Best Distortion pedal?
 

I just picked up a RG100ES and need to know about the best pedal for it. Seems some Bassturds use the Boss MT2 with the Randall RG series. And I have read good things on the Bad Monkey.

What about the distortion factory?

Random thoughts?

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

not sure about the bad monkey on that one, the distortion factory i wouldnt use, try to keep more away from modulation and more into eq, mt2 has a good semi-parametric eq that'll get a lot of differant tones, if you want to go balls to the walls, put an eq in the loop and a pedal infront of it :D, remember use 0 gain from the pedal, only the level and eq knobs, when you start adding gain from the pedal is when it starts sounding crappy, unless you back the gain off the amp first and then make up with it from the pedal... but it doesnt sound as evil that way

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

i'm not sure a bad monkey is the way to go, most people are using them for clean*er gain to overdrive the input of a tube amp, not sure it would be that cool for transistors, with a tranny amp, you are better off with the amps distortion, or some thing that has a good tone from the pedal, pushing a transistor amp into clip like you do a tube amp, produces a horrid sound, you are prolly better off with something like a big muff pi if you like scooped / bass heavy distortion, or an MXR distortion+ if you are into sizzly harmonic rich, or maybe a proco rat, overdrive (bad monkey, SD-1, any tube screamer, DOD 250, etc.) are gonna be a bit wimpy unless you push the amp into overload, and i seriously doubt you'd like the results of that sound wise

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

if you use a pedal to merely boost the signal and not the gain, its not bad at all, i do it with my randall and it sounds great...

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

well to get technical if you are using it as a "clean boost" it IS gain, you are talking about using the gain / drive / distortion knob, which clips the signal not nessisarily in respect to the gain, clean boost is fine to boost the signal, but if you are pushing the randall's input into clip with the clean boost from the pedal, it is going to NOT sound like a tube amp being pushed it is going to sound like a bad fuzz pedal, which i suppose could be a usable sound if you like that bees in a can sound, which is purely subjective. i guess it depends on what kind of a sound you are going for, it's deffinatly not the route you are looking to take to get classic sounds, i'd even say it'd sound more industrial than metal even, i know sandman personally, and i am certain if he tries to push the randall with a bad monkey, it'll be on ebay in 2 days

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

Scratch that, just watched a crapola amount videos on youtube and the distortion factory isn't my thing. However, iz did find a nice tone out of the Guyatone Metal Monster. :hbang:

UPDATE:

The Bad Monkey came in today... and it really does the RG100ES some justice. So much more variable control on the tone, so it took some time tweaking to get it (in my mind) perfect. Basically the RG 100 ES EQ was set back to under noon... I have the bass at 12:30 -- Mids at 9:30 / 10:00 -- Highs 12:00 on the amp.

I haven't tried it through the FX yet.--

Basically, it just boosts the signal. It didn't seem to color the tone in anyway, it just brought the amp to life, so to speak.

...And using it on the clean channel added that blackface type drive... still clean enough for good ol' riffs.

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

I always used an MXR eq to boost the lows and high mids on my old Randall. I thought it had some tight, aggressive gain with the sustain switch engaged, but just thought I would fine tune it and I loved it.

I left it out front, and only used the loop for delay.


I still use that eq pedal to this day, but before I bought it I tried an MT-2, DS-1 and a Rat2. They all made too much noise, and changed the gain of the amp too much for me.

I ended up using those same OD pedals with a 1987x that I had at that time. They played nice w/ the Marshall, but my Randall didn't like 'em.

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

Thanks for your input.

I really like the bad monkey with the randall... but I agree, the EQ would really work wonders. That's next on my Gear :babymonkey: list. :)

What model MXR eq was that?

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

If you like that Guyatone metal pedal, you should try the Digi Death Metal pedal. Its basicly your BadMonkey, but not a overdrive, more a distortion. And it's cheap. I have one. I use it through my Fender when I dont feel like the 5150.

Re: Best Distortion pedal?
 

I'll have to try that death metal pedal.

I like the Guyatone Metal Monster... it's basically a Mesa Boogie Triple Recto sound with more eq options. If someone wanted to have the a deep, throaty, growl, fat sound like the Triple Recto without spending $1800 and looking cool on stage, then this is the pedal for them.

I A / B'd with the recto and it's really hard to hear any difference. I'm playing it through my Solid State Randall RG100ES... it sounds really good. But I'm not wanting to clone a Recto... I already had rectos.

I got the MT2 off Bassturd, and I really like that pedal... it colors the sound some, but that's okay. I don't mind some color in the tone... what is "new age" distortion anyway??? It's not like Hendrix, Led Zepplin, or even AC/DC overdrive anymore. (that's the bad monkey)

It's Disturbed, Stone Sour, and Seven Dust, tone for todays "sound". Call it 'fad' if you will... I do.