OVERDRIVE- ONE CONTROL Jubilee Red ...Marshall Silver Jubilee Amp-in-a-Box

$160.00 USD

 ONE CONTROL JUBILEE RED 
This is the third pedal in a series by designer Bjorn Juhl with a Plexi and the Orange amp being the first two. This is his take on the now famous Marshall Silver Jubilee. 
The Silver Jubilee amp was in effect a hot rodded '87 JCM 800 
which was the pinnacle of classic amp tech before the JCM 900 which was the first purposely built Metal amp. In sort where classic Marshall tone was not totally trumped for gain at all cost.

All these pedals are equal to and in in many cases better than most pedals that followed. The problem arises because the media thrives on the new. These pedals are 4 years old now and have dropped under the radar. 
The fact that they are small is a bonus. They have been designed to nail the initial voicing of each amp so the controls
are designed to focus on relative tweaks within the natural range of the amps they mimic but with enough sweep to tweak the sound to your gear.

CONCLUSION
The Pexi is a killer so I had some reservation before even hearing this pedal. The fact is it's easily as well done. The Orange is good too but it is a different amp. You love Orange or you do not. 
If you do then the One control is well ahead of the pack.
Buying the Plexi for your crunch and the Red for high gain chores would be a to die for rig in the palm of your hand!
Having bought the Plexi although the tone is killer it true to the amp which depends on some reasonable volume level to create some feedback for some good sustain. The Jubilee is a much higher gain and even at bedroom levels it has a healthy sustain.

OVERDRIVE- ONE CONTROL Florescent Orange ...Orange Amp-in-a Box

$160.00 USD

 ONE CONTROL FLUORESCENT ORANGE 
This is another of the amp-in-a box pedals designed by Bjorn Juhl. The Plexi was killer. This time he does a very convincing high gain Orange amp.
The layout is simple with volume presence and master. The voicing is fixed. It could be an issue but in this case the sound is bang on and the controls are more about tweaking the pedal to work with your rig.


CONCLUSION
 It is a one trick pony but ...what a trick! The sound is nailed.
These little boxes are cheap enough to even get a few and have a few totally convincing amp sounds at the click of a button.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME- the neck on your next guitar???

 THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME 

I have 14 guitars with neck shapes as thin as an Ibanez shredder to a Harmony H88 Stratotone Doublet. The actual guitar is better known by it's nickname 'The Baseball Bat'. They all feel different. Each one 'does' change the sound. The ones that are heavier or have more mass give you more sustain but mass darkens the tone. A darker tone gives you more definition especially when using a lot of dirt. Different woods have by nature different weight etc, so trying to pin point what is best for you is an insane proposition.

There are no rules. There is no such thing as the best. It is like clothing ...the best is what fits. There are many myths. Thin necks may seem fast when you try one. If you play one though after a little while you can find you hand fatiguing because the inside curve of your hand has no place to rest. Whatever you choose you will soon find it will not slow you down. Your hand and mind adapt and soon it makes F.-all difference. In 1950 the fastest neck and the one that allowed access to the highest notes was the Tele! Nothing else came close!
There are numerous players that still play a 1950's Tele or a reissue with it's chunky neck that are virtuosos. So not much can slow you down but not putting in the work and even more so your attitude. If you think you can. You can. If you think you can't. You won't. It is merely choice.

Yes ...the scale length makes a difference to the feel and to your reach. The width does the same. Last but not least is the radius of the fretboard. Add to this you will invariably have to compromise to get the look, the style and even the tone in trade for comfort.

At the moment this is my best guitar. It is a Lace Cybercaster ...single PU .
....No longer made I bought it as New old stock from Chicago Music Exchange
a few years ago. Very, very few were ever made.

Note: Lace the PU makers have been making guitars
for decades. Small time, under the radar.
I do have a Fender Custom Shop Strat and a
Gibson '59 Les Paul Special re-issue
Neither come close to this!!!

It is too crazy looking for most.
This I find is an asset. no one stands out from the crowd
playing a Strat or a Les Paul
You do not go big time from other players thinking you look cool
It is the fans that decide that ...and they all yawn when they
see another of the same old guitars.

One piece ash body with bolt on all maple neck & fretboard.
It is an average weight. Stays In tune. The sustain is excellent. The neck is a little narrow
for my taste at the nut. The shape is a 'C'. It is neither thin nor does it feel a bit hefty.
It has incredible definition. It is bright but without loosing any low end,
It has incredible definition. I find the neck lightning fast any I play triplets at 140 bpm accurately without any problem. 
The pickup is a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates PAF.
It is a long story but it is not your off the self version but a custom shop hand made one
Literally wound for Billie Gibbons that Billie himself stepped in so I could buy it.
In short it was meant for him.(and only him.)

HARMONY H88 STRATOTONE  DUBLET
1954 re-issue
the whole guitar itself is nicknamed the
Baseball Bat

Yes It Looks like it should be used to play Surf music
big time wimpey! The original  '54 'Sunny Yellow'
is the clincher. lol
The guitar was 'hot rodded' by a tech that 
does work for Clapton and Dave Gilmour
The idea was to make it a shredder but
create the illusion it is a still a 50's guitar
the bridge is not original either
the original was a tone and sustain sucking
all rosewood bridge.
The neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard
the body is a solid slab of ash.
It weighs the same as my LP.

Underneath that 50's Rickenbacker PU cover
at the bridge is a PU that when I play thru my 
Plexi removes the back wall of the club!
It sustains longer than my Les Paul!
I think of it as Mr. Diabolical
LOL

FUZZ- KO AMPS KoSound Fuzz ...a modern take on a late 60's style Fuzz

$110.00 USD

 KO AMPS KOSOUND FUZZ 
This little Korean company makes a few amps and pedals but has a very low profile in the west. Their Fuzz is loosely based from a Tonebender MK II. which is a stretch as it use a silicon transistor that did not show up until MK 4 and has a tone control that did not arrive to MK 3. I have no idea  the point of the B.S. You either like it or not. 

CONCLUSION
It ain't no classic Tonebender. The company admits not to using a germanium transistor. Not even a MK IV which did Isounds as smooth as this. It does have really nice breakup and snarl and growl in the lows with a thick density and punch.
Actually it sounds damn good . It is what is ...a modern take on a late 60's Fuzz should be all about.

AMP-BLACK STAR JJN-20R ...a great pedal platform!

 BLACKSTAR JJN-20R 
Something new something old. Basically a low wattage but very loud Marshall designed as the perfect club back line amp. Loud enough to keep up with the drums in the classic club gig with only a mic for the singer.
A 2 watt function was added for at home practice.
The dirt sounds are great but it is the clean sound for pedals
that has made it hot. The idea was a Fender clean with a Marshall dirt channel. 
It was designed for Jared James Nichols who uses the head and cab. Unfortunately it is a Limited Edition so it is all but sold out. The combo is small and compact so it is a 
great grab and go.

OVERDRIVE- ONECONTROL Purple Plexifier ...a Marshall stack you can hold in your hand?

$160.00 USD

 ONE CONTROL PURPLE PLEXIFIER 
Not much to it. Gain level and tone. Oh yes there is a mid boost reached by a screwdriver from the side. Designed by the Swedish Bjorn Juhl who designs his own pedals which he sells a handful for obscene prices then licences others to be handmade in reasonable large quantities and then again sells designs like the one control an exclusive pedal.

CONCLUSION
Not surprising that it is good. ...maybe even really good ...but is it an unexpected minor masterpiece? Yes ...or even better.
Yes definitely better. LOL

HANDS ON
I got one. There is no denying the tone but without reasonable level of volume from your amp to induce some feedback the only way to get it is to stack it with a boost or another OD. I have the Big Joe R401 Saturated which is the polar opposite with a huge fat sound that sustains forever but it doesn't have a killer tone like a good Plexi pedal.

OVERDRIVE-DR.Z Z-Drive ... versatile Blues, Americana and Outlaw Country ...tones!

 DR. Z  Z-DRIVE OD 

$250.00 USD

This is a 2 channel OD with germanium transistors on the crunch channel for warmth and character and  FET transistors on the high gain side for a smooth tube amp tone.
You have a 3 way EQ for the overall tone anda low end cut for each channel.A second footswitch lets you change channels. Earthquaker Devices had a big hand in the design of this pedal.
CONCLUSION
Very good. Most of the Dr. Z amps are aimed at an American sound so it is no surprise so is this pedal. Great for Blues based. Americana and Outlaw Country. It stands out in front of the very few pedals available ...especially with this level of thought.

OVERDRIVE- CALINE Bounty Hunter ...an 80's-90's Metal pedal ...worth a look!

$50.00 USD

 CALINE BOUNTY HUNTER 
Caline are always hot and cold. Even years ago when everything they did was in an old style Big Muff folded metal box they had some killer clones.They were one of the first companies to make inroads into the West by selling direct.Since then every few years
they came out with a new box and new pedals. The best ones were often ripped off from their original pedals like their Big Muff Fuzz.
They already have the Red Devil and it has been around for several years so I was expecting when I heard about this one to a Modern high gain Metal OD. Perhaps not. It has a switch that says Classic and Extreme which makes me think it is a late 80's style OD. 
Odd as that is what the Red Devil is. The Red Devil has a similar switch too. It has a 3 way EQ as well so who knows what this is about? Yes this new one could be really great as some pedals have knobs on them that do squat.
CONCLUSION
Well Caline make over 50 pedals? Popular pedals from the pass are still made and as I noted every few years there is completely new line added.
This has popped now and again for months without any reviews or a price?
The stores still do not have any.
It is not a tight modern sound. It has honking mids so it sounds beautifully fat.
I quite like it. It has an 80's vibe which is quite good.
If you are looking for similar pedal that is even fatter and more modern sounding check out the Post 
KMISE ALTIMATE DRIVE ...I paid $17.00 USD with free shipping and it is a killer!
check out the third video. 

GUITAR- sorry ...out of stock!!!

 SORRY WE AIN'T GOT NONE!!! 
Because of the C19 shutdowns there is a shortage of made in the U.S. guitars. Some of the Asian guitars are up and running but most orders are not completely filled as what has been made is being shared world wide.

WHAT IS YOUR 'TYPE' OF DISTORTION ??? FIND IT & THEN CHOOSE THE PERFECT OD.

DIRT BASICS
There are basics to getting a great dirt sound, It all started with germanium transistors, then came silicon transistors and final FETS transistors. Included in the mix are OpAmps and using clipping diodes with it including as odd a thing as a LED. lol
Add to that symmetrical and asymmetrical waveforms and how to get them or even why you would prefer one over the other. Keep in mind unlike consumer goods where a new tech make the old tech obsolete we are using it all. Even germanium transistors that are all but not made. In fact most gourmet pedals are using NOS (new old stock.)

lt can get a bit overwhelming. 
I could explain it all in writing but after 5 minutes you would say W.T.F. and leave. LOL
BIG BUT....
The guys on That Pedal Show have been kind enough to do a show on it. 
Hearing what each of the elements that make dirt changes the sound ..really helps you find what type of dirt you like and what tech gives it to you.

If you love symmetrical sounds and OpAmp tech you would be searching for a Tube Screamer type of pedal. You might only using FETS for dirt and want an Amp-in-Box Marshall pedal.  OR? You might prefer 'hard clipping' with an asymmetrical wave using an OpAmp so your first look would be RAT clones.

FUZZ- LASTGASP LABORATORIES Oscillo Fuzz ....a Fuzz with reins on it?

$300.00 USD

 LAST GASP LABORATORIES OCSILLO FUZZ 
A simple idea. But maybe not so simple to pull off. Give the user 6 of the best known Oscillating Fuzz circuits beautifully voiced and usable and really just one control to tweak them. The magic 'Adjust' knob. 
We have all been there. You get a Fuzz between giving you some conventional pitch and self destruct and one last teak our work disappears into unusable crap or worse still it disappears into silence. lol
Lastgrasp comes to the rescue! Great idea ...presets!

CONCLUSION
I could claim it doesn't have enough user control but that's the whole point. It would be like I can not make a banana sound like an apple. LOL
I see it stacked with a good OD to give it some serious hair or with real self destructive Fuzz to give it some gravity. Nice pedal!!! Really usable.

OVERDRIVE-LAWRENCE PETROSS DESIGN LPD Modern Classic ...DUMBLE ?

$185.00 USD

 LAWRENCE PETROSS DESIGN LPD MODERN CLASSIC 
 LPD are well known for taking  each year that Marshall produce a classic amp and quite literally make a pedal that put that sound in box. He has done this a 68 and 74 Pexi and a 87 JCM 800
In fact I own all three. They are all killer pedals. 
I make jokes with him that he should offer a 3 Pack. 
I would not part with any of them. They may only do one thing each but all 3 have nailed their goal.
If you had all them and compared them too some wonder Marshall pedal that covers them all you certainly be returning the 'wonder pedal'. lol
So this is not only a different pedal it is a pedal that covers a broad range. It tries to cover a Dumble to a Marshall?

First there is no such thing as a Dumble sound. Dumble makes every amp tailor made to fit every aspect of the buyers wants wishes and most important needs. 
You can not even buy one unless you agree to  spending 
a considerable time working with Dumble to design 
and then modify and finally tweek the amp to your needs.
How can any Dumble amp sound like the last one.
However the LPD does give you all the sounds of players
that gravitate towards a Dumble. As a category they are usually 
players that have styles and prefer tones that thread their way 
back and through Jazz Fusion style Rock genres.

CONCLUSION
Well I was surprised. This pedal succeeds it's goal keeping all the clarity and transparency of the gendre. It has the best 'before' break up sound I have ever heard. It can whisper but it can scream as well as the best. Like all LPD peals it has tone, tone and more tone. A blend for some clean is definitely the crowning touch.
Listen to the clarity and definition.The lows have bite and are very tight but still fat! 

Will I get one. 
I think is more about when?                                                                                

OVERDRIVE- VAHLBRUCH Kaluna tube OD ...a serious extra amp channel

$375.00 USD

 VALBRUCH KALUNA 
A high voltage tube OD which acts, response and sounds like a channel out of tube amp.
I find all tube OD 's have their own character and sound that you either love or maybe not hate but you can get tired of very soon. They are like a tube amp itself they dominate your sound.
I feel this would work best for a guy who prefers just one OD. It would be killer with many Fenders with a clean sound or a very mild crunch.
CONCLUSION
The right guy could use this everyday for a lifetime. 
Unfortunately it is often hard to tell.I know a few guys

that I trust have given it a lot of praise. I consider the

Fender Hot Rod a decent 40 watt Pro tube amp.

Recently a few of these have popped up used for the same price as this pedal. OUCH!!!

My point is there are few OD's around the $200.00 USD price that put together with the Fender amp and you have a killer sounding entire rig.

ARE MADE IN CHINA PEDALS JUNK ???

-JUNK OR GEMS  
-WELL MADE OR THROWN TOGETHER_
-CHEAP CLONES OR CLEVER ORIGINAL DESIGNS ???

The Chinese pedal makers are good businessmen. They use common sense business practices in order to grow.

BADLY MADE?
Companies like Mooer not only make and sell their own products but sell the identical products that are re-branded. 
In short they make exactly the same product and ONLY change the paint job and the graphics to identify it as a different brand. A common practice done in home entertainment products. A television that sells as an RCA sells under dozens of different names.
Mooer do product runs of 2000 pedals. First it is not cost effective to dumb down the parts.
It is cheaper to buy 2000 of the same reliable part. Why reliable? If it isn't they can get stuck with hundreds of pedals that are unsalable to the merchants. If the merchants find that customer returns them then those merchants will not make reorders.

All manufacturers design and make a product to a price point. In short a pedal sold for $35.00 USD can not be a product that has to be sold for $40.00 USD even though $5.00 USD would make it twice as good. Unfortunate but too true !!!

Lately some things are starting to change. Joyo's and Mooer's newest pedals are designed around a $50.00 USD price point so they have the room to use German, American and Japanese parts in the key areas that actually create the sound quality. So your $50.00 USD gets you a $225.00 USD sounding pedal.

CHINESE PEDALS ARE CHEAP CLONES STOLEN FROM OTHER MAKERS WORK!!!
A few were 10 years ago but now they are NOT!  The reason this myth is so prevalent is because the Chinese know you are more likely to buy their pedals if you think you are getting a copy. We are our own worst enemy! Odd as it seems the manufacturers now boast that they are selling copies. They aren't!  As consumers we are more likely to buy a clone so they tell us we are getting one.
It is much better to make a pedal totally original but is in the ballpark because the originals are more than often designed by very creative but relative amateurs with a limited knowledge of electronics. The Chinese with literally thousands of honour students graduating from Universities every year can employ electronic engineers to design their pedals. Durable pedals that sound similar but are designed to operate well yet be easier to build. Think of the original pedal made in the west being built like a car with an old ladder style car frame but the Chinese builders use modern unibody construction. A great majority of even famous makers in the West started as amateurs making pedals for themselves, then for their friends and eventually others until they became so big they went pro. Mostly through trial and error then perhaps reading a few books on a 'need to know' basis to trouble shoot painting themselves in the corner on first one design then another. If a pedal were a bridge it is like finding the bridge when its done is leaning sideways so they prop that side up with a rusted out car that was abandoned at the side of the road.
Rock has always worked from the premise that if it sounds good it is good. Leo Fender's Telecaster was made by the bridge method ...but it sounds so good no one will let Fender remove the rusty car. Not even me!!! LOL It's not broke it still is standing so don't fix it!!!

IT'S IN THE NUMBERS
Finally ...the most important reason the products need to be at minimum very good even if not killer is that most of the pedals are sold in China. Think about it! With a population in the billions and even a small city with millon's of residents you end up with one hell of a lot of players.
The percentage of players that can afford good stuff by western standards may be small BUT if only 1% of the players can afford good stuff there are millions of customers not thousands.
I have dealt with Chinese players. They go on line just like you and know what's cool and what is crap. The government does not block Western sites dealing with players and equipment. They are too busy weeding out real Western political sh@t and like non musicians everywhere they take one look at what we players are all about and simply think W.T.F. and move on. LOL

THIS YOU NEED TO KNOW
There are gourmet guitar brands run by skilled luthiers selling Fender Custom Shop quality guitars for under $2000.00 USD.They are doing very well and know you will not believe they can make this stuff. I have been dealing personally with them. They are great guys, all play at least as good as a good cover band. But they do not need the business but resent being written off when they  make totally killer stuff with a totally anal attitude about quality. Rob Chapman played one of their guitars and admits he in the past would never even contemplate buying Chinese but was totally blown away!!! My point is with billions of people there are always are going to be a lot of clever innovative people. So some of the very best of the best are by statistics alone  going to be Chinese. Check out Darrell Brauns guitar. Impressive. This guitar is prototype for his own line of guitars. This guitar is probably around $2000.00 USD but you could have it for half that if you just wanted a killer player without all the extras that are merely cosmetic. Like AAA wood that looks cool in your hands but on stage a plain white guitar looks as stunning and sounds as good. I have been working with the company myself with this very goal. I want a Fender USA quality of wood and parts. The idea is for less than $1000.00 USD. Eventually getting getting enough sales it could go as low as $850.00 USD.A handmade guitar for $850.00 USD.? How cool is that!

KILLER PEDALS THAT ARE STILL CHEAP
 You recall I said a pedal is made to a price point. They are. BUT! There are vintage Fuzz pedals that sell for thousands that have as few as 7 parts on their circuit board. Seriously! The fact is that is all it takes. More parts or even better parts would not make it better. A modern Fuzz usually uses more but not for the sound. Fuzz pedals need shielding against pedals placed in front of them. They also need modern protection circuits against power surges because most players do not use batteries anymore. They need ...in fact demand just the guitar signal to work their best. Even so since these parts are not part of the sound nor do they interfere with the sound. Modern pedals in general use many extra parts in their design.
My point is that relative to other pedals a fuzz is cheaper to build. So a Chinese designer can for example make a just passable Phaser cheap but the same money can make a killer Fuzz.

The perfect example is the CUVAVE FUZZ. Cuvave are an independent company.They use the best of basic designs from the past as it's skeleton as does ever maker no matter where or what the price. But like the best you still need additional innovation to make it a great Fuzz with a killer sound.

$25.00 USD

AMMOON ECHO
Joyo make this analog delay for both Donner and Ammoon.
Yes they are exactly the same! 
It uses a Japanese Panasonic delay chip just like MXR, Boss and for that matter everyone! You have heard some of your favourite players using an identical sound and I mean identical sound like on old Vai recordings on classic Boss pedals. No bull it is the same chip!! A give away is you dime the repeats it will go into self oscillation. So next time you play a solo think about how much better it will sound for just twenty  f-ing bucks!!! It is a nano pedal too so it can squeeze onto any pedal board. No bull guys! It is that good! 

$20.00 USD

TOM'SLINE PURE ECHO DIGITAL DELAY
Made for them by Mooer. Zero cheap parts! Put it beside a Strymon and just LISTEN! 
Be prepared to think W.T.F. I did!

$35.00 USD

FUZZ-KINK PEDALS-Defender of the Hate ...total annihilation!!! ...killer of the Killers!

$155.00 USD

 KINK PEDALS DEFENDER OF THE HATE FUZZ 
I really enjoyed browsing around the Kink site. I eventually gave a listen to them all. They were all pretty good but a few were exceptional.
The 'Hate' is based off of a Russian Big Muff but they have added a mid boost and switches for a LED clipping diode to smooth it out and a Germanium transistor to really upset the mix. On one hand it has the smoothness of a great OD but at the same time you get the spits and sputter and splatter of a germanium Fuzz. 
Between the mids boost and to die for lows the whole thing 
hits you like a tank!
CONCLUSION
There are few very fat Fuzz pedals. But no doubt about it this is King. Listen not only how fat the sound is but it is tight too!! 
Total killer Fuzz.

FUZZ- KINK GUITAR PEDALS Stab Zone ...this Fuzz is just Peachy!

$175.00 USD

 KINK PEDALS STAB ZONE FUZZ 

You have to love the history of this pedal.
It is Kink's take on the old Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz which was a rip from the Frantone Peach Fuzz.
It was designed by Fran Blanche who designed the N.Y.C. Big Muff for E-H when they had to start from scratch having returned from bankruptcy exile in Russia. LOL
Bottom line ...Fran sued Dano and won. So the the Cool Cat V.1 was pulled. It was replaced by the V.2 which was crap. 
Fran retired and shut down Frantone.
The Peach Fuzz is no more. The prices on used Peach Fuzz pedals is in never ever land and the Dano V.1 sells for $200.00 USD plus.

CONCLUSION

It is unlikely the original Fuzz was ever 

used for Metal or Metal related genres  

...so judging if you can get the original 

Frantone vibe from it is unknown. 

BUT ...for a start it is cheaper than a 

used Dano and probably better made. 

OVERDRIVE/FUZZ- YELLOWCAKE PEDALS Fury Burrito ...it has more secret sauce than a Mac

$165.00 US

 YELLOWCAKE FURRY BURRITO OD/FUZZ 
An interesting mix of both an OD and Muff like Fuzz.
You have a gain for the Fuzz and a filter for the overall EQ. A small knob that doubles as the pilot light LED. 
This controls the BIAS of the Fuzz to add a bit of spit and splutter. The OD has it's own gain and a switch triggers a bass boost.
CONCLUSION
The OD is soaring and sweet but the Fuzz gives you aggression and girth. It gives you the kind of sound that Dave Gilmour got using a Fuzz but then EQing the crap out of it on the mixing board to smooth out the tone. As noted in the video just the OD half of the sound easily flies by what other many OD's have on offer! 
It has been around for 6 years but seems to still be under the radar. The thing has character and it is totally it's own thing.
It is all I can do to stop from spending money I don't have! Killer !!!

FUZZ/OCTAVER-EMMA ELECTRONICS OKTO NOJS...different & dead cool!

 EMMA ELECTRONICS OKTO NOJS 

$225.00 USD

An interesting idea to combine an octave splitter and a Fuzz in the same box. Straight off it should be mentioned that the tracking on the octave is flawless.
The layout has the familiar gain, tone, and level. There isa dry control to use added clean signal for definition.One control adds a square wave distortion another gives you control over the BIAS for splutter and spitting. Another control controls a classic octave effect.the color control lets you reshape the basic voicing. Foot switches let you bring in  the octave and Fuzz independently.
CONCLUSION
It has a very fat sound that allows for crazy Fuzz things around the edges but keeps the main signal in total control. This is not a fuzz that goes into self destructive behavior
but one if you play a riff every note is strong and clear with not even a hint of drop out.
Trust me this is not an easy Fuzz to design

OVERDRIVE-HIGHWIND AMPLIFICATION Dire Wolf MKII ...sculptor and booster

 HIGHWIND AMPLIFICATION 
 DIRE WOLF MK II 

$190.00 USD

First you must keep in mind this is really the ultimate Tube Screamer meant to push an already dirty amp into never never land.
The layout consists of gain,level and tone. A 4th knob allows for blend of your clean signal. It has 4 switches. (1.) is for 3 levels of bright, (2.) gives you 3 levels of bass, (3.) gives you 3 levels of gain and (4.) gives you a choice of diode or LED clipping or changing the symmetrical wave form to an asymmetrical (tube amp) waveform. It runs on 9v but is boosted internally to 18v for more headroom.
CONCLUSION
It has a lot going for it. It hasn't missed a single demand of a Modern Metal sound. It has everything you need to sculpt both your personal rig and find a specific tone to match your needs.The price is very competitive.