FUZZ- MMK ELECTRICS Pavlof Fuzz ___NEW___ 2 models, 2 circuits ...choose one?

MMK ELECTRICS 

PAVLOF FUZZ ||

$200.00 USD

Model 1 starts with a basic silicon Fuzz Face but uses NOS old FAIRCHILD 2N2222A transistors. Model 2 uses a Darlington Electra circuit. All other features are the same. They have a clean OpAmp that gives the pedal a stronger overall level. A foot switch drops back the output in the same way pulling back on your guitars volume knob does. It adds definition & sparkle. Especially great for the classic lead/rhythm tone traditional approach. The knobs consist of Volume and a Rotary knob 

to choose from 4 different preset voices. 

 

     CONCLUSION ____

Both have a very rich organic and full sound. 

It looks the part in its steel enclosure. 

A 'get the job done' kind of pedal. 

__ So will that be chocolate or vanilla???

REVERB- HOTONE Verbera___NEW___ verbs cloned from real spaces!!!!

$300.00 USD

HOTONE VERBERA  . 

This is a game changer for high end specs and sound in a pedal 

for your board!!! 

It has 32bit processing and 10 second voices in stereo. It comes

with 120 IRs. With memory for 200 presets. The reverb sounds 

are cloned from real spaces like famous cathedrals, canyons,

concert halls etc, etc. 

   CONCLUSION ___

The sounds are as detailed and real as it gets. There is an argument for verbs as good but none for them being better.

 $300 for a verb is in the higher end but everyone else is 

pretty much using tech over a decade or more old. 

You certainly get some serious bang for your $.

FUZZ- GREUTHER AUDIO Star Bender ...impressive Tone Bender Mk3 clone

GRUTHER AUDIO

Star Bender . 

$290.00 USD

It is a Tone Bender Mk3. I bought one 9 years ago that uses all NOS original parts. It is all but totally unusable as it has every problem associated with Germanium Transistors Fuzz boxes. 

I will never sell it but I am always busy with the music I play live 

and with 66 pedals on my board it is enough to get the best 

out of them.

The layout is Volume, Tone, Gain and BIAS. 

           CONCLUSION ___

The Mk3 is near Overdrive like which made it a big hit 

when it came out but over time the biggest is Mk2 & 

Version one. This one is excellent but at nearly $300 

it is a bit much for most of use. 

Check out my Post on the Tol Red Germanium Fuzz

based off of the Mk2 it uses MNOS parts,looks killer

and best of all it is only $130.00 USD. I have one. 

I love it!!! If it was $400 I could believe it. 

In a year or two it could be, it gives you what you

expect for $400.

OVERDRIVE- UNSOUND CIRCUITRY Shivver___NEW___ RAT? Yes? No? ...Sort of

 UNSOUND  CIRCUITRY 

$200.00 USD

S H I V V E R

Well the topography started like it did with Boss when they re-designed the Rat into the Boss DS-1 Distortion. Like both the Rat and the Boss you get a very tight controllable sound. It is not like a Tone Bender having a heatstroke. 

When I say tight sound I do not mean chopping off highs or lows but instead adding enough edge and the lows some punch. 

The layout Volume, Gain, Treble, Bass and Mids with a toggle to feature Low or High Mids or Balance which leaves it centered. 

CONCLUSION __ 

The overall effect is a massive round sound. 

It really checks all the boxes including the 

big one. It has balz.

OVERDRIVE- ROWIN DIST-II ...BOSS DS-1 clone via Mooer

$25.00 USD 

 

Rowin      

  DIST-II   

BOSS started it all by taking the topography of a RAT pedal doing a tweak or two and out came the BOSS DS-1 Distortion pedal. MOOER came along and cloned it and named it the ULTRA Drive MK 2. Over the years 35 distributors went to MOOER of which one was Rowin. They made a deal to have MOOER 

do re-brands of many of the MOOER mini pedals. In this case the pedal got 

a blue paint job. The name was shortened to just DIST-II. 

The layout is Volume, Tone and Gain. Since it is an OpAmp/clipping 

diode pedal you get a 2 diodes and a third voice via both diodes. 

CONCLUSION __ 

Well for a start the plain and simple name and 

graphics give the pedal a bit of an up-market 

vibe. MOOER removed any trace of a RAT sound 

of the BOSS completely. I once had the BOSS 

but found it thin and nasal sounding. So does 

it sound like the BOSS, Thank god NO, LOL.  

..so at $25.00 USD & with free shipping ???   

...check it out the differences are very minor

NEED TO KNOW ___ Do different Brands of Capacitors in a Tube Screamer matter ???

TUBE  SCREAMER  MADNESS ??? 

ROTARY- BOSS RT-2 Rotary Ensemble___NEW___ a future classic

BOSS 

Rotary Ensemble 

RT-2 

$240.00 USD

A quick simplified history of a Leslie Cab. The Leslie is a large wooden cabinet with motor spinning a high frequency horn in one direction and wooden drum spinning in the opposite direction attache under a 15'' speaker. It was meant give you the sound of a cathedral where 

the churches organ sound  bounced around in the rafters. 

   CONCLUSION ___ 

Well Boss have the high end modeling tech so pulling this off was 

a given. It is like a Chorus on steroids and as a modulation pedal I expect it will be around as long as there they still make Boss pedals.

If you want a Leslie pedal cheap JHS do a Series 3 and Keeley do a very good one, some would say better. BUT that still does not stop making this a no-brainer choice.

thefineprint 

...this is not some dirt pedal that will go out of fashion nor some crazy idea that 

can only be used for Shoegaze or Star Wars soundtracks. It is the only missing 

link in the line of BOSS's modulation pedals. It is the equivalent of the BOSS CE-2

Chorus and now is day one of it. You may wish you bought 2 so years from 

know you could sell one for a small fortune.

DELAY- EARHQUAKER DEVICES Silos___NEW___ digital, analog, & tape voices

EarthQuaker Devices

$150.00 USD

Silos . 

The no nonsense working mans Delay. Everything simple and hands on. 

It covers all the basic voices.You get Digital, Analog and Tape. It has a 

tap feature and memory for 6 preset delays. This a Delay for a board 

and a gigging player. It is not a bookcase delay or one for the hobbyist

who is looking for Shoegaze or sounds for Star Wars soundtracks.  

 

      CONCLUSION ___

It is brilliant in its simplicity. 

It is robust and reliable with 

the minimum of fuss and 

tweaking needed at a gig.

OVERDRIVE- TONE CITY Wild Fro ...6 years later ...is it this or that?

 TONE CITY  

  Wild FrO 

$65.00 USD

Tone City have made a rep of making great sounding Pro Mini pedals for cheap. The owner started out as designer for other companies 

who forced him to dumb down a pedal by as little as 2 or 3 dollars so it was made for their fixed cost. So for a couple of bucks if you bought one it would go from a Pro sound to an entry level piece of junk.

One of the earliest T.C. pedals is the Wild Fire (check out my Post ). It is a high gain MIAB.  Rabea Massaad tried it and said if it just a little more etc. 

...it would be as good as anything you could buy etc. the layout is simple enough with Volume, Tone and Gain and a toggle to switch in more gain. 

CONCLUSION ___

It is an impressive pedal. I do not think it is better than the Wild Fire. I of course may be over simplifying but the Wild Fire is more like a hot rodded Marshall JCM 800 where the Wild Fro has more of a Peavey 5150 or MESA Dual/Rec vibe. In short there isn't a bad choice between them. 

OVERDRIVE- CONCRETE SOUND LAB Slab___NEW___ if new was old ???

CONCRETE SOUND LAB 

SLAB |.

$200.00 USD

We have a new kid on the block. He just does this one pedal 

but it's a good start. 

It is half old school Distortion and half Amp-in-a-Box. It is as nasty as a Rat but it uses FET transistors so you always get

that warm tube sound thing sweetening the buzz saw edges.

The layout is an overall Level, High and Low EQ but it has

Boost side with Boost/Gain and Tone. 

CONCLUSION ___ 

The sound it very open  coarse and grainy yet it is never abrasive. It has a serious biting attack and great string definition. It is unique as it has no obvious comparison except to some Fuzz pedals but as pointed out those 

tube like FETS change everything.