Circuits You Just Can't Use

[chuckjaywalk]

My favorite musician is Bob Mould. Husker Du, Sugar, and his solo albums informed my music taste and formed my guitar playing style. I long for his sound. Thing is, no matter how I try, I can't use the Distortion+, his pedal of choice. I've used vintage and modern MXR models, the Noisemaker FX Plus, and even had my buddy Reed build me clones with NOS parts. No matter how I try, I just can't get it to work. I just can't make my rig sound good with a Distortion+ or its variants. The same goes for Rats and Tubescreamers, actually. The only thing in the overdrive/distortion family that works for me is the Crowther Hot Cake.

So, what circuits do you have a hard time using?

[skullservant]

Octave fuzzes. I love the Big Spider, but I have a hard time actually fitting it in much with what I do. I usually use it on bass cause I just can't take it on guitar most times.

[zRobertez]

I think mine is big muffs. I like them and they are fun to use but I never end up keeping one for very long. I think I'm just expecting different things from them since there are so many different kinds.
I used to not be able to use tremolo. But after I did, I loved it. And now it goes in and out of if I want to keep one or not :3

And for a little bit over the past monthish, I didn't understand my flanger (MXR that I've had for years and love it and modded it and such) and I just thought it sucked and I was stupid before. But I got back into it and unlocked the key. Chorus sucks anyway got to keep that regen high. Sounds so good

[onyxrhino]

Yeah, the Rat had never worked for me. I've had a Rat2 and a Turbo. People say they're great for shoegaze, but it never worked for me. Just sounded either muddy/thuddy or too much like "screaming metal lead" to me. Probably would say the tubescreamer too, since I really don't liek the sound of them, but I have had some success in the past using them to push other dirt pedals, so I can't say they've been wholly useless to me.

[Holy Schnikes]

Compressors for me.

[Muff_Diver]

Yeah, the Rat had never worked for me. I've had a Rat2 and a Turbo. People say they're great for shoegaze, but it never worked for me. Just sounded either muddy/thuddy or too much like "screaming metal lead" to me. Probably would say the tubescreamer too, since I really don't liek the sound of them, but I have had some success in the past using them to push other dirt pedals, so I can't say they've been wholly useless to me.

I've never been able to get the rat to work for myself, either.

[Eivind August]

Most overdrives and distortions I try leaves me wanting, like something is missing from my sounds. Had a Catalinbread DLS for a while that I liked, but ended up going with fuzz all the way. All the way to the soundbank.

[01010111]

Glad I'm not the only one who can't use big muffs. They never fail to underwhelm me. It's just a big muffled sound, which I love initially, but gets old for me real fast.

[foomanfat]

Tubescreamers. I've tried a few times, but just can't get there with it.

[friendship]

I'm sure I'm not alone here, but I don't really get along with Tubescreamers. If I'm using single coils, it cuts too much low end; if I'm using humbuckers, it cuts too much treble. I like a slight mid boost but the TS is just too much.

Maybe there should be a Circuit You Can't Live Without thread, because I'm downright embarrassed by how long I went without an Octavio. NEVER AGAIN.

[Jwar]

Ring mods. I've said it before and I'll say it again. HATE them. The only usable one I've ever played with was Randy's Revenge and it was only when I made it not sound like a ring mod. Ugh. Sooooooo annoying. Also, for the most part. Bit crushers. Yea, yea. I play bass. So I want it to sound more like a bass.

[Ghost Hip]

I like to consider myself a decent guitar player, but if I use a tremolo I sound like a tranquilized monkey.

[ALLisNOISE]

Fuzz Faces, flanger, and chorus

[futuresailors]

Dear everyone who can't use a Rat,

Turn down the gain.

kthnxbye


Pitch shifters are beyond me.

[foomanfat]

Also, phasers. All I can hear is the sweep