Visual Sound: Pedal Shootout #2: Distortion

[salame462]

I really love the jekyll and hyde pedal as it does have a great sound and plenty of functions. The only problem I have is I wish the Distortion side had more gain. I have a really hard time holding notes and getting good sustain even with the drive all the way up. I turn on the jekyll side to help with this but then it changes the sound and I have to keep referring to it everytime I want to get sustain. A little more gain on the distortion side would be nice. Other than that I really like it.

[SeayBryan]

he needs to learn some new songs.

[ChezterG]

why does he NEVER hit that A bend on the lead line?? it was driving me nuts lol

[rinos88]

In my band, Born Of Silence, we're always tinkering around with different pedals. We have dozens of them laying around. Of a similar style test, we discovered that the Jekyll and Hyde pretty much slayed every other od/distortion pedal that we've come across. This pedal has traveled all over the USA with us and has never failed.

However, as a bass player, I'm extremely jealous. I want a bass voiced version!

[VisualSoundUSA]

@rinos88 Thank you so much for your comment. Let us know if there is anything we can do for you...

VS

[rinos88]

@VisualSoundUSA If you could build me an awesome new VS pedal for Bass, I'd be really happy! So far on recording our album, we've used the Jekyll and Hyde and the H2O, which has been a more recent edition. Both are fantastic sounding and among the best built pedals, ever. We encourage everyone we know to use them.These pedals are also great for when we've had to travel across the country and had to use a festival's backline. Both guitarists were able to get 'their' tone without their own amps.

[slashnpraise]

i don't care who says what... i really do love my V2 jekyll and hyde! :D

[ichi612]

i think its better to put the tone of vox stach around 8 0clock if its beyond that the sound is harsh cuz the satch in not low end its more on high end.....i have the stach its sounds good but this demo theres a favoritism ds on this vid.....

[VisualSoundUSA]

Thanks for your comment.

Realistically the amount of time that went into setting this whole thing up was about 3 months. We had some of the best players in the industry help out the process. There was zero bias in trying to make our pedals sound better. We looked for similar tone and overall sound. Everyone has their settings, and we worked off of that...

Thanks again...

VS

[slashnpraise]

@ichi612 i don't think there is any favoritism going on in this vid. Visual Sound is more honest than some of the other companies out there. It's more of a "survival of the fittest" thing.. they were testing for tone and sound quality. i had a vox satchurator but it is not a very great pedal if you want to keep your tone, neither are alot of the boss distortion pedals. cheers mate!

[fishbowlfire]

I have the Zvex Box of Rock and I never use it any more. Could never get a sound that I liked out of it. It tended to "smother" the tone. It actually sounded better with my solid state Fender amp than any of my tube amps. Wasted $219.

I use the Jekyll & Hyde with a Sonic Stomp for about 90% of my playing. Super versatile and the combo just sings!.

[fishbowlfire]

I have the Zvex Box of Rock and I never use it any more. Could never get a sound that I liked out of it. It tended to "smother" the tone. It actually sounded better with my solid state Fender amp than any of my tube amps. Wasted $199.

I use the Jekyll & Hyde with a Sonic Stomp for about 90% of my playing. Super versatile and the combo just sings!.

[41224jason]

the voodoo labs one is the worst...by far.

[beabbong]

They know the sound....amazing guys

[metalguitar1011]

I like the Son of Hyde, but when you got to the metal zone everything must be at noon cause it sounds like crap, and then of course youre obviously not playing metal so maybe a fairer comparison would be best (which means leave out the metal pedal)

[surfco]

The Vox Satchurator SUCKS! LOL!

[samantonio]

visual sound is extremely awesome. Jekyll and hyde is a wicked pedal.

[yobhsiFehT]

I think this shootout is HIGHLY dependent on the pickups and amp.

And I find it interesting that the Box of Rock was one of my least favorites here. Really liked the Keeley DS-1, actually. And man, how I wish my RAT was as quiet as your pedal! lol

[metalwillhatecrew]

This is a great video, not because its a competition of different pedals but because it gives the average listener a good idea of what these pedals are capable of, tone-wise. There really is no "best" because all of these pedals have a different flavor to them and picking a pedal is all personal preference - but this video does give a good representation of the pedals. Thank you for this!

[animest4r]

well, i got myself a Jekyll & Hyde V2.. the best pedal i got!

[brandass2326]

I owned the J&H v2 briefly, and returned it because when the H was engaged the noise floor was too high, and the noise gate too clunky, for bedroom playing (probably fine for gigs, but that's not what I do). Broke my heart because in all other respects the H was amazing, still looking for something else that measures up (looks like Zvex BOR is my next stop). Anyway, if you're a bedroom player try before you buy; if you gig I'm not sure it can be beaten.

[joepete77]

Wow, this is very helpful as I am in the market, I love the efforts that vs went through to keep this honest and fair! I have to agree with the results also, I thought the son of hyde was best but also loved the box of rock and the keeley rat. I thought the boss metal zone was worst with the vox and cae close behind, didnt care for the roger mayer much either

[ricebowlranch]

nice but you should have compared the Son of Hyde with the Box of Rock, since that was the winner for so long :)

[user360]

What's the name of the lead line?

Thanks.

[CarvinTone]

Been watching this some more, I still cannot see the knbs on the HYDE but I have an idea where they are. I think in all honesty any one of these pedals can be adjusted to get a good sound by an experienced player. I never liked the DS-1 even w the Keeley mod which is better but many like its sound. Distortions are very personal between players. I find the Hyde has more possibilities than most boxes where I find one setting I like. The silence of this pedal & switch sort of kills the bypass myth.

[CarvinTone]

Not sure where they had the HYDE set. All in all it is the touch of the player. some distortions are hard to play with. I like the HYDE, there is a lot to be said for the Satchurator, as the guy said. The HYDE pedal is more verstile as it has more tonal possibilities. I like the Metal Core and it can get that easy. These samples have more mids than I like in heavy distortion. As far as I am concerned each box is not where I would adjust it. He did made efforts to get them similar.

[alfons1976]

I really enjoyed the video, very good idea for a pedal test, I think the test was fair enough, but I have to say, as a proud owner of a vox satchurator that I am, that this particullar pedal was set at 1 oclock on the gain knob and that the "more" sitch wasńt pressed either, that menas that the oedal was working at a third of itś power or less, I think that isn very fair, at least for the satchurator. Nice vid anyways!

[coyotl18]

hell yea buddy! my rat 2 pedal rocks!!!! lol. Honestly though, I like it cause it's heavy but yet, really clean and it makes a good lead. And the boss was just simply awful!

[superstringbender]

I like visual sound's stuff and while the Box of Rock may or may not be a better pedal, the price on the Hyde pedals really wins me over!

[CleverDjembe]

All I can say... WOW!!

[TheIsaacEaton]

Really cool idea for a test but I would love to see the zvex box of rock against the son of Hyde.

[rsl84416]

this is such a good idea

[lwbantoto]

thanks visual sound!

[KevinWoo28]

Since you were using a keeley modded DS-1 and Rat 2, what settings did you have the toggle switch on? It looks like the Rat 2 is in classic mode, and the DS-1 is in Ultra mode. I think that's worthy of being noted. Great series of videos though.

[MVilorio]

Boss Metal Zone Is Shit! even when modded by keeley

[2020shredfest1980]

Amazing shootout !!! Very very well done...congratulations and a BIG thank you...I almost pulled the trigger on a Keeley modded RAT on ebay...this changed my mind..Cheers !!!

[ThePathofHavoc]

I ended up with a J&H and couldn't be happier. All my expensive OD's and distortion boxes are collecting dust in a drawer thanks to you! Every amp I've tried it with (except for the clean channel on my Triple Rec which hates all dirt pedals) loves the J&H.

Excellent work, Mr. Weil and co.

[hyperboogie]

the boss MZ sounds like piss vinegar

just awful ...

[kerranz]

This was a good demo, thanks.

The spokesman looks like the Bad Guy in' The Long Kiss Goodnight'.

And that Rat sounded like crap, what were they thinking. Only proves that Guitarists have hearing damage!

The Zvex and VisSound --clear winners.

[davo171]

How great would it be to get in the crowd and hear this demo in person!

[fmarkow]

Bob, way to produce a shootout video. I could see the beads of sweat on your forehead as you polled them on the Rat vs. Son of Hyde ; ) Very gutsy my friend. I have never see another pedal mfg. with the, er, chutspa to do this. Say hay the Steve for me.

[aboveunow]

This is sooooooooooooooooooo what I needed to help me make my next decision in a pedal. Wow perfect just a perfect video and sound was outstanding. Thanks so much for this.

Great stuff!

[BarkGeldog]

These shootouts are pretty sweet! Of course they don't get to hear every tonal option in each pedal so it's not the final word or anything, but good fun.

I'm most impressed by the Box of rock, the visual sound a close second. I've got a jekyll & hyde already, which I'm happy with, but mostly use the jekyll (OD) channel.

[ThePathofHavoc]

Wow, the box of rock sounds amazing...just.. not as amazing as Hyde!! Been looking for an overdrive and a distortion. I think the J&h might fit the bill nicely.

Way to knock that shit outta the park!!! Might end up with a Liquid chorus as well.

[1deal1]

I can't believe these guys liked the rat so much.

To me it sounds like it's driving way too hard.

Not smooth at all.

As if it's distorting an already distorted signal

[ihavenoname93]

i was actually sold on the keeley modded ds-1 before i watched this video. but i gotta admit the box of rock thing and the son of hyde really both blew me away

[fretworx]

I've played a Jekyll & Hyde for several years, and love it. I actually have a video doing Cliffs of Dover on here where I use it... I think it sounds beautiful.

[intheblues]

great video :)