Your First Distortion, Fuzz and Overdrive Pedal

Your First Distortion, Fuzz and Overdrive Pedal - When I was 14 or 15 and really started to become interesting in playing I would sit in the attic with the stereo on with some Neil Young Crazy Horse or Rush or Zeppelin. I had my little Hondo Les Paul and some no name amp, I would try to figure some songs out and get tips at school etc. But nothing sounded right because the amp was just pure clean, it just didn't sound like the records. I got a copy of Guitar Player and there was an article by Craig Anderton about building a distortion pedal so I drove my bike down to Radio Shack and bought all the parts, and worked on it. And worked on it, And worked on it, Andddddddd NADDA ! It never worked. 

At my HS which just happened to have 2 of the most famous guitar players in the world 10 years later, I approached one of them and told them my problem. He looked at me like I was a moron and told me just go buy one. 

THEY MAKE THESE THINGS ? 

After school, roll of quarters, dimes, crumbled up one's, I drove my bike to Sam Ash in Hempstead Long Island and asked one of the cool guitar store guys about these so called pedals. Yeah man you need the Boss this and that how much ? $29.....hmmm anything cheaper as I went thru my jeans. Man you need the DOD 250 awesome sound.....how much ? $19....SOLD ! Gave the guy a roll of quarters, singles off the floor, dimes it was mine. I got on my bike, it's now getting dark out and I had to go through a rough part of New York. Peddling my ass off to get home by 6, I had one of those Mom's you could go to the Moon, but be home by 6 ! 

I get home I plug it in and BRANGGGGGGGGG. Holy Shit I am Jimmy Page. It was single handedly one of the top 10 moments of my life, I was a rock star, my guitar sounded bad ass. I still didn't know how to play that well, but I was getting closer because I had the tone and the inspired me to keep going !!

First Pedal for you  ?