An overdrive pedal is a device that is used to make an electric guitar sound like it is being played through an overdriven amplifier. It does this by adding distortion to the signal that is being sent to the amplifier. Overdrive pedals can be used to create a variety of different sounds, from a milder distortion that can be used for blues and rock, to a more extreme distortion that is often used in metal and hard rock.
What Is An Overdrive Pedal?
Overdrive pedals are perhaps the most common guitar effect pedal, which imitates the distorted valve sound of a tube amplifier. Overdrive pedals typically offer more volume and gain, similar to distortion. The distinction is that an overdrive pedal forces the amplifier tone harder, whereas a distortion pedal completely alters the sound by saturating it.
Do not be put off by the enormous number of overdrives available on the market. In reality, the majority of overdrive pedals are derived from just a few classic circuits and designs. The distinction is that over time, pedal companies have tweaked and experimented with these, using those circuits as the basis for their own distinctive-sounding stompboxes.
What Types Of Overdrive Pedals Are There?
There are many different types of overdrive pedals, each with its own unique sound and capabilities. The most common type of overdrive is the tube screamer, which gives your guitar a gritty, distorted sound. Another popular type is the fuzz pedal, which gives your guitar a fuzzy, distorted sound. There are also pedals that give your guitar a clean boost of overdrive, such as the Tube screamer or Fulltone OCD.
what does an overdrive pedal do?
Overdrive pedals work by boosting the signal of an amplifier before it reaches the speaker. This causes the amplifier to distort the sound, which gives the guitar a heavier, more aggressive tone. Many overdrive pedals also have a built-in EQ (equalization) circuit that allows the user to adjust the bass and treble frequencies.
An overdrive effectively adds roughness to your signal, producing a tone resembling an amp that is being overdriven and on the verge of breaking apart. Accordingly, most overdrive pedals generate a “pushed” clean tone that, depending on how it’s dialled in and how hard you pick your guitar strings, can stretch to a crunch. This can be an important consideration for musicians searching for the ideal overdrive, with many choosing one that responds to playing dynamics and cleans up when the guitars volume is reduced.
How Do I use an Overdrive Pedal?
Typically, overdrive pedals are placed at the front of an amplifier. This implies that you connect your guitar to the input of the pedal and that the output of the pedal is connected directly to the input of your amplifier. The location of an overdrive in your signal chain is pretty arbitrary if you have a pedalboard, are using a range of other pedals, and are utilising a variety of other effects. However, the majority of musicians will put it after their Wah pedal and tuner pedals.
There is also some dispute whether you should run your overdrive pedals into a clean amplifier or through the dirty channel that a lot of amps have built in. Pushing the front end of a clean amp is typical with blues guitar tones and classic rock. Using a clean channel will also give a more authentic sound of the particular pedal being used.
Running overdrive pedals through a dirty channel on an amplifier will be more overdriven and may even resemble distortion depending on the amount of gain added to the amp prior to the pedal being added.
This sound itself could be achieved by a distortion pedal rather than an overdrive and is used typically for hard rock and metal styles on guitar playing. You will notice more sustain and a tighter sound in comparison to the more transparent sound of an overdrive pedal.
Which Overdrive Pedal Should I buy?
There are many factors to consider when purchasing an overdrive pedal. The first is what type of music you play. If you play heavy metal, you will need a different pedal than if you play country. Secondly, consider your budget. Overdrive pedals can range in price from $50 to $200. Finally, think about the features you want in a pedal. Do you want a simple design or one with more controls?
We’d recommend that you visit our best overdrive pedals article for a detailed run through of specific pedals which are available to buy. However there are a few go to pedals specific to each type of overdrive. For a transparent tone the tubescreamer or Nobels ODR-1 would be good safe choices and for Klon style overdrive the Wampler Tumnus or EHX Soul Food would work.
If you are looking for a drive pedal that contains more dirt and saturation, you perhaps want to look in the market for distortion pedals. Again these pedals range in price, however the Boss DS-1 would be a good choice of distortion at the lower price range.
In conclusion, an overdrive pedal is a great way to add some extra spice to your guitar playing. It can give you the ability to make your guitar sound like it’s being played through a tube amplifier, even if you’re using a solid state amp. If you’re looking to take your guitar playing to the next level, an overdrive pedal is a great place to start.
VISIT OUR GUIDE ON THE 10 BEST OVERDRIVE PEDALS
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