Stompbox Blog

New Pair....

2011-12-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

Pedal Collection

2011-08-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Boss Pedalboard

2011-08-18T11:44:00.001-07:00

Way Huge Swollen Pickle

2010-05-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

Before there was "Boutique", there were a handful of people tinkering with electronics in the early 90's as a hobby. There wasn't all the information accessible as there is today on the Internet. Sure there were a few Basic Electronic's Handbooks but not many geared towards musicians. Guitarists are infamous for wanting to alter or tweak their tone and they can never "leave well enough alone". There was Prescription Electronics, Fulltone, Voodoo Labs and a handful of other builders like Analog Mike making a name for themselves. Jeorge Tripps came up with the name "Way Huge" when he was 18 working at a music store in Monterey California. He came up with quirky names like Aqua Puss, Red Llama, Purple Platypus, Saffron Squeeze, Blue Hippo, Tone Leper, Piercing Moose, Foot Pig, Camel Toe, Sasquatch, Super-Puss and Swollen Pickle. He wanted to just have fun by making these unique and quirky pedals because he knew most musicians are well..... kinda weird themselves. They were not only quirky pedals, they used great electronic designs and developed a cult-following very fast. Unfortunately, it was very short-lived much like another famous boutique builder Lovetone but that's what makes them much-desired collectibles today. By the time he had just gotten started, another company by the name of Line 6 snatched him up with his reputation in the electronics industry. As he put it,"Okay, maybe I should get a real job". He still owns the name of his company Way Huge but has partnered up with Dunlop to resurrect some of the more popular designs and even create a few new models. One pedal has achieved a sort of cult-status among collectors... The Swollen Pickle and for good reason. Among all the fuzz pedals this one can created quite a sound. Think Smashing Pumpkin's Cherub Rock or some of the most corpulent fuzz by Hendrix. It has quite a range of tonal filth to satisfy any fuzz freak. As they say,"It has more fuzz than a moldy peach". For the latest incarnations visit http://www.wayhuge.com/ or http://www.dunlop.com/

Ibanez TK999US Tube King

2010-05-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding the original Chandler Tube Drivers and BK Butler's Tube works line. Butler was a keyboard player and was looking for a device that would emulate the same overdriven sounds for his organs. Soon the BK Butler devices were spotted on pedalboards like Eric Johnson and David Gilmour(no shortage of tone here). He also had a hand in designing the US made(Japanese engineered) device and they sounded seemingly similar... almost too similar that a lawsuit ensued. The original TK999OD was marketed exclusively in Japan and featured a noise gate control and silver knobs. Considering that the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer is a legend it's ironic that they never actually sported a 12AX7A tube like the TK999. Although the Tube Screamers are well-known for their smooth overdrives and ubiquitous JRC4558 chip, that's where the similarity ends. Ibanez wanted to fatten-up their tones with extra punch and power in a different way. When I removed the back I was delighted to see 3 TL027 Op-amps inside. The fact that it has 3 tonal controls for bass, mid and treble allows the user to sculpt the sound as well. This could make any solid-state amp sound tubey or act as a pre-amp to boost in direct recording and mixing. It's a shame it never garnered any cult following as it's cousins. for more info visit www.Ibanez.com

Boss BF-2 Flanger

2010-05-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

At some point when the compact line of Boss pedals took off it was realized they needed to have a flanger. The original BF-1 had a much larger case and took up way too much real estate. The original BF2's sported black knobs but little has changed in the 20 years it has been around. When production moved to Taiwan they changed the knobs to white like this specimen. No other compact Boss effect has undergone as many lable changes too. Black, Green, Pink, Orange and Dark Gray were spotted on the backs. The Cure used this particular model on many albums. The unit is still available today.

Dunlop Cry Baby

2010-05-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

What's interesting about the Wah-Wah pedal is that it's really just and equalizer attached to a rotary dial that allows you to dial in a particular range. If you want bass(heel), mids(mid-way) or treble(toe) you just dial it in with your foot. The unit uses a bandwith filter to achieve it's vowel-like voice. These new devices were very popular with the musicians of the day like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. You can see the camera man zoom in on one during Jimi's performance at Berkley college. What would Voodoo Child be without the famous intro or the solo on Dazed and Confused without the Wah-Wah. Frank Zappa use to dial in a particular "sweet-spot" with one and leave it there while he jammed. In the eighties Jim Dunlop was buying up a lot of the rights to devices and kept the unit alive. The Cry Baby is more of a subtle effect compared to other models but has a great mid-range while less treble and bass of it's cousins. It's a solid workhorse of a unit even if it doesn't provide the extreme ranges of it's other contemporaries. For more info please visit http://www.dunlop.com/

Univox Univibe

2010-04-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

No other vintage pedal has as much mojo as the legendary Holy Grail of effect like the Uni-Vibe. Made famous first by Jimi Hendrix with Machine Gun and performance at Ilse of Wight as well as Robin Trower(Bridge of Sighs) and David Gilmour(Dark Side of the Moon). Many companies have tried to replicate the original sound but that can be hard to achieve. The interesting thing is that Fumio Mieda created this pedal to be used with organs hence the two-instrument inputs and there is no "on" effect to stomp on for guitar players. What he was trying to replicate was the Doppler effect of the famous Leslie Rotary Speaker using discrete transistors and no Op-amps. He failed in one respect but created one of the most famous sounds ever recorded. It is like no other effect because of it's shimmery watery warble than can't be achieved with any other chorus, delay, or phaser. In some ways it's a bit of all three though. It's a very raw and crude effect but has a complex circuit board that could only be invented by a genius geek engineer. In essence the device is a four-stage analog phaser that sports four lamps/photo resistors that spin faster as you depress the expression pedal. Because it wasn't made for guitar it lacks treble response and the voltage lacks because of the two-prong cord but hey ... if it was good enough for Hendrix...... I think I will stop there......

here is a great link about the technology of the Uni-Vibe according to an electrical engineer

Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble

2010-04-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Who invented the first chorus pedal? That's right Boss. No other pedal has endured a greater reputation than the coveted legend of the Boss CE-1. Since then, there have been many incarnations worthy of respect. One of the only surviving chorus pedals today this pedal has been selling well since 1991. It sports a high/low 2 band filter that acts as a cut switch allowing the user a myriad of tonal chorus coloring. Three-dimensional chorus is achieved with stereo outputs and spacial imaging much like the Digital Dimension from before. A little known fact is that the early models were very similar to analog technology like the CE-2 and CE-3 because they contained Bucket Brigade chips. Just look for an early serial number predating P1 or look at the printed PCB(it shouldn't say CE-5A) and you have a winner. Another indicator is if it sports a grey label on the back you have the digital version.

Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal

2010-04-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

The name pretty much sums it up. When this unit was introduced a lot of famous bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Ratt, Scorpions, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Van Halen, and Ozzy still didn't get any respect or airplay on the radio. That didn't matter because everyone who was cruising the streets of rural America had these in their tape deck at full volume. The sound Boss was trying to replicate was the coveted Marshall stack and they delivered in spades. The HM-2 had color knobs to dial in the high and low frequencies. What? Mids? Forget the mid-range and just scoop it out. The distortion knob didn't affect the sound from 8 o'clock to 3 o'clock but there was plenty of sludge on tap. No other Boss distortion could asymmetrically clip the sound wave better than this. That is until 1991 rolled around and they came out with the Metal Zone MT-2 which has gone on to outsell almost every Boss pedal. It came as no surprise they laid this one to rest just as hair-metal was starting to snuff out classic-metal.

Family Portrait

2010-01-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Tim Pedal by Paul Cochrane

2010-01-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

You have to be pretty patient when you order this custom boutique overdrive from Paul Cochrane. But when you're a one-man outfit making a quality product by hand it's hard to keep up with demand. What started out as a Monty Python joke from the movie "the Holy Grail" the name just stuck. The Tim pedal is pound for pound a great value even if some of the larger companies are trying to duplicate the circuitry and outsource it to China. Don't be fooled however, there is only one real deal and the design on this pedal is amazing. For starters, the treble and bass controls are actually cut switches. It is designed to deal with the mid-hump that is prevalent in most overdrive pedals. He reverse engineered it to be flat when turned completely clockwise. He also isolates the bass control pre-distortion which allows you to play on crunchier settings without getting too muddy. The unit also has a separate effects loop built in so you can add delay or any other swirly effects for added layering. The back of the unit sport two extra knobs for tweaking the sound. The drive control changes the gain of the clipping of the circuit while the tone knob controls the low end of the gain at higher boost levels. As if that wasn't enough, he included a pull-pot on the drive to increase the clipping of the distortion while adding compression. For someone who likes to tweak your tone or sound this pedal is paradise. The Timmy (Tim's little brother) takes up less real-estate and has dip switches in lieu of the drive and tone controls. The circuit board is otherwise the same less the separate effects loop. A lot of thought went into this pedal and Paul is not only a great person to deal with but a true tone-artist as well. This pedal is definitely worth the wait, you won't be disappointed.

Top 10 Boutique Overdrives

2009-09-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

1. Klon Centaur
2. Lovepedal Eternity
3. Analogman King of Tone
4. Cochrane Tim
5. Hermida Zendrive
6. Blackstone Appliances Mofset
7. Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive
8. Cusack Screamer
9. Gearmanndude Luther
10.Crowther Hotcake

Great Effects Related Resources & Links

2009-09-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.analogman.com/ One of the best boutique builders/modifier of effects on the market, his King of Tone is a "must have" for tone purists as well as other great effects
http://www.effectsdatabase.com/ A great resource for every pedal ever made with great descriptions and even links to purchasing these terrific effects
http://www.oldtonezone.com/ One of my favorite sites that pairs classic pedals against each other for a duel... you won't regret clicking on his overdrive comparinator(is that a word?)
http://www.guitarforworship.wordpress.com/ A praise community that features great articles on equipment, music, an interesting blog, and most of all....God.
http://www.americaspedal.net/ A terrific link for all things DOD. A period of history for a popular mass-produced pedal from the 90s.
http://www.gilmourish.com/ A tribute page to David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and his equipment
http://www.tonequestreport.com/ A subscriber page that has great articles relating to guitar tone
http://www.harmony-central.com/ A user-based forum and resource of pedals and music equipment
http://www.pedalgeek.com/ A supplier of guitar stompboxes and effects
http://www.smallbearelec.com/ Supplier of do-it-yourself build kits and components of pedals
http://www.buildyourownclone.com/ A supplier of components and electronics to build your own clones
http://www.modezero.com/ A collections of pictures(inside and out) of pedals with sound files
http://www.tonefrenzy.com/ A gear database of some popular effects with sound files and articles
http://www.musictoyz.com/ One of my favorite websites that has great equipment,videos, and articles
http://www.noiseguide.com/ A page devoted to everything harsh or noise related to music
http://www.big-muff.net/ A museum devoted to one of the most popular effects with all incarnations
http://www.thegearmall.com/ A site with a great selection of the finest boutique effects and equipment
http://www.musicplayers.com/ An online magazine relating to equipment and musicians
http://www.schematicheaven.com/ A site devoted to electronic schematics for effects & amps
http://www.diystompboxes.com/ Aron Nelson's site devoted to building effects
http://www.sonicflux.com/ A gear site for quality used effects pedals
http://www.guitargeek.com/ A site dedicated to the pedalboards of professional musicians
http://www.gearmanndude.blogspot.com/ One of the most informative and entertaining pedal freaks
http://www.robertkeeley.com/ One of the finest pedal builders/ pedal modifiers out there
http://www.vintageguitar.com/ A site dedicated to classic gear, guitars, and amps
http://www.klon-siberia.com/ Probably hands-down the best boutique overdrive available
http://www.americanguitarboutique.com/ A web-dealer selling the finest music gear available
http://www.blackstoneappliances.com/ Home of the great boutique Mofset overdrive pedal
http://www.fulltone.com/ Mike Fuller's custom built collection of effects
http://www.zvex.com/ One of the greatest hand-built and hand-painted effects that are very unique
http://www.cusackmusic.com/ Reality in Tone, home of the greatest Tubescreamers out there
http://www.ehx.com/ One of the most respected classic effects companies in the industry
http://www.fuzzbox.com/ Home of Prescription Electronics hand-built custom pedals
http://www.menatone.com/ Brian Mena's classic hand-built & wired pedal selections
http://www.stevesmusiccenter.com/ A mail order company specializing in a huge selection of effects
http://www.bostonguitar.com/ Home of Boston Guitar Works.. one of the coolest music shops in the US
http://www.visualsound.net/ Home of one of the most respected tone machines in the industry
http://www.bossarea.com/ A great database for one of the most popular effects in history
http://www.bossus.com/ The official web-page of the most popular effects pedals in history
http://www.jimdunlop.com/ Home of Dunlop and MXR pedals, a true classic in the industry
http://www.lovepedal.com/ Sean Michael's custom built boutique pedals- one of the best ever

Carl Martin Heavy Drive

2009-09-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

I remember talking to a fellow collector who claimed one of his favorite pedals was the Heavy Drive. I found one on E-bay at a bargain price and now I understand. The Danish made pedal manufacturer designed by Holm Malquist are quality designed and they sport the same Denmark design by sister company TC Electronics. Many of their pedals have received rave reviews but if you want to turn your Vox AC-30 into a Triple Rectifier look no further. The Heavy Drive sports two mid controls called Attack and Edge that will deliver Mesa Boogie in spades. There must be something in the Scandinavian water or Lutefisk.... see ... http://www.carlmartin.com/

Mill Hill Landmine

2009-09-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, sure it has war overtones... but is aggression such a bad thing when it comes to distortion? I don't think many of these were produced but I had to step on something that looked like a land-mine. It is one of the most unique housings(maybe the tallest) of any effects I own. It has a unique open-bottom enclosure that shows it's simplistic engineering too. With just 2 large knobs on the side it's a short-lived unique piece of pedal history. For more info see http://www.musictoyz.com/guitar/pedals/millhill.php

Tech 21 XXL distortion

2009-09-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Certainly the cool metal spun graphics add to the mojo of this tasty device from Tech 21. In the mid 90's Tech 21 had already established itself with it's revolutionary DI device the Sansamp. Now they had created a distortion toy that could allow tweaking of the number of odd and even harmonics when you picked the strings via of a warp control. It was another leap-forward design that was just as short-lived. Even though it was featured in the best 50 stompboxes of all time it was soon phased out. It is still a fun distortion box to play through with enough sustain and grind to lead you to shredding nirvana. A lot of great things have come out of NY and this is one .. http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/effects/xxl.html

Zinky True Grit

2009-09-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Who is Bruce Zinky? Just an amp engineer who has worked with Fender Amps before starting his own boutique amp line in the 90's. He also built a pedal based off the John Wayne mojo from a movie of the same same. What I like about this undiscovered gem is the fact that it is such a bargain for what you get. Much like the Fulltone Fulldrive it has an overdrive with a boost switch. The Gain control allows you to inject some distortion into the device with individual bass and treble controls. The Grit also adds some hair to your mid-range especially when the boost is forcing your amp into beautiful clipping territory. Why this peal has been under-the-radar is beyond me. It is still a stellar value for the money. For more info visit http://www.zinky.com/ or see this great review http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.aspx?content_id=2358

Ibanez BC-9 Chorus

2009-09-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ibanez went through several incarnations through it's history but the most beloved are the 9 series produced from 1982-1984. Sure the Tubescreamer has a great history but the Japanese also made other great effects under the Ibanez and Maxon name. What could be better than the Ibanez Cs-9 stereo chorus you might ask? How about 2 of the same circuit boards stuffed into the same purple-metallic housing for starters. Remember, chorus is taking the same analog signal and replicating it a slight step down(detuned) to add a thickened creamy sound for tonal goodness. Now multiply this by 2 and that's what makes this a classic effect. Personally it's one of my favorite chorus devices. For more info please visit http://members.chello.nl/~t.heertjes/Ibanez%20effectpedals.html

Washburn AD-3 Stack In a Box

2009-09-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

In 2003 Art Thompson of Guitar Player magazine released an article entitled Forgotten Distortion Delights. It featured pedals by Electra, Ibanez and Washburn. When Washburn released the AD-3, it was a quantum leap forward in distortion. In fact, they utilized 2 of the JRC-4558 op amps for more stacked tonal pleasure. Sure it was Pepto Bismol pink with it's knobs and graphics but it was also the 80's. It certainly lived up to it's name.. it sounded like a wall of sound through a full-Marshall with it's tube-like clarity and grind. Washburn went back to what it did best which was affordable acoustic guitars and the rest is history. If you can ever find one, they are a great value. For more info on the article see .. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22829496_ITM

DOD FX13 Gonkulator Modulator

2009-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

What is a Gonkulator you might ask? In 1968(the year I was born) Hogan's Heros came out with an episode called Klink vs the Gonculator about a fictitious device used to fool the Germans. Years later computer geeks coined the phrase representing the most undesirable piece of equipment they owned. Had it not been for an up-coming band called Incubus the pedal would have been obscure but they used it all over their album S.C.I.E.N.C.E. especially on the tune Glass. Next, what is a ring modulator you might ask? How about this explanation then..

Ring modulators frequency mix or heterodyne two waveforms, and output the sum and difference of the frequencies present in each waveform. This process of ring modulation produces a signal rich in overtones, suitable for producing bell-like or otherwise metallic sounds.
Two oscillators, whose frequencies were harmonically related and ring modulated against each other, produce sounds that still adhered to the overtones of the notes, but contain a very different spectral make up.
If the same signal is sent to both inputs of a ring modulator, the resultant harmonic spectrum is the original frequency domain doubled (if f1 = f2 = f , then f2 − f1 = 0 and f2 + f1 = 2f). However, some distortion occurs due to the forward voltage drop of the diodes.

suffice it to say ... it's one of the most radical sounding effects out there... The unit was only around for 1 year from '96 to '97 and has since become popular just to it's rarity.

For more info see.. http://www.americaspedal.net/fx13/

Addrock Ol' Yeller

2009-09-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

There are a few pedals that most collector's don't have that are in my collection. One of them is the Addrock Ol' Yeller. Maybe it's the mojo that I like... the home-built quality, supporting the local community(Chesapeake Va), cool school-bus yellow, or maybe it's the tubescreamer tone. I dunno... I just like it. With just 3 simple controls HL created one of the coolest tubescreamer clones that holds its own against builders like Analogman. He has since improved the leak, boosted base and even offered a two-fer model just like the Hotcakes and such. This is number 51 and I like it. For more info please visit.. http://www.myspace.com/addrockmusicalproducts

Arion SCH-1 Stereo Chorus

2009-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

In the 1980's there were plenty of cheesy chorus effects and albums on the market. When Arion introduced it's cheap plastic line-up of pedals everyone thought "you-get-what-you-pay-for". But it was a surprise when this device started showing up on the pedalboards of none other than Michael Landau and Jon Amor. I remember running into a guitar player who claimed to have sold his $300 Danish TC Electronics Chorus in exchange for this little cheapy. Yeah, sometimes you can throw poo on a wall and it sticks. This device actually has a nice musical round shimmering quality and is still a great value for those in-the-know. I remember seeing one in the pawn shop for $20 but it was missing the battery-cover(plastic ya know). The Stage Tuner is also a great value for the money too. The original SCH-1 also does a great Leslie simulation that other choruses just can't hack. For more info visit.. http://www.pedalspluseffectswarehouse.com/default.asp

Demeter Temulator

2009-09-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

In 1982, Ry Cooder went to his good friend James Demeter to find out if he could build him a tremolo pedal. Using Mr. Cooder's Fender Twin's tremolo as a benchmark for his preferred sound he set out to build a unit that featured the classic lopsided amplitude modulation with a rounded off triangular waveform. He created a unit with less noise and hum with greater speed and modulation. There are internal trim switches to tweak the settings but it comes standard with Ry's favorite setting so why bother? Tremolo always sounds best at the end of the effects chain and when turned completely off offers a great noise reduced signal boost for long cable runs. It can do the slow pulse, Jane Fonda, or the helicopter chop. It is considered the best tremolo in the industry with just 2 simple knobs depth and speed. For more info see Demeter's page at http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.demeteramps.com/products/pedals/index.html&ei=Z3KdSpqQK96x8QaWu5y4Aw&sa=X&oi=smap&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&usg=AFQjCNE18PdSbYtRRLWYfLGRMX-3xC1s2g

Nobels TR-X Tremolo

2009-09-01T11:46:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you cross a German-engineered design with a Korean-built pedal? A heck of a lot for your money to begin with. In 1990 Nobels manufacturing out of Germany started a budget-line of effects that were hand-built in Korea. Although not well-received initially the original series are commanding much higher prices these days. One that keeps showing up on every professional musician's pedalboard is the TR-X. A couple of other tremolos garner a certain cult-status but only one offers so many features at a fraction of the cost. With 4 choices of Sine or Square wave pulse and a 4 knob choice of speed, intensity, tone, and effect level what more could you want? Ok, how about an output for remote switching and a cheap plastic battery compartment for easy access? It's a quiet transparent tremolo with a broad range of speed and depths that would sound good in any Quentin Tarentino Film. http://www.nobels.com/en/index.htm

Tech 21 SansAmp

2009-09-01T11:33:00.001-07:00

After repairing and modding guitar amplifiers for 10 years B. Andrew Barta decided to put his research and development skills to form his own company. 20 years ago, he created his first direct input device for recording called the SansAmp using all discrete analog circuitry. It wasn't so much a stomp-box but a recording modeler with 8 different character switches used to simulate amplifiers being used in a studio. It was a tweakers dream come true with 4 knobs to control presence drive, amplifier drive, output and high controls. It also had 3 different switches for lead, normal(mid) and bass. His goal was to fool the user into simulating any style of amplifier without all the headaches of close miking, types of tubes, noise and compression. Foreigner used it in recording their next album and the rest is history. When Kurt Cobain showed up with it on stage as a stompbox everyone had to have one. Tech 21 went on to create many more innovative products but the original is an enduring classic. Heck they even re-released it as a "Classic" model and then reintroduced it as the 20th anniversary edition complete with beaten up chassis and flecked-off paint. For more info on this see the website http://www.tech21nyc.com/

ADA Flanger

2009-09-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

There is only one king when it comes to flangers, The Analog Digital Associates model created in June of 1977. Designed by David Tarnowski, it was enclosed in a heavy cast metal housing heavier than a brick. It sported 5 knobs - Threshold, Manual, Range, Speed, and Enhance. It even had a control for even and odd harmonics with an output for a footpedal that could control the range of the sweep. The first unit utilized a Reticon SAD1024A Bucket Brigade chip but was revised later to the Panasonic MC3010 chip. It was the only flanger of it's day to house a built-in compressor and bandpass filter which gave it the unique sound. It's voltage controlled oscillation could sweep a signal faster than any of it's predecessors. When it came to extreme flanging no other company came close. It's a shame they discontinued making the unit to focus on the trendy rackmount digital processors of the day. For an interesting discussion on this unit see http://www.premierguitar.com/magazine/Issue/2008/Jun/Stompbox_Classics_A_DA_Flanger.aspx

Electro Harmonix Memory Man

2009-09-01T10:42:00.001-07:00

Easily in the top 5 best selling models by Electro Harmonix, the Deluxe Memory Man ushered in a whole new era of analog delay. At a time when many delay units were prone to breaking down and were unreliable the Deluxe Memory Man sported Delay, Feedback, Level and Blend controls to suit the user. It offered a direct and echo stereo output that was beyond description between two amps. It also had a control for squelch, an off/on footswitch, 550ms of delay and a power control. The second evolution also added chorus and vibrato from the earlier stereo models. Anyone who played around with this unit found themselves mesmerized by it's ethereal heavenly repeats. The Edge used it as a staple for his ambient textural sounds on U2's earlier albums. Suddenly delay was another dimension to rhythm playing and space jamming. By late 1978 sales of the Memory Man were going through the roof when Panasonic halted shipments of the delay chips for the device. Within months Electro Harmonix went out of business only to rise from the ashes in the mid 90s to become once again the success in the golden age of effects. More more info on they're products see http://www.ehx.com/

ProCo Rat

2009-09-01T10:29:00.001-07:00

ProCo Sound Inc was founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1970 with the moniker "striving for the utmost in clean audio gear". It's sad that they never fulfilled that promise however. Engineering director Scott Burnham was drawing up an over-the-top distortion unit when he noticed that he had an undervalued resistor in the drive stage because he had read the numbers upside down. In theory, it shouldn't have worked, but it caused the pair of 1N4148 silicon diodes to clip even harder and drive the LM308N op amp into a soaring high-gain sustain. What a beautiful accident for guitar players everywhere. They utilized a Tone control that was more of a backwards treble bleed potentiometer. What started out as a circuit similar to MXR's Distortion + turned into a revolutionary pedal classic. The large box versions were produced in 20 gauge sheet metal and featured the "Sound Inc" on the ProCo logo. It underwent many incarnations next with the heavier gage small box models(with and without led), Turbo Rat(different diodes), R2D2(rackmount), Juggernaut(for bass players), Brat(little brother), Vintage Rat(not), DeuceTone(2 for 1) and the Dirty Rat. Metallica had one on their pedal board in the early days. For more info on this device see the entire history at http://www.ratdistortion.com/history.htm

Bixonic Expandora

2009-09-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

In the mid 90's there was once again a resurgence of stompbox fever when this tuna-can device hit the market. It was shiny and small with just one screw holding on the back. It was soon discovered this allowed the users easy access to the inside compartment so they could tweak the 3 internal dip-switches. There were several combinations that could alter the tone and some that were, quite frankly, completely insane or unusable. That didn't stop several musicians from using this on stage namely Bush, Megadeath, ZZ Top and others. It was rumoured that the Rev Billy Gibbons(a serious gear junkie) had 8 of these in a row on stage. It was true, even if the roadies knew that he wasn't playing through it. By then it was all over when the units started selling. In 2000 they changed the unit to a more user friendly compartment complete with flashing red light when played through. These were even more short-lived when they went back to the original design and allowed users to control the switches from the outside of the case. For more info on the current Expandora see http://www.synthtopia.com/news/NAMM/2006_Winter_NAMM_Show.html

Electro-Harmonix LPB-1

2009-09-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

It was such a simple thing... In the 1960's Mike Matthews consulted a friend working at Bell Labs to help him design a distortion-free sustainer. He created a tiny box to plug into the front of the amp. Because he hadn't counted on the guitar having a low signal he put a booster transistor in the box. Even though the amp had plenty of headroom it was suddenly much louder. With a lot more volume you could really overdrive the tubes of an amp. By placing a small ad in magazines they were able to sell thousands of these great little boxes to guitarists everywhere for a modest price of $14.95. It was the start of good things to come, within a few years they were working on a fuzz device called the Big Muff that would soon become even more popular. For more info on their current line up see http://www.ehx.com/

Kendrick Buffalo Pfuz

2009-09-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ever hear of Pfluggerville Texas? I didn't think so. Usually only two good things come out of Texas... good blues and barbecue. It's no wonder this fuzz box's namesake was changed as a homage to it's hometown. The Rev Billy Gibbons, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert Collins and T Bone Walker hail from this great state so it's only fitting that this pedal does too. The sheet metal enclosure is one of a kind and features either a clean boost or fuzz setting to boot. There are only two options gain and volume so you are the mercy of it's tonal setting but it's a good one. It's sound is hearty and robust, thick enough to lay down some searing Texas blues. It was a short lived unit as Kendrick went on to focus more on it's amplifier business but this unit is a true legend in it's day. For more info on Kendrick see.... http://www.kendrick-amplifiers.com/service/

T.C. Electronics Stereo Chorus

2009-09-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Danish music equipment company TC Electronics has been making quality products since the mid 70's. The company has focussed more on studio rack-mounted processors but 25 years ago they introduced one of the most legendary analog choruses that is still highly regarded today. It wasn't just a chorus module but also featured pitch-shifting and flanging effects too. It also had an input gain control switch, an external buypass output and stereo outputs. No other chorus is as broad, sparkling and shimmering achieving this while remaining the quietest choruses in the studio. When used in stereo the effect signals and the clean signals appear simultaneously on both sides. The effect signals are alternatingly phase reversed in left and right sides, creating a unique spatial dimension. It's no wonder Eric Johnson has used this device in his setup for years. For more info on this unit visit http://www.tcelectronic.com/

Z.Vex Fuzz Factory

2009-09-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Zachary Vex got his start in the music business by opening a small recording studio in Minneapolis during the 80's. He had tinkered with electronics a lot as a kid growing up and when business "went south" he started hand building small effects on his kitchen table. After taking a road trip with a friend to New York he tried introducing his pedals to dealers to no avail. But it was the few units he sold to the people who worked there that started a word-of-mouth business that soon had business owners ordering 40 at a time. The most popular device was a NOS(new old stock) germanium transistor fuzz prototype that was a tweaker's dream come true. It has 5 knobs Volume, Noise Gate, Compression, Drive, and Stability controls despite it's diminutive size. For fuzz connoisseur's it was a dream come true. Add hand painted graphics from Jason Myrold for a unique finish and soon Mr. Vex was adding more products to his line-up. His boutique business has since grown exponentially. The Fuzz Factory has very little current draw(less than 3mA) and requires less zinc-carbon battery charges than it's peers. No other fuzz on the market can create the extreme sounds than this little device and it's not for the faint of heart. The germanium is heat sensitive so sounds can be altered within a few degrees. If Jimi were still around, I'm sure he' have a Fuzz Factory on his pedal board. For more info on these products visit http://www.zvex.com/

Boss FZ-3 Fuzz

2009-08-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular effects by Electro Harmonics is the Big Muff for sure. But that was the late 60's, Jimi Hendrix, and lava lamps. The FZ-3 was the 3rd shortest production module with a shelf-life of only 2 years. It's not surprising though given the release date of 1997 when the music scene was changing again and soon the unit was phased out. Now on the anniversary of Woodstock they have released the FZ-5.....where did 4 go? An interesting fact is that the simple electronics design of the FZ-3 doesn't contain one IC circuit. If you ever open a smiley-face Arbiter Fuzz Face would reveal the same circuit simplicity and Jimi didn't mind(less is more). This is the only Boss effect that features a hammered metallic finish. For more info please visit the website http://www.bossus.com/ or see http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss MD-2 Mega Distortion

2009-08-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

How much distortion is too much? Ok, maybe they overdid it with this one... but that might be suitable for many alt-noise guitarists. This unit has more gain on tap than any other pedal since 2001 and units are still selling. It sports a dual ganged pot control for tone. It actually has 2 controls for distortion(one for gain boost and the other for errr distortion). The Tone control has more bass response control than any other in it's class and is perfect for the Nu-Metal 7-string scene. It's housed in a beautiful red-orange enclosure....change is good. For more info on this and other Boss products visit http://www.bossus.com/ and visit http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss BD-2 Blues Driver(Keeley Fat Mod)

2009-08-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you have a great pedal suited for playing the blues? You change a few resistors and capacitors and make it even better. One of the best mods out on the street is the Keeley Electronics BD-2 phat mods. Boss intended this pedal to be more responsive to pick-attack and guitar volume controls. That didn't stop Robert Keeley from changing the circuitry into something a little better. Many musicians like Brad Paisley, John Mayer, Jason Becker, Pearl Jam, Emmylou Harris guitarist Buddy Miller and Bob Dylan's guitarist Bob Britt favour this blue meanie. Even Guitar World gave this little modded unit kudos in a review. Since SRV brought blues back into the spotlight before his untimely death many people have since tried to fill his shoes. It's one of the newer Boss effects but it's not going anywhere. For more info on these effects by Boss see http://www.bossus.com/ or visit http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss PW-2 Power Driver

2009-08-31T13:25:00.001-07:00

If ever any pedal was Ms. Understood it would be the PW-2. Nobody could understand what Muscle or Fat knobs could do. Now we know that one was the Mid-range contour and the Fat switch could not only improve the lows but also fatten up the sound. Most of the Boss family distortions are tame compared to this school-bus yellow /hazard sign effect. It is actually a rougher/edgier sound than the most popular DS-1 and surprisingly has more gain on tap. It is the shortest lived production model ever and will soon become one of the most collectible of the Boss line-up. It is rumoured to be modeled after the classic Nirvano grunge distortion. For more info please visit.. http://www.bossus.com/ or see http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss XT-2 Xtortion

2009-08-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

In 1996 Grunge controlled the airwaves of radio and even though metal was considered dead people still craved distortion. Nothing was heavier than the new Xtortion pedal by Boss with it's bright red casing. But who where they kidding? With the Contour and Punch knobs it was just another euphemism for sculpting the upper mids and the lower mids. Metal was never dead .. just in a state of limbo. Just when there might have been a re-birth the XT-2 was phased out but has become a classic given low production numbers. It is still number 2 for the shortest lived lineup(the Power Driver is the shortest) but not for lack of sound quality. This will become a rare classic someday and a likely investment today. Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots would be proud. For more info please visit http://www.bossus.com/ or see http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss MT-2

2009-08-31T12:57:00.001-07:00

Which manufacturer of pedals has sold more units than any other? Boss. Out of all those effects which one has sold more than any other? The MT-2. Part of that reason is the fact that it is the most powerful distortion available. Don't bother buying batteries for this unit as it's more wise to invest in a 9 volt adaptor to be eco-friendly. At the heart of this unit is the tweak ability of the mids. the 2 mid switches feature 2 ganged pots to scoop out the mids and sculpt the highs and lows for gut-wrenching metal mayhem. Warren Haynes of Govt Mule also favors this device for solos and searing sustain. The fact that it has 7 filters and 2 dual ganged tone/mid controls made it more expensive than other Boss effects but users will attest to it's "bang for the buck." Just when metal was dying in 1991 Boss took it to the next level which still is popular with many guitar players today. For more info please visit http://www.bossus.com/

Boss MZ-2 Digital Metalizer

2009-08-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

What could be more evil than a black pedal with red lettering? Just when Eddie Van Halen was reinventing his sound with something he coined "jape" Boss released the equivalent in digital format. If you combined chorus with distortion it gave you an added edgy quality suitable for metal playing. Combine this with the accuracy of new digital effects and a doubling effect you have the perfect hair-band sound of the 80's. The Digital Metalizer was a versatile effect that allowed you to produce 6 different modes of distortion. You also had stereo outputs for more spatial dimensionality. It was only produced from '87 to '92 but by then Nirvana had created grunge and hair-metal had destroyed the real metal. For more on Boss effects please visit.. http://www.bossus.com/ or see http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss PN-2 Tremolo

2009-08-31T12:35:00.001-07:00

Not to be confused with Vibrato(more of a hand effect with strings) Tremolo is a volume based effect that makes notes loud then quiet(you get the idea). Of all the classic pedals featuring tremolo the PN-2 is easily in the top 5. It is one of the only stereo-based tremolo(Demeter finally got the idea) that sport a panning effect from left to right. In essence they took a good thing and made it better. To top it off, they also allowed tweaking of triangular or square waveforms and allowed you to control the panning in stereo or mono input/output jacks. It had a short shelf life of only 5 years but is still highly regarded as one of the best of it's breed. If you ever want to get the Johnny Marr "How Soon Is Now" effect then look no further. For more info please visit http://www.bossus.com/ or visit http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss DC-3 Digital Dimension

2009-08-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

In 1988 Boss started focusing on the more popular multi-effect rack units of the time and only 1 compact pedal was released, the DC-3. One of the more popular rack-mount effects had been produced to rave reviews the SDD-320 and it was turned into a popular compact pedal the DC-2. Now that digital technology was taking over, they decided to eliminate the 4 presets and allow the user to use knobs to tweak this popular effect. Again, they weren't trying to produce your typical chorus effect, but more of an ambient space-effect and digital would allow a more cleaner yet less-organic feel. In the beginning they released it as the Space-D but then switched to the Digital Dimension moniker. It was produced in Taiwan for a mere 4 years so it is still one of the rarer finds although I still prefer the analog flavour of the DC-2. For more info on the current Boss line-up see http://www.bossus.com/ or visit http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss DC-2 Dimension C

2009-08-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

When is a chorus effect not chorus? When it becomes a dimension-based effect. The Dimension C came from an unusual pedigree. In 1979 Roland started making professional rack mount units for studio musicians and they released the SDD-320 which utilized analog circuitry to create an ambient spacial effect. It utilized 4 preset buttons that had modulation and pitch based circuitry to create a feeling of space. It was so popular that Boss decided to release it in pedal form but how do you get 2 huge analog circuit boards into such close quarters? First of all, the frequency clocks would start to squeal in such close proximity if you pressed more than 2 presets. For that reason you can only use one at a time which is just fine given the ambient sound choices. This is the only compact effect to utilize the 4 button approach but I can't complain about any of the 4 beautiful choices to select from. I like chorus pedals for their thickening watery-shimmering quality but for some reason I still go back to this beautiful enhancing effect. For more info see the Boss site http://www.bossus.com/ or visit http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

2009-08-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

In 1983 Boss released it's first digital delay pedal in pearl-white, the DD-2. But in 1986 they improved it and, even though there is now the DD-7 with more features, the DD-3 remains the best selling delay to date. It still remains a classic pedal that is the industry standard for the effect. Digital was unique in the fact that it retained the exact signal with very little degradation over time unlike analog based effects. Some users claimed that digital technology was too sterile and inorganic but it was virtually noiseless and could carry the echo for up to 800 ms(more than twice analog). It also had stereo outputs and had a hold function for infinite playback at the press of a foot. Eddie Van Halen would use the hold function and then adjust the delay time for a dive-bomb Doppler effect of detuning. It also boasted a feedback control and e.q. control for the amount of effect. You could even get reverb or sitar sounds if tweaked just right. It was so revolutionary that it is still being built today. For more on this effect please visit the website http://www.bossus.com/ or see http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss DM-2 Delay

2009-08-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Before there was digital technology there was analog and in 1981 Boss released their first compact series effect. Back in the day, many echo devices utilized a tape recording system that looped the sound with different playing heads spaced apart for ambient delay. Later it was proven you could use time-based BBD(bucket brigade chips) that could carry the signal until it slowly faded. The appeal of the DM-2 is it's ambient Reverb-like wash in it's organic signal replication. It could only produce a delay as long as 300 ms but it was soft and tape-like. Many country players swear by it's shortened delay for chicken-pickin' slap back bathroom echo. Cranking the knobs clockwise produce the beautiful self-oscillation for a wall of sound psychedelic experience. It sold for only 3 years before the DM-3 came out and then digital took over. For more info on Boss products see....http://www.bossus.com/ or visit http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss DS-1 Distortion

2009-08-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Of all the effects out on the market there is one that has outsold all of them .... the DS-1. It was only a year after the success of the Boss OD-1 when musicians craved something with a bit more distortion. It still utilized the asymmetrical sound wave but this time offered a clipped rectangular top and bottom for a sharper distorted edge. There is a reason that Steve Vai and Joe Satriani still have their original Japanese models on their pedal board despite all the boutique pedals they could afford. It's no wonder that ProCo's Rat is so similar to the DS-1 circuit board and it shows. Over 10 million units have been sold and still counting since 1978. For more info please visit http://www.bossus.com/ or see this cool website... http://www.bossarea.com/

Boss OD-1 Overdrive

2009-08-31T11:12:00.001-07:00

This is where the legend starts. Hot off the heels of the success of the Roland CE-1 chorus pedal, a unit that is still the benchmark by which all others are judged, Boss started the new compact pedal series. They come in all colors but the metal box has stayed the same since inception. The first 3 pedals were called the stoplight series(red, yellow, and green). The yield color was the most popular for the series sporting the overdrive effect. It was unique in the fact that it used the popular Ibanez JRC-4558 chip found in Tubescreamers but had more treble bleed and a fat bottom end. It's overdrive was also unique in the fact that the sound wave was asymmetrical and rounded. This created a smooth mild distortion on a cranked amp that became the staple sound of many 80s hair bands. It was not unusual to find this relatively cheap effect on many professional musicians pedal boards in favor of many boutique offerings. It was only 1977 when this device hit music stores but it was a sign of more good things to come. For more info on Boss effects visit http://www.bossus.com/ or this cool website.... http://www.bossarea.com/

Danelectro Cool-Cat Chorus

2009-08-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

Out of all the retro-styled large box metal effects there is one that stands out from it's siblings and that's the Cool Cat. Not to be confused with the new uglier pedal offering the Cool Cat series...this chorus was an instant classic just as it's 50's look. It was different too in the fact that it required 2 alkaline batteries or an 18 volt adaptor to power it's analog engine under the hood. It was a simple design, just 2 controls for speed and chill(rate and depth) but that's all it needed to produce it's classic sounding watery effect. Despite it's undeserved reputation it appeared on several professional pedal-boards for those who knew how good it was. Guitarists flocked to the smaller cheaper plastic offerings and the better ones were soon discontinued. One day guitarists will make this effect the classic it was intended to be. It was a great value just like the Danelectro guitars of the 50's even if this unit was produced in the mid 90's. For more info on the current Danelectro line-up see.....http://www.danelectro.com/

Danelectro Fab-Tone Distortion

2009-08-31T07:57:00.001-07:00

It's a shame that the large-box retro styled Danelectro pedal series never caught on. They looked like something from the 50's and tried to capitalize on what made them famous during the time when cheap guitars ruled. They were just as much a good value back in the day due to the fact that everything was outsourced to China. It didn't help that it's smaller sibling was housed in a cheap plastic case and were mass produced. The larger units were nice and heavy and sported a cool Chevy housing and cool names. The Fab-Tone was just that.... a nice thick sizzling distortion that packed plenty of furious gain. It was a lot harsher that it's brother the Daddy-O but had a nice singing sustain that had a retro feel of a Marshall stack. They quickly stopped production to focus on the less-expensive line-up and a less-cooler look. It's a shame but someday it will become the classic it was intended to be ... for the new product offering see..http://www.danelectro.com/

Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive

2009-08-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

They look old but they're not. The name Danelectro goes back to the 50's when they were known for a good value for guitars. They missed the pedal bandwagon during the golden age of effects but reinvented itself in the mid-90's when pedals became popular again. They were still a good value for the money. The larger units were housed in a heavy-metal enclosure and were manufactured in China. The smaller units were plastic and more affordable and the larger ones didn't sell that well due to it's inexpensive reputation. You couldn't fool the masses with it's retro look but these devices will one-day be the classic it was intended to be. The Daddy-O has a great tubey Fender sound that can crank any vintage tube amp with smooth overdrive. For more info on the current line up of effects see....http://www.danelectro.com/

DOD 670 Flanger

2009-08-31T07:35:00.001-07:00

Hot on the heels of the MXR big box professional effects David Oreste Di Francesco(DOD) started his offering in 1974 in Salt Lake City,Utah. The analog effects company was later bought out by Digitech and renamed Division of Digitech(DOD) but later repurchased by Harmon International again. The integrity of the original lineup still holds-up today and are still a bargain on the used market. The 670 flanger caught on when Eddie Van Halen stepped on his MXR black box for the song Unchained. This box can pull off the main riff of Barracuda in all it's analog splendor. The led on the device blinks with it's throbbing flanging rate. It has 4 knobs to dial in airplane sounds and metallic sounds. It can also do the watery chorus effect too with the proper tweaking. It was a classic for all it's shimmering swirling flanging goodness. For more info DOD's current offering see....http://www.dod.com/

DOD 680 Analog Delay

2009-08-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

DOD started it's effect line-up in the mid 70's by sporting the same look as rival MXR. These units were much more impressive than the less expensive commercial effects like Boss. The big blue units were replaced by the Performer series in the early 80's which were much more compact and then later by the cheaper FX series to compete with Boss. When this unit arrived it was an analog beast complete with 3 prong power cord to belt out a pulsing delay. When maxed out, it has a voltage controlled oscillation that no digital could ever replicate. These units are a lot more noisy than digital but then again a lot more warm, organic and natural sounding. The BBD chips in this device could only produce 550 ms of delay but what a beautiful sounding echo. For more info on the current DOD line-up please visit...http://www.dod.com/

DOD Chorus 690

2009-08-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

If the large rectangular box looks familiar it's because DOD wanted to capitalize on the success of the similar casing by MXR. In the mid 70's, when guitarists were looking for more professional sounding effects, DOD started taking off. DOD was originally started by David Oreste Di Francesco in Salt Lake City UT in 1974. The company was bought out later by Harmond International and then by Digitech in the 80's. Many people associated the name as Division of Digitech... but today they are once again seprate entities. The most unique feature of the 690 analog chorus is the fact you can switch between two different speeds of chorus. Because the effect is analog you can hear the speed ramping up gradually when the effect is engaged. The LED on the unit also blinks to represent the speed of the sweep too. Nothing can replicate the organic blend of de-tuning as these original analog machines. These heavy effects are still a bargain compared to it's rival MXR on the used market and have yet to be reissued. For more info on it's current product offering see....http://www.dod.com/ or visit this fan's database for the FX series that followed the originalhttp://www.americaspedal.net/.

MXR Analog Delay

2009-08-28T08:20:00.001-07:00

No would could deny Andy Summer's wonderful use of effects for the guitar textures on the Police albums. He highly favored the Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress for flanging but for delay he chose the MXR analog delay. This was an easy decision for studio recording for its natural sounding decay and lush organic clarity. It featured stereo outputs and a regeneration knob to control feedback. The Reticon chips found in these units have long since been discontinued but the legend lives on. You can hear it's depth on Every Breath You Take from the album Synchronicity. Maxing out the control creates some powerful self-oscillation that you could never replicate from digital technology. The sweeping is so intense, you would think that Earth was being invaded by flying saucers in your back-yard. For more info on Dunlop and MXR effects please visit....http://www.jimdunlop.com/

MXR Chorus

2009-08-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

By the early 80's MXR had gained the reputation of one of the best in the business for creating studio effect devices in the industry. Before the age of digital technology these large boxes contained state of the art analog circuitry to produce lush sounding tones for recording. One example is the MXR box logo chorus which many players like Randy Rhoades used in the making of ground-breaking albums. This unit was re-released due to it's popularity but the original is still sought after. These units were pricey for the time and out of the reach of many guitar players but still considered a bargain today on EBay. Although digital effects are more prevalent on the market, nothing can match the original analog organic lushness of this watery effect. For more info on the reissue product please see...http://www.jimdunlop.com/

MXR Distortion +

2009-08-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

By the early 70's several manufacturers were producing fuzz-boxes and noise making devices that were becoming popular with guitar players. After awhile many people were looking for a "distortion-free sustainer" without all the fizz or bee-in-a-can buzz. Any guitar player will tell you that the only pure form of distortion comes from a cranked tube amp that produces clipping of the sound wave. The MXR product was simply more than distortion.... it had that extra plus people were looking for. For starters, they didn't simply use the harsh treble boosting ICs or silicon transistors that other boxes contained. Instead, they used a germanium 1N270 clipping diode for a gentler breakup. This effect, along with the better sounding hi-fidelity tube amps that were being produced created a more natural sounding tube sound even with solid state transistors. Randy Rhodes found this unit pleasing through his Marshall stack and a staple of his sound when triple-tracking solos because of it's clarity. For more on this unit please see...http://www.jimdunlop.com/

MXR Dyna Comp

2009-08-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

If you could only take one compressor to a desert island it would probably be the original classic by MXR innovations. By the last 70's Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood had turned a basement operation into one of the largest high-end pedal manufacturers in the U.S. The idea of a compressor is simple... it makes the loud notes softer and the soft notes louder. It simply squashes the notes and evens out the sound for a more uniform playing. Soon Nashville session guitars found them ideal for chicken-picking style runs and a staple of their sound. Rock guitar players seeking more sustain for their solos also found them useful like David Gilmore of Pink Floyd. Some people find the grey Ross Compressor the holy grail of effects and Trey Anastasio would agree wholeheartedly. Actually Ross took the Dyna Comp effect and tried to improve it's circuit by adding more dynamics. Since then, many boutique builders are making slight improvements but it's hard to deny the original effect that started it all in this red box. For more info on the reissue cult-classic please visit....http://www.jimdunlop.com/

MXR Phase 90

2009-08-28T07:39:00.001-07:00

In 1972, MXR was founded in Rochester NY by two high-school pals, Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood. The started their business by repairing audio equipment but then started producing effects of their own by trying to build better units. They started with a simple lush sounding unit that quickly caught on after selling them to individual guitarists at gigs. They weren't hard to sell based off the lush swirl and were soon building 50 units at a time in their basement. The first units were housed in the bud-box cases from Ohio and featured script press on logos. They placed an ad on the back of the 1975 issue of Rolling Stone magazine simply stating "We're Here" but didn't leave an address or phone number. Their success on word of mouth reviews were all they need to grow into the second largest manufacturer at the time. A young LA guitarist plugged into one for a treble boost(the sweep was set to the lowest counter-clockwise setting) but you could still hear the modulation when he recorded Eruption. Keyboard players found favor with the units too because of the lush swirl. They were more expensive than the rival effects at the time but were also considered the Porsche models because of their sound. They were later purchased by Dunlop manufacturing but many of the originals are being produced due to popularity .... for more info see.....http://www.jimdunlop.com/

Electro Harmonix Small Stone

2009-08-26T07:58:00.001-07:00

Which Electro Harmonix pedal has sold more units than any other you might wonder? A lot of people might guess the Big Muff due to it's legendary status. Actually the Small Stone phase-shifter has outperformed the muff in sales since the 70's and it's no wonder. The MXR Phase 90 has one of the best cult followings for phase shifters but it is simply a different animal altogether. Electro Harmonix pedals have never had a reputation for subtlety or being quiet...but that's what makes them so good. This phase shifter produces a swirling analog flavor that is chock-full of tonal texture. Just when you think you couldn't get any creamier with it's depth or sweep you can hit the color switch for more psychedelic flavor. You can turn the sweep all the way down for a Pink-Floyd sound or add distortion for the classic Van Halen solo. Rotating the knob clockwise all the way will produce some nice robot sounds or lasers. The Green Russian models are a little more noisey and colorful...but that is a great thing. For more information on the Small Stone and other Electro Harmonix products please visit... http://www.ehx.com/

Electro Harmonix Big Muff

2009-08-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh.... the stuff of legends. Of all the legendary pedals the Big Muff is a cult-icon. Jimi Hendrix bought one from Mike Matthews before they were released to the public and Carlos Santana ran one into his Mesa Boogie around the same time. Hot off the heels of the popular LP1 power booster(a one transistor mail order box) Matthews wanted to create a noisy fuzz box that would totally saturate any amp with sustaining tonal pleasure. Every guitar player wanted to emulate the fuzzy sounds of their hero playing Foxy Lady and the Muff was fuzzier than a moldy peach. There were several incarnations of the Muff over the years.. the rams head, triangle knob, NY style, little Big Muff, Deluxe Big Muff, Sovtek Green, etc.... J. Masics of Dinosaur Jr. has one of the most impressive collections of this device for fear of losing his unique style of tone but particular color always seems to be found on his pedalboard. The Russian Green muff allegedly has the same knobs found on their space modules. The green Muffs are perfect for producing the Smashing Pumpkins or Black Sabbath wall of sound. For more info on the Big Muff and other Electro Harmonix products please visit...http://www.ehx.com/

Visual Sound H2O

2009-08-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

Fish & Chips, The Captain and Tennille, and Chorus & Delay. What do these things have in common you might ask? Well they just go great together.... ok I know that was bad. But like all other Visual Sound pedals they give you a 2 for the price of 1 pedal that delivers tonal goodness. The interesting fact about this unit however is that one side is analog and the other is digital. Bob Weil admits that certain effects are going to sound better in analog like chorus/flanging and he uses the old-school BBD(bucket brigade chip seen in older echo devices). Nothing else can replicate the creamy liquidness like analog. On the other hand....digital is very accurate in replicating a delay or echo signal especially on longer delay settings. The pedal allows you to switch between long/short delay depending on whether you want to chicken-pick with slap back echo or delve into a spacier Pink Floyd/Cure effect. The H2O is twice the thickness of it's siblings but that's because they have separate circuit boards stuffed into the enclosure. In a shoot-out for tone this chorus held it's own against the Danish TC Electronics unit at almost half the price. For info on this and other Visual Sound products please visit.....http://www.visualsound.net/

Visual Sound Jeckyll & Hyde Overdrive

2009-08-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

When the Jeckyll & Hyde pedal first came out it sported a grey/black motif enclosed by a 5 sided sheet metal housing. The switched over to an evil red design to emphasize it's nastier nature. Or were they simply trying to promote a red-white-blue American identity to it's other siblings? Who knows... continuing with the pairing of effects the J&H combines an overdrive(modeled after the Tubescreamer complete with JRC4558 chip) and a distortion that allows you to scoop out the mids for metal or Sharp/Blunt settings for more edge and compression. Like all Visual Sound pedals they have a neutral preamp-buffer that preserves your signal even over long runs and tone-killing pedals. The pedal allows you to stack the overdrive and distortion simultaneously to double your tonal pleasure. The Strokes recorded with one on their breakthrough album Is This It? I still prefer the older sheet metal designs but hey, they still sound great. For more info please visit....http://www.visualsound.net/

Visual Sound Route 66

2009-08-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

Bob Weil's introduction to the world of pedals began when he wanted to create his own volume pedal with a visual reference that nobody had ever thought of. He then launched his own company in 1994 with a trifecta of pedals that were unique in the fact that you got a two-for-one pairing in each unit. The split personality of the the Route 66 American Overdrive is half compressor and half Tubescreamer. This pairing goes down as smooth as peanut butter and chocolate. The circuitry of the compression is not that dissimilar than the holy grail of effects the MXR Dynacomp and the overdrive is an improvement on the Ibanez Tubescreamer. It's a tweaker's paradise allowing you to boost the bass of the overdrive and cut off the tone on the compressor. It also allows you to run the effects separate or parallel. His effects are mass-produced now due to popularity although they hold their own with smaller boutique vendors. Even The Edge from U2 was spotted recording with one on the All That you Can't Leave Behind album. The cases are bullet-proof and the design/graphics are unique as well. The cases are no longer housed in 5 sided sheet metal and sport a different graphic. For more info on Visual Sound's effects please see.....http://www.visualsound.net/

Gearmanndude Luther Drive

2009-08-25T11:41:00.001-07:00

What does Jack Black have in common with Gearmanndude? Well for starters they both have a great sense of humor and play guitar. Despite a lot of comparisons with their voice and Gearmandude's anonymity nobody can deny their popularity with what they do. I think Gearmanndude may even have a greater appreciation for pedals than I do although could that be possible? He has achieved a certain cult-status among guitar players and gear hounds for those that troll the Youtube channel late at night. His videos are just as informative as they are entertaining and he takes full advantage of the fact that many people think he may be wearing the same snake-skin boots as Jack Black(I'm still waiting for the SNL parody). GMD has something us guitar players always covet..... and that is "chops". He has an amazing ability to entertain us with his skills as a musician and keep us in suspense of his latest video demonstration of gear. It's no wonder that, due to his popularity and love of all things pedal, he would create a device that rival his favorite effects. As he puts it, "Some say that imitation is the best form of flatery.... and some say it just pisses them off". With that in mind... even Analogman endorsed his appreciation of the Sunface effect in his Lutherdrive. His favorite overdrive, the fabled Maxon 808, is also eerily similar. He has taken full advantage of his cult-status to persue all things tone-related and you can't blame him for his passion. His pedal is a lasting tribute to Johnny Cash's guitar player Luther Perkins. For more information just visit Youtube's channel.....http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuypWNZRKaPkAz2hXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByamlqaW9mBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMwRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=11sbnsp59/EXP=1251313366/**http%3a//www.youtube.com/user/gearmanndude

Cusack Screamer

2009-08-25T10:11:00.001-07:00

Jon Cusack(not the actor from Say Anything) was an electrical engineer that was fed up with all the false claims by pedal manufactures about good tone. Putting his ears and skills to good use he engineered what he felt was an improvement on the original Tubescreamer design and started his company with the slogan "Reality In Tone". His clone of the cult pedal classic is considered one of the best and interestingly enough doesn't even use the usual JRC4558 chip present in most clones. He allows you to switch them out with a socketed input although I wouldn't recommend it. He clearly knows what he is doing using quality components at an outstanding price. When designing his pedal he searched in vain for knobs that replicated the "chicken-head" knobs from the 1940's but couldn't locate any small enough for a pedal. He scaled them down 75% and then built a mold to make his own. His cases are made from die-cast aluminum and the serial numbers and wording are machine cut into the enclosures. The first thousand in production were not painted as you can see on the #129 unit above. The Mach 2 versions are orange although custom colors are also available. Attention to detail is evident from the neoprene skid plat, quality soldered joints, unique battery clip, Cliff jacks secured, and the fact that everything is connected on the circuit board with no soldering of wires. Why is it called the Screamer? This unit has twice the gain of the standard Tubescreamer on hand to make your amp breathe fire but maintains the clarity of notes at the same time. For more information on this product just click on the link.....http://www.cusackmusic.com/

Crowther Hot Cake

2009-08-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

What do most drummers know about guitar? Usually not much unless you happen to be Paul Crowther from the 80's band Split Enz who enjoys tinkering with electronics. This pedal happens to be an underground favorite from many musicians including Stephen Malkmus(Pavement), Noel Gllagher(Oasis), Buzz Osborne(Melvins), Ed O'Brian(Radiohead), Thurston Moore(Sonic Youth), and purportedly Stevie Ray Vaughan before his untimely demise. Part of the reason for it's underground cult status is the fact that they are built in New Zealand halfway around the world. It's not a tubescreamer per say but more a tubier thick fuzz-type distortion based around Paul's unique circuit design. He has since modified the pedal(Hot Cake Bluesberry version) to appeal more to blues players who don't desire as much distortion. For those who want to sample both flavors he also manufactures the double cake for a double dose of stacked tonal goodness. For more info on this excellent noise box see the link....http://www.proguitarshop.com/company.php?CompanyID=98

Reverend Drivetrain II

2009-08-25T08:29:00.001-07:00

What do you do when you have a good thing? You make it even better and then you discontinue making it. Bob Weil(Visual Sound) and Joe Naylor took their Drivetrain Mach 1 and took it to new heights. While their first original black unit was a vast improvement on the classic Tubescreamer they felt they could still do better. Listening to the critique of their original design many guitar players felt that it needed more volume for boosting their tube amps and a wider range of treble for more aggressive tonal control. It didn't hurt that they also changed the black graphics to a racing green reminiscent of muscle cars from the 60s to emphasize their point. Guitar One quickly gave this pedal the prestigious Mark of Excellence Award in the March issue of their magazine and by fall of that year Reverend dropped the product to focus more on their guitars and amps. When the unit appeared on Joe Bonamassa's pedal-board however this solidified the pedal as a legend in overdrive pedals and secured it as a classic. For more information on this pedal please see this link...http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/archive/amps_etc/drivetrain_overdrive.html

Reverend Drivetrain

2009-08-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Before there was a Visual Sound there were two guys building a stompbox for a company called Reverend. Bob Weil and Joe Naylor set out to improve one of the most classic pedals favored by a guitar player from Texas name Stevie Ray Vaughn. His endorsement of the Japanese pedal soon sent stock in the pedal soaring to new heights. Most everyone agrees that this overdrive is the standard by which all others are judged. Bob and Joe decided they would design a pedal that retained all the characteristics of the original while improving on what it lacked. Most would agree the original Tubescreamer had a nasaly mid-range hump and lacked definition of the bottom end. The drivetrain still sported the same Japanese Radio Corporation 4558 IC omp amp under the hood but also alowed tweaking of the bass and treble controls. Although most guitarists swear by true-bypass switching these folks used a neutral-bypass which eliminated the popping associated with TB while maintaining good treble and signal power over long cables. The pedals were short lived and they set out to replace the original with a grean meanie that further made improvements to this design. All good things must come to an end however. For more information on the original black unit see.......http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/archives.html

Hermida Audio Technology Zendrive

2009-08-24T13:17:00.001-07:00

Like Carlos Santana, Robbin Ford, Larry Carlton, or Dumble Amps? Well.... you might like this tasty little treat too. Who is Alfonso Hermida? A great boutique pedal builder from Florida. Could I have ordered the Mosferatu pedal with more distortion on tap? Maybe....maybe I will based off his Zendrive. The name says it all.... everything Zen. It's all about the Ying ... or the Yang. Everything must be balanced in life. I have to admit... when plugging into this device... I found myself noodling on the guitar more than most pedals I test-drive. There was something I couldn't put my finger on but...... anyway.. it was just fun to lose yourself and enjoy the textures of the complex tonal options at your fingertips. This pedal has 4 controls as opposed to the usual simple 3 knobbers. As Nigel would say, "This amp goes to 11". You have Volume, Tone, Gain and Voice. It's a tweaking paradise to dial into whatever tone you desire. There is no longer a wait as opposed to the usual boutique frenzy with some builders. This guy is gracious and keeps up with demand and makes a terrific product. Cool graphics and great circuitry design covered in goop/scratched off IC... can't blame the guy... he knows his skills and delivers in spades. For more info just click on the link....http://www.hermidaaudio.com/

Blackstone Appliances 2SV3 Mosfet

2009-08-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

You are probably asking yourself right now.... what the heck is a Mosfet? Well it actually stands for Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor. Your next question is probably what does that have to do with tone? Everything. I thought I might try to explain it but wait...just go here.......http://www.mindspring.com/~j.blackstone/MOSFET.htm

Jon Blackstone created the 2SV3 unit to produce more of the even harmonics present in tube amps which are mostly lacking in common NPN(negative-positive-negative) layers of silicon in transistors. This is the only device he makes and it's the only effect I know that has 2 flavors of overdrive in a small package. The Brown channel is more of a bluesy crunchy overdrive while the red channel sounds a little more....errrr uh red. It never gets new-metal or harsh but is significantly more aggressive than it's fraternal twin. It has an unassuming business-like graphic on a crinkle coated black housing. Another interesting feature is the pick/fingernail controls that, once set, won't deter the most inebriated guitar player in the dark. Once you find the setting of your choice you won't want to tweak unless you switch from a Strat to a Les Paul but the foot switchable variety of tones Red/Brown are a plus. He requires you to selfishly connect it unbuffered from your guitar but why mess with a good thing? It's a one-hit wonder. Nice. For more information click on the link... http://www.blackstoneappliances.com/

Banzai Cold Fusion

2009-08-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

In 1989 two scientists Fleischmann and Pons anounced to the world a strange anomaly during a nuclear fusion experiment that promised hope for a cheap alternative energy source. When they failed to replicate the claims in successive experiments it left people wondering if their initial claims were valid. What does this have to do with a German engineered effect pedal with a Japanese species of tree? Oh..... never mind. But hey... cool graphics, a unique housing, beautiful circuit engineering and a reputation that rivals the Klon Centaur....hmmmmmm. I have A/B'd both the Centaur and Cold Fusion only to surmise that the only thing in common is a dual ganged Overdrive pot(designed for specifically the same reasons). The differences are apparent however with this unit being more of a boost(in terms of decibels) to force any tube amp into wonderful clipping territory. I don't think I have any other pedal that produces the loudness or power from such a simple design. When the drive knob gets a little past noon it projects a nice bluesy grind but still retains the original character without getting muddy. Chords sound blissful and refined. It's sadly rumored that they are no longer in production but will soon earn the reputation that Way Huge deserved during it's demise. For more information click on the following link.....http://www.banzaieffects.com/

Lovepedal Eternity Burst

2009-08-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Lovepedal Eternity Burst by effect builder/designer Sean Michael. The harsh winters in Michigan produce some of the best hardcore music and pedal builders around. Sean started his hobby when he became disenchanted with many of the trendy multi-effects of the 90's. He wanted to build something that could convey a creamier more organic tone and did he ever. His small boutique business earned quite a reputation on the underground internet chat boards quickly. A great endorsement from mega-star Andy Summers from the Police and a rave review in Guitar Player magazine didn't hurt either. He utilizes a socketed IC chip(whose identity is scratched off) and a unique hand-wired board covered with epoxy resin to hide some resistors and capacitors. I had fun experimenting with the 3 knobs Level, Drive, and Glass(Treble boost) which yielded beautiful smooth overdrive sounds from a Bogner Shiva with EL34s. With just the right amount of sustain and tube saturation I was in tonal heaven. The Burst edition allegedly has a woodier tone but I have no relative comparison against the standard version. The graphics are nice with a bright blue led that's active when the unit is plugged in. With all the mass-produced devices out on the market it's refreshing to see the success of a builder who deserves all the accolades Mr. Michael has earned. It is pricey to it's peers but definitely worth it's weight pound for pound. For more information click on.....http://www.lovepedal.com/

Klon Centaur

2009-08-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

Why not start off my blog with the best? The mythical horsey-man from ancient Minoa. It doesn't get more boutique than this creation from designer and builder Bill Finnegan. The circuitry is housed in a sand-cast aluminum housing that would outlive even the roaches during a nuclear war. Since inception(1994) he has sold over 5000 Klon Centaur units and counting. Because they are hand-built, there is a waiting list although the units are now silver and don't include the pony-boy motif. This unit is #1009 and is the first centaur design. I talked with Bill once about the design and he stated he hired a college student to come up with the first graphic but was never happy with it. After about 1600 units the design was altered but he was still unhappy with it. I asked him about the gold anodized case and why it was later dropped too. He stated that he was tired of waking up in the middle of the night stressed out about the consistency of the finish and wanted to focus more on what the pedal was intended to do.... to sound good. He knows he has a terrific product and many professional musicians can attest to this when they are clearly seen on their pedal-boards. His units are a bit pricey but considering the quality of the components they are still a great value. His units easily fetch more money on e-bay to avoid the waiting list. He told me that he never cared much for the sound of the legendary Ibanez Tubescreamer and wanted to come up with something completely different. The secret to his wizardry is covered in a gooey epoxy to protect his brilliant design. One secret lies in the fact that he utilizes a dual ganged pot for the gain knob which can improve tonal response to control the frequency of the dynamics at higher volumes. If you have a terrific sounding tube amp and you want it to sound even better then this is the device. Many builders have tried to replicate his design with a clone but there is only one Klon. Cheers Mr. Finnegan! For more information click on .......http://www.klon-siberia.com/