Monday, September 7, 2026

OVERDRIVE- THORPY FX Gunshot OD Judge Dredd Lawbringer ___NEW___ ?-in-a-Box

$370.00 USD
Thorpy FX   GUNSHOT OVERDRIVE  
JUDGE DREDD 
LAWBRINGER EDITION   
Thorpy takes the obscure than interprets even to the more obscure 
and then adds back what we all want when we check the boxes. 
Yes you get definition, a decent sustain & some breadth/fatness. 
Just for fun they do not tell you what pedal they cloned and did 
all that to. 
The layout is Gain, Tone, Volume and Calibre/bright gain. 
            CONCLUSION __ 
WTF ???  __Version 2 of the 11 year old 
Gunshot STACK-in-a-Box. A $270.00 pedal 
cased in a $100 box, 😇 
 
2015

___STRAT PICKUPS ___5 BEST ___5 WORST

STRAT PICKUPS BEST FOR WHO? 

Sunday, September 6, 2026

OVERDRIVE- ACORN AMPLIFIERS Vegeta Drive___NEW___ Boss clone ?

ACORN  AMPLIFIERS 
  $150.00 USD
 Vegeta Drive
According to them it is an OpAmp hardclipper Distortion. 
In all probability based on one of the Boss dirt pedals. 
Probably the Blues Driver or OD-1.  
The layout is Volume and Gain and a toggle gives it a 
boost, but like the OD-1 it doesn't have a Tone control.
     CONCLUSION __
It virtually is a one trick pony. However that one 
sound is cool and the price is reasonable. 
That said the Joyo Bright Day Blues Driver can 
cover this kind of sound and a lot more for a 
nice and cheap $40.00 USD.


AMP MODELER- OCTAVE HS-1___NEW___ a Windows OS Tablet that does most all

OCTAVE HS-1   

$950.00 USD

This is the beginning of the future for any brand of Amp Simulator Multi FX tech. Holywood have been using off the shelf Laptop Computers that come in Military grade enclosures to do do all their in the field audio for decades. They would have had crippling financial loses if this method was not both sonicaly reliable and robust enough to get smashed and banged about. 
 CONCLUSION ___
It is a 100% nobrainer that a company making units today can only sell thousands where Windows, Apple and Android based tech is made in the millions. 
Yes there will be still foot controller tech made from simple to mind boggling complexity to interface with  
these computers. It will come all dressed in steel 
cased enclosures with graphics reflecting the 
ascetics of the day, 😇


OVERDRIVE- BARBER Midnight Standard___NEW___BluesBreaker bested!

BARBER ELECTRONICS
MIDNIGHT  S T A N D A R D 
$170.00 USD
The basic pedal is based on the Marshall BluesBreaker with the 
usual Volume, Tone & Gain but 2 toggles are added. One controls 
the headroom with more or less compression & the other adds 
lower mid resonance typically created by cabinet resonance.
            CONCLUSION ___
Dave Barber has been around for over 30 years 
quietly making killer pedals & sold at reasonable 
prices. Many that others literally stole his ideas. 
Keeley became famous with their 4 knob Comp. 
That extra knob was to blend in cleans. It was a 
rip from Dave's Compressor. All of the Barber OD  
pedals sound like you are not using a pedal 
you simply have a better amp.

Saturday, September 5, 2026

OVERDRIVE- KING TONE Soloist Mini ___NEW___ SRV-in-a-Box

KingTone 
$200.00 USD
 S O L O I S T    MINI
There are now 3 Soloist pedals made by K.T. the guy has a following 
for them all. Of pedals that sound SRV he covers every stage of SRV's 
career.
The layout is Volume, Gain and Tone. The Body control brings up 
the mids that are voiced to get that Stevie thing.
        CONCLUSION __
If you simply have to get the best SRV tone then  
I recommend the Tone King $300.00 USD BLUES 
POWER. The full featured one in the custom box 
with the rounded top. If you just want one sound 
that nails the whole vibe then this Mini is it. 
It is on the top of my short list of gotta-haves.

Friday, September 4, 2026

FUZZ- JAM PEDALS Black Fuzz Phase LTD ___NEW (again) ___ more good!!!

$700.00 USD
ouch!!!
JAM P E D A L S
BLACK FUZZ PHASE LTD.
Some very rare NOS OC44 Philips black glass 
germanium transistor's were put to work.
Actually these transistors are 'more rare'. 
The rare ones were put in lasts years LTD. 
The layout is Level and Gain. 
        CONCLUSION __
The original germanium Fuzz Face did and still 
can take on all comers. What's not to love??? 
OK, maybe the price. The good news if you buy 
you will always get your money back when 
you sell it. That makes owning it, FREE! 
lol 😇

NEED TO KNOW___ No matter where a guitar is made the parts are global

MOST DIFFERENCES ARE SIMPLY NOT VALID 
At lowest end of the entry level market a guitar will always be made of the cheapest parts. 
On the other hand mid price guitars and up are made of the same materials. The wood is 
sourced internationally but the bulk is from America both North and South. The hardware 
is Asian and even if it is an American made brand the parts that it is made of are Asian.
Any differences are primarily quality control and the time allowed on fine adjustments to 
the fit and attention to anything impeding the playability.
Always keep in mind most of this can be done after a purchase. Once you add just a few  upgrades  
an Asian made guitar for 3 or $400 will be very comparable to an American guitar over $2000.

 
 
THE HERITAGE LES PAUL ASCENT H-150+ __ $700.00 USD 
From the folks that made the actual original Gibson Les Paul Standards.  
Their Asian guitars are made to compete with  Epiphone. Its spec has a 
proper maple cap on a mahogany body. Not just cosmetics but serious 
pro guitars. Is a Gibson Les Paul Standard 4 times better ??? Are we getting ripped off ???