Pedal/Stompboxes Guide !

Alright ... this thread is similar 2 the one deathdr_87 made except dat itz only focused on PEDALS


so all u pedal owner's KINDLY post a review bout ur pedals ..

i've got an AMT Metalizer , Rocktron sort timer and a Dunlop Cry Baby with fazel inductor .

gonna write reviews ASAP !

 

Dunlop Cry Baby with Fasel Inductor :

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/search/detail/base_pid/151026/src=01340

WaHz my 1st pedal ...........


This thing iz made 2 be a tank !!!
very HEAVY making it damn strong ... it wont break ( hopefully )


Features :

there are almost a 100 different versions of a crybaby having different features and configurations this 1 has a fasel inductor which helps 2 get dat vintage tone ....which it does

as this thing also increases the tone i get dat 60's tone easily even with my GIVSON .........
i also increases da gain A LOT........


if u dont want da WAH the Crybaby has a switch which turns da WAH and the gain off but maintains the CLASSIC tone !

SOUND :
with this u can get dat OLD classic Jimi Hendrix WAH ( 60's ) , da FUNK Metal type like RATM ( the wah in BULLS ON PARADE comes exactly with this ) , itz even perfect 4 HAMMET and SLASH fanz !

this thing i very versatile and has a VERY rich and CLEAR tone !!
wat else can i say bout a WAH pedal !!

cost : 89 $$ ( worth every PENNY )

 

hey alfons ...
i got an idea ... instead of linking to demos given by the companies ...
it would be better if u (or for that matter the person having the pedal) plays a demo riff/solo/lick etc and post it ...

this way it will be better coz sounclips from companies always sound way too good ... but actually how it will sound after purchase grin: ) is something that everyone is looking for ...

so e.g. u have AMT MEtallizer ... u could record a clip of something famos like "Enter Sandman" opening riff - that showcases the metallizing aspect of the pedal ...

similarly for other pedal ...

and one more thing (this would be a burden - but atleast try to do) - how u could change the sounds ... like using AMT Caifornia to play metal riff ... or MEtallizer for Classic rock - agreed it will take a lotsa adjustments - but it will be good

ppl come to know about the versatility of the pedal ...

and hey recording thru mic (coz thats what we hear, n, dry that is no reverb echo or any other FX other that the pedal)

 

QUETED by slayer :
"... like using " AMT Caifornia "to play metal riff ... or MEtallizer for Classic rock - agreed it will take a lotsa adjustments - but it will be good "

i dont have the Amt California Sound

 

ronnie will fill 2 pages of this thread all by himself... :

 

anythuing yaar ...

just show the versatility of the pedal ...

 

hehe......ok here is my first pedal!i fell in love wid it ever since i saw it!i use this pedal daily...!
heres the link to the picture ::

https://images.google.co.in/imgres?.../images?q=cycle+pedal&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&sa=G

even these days i use it!
so check em out and let me know!

 

Good thread, i'll pitch in.

These are the pedals im currently using, i'll add reviews of other ones i've tried later.

· Boss FV300L - Your basic stereo volume pedal with tuner out and min. volume pot. Does its job well, great sweep. EXTREMELY durable, its made completely made out of metal! The only drawback is thats its pretty big.

· Vox v848 - Good wah, perfect for that Hendrix type sound. It has an average sweep, could be better but its still far better than the Dunlops IMO and true bypass and 'AC adapter in' are a bonus!

· Marshall Shredmaster - Sounds OK, doesn't have that much gain but its pretty tweakable thus there are many sounds available. My unit is quite noisy though.

· E~H Small Clone - The best chorus pedal there is for the price! It gives a really lush and glorious sound, great for clean parts. Turn up the rate and put the depth switch up to get great psychedelic sounds. It gets spooky with alot of distortion!

· Digitech Digidelay - Another inexpensive gem. It is definately the first delay pedal everyone should buy. All of the modes are great, from the standard digital delay to the reverse and the 4 second loop is pretty good too. My main highlights of this unit are the tape delay and the reverse delay. 90% of the time i'm set on the tape delay, its blends in perfectly with the dry guitar and never gets 'in the middle' of it. The reverse delay is quite crazy, sometimes its hard to control but it adds a new dimesion to the song. The other modes are really good too, if anyone wants a review of every mode just ask!

Well, those are my mini reviews, soon i'll add a couple more :beer:

 

California Sound cannot play Metal. It's a very middy pedal. A lot of mid is NO NO for metal. It's good for 80s hard rock to instrumental rock like Vinnie Moore, Tony McAlpine. Has a very soft tone. Not versatile at all.
Will post detailed reviews later.

 

Fatal Tube has a good contour knob which can make the pedal really versataile. Moreover it has drive as well as gain. With 6 controls Bass, Contour, Treble, Gain, Drive and Level a good variety of sounds are at your disposal. Good enough to play Metal like Metallica or Megadeth or maybe a few pantera. Can get it sound pretty heavy too. When mid is scooped it can even sound like the razor like Dimebag's tone.
At lower gain too this pedal rocks. But not a good clean boost.

 

hey ron ... what about the fat sound?

can i get the thick fat dist sound like Slash from Fatal Tube? n price (which is also imp)

ok what i meant was can i get warm fat dist like JCM 800 as well as harsh dist like MEsa Boogie? just by altering the knob setting of Fatal Tube

 

Geoffrey Teese Modded Thomas Organ Wah:
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I haven't played an unmodded Thomas Organ Wah. Mine is a 1976 made vintage one, modded by Geoffrey Teese who makes these great Real McCoy Wahs.

Features:
Fairly simple. No knobs. Just one on / off switch and rock it. My pedal has been modded for true bypass. No LED display. Actually I replaced the DPDT switch with an Electro Harmonix 3PDT switch because I wanted to add an LED. Later didn't want to spoil the vintage look, so left the new switch as it is and forgot about the LED. Anyway I am not than much kappoot in my ears to figure out whether it's on or not. Do I have to say it's built like a tank. It's already about 30 years old. Rock solid and will serve good for a few more decaded.

Pros:
Has an excellent sweep. Not really a deep quack but pretty good to play things like Voodoo Chile. That's what I play when I demonstrate this pedal to anybody. Can do good RATM stuff. Doesn't have a great range or a variety. Can do some suble Wah as well as nice quacky stuff. I usually use a mild Wah, when I play something quick and it goes damn well. When used at the end of the distortion, it colours up the tone too much and makes it almost unusable. At the beginning it sounds pretty neat, so there is reduce amount of quack in the beginning. Using at the end gives you the best quack but for a loss in tone. The True Bypass is good originally done by Teese and later by me . Mine is also modded for vocal like Wah sounds. These are the original Cry Babies and these babies can cry, weep, moan and squeak.

Cons:
Not a huge variations in sound because no adjusting knobs for anything. Oscillates when idle which means noisy when not playing and connected to high gain distortion. Most Wahs have this problem or maybe all the Wah have this problem. If you know how to use a Wah properly, then this is not a problem at all.
No LEDS. Bad for Bimbos who wont realize when the wah is ON or OFF with their ears. OUT OF PRODUCTION since late 1970s. Later Thomas Organ got aquired by Dunlop and then you know about the Dunlop Crybaby.

Overall:
Really amazing pedal. Difficult to get in good condition and also comes expensive in eBay. If you get a good working one, then go for the ultimate Wah. If you like the Hendrix, Clapton or SRV kind of Wah, this way make the new Dunlop or Vox sound like Toys. This thing really means business. If you get a good one, buy it and get it modded for true bypass and then it's in your board permenantly.

 

Morley Steve Vai Bad Horsie Wah
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Not a Steve Vai fan at all but got inspired by the big name in the business as every new comer would do.

Features:
Simplest. No switch too. Just leave the pedal and it goes off LED indication too. Built like a tank. A great rocker that is amazingly smooth and has a large boot base. Nice battery compartment which wont expect you to remove the pedal like the Crybabies or Vox. Very nice finish and looks realy mod like a Posh Bungalow in your pedal board.

Pros:
The pedal has no POTs. It is optically controlled, so it will live almost forever. This pedal wont wear out at all unless you are a sadist. LED indication. Has a nice subtle sweep. Great for playing fast legato notes or some fast tapping kind of sounds. Doesn't colour your tone even when placed at the end. I used it to this at the end of the chain unlike many of is using it before the effects. Actually at the end, the quack is the best. But this thing doesn't colour up, so use it anywhere you want to. Has a volume boost when the Wah gets on. Gets on automatically when you move the pedal and goes off automatically when you leave the pedal. Convenience at it's best.

Cons:
Try playing Voodoo Chile with it. Hendrix will come out of the grave and kill you. Try playing White Room. Clapton will come and kill you. No good quack at all. NO NO NO for any vintage stuff. Hardly any range. The sweet spot is over a small range, so NO NO again for vintage stuffs. Some shredders have played this and found it damn amazing. I found it sick and sold it damn new. In the factory setting it's bloody annoying becasue, when you leave the pedal, it goes off only after a second. This is becasue Steve Vai wanted that way. There are instructions on how to set this delay to 0 seconds, so that it goes off instantly. I hate all pedals that have the power supply point in the side. This one has it on the side too.

Overall:
If you want to have a variety, then this pedal is a NO NO. If you can afford to have a few Wah pedals like Vai does, then it does no harm in adding this to your pedal board. If you are shred shred till you die but dont care about the Wah articulations like Hendrix or SRV, go buy this. Wah using can never get this easier. By the way Vai uses a Buddah Bud Wah too for for some nice quacky things.

 

MXR Distortion Plus
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Made famous by the great Randy Rhoads. It's not a Distortion Pedal as the name says. It's a nice tube like overdrive to a gritty fuzz pedal. Built like a tank. I have had both Unmodded stock one as well as a modded one.

Pros:
Housed in small compact die cast aluminium box which is damn sturdy. Rock solid switch but no True Bypass. Doesn't suck tone noticeably, so it's still fine. As a stand alone distortion pedal, it gives a great Warm tube like tone. After modding it gets even better with much reduced harshness. At full GAIN, it can get pretty fuzzy. Good to play some Hendrix thing at the fuzz settings. The GAIN knob has a very nice variation. Not a metal distortion pedal. It's a great boost to drive the front end of a tube amp like how Randy Rhoads did. Great when it's modded.

Cons:
PCB stupidly done and housed in the case. So modding for True Bypass is not easy or you could even say not possible if you want to retain the orginal PCB as well the original case. You still can buy a bigger box, use the same PCB and have true bypass. As far as my opinion goes, you dont need true bypass for this.
Buffered switching has it's own advantages over True Bypass switching. No TONE knob, so no tonal variations. Whatever you want to do, get it done through the Amp or use an onboard equalizer.

Overall:
Good to play Blues Rhythm and some Hendrix chord work. Excellent clean boost and a very good dirty boost. Boosting both before and after the amp / effect it rocks. It cannot handle hard rock or metal as a stand alone distortion box. Not much of tonal variety but wont bug you down if you know how to get your sound set up. A good buy for what it is. Dont buy and blame for something what it's not. I sold mine for some emergency $$$$ crisis. Try making one but the experiment flopped. Might buy it again in the future or repeat experimentation to make one. GT6 has a MXR Dist+ emulation which sounds reasonably close when MXR is at it's very low Gain setting. It couldn't capture all it's capabilities. But when my friend showed me I could instantly recognize it's MXR. But MXR Dist is much much more than the GT6 trying to copy. A great thing for Rhythm. Doesn't cut through enough for solos. So for soloing look at a modded TS9 or a TS808.

 

Maxon CS9 Pro Stereo Chorus:
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Amazing Stuff. Maxon is the company that made and licensed it's pedals to Ibanez. Ibanez CS9 has been one of the greatest chorus pedals ever. Using the same technology and some improvements, they have unleashed this Monster.

Pros:
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One of the best Stompbox Chorus pedals every made. The only other competition could be the Analogman Clone Clone Chorus and the Yamaha UD Stomp. Haven't tried both of them. Has Rate, Width, Level and also Mix to have a mix of Wet and Dry signals. Great versatality. If you are a chorus fan, get this. Can get a nice Floyd kind of solo sounds too. Excellent stereo operations. For Clean Arpeggios, this thing rocks. It rocks for everything. 100% True Bypass and a compact stompbox.

Cons:
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Have to spend time setting it up. Not something you can just randomly dial and get the best sound. Explainable because of the variety it can offer. I'd say ignore this reasoning safely. Pretty expensive. This thing cost about $240, more than twice the cost of the other chorus pedals. But worth every penny of it.

Overall:
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One of my best buys. Buy it if you are chorus fan. You might not hear anything better than this. $240 is a bit steep on price but worth the money.

 

Rocktron Tsunami Stereo Chorus:
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A smooth, warm and lush Stereo Chorus house in a large box. Built like a tank. Has two modes 1. Chorus Mode and a 2. Ambience mode which is like a delay.

Pros:
Dial in anywhere and you get great Chorus sounds. Very lush and very easy to use. With Distortion it make it sound as it your tone breathes. Can get some amazing tones when combined with the distortion. Great for clean Arpeggios too. I guess it was about $90 or so. Dont remember exactly. The knobs are place, so well that it wont hit you foot when you stomp it on or off. Amazing design.

Cons:
The delay mode is dumb. Couldn't notice anything. Just a wastage of space. I have made several guys to hear the delay and nobody could. It's a great chorus pedal and that's it. These Rocktron guys shouldn't advertise that it's also a delay pedal. Huge casing might cause an issue if your pedal board doesn't have much space or if you are trying to remove a Boss Chorus to replace this one.

Overall:
Absoultely great for it's price. No comparison to Maxon CS9 Pro. This is $90 and that one is $240, so it wont be a fair comparison at all. Highly recommended.

 

well said...

@ronnie...awesome wrk man...

 

I have bought a Rocktron Silver Dragon recently..cost $90..(after consulting with the pedal god ofcourse)...here is a summary of features:

The Silver dragon has a 12ax7 tube inside it for tube distortion and a solid state distortion for heavier stuff.in mode 1(Awaken) the tube distorton circuit is engaged
while in mode 2(Slayer)..the solid state plus tube distortion is provided.Housing is
solid aluminium..very sturdy..2 footswitches for the 2 modes...global bass, treble and level controls.Awaken mode gain control and Slayer mode intensity control are present.Slayer mode also has a control called 'breath' for creating assymmetry in sine wave(6 knobs in all).Power is ONLY through 13V AC adaptor(a big drawback)..this is due to the tube circuit.It is supposedly almost like true bypass when off..I am too inexperienced to comment on that, but what I could make out was it wasnt spoiling the tone too much.

Awaken: The tube distortion is engaged in this mode...at 0 settings it gives nice slightly distorted sound.As the gain is increased , you get nice smooth distortion good for rock..distortion is pretty smooth, no harshness and note clarity is good.

Slayerretty high gain and right there for metal.Still not too harsh.harmonics are easily produced in this mode.After the knob is set at 11'oclock, it has a loud hiss though(but rocktron guys have warned of this in their manual)

I havent really played any other distortion (except my OD channel on MG15CD)..but I am happy with it..will get ronnie to check it out and post his views..that might give a better picture

 

^ but isnt tube a big drawback ... the tubes are know to fail at slightest hint ... so to say: "at the drop of feather"

what would u do if it blows up?

 

12AX7s are not difficult to get. @Nebu dont worry about that. I have a couple of tubes with me. I bought them to make my own Tube Distortion but haven't got time to sit on it.