Since 2015 NEW PEDALS EVERY DAY! Over 4500 REVIEWS!
I use other reviewers vids & then critique from them __ If a pedal appears killer I buy one __ I try it out & update the Post__ If the pedal is SH@T I literally say so!__ I publish the street price a no brainer but few do. __ I save you time finding the best pedals & you get a second opinion. __OVER 4 MILLION VISTORS__
NO ONE OWNS ME___ I MAKE ZERO $ FROM THIS
With simply a volume knob and a switch I haven't much to say. Yes I know not having much to say is less than improbable when I start typing, lol.
It does the classic germanium thing complete with spit and sputter. You can switch a silicon transistor into the mix and it adds some cut and definition.
CONCLUSION
Thick and fat with a nice balance between of that self destruction thing mixed in with a tight OD flavor.
Add in a cool pro look and a reasonable price and we have a serious winner.
They gave us the Rival Drive. The latest model is $725.00 USD. You too can have the perfect OD sound!
All you need is days of perseverance toget that one perfect sound. It is big with NASA Rocket scientists that played a bit of guitar on breaks. WTF!
I will not go knob by knob to explain it. Basically you can get low gain, medium gain/crunch high gain and Metal. It is an analog pedal but it needs digital memory
or for a lot of money and hours of time you will still only have one sound at a gig. Add to that if a knob or two gets moved you will never get your sound back in time to use it.
I bought their first effort the Drive Maker. Please, don't ask!
CONCLUSION
It indeed sounds very good. The bottom line is no matter what sound you dial in there is a guy that only puts that kind of sound in a single pedal so his one sound is totally killer!
Both these boxes allow you to put their attenuater between a tube amp and it's speaker/cab. They let you keep your tube amp loud but turn down the actual speaker to a lower volume. Each one gives you fixed amounts of cut. Like half as loud or a third or off. They do not allow you to take a knob going from full volume to off so you can just sweep the knob to where it works best for you.
Both have separate function that goes into a 'ir' or in effect a fake cab sound to send out your sound to replace both a mic and the sound of your speaker. Whether you are practicing at home or recording in your home or indeed a studio this is now the accepted norm. Both these boxes have become an industry standard.
What if you are both a skilled luthier that who is a qualified tech for Gibson, a skilled violin tech and a qualified graphic designer who loved all the 50's Chicago based catalogue guitars made his own guitars.
Michael King has been chasing his dream for 17 years. It certainly is an odd combination of being inspired by guitars that were all about being cheap and cheerful only to take the inspiration from the youthful exuberance of them and make finely crafted instruments. The man does it all. Not happy with off the shelf pickups and hardware he has his own. The wood is recycled often being up to 70 years old. The finishes are water based yet for all this we are not given a guitar that looks like the side of a barn.
CONCLUSION
The quality is eminent. But a 23 1/2" neck as a standard is nuts. I have owned one, I know. I still own a 24, 24 3/4, 25, and 25 1/2 and a 24" is minimum. Very few players will not find this very awkward to play and tuning issues are always a problem. If you use string vibrato or bend ...forget it! A good compromise would be 24 3/4"
the fine print
I am sure those into Blues or trad Country or for that matter Americana music in general will find this a welcome alternative to another 'same old'. The two things I find disappointing are first the issue with the short neck and another is the pickups. There are a mass amount of players that have built their musical volcabularitys with traditional pickups. I see no problem with using a pick up covers that are unique. The oval like shape could be modded a bit to accommodate anything or why not a old Foil type cover for P90 or a Humbucker?
The Cornerstone Gladio SC is an expensive OD at $335.00 USD. Add shipping, tax and duty then probably $400.
It is meant to give you a Dumble/SRV sound It has quickly become the pedal of the gods with the vibe of the original Klon and now has a King of Tone waiting list, lol.
THE SECRET SAUCE
To the best of my knowledge Lilt is in gourmet fashion a guy with perhaps a few assistants that builds your pedal one at a time. At $80.00 USD a pop and without a single video review I decided to push my luck and ordered one, lol.
My guess is the guy is an engineer. In a poor English translation the guy tried to explain the complex filter thing that adds harmonics as you push up the 'clean' knob.
That feature is the 'secret sauce' of both these pedals. It is 'not' just blending in cleans. It is a similar process used to restore historical audio. It adds harmonic content. It is frequently used in big budget documentary's that have inaudible old recordings.
Without this process you would be dealing with just another low gain OD.
CONCLUSION
OK ..got mine and had some serious time using it. The short story is I borrowed that Martin Frydas uses on the video. I got the sound of the single EQ of the Gladio by setting both bass ans treble at 2 o'clock.
Under the radar but not a new boy by any means.You often have to to get on a waiting list for the pedals. The pedals are aimed at the the Analog Man old school buyers that want the vintage parts like in this case the BC108C transistors, but they want a carefully made hands on pedal with an improved product not just a jacked up overkill but tone and dynamics from their pedal.
CONCLUSION
It has near transparent quality and when pushed is very much a medium gain sound.The tone is killer rich sounding. The finish, knobs and graphics couldn't be better!
MXR have stayed on every buyers Phaser shortlist for decades. The 45 with it's half phase half Uni-Vibe sound and the iconic Phase 90 that EVH put on the map with indelible ink. The Mini Phase 95 with a 2 Phase 90 voicing's and a Phase 45 one as well. Then there is the EVH signature and a reissue vintage Phase 90.
So I asked myself WTF else is left??? As soon as I heard it I recognized a familiar sound. A hint is their promo that it is both vintage and new. Then it hit me!!! The reason I felt I heard it before is the damn thing sounds like that the other iconic Phaser, the Electro Harmonix Small Stone Phaser!!! The approach to create a Phaser sound by E-H uses an entirely , unique and off the wall circuit. There is a clever difference. The classic Phaser is either 4 pole like the the Phase 45 or E-H or 8 pole like the Phase 90. The 4 pole has a more chorus like vibe and the 8 has that audio tail that reminds you of a jet plane vapor trail effect. What MXR cleverly did was put two 4 pole Phasers in the one box. This keeps the units same basic character but makes it literally twice as thickand rich.
CONCLUSION
It does sound very good. If you do not have a Phaser I would check out the Phase 90. If you like it compare it to the Phase 95. I got it as it gives you both a modern and vintage Phase 90 plus a very good Phase 45. They sound a shade a gray diffident but the 90 did not sound better.
Also check out the part for part E-H Small Stone clone. It even comes in the small but robust steel box like the original. It is the Behringer VP-1 Vintage Phaser. Do not confuse this with the company's plastic efforts. It is made at a different factory by the Keyboard Dept. They make serious sh@t and have a stellar rep. At $35.00 USD it punches much higher than it's weight.
Let me state from the get go the obvious. Strats and a Fuzz Face can be a killer sound. BIG but! Humbuckers and a Fuzz Face ...not so much, maybe never :-)
MXR/Dunlop have owned the Fuzz Face for decades and make full size, and Mini FF's in the round enclosures and have had a series of Hendrix ones in a 'B' box and mini casings for years. Even this one was first offered in a full size Hammond 1590 box. Yes you can still buy that one too. Do they sound different? Only if we are told they do, lol. This Fuzz is not the old germanium but even Hendrix switch to the silicon.
If you had all 8 of the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face pedals it is unlikely you would pick the original NKT275 just due to the odds. It is considered the warmest and is very mid focused but very woolly and arguably a bit muddy. The BC109C has the most definition and has better lows and is the harshest. This is all a bit ironic as part of the charm of any Fuzz is a harsh sound, LOL.
In a band the germanium Fuzz hash gets lost in the mix and the
silicon definitely can jump out and cut better.
I have had and still have a few old germanium Fuzz pedals.
They are 'NOT' on my board as they caused all their classic 'problems'.
original Fuzz Face! WTF !!!
It is all rather ironic just how much fuss is made out of a pedal consisting
of 9 parts in it's circuit. We are all mad! Some us will pay thousands for an original.
The colors define the models. Red, black or silver gray are germanium, blue and black are silicon. The black is the American made silicon which was the first Dunlop made F.F.
CONCLUSION
What's not to like. First this pedal uses BC108 transistors and was the first American made silicon Fuzz Face.
You get a classic sound with all those nasty germanium problems solved. It has been 'buffer proofed'. You can run anything in front of it, even a wireless. No need to worry about buffers in some of your pedals. No need to worry about the thing failing because of hot days or hot stages. Reliable and well made. It will be an easy resale if and when you want to move on and you finally get around to seeing if the Fuzz Face is your thing?
For the record the final model that Hendrix used had the BC183 transistors. It is far more aggressive ...some even say say Muff like but it was the only one Hendrix could live with and not mod.
So I got the 108 and teamed it up with a guitar with Hendrix's fave '74 Strat PU's and put the obligatory Uni-Vibe after it. Yep ..that's the sound!!!
LOL, LOL, LOL ......only a guitarist is this nuts !
GERMANIUM vs. SILICON
...Compare for yourself, the 108 Mini is in effect
the blue pedal in the video.
A NANO FUZZ HISTORY
The first available Fuzz was the Maestro Fuzz Tone. The second was the Tonebender. A version 1 was followed by a version 2 but during that time a few versions 1.5 were sent out invoiced as version 2. Officially they did not exist, lol. The Fuzz Face is a version 1.5 clone :-)
One final irony. Recently Boss brought out a Ltd Ed Tonebender that was near impossible to get because guys were buying them up to flip for over double the money. The Boss is a Tonebender 1.5 .
The Aura Brown Sugar was major success with a killer take on a Plexi so owners all were looking forward to the follow up JCM 800.
Like all of the Aura pedals everything is an overkill build. Hand made with the very best parts and custom steel enclosures built like a proverbial tank. You get a full 3 way EQ with gain and volume and generous switchable boost.
CONCLUSION
Then voicing is as expected from Aura spot on. It sounds rich and fat. No one used the JCM 800 in the 80's when it was the only killer Metal Amp anyone really wanted without an OD or a Fuzz. The boost takes care of that. Call me me weird but I don't like the boost. I prefer to stack a real Fuzz on it. Just the straight JCM 800 sound makes the pedal worth owning.
This company has always focused on marketing their pedals as copies. They are tied into Moogoo and also Demon FX who I suspect is their design department since they often sell a handmade version of pedals that over time show up as Mosky.
Sometimes Moogoo takes it a big leap forward in the copy game by making and selling forgery's. Some of their pedals literally duplicate the circuit board. In one case they must have sent out a board they pulled out of the original pedal to copy because the board maker even copied the places on the board where it had the brands name right on the board, lol.
So all that said this is a Keeley clone, at least with the look.
I find they both sound good.
The modulation to simulate the wow and flutter of tape sounds just bit like a chorus on the Mosky. It will happen if some clean sound gets mixed in.This can happen with a leak in the circuit of the cleans. The original Tube Screamer design has a leak, lol. So it can be a positive thing. In short it is an ascetic decision.The Keeley is more convincing if
the goal is trying to duplicate the effect of wow and flutter.
Tape delay pedals imitate what happens when on the original machine the rubber wheels that spin and pull the tape across over the record and playback heads wear out and pull the tape thru at at an uneven rate of slow, fast, slow fast. A bit of this is pleasant and creates vibrato. The pedal gives you control over the amount and its intensity.
CONCLUSION
It just damn well sounds good, looks good and is cheap. I use 5 delay pedals and my favorite is my MXR Echoplex. What I like about it is it compliments the playing on my tunes but never competes with them. If you are all about setting up your delay and basically leaving it alone like it is just a different way to get the vibe that a spring reverb does in a Fender amp then welcome to the club. This will do it.
$150.00 USD
DEMON FX TAPE ECHO
$40.00 USD
Yes ...you can get it branded with their other logo.
Yes you get a Fuzz-Tone, a Fuzz Face a Big Muff and an Octave Fuzz all in one box. Then you can turn up some 'clean' to give you definition and add to that you have both a high pass and a low pass filter to tighten it up or push the lows down into doom territory. Finally you get an EQ switch to give you two set voices.
CONCLUSION
All the choices are credible, usable and easily tweakable.
It is actually damn cheap for the amount of Fuzz types it covers.
The company has a rep of making excellent Fuzz pedals of a high quality at reasonable prices. Some like the 76 have always gone out the door by word of mouth. Every few years there is an anniversary model or in this case Black Friday deals that got my attention. It is an Octave Fuzz. Used poorly they have annoying drop outs or create comical antique video game bleeps tinkles. I recently got the ALL PEDAL Love Machine which starts with a Fuzz/OD voice but you can add in the octave thing. A few days ago I turned on the octave thing just for a hoot. Within an hour I had found I could easily control the octave feature to make spits and growls on command. It sounded beyond killer! I am a new convert. I think I might have bought the 76 instead but the truth is I needed to own one to know. No regrets and I still might get a 76 anyway.
CONCLUSION
I think I have said it all. Yes there others possibly as good but nothing better.
the fine print
April, 2022
I have several Fuzz pedals including the ALL Pedals Love Machine octave Fuzz. Practically speaking I could already cover all the ground with my collection.
A damn sale popped up so I could not resist the 76.
It arrived and as cool as it is it did not bump the Love Machine off the board. Where it really earns its keep is on tunes that need a massive sound but I have sing over the damn thing. I just click the toggle to the scooped sound and my voice sits right in the scoop. The effect is like having an entire orchestra behind the vocals. Totally unreal. LOVE IT!!! ...LOVE IT!!! ...LOVE, LOVE IT!!
This pedal came out in late 2019 amidst chaos with the companies distributor. It was bought out and in the end it went very well for Engl as the new company had the working capital to take their product internationally so in just a year stores like Sweetwater 'had' to carry the product because of the demand. But during 2020 there was virtually no stock of the pedal so even with a few good reviews creating a demand you could not buy one.
In short the pedal for the most part has been under the radar.
ENGL claims to have duplicated the sound of the Powerball II amp that put the company on the map. I feel they nailed it. Several key players who have been ambassadors of just that amp now use the pedal for their fly rig.
The layout is simple enough with volume, gain, treble, mid and bass.
CONCLUSION
The thing what really, really impresses me is if you had a general idea of what to expect to hear from the average Modern Metal sound this nails that 'average' sound. This is not a criticism as I find it ideal that you can get that sound without the struggle and expense of forever buying Metal pedals that have too much or too little of something about that
pedal that you hate. For a start many pedals sound either too harsh or too muddy
and worst of all most have issues with buzz or fizz or some kind of added hash.
Nothing too complicated just volume, dampen which is a tone control and decay. A switch to add modulation for ambience things.
This is the second of two Reverbs in the series. The other is a quasi plate like thing that acts a sub for a the classic Spring verb in an amp.
A Hall is just that a hall, or in short a very, very large room. JHS has cleverly allowed you to create a larger hall by tying it in with the decay. The decay and modulation pushed wide open lets you do a really convincing sci fi spacey effects. When backed it heads into a large room sound that for many is dry enough to use as a basic always on verb sound.
It has only been out for a couple of weeks and this is the first full review. Ryan does give you a good chance to hear a pedals overall tonal quality. I am afraid his' Ronald McDonald' approach is not helpful compared to many reviewers. I like to be shown the range and application of each control with a snippet of a verse which shows off how effective the pedal does that specific task. For example is there a convincing low setting to act as an always on sound to sub as a
spring reverb that others have built into their amp etc.
We will know more after we are treated to a few more reviews.
CONCLUSION
I am damn impressed. For 99% of us it can create all the ambience you will ever need are indeed be able to fit in most Rock formats. If you are in a band how often can you use that much. Than for the bulk of your tunes you can back it down as required. Not just versatile but usefully versatile.
...the best demo is the first one. It does all 3 of the newest Series 3 pedals but at 5:34 it features an in depth review of the the verb.
the fineprint
I have been looking fora Verb to give me a big open sound for my boards clean channel where I keep my low gain pedals. I use that channel for parts of my tunes where it is all flatpicking etc. where I want a bit of a dream like etheral vibe. I often use my semi to pull off a more acoustic feel as well. I need just one very good very pro sound that is easy to use live to tweek the wet/dry and decay quickly. First this appears perfect. If do not need or want more features and choices. Neither the price that is doubled or even tripled so as to pay for them.
Everyone has a sale on and they will all be cancelled by Dec..4.
In the 60's before the Japanese cheapies knocked out any entry level guitar makers getting a European guitar was not a bad choice. Like all new solid body guitar makers they looked to Fender for a 'how too'. Keep in mind the electric solid body was a new thing virtually only a decade old.
The styling of the time referred to as Post War was a mix of Art Deco and Bauhaus Modern found everywhere in consumer goods and automobiles. In fact in America the average car was kept for only 2 or 3 years as by then the look was dated.
Gadgets reigned supreme. You get as a result guitars with bells a whistles switches and knobs , lots of chrome and sparkle or vivid colors. Oddly enough EKO were a bit less excessive without total overkill. Some makers virtually covered their guitars with cellulose, 'pickguard plastic'.
EKO CAMERO
The company started in Italy in '59 and struggled to stay alive with not ideal timing since the Asian invasion spearheaded from Japan was just starting too. There was just enough of a cult to keep them going. In 2000 they moved to Czechoslovakia. Too little too late. Whoever has the rights to the name now is now basically trading on the name in Europe. By 2005 they were having the guitars made in the East as expected. They can still be found primarily in small Mom and Pop's stores in Europe as a recognizable brand name.
They took a shot at breaking into the American market about 4 years ago selling a reissue of the '62 Manta but it was short lived.
Manta
Original '62 Manta
There has been an underground vibe about the Camaro. It's Fender Jazzmaster vibe cheap price and good bones is making it a favorite with the 'modding' crowd. It comes in a model with HSS PU setup as well as one with a cheap Bigsby. The cool one is the P90
model as it actually sounds excellent!
The neck is maple with a South American Roupala fretboard. It is actually part on the rosewood family. The body is Poplar which is sounds indistinguishable in sound from Alder. It looks like a Jazzmaster but it has as slightly smaller and lighter body that is more ergonomic and comfortable.
The tuners will keep it in tune but should be upgraded. The whammy is crap but if locked down by over tightening the springs is serviceable.
They are hard to find and many stores try and sell for double the price.
They are not setup at the factory so expect having to do a setup.
Having just got the Wilson Sparkling Blue, a beefed up Marshall Guv'nor v.1 pedal I have found stacking my Fortin Fuzz on it gives me a damn beefy Metal OD so when I checked out the Firestorm i was intrigued. The firestone starts out from the get go takin the Guv'nor too and putting a 3 way toggle to choose different clipping diodes to make a flexible Metal pedal. The LED diode gives you a basic JCM 800 vibe. A silicon diode gives you added saturation and sustain and germanium diode gives you that fat warm grit.The layout includes level, gain and tone with a second toggle to either cut or boost the bass.
CONCLUSION
What a difference a week or two makes. I can never guess what's around the corner. I have only had the Wilson in my hands for 24 hours, lol, and ...
Actually the Wilson lets me pull back for more MIAB sounds and the Fortin lets me push it into very rough territory and since the Fuzz is separate I can stack it on other pedals or use it on it's own so I am not unhappy with my choice. Yet?
If you asked me what Analog delay to buy next week I would tell you without a second's thought to buy the NUX DCP-03 Analog Delay. It has absolutely nailed the classic Ibanez AD-80 @ $60.00 USD.
But today we have retails BLACK FRIDAYSALES.
Yes with music gear and music stores there are very few deals and even they are buried in a maze of bullsh@t 'Now Only' absolute cons.
At full price the J Rockett had to deal with a lot of competition. Those that wanted to play it safe got the MXR and others went digital to get all the 'bells and whistles' now available by dozens of makers at all prices. It sells enough from word of mouth by Nashville session guys who it was designed for.
It is 'only' Sweetwater that has the deal. They are a massive organization so the inventory that gets sold cheap is simply overstock blowouts.
Note: They make their own steel enclosures. This is a mini pedal although a bit wider than the usual aluminum Hammond style box.
CONCLUSION
Yes I did. If it for any reason I don't like it it will be an easy resale.
HANDS ON
First the pedal disappeared from Sweetwater half way into the Black Friday sale but reappeared
today as a 'Blow Out' limited time offer.
It works where and how I wanted to use it.
I really love the NUX DCP-03 for clean or transparent or bright OD sounds. Big But. I find if used on really high gain and dark dirt sounds they just swim in it. The J Rockett can be thinned with the tone control pushed up and I still get that nice analog warmth but my sound stays tight and defined. It is very much a modern pedal. Streamlined and very capable but not so organic. It is a toss up with the sale but if it goes back up in price you should have a hard look at the NUX.
Bit Crushers pop up here and there but for decades if a pedal could not fit into the cover tunes in your average weekend band it just did not sell. But I had a WTF moment and dug up the one for years in fact 12 years, has been probably the favourite. A lot of others are all about the Arcade sounds used on vintage video games which wear thin over time. Yes you can get them on the G.C. but they have ample seriously menacing sounds not unlike some
Fuzz pedals.
Waveforms have been used for years for modulation in Uni-Vibes phasers, flangers, chorus, tremolo and rotary pedals. These have been primarily sine wave and triangle shapes but there are dozens of other choices.
CONCLUSION
Except for an attention getting solo most guys
will only end up with a fun toy.
Nothing wrong with having fun.
WMD GEIGER COUNTER CIVILIAN ISSUE
$220.00 USD
Just when you thought it was safe. Yes guys we get the dumbed down version ...BUT for the smart guys price. I like to think or it as the 'Best Of'.
The usual volume, tone and gain with a 4 position switch for a choice of voicings. The switch is a good sin as it suests 4 sweet spots. If thy aren't the maker is very suspect.
CONCLUSION
It is unusual in that is old school crunch.
The 60's and early 70's Plexi's did not put out a lot of dirt. The problem is we all have listen to bands at the time pushing them with a Fuzz and later an early OpAmp Overdrive.
A big part of the sound was also the resonance from a 4x12 cab and the shear volume feeding back into the PU's. Most of today's MIAB are designed to simulate that entire experience. This one is not. If you
are using a Fender amp this could be ideal
to give you a low gain to medium low gain Brit sound.
The Macaris Tonebender Fuzz is often mentioned by Fuzz connoisseurs as the best on the planet. You too can have one from the original makers meticulously reproduced
from all the original parts for $800.00 USD.
So when I got a heads up on this pedal and it's concept of new and improved I thought,
OK let's hear it. I was expecting something like Pedro Garcia's Ananashead pedals using high
end parts but creating the tone with vintage germanium transistors from 50 & 60's Russia. His Tonebender sells for under $125.00 USD! With its Retro enclosureadd another $100.00. But ...WTF
CONCLUSION
It is based from the Tonebender v1.5. the one Boss did as a Ltd. Ed. but it sounds much different. The gain is lower and with a near transparent vibe. I quite like it. But not
more than the PettyJohn Haze MKII LED/Germanium OD and I won't buy it at $300.00 USD.
