How to get a guitar sound for a two piece band?

I'm in a two piece band (just drummer and guitarist), and I've been trying to come up with a guitar sound thick enough to make up for a bassist. So far I've learned that I basically have to stay away from most overdrive pedals, as they tend to make the low end much thinner. Fuzz pedals have yielded me the best results so far, but I don't always want that kind of overly-feeding-back muddy sound.

I love the Japandroids guitar sound that is thick and heavy, but not fuzzy and muddy. I could almost swear that there's a bass in the mix, but really I just think the low notes come through very well.

Any tips on getting that kind of thick guitar sound?