OVERDRIVE- ALEKS K PRODUCTION RED SCORPION MEGA DISTORTION .... we have a photo finish ?????

  ALEKS K PRODUCTION RED SCORPION DISTORTION

$280.00 USD

Right after posting the PIOD FX WHAT YOU WANT  2
a very high gain but tube like OD.This showed up!
(read that post after reading this one)

The short story is that both pedals

sound very, very, very similar. The PIOD has a tad more mid range and the.... SCORPION has a hair more bite. There is no way anyone not having both under foot could choose one over the other.

If I were choosing I think price would decide. Not by the asking 

price but things like shipping,duties and taxes.

The Scorpion is smaller. I quite like the look with the 

heavy casing pebbled industrial finish and Ferrari red colour..both boast of the best parts.
The Piod has an additional digital output to your computer and 2
switches to voice the pedal. The Scorpion has one switch. It also can be powered by either a battery or standard 9v. power supply.
When it gets down to shaping your sound you will find little difference..

THESE 2 PEDALS HAVE FINISHED 
THE RACE TO YOUR  WALLET IN 
A PHOTO FINISH TIE !!!

$220.00 USD

What could be better then both pedals side by each played by the same guy

.
Both pedals avoid using clipping diodes and both use multiple gain stages...this makes the pedal harder to design and get right ...and costs a lot more. They can be lumped into the Metal OD group because of their amount of distortion but are really much more like a real amp. The ghost of Jim Marshall was busy...being the guiding hand of both these pedals.

A TIE FOR THE BEST 2 MARSHALL (very) HIGH GAIN OD'S IN THE WORLD???

an SOB to decide...features...price ...availability ...
one made in the Ukraine ...one made in Canada
...in Europe or the US the closet may determine duties ....returns for service etc.
ALEKS K is direct...PIOD uses dealers

For Canadians the Canadian dollar is accepted at par

WILL I BUY EITHER ONE?

I JUST ORDERED THE RED SCORPION!!!

In many ways I like their HOT ICE SWEET DISTORTION better. BUT between all my overdrives I have that covered. I could use my Diezel DH4 to sub this but I have it set up just a bit backed off and the EQ is set to optimize my Strat.
The Red Scorpion will give me my balls against the wall sound on all my guitars with a one size fits all setting ....since all but one guitar has a hummie.
I think the Scorpion might be better then the Friedman BE-OD...
I will certainly let you know.

I received my pedal today...my gear is in the city so I can not try it out. 

FIRST IMPRESSION

Cool stuff..

First the fit and finish is stellar.. I have bought about 60 pedals in 2 years..this is definitely the the best looking one I have ever got. The thing is built like a tank. Included in the box is a sheet of every part in the pedal...everything is absolutely the best money can buy. Much of it is military spec. 

Pet Peeves..

I find it hard to imagine someone buying this pedal that is not using a pedal board. If any they are in the minority. So it is annoying that the pedal has the little rubber feet on it...they could have been left loose in the box.  Many high end pedals I have got recently send the rubber feet and a nice pre cut velcro patch and let the owner choose. One last minor thing is the info on the use of a battery ...It does not make it clear that there is not a battery in it...so I had to take off the bottom to make sure...as I never use them...so if a battery were to be  left in a pedal it may eventually leak causing damage.

Back in the City

In spite of petty gripes ...I am very, very impressed. A half hour test told the whole story. I did an A/B with the Friedman BE-OD. The Scorpion has all the sustain and smack that the Friedman has but is much richer in tone ..harmonics and overtones just float out of it in an endless stream. It is much ...much fatter.The Friedman is more JCM800 sounding ...the Scorpion is very Plexi like with   deep thick sumptuous mids and the ballsy bass ...So I will keep them both.

RIGHT NOW IF I LOST MY ENTIRE BOARD THE SCORPION  IS THE FIRST PEDAL I WOULD BUY!!!

 CODA 

I have owned over 60 pedals in the last 2 years. Some good some crap. A few of the best were cheap..but the very best are never cheap ...some expensive boutique pedals were a profound let down.

I have 14 dirt boxes on my board! Maybe 15 if you consider the Bluguitar Amp1 ... simply a 100 watt OD. All I consider is that they be the very best of what they do. Not one was bought because of the price.

If the tone is right. I get it!!!! F. the price!!!

    4 pedals stood out...........  

Xvive Thomas Blug Golden Brownie

A new product for the budget brand Xvive. The heavy duty case is evident. I expect a small bump up of quality of any important part. Last but not least a great designer. In this case Thomas Blug.

The result is an excellent Marshall JCM 800 pedal (Brown sound) ...a very appealing sound that can butt heads with the very best of the traditional brands. At $45.00 USD ...a very impressive offering

Lawrence Petross Design ...LPD Sixty 8 Drive

A medium Plexi OD...with a great touch sensitivity. There is something almost trance like in the tone. It has voice that is incredibly warm and articulate. Every note and chord is clear without that clarity contrived with some metallic click to give the notes some definition. It has the voice of a classic Marshall but with the glassy transparency of the original Klon.I think in time it could be a classic.

Friedman BE-OD

Not new to design with a successful series of amps but pedals are a new territory. The pedal is meant to copy his ever popular Brown Eyed amp. It is a beefed up JTM45 ...to my ears it sounds very,very much like a Marshall JCM 800 on steroids. It is incredibly high gain. It takes a bit of work to keep it's tube amp identity and one can very easily push it into a near fuzz like contrived Metal pedal. It's best feature is that even at low amp volumes it likes to swell the notes and can usually be persuaded to go into a beautiful feedback. All ready a contemporary classic.

Aleks K Production Red Scorpion Distortion

In this case we have an pedal encroaching on Friedman's forte. The Scorpion does not claim to be anything ...but it has Plexi written all over it .It does not have that easy swelling that the Friedman has BUT everything else is better right down to the case it is built in.
.
The tone is easily richer with beautiful sweet overtones and harmonics. 

MOST noticeable is it has a deep masculine tone and ....

....it is twice as fat as the Friedman. 

It is the heaviest sounding overdrive that I've ever heard that can easily pull off a Metal thing ... 

WITHOUT LOOSING IT'S REAL TUBE AMP ROOTS. 

If you just want a great straight forward PLEXI...NO PROBLEM it does that too.

Unlike the Friedman you do not have to work for hours to get the best out of it. Put everything on 12 o'clock and you can find yourself  jamming for hours before you realize that maybe you can tweak it and get more. Damn it Margret..that is exactly what you can do.

FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO SHRED AND BLOW THE CROWD OFF THEIR SEATS AND PLASTER THEM AGAINST THE BACK WALL! this can do it.. and still sound great.

I hope I did not forget to tell you it is twice as fat as the Friedman?

I have bought and sold 2 of the Bognar distortions ...the Bogner Burnley and the Uberschall. I also had the Amptweaker  Big Rock Pro and the Tight Metal. All 4 pedals I only kept a few weeks.
The problem with them was that they were lifeless and artificial sounding.

 The Scorpion is not for sale. LOL
EVER!!!

IF THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A CONTEST FOR THE BEST DIRT BOX IN THE WORLD 

MY MONEY IS ON THE SCORPION

IT IS 6/10/2017

WITH A WHOOPING 50 PEDALS ACTUALLY ON A BOARD 

THAT I ACTUALLY USE LIVE 
I AM DEFINITELY PEDAL NUTS!!!

BUT

I AM NOT A COLLECTOR! IF I SPEND EVEN $400.00 USD Plus ON 

THE LATEST 'WONDER-DRIVE' ...IT BETTER BLOW MY MIND OR IT IS HEADED TO TO Reverb EVEN BEFORE THE PAINT DRYS!!

THAT SAID...

FOR ME A FIRST!!!!!
4 MONTHS LATER... AND I AM NEVER DISTRACTED ENOUGH FROM MY LATEST ACQUISITION TO NOT WANT TO SWITCH ON MY SCORPION FOR A FEW MOMENTS OF BLISS!!!