OVERDRIVE- NFXYFX Krank Distortion ... clone of a defunct classic

 MFXYFX KRANK DISTORTION

$75.00 USD

In 2005 Krank Amplifiers were one of a new breed of tube amp makers that made an amp specifically for Metal. With a few mods by Dimebag Darrell request they were soon the 'must Have' amp.In 2006 they brought out the  Distortus Maximus pedal. 

ike many small companies run by passionate creative guys without a great business sense they went under. The pedal died with them.

But behold!!! The little Russian Company MFXYFX has come to the rescue. Making clones of defunct pedals is MFXYFX. Like many one man semi obscure makers it is light on the graphics as many do everything in house. you can take 'in house' literally.

 Fortunately these guys are often all about

the passion of their craft so we end up with

well made gems! Better still cheap prices!

CONCLUSION

Well it is indeed a nasty little love me or leave me sound.

The demo I believe is a bit of a DIY. Is it me or is the guitar out of tune?

GUITAR- GORDON SMITH T-Graff ...truly handmade guitars from Britian CHEAP!!!

 GORDON SMITH T-GRAFF 

Yes truly handmade guitars even the Fender custom Shop uses CNC machines to cut out the bodys and necks! NOT Gordon Smith!!!

They make a wide selection with plenty of Gibson and Fender type styles and a few of their own.

My favourite is the T-Graff. I think it is nuts to get a handmade clone. If you want a Fender buy a Fender!!!

All base models can be upgraded to other woods and different PU's, colors etc. The T-Graff's basic color is the natural wood color. Check out their site. 

Attention to detail is anal. LOL At the prices you really get something special. It is well known with very, very few exceptions the resale of ANY custom guitar is very poor. Even so with a Gordon Smith you do not have a fortune tied up in it. Besides that if you keep it simple you are likely to never tire of it.

The T-Graff is the cheapest and I love it's simplicity and near retro look.

GORDON SMITH
T-Graff
$1000.00 USD
Poplar body with maple neck

Poplar is used by Gibson in ES335 construction 
with maple ply on the top. It sweetens the tone.
They made some 80's LP's with it. It sounds like Alder.
but is is more consistent in weight than Alder.
You do not get a heavy guitar but a medium weight.
In general medium weight guitars resonate the best.
Fender used its several times over the years.
You can get the T-Graff in Ash as an upgrade.

PREAMP- FLAMMA FS06 ... an AXE-FX III amp modeller clone for $68.00 USD??? ...NO?

$68.00 USD

 FLAMMA FS06 PREAMP 

Not exactly ...BUT!

Quite simply 7 Modelled amps in a box with a Cab Sim ir.

A straightforward bass, mid, treble, level and gain.

You can mod the amps and save them. You can use the on/off switch to click through them.

Turn off the ir and it's an OD pedal with 7 great sounds or you can leave it on and run it straight to the board live or in the studio.

CHOICE of AMPs

Fender Blues Deluxe

Vox AC30

Two Rock Coral

Marshall Plexi 50watt

Friedman BE100

Mesa Boogie MkIV

EVH 5150

CONCLUSION

The down side is not the sound. All modellers have limitations with the dynamics and nuances. In short there is not a lot of 'feel'

So do not expect high end in this department. It will sound very good and could turn any cheap and cheerful small amp into an impressive practise amp.

So for that alone it is a good investment.

BUT best of all if you are old school you get a chance to see if in the future a serious modeler is the route you want to go in.

ROWIN Plexion Distortion ...a serious Plexi sound for $30

TOMSLINE & ROWIN PLEXION DISTORTION

Mooer re-brand Mooer pedals for some 20 plus distributors. Mooer have their own facilities to turn out 2000 pedals a day. The pedals often have the same or similar names but the circuit, parts etc. are the same in all the pedals whether they are Branded Mooer or something else. It is also sold as Fame and Mojo X9 

and others that come and go. This is are branded Mooer Hustle Drive. The layout is a standard volume, tone and gain. The switch gives you the classic Plexi sound or a cutting brighter tone for leads.

The Mooer Hustle drive is $75.00 USD and the Plexion is less than half the price at $30.00 USD

HANDS ON

I now have one. The good news when you dial in 'real' Plexi sounds which are all about Crunch it is killer pedal. A real Plexi NEVER was built with a high gain circuit. Players like Page and others pushed it with a good Fuzz to get that. 

To get it into high gain territory  this pedal uses a simple boost. If you do not use it you get a totally Pto sound. BUT if you do it butchers the tone.

CONCLUSION

There is every chance this Pedal started life years ago as Mooer's take on a Fulltone OCD. The switch for a bright or normal sound is not typical of  your average Plexi pedal but is on the OCD. This pedal is actually much fatter than a real OCD. What's cool is it does sound equal or better than pedals heading into the $200.00 USD territory. Stores on AliExpess sell both. With a bit of effort you should only pay about $30.00 USD and that amount should include shipping.

Dead cool! A serious pro sound for next to nothing.

What's to loose ...even used an easy resale at the price you pay for it.

.......So I ordered one.

HANDS ON

The thing that the best OD's give you is detail in the tone. You can hear shades of grey in the harmonics rising and falling even with fairly heavy gain.

As noted in the videos when the the high boost is off and the gain is at about 2 o'clock or lower this pedal is fat full and rich and indeed very Plexi like.

Big But! If you push it you will indeed loose the tone. This is disappointing as I have many great other OD's that do that. In short it is still a really excellent Plexi OD.

for banging away. Using it more like a medium gain behind the vocals it is really impressive.I find the best OD's for tearing off a strip are the ones designed to emulate a good gourmet Metal amp. They are not meant to necessarily even be a Brit tone ...but they are designed to sound killer at very high gains. AMT make several that I have reviewed.The Bogner and Solano have really impressed me.

 MOOER HUSTLE DRIVE 

OVERDRIVE- NORDLAND ODR-C ... why it is better than a Nobels ORD-1

 NORDLAND ODR-C 

$360.00 USD

Kai Tachibana was hired by Nobels to make pedals

1985 where he designed the Nobels ORD-1 a transparent OD with flat mids which overnight became the Nashville go to pedal and over time the transparent drive for thousands. his last design for Nobles was the mini version.

In 2019 he decided to form Nordland where he went back to v.1 and improved on it from there. Word has it that he is a perfectionist. His goal was to have the perfect transparent drive.

Most of the layout is obvious but unique is the O.D.C. that actually removes any over compression when you over saturate the drive. 

The pedal comes with a comprehensive manual so you can nail exact sounds to fit your ears and your feel!

CONCLUSION

It has become a 'Must Have' for studio players who have kept it in short supply. If this for you get on the waiting list!

OVERDRIVE- DOPHIX Superbia ...a high gain OD with massive lows !

 DOPHIX SUPERBIA OD 

$200.00 USD

A very Brit sounding pedal with a rich thick sound and deadly lows.

The layout has the standard gain, volume and tone. There is a switch for more gain and a second named band. I suspect it is choice of range in which the boost pushes. There is as yet zero info!

Dophix from Florence Italy are not new to SDS.All of their other pedals have been covered so this is new. So new it is not even on the site yet. There is only one review and it is not in English.

CONCLUSION

All Dophix have a twist. They all have interesting but not typical voicings. You love them or not for that.

The pedal is more than full and has some balz!

OVERDRIVE- TECH N TONE Turbo Nonna v.2 ...the killer of killer ODs gets even better!!!

$210.00 USD

 TECH N TONE TURBO NONNA 

Before guys just like me go into shock that 'Nonna' gets tampered with cheer up good ol' Professor Fabio has added features not changed the sound!

You can now pop off the bottom and there is a switch

so you can switch between more dynamic range or more compression and saturation.

Some guys want a more airy and open sound while others just love that extra crushing wave of dirt.

If you are new to a Nonna then welcome to the most versatile medium to high gain Marshall-in-Box on the planet. 

The killer is you can back the pedal off and get an amazing near low gain sound or push it to the fattest high gain possible. 

There is zero difference in quality of the tone you get by setting the pedal up for a medium gain or high gain pedal. In fact when you get yours you will soon be thinking about the idea of owning a second one so you can get 2 very different sounds in the same tune. It is just that good!!!

You get a standard level, gain, and tone but it starts 

getting into a whole new world with the voice switch.

Then there is the fat switch and the turbo control for

fat sound that is simply obese!

CONCLUSION

I have and use 24 different OD every single day!!! 

I scoured the whole world to collect the very best.

Is the Nonna better than all of them? If I said it was

would it be believable???

Let me just say if I had to start all over again I would

order the Nonna instantly and take days deciding which 

one I should buy next!

OVERDRIVE- TONEWAVE PEDALS Bright ....what can a New Kid do with a Tube Screamer

$150.00 USD

 TONEWAVE  PEDALS BRIGHT 

From Valongo Portugal comes a  newcomer with a pair of handmade pedals a Booster and the Bright OD. It is based off of two JRC4558 OpAmps. In short a Tube Screamer on steroids. like any Tube Screamer you have good highs and boost in the mids with a soft bass. There is a lot more gain than a Tube Screamer.

The mids have very broad near flat sounding boost. The lows

could really use some help.

CONCLUSION

Not bad for a first shot! Nothing very special. Well made and well priced. Again the casing and knobs are very MXR but the graphics though simple are unique..

It does have a pleasant and distinct tone.  My guess is it could team up with a semi and be really useful for players that flat pick or have a finger style of playing. The clarity and lack of any boominess could prove to be a winner.

OVERDRIVE- CALINE Pure Sky ...a clone of a clone of a Timmy ??? UH?

 CALINE PURE SKY OD 

$30.00 USD

Critics call this a Timmy clone and it is in a very odd way.

Now VERURAM make the Jan Ray a high end but unusually popular pedal that also gets accused of being a Timmy. At $375.00 USD one hopes it isn't! I am not so sure it started life with a Timmy schematic but it moved on from there.

It is in the ballpark but has it's own sound. Now this is where the Caline get's interesting it sounds scary close to the Jan Ray. The Jan Ray is just a tiny bit fuller but it is an inconsequential amount.

CONCLUSION

I really like it. It is definitely a Jan Ray. I find it just a bit less lows

which to me is a good thing. It shines as a low gain pedal and it's slight 

It sounds a tad more transparent. In fact I find the Jan Ray just a bit 

muddy in comparison. Add to that the price and it is a no brainer. 

For the record it sounds better than any Timmy. 

OVERDRIVE- JETTER Pedal X... a new concept in pedal design

 JETTER PEDAL X OD 

$150.00 USD

This has been a very creative company with many new ideas and when trying to put a specific sound in a box are anal about detail.

The Pedal X consists of 5 cascading gain stages using positive feedback to cause distortion. There aren't any transistors or diodes. What does that mean. I have no idea LOL. Actually I do but it is something that is usually part of also using transistors and diodes.

CONCLUSION

All very pure and clever but does it sound good?

It sounds like a clean booster pedal with a mids 

boost evenly across all the mids from low to high.

It is not like a mid spike on one spot in the spectrum 

that can give you a punchy honk or even a cut for 

scooping.

It certainly hasn't an endearing character like a 

Tube Screamer or old Boss OD. 

It is like a car with 3 wheels all very clever but if that 

is it's only special feature then why should I buy one?

To get to the point. It sucks!!!! 

Jetter make several good pedals but not this one.

LOOPER- FLAMMA FS-01 Drum machine & Phrase Loop Pedal ... you NEED one!

 FLAMMA FS1 DRUM MACHINE & PHRASE LOOP PEDAL 

$100.00 USD

You need one ??? 

We all need to practise. Trust me unlike a metronome a Drum Machine is fun ...NOT intimidating ...nor does it feel that your practise is a discipline. 

If like me you write tunes it is a must have. With a looper in it that's icing on the cake!

Check the video. It is easy to use and has all the bells and whistles.

CONCLUSION

If you have every been in ...or tried to put an original material band together you know it is beyond difficult! Long hours of hardwork and very poor or worse yet ..no gigs for long periods of time.

It is difficult to get others to work together without all that!

I found a solution. A Power trio using guest drummers and a drum machine for rehearsals.

Personality clashes are minimal. Finding time together is easier. Best of all you can even rehearse in an apartment!!!

We have now have 23 killer tunes. I say killer and mean it

because it has taken 3 years of writing and tossing out filler

to get where we are. My playing/chops have gone thru the

roof. It soon dawns on you that at every gig you are making

your first impression on the majority of the audience because they 

have never heard your tunes! Getting great drummers is easy

everyone wants to be Neil Peart for a night even if they play

regularly for someone else in a cover band. 

THINK ABOUT IT.

OVERDRIVE- ALLEN EDEN Black Waves Distortion ... a nice friendly Rat!

 ALLEN EDEN BLACK WAVES DISTORTION 

$55.00 USD

Based on the old LM 308 chip it is virtually their take on a ProCo Rat with a switch to turn off the diodes and use it as a Boost pedal or you can click on some heavy mids.

CONCLUSION

Everyone needs a Rat. I have TL Pedals Rat which is an authentic take on the Big Box original circuit. Highly recommended. Check out the Post.

The Rat is a tear your face off pedal but in spite of that it has a lot of character. This one is voiced more like a Doom Fuzz. Maybe cool in a different way but ....

OVERDRIVE- TONE CITY Lil Heat OD ....a Boss OD-1 ? ...Similar

$60.00 USD

 TONE CITY LIL HEAT OD 

Anderton's Music in conjunction with Tone City have a small line

of Tone City OD's made. There is one each for their demonstrators.

Another one the Lil Heat was made for Greg Koch.The overall 

sound is very similar to the old Boss OD-1  although I suspect it is a 

revoiced Tone City Sweet Tea which is meant to be a Vox AC30

Note I said 'meant' to be. I do find the Lil Heat voiced much better.

CONCLUSION

It does sound very good but better pedals in the entry level are

few but not so rare anymore. It can only be bought from 

Anderton's so shipping and even duties may be added in some 

countries. Still I quite like it. It is unusually full and rich and a 

great sound. It is not in your face so it is great for busy vocal 

accompaniment. But keep in mind I find the EQ and gain in

any Tone City very limited. In short what you hear on the video 

is what you get.

You might want to check out the Chicago Stompworks Blooze Drive

it is a very authentic Marshall Bluesbreaker replica. It's tones are in 

the ballpark with the 'Heat' and at $75.00 it is not much more to 

get that classic B.B. sound.

OVERDRIVE- NORVANG CUSTOM Gravity ...another King of Tone ? ...not quite

 NORVANG CUSTOM GRAVITY 

$450.00 USD 

The KOT has 2 near identical OD in one box. Both are based off of the Marshall Bluesbreaker v.1 pedal. The Gravity has the B.B. on one side and an Ibanez TS10 on the other. Ironically the Tube screamer really took off when rumor had it SRV used a ts 808 ...then that changed to new rumours that it was the ts9. Critics love both these pedals and hated all that followed. The first to follow was the ts10. Years after thousands of 808 and ts9 were sold the truth came out from SRV's roadie that SVR really used ts10. LOL

CONCLUSION

It is unclear who this is aimed at. The SRV guy or maybe it's John Meyer the guy that put the Bluesbreaker on the map.

If it were me I would get a Chicago Stompworks Blooze Maker B.B. replica at $75.00 USD and a 

Caline CP75 Emerald Night Ibanez ts9 clone at $35.00 USD. Need I note for $110.00 USD total!!! Use the remaining 325.00 USD to buy a King of Tone which is $265.00 USD. Then take the remaining dollars and buy a mirror so you can look into it and tell that guy looking back how smart he is :-)

OVERDRIVE- CALINE CP-75 Emerald Night OD ...a Tube Screamer that is? ...YES!

 CALINE CP-75 EMERALD NIGHT OD 

$35.00 USD

This pedal just came out! It is the latest one out of several Screamers the company has made over the years. 

The layout has the standard tone, gain and level. A switch normal,super and fat. The box is green lol.

Caline sometimes nail a sound. If not you usually get a usable sound in a well made pedal.

CONCLUSION

Set to normal it really does sound like the current version of the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. Yes you read that right!

At the price it is definitely good value for money.

So if confused about which out of literally dozens of ts pedals and wannabes to buy this is great choice. If you find you don't like it then like me. You simply do not like Tube Screamers :-)

Best of all ...get one and take it over to a buddy who has a real Ibanez TS9. Then listen to him spew in anger how his pedal

is better. But for god's sake take that stupid grin off your face!

the fine print

I have had mine awhile now ,

...for 10 months. No regrets 😊

OVERDRIVE- M.V. ELECTRONICS Shreadhead British Distortion ...a 10 year old Marshall that still cuts it!!!

 M.V. ELECTRONICS SHREADHEAD BRITISH DISTORTION 

$82.00 USD

As I mentioned in the Rabatech review the Philippines has some seriously good pedal makers all under the radar. This pedal has been around for 10 maybe more years and still is a best seller.

The layout is classic with volume, gain, tone and presence. MXR style Hammond B box and even the knobs. It comes in red, blue, light green and yellow. I can not find if it is extra but at least the date was 2020 :-)

CONCLUSION

It is a great sounding Marshall box. The sound is tight and punchy with nice peak in the upper mids.

Just for fun I tagged on a video comparing it to the Rabatech.

OVERDRIVE- RABATECH AUDIO Omega Prime ....90's American Metal tones

 RABATECH AUDIO  OMEGA PRIME 

$145.00 USD

A company from the Philippines that is under the radar there are a few from there that make good well priced pedals but have no international distribution or even a one stop site in the Philippines to choose from them. Even getting a good pic is hard.

According to Rabatech the pedal is a cross between a JCM 800 and a Bogner Ecstasy Red.

Confusing? Well lets just say it is a high gain pedal that is amp like ...with it's own 90's Metal sound.

The layout is with 3 way EQ across the top with a boost that is foot switchable, volume, presence and 

gain in the second row.

This is the new V.2 model with the boost footswich

I am promised a new video soon. For know the old one will do.

CONCLUSION

It is fat and rich with a thick medium grit. It is in the end it's own thing. It sounds more American Metal than Brit. The price seems very reasonable. On the other hand check out the Post M.V. Electronic Shredhead who are the local competitor.

Their pedal is $82.00 USD :-)

FUZZ-NABLA Fire Dirt ... a real power house Fuzz, Distortion & demolition pedal

$185.00 USD

 NABULA FIRE DIRT FUZZ 

From Italy comes yet another low profile brand that regionally was easily kept alive by the high quality, innovation and great sounding pedals.

The Fire Dirt is a Fuzz with the best characteristics of an excellent hard clipper overdrive. In short it sounds half fuzz and half Brit OD.

In short the sound some players got from their Plexi when they pushed the crap out of it with a great Fuzz!

The layout has gain, tone and volume with a second gain stage with it's own control to take high gain distortion to a Fuzz like character A toggle lets you choose from 3 stages of presence.

CONCLUSION

Whats not to like. A fat aggressive sound with punch!

OVERDRIVE- CARL MARTIN Plexiranger ...classic Plexi with Rangemaster treble boost ...brilliant!

 CARL MARTIN PLEXIRANGER 

$200.00 USD

A company that keeps winning awards for their Plexi pedals. 

In the late 60's everyone with a Marshall stack bought a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster. Calling it a treble booster is confusing because it boosts the upper mids and the highs.

The result is what you hear on all the classic records of the late 60's thru the early 70's. So giving you both in one pedal is a natural fit.

A great sounding pedal. 

I feel most other makers of equally good Plexi boxes do not ignore the Rangemaster they simply voice the pedal with it always on because that is how it was used. Others push the pedal more but they are simply copying the sound of the modded Plexi amps of the 80's and on. It is why I have several  Plexi pedals right up to ones voiced to sound like the 

MESA Rectifier amps that are based on a Plexi.

CONCLUSION

A class act and killer take and reasonably priced for all it offers.

OVERDRIVE-ACORN AMPS Mind Killer Dual Distortion... 2 classic OpAmp pedals in a box

 ACORN AMPS MIND KILLER DUAL DISTORTION 

$225.00 USD

Something different and something the same. Two OpAmp Distortions in one box. I would expect one is the Boss OD-1 by elimination the other should be the ProCo Rat. But these are just an educated guess.

There are 2 independent circuits with volume, tone, gain a switchable bass boost and a choice of clipping diodes.

CONCLUSION

It is not that the sound is bad. It is just unremarkable. In short a yawn. An off the shelf ProCo Rat has more balz

for $70.00 USD and is aimed at much the same sound.

OVERDRIVE- NVMBR DRV Overdrive- No it's not a typo ...just be glad it is not a V.2

 NVMBR DRV OVERDRIVE 

$135.00 USD

Medium gain bordering on light Fuzz.You may think WTF. I did.

The idea was to make a pedal of a small old amp that was in a local studio with it's one knob dimed. The studio used it for it's 'secret weapon' when recording dirt sounds.

CONCLUSION

Well ...you like it or hate it. Have a nice day :-)

EFFECT-CHAOS AUDIO-Stratus ...a pedal you can download any effect into

CHAOS STRATUS

$200.00 USD

Nothing new Hotone and Source Audio had one for a start. You get their digital pedal and download one effect from your smart phone. Hotone at least had 6 knobs on it. The Status has one.

Yes folks ...no tweaking! Won't that be wonderful at a gig! lol

CONCLUSION

There is already a company that makes a multi controller where it can be program to switch on and control anything. Soon there will be the same idea that is opened sourced and you will be able to down load endless effects and even amps etc. at cheap prices from hundreds of companies. Storage and tweaking will be right in your laptop.Yes the system will have its limitations too but you will have the  Axe Effects III equivalent for about $300.00 US Even then many analog pedals will blow many of the individual sounds away.

For know you are better off taking your $200 and buy Friedman's new Small Box pedal and at least have 'one' killer sound!!! It will not be redundant ...this will be worthless in a couple of years if not sooner.

OVERDRIVE- FRIEDMAN Small Box ... NEW pedal ...Killer 50 watt Plexi sound!

 FRIEDMAN SMALL BOX OVERDRIVE 

$200.00 USD

Friedman is back again with another pedal the BEOD and Dirty Shirley were instant best sellers. The Golden Pearl and others were not such a hit but did OK.

The Small Box amp like all of the Friedman amps is based off of Marshall Classics. This time it is a 50 watt Plexi.

CONCLUSION

I had both the BEOD and the Dirty Shirley but sold them once I got turned onto the Marshall-In-A Box pedals of LPD Pedals and PedalPal FX. The PedalPal are dead on repro's of Marshall amps

and the LPD like Friedman are more assertive but with more clarity and harmonic detail. Both brands are anal about sonic detail.

The Small Box has it's own thing going ...where the Dirty Shirley was all about fat the Small Box is about tearing your face off! Nice!!!

In my book the best OD Friedman has ever done! Gotta have!!!

Well it is a week later. I had very unexpected government cheque arrive !!!!  So I sent my payment off straight to 'Dave' 

...my pedal is on the way! So check back here for the 'HANDS ON' when it arrives

HANDS ON

The overall sound can match or better any pedal out there. It definitely has a serious 'raspy' attack that none of my 17 other Marshall/Plexi based pedals have especially with a hummy in the guitar. It is fat yet tight at the same time. Compared to a few of my other pedals it has a tab bit less sustain. It has a great sound dimed which is unusual.

It is really impressive on a Strat. Many pedals bury the Strats chime and hollow resonance

that only a Strat PU can make and if they don't they are not fat. For me if it only did this it would be a keeper! You guessed it! It is indeed a keeper!

The demos do a good job. What you hear is what you get. There no let downs.

 

OVERDRIVE- JHS 3 Series OD...sounds like a Bluesbreaker to me ????

 JHS 3 SERIES OVERDRIVE 

$100.00 USD

JHS recently brought a whole line of budget pedals. None are bad

a few are special. There are reasonable alternatives for just a bit more and a few for less.

Having given them all a quick listen when they came out the OD hit me as the best.

Now there are few more reviews we can get a better idea.

They all are white with 3 knobs and a switch. On the OD we have volume and gain and a mid control. The switch gives you a bit more gain and compression.

My first impression was it sounded very Bluesbreaker like. The JHS Morning glory 'is' a heavily modified Bluesbreaker so a side by side comparison is ideal. Check the second video.

CONCLUSION

It is certainly is close enough 

I actually like the 3 Series better. The Morning glory is definitely a little fuller and warmer with lots of bells and whistles I do not need.

I have the Morning Glory. I recently retired it for a Bluesbreaker clone. The Chicago Stompbox Blooze Drive which uses NOS parts so it very faithful to the original and it is only $75.00 USD and with a lifetime warranty :-)

What is really killer is The King of Tone is actually 2 modified Bluesbreakers in a box.

The 3 Series OD is so similar I think some guys will buy 2 of the JHS!!! LOL

FUZZ- NOEL Cornet ...Russian Muff hand wired state of the art!!! Killer ...BUT :-(

 NOEL CORNET FUZZ 

$350.00 USD

A point to point hand wire take on the Russian Big Muff. It has NOS for the key sound parts but overkill high end parts everywhere else.

It sounds great but ...OUCH! The best is not cheap!!! 

CONCLUSION

Even when you think you have heard the best if one digs out a Pete Cornish P1 you get virtually the same sound  ...but fatter. clearer and 

a lot more balz. Big but!!! It is $600.00 USD :-)

OVERDRIVE- CHICAGO STOMPWORKS Blooze Maker...a real Bluesbreaker clone ???

$75.00 USD

 CHICAGO STOMPWORKS BLOOZE MAKER 

Yes ....a Brit made v.1 Marshall Bluebreaker clone! Yes the pedal that John Meyer put on the map. So now they sell for $550.00 USD+.

Stompworks has a long and good rep at making good clones of many classics. Better still they are well made and cheap!

It was formerly sold as the Blue Fox. There is a competitor that calls their company Bluefox so I suspect it is why they changed the name.

The new name is better so WTF. lol

I have heard the original many times. If this is not not dead on it is awfully damn close! First impressions make me think if has more volume which is a really good thing. The highs on the original are weak. In fact it is normal to dime them. The point of this pedals is to be an actual clone.

In short it is!  The video is a lame amateur one but it all we have. 

Go to 5:00 to 1:20

Not much happening but listen carefully to the tone.

It is normal to run the tone much higher than this guy does which gives the pedal a nice spank.

CONCLUSION

I always wanted one. I presently am using the JHS Morning Glory

with every 'new and improved' switch turned off (lol) it is OK but

like all classic OD a B.B. has a 'tone' all its own that in the end can

get lost by any changes. This pedal has not tore out the soul or 

vacuumed off the pixie dust.

I... orderd one!

TWO WEEKS LATER

It arrived!

Damn if it isn't perfect. 

It sounds like the original .

The level or highs on the original were bit weak

but that was fixed without messing with the tone.

I have the hottest of the clones... the JHS Morning Glory

with sh_t loads of extras that I find unusable. Worse yet all

that F.ing around with the design ruined the basic Bluesbreaker 

sound! 

Now I can sell it and have enough money left for 2 more 

Stompworks pedals. The pedals even have a lifetime warranty.

No one offers that unless they nearly never ever need to fix it.

Hey!!! it doesn't get better than that!!!

Ok maybe you find a low gain drive as good.

I have a few myself ...BUT NOT BETTER!

JUST BUY ONE!!!

Did you know that the sacred King of Tone is 

2 modified Bluesbreakers in one box. WTF!!!

A MONTH LATER

I have used it a lot over the last few weeks and I find  by then any warts or nasty but small side affects show up. Other times you hear beautiful subtleties show up that you missed not being tuned into to the tone. Well good news ...zero negatives and even better news the pedal has all those spicy little extras that makes it a very special pedal.