Well don't we all? For me, the search has been long and expensive (by my standards). So far, the nicest-sounding OD I have had is the SIB Varidrive closely followed by the Menatone Kar Krash. Now because I'm poor, I have to sell pedals to try out new ones so both of those are long gone. I currently have a Menatone WMB. It replaced the GT-500. I like all of these pedals quite alot but maybe that gives you an idea of the sounds I go for; a singing, tasty sound that isn't too much in the distortion camp. I'm not after a particular sound, just a vibrant "alive" tone with character. The WMB has a gorgeus blues tone very much in the bluesbreaker camp, but it's kind of a narrow sweet spot and it doesn't do much else.

I thought I could get by with just my boost, compressor and EQ but clearly I still need a stand alone OD because I need to control my volume level.

So what would you recommend that won't break the bank?

Was the GT-500 really updated? I had one from the first batch and it was almost a winner for me -it had feel/responsiveness but not much character and a tad harsh. The OCD is a possibility if the new version is less distortioney (I had v1 it was also super responsive).

I'm definitely interested in tube pedals but they're usually HUGE andd heavy and expensive! And so many don't run at a realistic plate voltage.

Thanks for your advice!

I know that they are perhaps over-hyped (and subject to a lot of debate), but the Eternity Burst I bought a couple months back has made me really happy. I understand that it's supposed to be in the TS camp, but it sure doesn't sound like it to me.

I've found it does a clean boost quite well, I like it as a light & greasy OD, but using the glass control as a treble boost has really been the surprise winner for me.

Hell, even if it's not your cup of tea, they do seem easy enough to resell. Perhaps it's worth a try.

The Screwdriver might be something to check out. It has a ton of sweet spots and can be tweaked to be anything from subtle to in-your-face. I still have a Kar Krash and WMB-5 on board, but find myself going to the SD more.

Man, a Cactus Crunch or a Timmy would probably work very well for you. They both stack extremely well, so you could use them with your other Boosts, etc.

Plus, they both sound really great, on their own.

* And I'm not just mentioning these 2 because I'm currently "In Love" with them. (Okay, maybe that's part of it! LOL). But, it's all true. They both are very versatile and sound great!

Ok fair enough, good suggestions. I had the Timmy, it was pretty good. I didn't own a seperate compressor, boost or EQ like I do now, so maybe it will do more for me (and it's only ~$100). Cactus Crunch has been on my radar since the naming contest! I'm generally anti-Lovepedal but haven't heard an E in person. I could get over it if my ears were happy enough (same with Fulltone).

Exactly what amps and guitars are you using?

You're right that plays a role for sure:
-Hamer Newport with Duncan P-Rails (hollow, warm)
-Voodoo series Les Paul (bright for a les paul and pickups have alnico magnets)

Into:
-Allen Tonesavor 2x12 closed back combo (fairly dark, uses KT66)
-Dr.Z Ghia clone 1x12
-At church: Traynor YCV20 1x12 (surprisingly good overdriven, lousy cleans)

FWIW the Varidrive sounded great at home but was too "soft" in a mix (just too airy I guess) but I have a hard time listening to pedals because they always sound like pedals compared to that one!

OK. Guitars and amps are top notch.
I like my Demeter 'compulator' compressor. It makes things come alive with out necessarily squashing everything and can provide somewhat of a boost. (9v tip + though, sort of a PITA? I just use it with a battery.)

I too have an early GT-500 and I LOVE the boost side of it for "aliving" my cleaner tones. (As an aside - apart from the overly huge and un-necessary output of the GT-500, I really like the aggressiveness of the OD and distortion I get from it.)

Turn the amp up.

Use attenuators, iso boxes, blankets, whatever. IMHO unless your amp is working fairly hard you wont be happy. Some church players use plexi screens. I've even heard of one guy who has his amp in an empty room. I read somewhere that one guy forget who has oversized flight cases with mics in them. THe amp never comes out of the case.

You know I saw the isolation mic/speaker box recently in town. It was way overpriced, but I could make my own with a carpet covering. I wonder how well it would work. The disadvantage is that you always have to listen through the monitor or headphones. I normally use the amp tilted up as my monitor and the stage monitor for everything else. Not a bad suggestion, the plexiglass won't work because the stage volume is too high for the sound men.