Overdrive, Distortion & Boost Pedal Order Once & For All [You’re Asking The Wrong Question]

Get your head around gain pedal order once and for all and start stacking like a pro

Life too short for long YouTube videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.

Welcome to the show! The most common question we get asked is this: “What’s the best order for my gain pedals?” For example you may have a chain of overdrives, boosts, distortions, EQs and fuzzes and you’re constantly scratching your head about the ‘best’ signal order in which to place them.
We’ve made shows about it, we explain it almost every week in VCQ and we even struggle with it ourselves from time to time.
If you really do want to understand, it’s time to stop asking the wrong question. It’s no good asking what order they should go in; what you need to ask is “What do I want to achieve with these pedals?” So let’s start there and get this thing nailed on.
Enjoy the show!

Pedals and stuff in today’s video
• D’Addario XPND Pedalboard
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3zaTX5Z

• Xotic EP Booster
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: http://bit.ly/2OYhH1K

• Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer Keeley Mod (no longer available, links for the current standard one)
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: https://bit.ly/3BFvsg7
USA Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/MXO2mY

• Nobels ODR-1
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: https://bit.ly/3BoLto6
USA Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/Gj9LVL

Interesting bits & go-to sections
0:00 Intro sound examples
0:50 The wrong question
1:20 What is a gain pedal?
1:45 Why is it the wrong question?
2:50 Three things the gain pedal does
3:59 Basics of an overdrive pedal
4:37 Louder, less distorted
5:00 Not so loud, more distorted
5:30 Changing the EQ
6:40 The first gain stage is you!
8:20 Another pedal, same fundamentals
9:30 Moving on to stacking pedals
10:26 What about the amp?
11:05 What is clean, what is overdrive?
13:30 How headroom relates to pedal order
14:55 TS808 with a lot of overdrive
15:45 ODR-1 high overdrive
16:30 Stacking two heavy overdrive sounds
17:20 Want to be lifted louder?
18:10 EP Booster as a level boost
19:35 Clean boost vs heavy overdrive boost
21:00 How they’re set is MOST important
22:13 Using an overdrive pedal as a boost
23:50 Mick’s approach to gain stacking
25:30 Clean boost
27:17 A fatter rhythm sound
29:40 Boosting for a solo
30:40 A different basic OD option
31:50 Boosting into your boost!
32:50 More gain for sustain and feedback
35:19 And what about a guitar change?
38:19 Dan’s approach to gain stacking
38:43 Core overdrive sound
40:10 Boosting into your overdrive
43:30 A more focussed heavier tone
48:05 Closing thoughts: a better question

Guitars in this episode:
• Fender Custom Shop ’62 Relic Stratocaster – Mick’s video here: Mick’s New Strat – First Impressions,...
• Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster - Dan’s video here That Pedal Show – Our Guitars & Gear:...
• Gibson Custom True Historic ’57 Les Paul Goldtop, Murphy Aged - no video yet

Amps & cabs in this episode:
• Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb reissue with standard Jenson C12K speaker

We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel.

You can buy TPS merch to support our efforts https://www.thatpedalshowstore.com

We are on Patreon – crowdfunding for creatives
Patreon: ThatPedalShow

Please visit our preferred retailers!
UK & Europe: Andertons Music https://bit.ly/3zaTX5Z
Australia: Pedal Empire http://bit.ly/2mWmJQf