Despite the massive amount of overdrives on the market, you shouldn’t feel intimidated! The main reason is that most overdrive pedals actually derive from only a handful of classic circuits and designs. This means that a lot of overdrive products have been changed and experimented with by companies over the years, using those circuits as the foundation for their own unique-sounding stompboxes.
With that, let’s take a quick look at the Green Rhino Overdrive MKIV and TSMINI Tube Screamer by Ibanez.
| Features: | Way Huge WHE207 Green Rhino Overdrive MKIV | Ibanez TSMINI Tube Screamer |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | £119 | £55 |
| Controls: | Volume, Tone and Drive | Tone, Overdrive and Level |
| Versatility: | Good | Great |
Way Huge WHE207 Green Rhino
The Way Huge brand has always done things somewhat differently, with their pedals showing this in one way or another. When it comes to great distortion pedals for bass, their WHE207 Green Rhino Mini MKIV is the first to come to mind. This pedal brings a perfect balance of power and flavor while being in a compact format.
Features
A brief glance over Way Huge WHE207 Green Rhino reveals that it isn’t all too different from its larger version. The Way Huge WHE207 features a solid chassis that has been proven to be durable enough for just about any kind of use. In a classic Way Huge fashion, this mini Rhino comes with a brushed green aluminum finish. Generally speaking, it’s also a fairly attractive pedal. Although mounting it on a busy pedalboard may be an issue for some considering its unusual size, however with some planning, be added just fine. In terms of features, it has rock-solid components with inputs and outputs located at the back of the pedal. Powering the Way Huge WHE207 Green Rhino can be done by either using a 9V battery or a DC adapter. Overall, it’s a simple package on the outside, but a total beast once you’ve plugged it in.
Controls
The controls for the Way Huge WHE207 are fairly unusual compared to other overdrive pedals on the market. The main inputs include a Volume knob, Drive knob and a Tone knob. This is where some users may be a bit disappointed due to the lack of a proper EQ. However, there’s more. It also has two smaller knobs, one labelled as 100Hz and the other labelled 500Hz. The two knobs can add up to 12dB respectively, which makes for a very interesting tone shaping experience, especially when you work these with the Tone knob. The last thing to mention about the pedal is the voicing switch. Once turned on, this switch essentially defaults the pedal to what the original Green Rhino would sound like.
Performance
When you plug a bass guitar into Way Huge WHE207, you’ll get some very interesting results. While this isn’t necessarily a pedal designed for use with bass guitars, the fact that it has 500Hz and 100Hz trim controls makes it more than compatible. Additionally, Green Rhino perhaps isn’t quite a distortion pedal and tends to lean more towards a chunkier overdrive. With that said, the way it enriches a standard bass guitar tone makes it a much better choice compared to most dedicated distortion pedals you can on the market. The pedal brings a mean punch with just enough abrasive flavor to make your bass sound mean. With mid and bass boost/cut, you can dial in the perfect tone which suits your style and your bass guitar’s pickups. Overall, Way Huge WHE207 Green Rhino Mini MKIV is a truly versatile beast.
Ibanez TSMINI Tube Screamer Mini
Since Ibanez first introduced the original Tube Screamer in ‘79, it has since become one of the most recognizable, respected and used overdrive pedals on the market.
Anyone who has ever wanted a creamy overdrive with added signal boost has definitely tried, and probably owns, one of Ibanez’s many iterations of its green machine.
Design
For all its intended purpose, Ibanez Tube Screamer never needed a facelift. But as guitarists continue to jam-pack or streamline their pedalboards, it makes perfect sense that Ibanez now offers its most celebrated flagship overdrive pedal in a smaller footprint with their Tube Screamer Mini.
Features
The TSMini measures 1 1/2–inches wide and 3 7/8–inches long, and like the other Tube Screamers, it’s made in Japan. Ibanez pulled out all the stops to create a solidly built, all-analog stompbox in a compact design while maintaining the sonic integrity of their acclaimed TS808 Reissue. To accommodate its diminutive size, it features an internal surface mount JRC4558M chip, which is similar to the well-known JRC4558D chip found in the full-sized TS808 pedal. The TSMini requires an external nine-volt adapter for power, which also provides true-bypass switching and controls for Level, Tone and Overdrive.
Performance
The TSMini sounds so well that you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and its full-sized counterpart in a blindfold test. The TSMini will work best in front of a tube amp, turning up the Level control and setting the Overdrive below the 12 o’clock level for buttery sustain and rich overtones. The pedal is remarkable for making single notes sound fatter and softening your low-end register with clarity and warmth, all while preserving the tonal nature of your amp. Once you’ve gone past the 12 o’clock level, it adds a wicked squeal to pinch harmonics and lets you coax out some righteous musical feedback.
Conclusion
Way Huge’s WHE207 Green Rhino is generally the more preferable pedal. If not for the quality that the pedal provides, for the price or the amazing sound, and also the sheer versatility of a five-knob setup as opposed to three is another big bonus.