Since 2015 NEW PEDALS EVERY DAY! Over 3300 REVIEWS!
I use other reviewers vids & then critique from them __ If a pedal appears killer I buy one __ I try it out & update the Post__ If the pedal is SH@T I literally say so!__ I publish the street price a no brainer but few do. __ I save you time finding the best pedals & you get a second opinion. __OVER A MILLION VISTORS__
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Based on the Train Wreck Express amps of the late Ken Fischer who died in 2006 is the TDRIVE. pedal. The amps were single channel low output that were loosely based off of a 59 Marshall Super Lead that could run on either EL84's or 6L6 power tubes.
The amp was actually simplified to make it deliberately unstable so it was always bordering on feedback. Without precise playing and dexterous hand muting it quickly became uncontrollable. It had a massive sound with the harmonics pouring out of the entire mid range.
Thankfully the TDRIVE is not so uncontrollable. It does however break up like an amp on the edge. It gives you that
feeling of needing to hold back hard on the reigns.
A rather impressive dirt box with a lot of variation for a
two knob box.
An unusual OD. First a Brit pedal or classic American OD it ain't!
You can cut all the highs leaving mostly lows and get a nasty growling tone yet there is still a lot of presence that keeps out the mud.
You can take it to the other extreme and get a very chimey Vox like tone.
It has 3 diode selections for 3 very different voicings that have been set to not create a jump in level so if you have nailed your EQ you can leave it alone. Then you have 3 different sounds which is like having 3 different pedals to use instantly at the flick of a switch!
The EQ has an extreme range so it can go from very low thru a variety of mid sweet spots right up to a treble booster type highs.
The pedal is all about an endless variety of spices to change your
sound from sweet to sour or a bitter taste with just small
changes in the settings.
Oh my not much to say. It has a massive low end fat sound with a nice little resonant peak in the upper mids that gives it some definition.
I expect stacking it with an OD or your average classic fuzz would make it even more useful as your riff or solo would be framed with a silly level of low end.
The only downside is it has steep learning curve ...BUT once you master 'THE DREADED BIG KNOB' you will be MASTER of DOOM!!
Mr. Black makes quality pedals that are well made though like this one ...they are often weird ...
but cool! LOL
Well not so advanced ...it has been done before but died because it was usually done poorly or because parametric EQ's scare off 99% of players who find a graphic so easy to use and understand. Let me explain in EQ for dummies (like me) how they work. Think of an amp with the 3 basic tone controls one for bass ...mid and treble. I will use the the letter A to represent them. So we have... A A A nothing turned up A A A ok you can see the bass is turned up
A AA & here It's the mids that are turned up A A A & last it is the treble that is turned up The trouble is all the good stuff happens in the mids. What if your OD sounds great but it isn't fat enough ...do the PLEXI thing fatten up the lower mids A A< A JUST MOVE THE MIDS OVER You just grab the Para mid knob and sweep it to the left BINGO...one knob boosted the mids ...the second knob moves the mids from the center over to the lower mid range. Think of it as a tone control that goes up and down for boost & cut ...but moves sideways to find where. BONUS!!! There actually two mid controls so you can define booth the lower and upper mids separately. The actual voice of an OD you already own can be change enough that it will sound like a totally different pedal!!! Listen to how fat the Tele is in the demo...
-When I want good tone in an OD I search the world. -When I need pristine high tech I look at TC Electronic and Keeley -When I need both I trade off a little tone for some high tech and get Wampler (they are the perfect company to design an EQ or boost pedal) This pedal definitely worth considering ...it is already on my short list ...unfortunately not available until April.
TIP If you are into buget overdrives especially clones put this sweet EQ in front of them and turn it into as good or BETTER OD then the original.
Origin proved that if you made the very, very best pedal possible that player's would spent the price of good guitar to buy it.
After numerous variations of their Cali 76 they have now focused their attention on an overdrive.
It has two channels that can be set both to a Brit drive or the one to your right can be set for an American sound.
On the back is a set up that you can adjust the pedal's sound to match your amp. This is done with a screwdriver so once set it can not accidentally change.
It is definitely impressive the sound is as accurately tube sounding as possible.
I find it a bit dull compared to many of my pedals. I have always felt if the while pedal can give ONE great sound then great...I will buy it.
I find all pedals have underlying them a 'voice' and you can alter it but never change it.
My first impression is less then intrepid.
For one thing we have one reviewer Simon Gothelf who shows where he is coming from with 'Fusion' ditty he plays for the intro. The second is from Jay Leonard who plays at a 140 bpm on all his vids.
In short I need more vids from guys like Brett Kingman to be able to recommend it.
The basic tone is as I expected from Origin is beautifully clear and detailed and is enticing by it's pure quality.
At a price of two or three hundred I might be sweating it out whether or not to buy it.
It looks overwhelming but is set up to be reasonably intuitive.
Check the vids ...for this you need a picture.
$650.00USD with the footswitch
UPDATE
OK... Finally a sensible well thought out video showing us what it is all about.
BOTTOM LINE Well I think the Origin pedal has a problem. ...set it up to give what is their BEST sound and put it beside a 1966 Marshall Guv'nor pedal and without even knowing the price thousands of players will pick the Gov. Yes a 1966 pedal???? When I am going to spend big bucks on an OD ...my first thing is will it shred the shred of shreds. Does it have a huge massive fat crushing sound???? I can name a few from $200.00USD to less then $400.00USD that will blow any listener out of the water!!! I think I will give the Revival Drive a pass... I also think you will too. LOL
HISTORY OF THE ANANASHEAD BYRD SONG TREBLE BOOSTER
In 1966 Vox brought out the V-806 treble booster. It was meant as an accessory
for the Vox AC30.
A year later the pedal was dropped and and they put a treble booster in the amp and called the Top Boost. So there are very few to be found. The going price is $500.00 USD
Roger Mcguinn of the Byrds had one built right into his 12 string and Tom Petty was never without his.
Pedro Garcia of Ananashead has been trying to reproduce this pedal for a long time. The problem is either having the original pedal or the schematic. It was narrowed down to two for the prototype BUT before he started to make a production pedal he got a bonafide copy of Vox's own schematic .
He had only one single incorrect part in the prototype.
The part however is very hard to find because like most of the parts in any '60's pedal the parts have not been in production for decades.
It is Ananasheads business to reproduce many of the old pedals so Pedro is always in a constant search for New old stock.
He had already scoop a good stock of them that he bought 'just in case'. A stroke of good thinking and good luck!!!!
SO....
JUST RELEASED the ANANASHEAD BYRD SONG treble booster
$125.00 USD for a handmade ...original parts ...perfect reproduction of a $500.00 USD pedal. It's a no -brainer 'GOTTA HAVE' pedal Think about it??? In a few years the parts will really be hard to find. The value of your pedal will definitely go up as demand far exceeds supply. BIG TIME! How many pedals can boast as being an investment!!!
The VOX AC30 with it's treble boost has always been iconic. In short a half decent Marshall medium gain OD pedal and the Byrd Sound will give you a more convincing Vox OD then any pedal out there. I have bought and sold a few and none gave me the Brian May thing better then the Byrd Sound!!!
It gives me that sparkling Vox 'chime'.
Check out Pedro's videos and listen to the comparison.
I took a medium gain Marshall OD and set it up to just into a nice breakup. I then turned on the 'Byrd'
and I got a Vox AC30 sound profoundly more realistic then any Vox sounding OD I have ever heard!
This alone makes this pedal golden!!! It worked on both hummies and single coils equally well. WOW!!!
I have been using it on 30% of my songs. Video's do not do it justice.
Get one and you will wonder just how you lived without it!
It's that 'chime' in the tone that makes it very bright without it ever being strident.
DON'T WAIT THERE ARE A LOT OF RICK PLAYERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN ABOUT THE V-806. NO ONE OUT THERE EVEN OFFERS YOU A WANNABE LET ALONE THE REAL THING. I personally know 2 RICK players that have been checking the Ananashead site constantly since last September!! AT $125.00 USD IT IS A TOTAL STEAL!!! remember up until this week you needed $500.00 USD even if you could find one. Remember too this pedal not only has the hard to get original parts ... IT IS HANDMADE just like the original!!!
CONVINCED??? WHAT DO I TO DO ...COME OVER TO YOUR HOUSE & PLUG IT IN??? LOL COME ON GUYS!!!
This thing is not a novelty item it is major ingredient in changing your basic dirt or clean sound! Some guys are going to turn it on and never turn it off.
check the POST Jan.29/17 THE EXTRA JUMBO LARGE OK....I have put pics of all my guitars on the Pedal board site. Some good some not so. But they are from today. They show all the hotrodding I have had dun to the guitars.
Post: GUYATONE Mighty Micro HDm5 Hot Drive Distortion
Yes an older post from Feb. 20.
If you are a Strat player it is not to be missed!!!
If you are into hummies ...skip it!
ANANASHEAD BYRD SONG <><><>
OK IT'S HERE AT LAST... I USE THIS PEDAL ON ABOUT A THIRD OF MY TUNES
BECAUSE IT IS DEAD AWESOME..
Like BRIAN MAYS SOUND! It is unique
...it is NOT Brian Mays sound but put it with a decent OD and be prepared to be BLOWN away....
Put it on a clean sound and wonder why you could live with your old clean sound, At only $125.00 USD it is a dead cheap upgrade for your sound!!!
OK guys get your order in now! Because reviews in other languages other than English are expected to start really soon and the rush will start all over!
ORIGIN EFFECTS RevivalDRIVE The king of the $500.00 plus Cali76 compressor gives us a very serious OD. BUT is it worth the price of a half decent guitar. BARONI LABS GD GERMAMIUM DRIVE An overdrive that uses the ancient germanium transistor instead of the modern and standard FET. The result is a Fuzz that acts like a OD. Or is that an OD that thinks it's a Fuzz??? Wonderful ...I bought one!!! GUITAR CABINET SIMULATOR ADA CGS-5 If your amp is a combo for all the many obvious reasons and the closest you get to a Marshall stack is a half decent OD. Then read this Post. When you read my HANDS ON part. For god's sake SIT DOWN...and take a deep breath first. My MARSHALL ORIGIN 50H amp Ordered on Feb. 26 I only got a text yesterday (Apr. 28) to come and pick it up!!! It appears anyone who has ever had the chance to play an original Plexi has an order in! Trust me I am in a sweat about this amp. So I expect in spite of some very small differences my PLEXI wannabe will bang on the sound for me!
Talking about the same thing only different I just bought a PRS LP wannabe too they will make a beautiful couple :-) A long story but I got it for half price!!!
REVV AMPLIFICATION G SERIES G3 This I predict will be the biggest selling pedal since the Friedman BE-OD!!! It is a pure one trick pony Metal pedal. It has nailed the Modern metal sound with a take no survivors mind set!!! This thing doesn't even try to add a bit of old school...it is NOW pedal with no room for yesterdays news! J.ROCKETT ANIMAL OD This marvel is a 68 Plexi that focuses on the range of sound of a Plexi from about 4 on your volume knob to about 8. This is the accompaniment range that we all play for most of a gig. No pedal does this better!!!
From Munich Germany comes RED SUN a one man show making hand crafted pedals.
For years the distortion made by a amplifier section of amplifier has been the stable of a great Rock tone. Red Sun cleverly has done this in a pedal. The pedal is actually a 1watt power amp. How cool is that? Better still it sounds great, A menacing high gain...really high gain pedal!!! Check out the vids. Check out something that is really new!
King of the plastic pedals. The final entry into
the Musiwewe the silly name but mind blowing pedals of the Australian SKS.
So this one is a crushing high gain near Metal like killer destroyer pedal.
Great tone. Well made. Unusual Plexi box that is
tougher then you would think ...and a killer price that just screams at you. "WHY NOT"!!!
A small pedal that can squeeze into the corner of your pedal board!!!
Hand made and built like a tank at Idendhoven in the Netherlands. Sporting graphics that are both startling and fun!
It has the best of the late 60's Brit Fuzz sounds distilled into a single pedal.
These pedals bordered on a high gain OD sound and can compete with the best of the modern Metal OD's with equal authority!!!
Simple but effective ...with great dynamics and cleans up nicely if you back off your volume. The KaFuzz captures the very best of the whole era really well!
This the JHS take on a Marshall JTM 45 which was a take on the Fender Bassman :-)
The big change is a 3way active EQ. The EQ is excellent. It allows
you to make significant change to the overall tone.
It sounds like a '63 Marshall JTM 45 by '63 it had been tweaked enough to really give it it's own voice.
It definitely has a Marshall vibe and it is definitely a great sounding
pedal.
Josh Scott the head of JHS constantly accused of ripping off nearly every pedal they build. I have read several articles on guys that can compare the schematics and verify this.
BUT... Josh is the Steve Jobs of pedals. Even if this is true the pedals
always sound distinctly different then the originals. Even more important they sound better. LOL
Whats not to like!!! The OD's are richer, beefier and balzier!!!!
The Charlie brown is meant to be a crunch pedal. The JHS Angry Charlie and AT are based off Charlie Brown but are are more of a high gain version. Quite frankly they are all excellent sounding OD's
It all started with StuG of the band Delirious. He was both the bands guitarist and producer.
He had been using an Bionic Expandora Fuzz/Overdrive but wanted something more versatile.
the Bionic Expandora
When JHS stepped in they started there but tweaked it until he had what they wanted.
It had resistors to boost or cut the dirt to give you a sweet transparent low gain, a Marshall medium gain and a screaming high gain plus a bass boost and an overall boost that can be pre or post EQ. The gain of v.2 is higher & is even more popular then v.1
Version 1
THE BIXONIC EXPANDORA
IF IT'S NOT BROKE DON'T FIX IT
This defunct pedal was based of the Proco Rat. The big difference is just that the Pandora is dynamically receptive to the players touch and is much less compressed.It was later bought by the Japanese who brought out the Bixonic Expandora II. It was fuller sounding ahad a slicker sound
and was further expanded on by JHS and is called the KILT and now the KILT II.
All the 'improved models' are slick and polished ...but I feel have lost their course and organic tone.
They got group of fresh enthusiastic
young makers and kept their hands off their first designs. The marketing boys at Fender must be squirming in their seats. LOL So these guys are players too. They give us a detailed run thru of the Fender flagship dirt pedal. They are enthusiastic about their pedal but we get a no 'bull' detailed look.
$200.00 USD
The pedal has a very Fender Bassman type of dirt. The Marshall JTM45 is virtually the same. A wise touch. You get a balzy Marshall tone but stay 'Fender'. NOT BAD ....definitely worth considering ...Fender finally has a contender product. At $200.00 USD the pedal is priced about $25.00 cheaper then it's typical American pedal competitors. A good idea because we all are annoyed with Fender charging us more for their 'brand' status ...something Gibson needs to learn!
CHECK OUT WHAT THE SANTA FE CAN DO WITH A TELE!!!
J. JAUERNIG JUBILEE DISTORTION BOOST
This pedal is all about vintage dirt tones of the 80's
It does an impressive job of covering them all.
All of J. Jaunernig is made by the man himself. He is so backlogged right now that he has pulled the plug on orders just to catch up on the ones already taken.
-transparent (low gain) OD
-medium gain OD
-high gain OD
-Metal OD
-Fuzz
Did I miss any?
It has a 3 way EQ with a mid boost and 3 clipping circuits. Oh yes ...it also has a high price tag.
Hamstead are yet another gourmet amp maker from Brit, that does a few pedals. In fact only two.
One must admit the tone is very rich and detailed. I find in the real world ...like at a gig no one has the time to kneel on the floor between songs to dial up a new sound having to move 3 switches and 5 knobs. Much better to have 5 pedals then one with 5 distinct sounds. Add to that most players will either only really like one or two.
On the plus side it has a very convincing amp like tone.The pedal is very versatile and it's ability to mimic other pedals shows you the depth of the circuit.
On the other hand I do not hear that 'one' sound from it to die for. I have a pedal with 11 controls ..I only use one BUT!
This pedal has been around for a few years but seems to have fallen between the cracks. So time for a close up.
TWA says they took a best of the vintage Japanese dirt boxes
and made this pedal. Maybe ...but in the end they did give you a good pedal. It has the usual EQ but it is the mids control and the bass boost that puts this pedal past finishing line by a nose.
It is definitely more than just another Tube Screamer.
A ts will not rip your face off. LOL
I love this comp. It is punchy but without a nasty 'plunk' on the attack.
You can get as much sustain as you want. Last but not least it has this great swelling effect after you hit the note. A Plexi does this. It is part of the magic of a Plexi.
This effect fattens the sound and gives your sound a sense of 'power'.
Most compressors are trying to give you sustain but be invisible.
This has it's place but the natural sustain from a great 'Rock' amp like a Plexi does what the Keeley does. So why not make a comp that does this?
Well Keeley has done just that!!!
Brett Kingman's vid ...makes what it does very clear. The swelling effect is accomplished with the expander. He mentions the expander twice but does not explain what it does. Never the less the demo is easy to follow and understand.
I have one on order! If it is as good as it seems I may even buy two!!!
So after along wait my pedal arrived.
The most noticeable thing is there is barely perceivable change to the sound of your guitar.
The expander does it's thing but it is seamless. It takes seconds to just try the knobs and come up with a setting you like.
The white knob is on the 'Blend' which supply allows some of the untreated sound thru ..primarily on the attack of the notes. Odd... it would be more useful on the sustain as it is the knob most likely to be
altered according type of tune and often the tempo.
I have bought and sold a few comps. I currently am using 4 in my rig.
This one is indeed the best for anything bordering on Hard Rock, Metal or just plain assertive pop.
For Fusion, Jazz, Country or folk perhaps another one would be better. Like an Optic. I have 2 Optics their soft, smooth and warm sound is great on my Roger McGuinn type things or for when I almost do not need a compressor.
For most this can not be beat!!!
I have zero to really criticize ...add to that it is reasonably cheap.
It is both a medium gain OD and a high gain OD. Besides the level, gain and tone there is a switch to push it into high gain
which doubles the range of the whole pedal.
One very cool thing is you still get a lighter but really excellent tone with the gain nearly turned off.
SKS is an Australian company making dead cool
good sounding boxes in small Plexiglas casings.
Better still they are cheap!
Damn impressive!!!
Check it at 3:37 that is it's sweet spot!
SKS MISIWEWE DEEP RED DISTORTION
$35.00 USD
It is just taking the 'ORANGE' to the next level. Once again you can go from just past zeo gain and get a good sound then once through it's range push in the switch and you can in effect double the range.
CONCLUSION
These are both excellent little Brit sounding boxes!!!
at a price cheap enough and a size small enough
that any ...one
could neatly squeeze itself
right into your arsenal.
I just ordered the ORANGE it is a medium gain pedal and fatter then the RED The RED is more aggressive and tight So I traded off this for a fuller sound. It was a tough decision.
There isn't a bad choice between them!
APR.15/18
I have had the 'ORANGE' for some time. I have found that I had to pay at least $200.00 USD to get what I feel is a better pedal. In my mind I own a $200.00 USD pedal that I paid $35.00 USD for! NICE!
Not a new idea there are many similar pedals that are aimed at a 'bluesy' sound.
But this Russian handmade gutsy blues pedal has a lot of grit but without the harshness.
It is quite versatile from light to a serious medium OD.
A small Russian company making handmade pedals. This little beauty offers a lot of variety ...you can pop off the bottom to reveal several switches and choose a different voicing. You get clip, thick, fat, and 2 bright. I can find very little info in English but having dealt with similar companies I suspect this is meant to be a OCD clone. I have an OCD and it ain't a clone. LOL I think if it were I would not have reviewed as you can buy the real deal for as much. The OCD is a Marshall Plexi style pedal and this is not. It has a very nasty raspy aggressive tone. Not for everyone. But this thing begs for attention. I quite like it. A real gutsy sounding alternative to most of the choices out there. At about $100.00USD a nice pedal to add as a second pedal for an alternative sound in your kit.
Japanese Tiesco made it's biggest in roads when they came to the US with their entry level electric guitars in the 60's.
They return decades later with the first of a new line of pedals.
Great first impression. In the short demo they all sound good. We will have to wait to go over them one at a time. The art work is spectacular. It jumps right out ...it is different ...but damn tasteful in a sea of pedals that are either plain, overkill or trashy looking.
STOMP BOX HEAVY WEIGHTS
Electro-Harmonix & Earthquake Devices .......Art meets business
This is next weeks COOL GUITAR hiding here until. Sneak peak...it is made in the east... it was the budget line of an up and coming brand in the 60's it uses A grade wood serious tonewood..the shape and the wood make it sound exactly like the guitar it reminds you of cutting edge collectors have ONLY just discovered it So for now prices are still around $200.00 USD
Mater of Metal has 2 Metal pedals one with a tube. The tube is a major con in fact it shows zero integrity. For a tube to act as an OD it has to have a major amount of voltage. The voltage in the Blackstar tube model is so low that they have put an LED under the tube to light it up.
At $400.00 USD they should be spanked. LOL
The GoosoniqueWorx Kult in mode1 could eat it for breakfast!
In mode3 it could eat the whole company!!!
Even so it is not that it sounds bad. It sounds quite good but the sound you hear is NOT from the tube at all. It is from the transistors.
I included a comparison vid so you can check it out.
The LT is a straight ahead transistor OD.
By shooting for just one straight ahead Modern Metal sound it works.
It is fairly impressive.
Based on the Train Wreck Express amps of the late Ken Fischer who died in 2006 is the TDRIVE. pedal. The amps were single channel low output that were loosely based off of a 59 Marshall Super Lead that could run on either EL84's or 6L6 power tubes.
