FLANGER/REVERB- CATALINBREAD STS-88 ___ NEW ___ clever? or pointless?

$210.00 USD

CATALINBREAD STS-88 FLANGER/REVERB

If you own a Reverb and flanger would you buy this? No you wouldn't. If you don't have either and buy them separate you can use them separate.

The layout is depth, rate, mix and Reverb.

CONCLUSION

You can buy the JHS Series 3 Flanger and Hall Reverb for virtually the same money and use them separate or stacked. This is a pedal for a guy that uses a Martin with an always on ring modulator and 

bit crusher and makes a living as a pro lease breaker. It is not 2 pedals in one but two halves of two pedals in one. It is aimed at a niche market, the 'Stupid Sector'.

___ NEED TO KNOW ___ MARSHALL AMPLFICATION ___ SOLD!!!!

 TODAY MARSHALL AMPLIFICATION WAS SOLD 

It was bought by ZOUND INDUSTRY a Stockholm Sweden tech company. 

It was at the time owned by Jim Marshall's son Terry and Joanne Marshall Price his daughter.

It's home is Milton-Kenyes but they also own a huge factory in Vietnam and make Marshall amps there as well.

Zounds have made a deal with Jim Marshall in 2010 two years before he died in which speaker & headphones were added to the line and it became The Marshall Group.

Spokesman for Zounds Jeremy De Mailard did not elaborate on any specific plans or changes.

Good or bad it is an end of an era. I bought my Marshall amp a Plexi in 1971 in London UK. So I was there near the beginning of the Marshall explosion as little company to a world leader. Amps come and go but 

a Plexi is cool for life!

UPDATE

The company is not moving out of the UK or moving out of Vietnam.

FUZZ- DOPPLEGANGER EFFECTS 1974 ___ NEW ___ Rams Head Muff clone

 DOPPLEGANGER EFFECTS 1974

$90.00 USD

From Elk Park North Carolina come another under the radar company. They sell on Reverb and do not show another product. 

We can be fairly sure this is a part time gig. Many builders start

this way and have a day job. Some even use it as a paid hobby. 

This is a take on a Rams Head Big Muff. It does sound more like

a Russian Muff but once you mess with one Muff 's design you

are never far away from another.

The layout is volume, gain and tone. The E-H 'Tonestack' is a 

near industry standard design it shows up in most Fuzz pedals.

CONCLUSION

Well Ram's Head or not it is a very good sounding Fuzz. 

It is priced right as the E-H Rams Head is $115.00 USD.

OVERDRIVE- LPD PEDALS Dutch2 Dual Overdrive ___ NEW ___ It may be sold out already

LPD PEDALS| DUTCH2 DUAL OVERDRIVE

$290.00 USD

I have 4 of Lawrences pedals on my board. All bought as soon as they
came out. All permanent fixtures on my board. All used daily. They are all beyond killer. 

LPD Pedals come out as 'B' size single channel pedal but in a couple of years a double comes out. With 58 pedals on my board I prefer the standard size ones. I use a switcher so I avoid pedals with double footswitches.I also like uses for example the Seventy4 plexi with the Eighty7 JCM 800 pedal instead of the same sound with two channels.

The Dutch has Timmy vibe but with more headroom and even more transparency. Big with guys who prefer one OD and having 2 channels is ideal.

Both channels have level, drive, treble and bass. You can use them 

seperate or stack them with the toggle. 

___

CONCLUSION 

Well straight off no B.S. LPD Pedals are often sold out in a day or two.

They are made and tested by Lawrence one at a time so there can 

be a wait time. Some guys buy every new one as they come out. 

They really are that good. They exceed expectations every time.  

 

OVERDRIVE-STUDIO DAYDREAM JMR-OD V5.0 ...Fender blackface in a abox

STUDIO DAYDREAM JRM-OD V5.0

$190.00 USD

This is Japanese company that like many are obsessed with a quality build and even when doing a take on a classic pedal make sure it fits the purpose of the original but takes it far past it. Even the Klon is treated as a pedal that needs improvement. In the end they make a quality item that even by the choice of things like NASA spec parts will not merit a second look unless you really 

like the sound. 

I do like the sound of the cheaper of 2 different Klons they do. The cheaper of the Klons is not meant to be a budget pedal but a totally different take on the Klon.

This pedal is their take on the old Fender blackface amps. Fender amps are all but impossible to make into a pedal as they were never meant to be pushed into distortion. Yes Leo Fender wanted to color the sound to enhance his guitars but clarity trumped dirt. To get to the point this pedal is light to medium gain pedal where personal ascetics decides if you like the sound. 

___

CONCLUSION

It looks impressive even the heavy steel casing is custom made. It is a pleasant sound when kept where on for example a great clean sound on a blackface Fender super Reverb. I owned one in the mid 60's. But on the amp you do not kill a Strats chime where as when you crank it and when set clean the sound noticeably sustains instead of dying out on any FIAB I've tried.I do like it's low gain clean sound and would expect it could sound very good on a large bodied Jazz guitar or Semi

OVERDRIVE- A J PEAT Fat Peacock ...60's MIAB ?

A J PEAT

FAT PEACOCK

$180.00 USD

Andrew James Peat from Orange county California is certainly under the radar. He does the usual array of basic pedals focusing on the old school things. The Fat P. is his take on a Marshall JCM 45.

The layout is volume, gain, treble bass and a switchable boost. The topography is the basic early OpAmp Ibanez/Boss thing.

Cheap but endlessly adaptive to shaping into anything from low gain to high gain pedals.

This a category where small choices in diodes and a basic great fixed EQ is everything. It is also a category where once the price gets past a bit silly you are either buying into hype or great graphics on the usual Hammond enclosure.

__ 

CONCLUSION

It is a basic old school hardclipper. Dad was a Rat and Mom was the Boss and this is their kid.

The JTM 45 was rougher around the edges than the folklore would have you 

believe but this heads into near Fuzz like buzz with the boost on. It is at its 

best pulled back to a medium gain setting where the harmonics are surprisingly 

rich without any smearing or mud. 

The thing is you can buy a Chinese cheapy MIAB as good or better for between 

$25 to $60. You just have to think ..WTF!!!

OVERDRIVE -AIRIS Exodustortion ___ NEW ___ Marshall JCM 800 on steriods!!!

$160.00 USD

AIRIS EFFECTS EXODUSTORTION 

This company makes a lot of great pedals but many if not most are to take some serious tube amp from in your face on it's own to never-everland, lol. A few of 

late are combo amp friendly.

This is a take on guitarist Gary Holt of Exodus fame, Jose modded JCM 800 sound. Which I think is nailed.

The layout is good ol' straight forward volume, gain, treble and boost. 

 ___

CONCLUSION

Love it. Lots of classic JCM 800 coming through  

with just enough raw and ripping aggressive

bite. In your face without heading into Fuzz territory. 

The price is more than fair. $200 would not be out 

of line, with most new OD pedals with a brand 

want $250 or more.

OVERDRIVE- J ROCKETT AUDIO DESIGNS Archer Select. ___NEW ___ Version 2 ???

J ROCKETT AUDIO DESIGNS

 ARCHER SELECT 

$330.00 USD 
WTF

The Silver Archer is their take on cloning a Klon and the select is the same

pedal but with choices of clipping diodes. 

The old one had a couple this has 7. The layout is volume, gain and tone with 

a rotary switch to choose diodes.

A real Klon is virtually a clean boost with a hardclipper OD not unlike a Boss SD2 pedal. It uses a pair of stacked pots so when you turn up the gain 

the boost turns down and the OD turns up with a bit of both at 

around 10 o'clock.

CONCLUSION

If you want 99% close to the original get the Harby Pedals Centauri. 

It uses the real exact clipping NOS diodes not NOS substitutions and 

it is only $150.00 USD.

This is just another hardclipper actually not overly expense to make

with a price that is a total gouge. An average $200 pedal with a

$130 Idiot Tax. Come to think of it ...it is a fair price, lol

FUZZ- VAHLBRUCH FX Octavia ... undeniably an excellent sound.

$250.00 USD

VAHLBRUCH FX 

OCTAVIA

It is perhaps the leading clone of the Tycobrahe Octavia that was out of production and used ones have past the $7000 mark with collectors. Made in Germany with the cliched quality that is unsurprising. 

Chicago Iron has licenced the the Tycobrahe and indeed makes a replica not just a clone but it is $556.00 USD and makes on order with a wait time for parts that do not even have an estimation of when any can be found to make one. 

The layout is gain, volume and treble with a switch which changes the BIAS to get the octave effect. The original germanium transistors have been swapped out for Schottky's to stabilize the circuit. (Good idea for those using it live, trust me.)

CONCLUSION 

The price that only a year ago was thought extra pricey is now commonplace. 

What about cheaper choices. Well you are in luck. For $80.00 USD is a clone of a clone of a clone, LOL. They even used purple for the knobs and graphics. 

Compare for yourself. Check out the 2nd vid. If you think the Vahlbruch is better ...you are certainly right. It is the Ferrari of the type. The Fender is merely a Corvette. Can you live with just a Corvette? Me too, LOL.

OVERDRIVE- LEQTIQUE TEN/TEN ___ NEW ___ 5 years later the Tosin is smaller/cheaper!

$200.00 USD

LEQTIQUE TEN/TEN EXTREME DISTORTION

The original was a hand made pedal by Shun Nokina for a WTF 

$365.00 USD price tag. $200 is at least competitive.

Tosin Abasi Kigen made it his go to pedal for years. Which of 

course put it on the map. 

The layout is simple volume, gain, bass and treble.

Unlike recent Djent pedals it still has a bit of old school tube vibe. 

It also is noticeably fatter then most of the new crop. You can use 

it even in many Thrash styles.

CONCLUSION

It really is a little beauty and holds its own. 

I have heard others arguably as good but 

not better or even cheaper. 

 

AMPLIFIER- LANEY IRONHEART FOUNDRY SERIES Loudpedal ___NEW ___ serious 60 watt RMS pedal amp

LANEY| FOUNDRY SERIES IRONHEART LOUDPEDAL

$300.00 USD

Not to be left out Laney too has entered the pedalboard amp arena. Like most this year gone are the days of underpowered amps. Most just a few years back put out about as much level as practice amp. Yes they wrote bullsh@t numbers on the spec sheet but the fine print said into a 4 ohm cabinet. (98% of all cabs are 8 or 16 ohm. In other words you got a bedroom amp and wasted your money. It uses like everyone a Type D power amp section. On one hand they do not add to the sound but if the preamp is good you can simply turn the amp up or down and not lose you sound. In short this amp can keep up with a heavy hitting Metal drummer or indeed be a bedroom amp and not lose your sound.

The layout is simple treble, mid and bass with two channels each with volume and gain. Basically you can set it for a clean and dirty channel and use the boost for leads. You get an FX loop and a basic faux speaker with XLR to send out to a the house system or for recording direct.

Internationally where there are noise laws most want the levels to be about 95dB tops. An average Rock drummer puts out 95dB. This pedal can be set with a great sound and put out over 100dB. In short at a club where only the vocals go thru a mic your backline can be balanced. You will never be too loud or not loud enough to get your sound.

CONCLUSION

It has as expected a very good fat aggressive with plenty of harmonics 

dirt sound. The cleans are totally usable and are actually fat when a hint 

of dirt is added. Better still you have a 10 minute learning curve cut to 

one minute if you use like an ordinary amp, lol.

You get a Pro sounding amp that can handle a loud band for the

price of some OD pedals sold by the popular brand names. 

 

the fine print

This pedal is the very best pedalboard amp I have every heard that does not make me pay for extras that my current pedals can not do better. The clean is passable and since I always use light Crunch for my cleans it is perfect.

Others simply do not offer the value. They cost from double to triple the price and and are still not close to an old $350  used Fender Hot Rod that show up twice a month in Kijiji. 

During Covid Laney took the only few things they did not make in the UK and

brought them back to a new high tech factory to keep the prices even lower and

have everything in the UK to control both rapid changes in demands and quality.

This I assume is the result ? 

OVERDRIVE- RENZO Autumn Drive ___ NEW ___ new company makes a hardclipper

RENZO

AUTUMN DRIVE

$125.00 USD

_______ 

It appears to be the only product from this new company. Very much an 80's hardclipper that is voiced for a Brit sound. The layout just gain and volume. The voice is fixed. The only hint is it's reference to the DOD 250 PreAmp. 

________

CONCLUSION

It is impressive start for a first pedal from an independent U.S. maker.

It sounds good but so does the Movall MP-02 Plexi Troll that has an 80's Marshall vibe. Movall is $24.00 USD.

______ MIRCLE PRODUCT THAT SAVES FOOTSWITCHS FROM BREAKING_____

CONVERSE ALL STAR

I tested my pedal protector theory for 10 years. I now have about 15 different colors to match my clothes. People often throw them out after perhaps using them for a summer just because they are dirty or have black marks picked up from the asphalt. 

You wipe off the marks with cheap Barbecue starter fluid and then put them in a washing machine on a normal hot cycle. Instant brand new. Never paid over $15 for a pair, even limited editions.

CONCLUSION

1917

Light and easy to reach your pedals, stick nicely to Wahs and make them easier to use. Never broke a switch or smashed a knob. They come in and out of fashion but they 

are like an old Fuzz pedal. They are always cool!!!

The shoe of the agitator since 1917.

If you want the whole pedal uniform a pair of 

Levis 501 Jeans are the go to since 1873

Choice of T is up to you 😇

FUZZ- DANELECTRO Fench Toast ...Foxx Tone Machine clone

DANELECTRO| FRENCH TOAST OCTAVE FUZZ

$50.00 USD

Not on the Danelectro site but they are still MIC and a few trickle into the country. It is a clone of the Foxx Tone Machine. It too has been put back into production and can be had for $150.00 USD.

The layout is level, gain, octave switch and tone.

Dano pedals like Behringer are hardly robust. Mostly with the switches. It is as a switch they wear out quickly but the full crushing weight of the user has its limits, lol

If used on a board with a switcher and turned on by hand they can outlast the best. They have always nailed the sounds. In fact they got sued for their Cool Cat Fuzz V.1 and had to pull it and pay out. For those who want to know a used Cool Cat Fuzz that has the Gold label on it is to die for good. I have one.

CONCLUSION

The sound is just a bit thin and like all Octave Fuzz pedals only single note riffs and the odd 2 note power chord gets by. It cuts like a honed razor. Stacked it can add some killer bite to another Fuzz or OD. 

 

________________ HOW MASSED PRODUCED ACOUSTIC GUITARS ARE MADE

 JUST A FEW EASY STEPS😎     

 

OD/FUZZ ...CRAZY TUBE CIRCUITS Motherload ___ NEW ___ A Big Muff & Rat in-a-Box

$270.00 USD

CRAZY TUBE CIRCUITS| MOTHERLOAD

A no-brainer concept. Put a Muff and a Rat in one box. The company has pretty much an unbroken record of delivering pedals that check all the boxes. They capture the sounds of the classics but remove all the warts and problems of those pedals. They deal with the noise floor and make a completely well made reliable product. This always changes the original sound enough to hear the difference so it a personal call on how much you 

gain or lose.

The layout is volume, gain, tone, filter (Rat tone control), voice (high pass filter to tighten the bass) and a toggle to choose between the 2 sounds or link both together.

CONCLUSION

A real Rat is $90.00 USD and the Big Muff is $100.00 USD. Used ones have 

been around for decades so even mint condition ones show up for half price. 

I have a real Rat but if I added a Muff I would likely spring for the Ram's Head for $115.00 USD. If I wanted versatility I would get the $150.00 USD Way Huge Swollen Pickle, Muff. It can dial in a sound close enough to a Rat like voice to 

cover that kind of a sound. You can get the heavy massive thing too.

As for the Motherload it is excellent sounding dirt pedal and as it's own thing but 

I do not hear anything exciting at all. Once again we get  a pedal that is wearing a 

tuxedo imitating 2 pedals that wear torn and worn out Levis. 

At the price there are many dirt pedals both Fuzz and OD's that make 

me go WOW! that I am dying to have. This isn't one of them.