[Harp-L] Re: Boss Super overdrive pedal

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

martin oldsberg wrote:
> An effects pedal that I own but donÂt use -- and I have no recollection of ever having used it for harmonica -- is a "Boss Super Overdrive DS" something. Why IÂve bought it is not clear to me.
>   I wonder, can this be of use for the harp in some kind of setting?
>   It sound impossibly "electric" to me (psychedelic guitar 1960Âs) but I havenÂt tried it in a whole variety of rigs, just the one IÂve got here at home. Thinking of giving it away to some needy youngster in the metal zone, but IÂm not Santa Claus so any interesting use for the harp must be considered first.
>

Most stompbox distortion pedals don't sound very good live--by the time you get them sounding the way you want, you can't get the volume up without feeding back like mad.  However, distortion pedals can produce very interesting recorded sounds. I used to record with a Digitech Heavy Metal pedal, which produced a huge sound on tape that also went well with modulation FX like flanging.  

Jeff Newsom, who I wrote about in my blog at hunterharp.com, used an MXR Micro Amp between his mic and his Bassman RI amp, and it sounded very good, big and nicely distorted.  Perhaps the Boss Super Overdrive is adding a lot more gain than the MXR.  Try cutting the gain way back and feeding the output to a cleanish tube amp, and see what happens.

Regards, Richard Hunter 

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