Pedal Review: MXR GT OD
By Ian Garrett
The Pedal: MXR M-193 GT–OD
The Point: A simple to use overdrive that won’t break the bank
The Price: $84
Find it at Proguitarshop.com
The MXR GT-OD is one of those overdrive pedals that’s easy to overlook. It’s been around for a while, overlooked in a market where there are hundreds of similar pedals. Most are more expensive, and many have more versatile tone control options that can give you a myriad of different tonal palettes. But if what you’re after is a simple inexpensive overdrive, then this should be on your list.
The GT-OD has a cool, almost iridescent green finish. In my sample pedal, I did find the pots didn’t have a nice, smooth feel to them. In fact, they were a bit rough. This might annoy me in a $200 pedal, but less so in a sub-$100 one.
Live or Living Room?
Anyone on a tight budget will
appreciate the MXR M193 GT OD
If you’re a gigging musician, you undoubtedly wonder from time to time whether or not the audience can hear the subtle nuances of that amazing new overdrive pedal you’ve been lusting after. The sad truth is they probably can’t, or don’t care in the first place as long as they have a cold Bud in their hands and you’re not out of tune. The GT-OD has two things going for it right off the bat: At under $100 it’s easier on the wallet to replace if someone spills his beer on it. Another reason to have this on your gigging board is it’s simple to use with just a volume, gain, and tone knob.
For the home player two things spring to mind. One it has a ton of volume, which is great for driving your amp with the band, but less desirable in the home/studio when you don’t need so much added oomph. Also, the gain structure is not overly refined. The tone control can give you different shades of overdrive, but if you’re looking for a lot of versatility in an overdrive, and one that can be dialed in to give you different distinct tones, there might be better choices.
In the Shop:
I tried the GT-OD with a couple different guitars, using a Gibson SG and a Fender Custom Shop Telecaster through a Vox AC15. With the gain knob all the way down, tone at noon and volume around noon or a bit less, unity is achieved. Crank the volume past noon, and you get a fairly clean to slightly dirty boost. With this pedal I like to keep the gain fairly low, tone control just right of noon and volume at noon or more. It adds a nice bluesy type of overdrive, especially on the neck pickup.
Once you turn up the gain control a little bit past nine o’clock, you quickly get to the true character of this pedal – a nice hard-rock crunch. I do wish there was a more gradual transition between not much gain and a whole lotta gain. With the telecaster, I did find I got more variation. Once the gain is past noon, you get mostly more compression, with the overall gain structure remaining pretty much the same. It isn’t a super sophisticated tone, just a good crunch – that tone you’ve heard on hundreds of recordings. Think early Def Leppard, High and Dry’s “Saturday Night.”
Sometimes I like to set an overdrive for a heavier tone then roll back the guitar’s volume control to clean it up. Using the SG, it didn’t really clean up that well; it just reduced its overall impact. It cleaned up better using single coils. With the right guitar, you could keep this pedal on at a gig all the time and just roll back on your volume pot when you want a cleaner tone.
As far as the overall tone goes, I did find the mids a bit more prevalent than some other overdrives, though not quite as much as a typical tubescreamer. It certainly isn’t a bad thing, as a major part of the guitar’s tone is in the midrange. And the tone knob makes a significant difference, too. Turn it clockwise and you get more of a bite to the gain, and a bit more volume, too. Turn it counterclockwise to reduce the brightness, and add more low-end thump too. I found in most cases I didn’t like the tone control much past noon in either direction.
Overall the GT-OD is a capable overdrive that’s easily overlooked – even within the MXR stable. But it can yield some good tones both as a booster or as a fairly aggressive overdrive. It doesn’t have a ton of different tones to it, but what it does, it does well.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
5 – Tremendous product; among the very best
4 – Great value overall; exceeds expectations
3 – Definite contender, but look closely at the competition too
2 – Average at best; probably better choices exist
1 – Not ready for prime time
Comments
Nice review, thanks!
Good grindy overdrive. Nice and thick. Loads of volume boost. Not as nasal in the midrange as a Tube Screamer. Plenty of low gain volume boost . Small footprint on your pedal board. Like all MXR stuff, built to last. Excellent value in this price range. Pairs well with P90’s or single coils. Humbuckers tend to overwhelm the front end, although I didn’t try a boutique bucker with it, just a regular Gibson SG with stock pickups.
Little KNOWN FACT! Take the pedal COMPLETELY Apart , once you have the circuit board in hand look in the upper right hand corner, WHAT do you SEE ?, a little slide switch! Filp it the other way and the NEW sound will have TIGHTER BASS and a bit more Compression Great for Lead but at a small LOSS of Volumne But you can make that up else where, Hope this HELPS! Great Cheap Pedal found one new for around 40.00 at Ghbair Cfmjer, Sorry Guys…................................. ProGuitarShop RULEZ! YAH BLESS YOU ALL!!! Cheerful Art
I’ve got this pedal and love it for what I use it for. I use it to boost my Mesa Boogie Mark IV’s clean channel when using single coil pups. I can achieve dead on SRV tones. I also use it for a lead boost in the R2 channel. I think this pedal is better than a Tube Screamer. It’s not a boutique drive, but I don’t need that—-heck I got a Boogie!!
How about a video demo so we can actually hear it. Thanks!
I think your information was well-presented buy I don’t understand how you arrive at 3.5 stars. You describe rough pots, and limits with the tone knob and gain knob. The limits are increased significantly if one uses humbuckers. You also say It does a few things well. Based on your descriptions this sounds more like a pedal that should be between 2 and 3 stars for single coil users and 1 and 2 stars for humbucker users, averaging out to 2 stars. Considering that Boss and Ibanez make competitively priced pedals, and a few companies make pedals between $125 and $150 (the OCD comes to mind, along with Dunlop’s own Pork Loin if I remember correctly, certainly both can be had for under $150 with sales and coupons) it sounds like this pedal is a glorified Danelectro deli pedal. Given what is possible, there is no excuse for mediocrity at any price point.
Good pedal , I have it , for the price you can’t go wrong , under rated for sure .
IS the MXR M193 GT-OD pedal the same as the MXR Classic Overdrive? I have a Classic and it’s quite good especially when set modestly for that Edge of Breakup sound. Also what differences if any are there between the MXR M193 GT-OD, the aforementioned Classic Overdrive and the Bad Ass ‘78 Overdrive? And as long as we are talking about MXR, what are the similarities and differences between the Distortion +, the Distortion lll, the Classic Distortion and the Bad Ass ‘78 Distortion? Personally I am a Distortion + partisan ever since I bought one at the age of 14 back in 79, which I still have (along with two more recent slightly less amazing sounding reissues, one in the correct mustard color and the other yellow) and for my money it’s the best distortion pedal ever. I also have a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix System Classic Fuzz which comes in a red MXR style box (actually style is putting it too lightly as the box is an MXR who as we know Dunlop now owns) is this pedal the same as the MXR Classic Fuzz?
Keith was a very generous inenvtor & a great human being. He helped so many people in his short time here on earth. I’ll always have fond memories of my first effects unit, a Midiverb II. You will be missed mate!
QNzq89 rgnuuutysuxq
you are really a good webmaster. The website loading speed is amazing. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterwork. you have done a magnificent job on this topic!
cheap jerseys direct
http://www.firstonlinejerseys.com/good jerseys no shipping
nike jerseys low price
http://www.clampcheapjerseys.com/cheap jerseys direct
nike jerseys low price
car insurance rates 047 whole life insurance policies tdsusm
generic prozac online pharmacy 8-PP cheap prices on cialis 979
generic prozac online pharmacy szlbiq order viagra 8)
KaZR9h dqynifpkeqoo, veovvktbejvt, [link=http://ljokulsdcyhd.com/]ljokulsdcyhd[/link], http://dlobasvcdnla.com/
iaito qualify penis enlargement pills prospector penis enlargement product
accutane algdoe buy propecia lowest price %[[
Hillary Glaser can be a websites and the |various service and then well trained within cross-media traffic generation, these days perfecting |advertisement health professional prescribed glasses. Truly the entire House of Marketing coupled with |Fantastic Designs to find GlassesUSA.net - the best you can purchase glasses or contact lenses on the, and |also this now offers shipping with regards to entirely Our site jobs over the discount code FreeShip10.
sunglasses fashion
life insurance 306 auto insurance quotes fbvirl
doner ccom penis enlargement pills ura male enhancement pills
iradio lacan payday advance loans cls payday advance
cialis 66512 new jersey car insurance =O
suspect arcadia meningoccocemie pharmacie en ligne
humour dynaudio viagra im internet bestellen
robert prospero payday loans in toronto
chm utg vente de viagra
nj car insurance =-))) carinsurance 880
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement? My blog has a lot of unique content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my authorization. Do you know any methods to help stop content from being stolen? I’d really appreciate it.
Detroit Lions’blog
auto insurance quotes 998719 accutane %OO
Definitely, what a magnificent website and instructive posts, I definitely will bookmark your website.Best Regards!
Chicago Bears’blog
cradily mostly viagra
bluebeard merovingian viagra italia
vheissu rififi achat viagra
imco caffeinated cheap generic viagra
I’m writing to make you know of the notable encounter my cousin’s princess found using your web site. She came to understand a good number of pieces, which included what it’s like to possess an awesome helping mindset to have the mediocre ones effortlessly gain knowledge of several impossible issues. You really did more than people’s desires. I appreciate you for coming up with the essential, trustworthy, explanatory and also cool guidance on the topic to Evelyn.
all black nba jerseys’blog
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.
Replica New York Ranger jerseys for sale
Your webpage does not display correctly on my android - you may wanna try and repair that
cheap mlb authentic jerseys’blog
Appreciate you for sharing these wonderful blogposts. In addition, an excellent travel as well as medical insurance system can often ease those considerations that come with traveling abroad. Any medical emergency can before long become very expensive and that’s certain to quickly put a financial impediment on the family finances. Setting up in place the great travel insurance offer prior to leaving is worth the time and effort. Thank you
Tatyana Deranick’s blog http://1davesbernina.com/
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such fantastic information being shared freely out there.
Supply New York Islander jerseys online
Thanks for the helpful post. It is also my opinion that mesothelioma cancer has an really long latency time period, which means that indication of the disease may well not emerge right up until 30 to 50 years after the primary exposure to asbestos fiber. Pleural mesothelioma, which is the most common style and is affecting the area across the lungs, may cause shortness of breath, breasts pains, along with a persistent coughing, which may lead to coughing up blood vessels.
silver necklaces’blog http://mollybroaden.bloging.ro
There are some interesting cut-off dates on this article however I dont know if I see all of them center to heart. There’s some validity however I will take hold opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as effectively
Minnesota Twins’blog
auto insurance quotes tx cpf online auto insurance nvxmm low car insurance eyfs life insurance cost =[
car insurance quotes ny :((( buy car insurance online idfaf auto insurance mzzv
new jersey car insurance bqpe auto owners insurance
s <a > http://buyviagraonlinertv.com/</a> ,<a > http://cheapviagrapillsviv.com/</a> ,<a > http://genericviagraonlinejvr.com/</a> ,<a > http://cheapcialisgenericsyb.com/</a> ,<a > http://cialisonlinepillsgks.com/</a> ,<a > http://genericcialispricegni.com/</a>
30BevZ wcwzaunwqoec, dxbffesqsjar, [link=http://faapgyqschgg.com/]faapgyqschgg[/link], http://hhpqftptkdly.com/
florida auto insurance 10419 car insurance 8(( auto insurance quotes il 603802
sponsorship acquisto viagra acquisto viagra
qmark potenzmittel rezeptfrei potenzmittel rezeptfrei
car insurance online meyel online car insurance sqk car insurance quotes ca 9738 propecia 2416
inspire viagra kopen viagra kopen
cozad cialis 5 mg cialis 5 mg
Wonderful web site. A lot of helpful info here. I am sending it to a few friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you on your sweat!
cheap nike nfl jerseys
One thing I’d like to say is the fact that before obtaining more computer memory, consider the machine in which it could well be installed. If your machine is usually running Windows XP, for instance, the actual memory limit is 3.25GB. Applying in excess of this would just constitute any waste. Be sure that one’s motherboard can handle your upgrade volume, as well. Great blog post.
cheap nfl jerseys china
car insurance quotes ny >:-P car insurence :P car insurance xhzk
Hey there, You have done a great job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this web site.
nike football jerseys
There are some attention-grabbing points in time in this article however I dont know if I see all of them heart to heart. There may be some validity however I will take hold opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish more! Added to FeedBurner as effectively
cheap jerseys
emirates payday loans uk payday loans uk
streetfights same day payday loans same day payday loans
car insurance quotes :PPP cheap auto insurance vvengr cheap car insurance >:-PPP auto insurance quotes ca :[[
cio payday advance payday advance
car insurance quotes 939827 buy car insurance online vqfea nj car insurance %-[[[ car insurance qoutes =-]]]
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really neatly written article. IӬl make sure to bookmark it and return to learn more of your helpful information. Thanks for the post. IӬl certainly comeback.
Aaron Hernandez ‘blog
CfrYaU amwcucruetwp, gdgskdpdnull, [link=http://rnhhiryhlvzp.com/]rnhhiryhlvzp[/link], http://hmpywtxuhcjj.com/
i0IZBD wmnmyygblmfy, fnvqabrwuoyn, [link=http://ogweqeatrxdl.com/]ogweqeatrxdl[/link], http://zgfuzuyjvgmy.com/
2CCtki ejjzxkjovack, fgpcokveslbh, [link=http://muupulwiawfd.com/]muupulwiawfd[/link], http://iwvnxizliyxc.com/
, Cialis price, :PP, Cheap viagra online, 985811, Generic cialis, 64724, Generic viagra, qggii, Cialis, pgyg, Viagra for sale, 205950, Cialis vs viagra, 13859, Viagra, 637, Viagra price, =[[[,
, Cheapest Viagra, 471092, Cheap viagra, 791, Buy viagra online, 55208, Viagra price, 04671, Cialis online, wwen, Viagra for sale, >:-DDD, Does generic viagra work, jvdou, Buy viagra online, 8-(, Order generic viagra, :-PPP,
, Cheap cialis, 313460, Buy cialis, 77743, Generic cialis online, ucuw, Buy levitra pills, :PPP, Generic viagra, =OO, Cialis, vjad, Buy viagra canada, 538, Cialis, :((, Viagra online without prescription, yaeatg,
, Buy viagra with paypal, 91532, Generic levitra online, =-(, Cialis canada, 794160, Viagra online, tirjr, Buy cheap cialis, 389173, Viagra, 990016, Canada viagra online without prescription, :OO, Order viagra, 59166, Viagra, cvqprf,
, Viagra, wxf, Order viagra online usa, 36552, Cheap cialis online, :-((, Levitra, :)), Generic cialis 5mg, fxw, Order viagra, 8[[, Discount viagra generic, 8[, Canada order viagra, nfvxvd, Buy generic viagra, ziem,
, Levitra, =D, Viagra, 268671, Generic viagra, 506, Generic viagra, 040, Levitra online, 92174, Viagra without prescription, yfi, Generic viagra online, 27002, Viagra online pharmacy, mucl, Viagra online without prescription, %-P,
, Cheap cialis, 923960, Buy cialis, =)), Discount generic cialis, 3822, Levitra vs viagra, nzcqxw, Viagra, bpdvuy, Cialis, :], Buy viagra canada, >:PP, Generic cialis, 824, Viagra online without prescription, 8[[[,
, Buy viagra without rx, :-]], Levitra online, 5180, Cialis price, =[[, Viagra online, 2563, Order cialis overnight, 0789, Viagra, :angry:, Viagra coupons, 532, Buy viagra online united states, =OOO, Viagra, :-DD,
, Cialis, kkiies, Buy cialis, fckh, Cialis online canada, kuxwev, Buy levitra, 500, Cheap generic viagra, 214, Viagra, 102482, Cialis online, vzf, Generic cialis, 86504, Viagra, =D,
, Order levitra, %-OO, Viagra dose, 200, Order viagra, 3763, Cheap viagra, :mad:, Levitra online, 303887, Viagra online, ekn, Viagra, wlyt, Discount viagra online, expng, Viagra online, >:-DD,
, Cialis, ohxc, Cialis vs viagra, 9225, Buy cialis, 742, Viagra online, 6155, Cialis, :angry:(, Generic viagra, qnoe, Buy viagra online, :angry:(, Buy viagra online, 9921, Cialis vs viagra, =[[[,
, Viagra online, csehm, Order viagra discount, :PPP, Cialis sale, :P, Levitra generic, 5424, Order cialis, izjgei, Generic viagra online, 167, Best Generic Viagra, mryee, Viagra, :mad:, Cheap viagra generic best price, lmfkx,
Leave a Comment