Think of J Mascis's voice. Gravelly, weak, and weasely.* The reissued TS-808 embodies it in a pedal.
*This isn't to say that I don't love Dinosaur Jr. His voice fits the music well, but does not fair well as an effects pedal.
Dude, PLEASE stop posting in this thread. Everything you have said has been completely off base and wrong. You sound like you have never played 90% of the gear you are talking about and simply regurgitating hot button terms.
Transistor based amps aren't normally bad because they are cheaper than their vacuum tube counter parts. They are cheaper because transistors are WAY cheaper to acquire and MUCH easier to design around than vacuum tubes. The difference in sound is negligible until the tubes start to heat up, and as with all semi-conductor devices, the temperature alters their gain characteristics, which alters the sound of the amplifier. There are plenty of tube amps that sound just as assy as transistor amps.
Another key difference between solid state and tube amps though, is how they react to dirt pedals (ie fuzz, overdrive, distortion, etc.), vacuum tubes shift smoothly between modes where as transistors are more "on/off". This audible sensation this creates is responsible for ridiculous terms like "organic distortion".
The Sovtek and NYC EHX effects are different. In some cases (such as the big muff), they are a lot different. The main differences come from using transistors manufactured in different locations, and varying frequency responses between the designs.
The Swollen Pickle (along with the Fat Sandwich, and Pork Pie, a couple of other Way Huge classics) can be found on ebay for hella bux... or you can wait for the Dunlop re-issues that are coming out later this year. No clue on how these will sound, but given that Way Huge did very little aside from modding recent classics such as the Big Muff (he did like 10 variations of this one), Boss DM2, and TS808 (this is requisite for any boutique guy, must mod a Tube Screamer and a Fuzz Face before making anything original), the sound should not be that much different.
With that being said, the Swollen Pickle is arguably the most useless of all the big muffs, as it's primary feature is a huge boost of the mid-range frequencies. This results in a VERY sick fuzzed out sound... but it almost makes it nearly impossible to cut through anything (no treble = you will not be heard in a standard band line up).
There is nothing wrong with Boss or Behringer (unless, in the case of the latter, you don't dig on supporting a company whose products are not allowed in some countries due to blatant copyright infringement). Those of you bashing them sound like you have never played or handled anything by either of them.
Yes, some Boss pedals truly suck ass. Metalzone is horrendous, DS1 has a certain appeal but it's not for me. Their current delay line (outside of the DD20, which I think is EASILY the best multi-function delay for the price) is absurdly over priced. But they are responsible for several highly sought after classics (DM2, DM3, SG1, VB2, PS3... the list could go on and on and on). And honestly... I would be SHOCKED if your favorite band has never recorded a song with a DS1 (or a TS808 for that matter, as they are quite the hot shit on the indie scene and one of the most popular pedals of all time. Not that this means you should like it... just saying, if that many people dig it, it clearly does not suck too much balls).
Behringer quite literally makes clones of old Boss and EHX pedals that they are too snotty and dumb to re-issue. Point to point clones. You won't have problems with the plastic case unless you are a 250 pound dude who likes to jump off his 4x12 cab to turn on pedals. As long as you don't take "stomp box" literally, you will be fine.
There ARE a handful of nice delay options under $150. I mean, the Ibanez DE7 is one of the sweetest sounding mass produced delays and it clocks in at $70 new. If you want to dip into the used market, you can get a DOD fx90 (all analog, 500ms I think?) EASILY under $100 (if you are patient, under $50). Playing it side by side with my Boss DM3 (the follow up version of the analog delay most boutique analog delays are based on, the DM2. It's the same circuit, but it adds a dry out which allows you to put together some fun two amp set ups), I can hardly tell a difference (the only thing that is noticeable is that the regeneration of the FX90 is more pristine, which depending on your taste could be better for you than the dirty repeats of the DM series).
Analog delay cannot be as clean as digital. It is technically impossible. A digital pedal turns your signal into numbers, manipulates the numbers, and converts back to an audio signal. An analog delay records your signal, and in order to make multiple repeats, it samples the recording, when this happens the signal slowly (or quickly in some cases) degenerates, where as with a digital delay you get the exact same signal every time (although some do add filters to get rid of some of the rough edges created by this process). One is not objectively better than the other, they are just different.
@Guy with a practice amp that wants to know where to start: I recommend getting a cheap multi-fx box. They suck for the most part, but this is the cheapest way to see if this is something you could get into. Some people just think it is hell of awkward to stomp shit, others just don't like taking the time to twist knobs etc. An alternative to this would be going to a local music store (preferably not Guitar Center, as 90% of their employees are total idiots who will just try and push you into a sale) and play pedals with your guitar, through your amp. It is critical that you use your guitar and amp, as just about anything will sound lovely if you are using an American Telecaster through an old Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb.
@guy that wants a bass distortion: I REALLY like using a big muff with bass. You don't need a dirt pedal that is "made for bass", all this means is that the frequency range (or "tone") is tweaked to fit the bass as opposed to a guitar. However, this does not prevent several "guitar" dirt pedals from getting fresh on bass. Again, solution is to go to a music store (or guitar playing friends house) and play your bass through various dirt pedals.
@Zvex: Very nice stuff, but with the exception of the Fuzz Factory (which the Ultra Fuzz was a very good suggestion on as a replacement. The Zoom Hyper Lead and Tri-Metal are pretty nice as well, but not FF substitutes) and some of the modulation pedals, it is WAY cheaper to just build them. You can find a schematic for pretty much any relatively popular pedal with a google search.
@running multiple distortions: Multiple big muffs sounds like absolute death, However, if you mix and match intelligently you can make some very tasty combos. One of my favorite things to do is put an octave pedal in front of a medium gain fuzz (such as a germanium fuzz face). This way you can have a tasty sound that won't turn chords into mud, and then turn on the octave, and you have a lead sound that will peel skin. Another fun mix is putting a tube screamer, or an EQ in front of a pretty much any fuzz/dirt, and using it to goose crazy gain out of a narrow frequency range.
@guys who just want noise: The Sonic Alienator is a GREAT suggestion here. A couple of other good ones are the Fender Blender, Ampeg Scrambler and (look up the schem, it is basically the same thing as the ZVEX Octane) Shin-Ei companion fuzz. Mosrite Fuzzrite is good for this too. Another fun one to play with is the EHX Tube Zipper, more of a modulation pedal than a dirt box... but you can get some SICK noise out of it. A good compliment to these type of pedals is a tremolo that has a decent square wave. The most budget friendly pedal I have found that fits this bill is the Danelectro Tuna Melt
@J Mascis: he uses tons of BMP's, but don't forget about the Univox Superfuzz!
Ok... sorry about the ranting. I was just reading some things that were making my eyes pop out of my skull.
