Guitar Center is offering a 15% off discount for any single item — view all qualifying bands online. Simply add a item, and at checkout enter the following coupon code to receive the discount: BTB15. This offer is available for call or walk ins as well. The offer expires on September 27th so you need to act soon to take advantage of it.
Popularity: 1%
I’ve been keeping a third eye on the Stupid Deal of the Day over at Musician’s Friend and saw that they have a cool sale on the Coffin Case BDFX-1 Blood Drive Distortion Pedal. Normally, this pedal’s MSRP is $179.00, Musician’s Friend normally sells it for $119.00, but they’re currently having it on sale for $39.99! That’s $139.01 off.. or 77%. Pretty sweet deal.
The Coffin Case is a analog distortion with a warm boost circuit. Has true bypass switching, all analog circuitry, glow-in-the-dark indicators on the knobs, made in the USA and has coffin shaped case. Controls are ‘inject’, ‘bleed’ and ‘filth’. I’m assuming that is ‘level’, ‘drive’ and ‘tone’? Who knows.
Currently, this is a clearance item, so it is limited to stock on hand at Musician’s Friend. There are currently 23 reviews there, and is ranked at 4 out of 5 stars. At this price, it’s definitely worth picking up!
Popularity: 1%
Looks like this weekend, Musician’s Friend is offering a sweet deal on used gear. They’re knocking off 10-20% on selected high quality used instruments in stock. Just use the the following coupon code: Used. Offer expires on September 9/20. Click here to get a view of products they’re offering. Hopefully, something looks interesting. I’ll browse more myself in a bit.
Popularity: 1%
Here we have the BBE OPTO Stomp compressor pedal. It has volume and compression controls with with footswitch, hardwire bypass switching, 9v power and external power supply. Normally, this pedal lists at $179.99, but this is currently at an insane price of $61.16 (66% off) with super saver shipping!!! There is a limited amount, so you’ll need to act quick to get this deal. Thanks to WhoaPower for giving me the heads up!
Click here to get full details on the BBE OPTO STOMP offer at Amazon.
Popularity: 1%
The following is a guest post review of the Boss DD-20 Giga Delay by George DesRoches. If you are interested in guest posting, please contact me!
Boss has been at basically the forefront of digital delay technology since their release of the DD-2 in 1983. The DD-20 Giga Delay is a twin pedal that takes everything available in all of Boss’s delay pedals, adds a couple of new features, and puts it all in an easy to use, easy to adjust and edit twin pedal format. It has 11 delay settings, several knobs to alter your tone, memory/delay recall, 4 methods of tempo setting, and up to 23 seconds in delay time! Really, this pedal is PERFECT for anyone who wants multiple types of delay at a moments notice, be it for solos, adding depth to your tone, or giving a massive finish during a break or at the end of the song.
The DD-20 has, as said above, 11 settings. Of course, it has the basic Digital delay, which is labeled “Standard”. It also has an analog delay, which is modeled after the DM-2 compact delay, and produces a pleasant warm delay, which is GREAT for light solos and guitar melodies. A tape delay is also included, modeled after the RE-201, where you can edit the number of tape heads to get the sound you want. A dual delay, which, as it sounds, is two delays in one, a short delay and a long delay (both are adjustable). Usually short delay is a slab back, with long delay being a longer, more spaced out delay, making this setting GREAT for thickening up solos. The smooth delay is said to “spread the delay out spatially, producing a more natural reverbation effect” (according to the manual). Really, it’s nothing more than a reverb heavy delay, which is great for solos and cleans arpeggios. The pan delay, which needs two outputs to work, alternates the delay from one output to another (or, more commonly from left to right). The modulate delay adds a subtle wavering to the delay signal. Personally, i love the modulate delay for clean guitar best, especially arpeggios, because when you play especially high up arpeggios the delay sounds like a choir in my opinion (though any pickup on my strat).
Four noteworthy effects on here are the reverse delay, twist delay, warp delay, and sound on sound capabilities. The reverse delay creates a swell effect and reverses the guitar signal (the first instances that come to mind when I think reverse delay/guitar is the outro of Master Of Puppets by Metallica, and the intro to Loving The Alien by Velvet Revolver). The reverse delay has two modes: with the dry signal, and without the dry signal, which can be changed by turning the effect level knob all the way to the right or left (besides that, this knob is essentially deactivated in this mode). The twist delay, as well as the warp delay, are unique to this pedal (at least as of when i got the pedal a few months ago). The twist delay is basically the standard delay with a twist (pun intended): when you hold down the left pedal in this mode, it causes the delay to oscillate and raise in pitch, creating an insane swirling effect which is PERFECT for ending a song/part of a song. Warp delay, like twist delay, is activated by holding down the left pedal. Normally, it’s a standard delay, but when the left pedal is depressed it increases the feedback and effect levels greatly, creating an otherworldly delay which is perfect for breakdowns, insane guitar “solos” that, or creating an ambient feel/sound. Both twist and warp delay revert back to their original settings when the left pedal is released.
The last mode on this pedal, and probably the most notable, is the Sound On Sound capability. Sound On Sound is basically a fancy way of saying “Looper”. That’s right: this pedal not only has every delay sound you could ever want, but it has a LOOPER AS WELL! You can record up to 23 seconds worth of phrasing, and layer over and over again.
To enhance your BOSS delay experience, boss has included several handy and nifty features to the DD-20. For starters, you can adjust the tone, feedback level, effect level, and time of the delay. The pedal has 4 ways to change the delay time, including THREE methods of tap tempo: you can dial the delay time/tempo in with the delay knob (you can turn it, or press down and turn to adjust the time much faster), you can tap the tempo by pressing the “TAP” button under the screen, you can tap in the tempo by holding down the right pedal for two seconds, then tapping your foot to the desired tempo, or you can tap the tempo via BOSS F5-FU by plugging it in via the “CTL PEDAL” jack. You can adjust the timing of the delay (quarter note delay, quavers, dotted eighth notes, even whole notes and half notes).
Boss also allows you to save up to four custom delay settings. These can be saved by selecting the number you want to save the delay as, setting the delay to the desired settings, and pressing the “WRITE” button, conveniently located beneath the LEDs that show what memory slot is active. The saved delay can be selected by pressing the right pedal and cycling through the saved delays (when not in tap delay mode, of course. Tap delay can be deactivated the same way it’s activated, by holding down the right pedal for 2 seconds). With the 4 saved delays AND manual mode, you can go on stage with 5 completely different delays (or 4 delays and a looper).
The DD-20 can be powered by either a BOSS PSA power adapter (sold separately. I use a 1 Spot daisy chain for all my pedals, which works fine, but BOSS recommends their adapters) or by 6 AA batteries. The effect can be turned on and off with the left pedal. It has two inputs and outputs for full stereo capabilities, a headphones jack, and a CTL jack for an F5-FU/F5-FL for tap tempo or channel switching. Overall, this pedal is amazing! It’s completely worth every cent, and is probably the best delay available on the market (at least, the best delay I’ve found).
About the author:
George DesRochesMy gear: Fender HSS Stratocaster (soon to be HSH within the next week or so), Dunlop Dimebag Darrel Cry Baby From Hell, BOSS MD-2 MegaDistortion, DS-1 Distortion, TR-2 Tremelo, CH-1 SUPERChorus, and DD-20 Giga Delay, with a Raven RG200 amp and a Line 6 Spider III 15 watt when needed.
Check out my band, T.R.B., at
http://www.myspace.com/teearebee
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/The-Random-Band/110510314252?ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=67927983941&ref=tsm
http://twitter.com/therandombandYou can follow George on Twitter (@TeeAreBee)
The Boss DD-20 Giga Delay can be purchased for $219.00 at Musician’s Friend.
Popularity: 8%
Just got a note mentioning some good deals at Music 123. Currently there is a 15% discount on brand name guitar accessories, 15% discount on scratch n’ dent guitars, $100 mail in rebate on Fender American Standard guitars/basses and the one that I’m particularly liking, the buy one microphone and get one free deal. All deals end on 9/16, so you’ll need to get on it.
Save 15% on Great Name Brand Guitar Accessories at Music123.com (coupon: Guitar1, exp: 9/16)
Save 15% on Scratch ‘N’ Dent Guitars at Music123.com (coupon: Guitar2, exp: 9/16)
Buy One Microphone and Get One Free at Music123.com (exp: 9/16)
$100 Mail-In Rebate on American Standard Guitars and Basses at Music123.com (ends 9/15)
Popularity: 1%
The following is a guest post review of the Bad Cat 2-Tone by Bobby Morelli. If you are interested in guest posting, please contact me!
Here’s a pedal that doesn’t seem to get the love that it deserves, the all tube, hand-wired, Bad Cat 2-Tone. This 8.25″ x 8.25″ chrome beast’s lineage can be traced to the Matchless Hotbox , but the 2-Tone ups the ante adding a second footswitch to bypass the pedal, as well as incorporating “true bypass” into the pedal’s design. Unlike some other tube based pedals on the market the 2-Tone’s dual 12AX7s run at plate voltage, which means its detachable power cord needs to be plugged into a wall outlet as opposed to running off a power supply or 9 volt battery.
Two channels, simple controls The 2-Tone has a single row of knobs for both channels. Channel 1 is the “tone boost” side of the pedal and it’s controlled by a Volume knob and single Tone knob. Channel 2 is the distortion side and it features Gain, Bass, Treble, and Master knobs. Channel 1 just made things sound bigger in the best possible way. The volume can go from a slight boost to pushing an amp into crunch territory, and the single Tone control is perfect for dialing in just the right amount of sparkle. Where Channel 1 is pretty straight forward, Channel 2 is where things get interesting. There is a huge amount of both gain and volume on tap so be forewarned, the 2-Tone can get loud in a hurry! The other thing that’s interesting is the lack of a dedicated mid control which is made up for with the very interactive Bass and Treble knobs. This channel takes more time to dial in simply because of how the Bass and Treble work in tandem to accentuate or attenuate the desired frequencies. I found my best drive tones came with the Gain around 1:00, Bass and Treble off, and Master around 9:00. This setting allowed for nice chunky chord work as well as a solid tone for leads.
The 2-Tone not only sounds solid, but it’s build that way too. The triple plated chrome top, heavy gauge steel chassis, and point-to-point wiring all add up to a pedal that’s big, shiny and attracts a lot attention for its looks, as well as its tone. If you’ve tried all the usual suspect transistor-based drive pedals and you’re willing to spend some time twisting knobs to get the most out of the pedal the Bad Cat 2-Tone is highly recommended!
Pros: Great tube tone, top notch build quality, can be used for DI recording
Cons: Price, size, challenging to dial in
Others to consider: Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic, Radial Classic Tube Distortion, SIB Varidrive
For this review I ran the 2-Tone into a Dr. Z MAZ Jr 2×12 Non-reverb loaded with Celestion G12H30 speakers, and for guitars I used an early 90s Les Paul Standard, 1952 Reissue Telecaster, Rickenbacker 360, and Vintage Hot Rod Stratocaster.
About the author:
Bobby Morelli is the lead guitarist in the Tampa, FL based rock band Drew Street Mary. He’s a tone whore and spends time worrying about gear when he should be practicing.
Web site – www.drewstreetmary.com
Twitter – @drewstreetmary
Popularity: 5%
Here are a couple of deals going on at Musician’s Friend and at Music 123. Take advantage of these Labor Day sales on gear.
Musician’s Friend Deal:
Save big at the Snooze U Lose Sale at Musician’s Friend: 10% – 30% off Thursday to Monday only! (Exp: 9/7)
Music 123 Deal:
Save $100 on Fender SE Special Strat Value Pack at Music123.com (code: SESTRAT, exp: 9/7)
Popularity: 2%
I’m excited to write a review about the Swollen Pickle MKII Jumbo Fuzz pedal by Way Huge Electronics, which is back with help from Jim Dunlop Manufacturing. The Swollen Pickle originally debuted in 1997 and became the flagship pedal for Way Huge, and with it’s re-introduction along with a few modifications, it’s quickly making noise in the pedal world today. It’s tag line has been “more fuzz than a moldy peach!”, I can agree 100% that this pedal has buckets of fuzz and gain.
Let’s break down the controls of the Swollen Pickle. The main controls are Loudness, Sustain and Filter controls. The Loudness controls the signal level coming from the pedal, and I have to say that this pedal does get loud, but without being too noisy. The Sustain controls the fuzz or distortion level of the pedal. Cranking the sustain will release a pretty violent fuzz. The filter control is very interesting. It controls the range of band, pass or filtered tones. Basically it can give you that super heavy 70s fuzz or allows for a tight, stinky type of fuzz distortion.
Along with the primary controls there are a two smaller pots that control the scoop and crunch of the pedal. These adjustments are great to dial in the fuzz that you’re looking for. The scoop is a mid-scoop which goes from mid-scoop to flat mid-frequency level. The scoop on this pedal is pretty severe, and the amount of low end thunder that you can generate from this pedal is pretty impressive. The crunch control manages the compression related to the sustain of the distortion. Basically, it tightens and cleans things up a bit if needed.
Under the hood, there are two ‘mini-controls’ which controls the clip and voice. The clip adjusts the smooth or opened fuzz sustain. The voice adjusts the intensity of the external scoop control. During our tests, we played with a few of these settings and liked the clip at 12:00 for a blend of the two clip types. If the range of scoop is too severe and would like to narrow that down, then adjust the voice control, this should help with that. If you buy this pedal, I would recommend playing with these settings to take full advantage of this pedal.
The physical pedal is built very well. The knobs are smooth and precise, and the footswitch feels very good, but I had a few issues with engaging and disengaging the pedal when switching with a light foot. The blue LED which is lit when the pedal is activated is extremely bright, and should be easily viewable on stage in a low light environment. The pedal is powered with a single 9V battery but also can be powered with a external 9VDC power supply.
When I think of this pedal, I have a few things come to mind:
I had a good friend of mine, Jimmy Rolle, demo the pedal for the site. We wanted to provide you with two scenarios. This pedal can be easily used with a clean or clean-ish amp tone, and we wanted to provide a high gain sample as well. The first clip (clean amp), Jimmy is playing through a Matchless DC-30 through a Marshall 4×12 cabinet (2 Vintage 30 speakers and 2 Greenbacks). This second clip (high gain channel), Jimmy is playing through a Rivera Knucklehead 100 watt head through the same Marshall 4×12 cabinet. Jimmy is playing his Les Paul Custom Shop Elegant guitar for both clips.
Using a clean channel, you can get a serious amount of fuzz from clean to full fuzz glory. If you’re using low wattage amp or if you’re preamp stage is max’d out, you will not see the significant boost in your output level. For the second clip, Jimmy is using the Rivera Knucklehead 100 head, which is an extremely loud head and set with boost on. You can see how it fattens up the tone and it still cuts through nicely. You can clearly hear the ‘thump’ of the speakers when he’s muting or attacking the strings.
Overall, comparing this pedal to other fuzzes (Big Muff pi and Fulltone ’69), this pedal sounds more closely to the Big Muff, but with the obvious ability to modify your tone with more options. The scoop is more drastic than the other fuzzes, and the low end was way more evident compared to the others. For the $159.99 price, it’s a hard to not add it to your pedal collection. If you like heavy fuzz, then the Swollen Pickle mk II Jumbo Fuzz could be the pedal you’re looking for!
Look for the Swollen Pickle on eBay via PedalNerd.com!
I would like to disclose that EffectsBay.com was able to keep the Swollen Pickle after reviewing the pedal.
Popularity: 5%
