OVERDRIVE-VS AUDIO AFTERMATH ...Smooth Metal OD ...New from VS! ...Big in Europe!

$210.00 USD

 VS AUDIO AFTERMATH DISTORTION 
VS have been making great pedals like their big selling Royal Flush in Greece for several years. The RS is a King Of Tone but with an entire sound of it's own. It is balzy and assertive.
They seldom release a new pedal this pedal is so new the paints wet.
The Aftermath is a big deal in Europe just from rumor.

You get a predictable Volume, Gain Bass and Treble
and a nice boost that is foot switchable.
The sound is fat, dense and creamy. It is not so much
a tear your face off pedal but it it's huge sound commands major authority.
All of the VS pedals use high end parts in and out of it's box.

CONCLUSION
If you are into the really aggressive type sound there a few other good choices.
This pedal is it's own thing. It's assertive authority makes people stand up and 
notice without being slapped in the face. 
It has an incredibly rich tone different than the REVV3 but in the same league
...better still it is a hundred hard earned ones cheaper!!!
If you have a great metal pedal then ...
it's a chance to give your music some variety of tone. 

 NEW VIDEOS

OVERDRIVE-MID VALLEY FX Controller...DIEZEL METAL!!! ...NO!!! even better!!!!

MID VALLEY FX CONTROLLER DISTORTION

$160.00 USD

Mid Valley has made a name for itself with several Fuzz pedals. 
They are made by Andrew and Tori a husband and wife team.
From what I have seen you are going to soon be hearing a lot more of.
I think that going for a Metal style box was a good idea. 
I had the first Diezel pedal and though very light you could set 6 mini pedals on it. But did it sound better? 
No!
I  feel the Controller sounds richer and fuller. Diezel were trying to do a dead copy of their amp which they did! 
But the amp is very harsh. Mid V. has removed the broken glass edge and replaced it with a really good bite.
Even if you use mammoth low end the bite keeps your sound tight!!!
They compare their pedal to the Freedman BEOD ...it is not.
I had one ...there is no comparison! 
The Controller can blow the thin sounding BEOD
out of the water!!!!

CONCLUSION

Don't just sit there buy one!
I can not believe it is so cheap. 
A fair price would be $225.00 USD
There are over 285,000 of you guys that come here. 
You figure it out!
A hell of a lot of them will be scooping this up.

Go too 8:20 on the video ...listen to the last minute of the vid.
See you were right! The damn thing can take out the back wall at a club.
So get your flexible friend out of your wallet and go for it!  :-)

____IMPORTANT___ TO ALL THOSE WHO WROTE IN ABOUT THE TNT SALE!!!!

 THE TECH & TONE SALE IS OVER AT THE END OF THE MONTH 

BUT FABIO THEY WILL KILL ME IF YOU DON'T !!!

I have had a silly amount of letters that are asking for an extension.
So since I have never been above begging and would feel sh@ty if you did not get a chance at getting the Turbo Nonna which I consider perhaps the very best OD on the planet.
SO...
I will crawl over to Fabio and see what a little kissy, kissy can do.
So if it is a go ...I will give you a heads up. 

If not I will be F. ing hiding out. LOL

Unreal pedal's ...simply KILLER!!!

FUZZ-FOXROX CC Hybrid2 ...they put 2 Fuzz Face pedals in a stew and stirred gently :-)

$190.00 USD

 FOXROX CC HYBRID2 FUZZ 
Foxrox took a Fuzz Face circuit and instead of choosing
either the original models germanium transistors or their second generation silicon transistor they coupled the two together. The silicon gives the pedal a near OD quality and the germanium really majorly fattens the pedal with a warm tone. A knob labeled Grit lets you mess with Bias of the germanium transistor for some really good tear your face off sound.

CONCLUSION
The pedal has a tight but fat tone. You get huge punchy chords yet it shines for riffs or a solo.
The casing is as tough as it looks. I just love it's retro look. This one really checks all the boxes.
                                                                        

DELAY- MOJOHAND FX Dream Delay ...faithful repro of Memoryman Deluxe Delay ...released today!!!

$160.00 USD

MOJOHAND FX DREAM MENDER DELAY
This was just released this morning it is not on Mojo Hand's site  ...nor is there even a price. I just got a heads up myself!

It is a faith repro of the old Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Delay the one that had an A/C cord attached to it. In short the 'collector's' model.
It has delay which you can modulate or you can use it for a Chorus or Vibrato.

The setup is Delay, blend and Feedback with a switch to choose the function.

CONCLUSION
They nailed the metallic, twangy sound of the EH which has a glassy etheral sound. A great sounding pedal now made available to anyone 
that loves this classic tone. 

OVERDRIVE-WEEHBO JCM Drive ...A Brit pedal with it ALL!!!

  WEEHBO JCM DRIVE 

A German maker that ...surprise ...is nuts about quality.

$275.00 USD

A Marshall? Yes indeed from medium gain to high gain the tone is accurate to a big 'M' as it gets.

You get it all. An input boost ..three way EQ with mids switchable from low to hi. With a footswich to switch up the gain.
A sound from the 80's and 90's that even now sounds fresh. Best of all the pedal captures the sound of a whole stack with that speaker thump and massive low end.

CONCLUSION
What' not to like! like !!!

NOTE: Check out the Post ...

TECH-N-TONE Turbo Nonna 

I have at least a dozen Marshall pedals and this my fav !!! Find out why.  

Then go to the post:   Killer Pedals by Tech-N-Tone

...for a very nice discount :-) But it's over March 1/20

OVERDRIVE-ANALOG.MAN/BOSS DS-1/PRO Distortion ...WOW!!!

ANALOG.MAN/DS-1/PRO DISTORTION

$124.00 USD
$25.00 USD for mid knob

The Boss has been making this pedal for decades! It sales
have never slowed down.
AnalogMan started as a mods only company. After comparing 
a JHS and Keeley modded DS-1 ...I find with no big surprise that this one is easily the best.
Keep in mine that hundreds of players wait up to 2 years to get a King of Tone. It is really a modded Marshall Blues Breaker and a Tube Screamer in one box. So these mods are pretty much a total redesign!

CONCLUSION
One listen and WOW! You can pay a lot more for OD's that do not come even close!
The mid knob is $25.00 USD extra.











NOTE- These are made in small batches about once a year. 
If you want one you have to put your name on the list.

OVERDRIVE-JOYO Maximum Overdrive ...a Fulltone clone? YES! ...but it sounds amazing!

 JOYO MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE 

$60.00 USD

I feel the name is misleading since it conjures up a high gain monster! Instead this pedal is a fusion player/Dumble guy's dream. Smooth creamy and transparent.
In this current golden age of Metal pedals it is a damn big surprise especially from Joyo who have aimed at clones ...But of hot Marshall style OD's
That said they do clone and it is obviously a take on a Fulltone Full Drive 2.

I am a Marshall guy so this is not my thing. BUT! I have bought a few ...all brand names ...many were Dumble wannabes. So I confess I am majorly impressed.

The layout is a simple Tone, Gain and Volume. A switch gives you hard clip, Flat and Smooth. the other switch goes from a JFET  to I expect mildly nasty sounding diode. It has a boost but it is a mild boost ...that is very effective to add a bit of punch without crushing the pedals great tone.

OVERDRIVE
First I have one pet peeve. The graphics and colour give the pedal the pro look but the knobs are plastic. I have no problem with plastic knobs ...BUT chrome plated plastic simply looks tacky and cheap. If a metal knob was too pricey then a white knob would be just fine.

 The Joyo is more then just good enough to choose over the Fulltone.

OVERDRIVE-CALINE CP-70 High Chief ...a King of Tone ...but how close?

 CALINE CP-70 HIGH CHIEF OD 

$50.00 USD

It is a King of Tone 'wanna-be' ...but how close do they come?
Well first what is a KOT anyway? The left side is a Marshall Blues Breaker and the right side is a Tube Screamer (ts 808). To be fair the KOT is obviously modded ...but it is not some exotic piece of original design. The KOT does use NOS (new old stock) and there is no way that Caline can.

If you are familiar with the sound of a KOT you will be happy to know that the Caline sounds like a KOT. It has a very good clarity but the KOT is fatter and warmer.
Caline do make a sturdy casing and are a very reliable brand.
.

CONCLUSION
Well it makes a very usable sound. The best deal for a KOT is the King of  Klone  a hand made knock off. The real KOT is just a very tiny bit clearer then the copy but the copy is just a bit fatter. In a blindfold test I think a guy who owned a KOT could choose the wrong one as being the real deal.
the King of Clone is $115.00 USD.
I have the knock-off and use it daily. I also own 27 other OD's most are 3 times the money
so if it was not excellent it would be REVERBED!

OVERDRIVE-DAREDEVIL Drive-Bi ..a hard rock in your face power and glory pedal!!!

$180.00 USD

 DAREDEVIL DRIVE-BI DISTORTION 
The pedal is made by Johnny Wator who devides his time between his Daredevil Pedals and his band. If a pedal can not add to the extreme grit of his hard rocking band ...he will not make it nor will he sell one to you.
In short ...his stuff 'JUST WORKS'  Tone? Sure! Fine! But he is more concern it has Balz and that what is expressed with your fingers comes out of your speakers!!!

It is a dual channel amp that uses 2 OpAmps. The layout is Volume, Gain and a switch to go from medium to high gain.
The sound is rough and aggressive but very dynamic!

CONCLUSION
Nothing not to like! good ol' Johnny sets out to just what he says and he nails. Yes it will not fit every style of music.
But it is the kind of sound that many of us heard and said 
"I gotta get a guitar." You did and here you are.

OVERDRIVE-CORNERSTONE Royal Antique ...Is this the BEST Tube Screamer on the Planet???

$325.00 USD

 CORNERSTONE ROYAL ANTIQUE 
A family business in Italy that focus on
taking pedals that have perhaps never been 
given the ultimate treatment and then 
offer you the very best.
Hence no 'ME TOO' Marshall boxes. LOL

But most of us see the Tube Screamer as either great 
but affordable or may grab a cheapy just to check it out. 
The thing is if we do not know we will pay big money etc,
to have a pedal that is a Tube Screamer that the maker 'lies by omission' In short they give their pedal a new name and keep their mouth shut. LOL
One half of the coveted King of Tone is a Tube Screamer. 
No Bull ...it is!!!

CONCLUSION

Well the pedal was designed for Osvaldo di Dio who does the video for it.
It is a damn good sounding pedal but at its best to my ears it sounds 
more like a Brit pedal. So ...why not get a good Brit pedal.
To make my point check out the Tech N Tone Mamma Drive. 
To my my mind the it is better and cheaper too!

OVERDRIVE- FULLTONE Secret Frequency ...secret voodoo makes a better pedal lol

$145.00 USD

 FULLTONE SECRET FREQUENCY OD 

So a very American sounding pedal with sounds
that filled the airways of 70's thru the 80's.
The layout is less a mystery then it looks.
The fixed voice is bright and slashing. In fact it has a knob to cut the highs. The 'secret' is a 20 db upper mid boost. it fattens the sound ...helps push out more sustain and gives the pedal 'singing' quality's.
It cuts thru the mix without over powering the band.
it is kind of a cross between a cocked wah and a parametric EQ.
I use both so I can get the 'secret' on any dirt pedal. lol


CONCLUSION
I love poking holes in a lot voodoo tech hype but Micheal Fuller
not only created the modern legend ...with the Fulltone OCD he changed it 
8 times when everyone was happy with it  as it was. lol 
Unlike other companies the changes were not do to parts being discontinued 
by the manufacture or to make it cheaper or easier to build.
He did it because he could. lol
The bottom line is the guy is never happy with a 99% effort or result.
he has a great 'ear' for sound so his pedals simply sound 'good'

The real 'secret' is no exception ...if it sounds good it is good and as maker if you
have to rationalize why your pedal sounds good ...just do not release it.

REVERB- NEUNABER Seraphim Mono Shimmer ...a perfect addition!!!

$200.00 USD

 NEUNABER SERAPHIN MONO SHIMMER REVERB 

The layout  is simple with Mix, Shim, and Depth.
Regular readers know I am not big on ambiance FX.
It is not tat I don't like the sound it is just they have very limited use doing conventional Rock or Pop and very few times will they work outside of writing parts for them.
BUT ...just a little is very nice. Neunaber has taken the Shimmer their best of the best and added the 'wet' that is a big sound but not too busy.
An ideal extra delay pedal to use like spice here and there on your music.











CONCLUSION
It is a luxury so an excellent always on reverb with a very neutral room or a Plate reverb voice should be your first aim.

OVERDRIVE- CALINE CP-30 Red Devil Heavy Metal Distortion ...small price BIG sound !

$35.00 USD

 CALINE CP-30  RED DEVIL HEAVY METAL DISTORTION 
Caline have been around for several years doing the standard classic clones. Like Mooer thy are pushing away those boundary's and designing a few of their own things.
The pedal has the standard Volume and gain and a 3 way EQ. It is nice to see those that important mid knob! A switch changes the voicing from a classic 80's Brit sound or a Modern Metal tone.
The classic sound has some of that vintage Marshall sound. In the modern Metal sound there is of those nice harmonics popping out of  that in your face amp sound with just a bit of Fuzz that adds a great snarl to the lows.

CONCLUSION
I have owned a few Caline pedals. The overall quality is very good and they never gave me any grief!
Well the video's are spotty but there are bits in all of them that give you a good idea.
The end of the French video...the last one gives you a good show of the lows and that crushing wall of sound thing. It actually has a surprising amount of rich harmonic content.
The recent graphics with the orange is a bit of tongue in cheek and a lot of fun.
The week bit is the sustain is just a bit tame ...but so are some of the much more expensive boxes.
Bottom line it sounds as good or better then many pedals in the $180  league.
At $35.00 USD one is not risking much!

OVERDRIVE: KMD MACHINES Wurm Distortion v2 ...A BOSS HM2 on steroids!

$245.00 USD

 KMD MACHINES WURM DISTORTION/METAL 

The KKMD has been around for awhile with both Metal players and others loving all it's nastiness!
The layout is Volume, Gain, both High and Low mids and Lows. It started life as the MIJ Boss HM2 and then was injected with steroids!
The word HEAVY certainly fits!!! LOL 
It does the HM2 thing very well but if you are looking for something as heavy but with a modern slant this not aimed at that though with updates on the v2 design it certainly is close.

CONCLUSION
Job well done!
BUT
Check out the Post ...DSM NOISEMAKER Drive Maker
It can even drop an octave so on some tunes you can 
parody a 7  or 8 string guitar! So if you want low end you have it! 
It has two gains with the knobs to control them.
You get a boost with it's own foot switch yet it is also half the size of the WURM.
It even has a loop to put another pedal in. Finally the quality of parts and build
are the best. Price ...$250.00 USD

OVERDRIVE- MAXON Apex 808 ...the guy that designed the Tube Screamer does a new one!!!

$300.00 USD

 MAXON APEX 808 

So Susuma Tamura does it again!!! He collected about a hundred Tube Screamers to find which one is the best. He nailed it down to a specific OpAmp, year and run. He then found and bought every one he could find.  Maxon have enough to last between two to three years.

Susuma Tamura 
Mr. Tube Screamer himself!
The inventer of the worlds most popular OD






CONCLUSION
Well the sound on the video has me impressed.
BUT ...I am a Marshall-in-a-Box guy. The Apex is very amp sounding ...much  like a good medium gain J FET OD. but the average ts is NOT!  A classic ts creates a very distinct symmetrical waveform and the Apex output is producing an asymmetrical waveform.
Many will love the Apex but thousands will never part from the one they have!!! It is NOT going to be a game changer!
..

TUBE SCREAMER ....The HISTORY

  TUBE SCREAMERS  

There are hundreds of Pedal makers from cheap plastic

entry level boxes to hand made gems that cost over $500.00 USD

One thing in common is that if they make OD's one will be based on the 

Tube Screamer

circuit and it's use of an OpAmp instead of transistors

Some makers admit this ...others lie by omission! lol

Every year someone claims they have made the new Miracle dirt pedal!!! 

It can be a Low Gain Drive right up to a Metal OD 

which is nothing more then a beefed up Tube Screamer

Mr. Tube Screamer himself
Susuma Tamura

It was the first OD to use an symmetrical waveform

This is ironically NOT tube like!

It does however act more in a 'transparent' way

leaving the tone of your guitar and amp's sound relatively in tact.

in this day of using many pedals running them at unity gain is the only practical thing to do.

the ts was from the start used with the output level set high ...even dimed.

As such it is not 'Pedal Board Friendly'
It can be a bit lame at unity gain.

OVERDRIVE- CARL MARTIN Blue Ranger...SVR !!!!

$140.00 USD

CARL MARTIN BLUE RANGER
Carl Martin's Texas style OD. To get the SVR sound. He got the idea when in Texas looking at the statue of SRV.
You have to keep the gain back.
The pedal has 2 separate circuits when one gets a bit dirty the second kicks in.this keeps the signal clean but adds saturation type compression.
It works very well.It is just tad bit artificial but in the context of an actual tune it is very convincing.

it is style orientated. For example treat it like in a modern Metal way and it can sound very harsh and even trashy.

CONCLUSION
It is a very specialized pedal that does just one thing but it does it damn well. I bought and sold several pedals that promised the SRV thing but were a total let down.

OVERDRIVE-JOYO IRONMAN Metalhead nano...Can sometime this small be any good? BIG SURPRISE!

 JOYO     IRONMAN JF-315 METALHEAD 

$50.00 USD

Guys that play Modern Metal have a lot of boxes to tick before they choose even a cheap pedal. So how can anyone mildly serious even look at this pedal?
First it ain't just a mini it is a nano pedal.

It has a Mid, High, volume and Distortion.
Yes I noticed ...no bass?
Actually the bass seems to track the mids and highs
it is either great engineering or an illusion. LOL
Who said it was the amp ???
It does however use at least 2 gain stages.

CONCLUSION
Well it really doesn't need a bass knob unless you are into Djent. It has a classic overkill sound that you can make smooth or rough it up. It is balzy and fat ..you can make it fizzy but you have to dime the highs. Why would you want  too? If nothing else it does not sound like a cheap or budget pedal.
.

FUZZ-PRESCRIPTION ELECTRONICS Experience Fuzz ...risen from the dead!

  PRESCRIPTION ELECTRONICS EXPERIENCE 

$400.00 USD

Jack Brossart started his company in 1993 to bring back classic but defunct pedals.These were all hand made the hard way with point to point wiring using NOS.
The result was an instant hit with players.
The company disappeared in 2014 with Jacks passing.
The good news is that former employee's have revitalized the company and have reissued all the original pedals exactly as they were.
The Experience is a take on the old Foxx Tone Machine Fuzz.
To my ears they totally caught the vibe but the the sound is more dynamic much fuller even richer.

CONCLUSION
OUCH!!! 
What can I say ...great pedal but definitely in the collectors league.
Perhaps a big treat for some.
There are reasonable alternatives. Danelectro just brought out the 
3699 Fuzz at $200.00 USD it has been taking pre-orders.
There is another exceptionally good one from Tiesco for $130.00 USD that I can highly recommend! Not only better then most but cheaper then all of them!

FINAL NOTE:
These pedals really shine when stacked with a good OD. All the crazy stuff
pops thru ... the stuff that has a cool self destruction but the fragmentation can thin out the sound. An OD will fill in the spaces. It is killer on a solo.

OVERDRIVE-JOYO Pocket Metal ...surprisingly Pro yet it costs zip! $28.00 USD

 JOYO POCKET METAL 

$28.00 USD

How good can it be ????
It has been out since 2013 so it must have something.
Well the layout is simple but well thought out. You get Volume, Distortion and a Mid boost. The designers have done good job of voicing it reasonably close to a MESA Dual Rectifier with a mild scoop and then gave you the Mids to fatten it up to taste. Dimed you can get a bit of a growl.
It is even incredibly tight and the noise floor is quite good.

On one hand you can not get very far away from it's fixed voice but it has no annoying artifacts that many cheap pedals have. There is no fizz or sudden boosts or drop outs. In short it sounds damn good and you can not make it sound like crap even if you try. LOL
The casing is a light alloy but is adequate to survive most knocks, bangs and drops. Joyo has an excellent record for reliability.
..

CONCLUSION

My only criticism is the damn name! A Metal pedal should never be named to sound inconsequential. With the name Pocket it is like calling a meat clever a letter opener.

I would recommend this to nearly anybody to check it out even if they had a big budget.

I am using 70 pedals live and some are Metal pedals.

Yes I said 70!   I will pass (for now) ...BUT I am very tempted! very, very, tempted!