Fractal Audio DRIVE models: Blues OD (based on Marshall Blues Breaker)

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Fractal Audio DRIVE models: Blues OD (based on Marshall Blues Breaker)

In the 60s Eric Clapton played a loud Marshall JTM 45 combo, known as the Blues Breaker, on the famous Beano album by John Mayall Bluesbreakers. This amp and Fractal Audio’s corresponding Brit JM45 amp model are covered in the Guide to the Fractal Audio Amp Models.

In the 90s Marshall released the “Blues Breaker” pedal (or "Bluesbreaker"), designed to recall the valve sound of the amp with its power amp distortion. As the name implies it’s targeted at low-gain overdrive. John Mayer uses or used the pedal, running it into a Klon. A second edition (BB-2) of the pedal was released, with a Boost/Blues switch, which was less successful and said to sound inferior. Analog Man and Robert Keeley, among others, have designed pedals based on the original Blues Breaker pedal.

Fractal Audio modeled the (probably original) Blues Breaker pedal into the Blues OD model. It's not a model of the Boss Blues Driver, as often is assumed. As noted in this thread the BB Pre model, based on Xotic’s BB preamp, also links to Marshall’s Blues Breaker amp, but with a different take on it. Clip Type in the model is set to "soft".

The original Blues Breaker pedal has three knobs:
  • Gain: controls the amount of overdrive (model: Drive control).
  • Tone: controls the tone (model: Tone control).
  • Volume: sets the output level (model: Level control).
The Blues OD model has been around for a long time. It's not being mentioned in the firmware release notes, so it doesn't seem to have gotten an update in the meantime, except maybe the "G3" treatment (firmware 19.x). I can't confirm whether the controls exactly match the ones on the original pedal. But who cares, because the model is capable of putting out cutting blues tones with simple adjustments. Its sound depends a lot on the type of amp it runs into: clean, on-the-verge-of-breakup, Fender-type or Marshall-type... The default settings may not make please you at once and may sound thin and shrill. But as said, cutting blues tones can be achieved by adjusting the three controls. Either by turning up level and keeping Drive low, or the other way around. John Mayer has all controls on the pedal set at 3 o'clock. There’s a lot of output level available so don’t be surprised to have to turn down Level a lot.
The model generates quite an amount of hiss.

Personal note
This model was a surprise. When auditioning Drive models in the past I always quickly dismissed this one, because it sounded weak and harsh at default settings. Knowing more about its origin and purpose now, I can dial it in and appreciate it for what it does. ​

The Blues OD model also works quite well to get a nice overdrive from a bass guitar.

About CPU usage:
  • Fractal Audio's Drive models take up varying amounts of CPU. The Blues OD requires a moderate amount.
  • When a Drive block is engaged, CPU percentage will rise during playing, because CPU usage is "amplitude dependent".








Link to the list of published threads
 
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Don't have fixed settings. Depends on the amp. Mayer's rig rundown above shows everything at 3 o'clock, but I'm not sure if that translates to the model.
 
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I've tried it several times and found it shrill and to have a lot of more gain that the real one I had or the KoT that I have that it's supposed to be based on it
 
One of my absolutely essential pedals in my pre Axe FX days. Tone rolled back to almost zero, drive at 9 o'clock and vol at around 2 o'clock, low gain perfection for a strat into a 4x10 Bassman. Nothing else can get close. Up until the recent upgrade to drive pedals I have never felt that the Axe FX did justice to this pedal, but now it nails it.
 
@yek - another fantastic series full of info, research and knowledge delivered by you.
I seriously don't know where you find the time my friend.
I'd personally love to share much more with this great community of like minded guitar buffs and players, but struggle to find the time.
Big thumps up for your always massive efforts on this forum, I know it means the world to a lot of people.

Josetxu said:
I've tried it several times and found it shrill and to have a lot of more gain that the real one I had or the KoT that I have that it's supposed to be based on it
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Just to be clear it's the KoT that is based on the BluesBreaker.

Having owned and used a BluesBreaker pedal since they were originally released I can understand why Analogman choose to copy, or at least be very inspired by the BluesBreaker pedal and build the KoT.
The original series BluesBreakers are becoming collectible as they sound fantastic and are usefully for so many things and genres (not just blues or blues rock) and they pair much better with a broad range of guitars and amps than most other pedals, including most TS-style OD's.
I mostly use it as a boost or a light to moderate OD, that's where it shines the brightest to me as it blends so well with the amp's own tone.
The BluesBreaker kept Tubescreamers off my board as for the longest time (and I love a good TS) as the BluesBreaker performs similar duties, but plays nicer with many amps as it doesn't have as big a mid-hump. Of course sometimes the mid-hump is just what you need, so I'm not saying that this is better than a TS style drive, it just a very good alternative to a TS style pedal and vice-versa depending on wether or not the mid hump is desirable for the tone you are going for.
 
Josetxu said:
I've tried it several times and found it shrill and to have a lot of more gain that the real one I had or the KoT that I have that it's supposed to be based on it
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One of the things that I think has been missed, and isn't shown at all in the videos in the OP, is that it is supposed to sound like the JTM45 specifically. I think the classic tone from that amp is to crank the treble all the way up, drop the bass down to about zero and then use the neck pickup with the tone rolled back a little. Then you get that classic glassy squawk from it.

I haven't played with one of the real pedals for decades, but the model seems to capture that. It's not going to fool anyone into thinking it's a JTM45, but it does get you into that kind of territory. Which is pretty cool for a pedal if it does the same thing.

Just for laughs I tried the pedal model set up that way into the Keith Urban Twin model set just barely not clean. Then I fipped over to a patch with the JTM45 model to compare. The amp model sound is definitely a lot more complex than the pedal model sound, but the pedal's not bad. If you had a blues type patch with some other amp model, and you wanted to capture that Bluesbreaker type sound for a lead break or something, it would be a viable option.
 
I'll have to try this one again. I had an original Marshall Bluesbreaker in the big metal box and used it for over ten years with my Mesa Mk IV. I loved the sound.

The blues driver in the Axe never did anything for me, but since the drive models have been updated I'll take another listen.

(I always thought it was based on the Boss Blues Driver that I have used as a door stop in my sound cave for the last seven years.)
 
This is my favourite OD. I think its the most natural sounding. To me all of the other ODs sound flabby. The secret with this OD is to turn the tone down to 0 and add 2db of bass. Sounds great.
 
Guys, thank you very much for putting up how to use this pedal.
My findings after reading your tips?

Telecaster, into 59 Bassguy on 5.5 Drive.
Blues OD: Drive 2.87, Tone 1.73, Level 1.73, great!!
 
Tried something different today: I rolled down the high cut to about 1000... somewhere between the ts808 and the 808 Mod. With the Gain, Volume and Tone at noon into the Fender Bandmaster, it KILLED. Very open without being shrill. Mind you, I turn off the bright switch on the Fender and run it into 12H30s, but it's just awesome. Sounds more like my old KoT.
 
Woah. I had no idea. I think in the wiki it use to show it as the boss blues driver for the image too (could be wrong though). I'll have to check it out. Thanks!
 
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The KoT is loosely based on the Blues Breaker, I hear. I tried to make that pedal work for a long time by just burying the tone knob. It dawned on me that I could adjust the high cut to reflect the TS/TSMod and see how that does. I like it lot more. Decent alternative to a TS style pedal with mid-hump.


crg123 said:
Woah. I had no idea. I think in the wiki it use to show it as the boss blues driver for the image too (could be wrong though). I'll have to check it out. Thanks!
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