is brilliant alright. One of my sale regrets. I really like the Greer Lightspeed and the Keeley Super Phat Mod. The Phat Mod is essentially a blues driver with the Keeley Mod. I also recently got a ZVEX Double Rock, which is amazing.

Rats.  Turbo or regular.  They are just great.  It isn't what I am using though :laugh:

Obviously buying dirt is off the cards for me in most instances now since I can build them.  I am using two of my own as mains - Sardonic Perpetrator (Harmonic Percolator clone-ish) and a Richter (extended clone of a Fulltone Mosfet Bass Drive).

Sard Perp - actually a fuzz but I have the clipping off, a low cut on it, and the gain low.  Early stage Ge boost that works well with an aluminium neck, adds some nice rattle and plays nicely with any other drives afterwards.

Richter - running at 12v.  Clipping off and a clean pass for lows, medium-high gain settings with bass and treble just either side of noon.  Great headroom, good amp push.

I don't have much need to change either out because they both work great for my setup and can be dialled in wildly different to each other (or how I have them now) should I need a change.

Before this, I ran a Moose Battlehammer and Sundrive in Parallel using an LS2.  Great setup.  Had the BH eq'd low, the SD eq'd high, different gain and clipping setups on both, then blended back again and balanced afterwards.  Always kept great clarity for the high mids this way but the BH thump on the lows.

Quote from: Mr Barlow on November 27, 2024, 10:50:00 AMOCD is brilliant alright. One of my sale regrets. I really like the Greer Lightspeed and the Keeley Super Phat Mod. The Phat Mod is essentially a blues driver with the Keeley Mod. I also recently got a ZVEX Double Rock, which is amazing.

I've heard the Lightspeed is amazing, and very similar to the Timmy. How are you using yours? Standalone, boost, or goose?

Quote from: ochoill on November 27, 2024, 01:17:55 PMRats.  Turbo or regular.  They are just great.  It isn't what I am using though :laugh:

Obviously buying dirt is off the cards for me in most instances now since I can build them.  I am using two of my own as mains - Sardonic Perpetrator (Harmonic Percolator clone-ish) and a Richter (extended clone of a Fulltone Mosfet Bass Drive).

Sard Perp - actually a fuzz but I have the clipping off, a low cut on it, and the gain low.  Early stage Ge boost that works well with an aluminium neck, adds some nice rattle and plays nicely with any other drives afterwards.

Richter - running at 12v.  Clipping off and a clean pass for lows, medium-high gain settings with bass and treble just either side of noon.  Great headroom, good amp push.

I don't have much need to change either out because they both work great for my setup and can be dialled in wildly different to each other (or how I have them now) should I need a change.

Before this, I ran a Moose Battlehammer and Sundrive in Parallel using an LS2.  Great setup.  Had the BH eq'd low, the SD eq'd high, different gain and clipping setups on both, then blended back again and balanced afterwards.  Always kept great clarity for the high mids this way but the BH thump on the lows.

Rats are awesome lol, though haven't owned one in a long time. I just liked the OCD better and didn't need both.

The Richter sounds interesting. Gotta love those higher voltages for extra headroom. If you're cutting the lows with it too I'm sure you're getting some nice tight gain.

Yeah, the Lightspeed is class. Don't think it's quite as transparent as the Timmy....same ballpark though. Its often described as your amp...but more. I use mine as a Base tone....not quite clean, edge of break up...and then stack other flavours.

Seen the Battlehammer mentioned above. Another great drive ! Best Rat variant I've tried.

I've been using a Digitech bad monkey just to push the front end of the amp.
Gain almost to zero etc..
I've tried and bought a lot of things but keep going back to this.
Never used an OCD tho.....

I mostly run them on bass, so probably varies a bit to what most are after. I have to say Moose's stuff is the one stop for me, my Sledgehammer is my main drive, no matter who I'm playing with. Very tweakable, huge range of sounds available.

Other than that, picked up a Darkglass Microtubes B3K, first version, cheap off a lad at work, and that's a fantastic little always-on distortion. Use it less as an outright distortion, but more as something to just make the sound a little "more". It's a subtle but very noticeable difference. I think people's main complaint with it is the drive on its own is very characteristic and noticeable if you're running it flat out as a main distortion sound, but I find it fantastic for stacking.

I have a Quillfx Shelf Boost into a Battlehammer for bass and it's busting. Can pretty much leave it at that really

Don't really have a favourite drive pedal per se, generally I get my gain sound from my amp for heavier stuff. When I do cover gigs I use an Xotic BB preamp for my lower gain sound and a Joyo US Dream (suhr Riot Clone) for higher gain into a clean fender style amp sim pedal which goes direct to the PA. The BB has a nice character to the gain without being too drastic a change from the clean sound. I have used the Boss SD1 and Joyo Uzi for similar gain staging in the past and they worked well too.

I've tried the tubescreamer/Boss SD1 into the front of my 5150 for the volume boost/mid hump tightening thing but I still need a clean sound and it's one more pedal to turn off so I don't bother with it for live stuff but have used it for recording. I do sometimes use DOD Carcoza to hit the front of the amp to get a gnarly sound but it's more fuzz than drive. It's one of the few fuzzes I have that still sounds good into a heavy amp sound without getting too muddy.

For bass stuff I either use a sansamp and get a little bit of grit from that or a HX stomp with a driven SVT sound, that's what I use for most of the more classic sounding stuff. I like the HM2 and RAT sounds on bass for death metal but it's too thin and lacking in low end for me live. I keep meaning to pick up a loop blender so I can dial back some clean blend in with the distorted bass tone.

Quote from: Shardknife on December 03, 2024, 01:37:21 PMI like the HM2 and RAT sounds on bass for death metal but it's too thin and lacking in low end for me live. I keep meaning to pick up a loop blender so I can dial back some clean blend in with the distorted bass tone.
LS2 is savagely versatile and the real king for this but also I have built a simplified one before (just one loop and a blend control, phase switch), must dig it out one of the days.

After experimenting with the Timmy and the Heavy Menace I'm finding that I'm loving the Timmy, but the Heavy Menace isn't for me.

Timmy is incredible at the end of the dirt chain. I mostly just use it as a clean boost and to tighten things up. Improves the quality of the sound so much. Also works well as a light OD to add some hair to your existing clean tone.

The Heavy Menace is super versatile, the only drive pedal you'd ever need really. I personally am just not a huge fan of its style of distortion. Drive is such a personal thing I guess. One person's holy grail tone is another's meh and vice versa.

Quote from: Shardknife on December 03, 2024, 01:37:21 PMDon't really have a favourite drive pedal per se, generally I get my gain sound from my amp for heavier stuff. When I do cover gigs I use an Xotic BB preamp for my lower gain sound and a Joyo US Dream (suhr Riot Clone) for higher gain into a clean fender style amp sim pedal which goes direct to the PA. The BB has a nice character to the gain without being too drastic a change from the clean sound. I have used the Boss SD1 and Joyo Uzi for similar gain staging in the past and they worked well too.

I've tried the tubescreamer/Boss SD1 into the front of my 5150 for the volume boost/mid hump tightening thing but I still need a clean sound and it's one more pedal to turn off so I don't bother with it for live stuff but have used it for recording. I do sometimes use DOD Carcoza to hit the front of the amp to get a gnarly sound but it's more fuzz than drive. It's one of the few fuzzes I have that still sounds good into a heavy amp sound without getting too muddy.

For bass stuff I either use a sansamp and get a little bit of grit from that or a HX stomp with a driven SVT sound, that's what I use for most of the more classic sounding stuff. I like the HM2 and RAT sounds on bass for death metal but it's too thin and lacking in low end for me live. I keep meaning to pick up a loop blender so I can dial back some clean blend in with the distorted bass tone.

Or just pick up a Battlehammer or Sledgehammer from me.  8) The reason either exist is because Rats are too thin for me plus the Sledgehammer has some hints of HM-2 in there too.

That said my favourite drives (that I don't make) are the Boss SD-1 and Blues Driver (ideally modded for more low end) and then the Turbo Rat for really low gain edge of break up stuff.

Recorded some fukkin filth today running a Rat straight into my Scarlet. It ain't pretty, it ain't refined but that works for me.

Quote from: moose on December 05, 2024, 10:41:30 AM
Quote from: Shardknife on December 03, 2024, 01:37:21 PMDon't really have a favourite drive pedal per se, generally I get my gain sound from my amp for heavier stuff. When I do cover gigs I use an Xotic BB preamp for my lower gain sound and a Joyo US Dream (suhr Riot Clone) for higher gain into a clean fender style amp sim pedal which goes direct to the PA. The BB has a nice character to the gain without being too drastic a change from the clean sound. I have used the Boss SD1 and Joyo Uzi for similar gain staging in the past and they worked well too.

I've tried the tubescreamer/Boss SD1 into the front of my 5150 for the volume boost/mid hump tightening thing but I still need a clean sound and it's one more pedal to turn off so I don't bother with it for live stuff but have used it for recording. I do sometimes use DOD Carcoza to hit the front of the amp to get a gnarly sound but it's more fuzz than drive. It's one of the few fuzzes I have that still sounds good into a heavy amp sound without getting too muddy.

For bass stuff I either use a sansamp and get a little bit of grit from that or a HX stomp with a driven SVT sound, that's what I use for most of the more classic sounding stuff. I like the HM2 and RAT sounds on bass for death metal but it's too thin and lacking in low end for me live. I keep meaning to pick up a loop blender so I can dial back some clean blend in with the distorted bass tone.

Or just pick up a Battlehammer or Sledgehammer from me.  8) The reason either exist is because Rats are too thin for me plus the Sledgehammer has some hints of HM-2 in there too.


I tested a Rat and a buddy's Battlehammer side by side through my Laney TF. The Battlehammer is is, to quote Bill Burr, a fuckin' monstah!

I have other drive pedals (too many, some would say) on my board - including a Russian Muff - but the Battlehammer is the go-to for me.

I bought a one-knob fuzz Acapulco Gold clone made by Ochoill too ages ago. That thing is mighty craic through my Orange. Mid gain on the amp, dial in the fuzz and just play. It's actually brilliant for new riff ideas.

Quote from: moose on December 05, 2024, 10:41:30 AM
Quote from: Shardknife on December 03, 2024, 01:37:21 PMDon't really have a favourite drive pedal per se, generally I get my gain sound from my amp for heavier stuff. When I do cover gigs I use an Xotic BB preamp for my lower gain sound and a Joyo US Dream (suhr Riot Clone) for higher gain into a clean fender style amp sim pedal which goes direct to the PA. The BB has a nice character to the gain without being too drastic a change from the clean sound. I have used the Boss SD1 and Joyo Uzi for similar gain staging in the past and they worked well too.

I've tried the tubescreamer/Boss SD1 into the front of my 5150 for the volume boost/mid hump tightening thing but I still need a clean sound and it's one more pedal to turn off so I don't bother with it for live stuff but have used it for recording. I do sometimes use DOD Carcoza to hit the front of the amp to get a gnarly sound but it's more fuzz than drive. It's one of the few fuzzes I have that still sounds good into a heavy amp sound without getting too muddy.

For bass stuff I either use a sansamp and get a little bit of grit from that or a HX stomp with a driven SVT sound, that's what I use for most of the more classic sounding stuff. I like the HM2 and RAT sounds on bass for death metal but it's too thin and lacking in low end for me live. I keep meaning to pick up a loop blender so I can dial back some clean blend in with the distorted bass tone.

Or just pick up a Battlehammer or Sledgehammer from me.  8) The reason either exist is because Rats are too thin for me plus the Sledgehammer has some hints of HM-2 in there too.

That said my favourite drives (that I don't make) are the Boss SD-1 and Blues Driver (ideally modded for more low end) and then the Turbo Rat for really low gain edge of break up stuff.


Give Moose your money, you won't regret it.

How did I forget to give a shout for my Quill FX Sardonic Perpetrator, amazing drive with a ton of mad sounds