_______ THIS LITERALLY CHANGE MY WHOLE LIFE _______

KING CRIMSON 21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN 

1969

This record came out in 1969. Three months before the first Sabbath record. Guitarist Robert Fripp on a single record created the sound of Heavy metal, the speed and harmonic complexity of modern Metal and Prog all at the same time. Think about it!!! He had nothing to copy, no records to buy and learn other peoples riffs or even a Metal tone to borrow.

I wore the record out. I quit playing blues and decided I would never play a cover song or learn some other players riffs again. I kept my word to myself my whole life. I went to work around the clock practicing. The only music I listen to was classical music composers, Stravinsky, Bartok, Debussy and Satie. I also listen to the Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie that evented Be Bop Jazz .Years later I found out they changed Jazz by listen to same classical guys I was listening too.

In 1971 I went to London UK and joined Tallis a new Prog band in London's West End playing the same clubs everyone since the Stones played. Including, Clapton, Hendrix, Brian May, Pete Townsend, etc, etc, etc. It is a long story. I met Fripp twice and he offered to give me lessons. But all that is a very long story.

FUZZ- POISON NOISES Glutinous Maximus Fuzz ... same old but ? better?

$180.00 USD

POISON NOISES   

GLUTINOUS MAXIMOUS FUZZ 

From Schenectady NY a little company that even grew enough to employ a few guys even a qualified engineer but for year still worked from the a bedroom. a big fan and friend is Josh Scott of JHS. Not surprising is because JHS grew in a very similar way.

More than a few of their pedals started off with basic Tonebender topography. This is the newest.

The layout is volume, tone, gain with in my mind the super useful BIAS control. Mode switches between medium and high gain and clipping controls how brutal signal will be. 

CONCLUSION ___

I do love its big grainy sound. A huge big extra Jumbo large that would frighten a charging rhino.

UNI-VIBE- THORPY ER-2 Univibe ___ NEW ___ reinvented the wheel, as usual

$380.00 USD

THORPY FX ER-2 UNIVIBE

The company is big on surgical gloves and not only removing the warts 

but even a freckle or two on a classic.

Thorpy pedals I admire but I do not want the soul torn out of a pedal.

That said it as always comes with state of the art parts and is built 

like a tank in a custom enclosure. 

 

CONCLUSION___

Hendrix avoided using the heavy modulation that makes most Uni-Vibes sound like they have a motor boat idling behind your sound. It is why I love the MXR Uni-Vibe. I do not want a bass heavy metronome keeping time behind my tunes. The price is obscene. 

the fine print 

I all but gave up on the Univibe until I walked into a store where a guy was nailing Hendrix and was using the Dunolp/MXR Uni-Vibe.  Even with inflation it is just a $150.00 USD.

I went from hating to using my Uni-Vibe a hell of a lot. MXR pedals are often at 

your local bricks and mortar store so try one out! 

FUZZ- DADDY DAUGHTER PEDAL WORKS Fuzzy Rick ....70's OpAmp Muff :-)

$75.00 USD

DADDY DAUGHTER PEDAL WORKS  

 

FUZZY RICK

Nothing eye watering just a Big Muff OpAmp style pedal.

The layout is the familiar volume, tone and gain. A toggle bypasses the tone control for total overkill :-) 

CONCLUSION__

I have owned a few Op-Amp Muffs including the current Electro-Harmonix re-issue. This blows them out of the water. It is a huge massive sound. It is what one wants in an Op-Amp Muff. Damn how much more accurate it is to own some obscure original at up the butt prices. 

the fine print

I totally sh@t on this company's Blues Breaker. Check the Post.

Big But.. this really is a great Fuzz on it's own merit and deserves a thumbs up.

OVERDRIVE- DADDY DAUGHTER PEDAL WORKS Clues Driver ...BB ? Yes another one :-(

$80.00 USD

DADDY DAUGHTER PEDAL WORKS CLUES BREAKER

This is a small builder. Working hard to make enough money to budget for a usable photo that others can actually publish.😇

Surprise, surprise this a Blues Breaker clone. It includes a switch to choose diodes from soft to hard clipping or to in effect turn the pedal from a BB to into a sort of Tube Screamer. Another switch adds more gain. You then get the standard volume, gain and tone knobs.

CONCLUSION

If you like what you hear than buy. But otherwise there are endless choices. The DemonFX Breaker Drive is $28.00 USD and that includes the shipping. Or the Chicago Stompworks Booze Driver at $75.00 USD which like the Clue is handmade in America. Unlike the Clue with no warranty it has a lifetime warranty.

PHASER- WARM AUDIO Mutation Phaser II ___ NEW ___ Mutron-Phaser clone

WARM AUDIO

$150.00 USD

MUTATION PHASER

 

Another of Warm audios as accurate as possible clones pedals from the past and at very low prices for what you get. This time it is Musictronics Mu-tron Paser II. Looking every bit the same as the original. It also uses NOS parts so it is a serious replica in and out.

The layout is a classic feedback, depth and rate.

CONCLUSION __

What's not to like. It uses optics for the rate of the modulation just like the Uni-Vibe which makes it so different from a MXR Phase 90 you could have both on your board as it does a more Chorus and

even a Leslie Speaker like thing plus. It can also cycle at very 

high speeds like some tremolo pedals. 

MODELER- TC ELECTRONIC JIMS 45 ___ NEW ___ Marshall JTM 45 w/ Creamback v30 ir

TC ELECTRONIC

AMPWORX JIMS 45 

 

$150.00 USD

With TC you no longer know what you will get. They do not publish specs.

They can not stop a reviewer from buying the pedal but they do not send them out. They merely blah, blah and send out a pricy studio demo. It is too cheap. It could have junk specs. It could be amateurs  only piece of gear. So I will have to come back with an update. In the past it was months before an actual review came out. 

CONCLUSION

It sounds muddy on this demo??? 

It might be another budget breakthrough pedal. 

Possible? Yes. Probable No!

OVERDRIVE- WARM AUDIO Odd Box v.1 ___ NEW ___ Fulltone OCD v.1 clone

WARM

AUDIO ODD BOX v.1 

$120.00 USD

This company has a rep of constantly making a clone of a classic pedal that if the original is a 10 you can expect 9. 

Well arguably their Klon is not that close, LOL. But the box is.

The Fulltone OCD was the biggest selling pedal next to a Tube Screamer for 10 years straight. Fulltone as most of you know 

have shut down.

As expected with Warm it even comes in a Fulltone style enclosure.

The layout is volume, gain and tone with a medium and high gain switch. 

 

CONCLUSION

It is what it isn't. Or perhaps I should 

say it is what it claims to be. Priced fairly. 

OVERDRIVE- LPD PEDALS Eighty7 PLUS ___ NEW ___ the best got better

LPD PEDALS

EIGHTY7 & PLUS

$250.00 USD

 

Lawrence Petross has such a big loyal following that his pedals can sell out in a few hours. One sold out in 45 minutes. 

He makes many pedals but his three different years 1968, 1974 and 1987 clones of those Marshall amps are constantly in demand. I own all three plus a custom made MIAB that has an extra gain stage. Only about 15 were made.

None of these could ever leave my board. A few other makes I really enjoy but with them I would not say they could never leave my board.

The new one is 2 channel but in a single size enclosure of his JCM 800 with 

a Jose mod. 

CONCLUSION 

These will be limited edition so it will be buy now, 

like as in the next minute or you lose. 

FUZZ- AS PEDALS Sugar Fuzz ...best clone? ...of the original Super Fuzz

AS PEDALS

SUGAR-FUZZ

$320.00 USD

The goal was to nail the original by keeping the key NOS parts but getting rid of bugs and poor quality with mechanical parts like jacks, switches etc. Last but not least add a silicon circuit along with the old germanium one to double the options.

If you have heard the original when you hear the Sugar the sound is instantly recognizable. Very, few of even good Fuzz pedals that say they are a Super Fuzz sound like it. Many are simply not interested and many have a respectable name and following doing something different but indeed very, very well. 

CONCLUSION

The sound is killer. The price is unfortunately 

expected. It is not obscene but it is a splurge. 

FUZZ- BEETRONICS Octahive v.2 ___ NEW ___ killer octave Fuzz ...fair price

BEETRONIX 

$200.00 USD

OCTAHIVE v.2

 

Everything these guys make looks killer and sounds even better, lol But you do pay for it. Having said that they were always pricey but with this time 

they pulled off a surprise. Others would want another $50.

The layout is volume and gain but with the added pre, 

you get twice that gain.

CONCLUSION

My only beef is the company makes a great Fuzz then adds enough extras that they have to raise the price. The extras 

are usually nothing but for shoegaze and Star Wars soundtracks which I don't need. Anyhow my 

gripes are trivial. This is a great pedal. 

OVERDRIVE- MOSKY AUDIO King Rat ___ NEW ___ repackaged or redesigned?

MOSKY AUDIO

KING RAT

$50.00 USD
AliExpress  ...price
includes shipping

Mosky started with a mini Rat then a bigger model and now if nothing we get a gourmet look to the newest one. Mosky have several in this line of pedals but there are not any videos yet.

You get all the various ProCo Rat versions on a switch. Dirty, Vintage, Turbo and Fat. Then you get gain and tone even if they call it filter and have the knob wired backwards.

I have had a few and zero sound like the Rat II which is the one on 99% of all recordings. One based off the Big Box first Rat are not on many records, just on collectors selves.

CONCLUSION

A Rat is in the family of what are called a hardclipper OD. If we judge the Mosky not as a Rat but just as a hardclipper it is killer. 

It has massive sounds with lots of balz and tear your face off bite. If I had one I would most certainly use it, but ...I would not retire my Rat II either.

FUZZ- BASIC AUDIO Blender Fuzz ...since you asked, there is a clone

 BASIC AUDIO BLENDER FUZZ 

$200.00 USD

The original Fender Blender was a big hit in it's day for a short time in the
70's. Kevin Sheilds of Smashing Pumpkins fame put it on the map when he stumbled on a cheap used one. Fender have just released a signature version. At $500.00 for a damn Fuzz it is obscene. But there is indeed a good clone from Basic Audio.

You get the basics with level gain and tone and blend of the Fuzz and the clean boost side and cut or boost of the octave effect

CONCLUSION

I here nothing better or worse than the Fender and at a reasonable price.

THE ONLY VIDEO

Is on the Basic Audio sight. It will not download to my sight. 

There are a dozen work arounds but none are working. WTF!!!!

OVERDRIVE- CROTHER AUDIO Hot Cake OD V.2 ___ OLD ___ 1976 classic returns ?

CROTHER AUDIO|HOT CAKE OD

$260.00 USD

In 1976 Spit Enz drummer Paul Crowther who has always called New Zealand home decides no one made a good OD that was both transparent but could be pushed into a good crunch just shy of high  gain. So he designed it and it took off. He licenced the pedal a couple of times once to a Chinese company and later with a Japanese one but there were gaps of a few years here and there where they were not made or he made them intermittently now and then.  He made a couple of other drives. The Blueberry, the Prunes and Custard and the double Hot Cake. He is again making the Hot Cake but has added the Blueberry called Plus Cream you get by clicking a switch. There was also a switch inside the original that is now on the face of the pedal that give the pedal a bit more headroom.

CONCLUSION

It is great to once again be able to get a classic. Those made in the 70's show up for $600.00 ish as collectors scoop them up over the years. It is cool that ol' Paul is making them again.  

 

BOOSTER- COPPERSOUND PEDALS Gravity Bomb V2 ...goodbye Tube Screamer?

COPPERSOUND PEDALS|

GRAVITY BOMB 

V2 BOOSTER

$130.00 USD

The most obvious thing is to use a booster is to overload the input on your amp or another pedal into distorting. It can be used like a buffer to increase the signal strength of long travel through long chords or a series of pedals as well. These days many boosts are really very low gain OD's that are useful to enrichen your signal by boosting the overtone and compressing the signal yet remain very, very, transparent.

The most popular OD on the planet is the Ibanez Tube Screamer. In spite of definitely having enough gain to be called an OD it is used by the majority of buyers as a booster. It cuts the lows and has upper mid boost at around 1Kh. This gives you a lot of poke and knocks out the muddy lower frequencies. Many guys run the ts with the gain almost off to at most 10 o'clock.

Besides just a straight clean, make it louder signal and mid boost at 750 kH which just fattens this pedal it has a that 1kH ts like boost. This of course gives that poke without creating more dirt.

CONCLUSION

The 1kH thing is brilliant but since others could not see the forest 

for the trees it took a decades to arrive. This pedal has the potential 

of being an always on pedal. It will give your cleans a nice lightly 

compressed boost and crisp highs. On some tunes a fat mid

boost and on others a much needed poke. 

 

_____ LIES GUITAR PLAYERS TELL THEMSELVES AND OTHERS _____

 LIES?  

OVERDRIVE- REVV AMPS Chat Breaker ___ NEW ___ ai designs a BluesBreaker?

REVV AMPLIFICATION

CHAT BREAKER

$270.00 USD

It all started with an in house joke. Could 'ai' design an OD. The topography seemed to be a Blues Breaker. It did not work so they tweaked the design with every step being changed a little or a lot to get something that works. It does not sound BB but is damn impressive The transparent bits, with clarity and good attack and and string separation are all there just like a great BB but what is added without compromise is girth and fat chunky punch. This has balz and then more balz. Did I say it has balz?😲It does.

CONCLUSION

It was made on a whim and not a big long planned thing. A 99% dumb luck thing. It will sell as a Limited Ed so if you want get it straight off the site. The pedal has the uncanny thing of giving a just right sound but being invisible at the same time.

FUZZ- FENDER Shields Blender ___ NEW ___ signature pedal of the 70's classic

FENDER|SHEILDS BLENDER FUZZ

$500.00 USD

The original has been Kevin Sheilds of Bloody Valentine and Smashing Pumpkins fame go to Fuzz. The Fuzz combines a silicon Fuzz Face with an Octave fuzz and let you blend the two. It also had a Sag feature to give it a saturated tube amp voltage drop effect, via messing with the BIAS. Finally it added an expander so to make sure if you got too crazy with the BIAS/sag thing it would fill in any drop outs.

CONCLUSION

Original 70's Blender

Too big and needlessly over priced for the average player. Kevin literally improvises with sounds live so it makes sense. Most of us set up a specific sound and than just leave it only changing it for a different tune that again needs a specific but different tone. They will certainly sell out as there will only be 700 made as a Ltd Ed pedal.

RING MODULATOR- MESSIAH GUITARS Flare ___ NEW ___ Green Ringer clone & Boost

$200.00 USD

MESSIA GUITARS FLARE 

This has been out for a few months but the company is majorly under the radar. Hence the 'new' moniker.

Dan Armstrong invented some of the first pedals ever made. They were in a tiny box that you pugged right into your guitar jack. Each had a brilliant concept but were mostly quirky and weird. The Green Ringer is ring modulator which like an octave Fuzz except pushed to the extreme it can generate more discordant noise than signal. Set just right you get a pleasantly nasty metallic buzz which tends to get a bit thin. The Flare has tightened up the sound and the FET boost does a great job of fattening the sound up.

The layout is level with a second level for the boost and sparkle is more important to cut highs and buzz.

CONCLUSION

It is impressive. A ring modulator seldom goes beyond the shoegaze or Sc-Fi thing but this comes across more as a metallic sounding octave Fuzz. Very unique, very special and useable.

FUZZ- SPOOKY CIRCUITS Harm & Balance ___ NEW ___ Harmonic Percolator plus

SPOOKY CIRCUITS 

HARM & BALANCE 

FUZZ 

$280.00 USD

Another under the radar builder Kevin Portrelli enters the game.  This Fuzz is based off of the Interfax Harmonic Percolator the first Fuzz that addressed the problem of what at the time was Big Muff fixation with its just new tech silicon transistors and add back germanium transistors to warm up the tone. The effect really does work. You get the cut and near OD like control of the silicon with the really rich tone of the germanium. The layout is gain then balance to mix both kinds of transistors 2 rotary switches let you choose which clipping diode you want to use to voice each type of transistor.

CONCLUSION

Who cares? LOL. The thing is it has a wide range of distinctive tones  to add to your board.