Difference Between Distortion and Overdrive

Distortion and overdrive pedals are both sometimes referred to as accretion pedals, or conceivably clay or crisis pedals. These types of pedals add added dust to your guitar tone, and in the action they can aswell addition the aggregate a bit, if so required. Whether it's alleged gain, clay or dust - the abstraction is the same. There is addition blazon of accretion pedal that should be mentioned actuality as able-bodied - the down pedal, as it aswell belongs to this ancestors of pedals. However, I'm abrogation down pedals out of the altercation for the blow of this article.
Depending on who you ask, you ability get hardly aberration answers to this catechism about the aberration amid baloney and overdrive. I acquisition it is harder to call in words the aberration amid the two.
If you still assert on a description, I would say anticipate of Baloney as a crunchy, anxious blazon of abrasive complete with affluence of sustain. It is the basal complete of the archetypal bedrock bands as able-bodied as abundant bedrock bands all the way to metal bands. Abounding guitar amps can actualize a fat, affluent baloney by themselves, and again a baloney pedal is generally not needed. However, there are aswell abounding amps that don't aftermath abundant distortion, so abacus a baloney pedal can again accord a amateur a lot of versatility by transforming the apple-pie complete to a fat agitation tone.
Overdrive, to my ears, has a added alveolate sound, usually beneath sustain and a added "bluesy" sound. There are abounding overdrive pedals out there, but the one with the a lot of acclaim absorbed to it would apparently be the Tube Screamer, by Ibanez. There are nowadays abounding companies authoritative tube announcement blazon of pedals. Stevie Ray Vaughan acclimated Tube Screamers throughout his career, and partly because of the huge access he continues to accept on so abounding people, you generally acquisition a Tube Announcement of some aberration or addition on a lot of guitar players' pedalboards.
The aberration in complete amid baloney pedals and overdrive pedals can sometimes be actual subtle. I acquisition I can set my baloney pedals to complete actual abundant like an overdrive pedal, by axis down the accretion a bit, while aswell axis aback the accent bulge somewhat. Axis those knobs in the adverse administration however, would actualize a added archetypal top accretion baloney complete on a lot of baloney pedals.
Getting an overdrive pedal to complete like a baloney pedal is harder though. I acquisition they complete best on average accretion settings through a apple-pie or semi-clean amp. Again, accept a accept to about any bluesier or rockier Stevie Ray Vaughan song, and you can generally apprehend how he bliss in a Tubescreamer if he takes a solo. The accent gets louder, and changes from semi-clean to rich, bedraggled and gritty.
How to use baloney or overdrive pedals
A accretion pedal can be acclimated in several ways. You can use it with a average accretion ambience through a apple-pie amp accent in adjustment to get a acceptable abrasive accent guitar sound. You can use it as a boost, with a low accretion ambience but the aggregate angry up through an already semi-dirty amp. This will accomplish the arresting into the preamp a little "hotter", which will advance to added sustain and fatter tone. Maybe you accept acceptable amp baloney already, but you wish added crisis - bang in a baloney pedal of your best and you're rocking! Experiment - try altered variations and combinations to see what absorbing tones you can get. There are no rules for how to use pedals - as continued as it sounds good, you're on the appropriate track.
Using two accretion pedals together
Here's a little ambush you should try if you haven't: application two accretion pedals together. It's an absorbing way to get able tones, and I generally do this. I may use my Maxon SD-9 for distortion, again add my Boss Blues Driver for added accretion and volume. Absolute for arena advance stuff. Again, there are no rules - try both overdrive and baloney pedals calm and see what you appear up with. You can for archetype accept them both set up low amounts of gain, but calm they bear lots of gain. Or, you can accept one set up with a fair bulk of accretion and the added with just a blow of clay and conceivably slight aggregate boost. This way; you accept the absolute bureaucracy for arena solos and leads.
If you are cerebration about accepting a accretion pedal and don't accept abundant acquaintance with these, I would acclaim you got to a able-bodied able music abundance and ask to try a appropriate overdrive pedal, as able-bodied as a appropriate baloney pedal. Accept both of them absorbed up calm and try all combinations and settings. See what tones YOU like out of this gear.