In Vntage Tone, we made the best effects to make your tone sound as awesome as you want, having in mind the effects that the greatest artists have used in their careers.
It is said that this sound of distorted guitars began to be popularized by the Kinks. Others attribute it to The Who due to the broken sound produced by their shattered amplifiers after being hit on stage. In any case, this sound effect has probably endured and enriched electric music today.
The open reel tape recorder was used on several occasions as an amplifier for electric guitar, but also as a distortion device. The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards used a tape recorder to record acoustic guitar, turning the volume up to the max distorted the sound to the point of sounding like a distorted electric guitar.
Among the most popular models of Overdrive Guitar effect pedals, the “Tube Screamer”, with three parameters allows adjusting the amount of gain with a tone filter that ensures great control over the output signal.
Since the departure of this legendary Ibanez pedal in 1979, no improvements were known until 1981 and 1985, by then this model was used by important performers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan or Noel Gallagher
Overdrive Pedals in the USA
Overdrive pedals mimic the overdriven sound you get when turning up the volume of a tube amp. Hence the name overdrive or overload.
These pedals give us warm, smooth, and compressed distortions, scrupulously respecting the dynamics that the guitarist transmits to the instrument. Dynamics is when we play softly, and the sound is also softened by lowering the volume and the gain or roughness of the sound, resurfacing the volume and distortion when we play another passage more vigorously.
Differences between Overdrive and Distortion
In the last decade, a confusing scenario has been presented regarding the differences and similarities between overdrive and distortion effects, reaching the point of being considered as part of the same family of effect pedals.
But it should be noted that distortion pedals focus on achieving gains that are unrealistic for a conventional amp, and therefore cannot be combined in the same way as overdrive pedals.
The main characteristic of distortion effects is that they affect the signal in different ways, creating layers of compression and clipping that exponentially add the number of harmonics in the sound, while compensating for attacks and offering sustain.
Finally, an Overdrive Pedal maintains a clean presence but with much more character, enough so that the performance can be appreciated in detail and that there’s a certain amount of sustain at specific moments.
Does Your Guitar need a Good Sound?
Below we share 2 great Overdrive Pedals available from Vintage Tone.
If you’re looking for an Overdrive effect? Or Distortion? You’ll find both and even more in our Online Store. These are Vntage Tone’s original creations. The sound and tones of time are with us.
