OVERDRIVE- LUNASTONE TRUE OVERDRIVE ONE ...Rich and full ...very clean and airy

LUNASTONE TRUE OVERDRIVE 1

Lunastone are a Danish company that have been around for awhile with a few assorted pedals.This drive uses a cascaded gain stage meant to move from light to medium to a heavier gain. Oddly it is really a light to medium drive but the cascade effect does gives you a few 'sweet' spots. The overall

tone is rich and transparent your guitars tone stays beautifully intact and it can get dead clean by backing off the guitars volume.

If you like some serious aggression even in a medium drive pedal you won't find it here. It does however some weight even while having a trance like quality with a glass like sound. It is another LPD SIXTY 8 but without that Marshall thing.

Worth a good listen. 

OVERDRIVE- WAMPLER DRACARYS ...I think maybe I smell a Friedman BE-OD ... 'ME TOO' pedal

WAMPLER DRACARYS DISTORTION

$200.00 USD

Wampler claim's he has wanted to make a 'modern OD' for some time. I think ever since the Friedman pedal came out and stole all the spotlight ...and the sales. LOL
The tone is fat with lots of mids and slightly scooped. A metal pedal made for everyone but the metal diehard that feels inadequate without at the very least a Marshall stack
and a metal pedal bigger then some guys boards.
Wampler does not claim that it is meant to resemble any particular amp.
It is not a Friedman BE-OD ...you
can not take the sound from overdriven Marshall to a Metal sound. The notes do not swell and you do not get that extra long sustain. It does sound nice.
Not a must have. I can not fault it for what it is.

OVERDRIVE- HOTONE XTOMP....a breakthrough modeling pedal ??? It sounds analog ?

HOTONE XTOMP

If you have heard a good Amp Modeling OD you will be very impressed. 
If you played one after playing an all tube amp you would put your guitar down and swiftly leave the room.

WHY? Because of how it 'feels' to play it.

The best way to explain this is ...Imagine you record one minute of playing your guitar. Now while you play the recording back..take your 'unplugged 'guitar and play the same part you just recorded along with the recorded part.

 IT FEELS WEIRD TO DO THIS!!! IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE PLAYING A RECORDING???
 It is at the very least distracting. Forget about playing your best! This is what it feels like simply
playing thru a modeled OD.                   

PRICE $415.00 USD

PRICE!!!

Yes folks...they were out of their tiny minds!

It is now $250.00 USD. They have since nosed dived the price back into the reality zone.

No one was buying any. Sales were not just slow. Sales tanked!!!

THE GOOD NEWS >>>THE BAD NEWS

So what is this pedal about. Well it is supposed to be so good it gets rid of that bad OD effect ...BUT???

But does it..fix the OD problem.

Maybe close ....BUT ...so I would forget it...but you can buy it and never use the OD algorithms
because it can virtually store an algorithm to use to create any effect including virtually stealing the
sound of any pedal. A Boss Chorus ...an MXR compressor ...an EH Big Muff the list is endless.

.
The pedal does not come with a ROM sound but a RAM sound. In short you download the software you want. You want the Marshall Amp sound? Download it. Maybe you want a chorus pedal...not a amp sound. Download it.

So does it sound great. NO...and YES...there are better or equal FX for much less money.

BUT!!!

You can download this pedal to be any FX you want.You are never stuck with a pedal you do not like or tire with.

One of the programs is the Bogner 4x12 SL cabinet. It is in fact a Marshall slant 1960A 4x12.

They have done a stellar job of capturing everything including the cabinet thump...what is great is you can then team it up with a serious Marshall sounding analog stomp box...and you will have a convincing Marshall stack loaded with Celestion vintage 30's sound even if you just play it in your bedroom thru a practise amp.
The sound is F...ing amazing ...besides they have a monopoly. LOL
No one else makes this effect in a pedal meant for playing live. There are some very expensive recording boxes ...but nothing
made specifically for this use.

Bottom line...

In a studio situation you can get a lot out of it. The modulation sounds delays and reverbs are very good. I like ...unlike my all in one Mobius it is much easier to program and live you have just a single box to hit...no tap dancing to get a sound. 

I WOULD NOT USE IT FOR OD'S

OVERDRIVE- ? A MARSHALL PLEXI PEDAL ....A 100 WATT PLEXI PEDAL

WHO IS THOMAS BLUG ANYWAY!!!

He is a heavily booked German session player.

He does sold out concerts where the seats are filled with musicians.

He is an engineer

                                   He has designed pedals for many companies.

                                   He has designed completely all Digital...MODELING Amps.

                                   He has designed completely all solid state ...TRANSISTOR Amps.

                                   He has designed completely all tube ...TUBE Amps.
                                   He has now designed his own amp                                                                                                            incorporating technologies from them all.
                                   INCLUDING A TUBE

                                   AND IT IS A PEDAL !!

note: Blug is pronounced Blewg 

Current Price $800.00 USD

                                           .

Blug believes NOTHING SOUNDS BETTER THEN A TUBE AMP!!!!

When he says amp... he means the amplifier not the preamp part of what is technically called a integrated amplifier. All guitar amps are integrated amplifiers.

He feels each of the technologies does something better then the others.

Digital for the switching ...solid state for the preamp.

As a believer in just how good pedals can be ...why not in fact make the preamp itself a pedal...in fact several integrated pedals that you can choose for the voicing of the amp.

To keep track of everything and put it where you need and when ...nothing is faster and more efficient then digital switching.

The 100 watts of power is an analog Class D 100 watt amp.
Note:
Class D are very small in ratio to how much power can be produced.  Some full size Bass amps produce 1000 watts RMS.

.

SO WHERE'S THE TUBES??

This is where his genius clicks in. Using tubes in the preamp can sweeten up the sound...but the preamp is not where the amp gets that "AMP" sound. The amp 'feel' and astounding dynamics and punch come from the amplifier section  itself.

The tube is cleverly put between the preamp and the amp....it is in fact the 'AMPS DRIVER' it forces the analog solid state to follow its every move.


If a state of the art digital amp were the finest violin ever made using the very,very best wood even old growth forest wood illegally obtained ...a tube amp would still be be a Stradivarius.

Check this video ...he explains it in his own words.

This is an amazing first effort. Keep in mind that Fender and Marshall's first amps were quite mediocre.

So this amp may be a breakthrough. I believe it is. In a few more years they quite easily could dominate the market. Already tube amp makers are trying to make amps with a smaller and smaller
footprint.

The AMP1 is small enough to sit on a standard piece of letter size paper and still have a small border around it.

Your basic choices are not labeled Plexi ...JCM800 ...a Soldano and Fender but to my ears that is what you get. I have owned all these amps except for the Soldano and the choice is perfect for me.
ALL amps are a compromise. If I had mint 68 Plexi stack...it would be 100% perfect for one tune ...but crap for the next tune if I wanted a Fender clean.
At worst your sound gets a 9 out of 10 for every tune ...hard to beat that!!!

On video it definitely sounds great.
BUT THIS MAY BE ONCE WHERE ONE HAS TO PLAY IT
TO BE OBJECTIVE. 
Of course this can be close to impossible for many as the product is too esoteric for thousands of stores.

I find this home made video helpful. It is in a very 'live' room ...but the amp comes thru with a sound equal to a good pedal.
The clean sound is impressive. Very important to a pedal madman like me.

So how well does it perform in the real world?

Check out the vid and see.

These amps are still considered very esoteric especially for the American players who are traditionally much more conservative then the Brits and Europeans. So...finding one to try out will only happen in key cities with very big time stores. In fact many countries do not sell them so one has to import them. This is also a killer because the duties are added to the retail price not a wholesale price ...plus exchange rates and shipping.

So you have to rely on guys like me. On a $300.00USD pedal that is already a hard thing to do. I hope you note I do try and be as ruthless as possible. But I can not tell everything from a vid.. I do
buy the stuff that I think is best but in the real world some of it is disappointing.. and I sell it almost right away...that costs me.At this point if it is on my board it is either a 9 out of 10 at worst. If a 10 comes along I will get it. But in most cases a 10 is not available.Everyone including me has a 'style' they play in. Some pedals like the Mogoo Tube Screamer Demon are damn good. BUT I do not play that light ...ever. I will replace it with the Supro. The Supro has no real relationship to a ts808 ...I am merely using the space the ts808 leaves for a pedal more useful for me.

OK I digress..but for a point.
I will get a Blug amp...I have written to those that have tried one but not had any replys. The big question is. Does it FEEL  like a tube amp when you play it. I am positive it's tone is 99% convincing. The ONLY real issue is the FEEL.
You may have to rely on me in the end. LOL
I will try not to let you down.

at 2 LB. weight is a major ...major plus!

At present the guy has a monopoly. It is the only pro sounding foot pedal rig.

EXHAUSTED RESEARCH NEWS

THE AMP 1 has been available in Europe for about 3 years.

First I can not find a single bad word or down side to it.

Any small problems with it will have been fixed long ago.

YOU WILL NEED A SPEAKER CAB???

Blug himself says many speaker cabs will work fine. he does make 2 ...but buying an empty cab

and putting one of several celestions will do as well and will probably be much cheaper.

Blug seems to be an 'overkill' type of guy. He gives you a blow by blow and a fair comparison to everything he does. He makes 2 speaker cabs to go with it. A tiny 1x12 and a larger 1x12 that he tuned by ear not by science to give you a 4x12 Marshall sound and his demo compares them with a real Marshall 4x12.
Check out the video if you want the whole picture.

    

If you need to save the best bet is to make a your own very small cabinet

and load it with the new

 Celestion G12 Neo Creamback 65 watts 12"

It is just over 4 pounds. It is close to sounding like
the original Greenback 30's ...(Celestion do other

$169.00 USD

Creambacks but they are either not as close sounding to the greenback or too heavy to lift around.) The Neo has a tad more bottom end which is crucial if you want to go to an open back cab to save money and size. 
It also has a large following of former purists that have converted saying there is lots to gain and nothing to loose.
More then 50 watts can drowned out a drummer. Doing so makes no sense. Either you mic up the whole band or you mic up no one. Anything in between is illogical. In the real world you are likely to get the best sound   balance between all the bands players by pushing the amp to about 40 watts.
A 60 watt speaker is likely to survive a 100 watt amp that is only pushing 40 watts to balance with the Bass player & Drummer. 
It will have to work harder which in fact will make it sound better.

It is nice to note in 'Dave's' home made video that he
said he can not get the level past 3 with the knob.
Of course 2 speakers can increase the perceived level 
so a single12" may need more level hence more wattage.
That can overheat the coils. But I expect not.
I will let you know. LOL

You can make your own cabinet or buy a used or empty one

D.I.Y.

I am going to build an  open back pinewood cabinet. 
It will be very light ...less then 8 pounds loaded.
That's about the weight of your guitar.
Approximately 16"(wide)  16"(high)  & 8"(deep)
this only leaves just over an inch around the speaker.
I will build the baffle board first to properly fit the speaker then
I will buy standard lumber store pine board sizes that fit the closest.

I always design my projects so I can get the wood precut from the
store. I bring it  home with a few bits of hardware and glue.
It gets assembled like it is an Ikea product. LOL
I do not need any serious tools.
A used old $10.00 drill and an all in one screwdriver.
and it comes off looking pro.







The speaker can be protected by a 12 inch speaker grill. Less then $10.00 USD from car stereo suppliers.
It looks pro and requires no more building. 


2 hardware chest handles one on each side are perfect for moving your cab.

They are less then $10.00 a pair and fit the ascetic. .

Here is the real world chart for your pine.
My guess is 10"deep ....so maybe 9 1/4" will squeak by...11 1/4 should definitely work

Having just visited the lumber store with my tape measure in hand I feel the 10'x3/4" will do the job. Of course in the real world that came out as
9 1/8" x 3/4. 
I plan to use 1" 'door stop' pine to  
act as a guide to butt my baffle against. It will be level with the outside edge of the box. This will make the edges of the board thicker. Cosmetically the boxes 
sides will appear more substantial. It will offer more protection against bumps and dings. I will also put flat L shaped hardware on the front and back corners.
    
If I use 1 1/2" x 3/4 for the frame/baffle and make 2 sides 14 1/8" and the bottom and top 15 1/8"...the inside of the box will be 14 1/8"x 14 1/8" this will make the space inside the frame 11 1/8....the plans say 11.1"

I will give you measurements when I make mine.I will let you know about any bits and pieces you
need. 

LET'S GET CREATIVE

I am going to attempt to actually attach the speaker to a square frame. attaching it in 4 places is easy. But will I may need 8 screws to do the job right? How will I deal with ever triangle gap in each corner. ..
I have no idea how big the gap is. If it is small enough maybe there isn't a problem.

Because it is an open back cabinet any gaps caused by this method will be irrelevant.We are not dealing with sealed box.


Drill a hole on the board covering the bottom half of the open back.
Mount a wall light switch blank panel,on the inside and drill out a hole for the female jack that is attached to the speaker terminals.



OK folks I built the thing and it seems to work really well...4 screws work fine even though the triangular gaps created by only using a simple frame are a bit big.
I will get some pics made and do a rewrite. Most of what i wrote is relevant. But the cab is wider then I planned but has a lot less depth. This is quite simply down to whats available in your average Home Depot to build it.  bUT ...this is the most accessible place for thousands to buy ...plus they have some cool stuff to make it look reasonably cool. It is matter of using hardware made for things the home buyer would never look for as it is not relevant to their project ...nor would it occur to the staff it could work.

OK FOLKS MUGGINS HERE HAS DECIDED TO BE THE FALL GUY!!!

I WILL GET THE AMP 1

BUT I GET THE BRAGGING RIGHTS

LOL ....I AM STILL KING OF THE PEDALS  !!!

I put a bid on Reverb for one from Briton. I should know tomorrow.
The bid was accepted but they had to give me a 'rain check' on the pedal.
I also am trying to get them to ship by mail. It is at least a third cheaper then FED EX and UPS.

While I am waiting I will build a micro open back speaker cab.

XVIVE THOMAS BLUG GOLDEN BROWNIE

Check it out it is in the Post
SO LET"S BUY AN OVERDRIVE

because it is only $45.00 USD

I have one. The sound is so good I am left to wonder how tube like the AMP 1 is because
on video it will most certainly sound as good as
this pedal.
To be honest if it is just most of the way there
in fooling my experience playing it I will
be happy with even that trade off.

You fortunately can wait for MY real world review..

OK...my amp arrived today from the U.K.

 I was very surprised by the fit and finish and the overall look.

It does not transfer to a photo well... your average PC or smart phone makes the thing look like a Roland/Boss silver grey plastic drum machine. LOL

In truth it is made of a very stout metal with a textured pebbled finish. The switches and knobs etc. are all firm and move well.

 It looks more like something made by Porsche then Roland.

Very Impressive!!!

Ok...I am about 75% thru making my speaker cab for it. So you may have to wait a week before I 

give you a hands on report,

WOAH !!!

I just finished my speaker cab. I did the pedal thing everything at 12 o'clock ...the mistake was the AMPS VOLUME WAS ON 5 !!!!

I hit a chord. IT FELT LIKE I GOT HIT BY A TRUCK!!!

DAY1

FIRST IMPRESSION?  The amp is F__k ing loud! REALLY LOUD !!!!!!!!

It definitely is tube like. One chord and you can feel the thump ...that you get from a tube amp.

The speaker? Ballsy!!! the highs are so clean but nor strident. The lows are as solid as concrete.

So it is late. Fate gave me nasty cold. I do not have my board...only my Tele.I have not read the manual.

In short I am not prepared to do anything sensible. I have the weekend in 2 days. Perhaps I can lay down a decent basic sound for the board. i will most certainly spend a couple of hours a night next week to get to know the thing.

So ...what do I know. The thing is loud...the noise floor is there but by tube amp standards it is very very low. I think the speaker will allow me to get nice highs and a very solid low end. There is nothing that makes all dirt pedals move up the 'WOW' ladder like a solid low end.

DAY2

Ok I have a cold so I took a day off
.

I took a bit of time out to get 2 workable sounds for my board.

The clean is great as is. One thing that is evident..other reviewers say it is a Fender sound . WRONG! 

It is a VOX AC30 sound.

It makes sensense the whole pedal is voiced from the get go around a Marshall 100 watt 68 Plexi.
The Vox uses the same tubes as a Marshall. When they designed it the amp of choice for pro';s was Fender. They thought if they used the cheaper EL34 or EL84 tubes and they scooped the sound it would pass for the Fender 6L6 or 6C6 tubes. It doesn't!  lol
They ended up with a unique amp. What morons. LOL 


Ok sound 2 is a clean Plexi sound.
In this case a Marshall 100watt 68 Plexi.

As far as I am concerned this is a bullet proof choice. It is the hugest identifiable sound possible.

You can add pedals to this without destroying it. This is because even Marhall were aware tweaking the sound endlessly was the best way to start on all additional models they designed.. lol
So you simply take the VINTAGE voicing and back off the gain to just before breakup.

JOB DONE. I will let you know how it works out.

right now it is off to bed to nurse my cold.

WEEKS LATER

AWESOME ...BEST SOUND I EVER HAD ...EXCEPT FOR MY MARTIN GOING THRU THE CLEAN CHANNEL ...I HAVE THE PLEXI VOICE SET TO A FANTASTICALLY BEAUTIFUL HUGE LIGHT CRUNCH...every dirt pedal stacks onto it...and all my dirt pedals sound spine tinglingly exquisite.

NO ONE BUYS THIS PEDAL WITHOUT SOME MAJOR INTREPIDATION....THE RESISTANCE TO IT IS THE SHOCK OF THE NEW...I FEEL LIKE THE ONLY GUY WITH A CAR WHEN EVERYONE INCLUDING YOU>>>GET AROUND ON A HORSE...
NOT ONLY THAT>> THIS CAR I HAVE IS A TESLA!!!