Experience with these cheap/low end pedals

[James Rock]

Wanted some opinions on some of these low end pedals.

For starters I need an overdrive at the moment I have two distortions two fuzzes but no overdrive. I play teles (and sometimes a Les Paul copy) into vox like amps and don't really have anything for either a slight dirt (for say late era beatles kinda tones like on something) or a pedal for more floyd like smoothish drive tones.
Cheap TS pedals I would look at would be the BOSS SD-1 and the Bad Monkey I know the latter gets alot of good press here but I worry there might be too much of a mid push so would consider the SD-1.

The day I found I pedal I didnt know much about but the Behringer (I know dreaded company who occasionally has decent stuff) Vintage Tube Monster (Bitmo modded) for sale and wondered if anyone had experience with it stock or modded.

On other drive pedals I am intrigued by the Biyang Fuzz and Distortion (the one that seems to be a rat clone). Any experience?

Also if I get a Metal Zone for under say 30 bucks and throw in some mods is it worth the time and money (not for metal tones per say more but saturated lead tones or punkier grungier tones like Blink 182 or The Vines)

Last but not least!
How are some of the cheaper tremolos such as the JOYO tremolo and the BOSS TR-2 (cheap second hand)

[Laughing Kookaburra]

The Boss SD-1 with an Monte Allums GT mod is fantastic! Crusty P is more articulate in describing it, though, so I'll leave it at that.

[crusty philtrum]

The Monte Allum modded SD-1 is fantastic. Even better if you replace the caps with red-box Wimas, but even without the cap upgrades, it's a monster. I have never been a fan of TS types, so the SD-1 is the pedal i have used for over 30 years. It always served me well, and became much better with the Monte Allum mod (GT-SD1). I'm not hearing any new boutique pedals that sound any better.

I'd happily install the Monte Allum mod for you at no charge. If you live in Melbourne, you're welcome to come and try one of mine (I have four).

[eschoendorff]

I use a stock SD-1 (actually purchased from a SDUGF member) and, in front of a Marshall, it delivers the goods!

[indie folk guy]

I also vote for the SD1 of those you mentioned with mods it's scary good.

[James Rock]

Thanks guys for the info the SD-1 sounds like a favourite here. I had one before and didn't dislike it just sold it for some money to buy other (non overdrive) pedals.

Crusty P I am looking at an SD-1 on eBay and will keep you in mind if I win it. I can do some modding but the GT Mod is probably to difficult for me to do myself so I would be very grateful if someone else managed it!

[Jessie's ghost]

Probably don't bother with a Metal Zone, no matter how cheap you get it. It's not an overdrive pedal, or even a distortion pedal. It's a "completely nullify the tone of your amp and make it sound just like this pedal" pedal. I think it's for people with practice amps who are hoping to sound like Metallica during the Mesa Boogie, EMG years.

[blueman335]

It's a "completely nullify the tone of your amp and make it sound just like this pedal" pedal.

Good selling point! Maybe they should use that slogan in their marketing.

[Jessie's ghost]

Good selling point! Maybe they should use that slogan in their marketing.

Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure there's a pedal out there with a similar phrase in the marketing lit. Seems aimed at people who (1) don't like their amp and (2) aren't looking for overdrive.

[thespricket]

I keep an sd1 in my gig bag for small sessions, gigs, or rehearsals that I don't feel like lugging my full board around for. I like how versatile it is with every amp. It's also got a good bit of bite, lots of highs and upper mids, so it cuts well in a live mix. Its a great deal, and there are tons of great mods for it. I did a simple one to remove the c6, smoothend out the high midrange.

[LonePhantom]

I've modified a MT-2 into quite a nice pedal, with the benefit of massive noise reductions too. It worked nicely for OD and for metal, and sounded a lot more livelier than it's stock conifg. It's a combinaton of the JCM and Diezel mods that are available on the web.

Daphon make some pretty cool cheap pedals, mostly Boss derived. I have a E20OD which is a SD-1 clone. Any mods you can do to an DS-1 you can do to the Daphon. I've made mine a more flexible switchable SD-1/TS-9 OD with a few other mods mixed in. their enclosures are Boss like in their robustness.

[Matt42]

The Danelectro Cool Cat Tremolo is quite nice. I've bought and sold several TR-2's cause I was never happy with them, but I'm very happy with the Cool Cat, especially the price! The guy who sold me the Tremolo said he likes their overdrive too, so that might be worth checking out.