The Paul Cochrane Timmy is a Paul Cochrane overdrive pedal. Close alternatives include the JHS Morning Glory and the DOD 250 Overdrive Preamp. It pairs well with the Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head and the Marshall Bluesbreaker.
Paul Cochrane Timmy
Paul Cochrane · pedal
The Paul Cochrane Timmy is the original boutique transparent overdrive, designed to take a guitar tone and give back more of it without adding color. Although its signal path includes a clipping circuit, it imparts no mid-boost or cut and very little compression, so it works as a clean boost when needed and a creamy front-end builder when wanted. It is often credited as the first transparent boutique overdrive, lacking the pronounced mid-hump of a Tube Screamer and staying less compressed, especially at lower gain. Its bass and treble controls actually cut frequencies, letting players tighten or shape the drive. Offering mild to medium crunch with an organic, tube-like feel, it has earned a following rivaling the Klon and the Tube Screamer and is a favorite for stacking and gain-staging across blues, rock, and country.
- transparent
- clean boost
- overdrive
- treble
- cut
- creamy
- drive
- gain
Genres the Paul Cochrane Timmy is commonly used in
- Blues
- Country
- Rock
- Indie Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Paul Cochrane Timmy
Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head
amplifier
42% matchThe JTM45's clean, warm British voice gives the Timmy's transparent, treble-cutting overdrive real vintage breakup to push into.
Marshall Bluesbreaker
Marshall
40% matchThe Bluesbreaker's natural compression suits the Timmy's transparent, treble-cutting overdrive without piling on extra gain.
Ampeg V-4
Ampeg
tonal matchRun Ampeg V-4 into that transparent platform and it finally gets some mid-forward
Harmony H650
Harmony
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Harmony H650 brings the mid-forward it's missing
Blackstar Unity Bass U250
Blackstar
tonal matchBlackstar Unity Bass U250's warm balances out the bright tone
Ampeg V4-B Head
Ampeg
tonal matchRun Ampeg V4-B Head after it and the bright edge settles into something more smooth
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchRun Synergy SL2 Module into that transparent platform and it finally gets some high gain
Friedman Dirty Shirley
Friedman
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Friedman Dirty Shirley brings the high gain it's missing
Pedals that stack with the Paul Cochrane Timmy
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez
37% matchThe Timmy's transparent, treble-cutting overdrive stacks with the Screamer's own mid-forward boost for two complementary low-gain voicings.
Soldano SLO
Soldano
35% matchThe Timmy's transparent, cutting boost tightens the SLO's high-gain low end without smearing its own clarity.
Vox Valvenergy Silk Drive
Vox
32% matchRun the Silk Drive first to even out pick dynamics, then let the Timmy add its clean, transparent boost on top.
MXR Phase 90
MXR
32% matchThe Phase 90's classic-rock sweep follows the Timmy's transparent, treble-cutting overdrive for a defined swirl.
Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder
Catalinbread
30% matchRun the Timmy's transparent overdrive ahead of the Valcoder so the tremolo pulses a signal that's already got its drive dialed in.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Fault V1
Old Blood Noise Endeavors
29% matchStack the Timmy's transparent, clean-boosted overdrive ahead of the Fault V1 for a second, distinct gain stage rather than doubling the same saturation.
Electro-Harmonix Russian Big Muff Pi Fuzz Distortion
Electro-Harmonix
28% matchPaul Cochrane Timmy's bright balances out the dark tone
Fulltone OF-1 Octafuzz
pedal
28% matchWhere this leans dark, Paul Cochrane Timmy answers back bright
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
JHS Morning Glory
JHS Pedals
75% similarityShared character: tube_screamer, guitar_tone, treble
DOD 250 Overdrive Preamp
Digitech
74% similarityShared character: guitar_tone, boost, simple
Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027
Dunlop
74% similarity“The MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027, is a Custom Shop production version of Paul Cochrane's legendary Timmy”
MXR Timmy Overdrive
MXR
74% similarity“is a compact, officially licensed version of Paul Cochrane's classic Timmy transparent overdrive”
Dunlop MXR GT-OD Overdrive
Dunlop
73% similarityShared character: tube_screamer, boost, treble
Bogner Ecstasy Blue Mini Overdrive
Bogner
73% similarityShared character: boost, guitar, simple
Mad Professor Mad-Rbo
Mad Professor
73% similarityShared character: treble, simple, transparent
Greer Lightspeed Organic Overdrive
Greer
73% similarityShared character: boost, guitar, simple
EarthQuaker Devices Westwood
EarthQuaker Devices
72% similarityShared character: boost, treble, guitar
Vemuram Jan Ray
Vemuram
72% similarity“its huge popularity has spawned many clones offering similar tones, including the costlier Vemuram Jan Ray.”
GFI System Jonassus Overdrive
Gfi System
72% similarityShared character: boost, guitar, transparent
Origin Effects DCX Boost
Origin Effects
71% similarityShared character: treble, guitar, transparent
See all alternatives to the Paul Cochrane Timmy (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Paul Cochrane Timmy?+
The closest matches in character are the JHS Morning Glory, the DOD 250 Overdrive Preamp, the Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027.
What pairs well with the Paul Cochrane Timmy?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head, Marshall Bluesbreaker, Ampeg V-4 — The JTM45's clean, warm British voice gives the Timmy's transparent, treble-cutting overdrive real vintage breakup to push into..