Must know (overdrive) circuits?

[Harry Klippton]

What do y'all think are the must-know overdrive circuits? This has been a blind spot for me. I've built very few and owned fewer, so I'm looking to learn something unfamiliar. I live under a rock but sometimes I like to peek out. I guess another way to say what I'm asking is what are the classics? I'm mostly interested in what circuits many others derivate from.

And if you wanna cry "YATS," I'd like an explanation because otherwise it gets really reductive. "Tube screamer with asymmetrical clipping" or whatever is more descriptive.

I'd like to keep it to overdrives for now. I think I could easily compile a list of must-know fuzzes, and maybe we can expand this to talk about other effects later too. So what say you?

Here's a short list to kick it off:
TS-808/TS-9
Rat
Klon
Red llama
Zendrive
ODR-1
Crunchbox

Edit for the crowd sourced contributions:
Bluesbreaker
Distortion+/250
Boss OD-1
Timmy
Electra
Euphoria/ecstasy
Box of rock
Hot cake
OCD
Supreaux
Bsiab2

 

[Harry Klippton]

How about these?
Zendrive
ODR-1
Crunchbox

 

[Laundryroom David]

Bluesbreaker (which I hate)
DOD 250 / MXR Distortion +
Boss OD-1

 

[Laundryroom David]

How about these?
Zendrive
ODR-1
Crunchbox

I think the Crunchbox is truly essential. It’s so good and JHS has probably made a gd fortune off it.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Bluesbreaker (which I hate)
DOD 250 / MXR Distortion +
Boss OD-1

Good call on these. I meant to add the bluesbreaker and completely forgot about the +/250 for a sec

 

[Laundryroom David]

Good call on these. I meant to add the bluesbreaker and completely forgot about the +/250 for a sec

Thanks!

 

[Laundryroom David]

Timmy
Electra
Rat

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Wampler Euphoria/Ecstasy (MDMA)

Can we put all replace-tubes-with-FETs-in-a-classic-amp-schematic circuits in one box.

the Electra distortion and any of its plenty of derivatives. Even if it’s not to your taste, it’s such a common building block that every builder should be familiar with the topology.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Wampler Euphoria/Ecstasy (MDMA)

Can we put all replace-tubes-with-FETs-in-a-classic-amp-schematic circuits in one box.

the Electra distortion and any of its plenty of derivatives. Even if it’s not to your taste, it’s such a common building block that every builder should be familiar with the topology.

I don't even know what the Wampler circuit(s) are that you mentioned. A-ok on the Electra. I like it too

 

[cdwillis]

The Euphoria is his sort of take on the Timmy with a switch to change from soft to hard clipping similar to a King of Tone.

Doesn't seem to be nearly as much talk about it anymore, but I'd add the Box of Rock on the list too. Zvex made a bunch of circuits based on mosfet boosters stacked together.

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

I don't even know what the Wampler circuit(s) are that you mentioned. A-ok on the Electra. I like it too

The Euphoria (originally called the Ecstacy) is a pretty nice mid-gain drive. It’s apparently marketed as being dumble-esque, but dumble tone has never been something of remote interest to me so I can’t really comment on that. What I can say is that I first came across it by reading on various bass forums about a drive pedal to get a punchy hi-wattish bass tone similar to John Wetton’s tone in king crimson, which it really does astoundingly well. It’s been a long time since I looked at the circuit, but I don’t recall it being immediately derivative of anything in particular. I think it was a pretty simple dual op amp design with selectable hard or soft clipping and a deceptively powerful bass pot that goes all the way from super-sub flub to really tight. Not the most revolutionary circuit in terms of design, but also not really a clone of anything as far as I could tell at the time. Really nice sounding pedal though, on both bass and guitar.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Edited to add the hot cake

 

[SillyOctpuss]

That's a damn fine list with all the major OD food groups

 

[Harry Klippton]

That's a damn fine list with all the major OD food groups

Anything you want to add?

 

[Laundryroom David]

The Euphoria (originally called the Ecstacy) is a pretty nice mid-gain drive. It’s apparently marketed as being dumble-esque, but dumble tone has never been something of remote interest to me so I can’t really comment on that. What I can say is that I first came across it by reading on various bass forums about a drive pedal to get a punchy hi-wattish bass tone similar to John Wetton’s tone in king crimson, which it really does astoundingly well. It’s been a long time since I looked at the circuit, but I don’t recall it being immediately derivative of anything in particular. I think it was a pretty simple dual op amp design with selectable hard or soft clipping and a deceptively powerful bass pot that goes all the way from super-sub flub to really tight. Not the most revolutionary circuit in terms of design, but also not really a clone of anything as far as I could tell at the time. Really nice sounding pedal though, on both bass and guitar.

Schematic looks verrrrry much like an “inspired by” Timmy to me.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Anything you want to add?

The only things I can think of are just derivatives of circuits already on the list.

 

[Harry Klippton]

I don't even know where to begin with the boss circuits. @Laundryroom David mentioned the OD-1. I always assumed, probably wrongly, that all the boss circuits are derived from one

 

[jimilee]

I like the red lama it’s a nice warm overdrive. I dig the od-3 it was my first overdrive. It’s crunchy and loud.

 

[Guardians of the analog]

I don't even know where to begin with the boss circuits. @Laundryroom David mentioned the OD-1. I always assumed, probably wrongly, that all the boss circuits are derived from one

I'll tell you this from recent experience, the are not all derived from the same thing. They all circuit wise are doing different things and have different tones and compression. I think the fact that the overdrives are all yellow is part of the confusion. IMO one of the most responsive OD pedals I've used is the OD-3. I thought I knew what my sound was prior to building one and I was shook when I played it.

 

[Laundryroom David]

I'll tell you this from recent experience, the are not all derived from the same thing. They all circuit wise are doing different things and have different tones and compression. I think the fact that the overdrives are all yellow is part of the confusion. IMO one of the most responsive OD pedals I've used is the OD-3. I thought I knew what my sound was prior to building one and I was shook when I played it.

Yeah, all the Boss ODs are definitely not the same. And the OD-3 is a friggin masterpiece.