Distortion pedal sounds awful

[ruudizzle]

Hi there, I love the clean and crunch sound of my ASAT special semi-hollow. However, every distortion pedal I tried sounds awful!
I used to play on a Fender Deluxe. Both the amp's distortion as a Boss Overdrive pedal sounded crap. For me 'crap' means a thick, undefined and granular sound...
After the Fender I played a Koch Multitone II amp. The amp's distortion/overdrive was less granular, but still not desirable and the Boss Overdrive pedal sounded a bit better, but still crap.

Nowadays I plug my baby into an Vox AC30 handwired. I love the clean, sprankling sound of it! The amp's overdrive ('hot' channel) is okay, but that's all. When I connect a pedal, first the Boss Overdrive, today a Zvex Box of Rock, it sounds crap again.....

Is it the pedals in combination with the ASAT?
Is it the pick-up setup from my ASAT?

Anybody an idea or solution?

Many thanks!

Ruud

[louis cyfer]

i would try some different pedals. those are not distortion pedals, so you might be trying to get something out of them that is not there.
another thing is really playing around with the pedals and the amp, trying every setting. foe example i love my jetter gsb, but when i first got it and turned everything to positions i normally do on other pedals, sounded like a heap of crap. really had to play around with it and lose all preconceived notions of how a pedal needs to be set. what kind of tone are you looking for?

[Ches]

I can't give you an answer right now, but I'll tell you what. I'll take my ASSH to rehearsal tonight and run in through the distortion side of my Empress MultiDrive into a crunchy Dr Z MAZ-18. I'll also run it through a Fulltone Fat Boost 2 set with some crunch. I'll report back on what I hear.

I don't recall overdrive sounding bad with this guitar, but in all honesty I don't play it that much. I'll check in tonight.

[louis cyfer]

I can't give you an answer right now, but I'll tell you what. I'll take my ASSH to rehearsal tonight and run in through the distortion side of my Empress MultiDrive into a crunchy Dr Z MAZ-18. I'll also run it through a Fulltone Fat Boost 2 set with some crunch. I'll report back on what I hear.

I don't recall overdrive sounding bad with this guitar, but in all honesty I don't play it that much. I'll check in tonight.

they don't. but he is calling the od pedals distortion pedals, so i am guessing they are being pushed pretty far, and both of those are crappy sounding anyway.
most pedals do not do well with the gain all the way up, tend to sound muddy, no definition and granular. i have 30+ od and distortion pedals and most sound best in the 10-2 o clock range on the gain. so if one want a distorted sound, needs a pedal that has plenty of gain on tap, so it doesn't have to be pushed all the way.

[blargfromouterspace]

It's not the guitar, and it's certainly not the amp. Good distortion is very hard to come by unless you can really crank your amp. That AC30 will have a dirty sound good enough to make you wet your pants, but you'll be playing much, much louder for anywhere you might be, even most live settings

I used to have a Box of Rock and you should be able to get a good sound (especially a good rhythm sound) out of it by turning the volume up and backing off the gain.

Turn it up!

[Ches]

Just got back from rehearsal. The OD tones from my ASSH are enough to make me not want to sell it. That guitar ROCKS. I agree with Louis and Jamie. You just have to dial it in properly.

[Ches]

most pedals do not do well with the gain all the way up, tend to sound muddy, no definition and granular. i have 30+ od and distortion pedals and most sound best in the 10-2 o clock range on the gain. so if one want a distorted sound, needs a pedal that has plenty of gain on tap, so it doesn't have to be pushed all the way.

I read an article a while ago that talked about OD and distortion pedals and how most guitar players dial in way more effect than the actual recording. I think there's a lot of truth to that. It made me back things off a tad and there was a nice improvement in tone/clarity - like taking a blanket off the amp. I think the 10:00 - 2:00 range is solid advice.

[ben17e]

It sounds like you are looking for more clarity but I could be wrong. The ac30 has a ton of low range available. First off, try backing off the drive level on your pedals and pushing more with the volume. Also, how loudly are you playing? If you are at bedroom level in a small room it is going to sound less defined. Finally, you have a digital overdrive and although I have heard good tones out of the bor but never played one, it may not be capable of what you want. Try a simple well known overdrive like a Fulltone OCD or maybe a Tubescreamer and see if you like it. Do you have a Vox dealer nearby that has a wide pedal selection. (Guitar Center would do)? Take your guitar and try some out! Otherwise, you can trade pedals pretty easily over at the gear page and get what you like eventually.

[louis cyfer]

It sounds like you are looking for more clarity but I could be wrong. The ac30 has a ton of low range available. First off, try backing off the drive level on your pedals and pushing more with the volume. Also, how loudly are you playing? If you are at bedroom level in a small room it is going to sound less defined. Finally, you have a digital overdrive and although I have heard good tones out of the bor but never played one, it may not be capable of what you want. Try a simple well known overdrive like a Fulltone OCD or maybe a Tubescreamer and see if you like it. Do you have a Vox dealer nearby that has a wide pedal selection. (Guitar Center would do)? Take your guitar and try some out! Otherwise, you can trade pedals pretty easily over at the gear page and get what you like eventually.

i doubt that is a digital overdrive.