If we're being honest with ourselves, I think we can all agree that most overdrives are pretty boring. The reason for this is, of course, because they're all secretly (or not so secretly) Tube Screamers. I apologize if this revelation shocks you, but I'm fairly certain that the cat escaped the bag long ago on this little industry secret. Variations of this archetypal overdrive circuit abound, making up the overwhelming majority the OD market, but no matter how many clipping options are added, no matter the fancy tone controls, bright switches, buffered bypass, or boost channels that have been tacked on, the truth is that a Tube Screamer is a Tube Screamer is a Tube Screamer.
I don't mean to suggest that a TS-based pedal can't sound good in the right context, or that such a pedal has no use. If that's really the sound that inspires you, then by all means, let those tubes scream! For those of us that are bored to tears with vanilla dirt pedals, however, or just want a unique alternate tone option, there does exist another, somewhat overlooked realm of overdrive—the magical world of non-Tube Screamers. This world is much smaller, and gets a lot less attention from the mainstream guitar community, but seekers of uncommon dirty tones will find much to love there. Here is a grip of my favorite non-Tube Screamer overdrives.
*Note: For the purposes of this article, I have left out overt amp-in-a-box pedals and Klon clones. These pedals exist in their own categories removed from traditional overdrives like the Tube Screamer, and we’ve covered both extensively in other articles.
Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop Overdrive
Hull, Quebec's Fairfield Circuitry is tirelessly innovative, with each of the company's pedals offering a strikingly original entry into the boutique effects world. It's no surprise then, that Fairfield's Barbershop Overdrive is unlike any OD we've ever heard before, with a vast swath of dynamic tones that range from rich and sparkling, to brown sound chunk, to biting, fuzz-tinged gnash. The best part is, you can summon all of these sounds just by varying your pick attack in subtle ways. To call the Barbershop "responsive" would be a massive understatement. Its distinctive features include a "Sag" control, which alters the voltage to get a looser, vintage tube amp sort of squish when turned counter-clockwise, or a tighter, less colored sound when turned the opposite way. The pedal's tone control is a three-position switch that kicks in varying degrees of high-cut, with the wide-open middle position offering a uniquely hi-fi kind of tone, the rightmost position offering subtle treble roll-off, and the leftmost position being fully dark and dirty. The Fairfield Barbershop is an excellent choice for the guitarist looking to break free from the suffocating, bandwidth-constricted confines of the Tube Screamer.
Colorsound Overdriver
Released around 1970, the Colorsound Overdriver was one of the first true overdrive pedals, with tones that ranged from robust, uncolored boost, to amp-like drive, to near-Fuzz Face sounds. Its zesty, lyrical tones were a major component of Jeff Beck's '70s-era lead sound, and it also famously fell under the feet of classic rock icons from David Gilmour (who paired it with a Big Muff) to Marc Bolan. In short, it was an uncommonly flexible overdrive that, in hindsight, probably should've been a lot more popular than it was. History has been kind to it, though, and today a vintage Colorsound Overdriver can cost you up to 600 smackers. Obviously, that is a ridiculous price to pay for an overdrive pedal, so I would recommend any of the fine copies of this circuit that are floating around today: The Throbak Electronics Overdrive Boost is an excellent, and highly regarded, improvement upon the Colorsound circuit, the bad news being that it isn't really much more affordable, selling for around three hundred dollars new. Other, more reasonably priced options include the Black Arts Toneworks Black Forest Overdrive, the Monsterpiece C.O.D., the Basic Audio Futureman, and the Harben Audio Synthesthesia Drive. All of these pedals capture slightly different shades of the Colorsound's unique essence, and all are excellent antidotes for the common green overdrive.
Moog MF Drive
Plug this overdrive in, and it becomes immediately obvious what the "MF" in its name stands for. Oh, snap! Moog's lofty reputation has been built on its decades of innovation and the brilliant marriage of music and technology, and the MF Drive serves as an excellent reminder of what this company is all about. Moog's exemplary overdrive is built around FETs, OTAs, and (perhaps unsurprisingly) several filter circuits, much like one might find in one of its legendary synths. Through manipulation of these filters, the pedal can astutely mimic classic British and American amp tones, in addition to generating neutral, dynamic drive and boost sounds that just give you more from your amp, without any undue coloration. The gain range covers a lot of territory, from subtle breakup to big-bodied crunch, and the tone controls are unprecedented in their flexibility. The novel design approach of this stompbox and the inspiring tones that result from it are impressive enough, but plug in an expression pedal and the MF Drive will absolutely warp your earholes with its sweepable filter. Depending on how it's set up, the expression pedal control can do all manner of dirty wah sounds, massive, otherworldly swells, and all sorts of puking alien tones (if you're into that). The Moog MF Drive can be as subtle or as radical as you want it to be, and it definitely ain't no Tube Screamer.
TC Electronic VPD1 Vintage Pre-Drive
Denmark's TC Electronic is not known for analog overdrive and distortion effects, so much as it is for its brilliant digital delays and modulation processors, but the company has made some excellent dirt boxes over the years. One of the most criminally overlooked of these is the now-discontinued VPD1 Vintage Pre-Drive, which has been around in various forms since the eighties. The VPD1 was created (as with all overdrives) to achieve cranked-amp tone and sustain at modest volumes. It does this quite well, and rumors abound that its circuit was inspired by the preamp section of a Vox AC series amplifier. This theory may or may not be true, but it would explain some of the chiming drive tones the pedal has to offer, as well as the upper setting of its three-way resonance switch, which is labeled "Top-Boost." The VPD1's palette of sounds is not limited to these Vox-esque tones, though, as the middle resonance position sets the voicing to flat for a more neutral, uncolored sound that blends seamlessly with the amplifier. Other cool features include a footswitch that engages its pre-drive boost section (for kicking up both saturation and volume), and an excellent speaker simulator for using the pedal direct to a mixer or recorder. As I mentioned, the Vintage Pre-Drive has been discontinued by TC, but used models are fairly abundant, often selling for 100 bucks or less, and offer an inspiring and affordable respite from the forlorn honk of the Tube Screamer.
Demeter DRV-1 Over Driveulator
Demeter has been rather quietly making some of the best, most innovative guitar effects around for over 30 years. Perhaps it's just a lack of advertising, or a desire to let the products speak for themselves, but the company's stompboxes tend to routinely fly under the popular radar. This is a shame, because more players should know about Demeter's DRV-1 Over Driveulator. This simple, unassuming black box can bring a world of rich, organic dirt from its uncomplicated controls, from clean boost and tube-y drive sounds, to high-gain crunch and hairy, germanium-tinted fuzz. The driving force behind this broad tonal spectrum and wide-ranging dynamic response is a side-mounted toggle that switches between "tight" silicon diodes and "loose" germanium ones. Flipping this switch affects both the tone and feel of the pedal, and lets it go places that your average overdrive cannot. The DRV-1 nicely encapsulates Demeter's penchant for clean, functional designs and exciting diversions from standard guitar effects. The Over Driveulator eats Tube Screamers for breakfast, and poops them out after lunch.
When shopping for a new overdrive, it can be challenging to avoid the hordes of Screamer clones out there, as not all of them are painted green to let you know where they're coming from. Many are gussied up with banks of knobs and switches and adorned with fancy paint jobs to throw you off, when lurking under the hood, they ain't nuthin' but a TS9! Despite this, doing a little extra legwork and seeking out original circuits is well worth the effort, with tone and inspiration being the ultimate reward. Good luck.