Addrock Ol Yeller

Your basic OD controls. Couldn't be easier.

When I first hooked it up between my Telecaster and Fender twin, dimed the controls, and hit an open D chord, my wife wet herself in the next room. Both my parakeets died. My vision went blurry for about 15 seconds.

The sound of this pedal is six thousand times more beautiful than the sound of God whispering love poetry across the strings of a harp strung across the grand canyon. I would kill at its command; I listen in the shimmering of its overtones for guidance on all daily decisions.

The pedal also let me get the SRV sound on 'Pride and Joy' and does a pretty passable fuzzface tone.

I built an addition onto my house recently, and my only hammer (I spent all my money on boutique pedals, so couldn't afford more tools) broke about halfway through. I grabbed the nearest thing to hand -- my Addrock Old Yeller, which was lying out in the yard, don't ask me why -- and continued hammering away. I played a gig with the pedal the night after I finished the roofing and it performed flawlessly.

Now, you need to understand about HL Wilson -- it's got nothing to do with how he saved my whole family from being stabbed two years ago in Thailand. That was a true act of American heroism, granted, and one of the most awe-inspiring displays of Krav Maga I've seen off the battlefield -- he wants you to be happy with your purchase.

Although the pedal has never had any kind of defect or failure, I've emailed him dozens of times, and called his home at least ten times. Often I call late at night when I can't get to sleep and I'm up wondering about the metal ratios in the capacitors used in the buffer circuit of the Old Yeller pedal. Someone ALWAYS answers and is happy to talk guitar tone as long as I care to.

I describe this pedal as 'SRV meets Hendrix as Robin Trower in a box'. If it were stolen, sure I'd fly into a murdering rampage, but I do own four of them so it's not the end of the world.

I feel sorry for the me of the past that had to use other overdrive pedals, or amps for that matter. I no longer use my Marshall, I just play the Old Yeller through my home stereo system.

Overall, I'd say it's pretty lame to write fake reviews for your own product.

3 controls. Typical overdrive layout. Very easy to get a good sound out of it. Never looked at a manual, you shouldn't need one.

This pedal sounds fantastic. If your looking for a tubescreamer then buy a tubescreamer. To me this is not a tubescreamer clone. It is similar but the mids are not as present and it has a little more high end. The actual crunch also sounds a little different. I like the Ol Yeller sound about the same as the Tubescreamer sound. I would probably give the Ol Yeller the nod on Humbuckers and the Tubescreamer the nod on single coils. I feel like the Tubescreamer does low drive settings better and the Ol Yeller does high drive settings better. Both pedals beat out the Sparkle drive (though that has certain uses too).

Never had any problems with Addrock products. I have used it on gigs and have never felt like I needed a backup.

Never had to deal with them.

If your trying to cop a tubescreamer sound then buy a TS7 they are cheap and get damn near every sound you need out of a tubescreamer. If you want something a little different with less mids and more highs (A little better bass response too) then go with the Ol Yeller. I gave it a 9 because I have yet to find the holy grail overdrive pedal, but this one is definately quality.

Standard three knob, but very easy to get a good sound out of. The number of knobs shouldn't impress that much. This pedal just gives you a good sound to work with.

I Run a Framus Panthera Custom into an 8 year old Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10. Vox Wah (Keeley Mod), Keeley Katana Boost, Boss Equalizer, Keeley BD 2, Keeley DS1, Ol Yeller, Boss CE-5, Boss PH-2, Boss Giga Delay, Boss DD-3.

Ol Yeller V1: The one knock on this pedal, as some have said is that it does have a bit of buzz. Not as quiet as the Keeley Mods which I own, but the bottom line is the SOUND is better. This is the best sounding OD on the market. I have very high standards for handing out 10's, and this pedal barely got there. They wouldn't have made a second version if this one didn't need a bit of an improvement. I emphacise the "bit" in that statement.

No brainer so far.

I play in the U2, Coldplay, Counting Crows vein. This is the most even OD I've ever heard out of a box. My dream amp is the Orange Rockerverb 50. Buying this pedal made me feel like I could wait a few more years to get the orange. This is a pretty awsome little pedal.

Three buttons. Work it to your perfection. Simple.

One of my students gave this to me to try out. I put it beside a ts-808 analogman modded tubescreamer. Wonderful pedal. Best I've ever heard. Running through a deluxe reissue and an 84 tele I bounced back and forth between the two at different settings. I found the addrock to have higher end and output which is a good thing for me because I enjoy high end bight but I also like the undistinguishable warmth of the ts. Very, very quiet. Another definate plus.

I'm going to hesitantly give it a 10 because perfect scores don't come easy by me but I have to say it really sings!! Btw, I would give the ts a 10 as well.

My student is going to regret making the statement to keep it as long as I like :)

Haven't had it long enough to tell but it visually appears to be durable.

I take issue with the reviewer who assumes these reviews are tilted in HL's favor. I've bought lots of amps, guitars and effects from him and he's an upright guy. He's even steered me away from expensive equipment that he felt didn't meet the caliber of my needs and those recommendations always proved true. That's saved me money on more than one occassion.

If someone here is slanting to benefit HL then shame on them. HL is the genuine deal. One of most talented and gifted players and singers I know. I knew he was making pedals and suspected the addrock was one of his and now that I've tried it I can personally and honestly say his talent reaches far beyond his playing ability. It takes a good musician to know what's needed when it comes to tone.

HL, if your reading this and I'm guessing you will....great job. Keep up the good work!!!

My e-mail address is below if anyone wants to dispute my comments here.

As far as support goes....call him up and find out for yourself. I can't give an opinion. It aint broke.

I play and record in a wide variety of settings. Classic rock, country rock, old country, bluegrass, jazz, ballroom, christian, latin and even some Klezmer.

I've been playing 41 years.

I think the addrock is worthy of replacement. A little on the pricey side but it seems like anything worth having cost a little more. Especially these days.

I'd recommend it. But not for the Klezmer stuff :)

Straight forward no manual comes with the unit nor is one required.The tone control goes from warm, smooth overdrive to bright high end treble.

50's reissue japanese strat w/ fender custom shop fat 50's pickups.George L's cables. Chandler tube driver,Teese wizard wah,ol'yeller,addrock hism scism (fuzz),Carl Martin DeLayla into a temporary marshall valvestate 40 watt amp. The pedal is no more noisy than any other overdrive I've tried.I use carbon type batteries in the pedal for clean power and it consistently delivers very warm almost violin tone no matter how bad an amp you use.Chords sound awesome through this pedal as every note is accentuated with absolutely no mud!By the way, my strat has been modded to roll the treble off of the bridge pickup and this works nicely to replicate eric johnsons lead tone.I've been test driving other pedals in this category and have yet to find any competition.Not a metal shredder by any means but will cover eric johnson to dicky betts to warren haynes. Prepare to smile big when you put it in your rig!

This is my second review on this pedal as I have had two of them for a few years with no problems. I use one for each amp setup and the carbon batteries seem to last beyond my expectations.

H.L. Wilson will take care of warranty problems quickly and without cutting corners.I had a different pedal repaired years ago and was satisfied with his work and with no reoccuring issues.Other manufacturers should take notes.

My band plays the music of eric johnson and I cannot believe to this day how close to eric's tone this pedal can get! I've been playing 21 years and have never been happy with od pedals til I found ol' yeller.I wish this pedal had a boost circuit for solos.The pedal is true bypass and handbuilt with quality components.

I am reviewing the Ol' Yeller footswitch. It comes in a nice, pretty yellow chassis. The Ol' Yeller has 3-knobs(output, tone, drive) and a footswitch for bypass, actually turn the unit off and on. In retrospect, the controls and switch is self-explanatory. It has an L.E.D. that lets you know it's on. I received no manual with it.

I play the unit with guitars set-up for single coils and/or P90s(G&Ls) plus humbuckers and/or mini-bucker(Les Paul, SG). I am using it with a tube-combo amp. The pedal actually pretty except there is just a hint of hiss when all the dials are pegged to the max, but I really never found a pedal that didn't hiss when maxed out. The effect isn't weak and does shine through as a good warm T808 clone, maybe even better than the real thing itself. The sound reminds me of an early Angus/Malcom Young overdriven sound. Good overdrive, color, cleans up well, and lets the players dynamics stand out when need.

so far so good. I would use it without a backup. As a matter of fact it seems the batteries last longer for this pedal than the other ones I own.

I play blues to rock to heavy metal. This pedal is a good match to the blues/rock area which actually covers a lot of ground. It not my only favorite pedal though. But it will have a spot on my pedal board. I would think people who are thinking of purchasing this pedal are making a wise decision.

Three knods, if you can't figure this one out you need to go home.

I play through vintage guitars and amps, I play live with various artist from rock to country to Christian and I do lots of session work. This pedal is awesome it's ultra-quiet, true by-pass, very natural, with touch sensitive dynamics. It's very musical and just adds to my tone rather than take from it. It's also got the best eq of any OD I've ever played and I've owned them all.

I took a look inside and it's built like a tank. If the equipment truck starts rolling down a hill just put it under the back tire. It can take it and then some. If you break this pedal, I'd hate to see what the rest of your gear looks like. Plus, HL has a great warranty if anything does go wrong.

HL answered my email, it took him a while but he did and I was thankful. Seems like a straight up guy.

I play various styles of music depending on who I'm with at the time. Ol' Yeller will be on the pedal board for awhile. I've been playing professionally for about twenty years and this is the most natural OD I've ever heard or owned. I'm already thinking about getting a second one for my practice pedalboard. I've finally found an OD that is touch sensitive, tone neutral and has a balanced eq. No matter what guitar I play it still sounds like that guitar when it comes out the other side of the Ol' Yeller. It's the most amp like OD on the planet. I play through vantage guitars and amps. Live I use a 1064 Vox AC30 and a 1966 Blackface Pro Reverb, sometimes a 1959 Bassman, it doesn't matter, the Ol' Yeller adds just the right amount of grind to any of this fine tone machines and takes nothing away from there basic sound. It's like adding more peppers to the chili, it's spices things up a bit. It's has a very Keith Richards kind of natural feel to it, it's not an over the top box, just ads a little hair to the note. It's the OD sound I've been looking for in a pedal.

Easy, just like any other pedal 3 knob pedal out there.

It has a tone very simular to an 808. A little less midrange though. It has true by-pass which is nice.

It is built just as tough as any good pedal I have seen.

Never used it yet.

OK here is the deal. The pedal is ok, but I def would NOT pay $190 for it. $100 is probably fair. It is a good sounding pedal but no better than some of the others out there. It would be in the top 10 I have ever used though. Still the best 2 pedals out there are by Robert Keeley. The Boss BD-2 Mod and the Boss DS-1 mod are the two best pedals I have heard in my opinion and cheaper than a new addrock.

Just as easy as pie.

I recently sold my original TS-808 for an unbelievable amount of cash, and it looked beat. I sold it because the Old Yeller really sounded better to me. The Addrock has a little less of that midrange bump, which always sounded a little fake on my 808. Don't get me wrong, I'll probably regret selling my 808, but the Addrock just sounds much more natural to my ears. I run it into a 1968 Fender Bassman head into a 2-12 Marshall cab w/Celestion 30's, pristine!

Much better build quality than just about anything available! Exceptional design, and components.

I haven't needed it, and probably never will.

I have recently listened to about 7 different boutique 808 clones, and the Addrock was hands down the winner. It wasn't the most expensive either at $189. A true bargain!

No brainer overdrive pedal.

I play blues and classic style rock through fender amps, marshall amps and a few Dr.Z amp too. Strat's, PRS's and tele's. THIS IS "BY FAR" the best one I ever played ! I don't use my fulldrive anymore. Side by side comparisions made up my mind. This is much more designed around the tonal range of electric guitars. Soooo tube amp like, I'll never sell this one !It does add color.......That's right,but what a perfect color to add. "anybody want a used fulldrive" ? This and a rat duece tone covers all that I need.

Never talked to this guy that everybody else say's is so nice. I don't care if he's an asshole. He make's a great overdrive !

Ok, When I bought it off ebay. I thought... I sell it if I don't like it. Cheap radio shack knob's and not too much inside to box turned me off, That's the first thing I do when I get a hand wired pedal is look at the inside before I plug it in. Don't worry.....It's not as classy looking as a 300.00 dollar overdrive's. You know who they are......overpriced crap for snob players. All I can say is.....Buy one and make sure you plug it into a good running tube amp.

I believe every reviewer is entitled to have opinions, and hail this forum that allows that exact thing to happen. With due respect to the previous reviewer's opinion, I have every reason to believe that every review on this page, and on the builder of Addrock pedals is legitimate. There are only FOUR stores at the time I write this review, that sell Addrock products. There is a very good chance that if you own one of these pedals, you have personally talked to HL Wilson. Particularly when you consider that this is a one-man operation, and that these pedals are hand built, one at a time. He is the guitar guru at Alpha Music in Virginia Beach, VA. I have bought several things from this outfit, including boutique guitars. And let me tell you, customer service is KING at this joint. I am in no way related to HL or have any interest in his sales, but IMHO, these pedals are genuinely great and people should know about it. I own two of them and I think they are fabulous. I am just a guitar enthusiast that cares about good gear, and if there is someone building it, they will have my business.

As easy to use as any ordinary overdrive- the usual three knobs for volume tone and drive.

Sounds harsher than my Maxon OD-808 overdrive. I use a Gibson Les Paul Standard into a Marshall AVT 50 watt amp.

Standard boutique build.

I am very suspicious that most of the reviews here for this pedal where written by the same person, as they all single out the pedal maker and say what a swell guy he is. I own two dozen overdrive pedals and I have never needed to contact anyone about the pedals, so I find it ridiculus that every single review here specifically mentions this pedal maker by name and insists you should buy this pedal because the guy deserves business for being so nice..

I picked this pedal up used on ebay. I play blueds and rock and thought i would wail with this pedal, but its just a tubescreamer clone and no better than my Blues Pearl Blue Screamer or my Maxon OD-808 overdrive.

It's got output, tone, and drive controls...couldn't be much simpler for an overdrive pedal.

I run an American Strat through a Fender Deville 4x10 and a Deluxe Reverb Reissue. It's a very responsive, transparent unit. Sounds way better than any tube screamer I have ever heard. It's got a more smooth tone as opposed to the harshness of a lot of other overdrives.

I haven't had a single problem thus far. I'd say you wouldn't need a backup. If by chance it ever broke I would not hesitate to get another one.

I have talked to H.L. Wilson (maker of addrock products) on the phone several times. He seems like the type of person you'd like to deal with as far as customer service goes. However I have had no reason to call him about anything except info on the pedal.

The Ol Yeller fits right in to pretty much any style of music...blues, fusion, country, rock etc...Love the transparency of it. Pretty much the shit as far as I am concerned.

Pretty easy to use straight out of the bag and allways consistent. Very basic, no hidden trim pots or anything.

I mostly use Strats through old Fender amps but Ive played it through many different amps with various guitars and had great results. I have used this as my main overdrive for over a year and havent found anything else to replace it. I just recently got another one to use in series and the two together produce very cool tones. The general sound is very tubey and transparent. It always has a nice crisp quality, never flat or dead. You dont get near the midrange boost or bottom end loss as you do with many other overdrives. It sounds great with a clean amp or set low gain and bumping an already dirty amp.

Very reliable, never had a problem with any of my Addrock products.

Ive spoken to H.L. Wilson who is the man behind Addrock a couple of times over the phone and he was very helpful in answering any questions I had and is a great guy to deal with. Im sure if I ever had any problems I wouldnt have any troble getting help. Also, Ive heard H.L.'s playing on record and it was killing, great tone too.

I think overall this pedal works for me for most everything I do and it consistently gets a great tone. I would surely buy another if it were stolen. I would recommend this pedal or any Addrock product to anyone because you cant go wrong with them.

Not all that easy. Like many Tube Screamer variants, it can get real muddy when the "drive" knob is cranked high. You can try and offset that by turning up the "tone" knob but that can get overly bright. So you gotta work with it. That said, there's a lot of tones in the pedal. More than you'd find in the average TS-9, that's for sure.

Well let's see, first the bad news: you lose some low end for sure. You also get a touch of treble and the most subtle midrange bump I've heard in an OD of this ilk. Would not call it transparent and would never use it as a clean boost. You step on it and it changes your amp's tone for sure. I found myself turning up my amp's bass knob to compensate for the loss created by the pedal.

The good news? It sounds very natural and amp like. As mentioned above, it can get muddy when the "drive" knob is cranked up high but so do most tube amps, y'know? I've been keeping the "drive" knob pretty low (9 o'clock) and getting some terrific amp-like OD. Truly sounds like my amp turned up. Hot and punchy. Sparkly. Crisp. Those words come to mind.

I'm using a Telecaster and Flying V through various amps (6V6, 6L6 and EL84 tube amps). The real surprise (and delight) here is that the pedal works wonderfully with my EL84-based amps. You can't say that about a Tube Screamer (trust me, I've tried). I also have a Hot Cake, a pedal known for being a good match for EL84-based amps. Different tones from both these pedals but great tones. A keeper right alongside by Hot Cake.

I hope it holds up well. It seems well constructed. Curiously, it contains a PCB, something I wouldn't expect from such a high-priced, "boutique" pedal. Nevertheless, if it sounds good it sounds good.

The pedal came with a note about the warranty. Seems pretty good (everything's replaced for free except the switch at any point in the pedal's lifetime).

Not a perfect OD but I'm enjoying it for now. A tad bright, some low-end loss. But I'm digging the tightness and crispness that results from these "faults." Extremely amp-like -- at least at decent amp volumes. At home, with the amp's volume set quite low, it did seem a tad artificial and fizzy, but I think you could say that about nearly any OD pedal. It really helps to have the amp cooking. I love OD pedals and have owned about a dozen over the last few years. I like having different tones and flavors to turn to for various gigs just for the sake of variety. This is not the be-all end-all of OD pedals but it's a nice flavor.

Finally, I want to get a little superficial and congratulate the maker on designing a cool-looking pedal. I nice bright yellow box. It's a fat metal enclosure with a nice switch. The name is hip in a corny way. The designer seems like a clever guy with good taste in design. Something other pedal makers should take note of (in other words, put some decent paint and silkscreening on your $200 pedals! And give them cool names!). Maybe some of you nerds would prefer a pedal called the "anal nuclear ripper" or something, but that's not my bag.

The pedal is very easy to use. Does not come with a manual, but you don't need one. A nine due to the fact you need to set the tone control on 0 and go from there. After you get that this pedals setup is a 10!

I play thru a 1-12 Boogie MK-4(which I had Larry Rodgers build for me)in stereo with another 1-12 boogie thru a Chandler Echo. With this rig I don't need any overdrive pedals. But from time to time I do small blues gigs with other bands. I really can't take my full rig. In turn I needed an overdrive pedal to use with my Blue Angel. I bought a reissue TS-9 and it was one of the worst tones I ever had. No bottom end and midrange that killed all tone of the amp. So I needed to find a good overdrive pedal. Got on Harmony Central and ask a few Questions. Of course Klon kept coming up, but I don'y see the need of spending 300 plus dollars for a pedal. I knew there was someone out there making great pedals I hav'nt heard of. And I was right. His name is H.L. Wilson of Addrock. I contacted him and ended up buying two of his pedals. By the way his Electric Smile pedal is unreal. The Ol' Yeller is just the overdrive I needed. It is not noisy in the least. You will not change your amps tone when not using it. I found for my taste running the output level on 10 the and drive on 0 you get a great boost in your amps tone. The tone control is a little different in that I found it to work best on 0 and then SLOWLY turn it up till you get the tone you want. It will make you want to use it more and more. I found there is not a great blues tone you cannot get with this pedal. Just fantastic.

Lifetime warranty. I only carry this pedal to gigs.

H.L.Wilson is just the kind of person you dream of dealing with.

Again I do alot of blues gigs, but with my band we do some Santana, Allman Bros., Govt. Mule Ect. This pedal works well on all of these styles. You can call up Billy Gibbons in a snap! If it were stolen yes I would get another one. I love everything about this pedal. H.L. is just the best to deal with. If your looking for a great overdrive that will help your tone, unlike the over hyped and tone sucking TS-9, the Ol' Yeller is a great choice.

Basic tube screamer like tone,drive and volume.
I have used the unit mostly for studio and live recordings.

I have used this overdrive pedal with different amps(BognerXTC,traynor CV40,marshalls and fenders).This is the best overdrive pedal I have ever played.
I will soon order another one to have a darker tone-more gain unit and a brighter tone-less gain one.This last set-up sounds really good for chording and arpegios passages.The darker-more gain set-up will go from a great crunch-power chord sound to an amazing singing solo sound.
This pedal is like a great sounding 808 with more volume and gain and fantastic transparency.
The pedal is also very responsive to the volume changes on the guitar,giving you different shades of sounds.

Just had it for a month but the pedal is build like a tank.

I met H.L on the phone while ordering pick-ups at Alpha music.
H.L as answered my emails promptly and as been really helpfull.
After trying this pedal i can also say that the guy has great ears.

Like I mentionned before H.L was very helpfull and patient on the phone,when we talked,and when he mentionned that he was building pedals and that i should visit his site I took a look a it and decided to take a chance and bought the pedal.I also read the other reviews to see what people where thinking.
So I am writing this to say that I agree with all the other people who gave a 10 to this pedal.It is the best overdrive pedal i ever tried period.For my usage i think the Ol yeller is better then the few original 808 I tried,because it is more versatile and has a greater range in volume tone and drive.
The best chance i ever took!

This pedal is so simple and straight forward that the Taliban leaders could figure it out!Plug it in,turn up the drive and output,turn the tone down to 2 or 3,and rock the house!

I play a 50's reissue strat through a tube works rt-913 tube driver into a Hism Scism(original name before Germanium Fuzz)into an Ol Yeller into a digitech hotbox delay and into a marshall valvestate 40v and/or a pro reverb.I have been searching for the ultimate Eric Johnson tone for years.I got my Ol Yeller a couple of weeks ago and plugged it in.I use the tube driver conservatively and drive the Ol Yeller wide open with the tone at the two o'clock position with the delay set to echo.As I rip into the intro of "Cliffs of Dover" my wife yells "turn the radio down".I can't believe how well this pedal sings violin tone.No crunch,no metal,no nonsense,just the most incredible overdrive I have ever played!H.L.Thanks for your efforts in making me sound like the "Tone Ranger".

Haven't had it long enough to comment.

H.L.Wilson treats his pedals like his kids,he will not stand for them to be sick.He repaired my other Addrock pedal once for me. I don't recall the problem but the pedal has worked fine since then.

Like to play rock,blues,jazz,country.Been playing for 18 years.I wish I had another one to play with different settings through my Pro Reverb for a dirty rhythym tone.

Volume, tone, drive. Can't get a bad sound. There's also a standard 9-volt input.

There are a number of overdrive pedals out now that are in the same league as the Holy Grail Ibanez TS-808. This one's so close that you have to do serious a/b testing in a quiet room to tell the difference. Testing the Ol Yeller against a very good 808 indicated that the Yeller had a bit more transparent sound with a hair less emphasis on the mids than the 808. There is also less compression than the 808 for more dynamic playing. The 808 sounds a tiny bit "smoother" or "softer," but the superior dynamics of the Yeller counterbalance this. Accurate recording might reveal these differences, but with a band you'd never know the difference. I can't say that one is "better" than the other; they are so close that the differences make it a wash.

Unlike the 808, the Yeller has a 9-pole switch (like all Fulltone pedals) for true-bypass with LED indicator. The Tube Screamer line doesn't suck your tone like other non-bypass pedals, but it still changes the sound a bit. The Ol Yeller does not.

I give it a 9 because it's as good as a good 808, which also rates a 9. The only overdrive pedal that rates a 10 is the original 3-knob Fulldrive, and those are scarce as hen's teeth.

Only had it a few days. If you are familiar with Fulltone construction, this one is definitely on a par. Cast aluminum Hammond box, Switchcraft jacks, neato wiring throughout. I'd definitely play it without a backup.

Never tried. The website (addrock.com) is uninformative, no address or phone or product info, just some pictures of the various pedals.

Anything you can do with a Tube Screamer, you should be able to do with this pedal. People pay obscene prices for the 808 (I suppose be cause Steevee used it), but here's a better-made brand-new alternative. I've tried most of the cool o.d. pedals out there, and this one's definitely to be considered. With a Strat it warms up the clean channel of a Marshall, and with humbuckers it puts out plenty of Texas tone for rock or blues, and has enough for heavier stuff if desired (no metal or death tones here). I traded for mine, but I think they sell new for over $200, so at this price level there's some serious competition, notably from the Fulldrive. The Yeller is comparable to the Fulldrive-2 in sound, quality, and price but the FD2 has two channels plus clean boost. I'll use my Ol Yeller in place of my TS-808, which is over 20 years old and starting to show its age. There's really nothing to hate about it. The best feature is true bypass with LED indicator. Only thing I wish it had would be a bit more gain, but if it had much more, it'd be too saturated and mush out and you'd lose all the dynamics. Definitely an OD pedal to be considered.

I give it an 8, really between 8 and 9, because it virtually clones the 808 tone in a well made package. The Fulldrive 2 has more features for about the same money. It also takes up more real estate on the pedal board and won't fit into your guitar case like the Ol Yeller. Take your pick.

This pedal is 'guitarist proof'. Works just like a tube screamer (but that's where the resemblance ends).

I met this guy H.L Wilson (the creator) over the phone. I was looking for another type of effect. We got to talkin' and he suggersted his overdrive. He said John Scofield had just traded in his ProCo Rat for an Ol' Yeller. Hell, my ears perked up. If Sco' likes it, then chances are it would have a place in my tone arsenal. So I pulled the trigger on one (H.L actually offered to send it to me and let me try it). I plugged that sumbich in and smiled- I now use my TS-9 and Klon Centaur to keep cats out of the yard (I throw 'em). I run a vintage egoblaster through a 40's one jack head. (Seriously, Strats and PRS McCarty through Fender blackface), and this little pedal fits the bills. Plenty of sustain and drive while maintaining the tone of the guitar. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!!.

Don't know- only had it a few days. I like this pedal so much i have been compelled to crow about it on this stupid website. I need a real life.

H. L. seems like a cool guy. I don't know how he would be in a firefight.

Worth every goddam penny. No hype no bullshit- a great O/D pedal. Throw your TS-9 (or whatever) at the cat. This is the shit. Makes me sound like Warren Haynes (and I'm skinny).

This unit is simple to use: Output, Tone, and Drive. The tone, however, is simply the best that I've heard. The sweetest tone is achieved by selecting lower Tone settings (0-3). The unit also features a true bypass when switched OFF.

When I found this pedal, I was looking at amps. Old' Yeller was deadly accurate at tightening the low-end on the R2 channel of a Mesa/Boogie Mark IV, and helped produce a solid, rock tone. It can be used to add drive and sustain to a clean channel, or boost a rhythm/lead channel.

I play a Fender Telecaster with "Texas-Special" pickups, and an Ibanez RG-7620 with DiMarzio "Blaze" pickups. My current amp is a Peavey Classic 30. The Peavey has a good-sounding clean channel, but loses that tube tone in the overdrive channel. Ol' Yeller adds drive to the clean channel, while preserving all the tone and character. It simply "colors" the sound with rich drive and sustain. I also combined Ol' Yeller with my Marshall "The Guv'nor" to produce a very satisfying rock tone.

The bottom line is that Ol' Yeller always "adds" tone. It never subtracts any desirable tone from the signal path!

I purchased the unit used, and the footswitch had to be replaced. It was fitted with the same switch as my Marshall pedal (which also had to be replaced). Otherwise, the unit is solidly constructed. However, I will gig without a backup.

When I was having problems with the switch, I emailed H.L.Wilson. He was very attentive and eager to see the problem corrected as soon as possible! I simply returned to unit to my dealer and it was repaired and returned quickly.

I enjoy playing a wide range of music, from the Hellecasters, to Dream Theater. But the bulk of my playing is Contemporary Christian and Choir music. Obviously, this pedal won't produce the high-gain sounds used by some progressive rock and metal bands, but it can cover most other needs.

This pedal is a better choice of anyone who is considering a Tube Screamer, new or old. I haven't found anything that I don't like about this unit. I love it! And, oh, what tone!!!

I would definitely replace it, if stolen or lost. It is a necessary part of my tone.

Plug it in and turn it on. It is very easy to dial in the tone that you are looking for 3 easily adjustable knobs (Output, Tone, Drive).

This pedal is buy far the best O/D pedal that I have played through. This pedal is very versatile. I prefer the thick, warm and meaty tube driven tones that the ol'yeller produces via a Les Paul into a Marshall combo. I own two of these pedals. The first pedal gives me the tone that I mentioned and the second pedal gives it an harmonic boost. (It is the same thick rich tone just thicker and richer.) The pedal has true bypass, so there is never a loss of tone; as does all of H.L. Wilson's pedals. There is also a nine volt adapter. I have played through a TS-808, TS-9, TS-10, TS-9DX, Fulltone Fulldrive 2, and a Klon Centeaur. I compared all of these pedals to the Ol'Yeller, and my conclusion was that there was no comparison. I sold my Fulltone Fulldrive 2 to buy them. When I first started playing all I wanted was the ts-808, or ts-9, or ts-10 because that is what SRV had played over the years. You will not sound like SRV with any pedal because there was only one SRV. Don't buy something just because someone else used it. If you are looking for thick, rich, driven tone then the Ol'yeller is the pedal for you.

Top quality construction, built to endure the test of time ....Although I have two it is not to surve as a backup, because I use both of them when I play. I have never had a problem with one of H.L.'s pedal.

H.L. (Addrock) sells top quality pedals. He has had answered every question that I have asked. H.L. is a guitarist himself and he is in search of that unique tone and he builds pedals to help you achieve the tone that you seek. I have never needed an upgrade or a repair on any of H.L.'s pedals. But if I ever did, H.L. stands behind his work.

I play blues, rock (classic, southern, christian), and praise music. The Ol'yeller is a top quality, great pedal. As I said earlier when comparing to other pedals there was no comparison. I would recomend this pedal to anyone! I rated this pedal "10's" across the board and that is with no exaggerations, I found the tones that I was looking for, quality craftsmanship, and first class service.

Great Sound! Its a 3-knobber (Vol, Tone, Gain). Unlike most OD/Distortion pedals, the tone pot has a very wide, usable range. No congestion here... Just tweak once and go!

Like stated before, this pedal can do the TS-808 thing and more. In its middle to higher gain settings, its not as mid heavy as an original 808 or even a Klon. It seems to be based around an 808 sound but its more transparent, not as congested with mids, and I believe it has a more gain. Its true bypass and has a place for a 9-volt adapter. Im using the pedal with a Relic Strat w/Virtual Vintage or Lindy Fralin Pickups into a Bogner, Top Hat, or '68 Plexi.

I truely believe I could gig without a backup.... BUT Ive seen EVERYTHING break so..... I bought another one just in case. I dont foresee any problems.

HL is a musician with plenty of experience on the road, and he knows what players are looking for in tone. I've had an Analog Man TS9/808, Ive had a real 808 (sold), and Im selling my Klon. Any questions? Hes a good guy who keeps searchin' for the tone. One of the reasons I like "booteek" equipment is that the companies are smaller and can give you better Customer Service (theoretically). HL of Addrock meets all expectaitions and certainly put up with all of my lengthy questions!

I play: Rock, Funk, Blues, Jazz, and Fusion. Its good for all of those styles, probably country too. Um, I've ALREADY had one of these STOLEN from me(!), so I have bought another. He also makes a fuzz and an Octavia, which I havent tried yet, but I do plan to.

Very easy to use. 3 knobs output/tone/drive

I use this unit with an old TS-9. The Old yeller can do a TS-9 and a whole lot more. It can be made tube smooth or gritty/nasty. You can leave it on to warm up an amp or dial in some wicked sh-t.

Built tough. I would not need a back up.

Haven't had to

Fusion/Jazz Victoria amp various guitars, Gibsons and Suhrs. Iwould replace it. I have played over 35 yrs. Bottom line - great tone!

The Ol' Yeller is an easy to use overdrive pedal with controls for drive,output,and tone.Very easy to dial in a great sound.

This pedal has replaced my TS-808.It can easily cop the sounds of the Tube Screamer,but has a much wider range of tones.Though I primarily use Stratocasters
and Telecasters into any number of old Fender amps,I have used the Ol' Yeller with an ES-335 and a Les Paul and gotten equally stellar results.Switching is true bypass,so there is absolutely no change in tone when the effect is not engaged.I own two Ol' Yellers,and they sound great run in series for a Michael Landau/Burning Water Strat tone.Low settings on the tone control yield a singing Royal Scam era Carlton sound with a 335. This pedal has enough output to goose an already distorted amp and enough gain to use with a clean amp.

I play 3-4 gigs per week and have had no problems.Mine are early production models and have served me well for the past year and a half/two years.I would absolutely gig without a backup.

My pedals have never needed repairs,but I have had many lengthy conversations with H.L. Wilson (Mr. Addrock) regarding all of his products.He is very accessible and stands behind his work.

Four out of five dentists surveyed recommended the Ol' Yeller for their patients who chew gum.It has a refreshing drop of Retsin.It's part of this nutritious breakfast.And most importantly,chicks dig it.