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Our Top 5 Best Overdrive Pedal 2020

Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive

Many kinds of pedals can aid your music performance every time you strum your guitar. One of the pedals frequently used is the overdrive pedal.

Overdrives tend to have two purposes for your guitar performance.

First of all, this pedal should provide a gain boost to your tube amplifier. This is to create distortion.

Secondly, it looks to resemble a mildly distorted tube amplifier that is overdriven.

Having a great overdrive pedal can widen your range of songs to perfect.

Without an overdrive pedal, your electric guitar can fall short in covering a classic rock song that uses a lot of it.

Moreover, having the best overdrive pedal can give you fantastic effects to bring your performance to new heights.

Top 5 Best Overdrive Pedal Reviews

  • Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive
  • Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive Pedal
  • Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
  • Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
  • Fulltone Fulldrive2 MOSFET Overdrive Boost

The Intricacies of an Overdrive Pedal

To reiterate, your overdrive pedal will work together with your tube amplifier. The pedal assists your tube amp to reach distortion at higher levels. The overdrive pedal does this without coloring the tone too much.

The sound of the distortion to be made would usually be more natural. This is because if you crank your overdrive pedal to maximum, it often creates a self-generated distortion.

If you think about the overdrive pedal, always remember that it’s a soft-clipping device. Distortion pedals are stronger which is why it’s always used in metal or punk music.

Here is a video that highlights the uniqueness of an overdrive pedal.

On the other hand, since an overdrive retains your guitar’s sound, it’s typically used for classic rock and blues styles.

Playing with an Overdrive Pedal

play with overdrive pedal

Before buying an overdrive pedal, you should know what to expect once you start using it.

We have already stated the fact that an overdrive pedal is a less harsh version of the distortion pedal. However, you should also know that there are certain times where it can have a substantial distortion effect.

An overdrive pedal usually gives your guitar a warmer effect. This is the case when you’re strumming your guitar gently. However, if you’re about to change strumming patterns, you could see a significant difference.

There’s a stronger distortion effect whenever you strum harder. It’s still a subtle effect and is still not comparable to a distortion pedal’s effects. But it’s always a plus since it gives you more room to generate different effects to your playing.

You can watch video that further explains the primary uses of an overdrive pedal below.

How to Choose an Overdrive Pedal

Because overdrive pedals have a gray zone definition, you can use it for a lot of playing styles in your music. This makes it quite difficult for a beginner, though. You might be overwhelmed with the number of models that you’ll see in the market.

The first thing you should look for in an overdrive pedal is not the pedal, but your playing style. An overdrive pedal’s use is different for lead guitarists and rhythm guitarists.

  • If you’re playing the lead, you might want a pedal that can assist you to produce effects that can stand out and be distinguished. If your pedal helps your amplifier generate warmer and smoother sounds, then it means you’ve come across a good one.
  • If you’re playing the rhythm, you obviously would want the opposite. You want a pedal that can help you blend the effects with the rest of the music. Subtle tones are ideal for this playing style.

Don’t be mistaken; there are overdrive pedals that can accommodate all of your needs thanks to its versatility. At the end of the day, choosing your pedal is just a matter of a hearing test. We’ll cover up the best there is out there to help you out further.

Reviews Of Top 5 Best Overdrive Pedal

The Verdict

To reiterate, buying an overdrive pedal is all about your preference and playing style. There are many different products that we have reviewed, all catering to different needs.

If we’re taking versatility to play along with the pricing, the Fulltone OCD Overdrive should be the best in the business. It comes with a wide array of features that you just can’t pass up.

The High and Low peak modes coupled with the touch sensitive knobs make this a soft pedal to use. You can virtually switch from rhythm or lead playing with the Fulltone OCD.

Although the Joyo Ultimate Overdrive can battle it out regarding sound and versatility, the Fulltone gets the edge here for being the original OCD overdrive pedal. Not to mention, it seems more sturdy and durable compared to the other products.

There aren’t many cons that should scare you away from this complete package. Just always remember to test it out and if like what you hear, then it’s the pedal for you!

More guide by Musical Study

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