Just postulating here, but the big choice for me about 2 years ago when selecting a drive pedal was down to the Dirty blonde and TIM, after trying the DDSS and Tube Works 901 (12AU7). Now I went with TIM, but I'm having some doubts. Anyone tried both? I am really aftr an amplike overdrive sound; not distortion or high gain. I own a boost (RC) and Hot British, so you see where this one would fall in -low to medium gain. Coloring tone or not, I don't care as long as it sounds GOOD. Thanks for the advice...

OK, I'm gonna throw another name into the mix: how does a Barber LTD compare to the TIM and DB?

I think I'm going to have to get a Tim. I have an LTD which I like alot and plan on keeping. I also have a Rumble Mod and a Sparkle Drive. I don't plan on getting rid of the SD and the RM gets a great Joe Walsh tone that I really dig. Problem is how many low to medium gain OD's does a Guy need? I also have a BBOD on the way. What to do?

Nathan, if you're interested in a DDSS please email me privately (I'm located in Canada as well).

the DB is VERY coloring, not transparent at all.

It is very amplike. Gets seriously mushy in the low end as the gain is increased. It REALLY does sound like an overdriven blonde fender with speakers being pushed hard. The EQ is very usable, but it is mostly for fitting the pedal to an amp; the character of the pedal stays the same.

Ty is right on about the DB. Personally I like that pedal with the gain maxed-you get a convincing "Live Rust" kind of tone. Honestly I didnn't think it had enough clarity to serve as a low-med overdrive for me. Chords were kind of mushy. And while it is amp like-it aint a blonde fender. VERY different from the TIM-which i prefer. Honestly I like the Red Snapper or Foxey brown or Workingman's Blues better for light-med od. They all sounded better with chords for me. Of course it may end up totally different for you...It's hard to say; this stuff is so subjective. I play strats and teles through a musicman btw...

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Originally posted by davei:
Nathan, if you're interested in a DDSS please email me privately (I'm located in Canada as well).

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If Nathan doesn't jump on that, I might. What's your e-dress?

I won't be jumping on the DDSS BTW (I meant to say that I had one, and let it go in favor of the TIM). Gee, I sure wish I had the money to pick up whatever I wanted and let go of what's not for me. Being a student, that's not an option right now and I would have to let something go in order to bring something else in. I am trying to use the TIM as a stand-alone source for low-drive tones since I cannot crank my amp (BF Twin copy). The Hot British with the guiotar's volume down sounds awesome, but I need it for high gain, and I can't fool around with the volumes too much. Anyone care to comment on the LTD? telemonk -what more can you say about the differences in the TIM and DB? Some mush is OK because tube amps DO get mushy when cranked ( I think of the 64 Vibrolux I had with mismatched tubes through a Marshall 8x10 -that was a "meltdown" Fender tone). Just trying to do my homework on the right OD (aren't we all?).

Anyone notice that Menatone has started a website finally? It's still under construction.

Sorry guys, I thought this was like UBB where you could email people directly. In any case, if anyone wants to email me directly, I can be reached at dcqSPAM@gorebels.net (remove SPAM).

Anyway, to get back on topic - Nathan, how does the TIM compare to the DDSS?

Boy, that's a long story. You're better off doing the search thing and reading old posts -alot was said about each. To me, the DDSS took on some distortion character, leaving the realm of OD. I tried a bunch of mods/tweaks on it, and I can tell you straight up that it is an awesome pedal. However, I wanted it for low-to-med gain, and I thought it worked better on the higher side. For me, the Hot British was better for high gain.

Then I tried the TIM, and it is a fair bit clearer (transparent), but it does its own drive thing what with the boost function. It kind of has the same problem as the DDSS to a lesser extent: I don't really like the character of the "hair" on the TIM all that much, and sice I have to use it on its own (no tube amp grind), it is not that pleasing for me right now. Maybe I need to mess with the settings all over again? It does a great boost, but putting some hair into the equation is not quite perfect. Maybe running it at higher voltage or swapping an op-amp? Whatever.

If you hear where I'm coming from, I'm really on the perfect OD search (still). It's all because I don't run my amp hot (and I will not anytime soon -I like big headroom).

Please keep the info about the Dirty Blonde and LTD coming, especially in light of the TIM, por favor!

Just to mix it up a bit, if you want light-med OD into a clean Fender, sans the hair, then you are descibing a Blackstone to a tee. Great tone, great OD, no fizz, unrivaled clean-up dynamics. Sounds great into a clean Fender amp. A tad pricey. Not as woofy as the TIM clips I have heard, and more mids (haven't yet played a TIM myself). But don't think TS when you think of mids, it is nothing like a TS. Also has two channels. Dialed in right both are very useable, though for me when I get both channels sounding what I think is their best, they don't sound all that different, excepting the higher gain of the red channel. The best sounding red channel setting IMO just barely gets you into the middle of the mid-gain range. But both channels will drive other pedals like the BBOD into a gorgeous lower hi-gain. OK, I better stop now. I am making up terms like "middle mid-gain" and "lower hi-gain"?? Sorry. It sounds silly but it is accurate. Hope this helps, sorry if it doesn't.

That's right -I was looking at the Blackstone too, as well as the BBOD way back when. Well I can't try em all, so maybe I'll keep my eyes peeled for a good deal on ONE, and take it from there. I'm wanting to stick to the Fender side of things, not crunchy, not too hairy, but creamier (again, not in the saturated sense of the word) yet detailed.

It's funny how sound can seem 3-Dimensional. Detailed or blurry in one area doesn't necessarily mean the same thing in another area of the sound. (What the heck is PUNCHY??) Like trying to describe the tube feel: smokey, ambient harmonics with depth???

Now how do the Blackstone and TIM compare? I think TD has owned both of them (as well as the Toneboe Classic, RC Booster). I think his input would be good here!

And sadly, I thought of 2 other units that interest me: The TTS and Bronto Boost. Feel free to comment, but this is still a DB/TIM thread!

Get a Klon Centaur and just roll the gain all the way off if you want a boost that sounds like your amp!!! Use it's treble control and volume to fill things out, it will not colour your tone like a distortion box and if you decide you need some gain to slightly boost things you can slowly add it in until you're sustaining like you want.

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Originally posted by Nathan:
I'm wanting to stick to the Fender side of things, not crunchy, not too hairy, but creamier (again, not in the saturated sense of the word) yet detailed.

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You should consider an analogman KOT. Holy Fender, Batman!

A
www.aaroncheney.com

Yo Nathan I think I sold you a SIB Mr Echo awhile back? Anyway i think we've traded/bought or sold with each other before. Since I dont really use the DB (in fact i sent it out in a tour box several months back) maybe we can work something out so you can borrow it and see for yourself. Its the only way you'll really know anyway. Email me and we'll figure something out.

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Originally posted by davei:
Sorry guys, I thought this was like UBB where you could email people directly

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Dave

Put your email in your profile and you will be able to recieve email directly from this page. All one has to do is click on your name and the profile comes up with an email link.

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Originally posted by cubba65:
Put your email in your profile and you _will_ be able to recieve email directly from this page. All one has to do is click on your name and the profile comes up with an email link.

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Thanks for the tip cubba65! I had my email in my profile but I didn't realize you had to enter it again for a "public" profile (one that everyone sees). OK, if anyone wants to spam me go ahead

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Originally posted by davei:

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Originally posted by cubba65:
Put your email in your profile and you _will_ be able to recieve email directly from this page. All one has to do is click on your name and the profile comes up with an email link.

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Thanks for the tip cubba65! I had my email in my profile but I didn't realize you had to enter it again for a "public" profile (one that everyone sees). OK, if anyone wants to spam me go ahead

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you're welcome dave!

put a "NO SPAM" or something of the like in your email addy that would require a sender to remove the said artifact... it just keeps your addy out of reach of SPAMhunters.. well at least that's what some other fool told me!

Nathan

Sorry for the diversion.

The Dirty Blonde gives you a fairly colored tone... albeit a cool one! It is named for a 'Blonde' Fender amp ('61), so it's going for that fat, lowended, juicy tone (as Telemonk noted, the Neil Young "Live Rust" tone) that those amps give you.

I'd reccommend taking up the offer from Telemonk to try one. Thing about that kind of pedal is that it could be the purrrrfect fit, you just wont know 'til you try.

good luck

Thanks all for your help. I don't in on the tourbox action being in Canada. I think it would confuse the customs officials big time. Telemonk -that's a mighty generous offer that I'll take you up on if you're not using it right now. Maybe I can send something in return? We'll talk.

Anyway, I thought of starting a new thread until I tweaked the TIM some more today. I am alot happier with the tone knobs full up, as I thought each sounded weaker when cutting treble OR bass. Now it's more of a boost really. It may very well be that the tone I'm after can't be achieved in the way I'm going about this. This is why some folks stay away from pedals altogether! BTW, I did own a Klon for 5 years, and it is dope, but ultimately, the RC Booster and TIM have enough covered between them that it makes a Klon obsolete (and way too big for my little board). It is one FAT tone, however. One option is to finish building this 15 watt 6V6 plexi I have been procrastinating on. Maybe the 2-amp rig is what I really want to hear?