Well, tell you the truth Bill, I have only used the overdrive a couple times. That's because of the sound I love - clean, lush, very fat, clear no ice pick nice top end, single coils. And I do use it in front of tube amps - mostly the blackface Vibrolux and Victoria 45410.
Used it a lot when touring with a Collings acoustic with K&K 3 way pup into the Magnatone 213. Ethos saved my butt in Japan when backline only had AC30s. Got rave reviews in the papers and magazines there for the tone and power.
Sometimes I used the overdrive channel for a touch of extra stuff, but not often.
My only complaint is the knobs move so easily it's easy to lose a setting if, say, a butterfly passes by the studio and blows the knobs off point!
I've never really heard an overdrive I like. The Creation Audio Mk.4.23 is nice, but I'm so conservative... what do I know? It's still on my pedal board and always pushing. It adds just a touch of oomph... downy angel hair to the tone. It's driving my beloved Ethos.
I wonder if it was YOU who inspired me to get mine? The memory is lost in the exhaust fumes and rear view mirror of old age.
Don't like the Analogman King Of Tone. Sort of like the Hip Kitty thingy, but only used sparingly. Durham Sex Drive is cool but it's wandered off the pedalboard. Lots of pedals in my trunk of rejected pedals. Should probably sell them but ya never know when you're going to need that specific thing.
I still think the best overdrive is an amp approaching death and crying for help. Am hoping to build some kind of box for doing that in the studio here. When the music gets way loud, the bees, turkeys, chickens, grand kids and neighbors all start stuttering and walking in circles. The wife files for divorce.
Recently heard and liked the Wampler Velvet (fuzz). Will have to buy it and see if I'm finally getting REALLY old.
Will check out Zendrive. Anything Bill likes Richard likes.
What are folks thinking of that new Eventide box? Is it called an H9 or something? I've liked SOME of what I've heard from it.
R