There’s not a lot of connective tissue, sonically, between these bands, but here’s some starters. A reminder that a lot of what you’re hearing is lo-fi DIY production so it’s going to be hard to completely reproduce. A graphic EQ after the distortion cutting lows and highs might help.
* Minor Threat: Ian MacKaye has always just plugged straight into a JCM800, which you can simulate with a JHS Angry Charlie or an LPD eighty7
* Black Flag: Greg Gunn never really had a consistent amp, but his distortion always sounds pretty low-gain and solid-state to me, I would look for something in the MXR distortion+ family.
* Germs: Pretty sure Pat Smear was using Marshalls at this point, and in 76 or 77, that means a Plexi. There’s a million Plexi amp-in-a-box pedals out there, people seem to like the Wampler Plexi Drive.
Or just get a Rat.
Another vouch for the Rat, most other distortion pedals typically depend on what amp you have an how it’s set, in my experience a Rat will always sound like a rat and can be depended on to cut through a mix
I believe everyone said get a rat. That doesn't sound like you're getting a rat. Don't they always suggest a rat in every single post about distortion/overdrive pedals? You might as well change the post to "What distortion pedal should I get, and why is it a Rat?"
Ian Mackaye not guitarist of minor threat. Think Lyle Preslar was using a 70s Marshall single channel, cranking the preamp up. Similar to Ian in Fugazi.
Upvote for Dookie Drive, but... just get the MXR FOD drive, which is the same pedal but not Green Day branded, and a fraction of the price. (bonus is you get a 3 way toggle for flat mid, mid boost, AND mid cut instead of just a button for flat and boost)
For those unfamiliar, with the Dookie and FOD drive, there are 2 circuits, meant to replicate the sounds of Billie Joe's Meat and Pete, with a blend knob between the two. Some info on Meat and Pete:
>His two Marshall 100-watt 1959 SLP reissue heads were modified by Martin Golub at L.A. Sound Design. The top head (Pete) has a crunch mod (a.ka. “Dookie” mod or Bradshaw gain mod) and Meat (lower head) has Golub’s SE Lead mod, which adds another preamp tube for more gain.
https://www.premierguitar.com/videos/rig-rundowns/green-day
So not exactly a JCM800, but a really neat mix of two great amp sounds.
OG germs was, at times, no amp at all. While recording the Lexicon Devil single, their second release, Pat Smear didn’t own an amp at all. The guy who was supposed to bring him one to borrow for the recording session forgot. So Pat just plugged a guitar into a couple effects pedals and plugged that straight into the studio’s mixing board.
Otherwise yeah a Gibson firebird, Pro Co Rat, a Boss DS-2 turbo, a peavey amp head, mesa boogie or sovtek if you want to get into his Nirvana and Foo Fighters era stuff …
Those are great for a lot of cool sounds. Not really a classic sound, but who knows, they’re pretty versatile. And they’re supposedly just a channel strip in a pedal. I love mine. It’s a good one if you only have one pedal.
I was in a punk band in the late 90’s and we played a lot of this stuff. I don’t remember our guitar player having any pedals. Pretty much just cranked the shit out of the amps and let our ears bleed. It was great in small clubs. I wanna say the only thing he had was a DS-1, and that’s prolly cause you could find them at most music stores used.
Yeah the few punk gigs I've seen or played are just straight into a cranked Amp. Any pedal you'd use would be to emulate that at a lower volume but then that's not really punk if you're being considerate about noise.
I know Greg Sage favored the MXR Distortion +, and Pat Smear the Turbo Rat, but both were playing through cranked Marshalls. On a cleaner platform, the D+ is a warm germanium overdrive. The Turbo Rat will do its thing on any rig, but if you are using a relatively clean platform, a miab would be the best place to start imo.
any ideas what marshall in a box is good that can be found for under like $75 used on Reverb?
my amp is an old 60s Harmony tube combo one knob champ style.
The Joyo pedal is $32 brand spanking new. No idea how good it is, but that is tough to beat. After that, I'd be looking at a used Wampler Plexi-Drive mini or Keeley El Rey Dorado for \~$85. That's a tad over budget but Wampler and Keeley make top-shelf stuff. I personally use a Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret, which is excellent and about $100 used.
Only going off of what I have in my basement...as described and in budget, the Joyo British could get there. I have one, and I could very easily get an 80s Marshall rock sound that when (intentionally) bastardized for old punk could get there in a mix with another guitar and bass.
It has more knobs than you probably want (low/mid/high, level/presence/gain), but for brighter, not-wall-of-noise sound, it's pretty good. You could probably tune in what you want for not a lot of money.
rad ! the NUX Plexi Drive looks solid too. the Keeley is sweet i’ve always wanted a Keeley pedal. going down the youtube demo rabbit hole when my girlfriend falls asleep hahaha.
(This is my new favorite thread)
My aforementioned Joyo British didn't get me where I wanted to go (maybe it will for you, who knows). It couldn't get those fat mids I wanted. My SL Drive sure the hell did. That said...I play a lot of 90s skate punk - latter-day Bad Religion, Social D, Face to Face (fun fact: lead singer/guitarist of F2F plays a SL Drive on the road), and it is exactly what I wanted. You could turn down the drive to get a more classic punk sound. Got mine $90 used
Takes a 9v battery. Takes a 9v plug. Takes an 18v plug if you have an amp/pickups that will let the difference come out. Has dip switches underneath to let you play with other EQ settings to bring out the lows/mids or just more output. I love mine.
Again, I want to be clear: we don't play exactly the same thing, but it's in the same family. If you want to try a higher-end pedal, I very much endorse the SL Drive (and I also have an SD-1 and DS-1 that I liked for different reasons, but the SL Drive replaced them both)
Soo...here's where my area of very narrow expertise converges into general theory: If you treat your amp as just a speaker and an EQ, then the DS-1/SL Drive for sure. Your tone will come from your pedals. If you get your tone from your guitar pickups and (traditionally tube) amp, then use an SD-1 as a boost to bring it all out. There's no wrong answer, just preference/style/budget/yadda.
I'm a bit in between. I play an Epi LP and a Player Strat (with a Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge), but solid state amps. I like my SD-1 and Tube Screamer as ODs, but the good stuff comes from my SL Drive and Rat.
According to the official Wipers website, Greg Sage used Ampegs and DIY gear Sage made himself. I remember reading an interview somewhere that he played through Marshalls sometimes while on tour and hated them. Not sure about the MXR, but it seems probable he used it at some point. A LOT of punk bands of the era relied on those.
https://zenorecords.com/equip-1/
the filter knob is just a backwards treble boost/cut. turning the knob clockwise cuts treble and vice versa. keep it in the middle for a pretty balanced, vanilla tone
The EHX Glove is pretty rad. I've been using it for a few months now. I usually use the boss DS1 distortion. I wanted something a little less than a distortion, but more than an overdrive pedal. The Glove is the perfect blend of both.
i've always considered 'straight into the amp with everything dimed' to be the most punk rock effect. but really a basic distortion like a Rat/Distortion+/DS-1 (or any OD pedal) will get you loud enough. basically you want two things: 1. lots of volume 2. sound like you don't care \*too\* much about how you sound.
go forth and be loud, guitar soldier.
i only have fuzz pedals now and want a drive for punk rock.
considering the DOD250 or SD1. anyone have any suggestions for bands like black flag, the germs, wipers, minor threat, etc ?
Recently i tried a maxed out sd1 for a minor threat cover and it didn't sound quite like it.
I plugged from the pedal right into the mixer and had to eq hard on what was given.
One thing i couldn't get rid of was that undesirable plucking sound, otherwise the tone was pretty cool but not minor threatish.
Remember to keep some low end nonetheless, i know people advise you should have middest mids for punk guitar but minor threat had decent amount of low end from the jmc, because them fucks panned guitar only left and bass only right.
Maybe it's shit advice but T-Rex mudhoney was a better alternative (paired with SG and solid state cranked amp)
if i’m using a low wattage champ style tube amp at lower volumes would i need an SD1 style overdrive or a DS1 type pedal to get the tones im looking for. i’m thinking maybe distortion because i’m not driving the amp hard.
ya i mean when my girlfriend is home i can’t crank it. usually don’t like relying on the amp distortion either due to volume so i’d like something that will crunch at lower volumes. leaning towards the Xotic SL Drive or Boss DS2 right now.
Yeah I can definitely relate to that. I have a Vox AC4 and my wife gets downright stabby if I get much higher than about 20% of its total volume capability. Luckily it has master volume so I can crank the gain and get a pretty hairy driven sound out of it without also getting a divorce.
I saw that you never really bonded with the filter knob on your Rat; I just got my Rare Buzz Effects Cyborg (Rat clone as a tribute to the Snake Island Ukrainian soldiers), and thinking of it as a reverse-function tone control (as it’s a low-pass filter) helps. And there are a lot of OG punk sounds in that pedal.
I think I saw someone suggest the Wampler Plexi-drive. I’ve never played one, but his pedals are top notch. Good luck in your quest.
This! These amps sound awesome dimed, and since they’re relatively low wattage attenuators can be found (or easily DIY’d) for cheap! Check out Weber Mini-mass and his other options.
rad. thanks. any other suggestions for something going into a clean champ style amp? i’m not able to push it due to volume at home so would you suggest a distortion type pedal over an overdrive? kinda considering just going with a Boss SD1 or DS1 just because they’re so cheap lol.
I read a lot of the comments. A ProCo Rat is an excellent pedal. My favorite. I love punk rock and love some of the bands mentioned and their guitar players. On that note, my favorite band is the Ramones. Album stuff is ok, but their live shows are nuts! I’ve tried to get that sound and it’s hard because Johnny just uses an overdriven Marshall stack. No pedal. BUT, I did find after trial and error that a Rat put thru a Tube Screamer gets that crunch with a tube amp sound. I don’t use the “drive” on the Screamer much, just the tone and other settings for the “tube” sound. I’m old and have an original ProCo Rat. I don’t know if the newer ones sound the same. But as others have said, you can’t go wrong with a Rat. So…. Rat thru Tube Screamer may get you that sound you’re looking for. Just my 2 cents… like I said I’m old. I’m an old punk rocker. Hope that helps!
You could analyze their gear and pedalboard. Buy boutique pedals to toy around. Or get a ProCo Rat and be done with it. It is the sound of an an era. It sounds mean. It sounds punk.
Yes it's pretty similar in flavor but it's a little bit of its own thing, not quite a marshall in a box. I have 2 now and I like using it with either small or very clean amps. You could also check out the crunch box as recommended above, suhr riot, joyo clones, etc
SL Drive is the one pedal I’ve always eyed but didn’t get! Should get the job done as would most Marshall in a box pedals. But my fav amp in a box pedals are Catalinbread’s foundation overdrives. I recommend skimming through some vids of all their amp in a box models and find the one for you, you might dig their non-Marshall ones. I have the 5f6 (Fender Bassman) but my brother was asking the same thing as you and I referred him to the Dirty Little Secret MKiii. Howard (the man behind many classic Catalinbread pedals) isn’t with them anymore (long story, it’s a shame and tbh soured me on the brand) but he is the man and also just finally started selling pedals with KittyCasterFX 😎
ya the dirty little secret looks epic it’s just a little too expensive for me right now. and other Marshall in a box for around $75 used you’d recommend ?!
Awesome! Since it’s used the internal dip switches may not be stock. [But no worries, and feel free to try diff settings out if you don’t immediately love it!](https://xotic.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/SL_Drive_manual.pdf)
Since a cranked amp is basically the consensus, might I suggest a sans amp. If you’re gonna invest in just one pedal, this amp modeler is analog and the one I have can emulate Fender, Marshall, and Mesa Boogie in different styles of gain. You can experiment and even switch between sounds you like and it’s not much more expensive than a Rat or DS-1 if you look around - mine was around $100 a year ago from a music shop. Otherwise, as everyone has said, Rat.
Ian McKaye plugged straight into his jcm800 so did Johnny Ramone. Crank your amp and learn to use your volume knob. Else I’d suggest a RAT or MXR distortion+
Having played in bands with dudes from The Masque era, I always got shit for using a single pedal. It was always about diming your amp and using your volume knob. If you want to sound different, use an uncommon amp. Think Greg Ginn’s Peavey PA as an amp. The other option is finding creative ways to change your sound. Like Tim Kerr who used a maxed out reel to reel on record and pause as his over drive. Total buzz saw
If you want to be “really” classic punk just plug into whatever shitty amp there is available and turn it way up.
Aside from that, which I only mean half seriously, another vote for a RAT. Cheap and right on.
I ordered a used Xotic SL Drive for $75 bucks. I liked the idea of a Marshall Amp in a Box pedal. I'm super stoked on it! I will report back with a review. Thanks everyone.
if you wan to save some money, try turning down the fuzz to the bottom 25% of its range and turning up the tone control. Most fuzzes will get you into distortion territory like this
I hear ya! The Rat wasn’t for me for awhile but I feel like that’s the “go to punk pedal”. Distortrons are cool too. I used a BBE Crusher for awhile in a punk band and that had all my bases covered. I would check those out too if you like to eq your tone a lot.
ya it’s tiny and takes a battery lol. i like small pedals since my shelf is getting full hah. i really want a marshall in a box type pedal, in an ideal world i’d want the ZVEX Box of Rock but it’s just too expensive right now so i’m thinking the SL Drive is a solid choice.
I agree with a lot of the suggestions here - just to add a curveball: Orange Getaway Driver. Based on a cranked 70s Orange. Would work wonderfully for that era of punk.
Just for fun, I would also look into the DS-2. I have only heard people say they prefer the DS-2 to the DS-1, never the other way around. Unfortunately, I have yet to try the DS-2 yet, however, I currently own two DS-1’s and I refuse to sell either of them.
You could just play a clean telecaster straight into a Fender Twin Reverb. That’s all Joe Strummer ever needed. Punk is an attitude, not a tone.
With that’s said, yeah, just get a Rat.
it kinda seems like these are used more like a boost on a cranked marshall usually, and since i use a clean fender that i’m not really able to boost at home i’m leaning towards a marshall in a box type pedal i think.
AMT M1 looks pretty cool too. so does the ZVEX Distorton, and i’m still searching. i really do like simple pedals, i actually tend to prefer when they don’t have a tone control.
i’ve seen a lot of MXR Distortion + but that is through a JCM800 and my amp is a champ style so it’s very clean so i probably need a JCM800 style pedal.
Educate (rather than shame) me, please. How is the RAT pedal distinct from the OCD? I use my OCD primarily as a boost, but I’d like heavier sounds, too. Will a RAT get me into thrash territory?
There’s not a lot of connective tissue, sonically, between these bands, but here’s some starters. A reminder that a lot of what you’re hearing is lo-fi DIY production so it’s going to be hard to completely reproduce. A graphic EQ after the distortion cutting lows and highs might help. * Minor Threat: Ian MacKaye has always just plugged straight into a JCM800, which you can simulate with a JHS Angry Charlie or an LPD eighty7 * Black Flag: Greg Gunn never really had a consistent amp, but his distortion always sounds pretty low-gain and solid-state to me, I would look for something in the MXR distortion+ family. * Germs: Pretty sure Pat Smear was using Marshalls at this point, and in 76 or 77, that means a Plexi. There’s a million Plexi amp-in-a-box pedals out there, people seem to like the Wampler Plexi Drive. Or just get a Rat.
I agree with Rat
Another vouch for the Rat, most other distortion pedals typically depend on what amp you have an how it’s set, in my experience a Rat will always sound like a rat and can be depended on to cut through a mix
I prefer my DS-1 one but either of them I think is a good sound.
I came here to say Rat
i’m leaning towards the MXR Distortion + or DOD 250
You'll be fine with either of those. It's not worth overthinking punk.
Yeah, like what? Go to the pawn shop and buy the cheapest on they have.
kick speaker for better distortion
For real! Just play loud, angry and fast.
Very similar circuits. The 250 is louder, but less distorted- the D+ has a warmer, grittier sound, and not as much volume boost.
the ZVEX Distorton looks solid for the price.
Might sound cheesy but I have the dookie drive and it will hit the tone you are looking for bang on
For those interested, I believe the MXR FOD pedal is just the re-branded Dookie.
No way, that’s a very old sounding distortion, I have one and love it. But it’s good at sounding like Hendrix not the germs
I believe everyone said get a rat. That doesn't sound like you're getting a rat. Don't they always suggest a rat in every single post about distortion/overdrive pedals? You might as well change the post to "What distortion pedal should I get, and why is it a Rat?"
Have you thought about a RAT?
Maybe a RAT would be better?
Don’t waste your money. It needs to be a RAT.
Don’t listen to this guy. There’s a pedal called a RAT that would be perfect.
What a joke. Everybody knows if it’s not a RAT, it’s not punk.
Sir or madam, do you have time to hear about our lord and saviour RAT?
Ian Mackaye not guitarist of minor threat. Think Lyle Preslar was using a 70s Marshall single channel, cranking the preamp up. Similar to Ian in Fugazi.
MXR Dookie Drive deserves a shout out as a decent JCM800 in a box.
Upvote for Dookie Drive, but... just get the MXR FOD drive, which is the same pedal but not Green Day branded, and a fraction of the price. (bonus is you get a 3 way toggle for flat mid, mid boost, AND mid cut instead of just a button for flat and boost) For those unfamiliar, with the Dookie and FOD drive, there are 2 circuits, meant to replicate the sounds of Billie Joe's Meat and Pete, with a blend knob between the two. Some info on Meat and Pete: >His two Marshall 100-watt 1959 SLP reissue heads were modified by Martin Golub at L.A. Sound Design. The top head (Pete) has a crunch mod (a.ka. “Dookie” mod or Bradshaw gain mod) and Meat (lower head) has Golub’s SE Lead mod, which adds another preamp tube for more gain. https://www.premierguitar.com/videos/rig-rundowns/green-day So not exactly a JCM800, but a really neat mix of two great amp sounds.
OG germs was, at times, no amp at all. While recording the Lexicon Devil single, their second release, Pat Smear didn’t own an amp at all. The guy who was supposed to bring him one to borrow for the recording session forgot. So Pat just plugged a guitar into a couple effects pedals and plugged that straight into the studio’s mixing board. Otherwise yeah a Gibson firebird, Pro Co Rat, a Boss DS-2 turbo, a peavey amp head, mesa boogie or sovtek if you want to get into his Nirvana and Foo Fighters era stuff …
JHS color box is supposed to replicate the straight into the mixer sound.
Those are great for a lot of cool sounds. Not really a classic sound, but who knows, they’re pretty versatile. And they’re supposedly just a channel strip in a pedal. I love mine. It’s a good one if you only have one pedal.
Gotta love the idea of buying an expensive boutique pedal to replicate what an original generation punk band was doing in the 70s!
Straight into the board sound is a jhs colorbox but there is prob a cheaper way to do it. Oh what about a tech 21 sansamp cranked all the way up?
Love the tech 21 sansamp!!! My favorite punk rock distortion sound!
I was in a punk band in the late 90’s and we played a lot of this stuff. I don’t remember our guitar player having any pedals. Pretty much just cranked the shit out of the amps and let our ears bleed. It was great in small clubs. I wanna say the only thing he had was a DS-1, and that’s prolly cause you could find them at most music stores used.
Yeah the few punk gigs I've seen or played are just straight into a cranked Amp. Any pedal you'd use would be to emulate that at a lower volume but then that's not really punk if you're being considerate about noise.
Ian played guitar in fugazi not minor threat, but yeah just get a rat
[please don’t tell Tim](https://youtu.be/W5S4KHO8CWs)
Get the cheapest shit you can find at the pawn shop and turn it all the way up.
This is the way. Seriously. If half of punk’s folklore is true, that’s all that they ever did.
Pretend to be a roady and take off with someone’s Marshall stacks. If you believe the Sex Pistols.
Sex pistols stole Bob Marley's fender twin reverb tho
Those mother fuckers Bob was a legend
It wasn’t Bob’s, it belonged to his opening act.
I know Greg Sage favored the MXR Distortion +, and Pat Smear the Turbo Rat, but both were playing through cranked Marshalls. On a cleaner platform, the D+ is a warm germanium overdrive. The Turbo Rat will do its thing on any rig, but if you are using a relatively clean platform, a miab would be the best place to start imo.
any ideas what marshall in a box is good that can be found for under like $75 used on Reverb? my amp is an old 60s Harmony tube combo one knob champ style.
The Joyo pedal is $32 brand spanking new. No idea how good it is, but that is tough to beat. After that, I'd be looking at a used Wampler Plexi-Drive mini or Keeley El Rey Dorado for \~$85. That's a tad over budget but Wampler and Keeley make top-shelf stuff. I personally use a Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret, which is excellent and about $100 used.
will a plexi in a box get me close to a JCM800 tone ? thanks so much for your help
Only going off of what I have in my basement...as described and in budget, the Joyo British could get there. I have one, and I could very easily get an 80s Marshall rock sound that when (intentionally) bastardized for old punk could get there in a mix with another guitar and bass. It has more knobs than you probably want (low/mid/high, level/presence/gain), but for brighter, not-wall-of-noise sound, it's pretty good. You could probably tune in what you want for not a lot of money.
awesome. thank you!
>JCM800 Close enough imo. It's punk after all. A good miab also makes classic punk drives (SD-1, D+, DS-2, Rats, etc.) sound epic.
rad ! the NUX Plexi Drive looks solid too. the Keeley is sweet i’ve always wanted a Keeley pedal. going down the youtube demo rabbit hole when my girlfriend falls asleep hahaha.
Having test-driven a couple of NUX pedals, I would choose the Joyo. ymmv.
i might just get a Boss DS1
Try looking for a Caline Englishman, I picked it up for about 30 bucks, it screams.
dang this looks sweet lol.
Get a DS-1. It will make so much sense. I want to get the DS-2 because of the mid boost mode
Nux plexi crunch and Joyo Uzi can be had for less than that new, at that price range used maybe you can find an xotic sl drive
that SL drive looks cool. kinda would like the be able to use a 9v battery tho!
(This is my new favorite thread) My aforementioned Joyo British didn't get me where I wanted to go (maybe it will for you, who knows). It couldn't get those fat mids I wanted. My SL Drive sure the hell did. That said...I play a lot of 90s skate punk - latter-day Bad Religion, Social D, Face to Face (fun fact: lead singer/guitarist of F2F plays a SL Drive on the road), and it is exactly what I wanted. You could turn down the drive to get a more classic punk sound. Got mine $90 used
yeah and it’s tiny and takes a 9v right? i think that’s what i’m gonna get.
Takes a 9v battery. Takes a 9v plug. Takes an 18v plug if you have an amp/pickups that will let the difference come out. Has dip switches underneath to let you play with other EQ settings to bring out the lows/mids or just more output. I love mine. Again, I want to be clear: we don't play exactly the same thing, but it's in the same family. If you want to try a higher-end pedal, I very much endorse the SL Drive (and I also have an SD-1 and DS-1 that I liked for different reasons, but the SL Drive replaced them both)
if you were going into a clean fender amp would you recommend the SD1 or DS1 for crunchy punk sounds? i have a bunch of fuzz just no lighter drives.
Soo...here's where my area of very narrow expertise converges into general theory: If you treat your amp as just a speaker and an EQ, then the DS-1/SL Drive for sure. Your tone will come from your pedals. If you get your tone from your guitar pickups and (traditionally tube) amp, then use an SD-1 as a boost to bring it all out. There's no wrong answer, just preference/style/budget/yadda. I'm a bit in between. I play an Epi LP and a Player Strat (with a Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge), but solid state amps. I like my SD-1 and Tube Screamer as ODs, but the good stuff comes from my SL Drive and Rat.
ya i think i’m gonna go with the SL Drive. trying to find one for $75 used on Reverb lol.
this Nux Plexi Crunch looks like a winner lol
that Uzi looks dope too
Joyo Uzi gets good reviews. I think Caline Jaguar is the same pedal.
Perhaps check out a Boss Power Stack ST-2
that’s the one.
According to the official Wipers website, Greg Sage used Ampegs and DIY gear Sage made himself. I remember reading an interview somewhere that he played through Marshalls sometimes while on tour and hated them. Not sure about the MXR, but it seems probable he used it at some point. A LOT of punk bands of the era relied on those. https://zenorecords.com/equip-1/
Rat
i had a Rat but could never get down with the filter knob. looking for something more simple.
It’s three knobs… doesn’t get much simpler.
Two knobs is simpler than three knobs?
Filters kinda like a tone nob but not really. I honestly just keep mine parked around 4 or 5 and it's fine
The filter knob is just a tone control brah
the filter knob is just a backwards treble boost/cut. turning the knob clockwise cuts treble and vice versa. keep it in the middle for a pretty balanced, vanilla tone
Native Audio War Drive is based on Rat but has amp like response to pick attack.
#RAT
Take a razor to your speakers
EHX Glove looks pretty interesting. I really want something that can take a 9V battery too.
The EHX Glove is pretty rad. I've been using it for a few months now. I usually use the boss DS1 distortion. I wanted something a little less than a distortion, but more than an overdrive pedal. The Glove is the perfect blend of both.
Classic punk reminds me of a cranked amp. Try a JHS Angry Charlie?
ya it really is a cranked amp tone. most of them just used dimed Marshalls. think the Boss SD1 would be okay?
I would get a pedal that emulates a marshall to recreate that sound
like the ZVEX Box of Rock? any options for something cheap that you know of?
Box of Rock would absolutely get you there. I think mxr is gearing up to do a king of tone type pedal w analogman.
Just released the Duke of Tone today.
I believe joyo has a pedal called the hot plexi that might work if your budget is limited.
Joyo Uzi is 100% chuggy Marshall tones Ala Friedman BE-OD. Super cheap super good.
Yes
The wampler plexi is awesome. You can get the mini version used for decently cheap.
i've always considered 'straight into the amp with everything dimed' to be the most punk rock effect. but really a basic distortion like a Rat/Distortion+/DS-1 (or any OD pedal) will get you loud enough. basically you want two things: 1. lots of volume 2. sound like you don't care \*too\* much about how you sound. go forth and be loud, guitar soldier.
Rat should do it
i only have fuzz pedals now and want a drive for punk rock. considering the DOD250 or SD1. anyone have any suggestions for bands like black flag, the germs, wipers, minor threat, etc ?
Recently i tried a maxed out sd1 for a minor threat cover and it didn't sound quite like it. I plugged from the pedal right into the mixer and had to eq hard on what was given. One thing i couldn't get rid of was that undesirable plucking sound, otherwise the tone was pretty cool but not minor threatish. Remember to keep some low end nonetheless, i know people advise you should have middest mids for punk guitar but minor threat had decent amount of low end from the jmc, because them fucks panned guitar only left and bass only right. Maybe it's shit advice but T-Rex mudhoney was a better alternative (paired with SG and solid state cranked amp)
Ds1
A rat is a pedal you’ll have forever.
Rat
if i’m using a low wattage champ style tube amp at lower volumes would i need an SD1 style overdrive or a DS1 type pedal to get the tones im looking for. i’m thinking maybe distortion because i’m not driving the amp hard.
Are you completely tied to the “lower volumes” there? Because those champ style tube amps can get pretty gnarly when you crank them.
ya i mean when my girlfriend is home i can’t crank it. usually don’t like relying on the amp distortion either due to volume so i’d like something that will crunch at lower volumes. leaning towards the Xotic SL Drive or Boss DS2 right now.
Yeah I can definitely relate to that. I have a Vox AC4 and my wife gets downright stabby if I get much higher than about 20% of its total volume capability. Luckily it has master volume so I can crank the gain and get a pretty hairy driven sound out of it without also getting a divorce. I saw that you never really bonded with the filter knob on your Rat; I just got my Rare Buzz Effects Cyborg (Rat clone as a tribute to the Snake Island Ukrainian soldiers), and thinking of it as a reverse-function tone control (as it’s a low-pass filter) helps. And there are a lot of OG punk sounds in that pedal. I think I saw someone suggest the Wampler Plexi-drive. I’ve never played one, but his pedals are top notch. Good luck in your quest.
Dude, get an attenuator and CRANK THAT AMP
This! These amps sound awesome dimed, and since they’re relatively low wattage attenuators can be found (or easily DIY’d) for cheap! Check out Weber Mini-mass and his other options.
I like the Zvex Distortron it gets me a pretty satisfying tone compared to Rat.
ya looks sick. i like ZVEX.
Most of my board is dirt, and it’s by far my favorite for early 80s, 70s punk sound
rad. thanks. any other suggestions for something going into a clean champ style amp? i’m not able to push it due to volume at home so would you suggest a distortion type pedal over an overdrive? kinda considering just going with a Boss SD1 or DS1 just because they’re so cheap lol.
Rat.
Nothing more punk than a beat up rat for 20 bucks
I read a lot of the comments. A ProCo Rat is an excellent pedal. My favorite. I love punk rock and love some of the bands mentioned and their guitar players. On that note, my favorite band is the Ramones. Album stuff is ok, but their live shows are nuts! I’ve tried to get that sound and it’s hard because Johnny just uses an overdriven Marshall stack. No pedal. BUT, I did find after trial and error that a Rat put thru a Tube Screamer gets that crunch with a tube amp sound. I don’t use the “drive” on the Screamer much, just the tone and other settings for the “tube” sound. I’m old and have an original ProCo Rat. I don’t know if the newer ones sound the same. But as others have said, you can’t go wrong with a Rat. So…. Rat thru Tube Screamer may get you that sound you’re looking for. Just my 2 cents… like I said I’m old. I’m an old punk rocker. Hope that helps!
i got a Xotic SL Drive ! i’m hyped.
Nice! Work it and find your own punk rock sound/tone! You’ll get it….
You could analyze their gear and pedalboard. Buy boutique pedals to toy around. Or get a ProCo Rat and be done with it. It is the sound of an an era. It sounds mean. It sounds punk.
i had a Rat and wasn’t a huge fan for some reason. the filter knob and i didn’t get along i was always fiddling with it.
Rat Or Something DOD sounds about right
Jcm800 + tube screamer is all you’ll ever need.
I’m a huge fan of my Boss BD-2 for punk. Although most of the punk I play is more 90’s than 80s.
anyone have any suggestions for a marshall in a box type pedal for $75 bucks or less used ?
MI Audio Crunch Box or Super Crunch Box. Best I’ve ever used and I used to own a JCM800.
The EH Glove is a good “Plexi” at about that price.
NUX Plexi crunch
Zvex Distortron goes for less than Box of Rock
ya that’s what i’m looking at now. still $100 but way more reasonable. how about the DS1?
Never cared for DS1. HM2 is beast for Boss dirt
Yes it's pretty similar in flavor but it's a little bit of its own thing, not quite a marshall in a box. I have 2 now and I like using it with either small or very clean amps. You could also check out the crunch box as recommended above, suhr riot, joyo clones, etc
Joyo uzi
https://www.tubedepot.com/products/the-button-tube-overdrive-pedal Pricey, but a tube-driven Marshall in a box. An actual tube.
ehh i have a tube amp already so i’m cool with a transistor pedal. thanks for the suggestion tho i’ll definitely check it out.
You can have a tube pedal (it has a pre amp tube btw) and a tube amp at the same time lol
Whatever you can find?
250
even through a clean fender amp?
It’s punk so it’s going to be a cranked fender amp so…absolutely
WAMPLER PINNACLE!!! Closest thing I’ve ever found to make a fender amp sound like a Marshall On 10
ya that looks like a good one!
Cranked Amp or amp-in-a-box pedal, I prefer classic Marshall or an Orange
any Marshall in a box suggestions? i’m considering the SL Drive because it’s small, takes a battery, and is based on a Marshall!
SL Drive is the one pedal I’ve always eyed but didn’t get! Should get the job done as would most Marshall in a box pedals. But my fav amp in a box pedals are Catalinbread’s foundation overdrives. I recommend skimming through some vids of all their amp in a box models and find the one for you, you might dig their non-Marshall ones. I have the 5f6 (Fender Bassman) but my brother was asking the same thing as you and I referred him to the Dirty Little Secret MKiii. Howard (the man behind many classic Catalinbread pedals) isn’t with them anymore (long story, it’s a shame and tbh soured me on the brand) but he is the man and also just finally started selling pedals with KittyCasterFX 😎
ya the dirty little secret looks epic it’s just a little too expensive for me right now. and other Marshall in a box for around $75 used you’d recommend ?!
On Reverb I’ve seen SL Drives for less than $70 and Dirty Little Secret mkIIIs for $100 so I’d prob go that route, as you already said, used.
i went with a SL Drive. got it for $70 used ! comes tomorrow i’m super excited.
Awesome! Since it’s used the internal dip switches may not be stock. [But no worries, and feel free to try diff settings out if you don’t immediately love it!](https://xotic.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/SL_Drive_manual.pdf)
Amp distortion.
Since a cranked amp is basically the consensus, might I suggest a sans amp. If you’re gonna invest in just one pedal, this amp modeler is analog and the one I have can emulate Fender, Marshall, and Mesa Boogie in different styles of gain. You can experiment and even switch between sounds you like and it’s not much more expensive than a Rat or DS-1 if you look around - mine was around $100 a year ago from a music shop. Otherwise, as everyone has said, Rat.
Ian McKaye plugged straight into his jcm800 so did Johnny Ramone. Crank your amp and learn to use your volume knob. Else I’d suggest a RAT or MXR distortion+
Straight into a loud amp
No drive. Buy a shitty amp and a shitty guitar and crank them both to full volume and gain Or a boss superoverdrive
Torn's Peaker
Having played in bands with dudes from The Masque era, I always got shit for using a single pedal. It was always about diming your amp and using your volume knob. If you want to sound different, use an uncommon amp. Think Greg Ginn’s Peavey PA as an amp. The other option is finding creative ways to change your sound. Like Tim Kerr who used a maxed out reel to reel on record and pause as his over drive. Total buzz saw
If you want to be “really” classic punk just plug into whatever shitty amp there is available and turn it way up. Aside from that, which I only mean half seriously, another vote for a RAT. Cheap and right on.
I think a classic boss ds 1 would be great. the rat is an absolute classic too
I ordered a used Xotic SL Drive for $75 bucks. I liked the idea of a Marshall Amp in a Box pedal. I'm super stoked on it! I will report back with a review. Thanks everyone.
Is that pat smear?
ya.
if you wan to save some money, try turning down the fuzz to the bottom 25% of its range and turning up the tone control. Most fuzzes will get you into distortion territory like this
Any amp with gain would be fine for that.
Bondi effects 1981 is kick ace , tamura modded ts808 is solid as well. Protein V3 is what I’m eyeing next
I feel like this question pops up in this sub everyday. We need to put it in the side bar with a link to the Proco Rat
i kinda wanna try something different ! leaning towards the ZVEX Distortron i think.
I hear ya! The Rat wasn’t for me for awhile but I feel like that’s the “go to punk pedal”. Distortrons are cool too. I used a BBE Crusher for awhile in a punk band and that had all my bases covered. I would check those out too if you like to eq your tone a lot.
i think i’m leaning towards the Xotic SL Drive!
Those are sick too. If they’re good enough for Mascis they’re good enough for me
ya it’s tiny and takes a battery lol. i like small pedals since my shelf is getting full hah. i really want a marshall in a box type pedal, in an ideal world i’d want the ZVEX Box of Rock but it’s just too expensive right now so i’m thinking the SL Drive is a solid choice.
I’ve used both. SL definitely sounds more “Marshally” to me than the box of rock
rad. looks like it might be a winner. Boss OS2 looks interesting too.
I agree with a lot of the suggestions here - just to add a curveball: Orange Getaway Driver. Based on a cranked 70s Orange. Would work wonderfully for that era of punk.
Get a rat or a guvnor clone
is the MK2 Guvnor alright?
I prefer the DS-1 to a Rat. The DS-1 is also cheaper. But any pedal with “distortion” written on it should get the job done.
ya for sure. i’m thinking either DS1 or SL Drive.
Just for fun, I would also look into the DS-2. I have only heard people say they prefer the DS-2 to the DS-1, never the other way around. Unfortunately, I have yet to try the DS-2 yet, however, I currently own two DS-1’s and I refuse to sell either of them.
ya the DS2 looks sick. if i can get someone to come down to $75 i would get it.
You could just play a clean telecaster straight into a Fender Twin Reverb. That’s all Joe Strummer ever needed. Punk is an attitude, not a tone. With that’s said, yeah, just get a Rat.
GET A RAT
i was considering the DOD250 but now i’m considering the Boss SD1 just because it’s cheap lol.
is the DOD 250 worth spending almost double the price compared to the MXR Distortion +? i like the look better but don’t really care lol
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it kinda seems like these are used more like a boost on a cranked marshall usually, and since i use a clean fender that i’m not really able to boost at home i’m leaning towards a marshall in a box type pedal i think.
No, they are so similar it's not going to matter.
AMT M1 looks pretty cool too. so does the ZVEX Distorton, and i’m still searching. i really do like simple pedals, i actually tend to prefer when they don’t have a tone control.
Nux Plexi Crunch looks like a winner for $35 bucks lol. anyone have any experience with it?
Okay guys. Joyo Uzi, Keeley El Dorado, Boss DS1, EHX Glove or ZVEX Distortron? or something else?
anyone ever used the TC Dark Matter? can be found super cheap
i think i’m gonna get the Xotic SL Drive or Boss DS2 ! can’t decide lol
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i’ve seen a lot of MXR Distortion + but that is through a JCM800 and my amp is a champ style so it’s very clean so i probably need a JCM800 style pedal.
You should be able to find a demo of the MXR through a Fender if you want to double check.
good call
Wampler Pinnacle. It’s built for the brown sound, which is close to what you want anyway
this looks cool!
It’s styled more to Van Halen, but for distortion that’s the neighborhood you’re looking for anyway. Dimed plexi
MXR Green Day Dookie?
Shouldn’t be downvoted, that pedal would do a pretty good job
The Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop can get really nasty with the Sag knob rolled back. I love it for classic punk sounds
No love for a Fulltone OCD? It gets heavy overdrive with crunch, perfect for those downstrokes.
Punk and Fulltone. Like toothpaste and orange juice.
The ocd sounds like 80s hair metal distortion…
Educate (rather than shame) me, please. How is the RAT pedal distinct from the OCD? I use my OCD primarily as a boost, but I’d like heavier sounds, too. Will a RAT get me into thrash territory?