# Your best/favorite high gain pedal combo's of today



## djmiyta (Aug 18, 2022)

So I am always ALWAYS looking for the newest(or oldest) best sounding ultra screaming od/disto
Cause 1
I cannot afford any tube amp that I like
Cause 2 
Even if I could I couldn't crank it where I live

So i got a Yamaha G-100 head with a decent reverb a pretty nice tremelo a super shitty distortion and a very cool pre-set volume that all work with a foot switch. Solid state= a hella lot less $ than tube but the style I like to play I want /need a harmonically rich clean sustaining screaming od. Ala Andy James
My yamaha with 15" Altec Lansing 515b  ($1800 speaker that I got from a friend who found them (2 of em ) for $40 
Sounds really really nice for a clean sound works beautiful wit pedals and the amps tone controls are killer 
I have a spiral book thats just for my different pedal chains. 
Lately my chain has been guitar -> tuner -> Morley Bad Horsie I -> Pedal Pcb Mutron Phaser 2 -> pedalpcb interstellar orbiter -> boss modded sd-1 ->pedalpcb Vallhalla -> pedalpcb Sea Horse -> sonic stomp -> amp
 super clean . articulate sustaining crunch really dig it ,,,,,,,,,, but still,,,,,,,,,,I want more
So anyone else a high gain junkie using pedals to get that? love to hear what others are digging these days 
oh and the guitars 3 different Ibanez's a PRS Torero and les paul epiphone all stock except the Prs which had EMG's that sounded really bad beleive it or not got some guitar fetish high output humbuckers that once adjusted properly sound really really good


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## Feral Feline (Aug 19, 2022)

Maybe try the Arkaim (Megalith) and End-All Red OD (Randall).


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## BuddytheReow (Aug 19, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> Maybe try the Arkaim (Megalith) and End-All Red OD (Randall).


Huge Pantera fan here and I've got high hopes for the End All Red. Then again, I don't think anyone's been able to nail the true Dimebag tone in a pedal yet. Otherwise I'd have it


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## Paradox916 (Aug 19, 2022)

Lately I have been using my MBP Archibald as a boost and I love it, don’t think I will ever go back to a TS, but I have to agree on the VH4 that’s a great pedal, the Revv G3 is pretty good as well the Bogner uberschall is pretty cool (although I never look for a pedal project, for the modern metal high gain sound, but I like a rat and a muff just as much depends on what I’m trying to do,


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## BuddytheReow (Aug 19, 2022)

Can't go wrong with some Swedish chainsaw action, albeit a one-trick pony


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## spi (Aug 19, 2022)

thewintersoldier said:


> TS pushing a RAT.


I have both and I still never tried this.


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## DGWVI (Aug 19, 2022)

I like Turbo Rat into Turbo Rat... Or Turbo Rat into Op-amp Muff... Or stacks of Rats on Muffs


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## steviejr92 (Aug 19, 2022)

So I plug up my Marshall blues breaker that I built with a Jhs packrat that I got months ago I also add the gravitation reverb I built as well at the end. I put the packrat in the brat setting and get that 90s nostalgia I love 😎


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 19, 2022)

A silicon Tonebender mk 2 into a harmonic energizer is a pretty great high gain combo.


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## djmiyta (Aug 19, 2022)

Ive yet to build any fuzz face or tonebendr variants. Mainly due to most trannies from back then (this opinion based off all that I've read) either impossible to get or waaaay outta spec and lastly I find it hard to justify paying 12-?$ for a transistor that I'm unsure I'll like. I've found that just cause I like what I hear when listening to a pedal demo doesnt mean I'll like it through my setup. This has happened several times. I like to build and play build and play so spending any extra time with experimenting with values of components if it doesnt sound good to me gets put aside . I'll come back to it another time , mood and guitar and try it again 
  But back to the thread title
I decided to dust off the Pussy Face Melter and swapped out the Valhalla now I know I been screaming ultra high gain but I play guitar. Any guitar. I play to sound tracks, commercial, dripping faucets, dogs barking ......................Sorry

withe boss sd-1 on and before the melter all cranked up to get someting I Like ( first reaction to melter was yeah hi gain but thin and tinny on its own .Put into my pedal chain  and  Rolling back the guitar volume there are thousands of some of THE finest tones I've Ever heard come outta me. Literally over 4 hours non stop that seriously felt like "I need a 36 hour day so I can keep on playing" I forced myself to put it down knowing I had to be leaving for work in only a few hours 
 I had to tell somebody and thats that I'm going back cause I left everything exactly as it was last night so try this out for me its number 1 ........,for now







i


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 19, 2022)

djmiyta said:


> Ive yet to build any fuzz face or tonebendr variants. Mainly due to most trannies from back then (this opinion based off all that I've read) either impossible to get or waaaay outta spec and lastly I find it hard to justify paying 12-?$ for a transistor that I'm unsure I'll like. I've found that just cause I like what I hear when listening to a pedal demo doesnt mean I'll like it through my setup. This has happened several times. I like to build and play build and play so spending any extra time with experimenting with values of components if it doesnt sound good to me gets put aside . I'll come back to it another time , mood and guitar and try it again


Silicon Tonebenders are rad! I like a 2n3904 for q1 and q3, and a 2n2222 for q2
That’s all of 70¢ total for the transistors at most, and they’ll likely sound fantastic. You can try out whatever silicon transistors you want if you socket them, and it’s a rad sound! Very different from a germanium TB but really cool and inspiring to play with. If you want to give a Tonebender a shot, you’d only be looking at a few bucks in parts for it!


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## DGWVI (Aug 19, 2022)

Another couple I like are the GCI Socialist Jr and Brutalist Jr


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## szukalski (Aug 20, 2022)

Burns Buzzaround (Gnat Fuzz) is pretty brutal.


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## djmiyta (Aug 20, 2022)

Bricksnbeatles said:


> Silicon Tonebenders are rad! I like a 2n3904 for q1 and q3, and a 2n2222 for q2
> That’s all of 70¢ total for the transistors at most, and they’ll likely sound fantastic. You can try out whatever silicon transistors you want if you socket them, and it’s a rad sound! Very different from a germanium TB but really cool and inspiring to play with. If you want to give a Tonebender a shot, you’d only be looking at a few bucks in parts for it!


i definitely would try a tonebender. I just assumed germanium was the awthentic way to go and the silicone ones were a psuedo fill in for whatever reason but I didnt really give it much thought . those 2 trannies are easy to get so its on the list now.

And I gotta say I really did like what I hear from the Buzzaround in a fuzz shootout it was hands down the fave.

And I built the Brutalist which was maybe my very 1st or 2nd build etching my own and was my fave for a bit until  the tight metal build which was king for a very long time except mine doesnt play well with others (mine does not have the fx loop built in)

Also the Blower box I built was much more much much more than I expected


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## hamerfan (Dec 25, 2022)

It depends also on the guitar, single coils or humbucker. But a Tubescreamer into a Rat works for both.


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## djmiyta (Dec 25, 2022)

hamerfan said:


> It depends also on the guitar, single coils or humbucker. But a Tubescreamer into a Rat works for both


So so many pedals I've built and one of the most iconic pedals (the Rat) I have not made. Why?  I've no idea. But it is now on my list. Doing a bit of searching about the rat I see theres a few mods been made to the rat. Anybody have suggestions as to what rat or derivative of it I should build? I do like options. the one from beavis has a lot of options


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## DGWVI (Dec 25, 2022)

djmiyta said:


> So so many pedals I've built and one of the most iconic pedals (the Rat) I have not made. Why?  I've no idea. But it is now on my list. Doing a bit of searching about the rat I see theres a few mods been made to the rat. Anybody have suggestions as to what rat or derivative of it I should build? I do like options. the one from beavis has a lot of options


I'd recommend building one stock at first, though the Turbo is my favorite variant. It's fairly versatile as is, so that why I suggest going stock with the first one.

And, then I'd start with chip swaps. The 308 and OP07 will give you classic Rat tones. The LM301 will give you a more hi-fi kinda sound, but with a bit more noise (if you don't also adjust the comp cap), NE5534 is similar in this regard, though quieter. CA3130 sits sorta between those two, but seems to push the mids even more, and has an overall more aggressive and modern feel to it, with less noise. LM748 is a fun one, keeps the grungy character of the 308 but doesn't fart out at extreme gain settings. LM709 is another that's similar to the 308, and you can dink around with the comp cap even more- think I've gone up to 5.6n.

For most of ProCo's variants, the most substantial and characterizing change is the clipping diodes, silicons being the classic, of course. I like LEDs- infrared, red, and white because the opamp clips plenty on its own in this circuit. Even no LEDs (Clean Rat from the Deucetone) has a ton of clipping, but offers up a bit more dynamic range.
Alot of people like having the clipping diodes on a switch, but in my experience, I find the compression level I like the most and never move from that

The Ruetz mod isn't my bag, it changes the gain character and too much, makes it kind of anemic and doesn't really do anything all that interesting. I'd recommend Chuck's bass contour mod if you do need more low end. It allows a flatter frequency response pre-clipping, but doesn't drastically alter the inherent voice of the circuit

For Rat-inspired circuits, the Cannon Fodder mkI is awesome. Does it's own thing, but firmly has its Muroidean roots


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## GizzWizzKing (Dec 25, 2022)

DGWVI said:


> ... I suggest going stock with the first one.
> 
> And, then I'd start with ...


These posts are ones I like to copy completely to put in a file for future builds, mods, and just general information. Thanks for taking the time to lay some of these out. As someone who has also never built a rat I am intrigued.


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## DGWVI (Dec 25, 2022)

I just can't believe there are people out here, walking among us, going about their lives, having never built a Rat. I think I'm gonna be sick  

But, seriously I recommend all the early op-amp distortions they've all shown their staying power, and have tons of documented mods. Even the Tube Screamer type deals, though I'm not a fan of that particular family of dirt circuits.

I'm so fond of the Rat because of its versatility- can do (mostly) clean boost up to an almost saggy fuzz even before any mods are introduced, and it's a fairly simple build. It doesn't get lost in mixes, and it keeps note separation even at max distortion settings. Highly recommend everyone that builds, builds at least one. I know a lot of people wanna jump on the newest, shiniest dirt pedal that's being hocked by whatever mojo slinger or YouTube personality, but the Rat has been around so long for a reason


GizzWizzKing said:


> These posts are ones I like to copy completely to put in a file for future builds, mods, and just general information. Thanks for taking the time to lay some of these out. As someone who has also never built a rat I am intrigued.


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## djmiyta (Jan 2, 2023)

Ok a Rat build is going to top of build list? Does it play well with other pedals ? does it stack well?


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## Coda (Jan 2, 2023)

The Yamaha G-100 is a great amp…


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## DGWVI (Jan 2, 2023)

djmiyta said:


> Ok a Rat build is going to top of build list? Does it play well with other pedals ? does it stack well?


In my opinion, it's the best stackable classic drive pedal. 

My favorite stack is either with another Rat or going into a (op-amp) Muff. 
I generally have one of my Rats set for a lower medium gain thing that cleans up with softer playing, the next is usually maxed out with the filter zeroed out, and the Muff, I have the tone about 1 o'clock, and sustain usually noon or higher.

I've liked Bluesbreaker and Klon types going into the Rat, but haven't found one I've wanted to keep permanently. A lot of people like Tube Screamer type circuits for boosting the rat, but it makes it a bit too nasally shrill for me, and I'm not a fan of the TS sound to begin with.


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## Laundryroom David (Jan 2, 2023)

djmiyta said:


> Ok a Rat build is going to top of build list? Does it play well with other pedals ? does it stack well?


Yes and Yes

I was not a Rat fan. Then I built one (stock Rat specs, nothing fancy). Aaaaaand it’s been on my board ever since.   I am a convert.


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## djmiyta (Jan 2, 2023)

the more posts I read the about the rat I just might bust out with one tonight ( a board etched that is) kinda hunting for one now
Any body have any experience with beavis 4 knob rat? I'm sure theres probably more mods out there but T4KR has a lot of options or again just build one stock?


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## djmiyta (Jan 2, 2023)

DGWVI said:


> In my opinion, it's the best stackable classic drive pedal.
> 
> My favorite stack is either with another Rat or going into a (op-amp) Muff.
> I generally have one of my Rats set for a lower medium gain thing that cleans up with softer playing, the next is usually maxed out with the filter zeroed out, and the Muff, I have the tone about 1 o'clock, and sustain usually noon or higher.
> ...


If not a tubescreamer fan (Which I'm not a hater nor lover of) try a Nux green OD still really pretty cheap and for me kicks every pedal I've thrown at it up several notches super quiet and clean and nice sweep on the tone only the tight metal pedal refused to comply with it.But  It enhances every pedal after it. I wanted to trace it but saw it was 90% SMT and I don't want to get into that quite yet

but looking forward to trying a rat with it once I decide what to build  The Nux has turned a couple of unusable pedals to me into usable tools

changing the topic real quick anybody use any blackstar pedals? I hear them and they sound really good to my ears.


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## DGWVI (Jan 2, 2023)

djmiyta said:


> the more posts I read the about the rat I just might bust out with one tonight ( a board etched that is) kinda hunting for one now
> Any body have any experience with beavis 4 knob rat? I'm sure theres probably more mods out there but T4KR has a lot of options or again just build one stock?


I vote stock. The Ruetz mod changes the Rat too much for me to endorse it


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## Coda (Jan 2, 2023)

DS-1 (tone/dist at noon, level at 1 or 2), into a BMP…


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## DGWVI (Jan 2, 2023)

djmiyta said:


> If not a tubescreamer fan (Which I'm not a hater nor lover of) try a Nux green OD still really pretty cheap and for me kicks every pedal I've thrown at it up several notches super quiet and clean and nice sweep on the tone only the tight metal pedal refused to comply with it.But  It enhances every pedal after it. I wanted to trace it but saw it was 90% SMT and I don't want to get into that quite yet


It's almost certainly a Tube Screamer clone. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even change any values.
I've got a mini TS clone on hand that I keep just to try stacking and to see if my tastes have changed. So far, they haven't. Can't jive with the particular clean bleed or mid focus of TS-derived circuits.


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## djmiyta (Jan 2, 2023)

DGWVI said:


> It's almost certainly a Tube Screamer clone. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even change any values.
> I've got a mini TS clone on hand that I keep just to try stacking and to see if my tastes have changed. So far, they haven't. Can't jive with the particular clean bleed or mid focus of TS-derived circuits.


yeah I have one of those mini Ibanez screamer too that I've used maybe 2 times I wouldn't doubt the /Nux is some derivative of it but wayyyyyyyy better and so cheap that it wont hurt if you dont like it


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## djmiyta (Jan 2, 2023)

Coda said:


> DS-1 (tone/dist at noon, level at 1 or 2), into a BMP…


Cool I got a modded DS-1 and a stock 1 and a late model muff this is a combo I havent tried thank you


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## Feral Feline (Jan 3, 2023)

djmiyta said:


> the more posts I read the about the rat I just might bust out with one tonight ( a board etched that is) kinda hunting for one now
> Any body have any experience with beavis 4 knob rat? I'm sure theres probably more mods out there but T4KR has a lot of options or again just build one stock?




I was like LaundryroomDavid, I didn't like Rats but built one anyway and loved it.

I built mine so it could be Stock, Turbo, Fat (and if I pull the LEDs out of their sockets I get the Deucetone "Clean") — and then I added the Gord Tranter mods to retain more bass. 
I saw no point in building a completely stock Rat when a simple switch on the clipping diodes lets you try a couple of variants. 
Mine does stock, variants AND sounds great with bass.

Also before building one, decide whether you want stock "Filter" (turning to the right kills the highs) or wired backwards to add highs turning clockwise like the vast majority of tone controls in the world.


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