I wonder if it's possible to get any good overdriven sound when in active mode?

Any thoughts/recommendations?

I'm almost positive it is. You just have to spend some time tone hunting. I think playing with overdrive and distortion is just as much about small technique adjustments as it is about gear.

I'm quite interested in Overdriven/distorted sounds at present , been scouring the net about pedals but of course the choice these days is endless.
Keen on trying the Catlinbread Katzenkoenig , or even an Electro harmonix Nano Big muff Pi. Think I'll just get a few and experiment, if no good I've discovered a very busy pedal trading site in Australia on Facebook.

What about a vocal processor, like the TC Helicon units. They have phantom power and XLR inputs, though I don't know how they would sound, nor if they would do a good job processing polyphonic signals.

If you have a chance to check one out, let us know...

I'm still waiting to hear an overdriven Stick tone that I love. Never quite heard a crunchy blues tone, for example. I think it's because the Stick's string dynamics are naturally compressed. To my thinking that means the OD processor should be as 'open' (non-compressing) as possible. I've been looking at a Kingsley Page valve boost+overdrive which minimally compresses the input signal while adding gain. An active pickup should have more transient energy than a passive pickup, so it may help?


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I have a VocaLive#2 here that I love for flute and cello. But for Stick I'm not so keen on it because ti requires a mono input. Or that you run the bass side into the guitar input and the melody side into the mic input; hm... I haven't looked seriously into this, but theoretically it would allow you to play single-string melodies and have the choir function adding chords out of the notes you play on the bass side. I don't think this would be so useful though, because at least to my taste the cool thing with that choir harmonization function is that it follows syllables in singing, flute vibrato or string bowing. For tapped string notes you kind miss out on all that good stuff.

Good 'ole distortion! I love it... But in my opinion, the type of pedal is a lot less effective for a "good tone" than developing a technique that can kind of leverage the saturation. Muting is super important (tapping right on the rails), and a super-slippery legato (I am talking Satriani or EVH level greasiness with hammerons and pulloffs). Definitely a work in progress for me, but I am working on it. Pedals? The Line6, Zoom, FAS and Boss stuff is pretty useable...

Although, some pedals are better than others and everyone has different tastes...

Anyways, good luck!

Michael Bernier gets the coolest sound he picked Holdsworth's brain but wont reveal the secret. But he has a Stickup on his axe...

I tried a lot of fuzz boxes but could never beat the real deal. 50 watts 1-12. Melody side.
When it's cranked it takes a lot of technique to control and nuance it like I'm used to with a guitar but I'm getting there. This model (4210) also has a foot-switched clean channel that sounds just like a blackface Fender.

EHX just released another pedal, Operation Overlord which supposedly is designed to work with guitar, bass, and keyboards. Curious what it would do with a Stick.