Ed's use of Dist/OD Pedals, the ADA MP-1

LypsLynch55 · Post by **LypsLynch55** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:20 pm

Strat78 wrote:Ha ha, you asked for it!!!

Ed's shark has nothin on that....

Strat78 · Post by **Strat78** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:06 pm

LypsLynch55 wrote:
Strat78 wrote:Ha ha, you asked for it!!!
Ed's shark has nothin on that....

Yeah, see what a bad influence Ed can be!

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInf ... ID=5646009
Anyway,I feel a little blasphemous using a POD on this site but I just wanted to do a little demo of the 1975 MXR Distortion + that I got today. The first half is with out the D+. Things definitely get a little messy with the pedal on but more exciting to my ears, but what do I know, perhaps both examples sound like garbage? Sorry about the recording, my computer does not record very well these days. I agree that a more valid test should be done through my Marshall, but I'll get that up and running in the next few months.

Ruben · Post by **Ruben** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:43 am

Jeez, that's great playing there!!!

The Distortion+ sounds good!

Good Guest · Post by **Good Guest** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:54 pm

Ruben wrote:Jeez, that's great playing there!!!

The Distortion+ sounds good!

+1.........The neat thing about the dist+ is when you turn up the distortion control it rolls off lows..a key ingredient for vh1 tone. The trick is to find that right balance of eq the pedal offers without the introduction of noise.

Now get your marshall working and start peeling some paint!

LypsLynch55 · Post by **LypsLynch55** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:22 pm

Good Guest wrote:
Ruben wrote:Jeez, that's great playing there!!!

The Distortion+ sounds good!
+1.........The neat thing about the dist+ is when you turn up the distortion control it rolls off lows..a key ingredient for vh1 tone. The trick is to find that right balance of eq the pedal offers without the introduction of noise.

Now get your marshall working and start peeling some paint!

That aint nothing....ask Strat to put up "Im the One" - I know you hate the reverb sound on that one Stratty, but c'mon, the playin is face-melting!

Ruben · Post by **Ruben** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:17 am

Can someone tell me what's the difference between a Script-Logo Distortion + and a Block-Logo Distortion + ?

There's one for sale here in Holland costing 140 euro's....ouch

Do they sound good when driving an AC-30 also?

Thanks

PerPlexi'd · Post by **PerPlexi'd** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:43 pm

I also can't remember where I read it and I will find the two articles but it said that Ed used a Boss Overdrive in conjunction with his wah pedal only, when there was long cable runs. His tech was looking for a way around this but that's what it was.

As far as the ADA MP1: that was used for a short time for clean sounds only.
MXR Distortion plus? When I hear Randy Rhoads I hear Distortion Plus in conjunction with a mid boosted eq pedal. Does this sound like Eddy?
I don't think so.
Just my 2 cents worth.

Ruben · Post by **Ruben** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:55 am

Just scored myself an all original MXR Distortion+. Cost me 7 dollars

Really, not kidding. Anyway, don't really like the sound that much. Although when you roll off the volume of your guitar the sounds stay pretty much transparent. Does a better job then my MIJ SD-1 when it comes to that. The sound, well, it's Randy Roads like to me, nithing like EVH. So, I quess Ed didn't use a MXR Distortion+

PerPlexi'd · Post by **PerPlexi'd** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:41 am

Hey Ruben....7 bucks? Wow, that's a steal.
Yeah you're right about them sounding good with the softer sounding AC 30 though. It takes some of the harshness away that is inherent in the sound of that pedal. Same kinda thing with the "Rat" pedal IMHO.

Cheers,
Love Jan Akerman!!!!!!
Pete

Ruben · Post by **Ruben** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:34 am

Hey PerPlexi'd,

well just played the pedal a few hours, and to be honest: this pedal is good boosting an already overdriven tube amp (in my case a 100 Watt Plexi). So, volume to 8/9 and distortion 3/4

Now, as it comes to EVH sound...mmm, could be maybe

But what do I know!!! If will have to mess around with the pedal some more

As distortion pedal alone driving a clean tube amp; to me it sucks big time

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:35 am

Well if your boosting a fairly 'clean' sounding Marshall, an MXR Distortion + is hard to beat, for that more vintage hi-gain sound. It sounds more Eddie, than anyother distortion, as it is browner and chunkier than say a Boss Ds-1. But if Eddie ever used one, it was only for a 'hair' more so to speak. Randy Rhoads and early Iron Maiden are better examples of one being used a bit more for dirt.

harddriver · Post by **harddriver** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:57 am

Ruben wrote:Hey PerPlexi'd,

well just played the pedal a few hours, and to be honest: this pedal is good boosting an already overdriven tube amp (in my case a 100 Watt Plexi). So, volume to 8/9 and distortion 3/4

Now, as it comes to EVH sound...mmm, could be maybe
But what do I know!!! If will have to mess around with the pedal some more

As distortion pedal alone driving a clean tube amp; to me it sucks big time

+1, I'll only add this from my experience with vintage MXR distortion+'s, Randy Rhodes tone attainable, YES. EVH tone with the pedal, no. The pedal actually seemed to take away from the tone and punch when trying to use as a clean boost for ED tones. I would have to say if ED used another clean boost it was probably a micro amp. Just my 2 cents of course. I'm not bagging on the MXR I used one for a long time into my stock 2203 and liked the tone for what it was, but ED it is not.

cary chilton · Post by **cary chilton** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:38 pm

You guys should try a TIM pedal. It is designed for openess, that is second to none in an OD pedal. The tone controls are full size reverse engineered pots, the pedal features an effects loop, it was designed for non master marshalls years ago by paul cochrane ( heritage amps) for his own use. The Op amps are switchable! The TIM smooth full size volume and drive pots ( 4 in a 2 channel stage) goes from ultra transparent OD, basically a clean boost to quite high compressed gain....with million variations in settings in between ...all hand made for 150 bux..... 1 615 896 8555 is his home number and THE ONLY WAY YOU can possibly get this pedal.

Good Guest · Post by **Good Guest** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:45 pm

Eddie uses a boss SD-1 in his live setup to offset the tone sucking of his wah wah...he later states he had the volume drop from his wah wah fixed so he doesn't use it anymore. So yeh Eddie doesn't use the distortion characteristics but the volume and tone shaping characteristics of the great boss sd-1.

Guitar Shop Spring 94 -Premiere issue! (just noticed that). Easy to see why I picked up that mag ..VAN HALEN " MY GEAR SECRETS"..his personal amp setting included...

Eddie used music man's ...Laney and new marshalls after he lost his precious marshall....all 2203/jcm 800 circuits..intresting...not sure about the musicman tho there is a pick of him warming up on one backstage..

As far as mxr distortion plus's go ..I don't know where or how the relationship between Randy Rhoads and the dist + started ..I would guess, probably because of guitarists confusion between mxr products..But Randy Rhoads used an MXR DISTORTION ll...a whole differant ball of wax.

So it isn't just block and script and r 27's that cause confusion it's MXR distortion +'s and mxr distortion ll's also. Randy Rhoads pedal board was detailed extensively in another guitar mag right down to the last bolt and it was a mxr distortion ll. Go read about them they were actually quite neat and some say sound like Eddie in a box, metallica in a box and scorpions in a box acdc in a box...complete with distortion , filter control that adjusts the midrange and presence. Look just like an mxr flanger too..even with ac cord..the only differance is the color. I would imagine if you covered it in black tape you wouldn't be able to tell the differance ..(flanger /distortionll)

You won't be seeing clones of them around ..ac operated and a complex in line switching system that effects tone...But like the ge 10 operates on the dual power supply for max headroom , low noise. Probably the only distortion pedal that took advantage of the dual power supply at the time.

Interesting if you clip the diodes of your mxr dist + and the diode fizz cap (placed there to remove unwanted artifacts from clipping) you end up with a boost that reduces lows the more you turn up. a la vh1..at least when you play atomic punk the low strings don't sound so muddy.

This isn't the same as an mxr microamp that amplifies everything including lows and would be best used as a line booster anyways because of that.

Combined with a phase 90 = nirvana.....remember there is no distortion to clip everything and make a mess.

Ruben · Post by **Ruben** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:56 pm

Good Guest wrote:Interesting if you clip the diodes of your mxr dist + and the diode fizz cap (placed there to remove unwanted artifacts from clipping) you end up with a boost that reduces lows the more you turn up. a la vh1..at least when you play atomic punk the low strings don't sound so muddy.

Any pics where those diodes are hidden?

Metropoulos Forum

Ed's use of Dist/OD Pedals, the ADA MP-1

D+ sample