GUITAR- ... the big fish that got away!!!

A truly unique and great sounding guitar Made both in the U.S. & Germany

GODIN RADIATOR
1999 to 2013
the body is made from triple A hand select silver maple with a Canadian hard rock maple neck
The Godin PU's sound like Rickenbacker toasters PU's
...yet they still have the low end of a Gibson PAF.
even something written for an acoustic works great...
throw on a dirt pedal and it has a near hummie like sound.

Too many players listened to this guitar with their eyes so it is gone.

 If they plugged one in and actually heard it
this crazy looking thing might be blowing a few LP's, Tele's and Strats off the stage.

Good news ....about $280.00 USD used is typical

I stumbled onto the Godin Radiator. I always had a thing for a good looking Retro...as cool as they looked most do not have a great sound. This is a BIG exception.
When I buy a guitar 99% of the time I change one or all the PU's. Not only that but nearly always after having it for less than a week.
This guitar's PU's 'ain't broke' ... so they don't need fixing.

BUT...if you do you can with surprisingly amazing results. More on this later.

The guitar came in 8 different colours over the years and offered both a maple or rosewood fretboard. The one in the pic is in  Pace Car Blue.

EUREKA!
 I found one in good condition on Kijiji. A  few small scrapes one slightly scratchy pot and one pot with the tiny nut and washer missing nothing crucial.
It is in black. I love the colours but fate sent me a black one. The black has that classic contrast with the white pickguard giving it's crazy pickguard an air of dignity . Yes a guitar wearing a tux. 

I wrote to Godin with my S/N. In just a day they got back to me. Apparently I have a 1999 Radiator.
How cool is that? The year it was introduced.

THE BUILD

... mine has the maple  fingerboard...I am totally pleased with the flare it adds and it seems somehow it turns the fun toy look of it into a serious looking tool. 
I already have a sonic blue, a daphne blue, a yellow and orange guitars. 
Odd as it seems black is a real novelty for me.

I had not had a chance to plug it in the day I got it as I was far from my amp.
I found myself at 2am not only playing it but composing a new tune. Bonus! It's acoustic properties are so strong it sounds good even acoustically. 

the classic that put Godin on the map

The Inside of the Radiator is majorly hollowed out. This uses the pick guard to act as the top of a semi acoustic. Traditionally this seems childishly stupid. 
BUT!!! Keeping in mind Godin got into the very top of the heap of  acoustic electric guitars that sound surprisingly good but would NOT feedback like nearly all others do that you find them useless in a Rock band live.
They seem to have nailed it again with the Radiator. 
The chamber keeps the profoundly heavy solid maple body a manageable weight. BUT...it is transparently obvious by the exquisite tone of this guitar that
played without even plugging it in sounds stunning. The huge pickguard is a big part of the the genius of this design. It has become the 'spruce top' of this 
beautiful sounding instrument.


IS IT NEARLY A REISSUE?
MAGNATONE MKII & MKIII

I have read up on many, many classic retro electric guitars. In general most were made in or near Chicago.
The Magnatones however were made during mainly the 50's in Los Angeles.
I missed this one. I always new about Magnatone amps as they were famous for their amp tremolo.
They have recently been reproduced.
But they made a few guitars too.
The 1956 MKII single PU and the MKIII dual PU

They were designed by Paul Bigsby famous for the Bigsby vibrato.

The obvious point is the Radiator has a grandfather. LOL

THE BIG PROBLEM
I feel that Godin just do not know how to market. This guitar was bought by fans of  retro looking guitars. 
Players that are 'tone crazy' would never pull it off the wall of their fav guitar store completely missed out on an amazing sounding low priced gem!!!
Godin does not seem to have had a plan to wise them up.

Note: readers that are dying of curiosity should get out there and dig up a used one to check out.
I have 45,000 viewers that may be reading this right now. trust me...this sucker's used price is less then $300.00 USD. Cheaper than a lot of good pedals. I predict the price will one day go thru the roof.

Best Vid for dirt sounds

Best Vid for clean sounds 

Good Vid for fusion type sounds

OK I've digressed yet again.
back to 

THE BUILD
The headstock is a deliberate knock off of a PRS aproach. This design is the only 3 aside tuner layout that keeps your guitar in tune as good as ol' Leo's 6 inline. The body has a tummy cut and the shape and weight facilitates an excellent balance. The 'D' shaped and ...24 3/4 classic Gibson style neck is a bullet proof winner perhaps even to a young shredder.  The neck feels perfect. Even though it is quite shallow thru like a Metal players neck it somehow has a medium type feel.
So in short the whole guitar is a total mind blower.

THE TRADITIONALIST 
It doesn't take much to turn this gem into the GIBSON that was never made
with the dead on Gibson shape and length of the neck and a near ES335 hollow body slap in your fav PAF's and be prepared for the shock of your life
perhaps you will be thinking "why in the F. didn't Gibson make this?"

All GODIN guitars have fit and finish specs equal to or better then a Fender made in the USA
So if you see yourself as a Gibson or Fender guy then grabbing one and dropping in the appropriate 'ENGINE'
Which in this case are couple of Duncan's hummies, Tele or Strat PU's gets you a 'serious' guitar for small change!!!

SUMMERY

 NOT made in Asia but used it sells as cheap as a Chinese entry level guitar and plays and ...sounds stunning. Not to mention you get high end components..grade 'A' woods...a fit and finish as good as a new Tele pro. Just that simple and you get a true pro guitar.
Then later if you wish you can spend a couple of hundred more and you get a star rookie just by swapping out pickups for some Fender or Gibson.

KNOCK ...KNOCK...the lights are on but is there is anyone home ????
Only the wealthy or very stupid would not want to give this guitar a test drive.

SOOO...you are neither wealthy or stupid!
...hence I expect hundreds of readers to find one and quite frankly STEAL it from their owner

THINGS TO KNOW AS THE BUYER
-the first two digits in the S/N tell you the year it was made.
-a sunny yellow model made only in 1999 is the rarest. It is not hard to figure the yellow        is the most valuable.
-the first group of new buyers searching for this guitar are recording studio's. When they get stuck trying to get a good or a fresh tone that sits beautifully in a mix this sucker is a saviour. Not only that everyone handed the guitar never finds it difficult to adapt to the neck.

  I have 6 guitars ...with 25 1/2" ...24 3/4" and even a 24" neck...and this is the easiest neck to play.I just picked up the guitar and played for a few hours. it did not occur to me until later just how good that necked felt. I have since did a shoot out with all my guitars.
My 59 Les Paul reissue with a Duncan 'Pearly Gates' sounded best. 
My 59 LP winning best sound award? It did...but if I read that in another guys review I would want to throw a pie in his face. LOL
The 'RAD' was just as fat and had the best neck.

After a few weeks of using this guitar on the typical tunes I write with clean sounding verses and chorus I find that I am just using the Neck pickup. I also find that like all my tunes the intro and various bridges etc use a lot of medium gain OD. They sound best with a hummie driving them. So I will put a hummie in the the bridge postion. 
I found a new one I would like to try. 
The Seymour Duncan Pegasus
...they call it a Progressive Metal pick up. It is definitely a hot hummie ...but it looks like a PAF and still has those rich PAF harmonics. It has an output that is dead on to the middle point between an average PAF and a high gain Metal PU. It sounds perfect! 

See You In the Funny Papers LOL

HARMONIZER- T C ELECTRONIC Quintessence....this 'NEW' pedal is a game changer!!!

$150.00 USD

  TC ELECTRONIC QUINTESSENCE HARMONIZER  

This pedal came out Thursday 9/28/17.
Yesterday...it don't get more newer then that!!!

So what's the big deal. Harmonizing pedals have been around for years.
Not this one.
It harmonizes in an actual Scale.
Up until now all other pedals did  parallel
harmony's only.
In short every note you played was treated as the tonic or your root note. If you played a G note you have a 4th to the G but if you moved then to an A which is the 2nd...the pedal treated the note as if you were playing in A and gave you the 4th to that A.
So it gave you a very limited use of the pedal.

The sound of the unit is excellent. Considering the tech the price is cheap.

 

 I ordered one. It may take months to get. lol The first few months they make them go out to key countries and key stores. Then after a month or so all the video reviewers have them and the backorders build. I do have an inside track but that but I will still have a long wait.

10/18/2017 
I got word that I am now top of the short list.


TIME TO BRAG!!!
I just want to mention that as usual I have the FIST REVIEW...
Nothing worse then buying a pedal only to find out you could have got a better pedal only because you stumbled on it a few weeks later.
SO I GO OUT OF MY WAY EVERY WEEK TO MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT GET SCREWED!!!
Please give your friend s a heads up about SBS. We are all in this together!!!



OK I JUST GOT MINE 
I will need a bit of time with it.
After an hour with it I can definitely see the potential.
As with Octave pedals the 'voicing' is made by reading your guitars notes and converting them into  a different pitch. One thing none can do is convert the added notes into the sound 'your guitar'.
So I find the artificial sound adequate but not stellar.
Fortunately the brand is very popular so your local Bricks & Mortar store should soon have one to check out.

As for me I did not expect better nor worse as it not so different then their octave pedals.
So this is definitely a keeper.

DELAY-NU-X ...Tape Core Deluxe...a big league delay for an entry level price!!!

  NU-X TAPE CORE DELUXE  

$100.00 USD

I have owned a few NU-X digital pedals and without a doubt the sound quality is in the T.C. Electronics league. In short this Chinese company makes a totally pro product.
My only beef has been they sometimes miss features that are critical to modern use of the pedal ...like a tap function on their delays

This time they really out did themselves. 

Their digital interpretation of the old Roland Space Echo 201 is bang on.
Yes ...they do have the tap function. What is really cool is that you can insert an expression pedal into the box and you can do twists and turns with the delay speeds. It is effective enough to turn heads!!!

A convenient thing about tape delay is that real tape has a limited dynamic range and limited head room. You do not need a cutting edge chip to reproduce it accurately.  Even a 3rd generation chip could pull off a stellar job. That is not to say they do not use quality parts.
Keep in mind the much heralded Strymon delay was built on cutting edge parts but know those parts have now been superseded by one or 2 generations.
Two generations is like the difference between the very recent new iPhone and the very first iPhone!

NOTE-
Recently Strymon lowered their price because the Empress Echo System uses cutting edge parts and is blowing them out of the water sonically and eating away at their sales.
For now the Strymon BRAND ...is still 'the' BRAND to get so this is either a good move to shore up public relations or it is a state of panic. lol

In short the NU-X Tape Core Deluxe pedal easily competes with the BIG GUYS.
for fit, finish and sonic quality A Tape sound is always full and richer sounding then the straight digital sound of a pedal at the same price. 
In short a hundred dollar tape pedal could sound totally high end pro... but a straight digital pedal at that price WILL NOT!!!

I have a state of the art EMPRESS EchoSystems dual Engine Delay. If I were on a budget I would pounce on this product. You get to run in the big leagues for under $100.00 USD.
well made ...totally big pro sound!!!

As usual the stores on AliExpress offer free shipping and that means mailing it. In most countries the mail service is not set up to collect duties and taxes on small packages as 99% of them contain products of such low value it would cost more in time and labour to do so then the product is worth.
It would also grind the mail service to a halt. This would enrage both Big Business and the public as well. In short the government just bites the bullet!!!

You may wait weeks to get product from China but the savings can be substantial.
Your pedal in this case would be $100.00 USD right to your door.

CONCLUSION
As for getting yourself  a great delay for limited funds.
It is a no brainer!

OVERDRIVE- MAD PROFESOR Stone Grey Distortion

 MAD PROFESSOR STONE GREY DISTORTION 

$170.00 USD

Mad Professional from Finland has been around for years  making dirt boxes and an array of other boxes,
They have 12 on offer right now.
I have heard them all. Some of their more creative ones to my mind achieved their goal but they sounded artificial. In short ...not very tube like.
I have found that usually someone else usually does it better and some are cheaper.
They make handmade pieces, but the more popular ones are offered as cheaper manufactured ones.
This one however caught my attention. The Stone Grey has been around since 2011. It is high gain OD but it keeps an astonishingly clear and defined voice no matter how hard you hit it.
The attack is never muddied or rounded but comes down like an axe,

New they are $170.00 USD but there are usually a few used ones on-line.

Conclusion
You give up a little warmth but you get a sound with clarity and better still balz!

Not my first choice.
It reminds me of a Pal 800 but with a lot of grit. The Pal 800 is not only tube like it sounds identical to a Marshall JC 800 amp!!!

The Stone Grey is a very excellent sounding pedal regardless.

FUZZ- ANANASHEAD EFFECTS Superfuzz V2...I have a v.1...and I absolutely love it...BUT this is to die for!!!

  ANANASHEAD SUPERFUZZ V2                         

$130.00 USD

I have the v.1. It is such a great Fuzz that in no time I dumped a $400.00 USD Fuzz that I soon found that I never used any more!!!

READ the POST
UNIVOX SUPER-FUZZ ...IS THERE A PERFECT CLONE

It is hand made by Pedro Garcia. Trust me. no one on the globe knows more about vintage pedals then Pedro.
What is even cooler he lets you buy a perfect clone.
He also has a reputation of making a second modded clone
that gives you a lot more WITHOUT F_ _KING UP the original tone.

I PICKED THIS VIDEO BECAUSE IT SHOWS YOU THE SOUNDS I USE

 ...On a chorus on many of my tunes in a trio format I not only need a powerful power chord

backing for the vocals. I need an absolutely crushing tone!!!!

Trust me this is fatter then every pedal I tried even those with a sub octave!!!

OK LISTEN ONCE FOR THE POWER!!!

NOW LISTEN TO IT AGAIN....THE TONE HAS A BIG HOLLOW CENTER THAT

LETS YOU DRIVE IT HARD BEHIND A VOCAL AND YET YOU CAN STILL HEAR THE WORDS!!!!

  DANGER STAND BACK  

   I would call this pedal the Orange Chrusher!!!!!   

Check out the v.1 with v.2

It sounds exactly the same but TWICE AS FAT!!!!

CONCLUSION

If you have to think about it and love a good Fuzz pedal!!!
THEN WHAT THE F_ _K IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!! LOL LOL LOL
at least buy the $85.00 USD v.1...but if I were in your shoes I would just have to get the V2

AT $130.00 USD it is a steal!!!


It is 3 weeks later from when I wrote the above.
OK GUYS...this pedal is now selling big time. If you want one now is the time to order before the wait gets stupid! 

10/14/2017
It is now a few weeks later ...get your name on the list NOW!!! or you will have long wait!
Guys who have their's are showing their friends
need I say what happens once they do???

REVERB PHRASE LOOPER- SHIFT LINE Freeze....eternal and micro sampling reverb....cool! easy to use! reasonable price

  SHIFT LINE FREEZE Micro Sampling with Reverb  

There are a lot of interesting Reverb pedals that feature ethereal sounds.

$179.00 USD free shipping incl. from Shift-Line

They are hard not to like but on application are very limited. The Neunaber Immerse does a great job of this but it also gives a nice selection of reverbs that fit into the average Pop/rock song structure.

Shift Line are a Russian company that also make other reverbs ...the focus is on the unusual. They started life doing preamps which personally I found were both pedestrian and drab.

I said 'unusual' and this is definitely different.
It works like this ...you can hit a power chord or a  few notes ...perhaps maybe an arpeggiated chord and it will play that short phrase to infinity along with a dramatic wash of reverb.
It will then accompany you as you play over it.
Instant accompaniment.
You can 'tap' in a cord change then carry on. Yes Yes...it is a kind of phrase loop pedal.

The difference is the spacey reverb and the ease of use.

The simplicity and the price make it attractive.

  

It could be effective to use in a band with 2 players especially if the band does not use a keyboard player for pads or to give a lush background against another player knocking out power chords over it. This combination would really increase the dramatic effect.

WHO MADE YOUR 'BRAND NAME' GUITAR??? maybe not who you think???

READ ME!!!
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW

I have mentioned all this myself but it is in many different Posts.
Kudos to Philip McKnight for putting this all together in this one video.

I will mention as a rule that Korean WMI made guitars are as close as you get for best value for your buck!! I have an AIRLINE Harmony H88 Stratotone Doublet that the fit and finish is stellar. The neck is as true as a plate of glass. I put a Duncan PAF in it and the damn thing sounds like my Les Paul...the only difference is the WMI has MORE SUSTAIN!!! It is my favorite guitar!

The other bargain are the MIM Fenders... the only thing to change on them is the PU's which half of you do to any guitar.
The bridge is a cheapie too....which will give you a teeny bit less tone and sustain. But considering how little most better bridges change the sound it is a luxury.
Fender upgraded the quality of MIM guitars big time because they make so much more profit from them. I know this sounds counter intuitive ....BUT ....the rumour is that they will keep pricing the MIA guitars so expensive that one day they will only make the Fender Custom Shop guitars in America ...complaining all other MIA are discontinued because they are too expensive to make which they can not help. BOO HOO! They will tell you that you guys are not buying them so all but the Custom shop are history. They will tell us MIM are terrific so cheer up.
After that ....most of you will buy MIM guitars. Yes they will be well made. But they will soon creep up in price because it is the best you can afford.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

MIM guitars use grade A wood ...high tech CMC computerized machines and one guy out of 3 guys that work on the guitars ....ARE PLAYER THEMSELVES!!! That is at least 3 times more then any brand in any country.
When a player grabs a guitar they notice all the little things that when the guitar is finished the customer has to live with...and it is a big drag because they are often easy and quick fixes or adjustments
I pulled a Duo sonic off the wall that had an action as good as my Strat Custom Shop...I paid $150.00 USD to get the Strat  that good. Why?  Because players give a Sh@t  ...that's why!

The hardware is Korean. The pickups are equivalent to American made in the build quality it is just that they use cheaper ceramic magnets...the American Fenders use alnico. The saving is less then $15.00 a PU. A good Strat vintage alnico PU is about $20.00 USD. retail.

I recently tried the new MIM Mustangs and Duo Sonics... the quality of build is a hairs breadth away from any Fender Custom Shop guitar.
NO SH@T!!!!
I ordered one... they blew my mind!!!

GUITAR BRANDS- WHO MAKES WHO!!!

TREBLE BOOSTER- Ananashead's VOX 806 ...1966 reproduction....the sound of Roger Mcguinn and Tom Petty

 ANANASHEAD'S-VOX V806  1966 TREBLE BOOSTER 

The original V806 plugged right into the amp.

This is Tom Petty and Roger Mcguinn's secret
weapon. It is how they get all that 'jangle' from
their Rickenbacher.
It sells on line used for up to $500.00 USD and is hard to find.
NO ONE MAKES A CLONE!!!


But our buddy Pedro Garcia over at Ananashead ....the maestro of the perfect reproduction pedals does custom work.
Soooo I had him make me one.
When it arrives I will do the whole review.
Right now we have the pics.
There is a vid of the original. Check it out.

Check out the point to point hand wiring! >>>

I can not wait to try it!!!

Pedro? This guy is all about making the very best pedals he possibly can. If only a few guys need a pedal he keeps it stripped down to a plain box so
he can afford the time it takes to wire it by hand.
No one who needs a sound that no one makes any more goes without.
So don't blow off your foot. One day you just might need him. I do!!!

Built in a sensible mini pedal.

TOM PETTY 1950 to 2017

...sad ...in fact for me a total bummer
a guy who never cared about fame or fortune just the music
a total F. ing bummer

_____

MY HANDS ON REVIEW

So I have had my pedal for a few weeks.

So let me give you the details.
It is noticeably better than the EH Screaming Tree ...the EH is harsh and the Vox is beautiful and sweet. They equally hit the right spot for my 12 string pedal and my Strat to work together ...but the 'sweet' vibe of the vox makes a lot of difference.
One unexpected thing I found if I do a lead on the Strat with a medium gain Plexi on I get a very passable Brian May/Queen sound.
How cool is that!!!

WOW! ...and I have the only one in the world! 

UPDATE MARCH ...the dating on the schematic is old enough to look authentic but it is not have info on it tying it into VOX. Pedro finally got another schematic and a picture of the circuit of the pedal. One of the parts of my pedal is NOT authentic. Not only will this be corrected Pedro has accumulated the new old stock part. Waiting is wise!!! lol

THE GOOD NEWS ...THE BAD NEWS ...THE NEW NEWS!!!!

I have been bombarded by inquiries of how to get one.The problem is PRICE! Pedro likes to keep them low.

3 cheers for Pedro.

 BUT making things by hand takes hours of detailed work and even worse in this case the right parts are not cheap. The sweetness in the sound is requires the  EXACT PARTS. Electro-Harmonix is the only alternative...and mines for sale.

So the costs at this point dictate selling it for $150.00 USD but Pedro feels this is out of reach for some of you guys that really need one.

Pedro makes a living ...BUT JUST!!!

He is very sensitive to you guys that you too do not have a penny to waste!!! So keep in mind this is a stellar pedal that can turn your guitar into a stunning alternative to a great substitute for an acoustic or turn your OD into Brian May type sound using the guitar and amp you already own!

SO HANG IN JUST A BIT LONGER ...He is busting his butt to finding a parts supplier that will do him a deal.

ONE THING I KNOW FOR SURE ...WHEN PEDRO MAKES A PEDAL IT IS THE SONIC EQUIVALENT TO AN AUDIO OIL PAINTING NOT LIKE THE BIG BOYS WHO GIVE YOU A SONIC PHOTOGRAPH

IF YOU FIND A SONIC PHOTOGRAPH IS GOOD ENOUGH ...THEN MOVE ON

BUT YOU DO NOT! ...DO YOU?

_________________________________________________________________

THE SUPER FUZZ


One last thing I discovered Ananashead when I went searching for a clone of Townsends Live at Leeds pedal... the UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ.
There are many but the Ananashead stood out big time. This classic fuzz has a lot of unruly rough edges. Details details. All the other pedals smoothed out what they thought were bugs in the pedal.
WRONG!!!!
All but ...you guessed it. After I got my pedal it I found it sooooo good that I found a few months later I was never using a 'famous fuzz that I paid $400.00 for. Yes it took an exit on Reverb.LOL

So check out the post. If you like a fuzz AND DON'T BUY THIS...all I can say is....WHAT THE F@CK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! ....LOL LOL LOL
At $85.00 USD... what have you got to loose!!!!

There is now a Deluxe SUPER FUZZ V2

I will have to review this one.  If it is anything like the New Sustainer Civil War....it should be scary!!! At $130.00 USD... still Supercheap!!

SEE THE NEW POST!      FUZZ- ANANASHEAD SUPERFUZZ V2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check out the Post for the.........ANANASHEAD

SUSTAINER CIVIL WAR
Sovtek Muff

OVERDRIVE-CMAT MODS Brownie ...an old school Plexi with a massive raw low end !!!

 CMAT MODS BROWNIE 

$135.00 USD

A small one man outfit?  Chad Mathews comes across as a really enthusiastic old school.
Odd name as his work reminds me as early Mike Matthews.
Tinker with it until it works. The results are he makes nothing truly new.
It is not a meticulously refined effort.
I love those ....but Hey! they are often $300 plus and they do not always hit the emotions like a pedal built to do just and perhap and only that.

His Brownie like many is not even close ...OR IS IT?
nor are the other 10 pedals out there close.
I believe there are at least 3 pedals with that name and others with a word added.
It however definitely bears comparison with the
M.I.Crunch Box.

So what do we get? I think one of the best Plexi type pedals for a low end that is bigger then a Russian Fuzz!
with a great attack.
I love this pedal!!!!
In my opinion it can eat a OCD and it is in the same price range.

This simple Vid gets right to the point. SOUND not VISUALS!!
Others have much too much
Shredding... nice enough playing ...but I came to hear a pedal not a player.
Yes if love this ...then you love the pedal. Done!

For me the best sound I heard was when the Level is Set at Unity Gain ...the Gain set full and the tone at 1 o'clock. The first vid around about 4:08 on.

2 EARLY EVH LIVE RECORDINGS

THAT HAVE NO POST PRODUCTION

TO CHANGE WHAT THE REAL TONE IS.

I couldn't resist the last 2 recordings. No I am not making fun of the guy.

If you could stand in front of the stage in a small club this is the sound 

you would hear. 

To be honest find a pedal that someone says is a EVH sound and I will find a vid to match.

So the C-MAT played at your band's rehearsal and this vid will sound damn close.
on the last vid you will note that there is very noticeable and course low end
only the CMat has caught this in there sound you can hear that in the comparison video.

BESTCOVERY gave the Brownie  a Best for the Van Halen tone.

They also gave a Best to Hamilton Beech for their coffee maker.

HEY! you can't make this sh_t up!!!

CONCLUSION
OK what we get here is yet another take on the M.I. CRUNCH BOX
the CRUNCH BOX is the Big Muff of high gain OD's every maker thinks he has a better one!!!

So is it better???
Is the Angry Charlie better???
What about the Joyo,Caline and Mogoo chinese knock-offs???
I would sneak in the NUX Brownie too.
Newer pedals that have a very similar sound tend to have a 'modern' tight low end.
A Crunch pedal I feel is all about the raw tube amp distortion of a stock classic Marshall amp.
The EVH club recordings are all about just that.

None are better! Or are they? lol
I just listen to them all again.

BUT ...the CMATMODS Brownie has a very nice raw edge and very detailed overtones.
and at the price of $135.00 USD ( the M.I. Crunch Box is $140.USD) 
It is an exceptional pedal that holds it's own.
No matter how derivative it is impossible not to like this pedal.

I have listened to this pedal now for weeks. I really do like it better then the M.I. Crunch Box
By inventing the Crunch I have to give M.I. a 10 out of 10! 
BUT! I give the Brownie a 12...lol 

So having spent some time with the 'Crunch' and getting the tone optimized . BIG SURPRISE even at very low volumes you can get this sucker to leap into a great soaring yet easy to control feedback. The only pedal that comes close is the responce of the Friedman BE-OD!

IF THE 'BROWNIE' CAN PULL OFF THE SAME THIS COULD BE THE 'GO TO' PEDAL FOR THE SHREDDER IN US ALL

Check out this video. First ignore the Amptweaker... it sounds big but it totally sucks non of the Amptweaker pedals have any response I ended up having mine for only a few weeks ...expensive mistake. It just lays there it has zero dynamics. All the others are worthy choices.

NOTE:

FIRST .......pay attention to the low end of the CMATMODS. Listen to that                           ripping huge growl. Compare it to the EVH vids.
SECOND ...listen to how beautifully it lays in the mix with the bass & drums.
THIRD.......it is the cheapest. 

Mad Professor 1............ $220.00 USD (defunct)
CMAT MODS Brownie .... $135.00 USD
M.I. Super Crunch Box... $180.00 USD
Solid Gold Super Drive... $250.00 USD
Amptweaker Tight Rock.. $210.00 USD
Wampler Pinnacle.......... $200.00 USD

After Thought
XVIVE Golden Brownie
-Thomas Blug's take on a Brownie nails the overproduced
 sounds of much of the recordings
 At around $60.00 USD it is a nice pedal to have.
check my Post


Dec 12/17

So having know having had the pedal for some time.
I was trouble with why it is sooo close to be as good or better then pedals costing a hundred dollars more. What was missing?
The 'better pedals seem to have just bit more ...edge, depth heasroom and dynamics. In short they just sparkle!!!
The pedal can run on a current as high as 18v. Other pedals I tried with this feature seem to loose their character over the 9v sound...and worse still they doubled the noise floor. But I gave it a shot.
WOW!!!
What a difference the dynamics and headroom are incredible.
At 18v this is a totally different pedal!!!!


                                                             ************

WHO READS SBS???

                  WELCOME ALL!!!                         

Whoa!!! there are a lot of you guys 45,000 plus and every week more...
Some of you know I started this Blog just before Xmas 2015. I had some time on my hands and thought I would run a Blog about affordable pro pedals ...especially young guys at school or with low paying day jobs.
I thought I could let a few guys know they could buy clones from China that were well made some with German, American and Japanese parts. In fact the only thing not a part for part was the box that held it! Every time I finished a post I published it. Half way thru the first day it went viral. So I said to myself. "What the F_ _K ....!!!

So I went thru 200 pedals in a few months. I was running out...no maker puts new product out if the old stuff is selling.
Then I thought ...who doesn't want to see the very, very, best of the very best pedals. to compare against the entry level Pro. Or why not just to dream of having.
The Blog went viral Big Time! Again!

So needless to say my few hours that Xmas has turned into a minimum of 20 plus hours a week.
I too have a day job. A 10 hour a day heavy construction work. I too have a band.
My average sleep is 5 hour a night!
I am slim and trim slightly muscular and I just turned 50. I get compliments on my youthful look
and since I live in the present and am only really interested in what's new ...this completes the picture.
Anyhow people that know or have met me assure me that this is my true look and image.
I agree. lol and ...it is all definitely true.
EXCEPT I am 70!!!! LOL

I saw Hendrix live twice. I saw Cream and Eric let me play his single PU explorer for about a half hour.
I saw King Crimson blow Queen off the stage!!!! No sh_ _t!!! I bought a Plexi in mint shape for $350.00 for the half stack ....after all it was just a commonplace used amp. LOL. I once owned and then sold a 50's gold top LP a 50's black beauty with gold hardware LP Custom with PAF's, an original Flying V...a non reverse Explorer...a 63 Strat, a first year SG in cherry ,and a red 59 ... ES 335. Usually I owned 2 guitars at a time
My first Fuzz was in 67 a Gibson Maestro Fuzz Tone. The very first Fuzz on the market. I may have been the first guy to mod a pedal. The output was hardwired to the phone plug.... I had it removed and a phone jack put in by a TV repair man. Music store did not do mods. I think all the companies after that saw my mod and copied me. LOL
 My second dirt box was from a new company Electro-Harmonix I bought a thing called a Big Muff. lol Now called the Ram's Head
'


So...where do you all come from ....All 45,000 of you!

READ ABOUT YOURSELF...this is just a sprinkle of the very cool Sh@t being made right there
in your own country

1. USA
Most are from good ol' USA   glad to see you guys!

If you have not checked out the Lawrence Petross design LPD SIXTY 8 Plexi
you should be spanked!!!
One of America's best designers. Period. This pedal is so good to tell you will sound like the biggest load of hyped up BS that you could not in your right mind believe me. But if you do not check it out...you will at best buy something 2nd best!!!

2. RUSSIA...why not...only second to the USA ...Rock musicians are Rock musicians no matter where!
You do not have a lot of pedal makers BUT...those you have are making super quality stuff.
Petr Mogilevsky of Analog Fox built me his Green Muff...it only cost me $85.00 and a 10 day wait and I had it. It blew away my $400.00 Fuzz. It even looks Cool!!!
I am now plagued with wanting an AMT Japanese Girl Wah
..stop making all these great pedals
even with their great prices I have no room on my board!!!!

Petr makes great stuff and he is the nicest guy you could ever meet!!!
look up the word integrity in the Oxford dictionary
where the meaning of the word should be I found this picture!  :-) 

                                                                   

3. CANADA
In third is the home of Aleks K Production...home of the absolute best high gain on the planet!!! Shred king of the world!!!
Aleks K Production's Red Scorpion is twice as fat as the prized Friedman BE-OD....if you think I exaggerate put it beside the Friedman for yourself. It is even fatter then the KHDK Dark Blood Distortion ...and it is a serious Metal pedal!!!
The Empress Echo Systems Digital Delay not only houses 2 delays in it's compact box but the components are all cutting edge spec. NO ONE makes a better delay. No one has specs even close
Not even it's 2 American heavy hitter competitors.
It has been out for just awhile and we know find that Strymon have lowered their prices. LOL

Then France, UK, Germany, Japan, Spain, Brazil and Portugal.
and amazing pedals from them all!


4. JAPAN
Some of Japan's pedals are so good they have been played reproduced and even cloned by others.
No one has a history of endless excellence but it does not come closer then Japans pedal builders.

5. FRANCE
Anasounds Freq Up is the best of their quality pedals. A very pure and simple boost. All controls on their pedals are intuitive. Getting great sounds out of them does not even need a manual to figure it out.
Many of the pedals have an array of trimmers inside to fine tune the pedal to match with the amp you use. You set once and never have to deal with them at every gig. You just use a few knobs to dial in certain sounds you need for a particular tune. With the Freq Up in seconds you can give great clarity to the highs or boost the mids to make even the lamest OD sound huge ...really huge!!!

6. UK
A handful of the very best FUZZ boxes were made here in the 60's that changed the future of the dirt pedal. It was the starting point for a quest for the best Dirt box ever made that could be released this very minute somewhere on this planet.

7. GERMANY
I could write a book on all the great stuff they make. The Bluguitar Amp 1 alone is a stellar achievement. A 2 lb. 'TUBE" amp with 100watts of power. You have to play it to believe it is the real deal!!!

8. SPAIN
The Manlay sound is Mick Ronson sounding Marshall OD. It has 2 preamps in it. One for treble and one for bass. This allows for some deliberate cross modulation. Normally a negative thing ...this is deliberate. You get some scary mids with it! A unique and amazing pedal
.
Now I will remind you of Ananashead....if you are wonder why this is not one of the leading companies in the world for classic pedals ...then so am I. BUT the new SUSTAINER CIVIL WAR MODIFIED SOVTEK FUZZ could soon change all that. You can get the amazing Sovtek Big Muff
sound or modify that sound into a Fuzz that has the sound of tomorrow written all over it.!!

9. BRAZIL
Brazil ...do they make pedals? LOL
At last count they had 96 companies. Hard to believe???
One of the most outstanding is the mind blowing Fire Custom Shop Carpe Diem a huge sounding
sumptuous Plexi pedal. I have one and it is a total killer.

10. NETHERLANDS
Nexi Effects 'Dutch Screamer' effects are among the most unique in the world as they make a pedal board that you can set up their pedals in seconds at every gig with zero hassles or any problems...
add to that they make an array of great sounding classics.

The Dr. No effects have no rivals. The pedals not only sound great they are built to the highest standards.
They have won industry awards against every kind of thing you can think of from tea kettles to pop cans for the BEST Graphic Designs.

 ROAD     RUNNER           

THIS IS THE PLACE FOR ALL THE WORLD'S GUITARISTS....
THE BEST TUNES HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN WRITTEN!
AND THIS IS WHERE TO READ ABOUT THE TOOLS THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU TO WRITE THEM !!!

OVERDRIVE- BOSS Angry Driver JB-2 ...JHS Angry DriverJB-2 ....what the Hell???

BOSS ANGRY DRIVER JB-2   JHS ANGRY DRIVER JB-2 

The Boss...oops! sorry. The JHS ...damn! sorry again
Sorry about that. let me try again. Now the Boss Ang
ah crap...let me figure it out and get back to you tomorrow.


OK
here is the deal BOSS are celebrating 40 years of making pedals.
Unfortunately every small flaw in any new pedal they make gets shouts of.....
"SEE I TOLD YOU THEY MAKE CRAP NOW!!

One of the new kids to join the upper ranks is JHS. One day they will get their ass kicked too. But right now they are walking
amongst the very best.

SO...BOSS went to JHS and said "let's do a pedal together."



So they got together at the BOSS headquarters and tried teaming up several pedals on their short list. They found out that if you put the Boss Blues Drive with the Angry Charlie you have a medium and high gain pedal that match beautifully.
So they tweaked both pedals to run either separately or stacked.
The result is the JB-2.

    OVERVIEW                                                                                                                                        

So I have owned a Blues Drive clone and I have a Charlie.
Both are very good pedals.
You can not put 2 great pedals in one small box with a reasonable price point to sell it at without some compromise. I always prefer ...one sound one box...but a perfect sound.
You will have to decide for yourself.
BUT 3 cheers for the great idea. They should really do an original pedal together.
It will not happen because if it tanked they would both get their reputational butts kicked twice as hard.

OVERDRIVE- Keeley D&M DRIVE ....there is not anything it will not do well....BUT?

 KEELEY D&M DRIVE 

If you are a fan of 'That Pedal Show" you know all about

Dan and Mick.
Keeley built a pedal for them. He must be a big fan because he has picked up on what they both like in an OD.
It is a 'how many Marshall types can we get out of one box?' effort.
He has succeeded in doing a stellar job.
As a tone nut I would not buy one.
BIG BUT!
If I could only afford one pedal I would really have to give this some serious consideration.

CONCLUSION
It does not a ...do one sound 'To Die For' pedal.
If you want that you might end up with 15 pedals or more instead of just this one. LOL

OVERDRIVE- Friedman DIRTY SHIRLEY.......was it worth the wait????

  FRIEDMAN DIRTY SHIRLEY  

$199.00 USD

Friedman brought out the BE-OD overdrive pedal and within a few months it became the #1 in both OD sales and on everyone else's wish list.
It was based off of their best selling amp. The amp is a beefed up Marshall JTM 45.
The JTM 45 is in fact ...a barely tinkered with ...Fender Bassman amp.

Friedman showed off a new pedal at the Winter NAMM in January. The Dirty Shirley. A low to medium gain pedal based
off a their Dirty Shirley small combo.

The point of course is that this has been a long wait to see what this follow up pedal will be.
                                   

SO WHAT DO WE GET?

To my ears it is more Plexi than JTM 45. It has a deep low end and a very fat lower mid range. It does however have a small switch to tighten the lows it seems to move the mids up into a higher range.
The tone is actually quite rich  ...even sumptuous. It is nearly opposite of the BE-OD.
It is very well thought out and it has an excellent sound.
It is fatter then the BE-OD and has a lot of headroom which is evident on the attack ...a near percussive attack with lots of bite.

Well I got one. My initial impression was right.
Both the Shirley and the BE-OD have been designed with a 'expander" circuit which actually slowly raise the level of the note so instead of just an even compression the signal slowly rises in level. This happens naturally if you are playing loud enough to initiate some feedback but it works even when you play quietly. I believe this has been a critical key in both pedals popularity. Yyou feel like the sound is literally taking off !!!  Just plain exciting.!
I soon found I much prefer the Shirley over the BE-OD.
For the BE-OD's extreme settings I have other OD's that do this better...so I am selling the BE-OD.