Overdrive pedal and picks

Q

Hello Steve,
I have been a longtime fan of your playing, tone, phrasing.
I saw in one video you were using a Trombeta pedal. I am a 64-year-old guitarist in North Carolina. I love your clear clean sound but also love your overdrive sound. Can you recommend an overdrive pedal similar to yours but not so expensive. I am on Disability so my budget is very tight. I love the od sound you have that has that stringy clarity. If you can help me, I will be forever grateful.

I would like to know what guitar pick you use. I’m sure I can afford this piece of gear.
Thank you so much for your time and your wonderful music.
Peace & Hope,
Robbie

Robbie, nc

2 Thoughts on Overdrive pedal and picks
    10 Aug 2022
    12:22am
    Comment:

    Lately I’ve been playing those big graphite picks Jerry used to use.
    I never cared for them much, but turns out to be a good choice with a light string and a Fender amp.

    My go-to normally are the Green Premium Celluloid Fender Heavy’s; the other colors don’t sound as good. Trust me.

    Also use the big clear triangle V-pick. Those sound closer to bare fingers for the way I play, and I kinda dig that. .

    finally, there’s lots of bare thumbs and fingers in there, very, very, little nail.

    __________________________________

    I don’t use overdrive, never liked them.
    If you hear something sounding like overdrive, it’s either amp or germanium fuzz.

    There are a few misc devices I use that have output gain, and those will boost the input to the amp a little or a lot, but it’s not the primary focus.
    I have an old Mu-Tron III, and those always have gain adjustment on, but it’s as likely I’ll use the gain to turn it down as up.
    Best bet is germanium fuzz or some kind of op-amp boost like the Mu-Tron.

    The problem for me with the OD routine is they all seem terribly bandwidth limited, unresponsive to picking dynamics, and unresponsive to volume control manipulation.
    They obviously work a charm for millions of players at every level, I just don’t like ’em.

    I don’t really have an immediate budget recommendation for you.
    The stuff I use, it’s just the stuff I had that I learned to use over the years.
    Same Vox fuzz since the early 80’s, which really doesn’t sound like OD in most applications, but I use it with big string and weak pickup and it’s just right.
    The Trombetta is the only “new’ pedal I use consistently and I had Paul set it up as a deliberately low-gain germanium pedal.

    I’ll try to scare something up for you tho. .
    Send your contact info to “contact” here with a note about fuzz/OD and as soon as I find something cool we’ll let you know.

    ok! hopefully soon. .

      23 Aug 2022
      10:20pm
      Comment:

      That Trombetta pedal, is that a Rotobone or based on one? Love the sound of that through your rig. Now that you’re stating this, I can hear it in your tone now. Never knew you liked the fuzz until I saw your video on YouTube about your East Coast rig.

Leave a Comment

LEAVE A COMMENT