Peavey Dirty Dog

OK, imagine your basic overdrive/distortion pedal, with controls for volume, drive and tone. Now add another such pedal in the same enclosure, with a "Thrash" button on one and a "Boost" button on the other. That's all there is to the Dirty Dog. The Lead and Crunch channels essentially mimic the channels of the same names found on the Peavey TransTube amps (I have owned two such amps in the past), minus the EQ sections. Manual? Patches? Firmware? This is a stompbox, and a very simple one at that.

The Dirty Dog is not complete tone-shaping device on its own, so some buyers/reviewers who are expecting it to do everything will be disappointed. It is meant to interact heavily with your amp to get a good tone, so it might take a bit of effort to achieve the desired results, but the pedal itself is easy to work with. It can be a very full-featured footswitch, or a very basic pedal, depending on what you're using it for.

My goal with the Dirty Dog was to replace a used-and-abused ART Xtreme pedal that was effectively killed by an electrical problem in my band's old rehearsal space. I had picked up a new amp (see #2 below) with a good high-gain tone capable of melodic death/thrash metal like what's coming out of Sweden right now, traditionally Peavey or Engl territory. I prefer passive pickups to actives, and need access to decent clean tones on a couple of songs, so my latest amp purchase - with one channel and no footswitch - wasn't going to cut it alone. I needed a pedal!

I found some of the old Peavey marketing propaganda for this pedal after buying it used on eBay, and it is presented pretty accurately as a pedal to add flexibility to an existing amp. It is NOT the kind of pedal that you are going to use all on its own to find your ideal sound! The most obvious benefit of using the Dirty Dog is with a single-channel amp, because it essentially adds two distorted channels and can be easily bypassed to use the amp's clean tone. Since I happen to have two single-channel Peavey amps, I decided to give it a shot...

Amp #1 - Peavey Classic 50/410: This is the old `70s version of the Classic series, which at the time had a grainy, gritty solid state preamp section running into a 6L6 tube power section. On its own, the amp was not capable of much more than AC/DC overdrive levels, so I always ran it clean with a distortion pedal with great results. I tried doing the same with the Dirty Dog, and frankly it was terrible. On its own, the Dirty Dog doesn't have the degree of control needed to get effective distorted tones through a clean amp. No articulation, no useful midrange, and it the most general terms, no power. As with many pedals with similar functions, the Dirty Dog is meant to act as a boost, not carry the weight itself.

Amp #2 - Peavey VTM-60: Another single-channel Peavey amp, this time a full tube head, capable of some major gain and respectable cleans but no switching between the two. The VTM amps have the traditional gain and EQ settings, but also switches to add gain stages, boost frequencies, and add compression. There are low- and high-gain input; I previously ran the amp clean with a distortion pedal through the low-gain jack OR cranked the amp distortion and plugged my guitar straight into the high-gain side. Since the amp seemed a bit underpowered without the preamp cranked a fair amount, I decided to run the Dirty Dog into the high-gain input, with the amp's pre-gain control dialed in just to the point where the cleans would start to break up. I then began experimenting with the Dirty Dog's two channels. The Crunch side really didn't do much for me, with or without the Thrash button engaged. I imagine that it would be capable of pushing a mildly overdriven amp into true distorted territory, but that doesn't help me. Then I kicked in the Lead channel (with Boost on), and - HOLY CRAP - I was getting the full benefit of my tube preamp and power amp, with plenty of balls to be heard in the mix and still have access to clean tones! My single-channel amp just became a two-channel monster with a footswitch, which is exactly what I needed.

The Dirty Dog will not make a solid state amp sound like a tube amp, but the TransTube emulation is sufficient for boosting a tube preamp from mild overdrive into high gain while sounding pretty convincing. There is going to be noise, but depending on your settings, eliminating that noise will rest as much on the amp as on the pedal. I can get the desired gain levels and a nice clear punch, but your mileage will vary depending on your amp.

I haven't gigged with this (yet), but I have mixed feelings about its construction. On one hand, the pedal looks like it could withstand a lot of abuse. However, the footswitch buttons lack the sturdy feel of Boss stompboxes, and that of course is where most of the wear and tear will be directed. Only time will tell.

I've never contacted Peavey about the Dirty Dog, although they tend to respond quickly, even regarding discontinued products.

I play lead guitar in a melodic death metal band, and was looking to essentially add a channel to my existing amp. For that purpose, the Dirty Dog works great. I have plenty of other pedals, preamps and processors, so this is one more tool in the toolbox so to speak. I have a particular fondness for Peavey amps after using them for many years, so why not try a Peavey pedal? I could live without it, but it does what I need. Not many features, true, but that's not what I was looking for this time around.

As a traditional overdrive/distortion pedal, the Dirty Dog is very limited, but as a footswitch or boost, it's great. Keep that in mind if considering a Dirty Dog for your rig.

Pretty simple to use. Plug in and play.

Using an old gibson 1x12 20w amp and a guild starfire this pedal has a very good clean to slight overdrive sound on the rhythm channel. The lead channel is a bit to much. to much bass and no definition to it. When I try to match the level in bypass to the effect channels I have to crank the volumes above 3/4. At that level the pedal sounds harsh and metalic. I think the output impediance of the pedal is mismatched to my amp, hence the large volumne disparity.

I have wrote other reviews on peavey products and this one is just like the other new products peavey makes. To maximize profit peavey has started making shortcuts in their manufacturing process. The box is very heavey duty. The circuit board is thick and well supported. Now for the bad, The knobs and buttons are directly mounted to the board. They protrude up through the metal housing. Unlike pedals of old, if you spill beer on this one it runs down into the pedal and onto the circuit board. Very bad design!!!!! (This thing is made to be on the floor in a bar band) The switches are good quality but they are solid wire mounted to the circuit board. The traces are not thick enough to support the inherent vibration and flex from users stomping on the buttons. This leades to breaks in the solder joints. Also the power for the channels runs through the channel select button. when the solder joint breaks the pedal is dead. The battery box is also directly mounted to the board. The traces are week at this point also. A good fix is to remove the battery holder and install a battery clip with pigtales. this takes the weight of the battery off the board. Secure the battery to the battery cover with tape. In light of these design flaws I would not use this pedal live until I devise a remote channel switching system so the unit can stay off the floor.

I have owned peavey products since 1973. The first bass amp I bought had a lifetime warranty. It broke, I sent it back, they fixed it. No problems. I bought a new classic amp, it broke I called they said the warranty was up? I took it apart, fixed it, called them to let them know what was wrong, nothing happened. I since modified several friends classic amps to keep them from smoking. Oh well, Peavey made fine amps in the early 70's. Truly built like tanks. Now they are making them like all the other cheap amp manufactures. When design takes a back seat to common sense and best practice for the sake of manufacturing cost you get cheap crap like this pedal. Call peavey and let them know if your amp or pedal breaks. Letting them know by complaining and not buying will get them to build affordable reliable products for working musicians like they use too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall this pedal was a mistake. I thought I would try it because it was fairly cheap. It is not well made and doesn't sound that great.

Easy, but you need first discover the real functions of knobs, because the strange names. The chanel changes is easy via foot switchs, very versatile. I buyed it used. I live in S?o Paulo, Brazil

If you consider that it is a transistor pedal then it's a good start to make a opinion about the product. I think that it's perfect for hard rock and many metal style. The crunsh channel is very cool without "trash bottom" pressed. The Lead channel is useful with the "boost" bottom. I can have many good distortions like Bandit amp. I'm satisfied. Low cost for benefits. I have Soldano Supercharger GTO and BadCat X-treme tone. This pedal is important for me as a alternative distortion for my songs.

Built like a tank! Metal chassi! I don't need backup.

I never need

I play alternative brit pop stile as Systers of Mercy, Mission, Cult, Cure, Siousxie and others. Visite our page www.evidenciasdofim.com.br. I use dirty dog with Peavey Classic 30, Meteoro 15 tube amp. Compared with my others distortions it is good, not like Soldano or BadCat, but is a transistor distortion excelent for hard rock and in my cases, for more hard parts of my music. I strogly recomend for this cases and it is cheap option!

I give it an 8 here because the names of the knobs are kind of dumb, and they don't really make sense. Is What is "bite"? What about "bark" or "growl"? I always think naming knobs like this is stupid. I have to look in the manual just to be certain about which knob is for tone, level and distortion. SO thats annoying.

Other than that, it's pretty straight-forward. One bypass switch for on\off and another switch for channel selection.

I have a fairly cheap amp, but with it, a 7-band EQ and a line mixer I can get some good sounds when I try. My standard distortion is an unmodified Boss Blues Driver. I love that sound. And that is what I am comparing this unit to.

Honestly, I'm glad this is not my only source of distortion. It can sound cool, but it does not pack much of a punch. The distortion soudns very canned. I like it, but only in small doses. Like for a rhythm riff or something.

What I do like about it is the range it provides. The problem I have with the Blues Driver is that a lot of times it's too much. You have to really drive the BD-2 to get the good sounds out of it. The Dirty Dog can give you decent distortion at moderate levels.

It is true-bypass, so thats good. However, when you click either of the footswitches, there is a split second of silence. I was playing last night with a lot of delay, and that moment of silence kept getting caught up in the loop, and it sounded pretty bad. No matter how quickly I push the button, it still has that interruption. Only a very short period, probably no more than 50 ms, but enough to notice if you are litening closely.

For me, this is strictly a backup unit, a nice-to-have for the sake of variety.

Very well built. Very stout. I'd gig with it without concern. I give it a 9 because the knobs pull off very easily.

I dunno, this is discontinued so I doubt you can get support.

Overall, this one has to be a low 8. It's better than average, but it's no superstar distortion unit.

It looks very cool. And admittedly, thats what caught my eye to begin with.

The two footswitches make it a lot of fun to play. Though it annoys me that the boost buttons are tiny little things you have to push with your finger. I'd prefer an extra footswitch that would allow me to throw in that extra kick in the butt.

It uses those stupid DOD-style 1/8" AC adapter plugs. I hate those things, why can't pedal manufacturers standardize? Everyone should use the barrel style AC plug, like Boss pedals use.

All in all, I'm glad I have it. But like I said, I'd never have it as my only distortion.

Pretty easy!
The "weird" names for the knobs are annoying, but you know what they are for by jst tweaking them. I had to get used to the 2 swicthes as well... I kept fogetting that one if on/off and the other is heavy/heavier.

Excellent. Especially the red channel/hevaier channel. It soudns like SRV's super cranked TS9 tone. The other channel isn't too bad. Great if you want want something very mildly distorted. The gem is definetely the very overdriven channel.

Iv'e never had a problem with it in my 2 years. SUPER gret on battereis as well (as long as you take the 1/4 out of teh jack when not in use).

Iv'e only got three pedal that I would NEVER part with.
My Line 4 DL4, my Wah, and my Peavey Dirty Dog.
This may seem like a jnuk pedal because it's not used by many people and ibecause it's not super popular, but I suggest for you to just TRY it. Tweak it around a bit and I know you'll like what you find.

easy, forget about the stupid names on the knobs. No firmware update... Analog and not that good, see...

I play humbucking guitars, and a clean amp. I have to warn you not to buy this box, it has a big problem no one here speak of(which amazes me). It delivers far too much bass frequencies, it barfs them on your amp and overrides it. You can diminish bass on the amp but then when you bypass the unit you have a faggot thin sound.Oh my.
If I concentrate on the transtube sound it's not that good, it always lacks something. On the trash setting it's drive, on boost setting it's transparency, on lead setting it's definition and so on.
I falled for the look but it's all where this unit scores...

Oh yes you can depend on it, for the good it does... It can save your life because it's big enough to kill a felon if your throw it.
So it's not totally useless, and this way draws no batteries

Peavey europe sucks. You have to wait so long for spare parts that in between you buy another brand. Sorry folks.I had to wait 3months to get this box, and I really wish I bought something else.

I wish it has a tech21 engine inside of course! This box sounds worse than a v-amp1, it's cruel but true.
I had a bandit(usa made) and it sounded so good...I am mistaken!
Maybe if you owm a weak amp and wanna play deep purple this box will serve you well, but I can't recommend it, sorry

If you're into Blues or Swamp Rock, or maybe just a rippin' lead tone, this is the product. I like to use it when I'm jammin' to my Kenny Wayne Shappard/Stevie Ray Vaughn CD's. I use the Crunch for a mild rhythm, and then crank the Lead for wicked solos. I think this sounds better through a tubed amp (but doesn't anything?) and using your neck pickup, this packs a wallop

I use a Fernandes Tele and a '82 Jap Strat (both w/ EMG's) and it sounds awesome when using the neck p/u. Also, when using a scraeming lead tone, a wah gives it that extra scream. The Battery life is amazing,although I wish it used an A/C adaptior instead of that other crazy one. I use 11 different effects pedals, and I have this near the end beside my Crybaby and my Ernie Ball volume. It sounds relly good with delay and a volume swell for cool fills.

I think it's built Ford tough! I could drop it down concrete steps, and i'm sure it would keep together (but I'm not going to try)

Didn'yt have to use it

Blues rocker! If EQ'd right, it could prolly be used for some hard rock or metal rhtyhm and lead.

Very easy to use, very straight forward. The instruction manual is very helpful.

I've been playing for about 9 years. I'd searched long and hard for blues distortion with balls, something that could wail, but yet capture the tone of your guitar (I play a strat with Texas specials), and this thing does it. I've been using this for about three years and I love it! I've owned a blue voodoo, ampeg reverrocket's and fender tubes, but the overdrive I get from this baby beats em all. This really compares to Stevie Ray's tone.

Very very dependable. Haven't had a problem yet. It really saves batteries too. Have had the same one for months now.

Never had to use it.

I give this a ten because it is in my oppinion a flawless product. I don't know what these other guys are on saying this is crap because it ROCKS! Go down to your local retailer and try one out. You will be sold!

This is a two-channel distortion pedal. The first channel is labeled "Lead" and the second channel is labeled "Crunch". Each channel has three knobs: Bark, Bite, and Growl (Volume, Tone, and Gain), plus a boost switch on the Lead Channel and thrash switch on the Crunch channel. Foot swtiches include a channel selector and a bypass. This may seem like a lot of stuff compared to the average distorion pedal, but the manual breaks everything down into terms that even a Slipknot fan could understand. It even has some suggested presets, but they all suck except for the clean settings.

I know, I know, by now you're probably thinking "Gee whiz, with all these keen features, how could this not be the perfect pedal?" This is how: the sound quality on this thing is definitely lacking. The Lead Channel is decent, I can get some pretty good metal lead sounds out of it, but just don't rely on the presets in the manual. The Crunch channel, on the other hand, is where this pedal sucks. I bought this thing expecting to get a good thrashy, speed-metal rythym sound out of it, and it so dosen't deliver! There isn't nearly enough gain or low-end punch. In fact, I can't get any good sounds out of the Crunch channel. Right now, I use the "Singing Clean" settings in the manual on the Crunch channel instead of the Lead (as it was intended for), and that helps to add a little extra to my clean tone, but that's about it for that half of the pedal.

I bought this pedal right at a year ago and it's held up fine. This thing is built like a fucking terminator (all metal chassis, plastic knobs, metal footswitches), so I don't intend on having it break on me any time before 2029.
The battery life is also very good (probably because of the weak ass Crunch channel).

I've never had to contact Peavey about the Dirty Dog, so I guess that's a plus.

I play hard rock, heavy metal, hair metal, arena rock, power metal, speed metal, thrash, and neo-classical metal.
The Lead Channel is fine for what I play, I can go from a light overdrive to full metal distortion. The Crunch channel sucks a fat cock. Thankfully, I'll be getting a DOD FX86 tomorrow. This is not a "terrible" pedal, but it's not worth the money. If you want a classic, versatile distortion pedal, get a Marshall Guv'nor or Jackhammer. If you want a crunchy distortion pedal, get a DOD FX86 or a Boss MT-2. If it were stolen, I'd find the culprit and shoot him in his mouth with a 12 gauge slug and eat his heart (but only as a matter of principle). I would definitely NOT replace it. I'd buy a Marshall Guv'nor to replace the Lead channel.

flabbergasting...some people at zoom & other shit effects "processors" oughta take a few mins to examine it...
9 as a purpose (I don't know what would deserve a 10...)

I read some people found it perfect for hard rock...I'm surprised.I found this time-shock-proof pedal really brilliant for many styles from low overdriven ballads to full-driven progressive rock...
That's not the ultimate effect, but compared to a DS-1, it produces a sound you don't hear on every album in your collection...

if you find a better sounding Panzer, mail me as soon as you can...

I never had a prob with it.But the bass player I play with in our band (www.kuster.fr.st) purchased a deltabass head with a peavey cabinet and when he's had some probs with his gear, they've been really polite and efficient overall...

I play the dirty dog plugged in old Dynacord head and Manhattan cabinet (vintage gear, by the way).The most frequently critic people do about this product is its lack of efficiency in middle range frequencies.But what if they tried it with something else than Fender, Marshall and co. ???
I'm pretty sure every blindfolded guitar player who would play my old original 72 Tele with my amp and the Dirty dog would be amazed and wonder where I found that kind of juicy WARM tone...
Just try to watch at ur amp before u connect something to...and don't be fooled by giants such as Boss or Ibanez.Mr Peavey did it better than anyone would have for the price it costs...with a real Bypass...

Very easy,"boost" button a little hard to press,but hey its only a pedal.Easy
2 seperate channels "bypass" off switch

Dirtydog with a Fender strat,Carvin tl60 with buckers,through a Fender 4x10 hotrod deville,marshall jcm900 combo,peavey classic 30.
Ill compare the tone of the Dirtydog to a Fav pedal of mine and many others the ole Ts-9.
While the Dirty dog is not a greatpedal,its also not to shabby either.Its has the option for way more gain than the Ts-9.
The Peavey is more a distorition pedal,where the ts-9 is a overdrive.
The Dog tone is not as round,and slightly less musical/pleasing to the ear than the ts-9.
Dogs tone has a raspy,compressed character to it,Channel one is somewhat good for some semi-distorted rock/funk/blues tones, but is thinner sounding,lacking mids and the smooth highs of other OD pedals.
The Dirtydogs tone/gain Bites much harder than the ts-9(no pun..)
The boost button on Channel 1 is quite useless(as in all peaveyproduct boostbuttons)Channel 1 has good lower gain for some rhythm work :],but still not thick enough to cut through for lead stuff :[ ,but On channel 2 with the boost button on its High Gain city:)
In a live situation chords on lower gain setting dont ring as clearly,the higher notes in a chord tend to be overpowered by the basses :(
This pedal is NOT a great choice for blues leads.
Channel 2 higher gain makes it a good choice for rock,heavystuff,fulltilt shred..ect.
Like the versatily of seperate gain channels though

After a year the pedal crapped out,making a highpitched radionoise.
Others complain of a warble or bad overtones with the pedal,I hear this too,but after the repair I yet it doesnt seem as pronounced
Sent back to peavey for repair. See how lond it lasts now.
Construction seems very sturdy,pedal switches have lasted so far..

Prompt and courtious Email exchanges with the Peavey tech guys, they diagnosed the pedal noise and had it fixed promptly.
Very good service.

Variety of stlyles,rock,blues,jazz,fusion ect.Currently surviving playing Guitar for a living.
Other Dist.pedals;IbanezTs-9:)bossSd-1:]Ibanezblacknoise:( Mesa V twin,:/ (sold)
I Like this pedal,while its not going to standup to a class A $3k or a boutique pedal,the Peavey is quite versatile in that you have 2 channels to use,mild to very high gain,each with seperate settings,this is a great feature!
Granted its TONE is NOT as smooth or lyrical as old Boss or ibanez TS's .
But Features wise this pedal smokes em.Im still debating on using this pedal live,its great for some obnoxious riffing,wailing,but the tone isnt 'mature' enough(this dogs still a pup0 ,would probably use with distortion from some other source(amp,pedal).
"Dreaming " of dirtydog with MORE defined mids,fatter, smoother highs,and clearer chordal articulation and if the dream comes true than this pedal will be a Definite 9!
dirydog mark 2??
(people nothing is ever a 10 ever!! only in pedal heaven)

The unit comes with a manual and is easy to set up. The A/B switching feature is a plus in that it provides, in effect, 2 pedals that can be adjusted, say, for a crunching rythm and screaming lead. There is also a Bypass button.

I have a Strat and a Tele and have tried this pedal through my Fender Twin and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as well as a friend's Marshall Stack (100W). The pedal has me totally baffled as I cannot get a good sound
from it at performing levels. As a matter of fact, it introduces a very disturbing low overtone that almost works against the effect. Bottom line....I can't use this pedal and have traded it for a Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS7) which has the sound I want.

Reliability would be predictably high. As others have said, it is built like a tank and it is a Peavey.

Not applicable.

I play classic rock, country, reggae and blues and this pedal cannot be used for any of this music. As others have said, it may be perfect for metal which may employ solid state amps and different settings, etc. Over the years I have has Boss DS1 and Boss Overdrive
units in my pedal box and both are better than the Dirty Dog for me but I may remove them and go exclusively with the Tube Screamer.

This pedal is extremely easy to use. It features 2 independent channels each with 3 knobs: Bark (volume), Bite (tone), and Growl (distortion). It even has some suggested presets in the manual.

The sound quality of the Dirty Dog is extremely good (and also very versatile). It basically turns any 1 or 2 channel amp into a 3 channel amp. I can go from a crisp, bright clean tone to a shredding solo sound to machine gun speed metal rythym with the push of a button.

The legendary Peavey reliability is definitely present in this box. It's all-metal chassis and rough design give it a durabilty so reliable you'd basically have to crush it in a hydraulic press or lower it into a vat of glowing hot molten steel to damage it. Other than a talk box and wah pedal, this provides me with all the effects I could ever need.

I've never had any problems with the pedal requiring me to contact the company. That's the point, isn't it?

Overall, I couldn't ask for a better pedal. If you're a hard rock/heavy metal guitarist this is definitely the way to go!

Complete arse! probably the worst distortion this side of a rocktek pedal...

I cant beleif the peavey quality control let this out of the kennel.

I love oeavey stuff.I have the ultra head,a stereo chorus 212 and the profx2.All of em are great.What happened guys? this is the first piece of peavey gear i have tried that sucks.

Complaints

1.The thrash button is on the lower gain channel>?
duh,like why?

2.Because of the above you cant geta good scooped mid high gain sound

3.All the settings make the amp sound artificial and basically crap.
I use a boss sd-1 for low gain and metal/zone/shredmaster for high.The peavey cant compete with either of these.

It looks cool,its a good idea,but they screwed it up.

It needs bass,mid,teb control for the lead side and whatever kack electronics are inside need chucking and replacing with the od section from the max100,which is fine.

this is NOT a bandit or EVH in a box.

I woudnt inflict this on my worst enemy(okay so maybe id sell it to a kiddie metal korn/limpo cock fan - they dont know shit!)

oh dear oh dear oh dear

crap

you would seriously have to be retarded to not be able to use this. Three knobs for each channel and it even has distortion guidelines on the back. So easy to use.

I use an epiphone les paul studio through the dirty dog (or an MT-2 metal zone) into a line 6 spider amp. I got the dog to try to give my digital amp more of a tube feel, the distortion is almost better than I hoped. The mids aren't superb but I play rock, and metal and it does a great job when you shred.

The thing is perfect. steel casing, it is indestructable.

Like I said, indestructable, never need customer support which is the idea/

Again this pedal is great. Unless you are an idiot that turns everything up to ten and whines because it is too muddy. don't be stupid, learn how to use your instruments. Great buy, probably could have gotten it cheaper but I have seen people buy it upwards of $130. I couldn't be happier.

What's the difference between growl and bark? This may be hard
to remember. It is for me anyhow. A nice setup of knobs, buttons,
and switches however.

Ratings of 10 or one are silly in my opinion because good or bad distortion can be made in many, many ways. On Led Zep Black Dog, distortion was merely an overdriven mixer mike channel! This box can make a good variety of tones. Ibanez Vinney Moore guitar thru
old fender tube bassman heads. I like crunch with the thrash button down the best. I think what vintage players don't like is the "glassy, scorchy, magnetic suck" that extreme settings produce. I think Peavey was trying to emulate power amp "saggy fatness" in their transtube technology and overdid it. I use it for creating distortion on my Hammond B-3 ORGAN! Then to a Peavey Delta Stomp which has a very fine Leslie imitaion. I'm going for a Jon Lord, Ken Hensley, Keith Emerson distortion. I know some purists are puking now but let them. Did you know that one day Hendrix told his tech to bring him about ten different fuzz faces. Hendirx said the first nine sucked but the tenth was perfect. The tech didn't tell him the 10th was actually the first, AGAIN!! That true story would be the Lord's parable on guitar tone!

Seems very solid, the knobs are protected. A clever design.

We have a local shop that has all things Peavey but I don't have any
problems except the unit is a battery sucker.

I've got a lot of boxes and a lot of tube amps and of course the best
distortion is merely a tube amp all the way up. However pedals
can emulate this sometimes and also get other tones amps can not.
Guitarists can easily fool themselves when it comes to gear lust.
I once craved a HIWATT because I read Zappa used it on Zoot Allures. He did but not on the track I dug. 10 years later I read that the track in question was done with a Pignose. I had a damn pignose and
did'nt really like it!!! Get the point. Good music is really in the mind of the artist and how he uses the effects to his advantage.
This unit objectively stated is versatile and practical.

Once you can find out what th knobs are they are very easy to use Imean three knobs with boost switches pretty fuckin cool too the manuels helps though.

The sound on this box is Ideal for Metal no mids create a killer sound I play Grindcore/Death metal and I play this with a Boss MT-2, Octave, 7 band EQ, Cybaby wah wah through a Peavey Trans tube head and also a Crate DX Head for Effects this thing is incredible the sound is just what I'am looking for, This pedal has no mid so it is not useable for anything but Metal the name also states that.

I Have used this pedal on tour, and I love how indestructable this is I have dropped it tos f times and I don't need to worry about it, it's a fuckin tank, nothing will hurt this.

Never had to use

Definately a Metal Pedal I think if you play metal definately try this I love it I give it a Ten.

just figure out what the knobs mean and its simple

crunch-id like to say this channel is horribly thin even with the bite control on like 3. turn it past the and the bitch gets muddy as hell, yet still retains its toylike thinness. i have not yet found a midway between the two. this channel would sound great for country with the gain backed off. the thrash switch makes it even more tinny sounding. peavey shouldve done some more work on this channel

lead- ah ha
now this is more like it. its dark unless u turn the tone past about 7 or so. to my surprise turning the pre amp knob on my amp down even while i was running it clean with this pedal gave it more bite and treble. this thing has a lot of gain and it smooth sounding with edge. this channel makes up for the crunch channel

definitley reliable

no idea.

i play old metal. anything from the speed and heaveyness of pantera and old metallica to the monster shredding abilities of michael sweet and oz fox of srtyper and warren d from ratt. ill be blunt the crunch blows monkey balls but the lead is great with some tweaking. to me it would almost be better if it were one channel. some of u modern metalheads may enjoy the trashy fuzz sound that is associated with modern rock. the crunch is just that. but again the lead makes up for it. all i gotta say is long live the guitar solo and screw korn

The Dirty Dog has 2 sections to dial in distortion. The Lead section has BARK, BITE & GROWL with a BOOST switch. The Crunch section has BARK, BITE & GROWL with a THRASH switch.
There's a bypass switch and a switch for LEAD/CRUNCH selection.
It's easy to figure out what these knobs do......now, it would be nice if they could make a useable sound.

BUZZY, JUVENILE, GLASSY NOISE.
If I set it for just a boost, the Dirty Dog makes my amp sound like a blanket was thrown over it.
If I want a fuzzy distortion, it just sounds artificial.
With my Marshall 1987 half stack, the Dirty Dog sounds as though someone just broke a glass. With my Boogie Maverick, Alessandro Redbone, Kendrick Gusher or Bluesbreaker, The Dirty Dog would appeal to Beavis and Butthead.
THIS THING IS A WASTE

It's built very stury.
A turd that's stury.
Very dependable terrible sounds.

Don't know.

I'm a classic rock style guitarist and use all sorts of distortion/fuzzes in rehersals and back-up situations.
This is a bottom of the barrel piece.
I'm sure it has it's place but I've yet to find it ( maybe up for sale on HC or E Bay? ).

Easy - but thats not the point!

CRAP! the first peavey product i hate!
urgh...i love the rockmster/5150/ultra and even bandits...but this puppy is sick,very sick,horrible trail off on the distortion,nasty square wave type stuff
Also not enough control over the mids .

Sounds like avery bad boss sd-1 on the crunch and some awfull DOD mess on the lead.Also where is the treble on the lead? it is way too dark!.tried this into a power amp/combo(marshall and peavey ultra/bandit) and various other things...

Ok,so if they give it away its okay...but this is nothing like the proper transtube distortions or the max100 drive section.

Drivel.....

I hope this is the last time i have to give such a scathing review.
I swappe dit for a wah wah pedal

This has replaced my boss sd-1 and metal zone for small gig and blues jams.I have a rocktron rack for bigger gig,but this thing is great for when i cant be bothered to carry loads of stuff around.

The lead channel is great,nice scooped metally sounds to fuzzy nonsense.Maybe not that great for really middly stuff and def better with humbuckers than singles.

Clean channel is just like the SD-1 with a bit more range on tone pots

Dunno.Guess its reliable.But the vol pots seem to be a bit loose on the circuit board compare to the other pots.

Pedals dont need backups,just spare batteries

I bought it cause it was on sale and looked cool.shallow i know.
Didnt expect to mutch from it but it rocks.

I use it into a sovtek valve midget head with a charvel 6 and its a great sound with little gear to carry around.

Now mr peavey,how about one with a real valve in it and separate bass/treble controls> ? and maybe a basic reverb? like a mini MAX100???

This would actually have to be a 7. It is easy to do... you can get distortion as soon as you pick it up. The manual is very helpful. As for the idiots who say the sound is terrible.. they have no idea how to use it... it took me a while. I used to like having the bite (tone) at 3-4. Then I realized it was a much better sound at 6-8. Try that... that is the sound you are looking for..

Great distortion... i mean great. Must turn tone up to 6-8... boost switch in. Crank the distortion... it is great.

The important thing is the EQ on your amp.
Don;t knock the pedal until u learn how to work your amp.

No Backup needed... it is amazing on batteries.. i have been on the same battery for months.

Can't break the damn thing... (that doesn't mean try to)
It is a literal tank. Even the knobs are recesed so you can't break them off.

It is every thing you want in a pedal.. indestructable... reliable.. not a battery guzzler.. Massive distortion.. and good sound.

Anyone who says it sounds bad needs to use a q-tip.
The important thing is that you have to use the eq on your amp.

This is an easy pedal to use. The layout of the pedal enables you to set up your sound with little hassle. I'm not a big fan of the way the controls are labeled. "Bark" for output, "Bite" for tone, and "Growl" for distortion. But thats just being old fashioned on my part. The manual is clear and precise and comes with some recomended settings.

You know I really wanted to be able to say that this pedal is everything I expected it to be. But the truth is, its not. I like Peavey products. I have owned some of their amps and have found them to be reliable and durable. I'm sure this pedal will be to. But it's sound is just not that impressive. There are no mids in this unit that I can find. It will probably appeal to the metal players more because of this. The two channels are a nice feature and the boost function ( on the lead channel) adds quite a step up in volume. The other channel features a thrash button. The manual states that when this button is being used that it inserts a notch filter to reduce mid-frequencies. Talk about a thin sound. I guess that "thin sounding" sums up my over all opinion of this pedal. While playing alone by myself, the pedal sound interesting at times. But when playing with the band I can hardly hear its tone, no matter how loud I am. Its distortion is all right. There is definitely some heavy bottoms there. I'm playing a Strat Plus and a Gibson "The Paul II" through a fender "The Twin" amp. The humbuckers of the gibson seem to help this pedal some what. Again, the scooped mids of this pedal will probably appeal more to those that like this sound.

I think that this pedal will be very durable. I've only had it about three months but I don't think you could break it with a hammer. If I was inclined to, Yes I would use it without a back-up.

I've never dealt with Peavey.

I play most everything. But mainly rock and hard rock. Some metal. Generaly what ever the band wants to try. This pedal worked nice on a Creed tune. But most of the music we do is from the seventies and eighties. I have been playing in a band for 24 years so most of our music spans those years ( we're all over 40). If this pedal was lost or stolen I naturally be pissed. But I don't think I'd buy another one. I think I'm to hung up on the old tube screamer sound. I do like the way this pedal looks though. Who knows, maybe I'll come around to liking its sound.

I was unable to get tones from this unit that I considered to be even remotely usable. Not hard to use, just useless!

Hideous, regardless of settings.

?

?

I find it hard to imagine that anyone would design and promote something that sounds so bad.

Very simple to use, just 6 different knobs to mess with. Manuel is helpful for beginners and effects pedals. This is the latest distortion box from Peavey, very much like the distortions in their popular TransTube amplifiers.

This pedal is the greatest thing to happen to my setup ever! Sounds good with any guitar, any pickups, any amp, and any other effects. Smooth violin-like sustain, and killer combinations of tones. Countless tones avail from classic rock to blues, to full-on thrash metal. It really does convince of a boutique tube amp smokin', and has the ballsy sustain distortion much like that of virtuoso guitar players. Try one out, you will buy it immediatly. I would also recomend using this with a Wolfgang model guitar, as the 2 go togather nicer than anything you'll ever hear. You wont need anymore, just the axe and this pedal and you'll be hailin'!

This thing would make a good boat anchor in my opinion. I dont think you could break it if you tried. Buy an Ac though, eats battery quickly.

Never dealt w/ them personally.

I play various styles of music, and this pedal is my main source of distortion because it has it all. I switch tones a lot because I record instrumental music often and I like different sounds. This is the best of all definatly. Comes close to the sounds in my head...perfect match almost. I think it nails any tone dist. you need. I'd definatly buy another one if stolen, that very day. I like everything about it, exept maybe the size. It's a bit big. If you play in a pedal board, be prepared to hack the board, and make room for this monster of a pedal. Great tone and worthwhile.

This pedel is very easy to use.

I have search ed for a long time, and have finally found what i'm looking for. The overdrive on this amp beats the tube overdrive on my Blue Voodoo Amp, it beats EVERY Danelectro, and Ibanez pedal. Say good bye to the overrated tube screamer. I have been actively playing for 8 years and have never sound one this great.
I play blues, and this pedal gets it! I'm talking killer tone...it can get very mild, almost clean, or it can sound like a vintage amp smoking. You can get an incredible tube screamer oerdrive with much more low end thump, as wel as better sustain. This is the pedal of pedals. I am going to write peavey personallyand tell them what a great product they have!

Very very sturdy chunk of metal

never used em

Great Pedal...go buy it!

This is a dual distortion unit, with two independent footswitchable channels and a bypass mode. On the left is the heavier or lead overdrive section, with a boost control, and on the right is a lighter crunch mode, which has a ?thrash? button. The controls on each channel are ?bark? ?bite? and ?growl?, which are equivalent to output level, tone and pre-gain. The battery compartment is easily accessible, and status LEDs indicate the mode you?re in.

I keep the ?bark? or output knob at about 9 o?clock on the lead channel, and 10 o?clock on the crunch channel, to balance the pedal with my amplifier volume when the pedal is in bypass mode. To maximize the gain on the lead channel, I engage the boost switch and set the ?growl? level no higher than 3 o?clock - any more and there?s too much noise. Believe me, at this setting, there is tons of gain. The ?growl?level on the crunch channel is full up, and the ?bite? control on both channels is set at 3 o?clock. I don?t use the ?thrash? button, although some might like what it does, which is to kind of squash the sound for certain kinds of rhythm playing.

I use a Lace Sensor Strat Plus and a Fender Hot Rod deluxe amp with a Zoom 508 delay in the FX loop.

For me, the sound of this pedal is equivalent to the sound of a vintage tube amp running as hot as you can get it, on the verge of completely combusting. The two things that appeal to me most about the sound are: 1/ note definition is about as distinct as you could imagine from such a high gain unit, and 2/ there is amazingly minimal fuzz or distortion to muddy up the sound, thus the ?vintage? tone of this device. As well, the Dirty Dog is extremely sensitive to playing dynamics, pick attack and guitar volume.

For years I have been trying to find a way to achieve this effect, asking anyone and everyone how to get a high-gain, super-sustain, high-definition sound with minimal fuzz, so discovering this pedal was a major watershed in my quest for tone. The first time I used it on a gig, I quickly discovered that I didn?t want to turn it off. In fact, the only time I do hit bypass is when I need absolutely pristine clean, and even then I miss it.

Seems study enough, and the controls are recessed. In a worst case scenario, my Hot Rod deluxe has an overdrive channel, and I still occasionally kick in my sansamp GT-2.

Never tried to contact them.

I play in a wide variety of styles, mostly rootsy or traditional (I've been playing professionally for almost 40 years).

The Peavey Dirty Dog has become, after only a few weeks, the pedal I can?t do without, the if-I-could-only-have-one-pedal-this-is-it pedal. I have begun to retire my other stompboxes, including a Boss Blues Driver, Danelectro Daddy-O and even my precious Sansamp GT-2, all wonderful units, because I so rarely step on them now.

It has been said that what Peavey brought to the marketplace when they introduced their line of gear was midrange. And maybe that was the missing ingredient in my sound, and the reason why this pedal is so welcome as part of my setup. Thus, I wonder if players who use humbucking pickups would be as enamoured as I am with this unit. The only caveat I can come up with in regard to the Dirty Dog is that it has a somewhat generic, vintage rock and roll sound. For me, that?s a good thing.

a retarded person could use this one!!!!!!

good.thrash for metal in crunch channel.it can go from blues to hardcore metal.

very dependable....although i think i would be more comfortbale with a boss mt-2 to be start and this to back up.

no support

grrrrreat distortion with any amp.truly a good pedal.A+

So easy all you have to do is dial and punch
There's 2 buttons one for bypass and one for channel select
Which I think is a great system

I use a Ibanez 7 string and a fender Eric Clapton Strat
This pedal can make a beautiful purring overdrive or a harrsh crunch
Whatever you're interested in it can do

The thiings built like a tank that simple

A Encourage you to try it you won't turn back, ever

OK. Posting a review favorable to a Peavey product isn't politically correct, but when it works, it works. The Dirty Dog is a distortion pedal with two preamps, each with gain, tone, and level controls (in sticking with the Dog theme they are called Bark, Bite and Growl. The lead side has a boost button that kicks the gain into another galaxy. The other channel, crunch, has a thrash button that is, as far as I what I play, completely unnecessary. You can select either channel, with one stomp switch, or bypass either with a separate switch. Before anyone asks, I don't know if it is true bypass or not and I don't particularly care to jump into that debate. If it sounds good, I like it. This pedal is idiot-proof. Just think two TS-9's side by side and you get the idea. The manual is printed in about 37 different languages, so you'd pretty much have to be new to the planet not to find a dialect to your liking.

I own a Klon, an original TS-9, a Fulldrive, a Matchless Hotbox, a Rat, an 808-modified TS-9, a Vox Valve-Tone, and have owned oodles of cool pedals in the past, including a half dozen TS-808's. I have spent a couple of days doing an A-B comparison with my original TS-9, and I prefer the Dirty Dog. It can get louder, dirtier, fuller-sounding, and bigger-sounding than the other pedals I own, with the exception of the Klon, which has more clean punch but not the distorted quality of the Dog. The channels are very similar, so you can get two levels of crunch and switch to bypass for clean, or set one channel to clean boost and one for overdrive. I am getting closer and closer to saying it........ can't resist....... this pedal sounds great!!! For the price $119 list) I can't imagine a better deal. There. That's my story and i' sticking with it. Superb crunch and grit. Even makes a pretty clean amp (blond Bandmaster head) sound bodacious. On top of that, it is quiet with less hiss than other pedals. Can't give it a 10 - it's against my religion (Pedestrian) but is is darn close.

Don't know. The case is built like a Cold War bomb shelter, so it should hold up from abuse.

Don't normally buy Peavey, don't normally write reviews for them. Real human beings signed the inspection certificates, so I know there is someone minding the Plant.

I play blues and variations on the theme. I have been playing for about 30 years, but my technique makes me sound like a seasoned player of about a year and a half. I may be a casual player, but I have been through all the right gear. If I had that '62 Strat back, even bofore I sanded it down, maybe I'd play better. I am the kind of player that a great pedal really helps - it can downright inspire me to play "outside" myself.
Trust me. Suspend your biases and your brand loyalty and try one out. Please don't e-mail me to whine about Peavey until you try one of these Dirty Doggies out. Better yet, have a friend hook it up A-B against your favorite pedal, then you play through them blindfolded and judge their tone instead of the boutique karma.