GUITAR- HUTCHINS Shade II ...a Brit guitar maker tries to reinvent the LP Jr.

 HUTCHINS SHADE II 

$500.00 USD

A Brit guitar company with many models from a few hundred
to a few thousand.
They focus on guitars with a retro look but spec to modern standards.
They sell direct to Brit and Europe but not otherwise. A few Brit retail
stores export so they are available.
There entry level guitar is what grabbed me. Their thinking was why not use the Gibson LP Jr. and lately even the Gibson Melody Maker as a guide line for a new guitar. Both guitars were not intended and were never expected to be turned into Pro guitars ...but they have. 
So Hutchins came up with the Shade II. 
A small alder body with a fixed maple neck. Entry level pro hardware and a single but great sounding PU. throw on some dirt and this sucker can shred!
Yes I get it. Entry level guitar? Yes, but entry level pro guitar.


CONCLUSION
Well you can get a lot of 'currently cool' guitars in this price range.
But in a few years they will be yesterday's news and if you sell you will have to dump them. But an odd but cool Brit guitar like this is cool now and will always will be. Especially when if you plug it into a serious dirt sound and remove the back wall out of your next club gig! It can be a second backup guitar for life. A permanent keeper ...so when you buy that dream guitar ...then sell it for the next dream guitar the Shade II is always right there on a stand behind you ready for action when or if you need it!
I see it as a very affordable investment. A valuable useful tool that over time will improve with age and years from now you will always get your original money back.

It comes in 
Seafoam Green or Black.
Me? Oh!  Seafoam Green I love colours.
But it looks very different in black because
the pickguard and truss rod cover are black,

GUITAR- BURNY LES PAULS are back!!! Made in Japan the real deal ...Yes the lawsuit LP's

 FERNANDES GUITARS LATEST NEWS 

$1400.00 USD
free shipping worldwide!
Fernandes BURNY
RLG-55
Made in Japan

Since 1969 Fernandes has been up then down then up again. They never disappeared. They have been famous for overly well made instruments with creative ideas and just as infamous for bang on clones ...yes the infamous 'Lawsuit Models'
made even better then the originals and cheap!!!
Well they are back with a force. Better still they just took the 'best of' and are doing it all.
They have brought back their Burny brand too. They used it for the clones.
Note ...they have return to the Gibson headstock on their 50's LP.

Yes half the price for a killer LP.
In future cherry pick your favourite gourmet
PAF pickups and you are still way ahead of the game with a 'keeper' guitar.
Cool too is the Burny 'renegade status' has kept and will keep this Jesse James LP cool forever!

You can even get the Joe Perry signature model
for the same price too.

NOTE: check out the site. There are endless Fernandes destinations online  ...most look official or even might have been but are confusing dead ends.

Just Google 'FERNANDES GUITARS LATEST NEWS and go from there. Once on the site click on  
STORE if you want a quick way to get at all the online goodies
and direct sales too.

COMB FILTER- KORORA AUDIO Spira ....IT IS NOT! a crazy psychedelic noise making machine ...

$250.00 USD

 KORORA AUDIO SPIRA 
In 1964 Roger Shepard described a pedal that took 24 band pass filters and by having matching pairs move one ahead of the other and moving them forward an endless layered and overlapping glissando is created.
Sound wise is really another modulation pedal but what I love is unlike Phasers , Flangers and Chorus units etc. it does not create that heavy  pulsating rhythm of the endless sweep.

Why?? Because I compose most of the time without effects. I find adding an effect can enhance a sound but I do not wish to rewrite my tune to fit with a rhythmic sweep or have that sweep spoil the tune.

So w,t,f, is a bandpass filter???? If you slide an EQ slider on a graphic EQ you are turning up or down the level of a single band pass filter. Got it? Good. Me too. So if you had a pair of matching graphic EQ's and moved the same frequency on both units together you would be a human comb filter! LOL 
Next get 12 EQ's and a bunch of buddies to each push a pair of matching sliders
and you won't need the Spira. Good idea ...yes? Stupid Idea yes?
YES!

Bottom line it kind of creates the tail end of the kind of swish you hear when EVH is let loose with a phaser. I do have a Flanger a phaser and 2 chorus units that I use very sparingly but the most effective is my Eddie Phaser sweep lol.

The first video is excellent. The second is so you can hear some dirt. Unfortunately we are treated to a loud repetitive riff and a lesson on how to make the thing create the discord that you can avoid when the pedal is set up musically. Unfortunately these are the only vids on the Spira.
                                                                             

CONCLUSION
I love its varied array of  trance like harmonically pleasing sounds. Most ambient type pedals in the last few years feature discordant tones with the effect making clashing changes in pitch or gimmicky little startling sounds that make it tiresome to use more then once.
This pedal is a winner.

NOTE; Check out the old Post SECOND BEST GUITAR ON THE PLANET
there is now a sketch of the guitar!

OVERDRIVE- DOD Bone Shaker Distortion ...very heavy! early Metal type pedal

 DOD BONE SHAKER DISTORTION 

$150.00 USD

Designed by Black Arts for Dod in 2015 this is an
Old School Metal pedal! It is huge fat and nasty with a near Fuzz like sound.
Although it has quite excellent definition it hasn't that modern super tight sound.
The pedal lacks for nothing! It has a quasi three way EQ with a bass, mid and treble. The knobs are stacked with the lower half choosing what frequency you wish to boost and the upper half determines how loud.
Distortion controls the amount of gain and then of course you have an overall level out to your amp. Finally there is a knob labeled Depth that chops off the lowest frequencies off of the low end. This is a great idea because you can get the lowest practical lows without any mud.
Modern pedals tend to slope away the lows. It is a more natural way of achieving a smooth tight and natural sound.
Excess lows are simply designed out of the pedal in the original design.
I quite like this pedal. The only thing is it is very Fuzz like without a trace of high gain tube sound.

CONCLUSION
Is it a a one trick pony ...maybe?   but hey!  If so what a trick. In spite of a lot of initial twiddling  you will end up with the  hugest sound posible from your present rig no matter what it is. Just a massive grungy wall of sound that still manages some reasonable definition!
You will get thicker then thick! ....just keep hitting those power chords! NO! It shreds terribly just the chords ...chords only please!
OK...OK so I exaggerate. theeQ gives you a lot of versatility but who buys it for that???
You love it or hate it. 
Fo me it is a kind of a 'special effects' distortion. Use it in place of a Fuzz or if you are a serious Metal guy add it to your REVV or whatever serious modern Metal OD you have any where dropping a doubled up load of pure crush as needed.
Love it ...I ordered a used one on Ebay for $75.

UPDATE
Well I got the pedal. It does not disappoint. One nice thing with the knobs all around 
12 o'clock or a little less there are a lot of really nice medium gain dirt sounds. Definitely a bonus as they really hold their own.

NOTE; checkout the old Post of THE SECOND BEST GUITAR ON THE PLANET
there is now a sketch of the guitar.

OVERDRIVE-THERMION Gasoline ...a Metal pedal with it's own distinct tone ...versatile & a contender!

 THERMION GASOLINE 

$240.00 USD

I was excited to stumble on the Gasoline because I own the Thermion Heartbreaker their Marshall in a box pedal that I absolutely love. The quality of the Thermion product is second to none! 
Thermion are a small Spanish amp and pedal company that has been happy to sell locally for years. But if they did come to the world the world came to them. High quality and great design at a great price can not go unnoticed forever.
The set up is Bass, Mid and Treble controls with the Presence, Gain Volume and Deep all allowing for overkill.
A switch gives you 3 different voices Modern,
Raw and Vintage.

CONCLUSION
Impressive! Even when set with heavy lows it remains warm but not muddy and always tight.
It does not have that edgy near metallic and urgent sound of many modern Metal pedals like Revv.
It has a very controllable sound it is definitely not on the edge like most Metal pedals. It is unusually clean where most other pedals cry out for you to gate them.
Definitely a contender.
I for one have not found the ultimate Metal pedal. I only use one for 'wall of sound' power chords on the occasional chorus or bridge. But this one is sitting right beside the REVV G3
in my book. the REVV is not as versatile but it has one foot firmly in the classic Marshall camp. But the control ...extra fat but usable lows and general versatility of the Gasoline has me really thinking! 


NOTE: Check out the old Post THE SECOND BEST GUITAR ON THE PLANET it now has a sketch of it.

OVERDRIVE- CAGE Pneuma Drive ...another Tube Screamer ???

$125.00 USD

CAGE PNEUMA DRIVE
Cage or Countdown Audio Guitar Effects. A small company that boast about both high quality parts but even those are tested to a consistency of tone.
At present this is 'IT'. There are no other pedals on their site.
There is also no info on the OD. Zip.
To my ears it sounds like a Tube Screamer. 
I think this company is trying to show all entrepreneurs of a pedal company how Not to do it!

CONCLUSION

This is not the first or the last independent pedal maker with an amateur approach to marketing and selling their pedals. It is even forgivable and sometimes a bit of goofy fun. BUT with the others they had a killer pedal or two. A Tube Screamer pedal is hardly the thing to take your breath away. There are literally at least a thousand ts wannabe's out there. The 68 Pedals King Of Clone has two pedals in it. One is based on a Tube Screamer and it can eat this thing alive!!! The other half is a killer take on a Marshall Blues Breaker pedal. It is even cheaper then this pedal!!!

So I ask you w.t.f. is going on in the mind of the CAGE guys!!!!

In short Cage are a FARCE!!! and the pedal is a joke!!!

NOTE: Apologies for calling it a ts according to Countdown Audio.

my thanks to Countdown for the heads up. i like being corrected I always learn more.

Yes Cage doesn't even us an Opamp.

Sorry but I am still unimpressed. I find a good ol' DOD Overdrive Preamp/250

does a similar thing but the pedal has a lot of character and you

can go to the DOD sight and buy it for $45.00 USD.

Later if you find something special you will probably sell it quick

and even get near $45 for it.

Well these guys are new so I think it fair to at least point out

their site is laid out nice. I am sure we will get some other pedals.

the look of the pedals isn't flash but they look Pro.

More important you can see by the interior of the pedal the work is of 

decent quality.

So I will keep on top of anything new and we can all have a look.

OVERDRIVE- 68 PEDALS King of Clone ...the King of Tone OD!!! UPDATED

68 PEDALS KING OF TONE 

$130.00 USD !!!

Well 68 are a small Chinese gourmet pedal maker that do the unthinkable. They make clones of great pedals ...but the build and parts are totally without compromise.
Yes you get a great price but for a MIC pedal they are not an under $50 cheapie. 

You get a high end gourmet pedal at the prices you pay for MXR or Boss and even Electro Harmonix.

There are quite a few 'Me Too' clones of the KOT. But damn it ....this one is unreal.
After several listens I find the 'Clone' oddly just a shade fatter. One could argue it is just a little muddy too. But I am being hypercritical. When I say 'a shade' I mean just that! Barely perceptible. I think in a blindfold test many players would pick 
the 'Clone' as being the King simply because 

it is just a nano bit fatter.

According to Brian Wampler even the best parts

are ALWAYS a bit higher or lower than spec written

on the part. Or in other words 3 real KOTS will

spec different enough

UP DATED CONCLUSION

The proof is inside the box!

OVERDRIVE- GrEEN CARROT PEDALS Comfortably Plum ...Gilmour in a box!

 GREEN CARROT COMFORTABLY PLUM 

$260.00

An odd but fun company that produces some odd boxes
Odd yes but they seem to pull off some delightful noises from them.
In this case they went for Dave Gilmours sound when he used a Ram's head Muff and sweetened it up with a Coloursound Powerbooster'. They added the much needed volume control as have many others who have updated the pedal. With a collection of NOS for the key parts and new high end where the sound is not affected but the noise floor is. They have come out with a pedal many will want and I expect a few Floyd fans will go nuts over.

CONCLUSION
Well there are 10 zillion Dave Gilmour fans. I was never one. LOL 
Well not until a couple of years ago ...oops!
Oddly enough it was Comfortably Numb that blew me away. I was knocked over by the  'less is more' playing. A question of quality over quantity.
I must confess to steering for sounds in this direction whenever I have written a melodic 'theme' type intro or bridge for a tune. It is unusually hard to get a tone like this right. It either is too bright or if mellowed out gets muddy and then the just right amount of sustain is damn hard to nail. Every era of Floyd introduces new pedals the Floyd sound with reissues a plenty to capture them. 
It is all a bit frustrating. I think many like me will love this box as it ties it all into a bow.

OVERDRIVE-WHEEBO GUITAR PRODUCTS PlexFace ...suburb Marshall Super lead 100 in a box!!! PLUS a BIG extra!!!!

 WHEEBO GUITAR  PRODUCTS PLEXFACE 

$295.00 USD

Wheebo is Eike Hintzen of Hanover Germany. The proberial one man show gourmet pedal maker.
So how good a Plexi in a box is it. Damn good.
In fact damn impressive! You can even choose between the classic '59 ...100 watt
and the '87 ...50 watt (note: 59 & 87 are Marshall model numbers)
Both vintage classic sounds are nailed!
So I will skip the blah! Ya wanna know what is the ...BIG EXTRA!
Well it is 2 pedals in one box. BUT 2 that are worlds apart.
A Brit Plexi for one and a Fender 65 blackface plus a '57 Tweed is the other.
My first thought was 'Gimmick!'
It is hard to do a great Plexi and a lot harder to do a Fender that passes the smell test!
But damn it both pedals are either better or a match against the best of the best made separate pedals out there.

Conclusion
I was damn disappointed!!!! Wheebo doesn't do the the Fender half as a separate pedal!
With 23 OD's on my board and a few of them superb Plexi pedals I do not need a huge pedal if it is half Plexi. lol 
First and foremost I am a Plexi guy!!!! BUT I love a Strat and even a Tele sound thru a Fender and this is so damn good!

Final word ...the bottom line if you want a great Plexi sound or a great classic Fender sound you would be nuts not to put the PlexFace on short list!!!

FUZZ- JHS Cheeseball Fuzz ....the 'New' Big Cheese on the cheese block

$179.00 USD

 JHS CHEESEBALL FUZZ 
Once upon a time there was an innovative company called Lovepedals
that endlessly tried new and interesting ideas. The problem was that
every time they knocked a new pedal out of the park they lost time and money on the pedals that just didn't cut it. In the end they went under.
Probably their best pedal was the Big Cheese. Many clones have come and gone BUT!
A perfect project for good ol' Josh Scott of JHS. The original is his fav Fuzz. 
He also has that obsession thing when it comes to a pedal that he just has to get perfect. lol

HEADS UP !!! ____Ginger Baker ___1939-2019 ___ gone!!! (added video)

PETER EDWARD 'Ginger' BAKER
1939-2019

Dead at 80.
No drummer was left untouched after Ginger's playing with Cream.
Players with twice the skill had to stop and rethink!
Less is more?
For a guy with a huge kit his playing was never too busy.
Self taught by listen to the Rock and Jazz from the West yet living in Africa and giving the music around him every bit of much priority to being part of his playing.

CREAM 1966

OVERDRIVE-ANASOUND Ego Driver ...screwdriver not included ???

$145.00 USD

 ANASOUND EGO DRIVER 

Well that quirky French company has done it again. They
make some odd pedals ...but there stuff is well made and
and usually sounds pretty good.
So it all seems simple enough. It has a standard output and gain control
with a tone control and a switch to choose between the standard and fat voice.
OK ...then from here you can take off the back plate. Yes we have been here before. Yes?
NO! ....in this case with the back open you do not click a dip switch. You take a screwdriver and change actual diodes. lol
So is this a cool idea? a gimmick? or just plain old marketing BS.
My guess and at the price it is probably a basic Tube Screamer circuit.

CONCLUSION
Well the whole idea could be done with dip switches. It is definitely a marketing idea. some guys will have fun with it and some guys may find this as hook into the real DIY world.
it is not for me. I do not have the time but why be cynical about it all. lol
you really could have a lot of fun with it.

Whatcha missed in OCT 2019

JAM PEDALS WATERFALL CHORUS
OK so it is a post that came out in mid August. Let me get to the point. There is a you may imagine  an 'IN CLUB' of bloggers and Youtubers etc. ...and everyone has been replacing their 'whatever' chorus with this one.  A lot of 'Players Players' have thrown over their old toy for this one too. Like John Schofield, Nels Cline, Steve Lukather, Anthony Jackson, and John Medeski

It would probably be prudent not to give this unit a miss!

MARSHALL ORIGIN SERIES-
Yes here I go again. I updated this ancient Post. The Marshall Origin 50 is the only totally pro Plexi sound you can buy without having deeeeep pockets.
It is just $600.00 USD for the 50 watt head. But if it is unreliable or inauthentic it kills the point of it even existing! Well it is not quite 2 years old ...so is it a winner or just a marketing gimmick. Check it out. All good news!!!

SMG COCK BLOCKER GATE
So I ordered one ...perhaps even the first one LOL. Even so I am amazed at it's popularity
it has  200% more hits then any of the over 850 Posts on this site.
The most popular pedal ever made makes NO sound whatsoever!!!! LOL