There is often quite a bit of confusion between the terms "overdrive" and "distortion". Let's try to clear that up a bit.
Overdrive
Overdrive inherently involves distorting the sound coming from your amp, but it is different from what we have come to call "Guitar Distortion". Overdrive is simply a boosting of the the signal of your guitar before it enters the amplifier. Basically, you can think of it as a very big signal trying to get through a smaller opening. In the early days--and sometimes still--, overdrive was achieved by turning the volume on the amp DOWN and the volume on the guitar UP. This forces the large signal of the guitar into the smaller output capacity of the amp. (Think of a garden hose where the water is forced into a smaller power nozzle.)
The sound that you get with overdrive is a kind of warm, dirty, "beefed up" sound. It is not meant to add massive amounts of screaming metal distortion. Rather, it is an overall boost to the guitar signal without any added tonal coloration. The sound is similar to that of a tube amp when it is "cranked up". If you are doing blues and rock then maybe an overdrive pedal will give you the sound that you want.
Distortion
Distortion is a more intense overdriven sound with added tonal coloration. There are as many types of distortion as there are players.It all depends upon taste--anything from a fuzz tone to a full-on, notched-out midrange, death metal wall of noise. Digital distortion has a more metallic, raspy sound which works well for heavy metal, grunge, or reliving your 80's hair band days. Analog tube distortion gives a good, all-around rock tone, such as the sound of a Marshall stack cranked to the MAX.
Overdrive and Distortion Pedals
There is a countless variety of overdrive and distortion guitar effects pedals on the market. Most of these pedals are geared toward a specific type of musical sound. There are pedals for Metal, pedals for a Classic Rock Sound and pedals for the "Overdrive Crunch" enthusiast, just to name a few. While some pedals have three simple knobs,--Tone, Level, and Distortion--others have many more controllable parameters.
In addition to the individual overdrive and distortion pedals, these effects are also available in a wide variety of "Multi-Effects" pedals. With all that is available to today's guitarist, there is absolutely nothing to stop you from developing your "signature sound". You just have to look around a bit. For a more detailed discussion of overdrive, distortion and other guitar effects pedals as well as purchasing resources and pedal recommendations, visit:
www.may-studio-music-lessons.com/guitar-foot-pedals.html
http://www.may-studio-music-lessons.com
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