margolin Messages: 4 Registered: January 2007 Location: Vancouver, WA
Junior Member
I'm using this head through a Marshall 1960a 4x12 cab. The cab is 8ohms, but the Kustom is loud and clear. I'm actually spliting two heads with this one cab through an ABY pedal. I'm using the Kustom for my clean and a Line 6 Spider II 150w Head for my dirty (though, I'm trying to sell that and get a Marshall head to go with the Kustom. . . I hate modeling).
My question is this, what, in your opinion, are some of the better distortion pedals to use with the Kustom? I'm trying to keep under $100. Let me know what you think. I'm new to the world of Kustoms, and I love the clean, so I want a good overdrive/ distortion to go with it.
Have you ever tried any of the Fulltone line? Granted, most of them are pretty far over the $100 threshold you're looking at, but Mike Fuller really knows his stuff and all of his pedals are great and virtually indestructable. The "Fulldrive 2" might be something to check out.
Aside from that, I've always been a fan of the RAT pedal.
stevem Messages: 4736 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Hi , I know you are trying to keep it to around 100 dollars, but I would recommend to you one of the tonebone serise of pedals from raidal engineering with a real 12ax7 tube in it. It may take you longer to afford it but it will be worth it. Witha stomp box you can get some good crunch to early clapton/cream type distortion out of a kustom, but the preamps have a fair amount of gain and pushing them to new metal type sounds could pop the first gain stage transistor.
BC Messages: 583 Registered: March 2000 Location: Kentucky
Senior Member
Everyone's ears and taste are different. This is one of those questions that will likely get as many opinions as answers. My son is using a boss blues driver through a 100 head and 2x12 CTS cabinet and it sounds great. Definitely under 100 bucks. BC
boss comp/sustain pedal ? boss dual overdrive.
the dual overdrive pedal gives you a full on power chord marshall effect, but it also gives you a second selection that I run near clean..it adds just a tad of warmth as if the preamp tubes are just beyond threshold and the power tubes are working hard..a simple tap of the footpedal and I'm into full power chords and overdrive lead or a nice soaring lead tone..then if you kick out the comp pedal you've changed the attack of the input and you actually will get a different set of overdrive options..like having OD pedals...its the most natural sounding solution as well... I tried a ton of pedals through the years and settled on this.. I'd done the tube screamer to the full rack extremes but this really works and you can find the pedals used for your price..the older boss stuff really holds up. I've had this setup now since about 1995...many stage hours, travel, and practice on it and not a problem.
RoyC Messages: 97 Registered: April 2000 Location: East Central Illinois
Member
This is pretty subjective.
You playing humbuckers or single coils or ?
That would probably make somewhat of a difference.
With a LP, most of the time I use a FullDrive 2.
But if I don't have my pedalboard handy, I've got a little reissue TS-9 that is pretty ez to live with - it's not for everyone, but it might fit your budget.
margolin Messages: 4 Registered: January 2007 Location: Vancouver, WA
Junior Member
RoyC wrote on Sun, 21 January 2007 15:40
This is pretty subjective.
You playing humbuckers or single coils or ?
That would probably make somewhat of a difference.
With a LP, most of the time I use a FullDrive 2.
But if I don't have my pedalboard handy, I've got a little reissue TS-9 that is pretty ez to live with - it's not for everyone, but it might fit your budget.
I'm using both humbuckers and single coils. In the past few days I've picked up the following:
Stupid Box (SubDecay) -- Sounds amazing through my line 6 head on clean (which I am running as well as my kustom)
Morley Diamond Distortion -- Don't have yet, should be to me by tuesday