OVERDRIVE CUSACK-MUSIC Orthus Distortion...it goes from heavy, heavy distortion to near self destruction!!!

 CUSAK-MUSIC ORTHRUS DISTORTION 

$190.00 USD

This is Cusack's take on an Amp in-a-Box.
The pedal has a level, mid, treble, bass and gain controls. It also spots a boost with a switch for 3, 6, & 9 db.
There is an on/off and boost/kill footswitch.
The sound without boost is bright and metallic. With the boost it goes from a very aggressive sound to near unusable. lol
It makes a heavy Marshall sound like a low gain pedal. Cusack claims it is modeled on an amp. WOW it must be some amp!

CONCLUSION

I can not believe that I would say this! It is bit too much!! LOL

I love a good killer vicious sounding OD but this border on one 

of those Fuzz pedals that goes from stupid level distortion to self destruct!!!

COMPRESSOR- VERTEX Nyle Compressor/Preamp ...a new way to compress???

 VERTEX NYLE COMPRESSOR/Preamp 

$250.00 USD

Producer Nile Rogers was famous for his Funk and R&B sound where he used the UREI 1176LN Compressor but using a Neve mic preamp to overdrive the signal.
Vertex has taken that idea and put into a pedal.

Yes the same UREI compressor that the king of pedal comps the 
Origin Cal76 is based on. LOL











CONCLUSION
To be fair it is an entirely different comp then theOrigin Cali76
It sounds very different it is it's own thing

REVERB- WALRUS AUDIO Slow ...biggest seller and I can see why!

$200.00 USD

 WALRUS AUDIO SLO REVERB 
Everything about this makes sense. A lot of players want to use some of the better ambience sounds. They want high end quality but price too. It has put a serious dent in Strymon's reverb sales.
If you are a gigging player even it has more then you need but you can cherry pick what is great but also works with your music. The pedal is in a Hammond B style box. Not so small it isn't easy to use and still not so big that it takes up to much real estate on your board.

CONCLUSION
I would team it up with a Deadbeat Void Reverb for an always on Plate reverb. You cannot go from no reverb at a gig to ambience it sounds to drastic. The Void is ideal. It does a nice job of separating the space between the drums and bass too putting you better in the mix live.

FUZZ- DEFECTS Cracked Fuzz ...massive wall of sound!!!

$190.00 USD

DEFECT CRACKED FUZZ
This is not your grandad's Muff!! LOL
Yes it has volume 3 levels of gain that the Varp can push further and a Texture which is probably a Bias control.

I guess needless to say it is an overkill wall of sound.
You can set it to do some crazy stuff but it is not hard to find sounds that are near synth like that are only useable on single notes or back it off for chords.

Finding things is not predictable as you have 3 gains that if you change any one of them you can alter the sound considerably.

CONCLUSION
If you like wall of sound or crazy stuff you are covered.
Other Fuzz pedals charge as much or more for Fuzz boxes
that only do the crazy sh@t. I find this insane as you can
soon tire of them.

OVERDRIVE- MADE BY MIKE Sign of the Chimes.. killer Vox AC30 pedal!!!

MADE BY MIKE  SIGN OF THE CHIMES

$210.00 USD

Good ol' Mike Liveley of Bristol UK has been making 
handmade Gourmet pedals since 2008.
It has the standard layout but with the boost he nailed the 
'Top Boost' sound just like the one in the Vox AC30!

He shows this pedal off himself. The recording is hardly high tech so there is no way to make this pedal any better then it truly is.
But damn!!! It is good! very good!

CONCLUSION
Really nothing to add. The video speaks for itself. I have never heard anyone nail a Vox sound. I have bought then soon sold a few high end Vox pedals myself but none were convincing. I have simply never heard a convincing Vox OD.
But!!! I have now!

DIGITAL DELAY- FOXGEAR Rainbow Reverb ...high quality sound at entry level price

$130.00 USD

FOXGEAR RAINBOW REVERB
I have their killer Echosex Baby ...pedal. It is a take off on the late 50's famous makes Binson Echorec. That use a metal disc instead of tape. It was made famous by Dave Gilmour.
The disc uses a rubber wheel to move it and when it starts to wear it causes it to modulate. I have 5 delays and this is my. favorite.
Guros and Barloni got together to make a budget line of pedals
and with years of collective experience making high end pedals they designed these pro sounding budget boxes.

The Rainbow is yet  another gem.
With Shimmer, Celestial, Rotary Verb, Church and Spring it covers everything from the most popular ambiance sounds to a simple Spring.

The sound quality is from a DSP FV-1 ...the chip used in most Gourmet pedals. It is what you expect from Strymon. Even a guy 
like me who favours a really great always Reverb can use some unusual sounds here and there. I have a big bucks Neunaber Immerse for this but I can honestly tell you this is all you need. Enough choice and a high spec for the tone.

CONCLUSION

Unless you are really deep into an ambiance thing this one is a no-brainer.

all you can use and dirt cheap and with good rep for reliability.

FUZZ- DANELETRO 3699 Fuzz ...."NEW" in fact it came out 4 hours ago!!!

DANELECTRO 3699 FUZZ

It came out 4 hours ago!!!
So any info will have to come later!!!

OK ...It' s a day later.
It is a repro of the 70's Foxx Machine used by Beck, Frampton and countless others.
The 3699 comes from the last 4 numbers of the makers phone number.

CONCLUSION
A nice enough pedal but I think the last Dano pedal
The Breakdown was a better Fuzz.
They are still sold at bricks and mortar stores so compare them. OR you can check out the Post of the Tiesco version which is killer!

The originals came in many colours that were covered in a
fuzzy material that looked like velvet.
I can remember hating the look when they were new.
I had a big Muff (Rams head)
that had a lot more balz!

                                                                                                                  

OVERDRIVE-TMIRANDA King Drive- another oldie comeback joins the new trend

 TMIRANDA KING DRIVE 

$130.00 USD

Another old classic High Gain pedal from a low profile maker. 
The King Drive is an old school drive that like others still around are making a come back with players who want to  add something different to there favorite Marshall-in-a-Box.
It has a nice simple with tone, level. and gain. It has 3 voices but they are 3 levels of high gain.lol











CONCLUSION
Yes! Either on it's own or stack it is hard not to like.

PREAMP- SHIFT LINE MKIIIS ...Tube & Ir!!! ...All the advantage of Modeling without Modeling!

SHIFT LINE MKIII S TUBE PREAMP
From Russia come a sexy toy! not cheap but it is a Fender Twin clone.
I will touch on the basics because if you can even think of a feature it most certainly has it.
It has gain, bass, mid, treble and a master.
It is as easy to use as a real Twin. It has 2 Ir's
one with JBL's and another is stock. I suspect Eminence. You can switch it on if you are going direct. Especially great for recording.
It even takes a Micro SD card for more Ir's.
It uses a single 12AX7 tube & has a balanced XLR for it's line out.
It is aimed at the guy who wants to do the modeling thing without giving up analog and tubes.
Although superb it ain't cheap. $440.00 USD

CONCLUSION
It is a great unit but unlike Modeling you have just the one amp.
There are hundreds of players it will fit like a glove.
It is a welcomed choice.

OVERDRIVE- T-REX Vulture Distortion ...a trend to jump on!

$130.00 USD

 T-REX VULTURE DISTORTION 
For the last few years the Marshal in-a-Box pedal his been
the number one attraction for those looking for a great OD.
I have several. LOL
So I am not surprised that a few old and even new old style distortions are making a come back. No one is tossing their Marshall pedals. We all need a change or simply are really enjoying what those old pedals can do.

So get a coffee and enjoy a Danish!  lol
First arriving in 2014 this 8 year old pedal is still cool with it's larger then life sound. The Vulture sounds incredibly massive even without the fat boost on. It is a roaring high gain tear your face off sound. They are cheap enough new but they have been around long enough for a few used ones to be hanging around.

The Vulture has your classic Gain, Volume and Tone. The nice thing is it adds both a Low Boost and a mid pushing Fat Boost. They both work really well. It does a great high gain classic sound and it does a good Metal thing. In spite of some great modern Metal wonder box's ...many bands in Denmark still use it for Metal.
Unlike a lot of oldies it's not in a big box.

CONCLUSION
I have what I hope is my last Marshall pedal coming next week. 
OK my last one for now. LOL
So I went for a used Vulture in great shape for $100.00 USD

OVERDRIVE-MESA BOOGIE Flux Five...gutsy American sounding dirt box

$350.00 USD

 MESA BOOGIE  FLUX-FIVE 
This has been around a long time but is 
still popular because it nails classic Americana in every way.

You of course get level and gain. but Tone shaping is what the pedal is all about.
With a 5 way graphic EQ and 2 more switches for lower high EQ and a standard treble and bass you certainly have all the tone shaping you could ever need.The hi/low is foot switchable too.

CONCLUSION
I can not find any fault with this pedal.
Of course it needs to be aimed at you or not.
It it ain't a Marshall it's a true American sound
and at that it is one of the very best.

OVERDRIVE- FOXROX FR-100 Overdrive ...a dual mode stacked overdrive

$200.00 USD

 FOXROX FR-100 OD 
A very organic earthy sounding pedal
In many ways simply it's own thing but with a Tweed vibe to the
sound. Great for Blues and Americana. In it's lower settings
I can certainly see Fusion players finding it excellent too.

The knobs are labelled Volume ...Drive ...Lead and Tone.
A switch lets you choose 3 voices and a second foot switch lets you bring in a boost.
Drive is for very low gain up to some medium gain and lead
pushes it up from there. You can stack both stages.

There is a lot of control to literally zero in even subtlety's to nail your tone.

The casing is built
like a tank.

CONCLUSION
There is a lot of detail in the tone ad a lot to tailor it to a personal sound.
I can see a Fusion player find it all heaven. blues guy will love too but
may find it a bit to fussy.

PITCH SHIFTER- DIGITECH DROP...instant drop tuning

 DIGITECH DROP PEDAL 
A polyphonic drop tuning effect. A simple idea you can drop your tuning one semi tone at a time. 
A great way to get drop tunings without going the 7 string or going the baritone guitar route.

$200.00 USD

The tracking is perfect as it gets. Their is a vert small lag in the timing but definitely not enough to heard. but you can feel it.
You can blend in your guitar with it for some parallel harmony things.
You can change the on off to a momentary switch where you can hold it on with your foot the release your foot to turn it off.

The video shows you how simple it is to use.

CONCLUSION

If you write tunes you can get really creative with it. It lends itself to metal where drop tuning can really add with killer low tuning. you can find as much as $50.00 USD off used ones.

FUZZ/OD- MP AUDIO 2 Face Distortion ...a Fuzz & OD in a blender!

$175.00 USD

  MP AUDIO 2 FACE DISTORTION  

An Australian pedal maker with a couple of OD.

The 2 Face is a simple but effective idea. Put a Fuzz and Distortion circuit in one bod where you blend them together.
I am not so sure it is an original idea but just in plain English how this sound is accomplished.
You have Volume, Gain and Tone. MP says the 4th knob
'Body Control'. It is in basically a mid boost or scoop
control.
The tone is not far away from a classic Brit sound.
It has a pleasing thick saturation and the sustain is excellent.

CONCLUSION
It is very impressive. It is fat, warm with plenty of sustain.
You can have a very amp like tone or push it raw distortion.
I feel it shines is you take to edge of crazy dirt and then pull it just a tad.

OVERDRIVE- GREENCHILD Kurst Overdrive ...a Klon that growls!

$220.00 USD

 GREENCHILD KURST OVERDRIVE 

It has some vaguely uninspired Klon sounds when backed off.
Just a bit when turned up a little. BUT! when cranked it does its own thing with a really fat sound that growls.

The layout is classic. It has level, gain, bass and treble.
Greenchild have their own tasteful and simple enclosure
with front end jacks which saves space on your board.

I have the Wampler Tumus and I only use it stack on other pedals. I think the Kurst would do that even better. I can not help but like it.

CONCLUSION
It is some what Klon like but it is part of new wave of pedals that are using the basic
circuit to make different pedals. I have 2 Tube Screamer wannabe's that do not sound a bit like a ts. One is high gain and the other is all about fat fuzzy sounds, Both sound good but neither sound like a ts.
So you like it or you don't ?

OVERDRIVE-BUDDA ZenMan Overdrive ...an OD but with punch that keeps it in the game

$200.00

 BUDDA ZENMAN OVERDRIVE 
First appeared in 2012 and still hanging in though only 3 pedals 
are left from a full line.
The ZenMan is a cult favourite. It has a very American sound.
It is bright, balzy and slashing. Budda are most known for their
amps so getting a good tone or even 'their sound' is not so unimaginable.

Conclusion
Well in today's world 2012 is light years ago. It still has a sound a lot of 
players are attracted to but it is not the 'amp-in-a-box' that today's player are moving to. But there is a lot to like with this pedal!

PREAMP- ANANASHEAD GT73 Preamp/Overdrive ...Killer Bass guitar pedal !!! Total killer!!!

ANANASHEAD GT73 PREAMP/OVERDRIVE 

It is based off of a 1973 Matamp Preamp. It was popular for its distortion but mainly for guitar players.
On guitar it is definitely excellent but an acquired taste but on Bass it is to die for!
The layout has the usual volume, treble, bass and drive ...but it also has presence and a bass boost. The presence adds a really nice edge to a bass and the bass boost gives you enough punch 
to take the walls out. 
Most dirt pedals for bass are a Fuzz. They get tiresome quickly. 
For some guys they will set this up right in the sweet spot and never turn it off all night.
I wouldn't blame them. This thing ROCKS!!

It is only $160.00 USD
if any of the big boys 
sold it it would easily be
$325.00 USA

CONCLUSION
The first thing a bass player thinks when it comes to any FX. 
Is it even usable??? Or is it a gimmicky toy!!! Great for Hollywood Special FX guy but ....
Does it take hours to set up or learn and will I have to write special bass lines to even use it?

So the first thing you say after trying other pedals in the past it is ..."W.T.F.!!!!
Am I right or am I right? Damn right I'm right!!!

NOT with the GT73 
You just plug it in and a few turns of the knobs and you are ready to go.
It is easy to get synth like sounds ...or just set it up to give your bass 
more girth and punch!
I have never heard such a massive bass sound. DEAD COOL!!
Once again the guy is giving it away!

TO BE FAIR!
Not my thing but hundreds of guitar players have this pedal.
No doubt many play better then me. LOL
So check it out!

OVERDRIVE-ZORG EFFECTS Zorgverdrive Mosfet ...a very impressive OD from France

 ZORG EFFECTS ZORGVERDRIVE 

$180.00 USD

A new French company. Some of their effects are
are a little different but I feel they miss the target.
The ZORGVERDRIVE is a good old Marshall
type pedal that doesn't.

It has that Brit sound in there but it is unusually chunky
thick, punchy and with a heavy bite. 
Great for aggressive chord work.
When you do chords in a rhythmic fashion it punches out every chord. They should have called this pedal 
The Boxer.

The look with the wood veneer looks a lot like Anasounds.
The coloured knobs tell you isn't.

CONCLUSION
Impressive ...I will have to pay them a visit more often!

GUITAR- FNG BOUNDRY From the (Ibanez) FUGENI factory JAPAN > $540.00 USD ...Killer deal!!!

 FNG BOUNDRY 

This guitar is made at the FUGENI factory in Japan. Famous for making Ibanez, Fender and other high quality guitars.
Materials for this are entry level Pro ...but Pro ...totally Pro they are!
But ...Big BUT the fit, finish and every construction detail is Superb!!!! 
Frightening good! ...Best of the Best! ...Easily MIJ Ibanez workmanship!
So you can put upmarket hardware and PU's on it and not be putting 'lipstick on a pig'
The wood can only age and improve the guitar every year. It will be a keeper even if you pay out the big bucks later for a high end beauty. Yes you will keep this as a backup!

BASIC SPEC
Basswood body (also known as Linden)

Canadian maple neck

Gotoh tuners

Japanese hardware (probably Gotoh OEM)

Japanese PU's (made by FUGENI who have made PU's since 1981)

...( they have made PU's for Fender guitars)

Keep in mind that FUGENI makes very large orders of guitar parts since nearly all are of a high end quality for Ibanez etc. It cost next to nothing to make the order bigger and hence cheaper then make small orders of cheaper parts with a low discount for cheaper guitars.

In short Ibanez etc. are in affect making FNG guitars cheaper to make.

The only significant upgrade that would make any noticeable improvement are the PU's

The Japanese hardware just does not need replacing it is of a high quality.

The electronics are fine. The pots may wear out faster then US  but it is less then $15 a pot

for US brands. Add to that you could easily get 5 years out of stockpots.

This guitar would be fun to mod. 

CONCLUSION

These guitars have only been available for a few weeks.

I expect they will take off like Harley Benton but the difference is 

this is a serious MIJ musical instrument.

They will most certainly hold their value.

If you are moving up from a beginner guitar

this a bullet proof choice! 

I know a lot of you guys are into Metal. 

You can easily replace the hummie

with a killer Metal PU. With the basswood body

the match will be perfect. You will then have a

sound and guitar that will match guitars that 

cost 3 times the money or more!

If you do ...try not to gloat! LOL

Finally the guitar is $540.00 USD but the 'Cool' factor is free.

Now that alone makes it worth having!

FUZZ-ELECTRO-HARMOIX Big Muff ...still a killer!!!

ELECTRO HARMONIX MUFF FUZZ
This is the current version of the Big Muff some say it is not as good as the old ones. Well you can get those too now as reissues and it just ain't true. I dare you to try a blindfold test. lol

The current one was designed by Fran Blanch in 2000. If you have never heard of her Frantone Fuzz pedals you have missed out on
some of the best ever made. In fact to test their reliability she dropped one out of a plane and it is still working today!

Listen to her B. Muff and imagine Fuzz pedals with a bigger sound and endless sustain. LOL Unfortunately she closed down Frantone
when she could no longer get the parts to insure the quality.
Used ones are heading into Klon territory for the price!

CONCLUSION
You can see why I picked the comparison. The comparison is not so relevant
but the demo at the end is killer!!!

OVERDRIVE-MOJO HAND FX Extra Special ...gutsy blues sound NAILED!!!

 MOJO HAND EXTRA SPECIAL 

$250.00 USD

A very American blues style pedal that reminds me of
many small budget type amps of the late 50's and early 60's.

Killer fat, biting and aggressive, and in your face. It says "I'm here!"
The layout is volume tone, gain. and accent. A switch labeled jazz and rock mellow the sound without any mud. The rock sound is worth admission.

It is definitely the best of this kind of sound. the harmonic detail is noticeably better then others!

The 'Born to be Wild' type sounds are intoxicating. lol

A little pricey but still good value.

CONCLUSION
It is low on the sustain thing but a killer pedal nonetheless.

Great for chord work really pulling out any nuance when
used rhythmically. I would love to hear an 'Albert King'
style used on it! It certainly turns silver faced Fenders into

amazing rock and blues machines!

FUZZ- MAGNETIC EFFECTS White Atom ...a classic sound with a modern twist

$165.00 USD

 MAGNETIC EFFECTS WHITE ATOM 
I fell into this one after hearing the Cornell OD Special one is an OD & this is Fuzz. You can a similar warm sound from this Fuzz but you can take it into that classic disintegration thing too.

It uses both a germanium and silicon transistors
The idea works very well as the silicon neutralizes the nasal thing  from the sound and tightens it up but the germanium gives you the warmth and texture of a Fuzz Face.
You get volume,gain, bass treble and texture. Texture allows you to change the bias. I love a bias control because you can then get anything from self destruct to a near OD sound.
The OD sound on this is killer It alone is worth the price of the pedal.

This is very well made and versatile Fuzz. The Hammond ...style type B box 
is always welcomed as you get easy access to the controls but a reasonable size footprint.

CONCLUSION
A Fuzz from the old school where the designers were trying to invent the OD but technology hadn't caught up with that. You get the aggression of a Fuzz but the control of an OD.
It could easily substitute for an OD.

OVERDRIVE- CORNELL Overdrive Special ...excellent old & very cool OD & still around

 CORNELL OVERDRIVE SPECIAL

$225.00 USD

These guys have been making amps and Pedals for years.

The first channel is a clean boost and the second is crunch.
You have a floor switch for Boost, a second for channel and the third is the on off.
a single switch is all you get for the tone.
It came originally in paint and later in chrome but appearances to in paint again are probably old stock. Used ones are not
hard to find.

It has very warm fat sound even the boost does not seem to dirty it very much.

$200.00 USD

CONCLUSION

The sound is excellent. It has a very rich and mellow 

singing tone with just touch of underlining grit.

It is a very saturated liquid sound. 

A  Dave Gilmore kind of thing.

If it works for you it will give you

a very identifiable and personal tone 

& we are all searching for that.

The price reasonable. It is very big pedal as it

has been around and unchanged for years.

It is what it is and I can not fault it but

it is too mellow for me ...and too damn big.

FUZZ- HOVERCRAFT Laguna Sunride ...shades of a Big Muff on steroids!!!

 HOVERCRAFT LAGUNA SUNRIDE 

$200.00 USD

Ya gotta love a company that makes low priced tube amps, cabs, one pedal and a selection of used motorcycles. LOL
To be fair the amps look great and appear to be based on Marshalls.

The controls are Gain,tone and voice switch. The switch gives 3 choices of bass.There are 3 channels. Lead Red ...
Fuzz Green and Crunch Blue.
Each are described in impressive prose that tells me squat to pass on.
But HEY! It sounds pretty good. It sounds
is very old school. no engineer involved  here.
It is all about trial and error until you get a big fat sound that sounds like it could get out of control. 
BUT no it is pretty tight. Punch LOTS !!!

CONCLUSION

Hard not to love!

it appears to be built like a tank too!!!