• Registered: 2009-10-10
  • Posts: 438

Topic: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

I know this topic has been done before, but the pedal world changes about as fast as the cell phone selections anymore.  I use Fender tube amps and do a lot of stacking of drive pedals simply because I rarely get the chance to open up an amp and let it roar.  Stacking pedals gives me decent tone at reasonable volumes.  My current favorites are:

1. Fulltone OCD into a Rockbox Boiling Point.  Works great.  Most pedals work better before the OCD (version 3) but the Boiling Point is outstanding after the OCD.  It gives me great tone, a mid boost for cutting through, more sustain, and a volume boost for solos.
2. Stock Tubescreamer into the OCD. Good mid boost and increased sustain, but no volume boost since the tubescreamer is before the OCD.  To me, it sounds terrible placed after the OCD.
3. Fulltone 70's Fuzz (new small version) into a Wampler Ectasy.  The Wampler calms the fuzz down a little and tightens it up some, but you still get some good fuzz mayhem.

Anyone else have some favorite pairings to offer?

  • Registered: 2011-05-01
  • Posts: 112

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

I love stacking od's as well. It gives that extra texture that you just can't get with a single drive. Right now I am using a stock 808ri into a bluesbreaker clone pedal. They have different voicings  but it allows you to have three different to tones. The 808, the bluesbreaker, and both together. Loving it.

  • Registered: 2009-10-10
  • Posts: 438

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

You make a good point Wasatch, one that I have neglected.  I have lived and died with the OCD as my crunchy rhythm pedal and then hit it with another pedal to get my lead tone.  Thus I have neglected to ever use the other pedal on its own.  I have only been using two different tones when I actually had quick access to three! Thanks for your insight!

  • From: Canterbury
  • Registered: 2010-05-27
  • Posts: 310

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

I thought that the Way Huge Pork Loin and Digitech Bad Monkey would be a good pair, but there was some unity gain issue that made one pedal cut out and that I don't really understand.

I'm not too much a fan of pairing especially if it gets to dirty because I favour clarity with note expression over all.

  • Registered: 2009-10-10
  • Posts: 438

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

I only combine overdrives when using clean amps.  When I get the rare opportunity to crank up my Marshall, I only use one overdrive pedal to take the Marshall over the top for leads.  When I use a clean Fender amp, as I stated above, I us the OCD for a Marshally rhythm, and then hit the OCD with something for the singing lead tone.  Combining the right pedals works well with clean tube amps.  You can't crank the gain real high on either overdrive pedal (unless one is a fuzz) when combining pedals or you will lose clarity.

  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

Tube Screamer (Maxon OD808) into a ZVex Box Of Rock works real well...still lets me use the volume knob on my Les Paul for cleanup.

Russ B.
  • macg1
  • BONAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
  • Posts: 1,018

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

I finally found a set of pedals that I like stacking.  All of my OD/Fuzz/Boost needs are now courtesy of Celestial Effects!

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars: 2x 1962 LPs , 02 FB VII, 76 Electra Omega, 64 SG Special, 63 LP Jr, 73 LPC
Effects: Van Weelden ROD
  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

Please inform me as someone who's almost always used the gain channel on his amp for his exclusive crunch:


I have a JB fuzz, and a FT Fulldrive II MOSFET.

Do I have to use these on my clean channel?
I get really easy feedback on my gain channel with them on. Or do I need to lower the gain on my gain channel to something less heavy?

Interested in thoughts and best practices.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: Canterbury
  • Registered: 2010-05-27
  • Posts: 310

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

Interesting, I tried out a new combo of my amps and pedals today, the Champion 600 and Digitech Bad Monkey. Surprisingly, the tone I get from it is exactly what I wanted as a lead tone.
Even more surprising, my JCA doesn't even sound so good for lead! Much better for rhythm......I'm getting like Joe.....using an amp only for one thing lol

  • macg1
  • BONAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
  • Posts: 1,018

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

Nic, use them wherever the best noise is made!  do you get your primary overdriven sound from your amp or from the FD?  The FD, as an overdrive, it is best suited, according to some to push an amp that is already breaking up, but a lot of guys, myself included prefer a loud, master volume on 10 and preamp gain on 3 or so then use overdrives to get the primary crunch tone.  Pretty sure if you use the FF to drive the FD, you should make a pretty decent noise.  Especially in comp cut.  But the sky, and ear bleeds, are the limits!

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

Please inform me as someone who's almost always used the gain channel on his amp for his exclusive crunch:


I have a JB fuzz, and a FT Fulldrive II MOSFET.

Do I have to use these on my clean channel?
I get really easy feedback on my gain channel with them on. Or do I need to lower the gain on my gain channel to something less heavy?

Interested in thoughts and best practices.

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars: 2x 1962 LPs , 02 FB VII, 76 Electra Omega, 64 SG Special, 63 LP Jr, 73 LPC
Effects: Van Weelden ROD
  • From: Kansas City, MO USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-03
  • Posts: 1,253

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

macg1 wrote:

Nic, use them wherever the best noise is made!

Boom.  There it is...   wink

Terrance Shuman
Kansas City, MO
  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

Nowdays, all I do is stack pedals for tones.  I find that you get some really interesting things happening when you take the qualities of a few different drive pedals and add them together.  For example some pedals are extremely transparent and punchy, whereas others have certain frequenices exaggerated and offer a more

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.

13 Reply by stratpaulguy86 (edited by stratpaulguy86 2011-05-03 19:19:39)

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

Man this website is getting more and more frustrating to post on.  This is my 3rd or so post that has gotten chopped off considerably.  What gives?  I really hope the mods get this fixed because it's making it really hard to enjoy posting here!  mad

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.
  • Registered: 2011-03-09
  • Posts: 4

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

I really like the Xotic RC Boost with the OCD.  Works great on the clean channel, or the gain channel of my Bogner Duende. But the ultimate is the A + B channel. I put the RC Boost at the end of the dirt chain.  Keely 2 knob > Sparkle drive > FD II (Old style) > OCD > RC Boost > delay/reverb/mod > amp. The combination of drive options are almost endless. Especially when you start rolling off at the guitar. I love the way both the OCD and RC Boost clean up.  BTW, it also makes a great clean boost.

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

Please inform me as someone who's almost always used the gain channel on his amp for his exclusive crunch:


I have a JB fuzz, and a FT Fulldrive II MOSFET.

Do I have to use these on my clean channel?
I get really easy feedback on my gain channel with them on. Or do I need to lower the gain on my gain channel to something less heavy?

Interested in thoughts and best practices.

I would say in general that if you like your amps distortion, stick with it and use the FD2 and Fuzz as Lead boosts.  You'll have the added noise and sustain that will help get your soloing point across.  Otherwise cut the gain back on your dirty channel to a light breakup and use the FD2 more as a "distortion" pedal.  You can then leave it on without annoying feedback and noise and use it's boost as a solo boost.  Can try placing you fuzz before it, and using it as a texture boost for solos by dialing back a little on the gain while still leaving the FD2 on full time.  If you prefer to use the FD and JBFuzz as 2 separate methods of your tone, you could get a straight up boost pedal to boost the fuzz only since the FD already has one built in.

  • From: Scotland
  • Registered: 2009-02-11
  • Posts: 453

Re: Stacking Overdrives, Fuzzes, and Distortion Pedals

Stacking pedals is something i have been doing for a while. I use a clean marshall with either a box of rock or a blakcstar ht drive. This gives me great overdrive tone at sensible volumes. I then hit them with either tube screamer, pork loin or a fuzz. The box of rock or ht drive are set for low gain and I add the other pedals to suit. The box of rock works well with the fuzz as a fuzz into a clean amp sounds like crap to me.

For some real chaos i've run my fuzz, tube screamer and box of rock all on at the  same time with the volume knob on my strat clicked back. Instant Philip Sayce!