Effects Bay

I’ve been pretty excited about Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi as soon as I heard about it. Basically, in a nut shell, this is a new Big Muff, using the Germanium transistor (vs. silicon). Apparently EHX found a stash of NOS Germanium transistors and are putting them to use. This Big Muff Pi is a little different since there are two modes. There is a overdrive section and a distortion section, and the sections can be used to cascade into each other. You would get two pedals for the price of one. The Overdrive section is basically the EHX Germanium OD pedal.

Here is the official description:

The Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi overdrive and distortiuon pedal is a classic 1960′s overdrive based around a hand-selected germanium transistor. To get the best results from the E-H Germanium 4, just set aside some time to practice in a quiet room—just you, your amp, and the Germaium OD. The interaction of each control will reward you with many different flavors of exceptional vintage overdrive.

In addition to a Gain control, the Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 overdrive lets you control Bias for attack and the circuit volts for that sweet spot found when a battery’s voltage dips.

The Gain control adjusts the amount of input signal that is fed to the Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4. The more the knob is rotated the harder the germanium transistor and drive components are hit. The Bias control adjusts the current gain that is sent to the Germanium transistor. It works together with the Voltage control to attain the over all tone. The bias control works specifically with the Germanium transistor. The Volts knob controls the amount of voltage that is applied to the Germanium OD. Set at full, 9V is applied. When set at minimum, 3V is applied. By limiting the voltage a number of interesting saturations can be set up for variations in tone.

A footswitch turns true bypass on or off.

The Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 runs off of a 9V battery or you can connect a 9VDC adapter capable of delivering at least 100mA to the 9V power jack. The optional 9V power supply from Electro-Harmonix is 9.6DC-200BI (same as used by Boss and Ibanez) 9.6 Volts DC 200mA. The AC power adapter must have a barrel connector with center negative. The battery may be left in or taken out when using an adapter.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find some really good demos. I did find this one, but the amp/effect sounds a little off.. not sure. Video looks great though. The video is by mikemattdemo:

You can pick up the Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi for $99.75 at Musician’s Friend.

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Popularity: 2%

Wow. Just stumbled across the Pigtronix Philosopher King Compressor and Sustainer. This is a great pedal.. with lots of sonic potential.

The Pigtronix Philosopher King is a compressor, sustainer, distortion and polyphonic amplitude synthesizer. Combining our award-winning Philosopher’s Tone circuit with a next generation envelope generator, the Philosopher King takes tone several steps further with a full set of ADSR (Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release) controls including swell, fade, hold level, speed range, one-shot mode, selectable auto reset, CV i/o and expression pedals for swell and fade times.

With the Swell and Fade functions switched off, the Philosopher King provides transparent optical compression with endless sustain on tap. Adjustable compression (ratio), sustain (threshold) and treble (2k cut / boost) controls allow the musician to tailor the nature of the effect to meet the needs of the material at hand. From a subtle dash of added punch to massive, over-the-top howling sustain, the Philosopher King delivers clean, powerful optical compression. The grit control blends in a layer of sweet harmonic distortion that plays nice with other gain pedals as well as amplifier-generated tube distortion.

The Philosopher King’s swell function provides a pick triggered volume swell effect. The volume swell can be reset at any moment by muting or held open by continuous playing. This “slow gear” type effect is smooth and controllable with variable timing from extremely fast to very slow.

The fade function can be used independently of the swell and is also pick triggered. A major new feature of the decay cycle in this pedal is the ability to fade out from peak level only partially, bringing the audio down to a predetermined level, set by the hold control. The hold level is then maintained until the player releases the note to close the cycle. With the auto reset turned on, the cycle will begin again immediately, creating undulating amplitude modulation and even pulsating tremolo stutter effects at faster decay settings. With the auto-reset turned off, the player determines the exact timing for the beginning of the next cycle.

Another new feature is the one shot mode, which causes the Philosopher King to run through the swell / fade / hold / release cycle regardless of what is played after the cycle is triggered. In this mode, the Philosopher King creates complex waves of amplitude modulation on top of the music coming from your instrument. A trigger input jack allows the swell and fade functions to be controlled by an external source such as a band mate or drum track.

Here is a video by pigtronix

You can pick up the Pigtronix Philosopher King Compressor and Sustainer for $299.00 at Musician’s Friend.

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Popularity: 2%

Today’s wanderings led me to a Way Huge Electronics pedal.. the Fat Sandwich. I’ve been sort of looking around for fuzz pedals and maybe something in the distortion box genre, and the “harmonic saturator”  caught my eye.

Here is the official description of this pedal:

The Fat Sandwich Distortion represents an advanced era in guitar pedal design for Way Huge. In addition to carrying on the Way Huge tradition of amazing tone and rugged construction, the Fat Sandwich Distortion Pedal delivers heaps of crunchy distortion goodness via its innovative multi-stage clipping circuit. Meticulously designed from the ground up, the passive tone stack was tuned to bring out the “sweet spot” with any guitar and amp combination. The Volume control produces tons of output, making it ideal for driving the headroom out of the most powerful tube amps. Additionally, the Fat Sandwich guitar effect pedal has two internal mini controls: the Curve knob lets the user fine-tune the corner frequency of the overdrive filtering and the Sustain control adjusts the gain of the final distortion stage. The Fat Sandwich is versatile and over the top — the consummate distortion pedal for any genre of playing style.

I found this video by jimdunlopusa

You can pick up the Way Huge Electronics Fat Sandwich Harmonic Saturator Distortion for $179.99 at Musician’s Friend.

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Popularity: 2%

It’s been a little while since I posted a Fat Tone video.. and it’s about time! I came across a very interesting pedal video for the Fairfield Circuitry Four Eyes Fuzz. This video has something that immediately caught my ear. There is sweep in frequency (or something). Looking at the YouTube description, it states “That is an expression pedal you hear”. Okay… now you have my attention.

Here is the official description by Fairfield Circuitry:

Three parallel JFET fuzz circuits driven by a voltage controlled state variable filter with resonance control,
mu-amp input stage and quite possibly, a wedgie.

In other words, this is one versatile fuzz box. The wide operating range of the frequency control, switchable resonance and the three drive pots allows this dweeb to go places you never thought possible. From extreme to relatively subtle; from super thin to ridiculously fat.

The Four Eyes Fuzz wasn’t designed to sound like your favourite vintage fuzz. You might be able to tweak it to sound close, but it truly does its own thing.

There is currently a waiting list for the fuzz. To reserve a spot simply shoot us an e-mail and we’ll go from there.

Looking at the spec sheet, I’m a little confused. The input for the expression pedal states: “0-5v control voltage or expression pedal input”. Not sure if the expression pedal controls the voltage, or if it sweeps the FREQ.

Here is the video by fattone77

You can pick up the Fairfield Circuitry Four Eyes Fuzz for $225.00 at Fat Tone Guitars!

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Popularity: 3%

I’m excited to talk about the Greenhouse Effect Roadkiller overdrive. Roy from Greenhouse effects sent over a couple of pedals to demo, and we’ll start things off with the Roadkiller. The road killer is a great sounding overdrive with solid mid-range. Greenhouse effects are built well with a sturdy enclosure and quality pots/knobs and footswitch. This overdrive breaks up enough to be almost fuzz like, but can also keep a tight overdrive sound. It’s a very versatile pedal that will sound great with clean amps or high gain amps.

Here is the official description of the Roadkiller by Greenhouse Effects:

This is the one you’ve been looking for.

The Roadkiller is designed to give you outstanding guitar tone on any setup in any occasion. built from the ground up, the Roadkiller has cascaded FET gain stages, finely tuned to deliver the thick and complex sound and feel of a tube amp in overdrive.

It does so without coloring the sound of your guitar and amp.

Tones range from warm articulated clean,through smooth saturation into a thick crunch and finally to an all out fat and tight distortion.

* Amazing note separation
* Highly responsive to picking dynamics
* Control the gain using your guitar’s volume knob,and it cleans almost completely even on high gain settings without becoming dark or dull!
* True bypass!

The Roadkiller will make your guitar sound bigger ,and will enhance your playing experience.

For the demo, I again enlisted the help of long time friend, Jimmy Rolle. He played the Greenhouse Effects Roadkiller using a Les Paul Goldtop with P90s through a Rivera Knucklehead 100/Marshall 4×12. The demo was mic’d with a AKG Solidtube and Shure SMf7.

We did two demos. The first demo is the pedal using ‘cleanish’ amp settings:

Additionally, we have high quality MP3 of the demo via SoundCloud

The second demo is using high gain amp settings:

Additionally, we have high quality MP3 of the demo via SoundCloud

I also wanted to get a little bit more information from Roy the creator of the Greenhouse Effects Roadkiller, so here is a short interview:

Where is Greenhouse Effects Located?

Greenhouse effects is located in a Kibbutz in northern Israel.

How long have you been developing pedals?

I’ve been making pedals for about six years,mostly custom works for musicians.a certain style has evolved throughout the years.

What got you into pedal development?

The concept of making a work tool for musicians was inspiring.I was playing guitar at several bands and needed a good overdrive pedal that would sound huge on stage.first  i started tinkering the old Ts design and came out with the first version of the Goldrive,(today,the MKIII is very different although it implements some of the same ideas) I’ve leaned a lot through this experience and it sparked the passion for making my own pedals.

What did you want to achieve with the RoadKiller?

The Roadkiller was challenging because i had great ambitions for it. I wanted to make a huge sounding overdrive that simply oozes with tone,it hadto be very dynamic and responsive. But that wasn’t enough.i wanted it to have an extremely wide range of tones,it took several months to achieve,but the final result is very satisfying,it’s like having a booster,an overdrive and a distortion in one box.

How is the RoadKiller different than other similar pedals. What was the objective with this?

The Roadkiller is different in several ways.first it has three different eq settings,depending on how you set the gain knob; Minimum gain- flat eq (to be used as a booster) Medium gain- mid frequencies are emphasized (to push a tube amp without getting too muddy) High gain-gives you lots of bottom end for a thick rock distortion tone. the tone knob works correspondingly with the gain knob and should be set accordingly in order to achieve the desired tone. another difference might be that as you tone down the volume on your guitar,you never loose presence.it cleanse very well and you don’t loose treble frequencies. and since there are cascaded FET gain stages being used ,the note definition is superb,

Overall,it might take a bit of exploring in order to utilize this pedal to the fullest,but once you do this pedal can provide a rich pallet of tones.

What is the next pedal in development?

the next pedal is a modulation effect,already in progress(Stone fish)

The Greenhouse Effects Roadkiller Overdrive sells around $185USD. You can purchase this pedal at these find Greenhouse Effects Dealers online!

PedalGeek
StepUpGuitars
MontreuxGuitars

For more information about Greenhouse Effects, please check out their website and check them out on Facebook!

Popularity: 3%

I’ve been interested in these Lovepedals lately, and I came across the Lovepedal Eternity Fuse Overdrive.  This is three pedals in one. You can get overdrive, treble boost or clean boost via 3-way toggle switch. Has three knobbies.. Level, Glass and Drive. I like how they went with ‘glass’ vs. ‘tone’.

Here is the official description:

The Lovepedal Eternity can be 3 pedals in one—Overdrive, Treble Booster and Clean booster—depending on where you set the dials. You can also blend these 3 factors. It has a socketed IC so you can swap out different ICs (extra ICs are not included). It’s a treble boost instead of a normal tone control. The Lovepedal Eternity Fuse Overdrive pedal provides darker tones, brighter tones with an unorthodox control.

It is a very smooth type of overdrive as well. The Eternity Fuse pedal can go from nothing at all to very warm-sounding vintage overdriven tube sound, a clean flat booster or a treble booster, or even a tweed amp.

Turn the toggle switch to the right for a strat-sounding wail. The toggle set at the middle gives a clean boost, with a warm, classic tube-driven vibe. Turn it to the left for screaming classic overdrive, ideal for blues, rock, or a multitude of other music styles. And with the treble boost all the way off, the overdrive pedal gives you warmer tone than most tube amps.

The Lovepedal Eternity overdrive pedal always stays true to what’s coming out of your guitar no matter how hard you drive it, so you never turn into the pedal. It also breaks up the harder you dig into the strings, which sounds killer.

I found a great video by gearmanndude. He’s playing a ‘black’ version. Not sure if there are any differences between that and the ‘gold’ one.

You can pick up the Lovepedal Eternity Fuse Overdrive for $214.75 at Musician’s Friend.

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Popularity: 2%

I’ve been sorta into clean boosts lately and this one caught my eye. I saw that Lovepedal Amp 50 overdrive was on Joe Perry’s pedalboard, so I wanted to learn more about this.

Here is the description of the pedal:

Lovepedal’s Amp 50 overdrive effect pedal is the most compact version of the Church Of Tone series. The circuit has been modified to give cleaner tones at the bottom of the gain/bias sweep and dirtier tones at the top. It can function as a clean boost, dirty boost, stand alone OD or gnarly fuzz box depending on the amplifier used, guitar vol. adjustment and gain/bias control setting. This Lovepedal overdrive effect will also stack unbelievably well with other drive units leading to increased sustain, tone and overall dynamics.

Lovepedal Amp 50 Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal Features:

* 9VDC input
* External Gain Bias Control
* Relay Switching
* True Bypass
* LED Status
* Super Compact Diecast Aluminum Case
* 3-5/8″D x 1-1/2″W x 1-1/4″H

Here is a video by seanmichael252

You can pick up the Lovepedal Amp 50 Overdrive for $129.00 at Musician’s Friend.

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Popularity: 3%

Stumbled on a interesting delay pedal today, by Fuchs called the Plush Replay Delay. It’s looking like a great sounding delay pedal (pricey, but sounds great). I’ve talked about Fuchs in the past, he definitely makes some quality pedals.

Here is the official description:

The Plush Replay guitar effect pedal features up to one second of pure delay. Using a unique circuit topology, the Replay has a true high-voltage power supply, providing 300 volts to a genuine tube audio stage as well as a real tube level indicator. It also features the same proprietary great-sounding digital technology used in many Plush delay line pedals. The control panel of the Plush Replay delay is angled, and features ultra-bright LEDs for Power, peak signal, tap tempo on, tempo indicator, and echo mute so you get the highest visibility possible in dark venues, on stage, or outdoors. Plush Replay’s operation is as simple as a tape delay. No fancy programming, or software silliness. The delay effect pedal was designed by musicians, for musicians.

The control panel of the Plush Replay digital delay pedal is clear, concise, and user-friendly. Controls are delay time, mix, wow, flutter, repeats, and fidelity. The fidelity control allows you to tailor the repeats from digitally clear to tape smoothness. A discrete (delay only) effects loop allows you to process the delayed signal through a reverb, or outboard device, prior to mixing within the tube audio stage. This output may also be used for a remote footswitch. While the Plush Replay delay effect can be used on a pedal board in front of an amplifier. The Replay is simple to operate—its unique retro styling is equally at-home in the studio, as it is on the stage.

Plush’s objective was very simple: create a guitar delay pedal that delivered the musicality of tape, without the hassles and costs of replacing tapes, belts, motors and maintenance. Sure, everyone loves the sound of tape, who needs all the hassles?

All Plush effects pedals have cast aluminum housings, industrial powder coat finish, heat cured silk screen labeling, true bypass, Cliff switch, Neutrik connectors, metal shaft controls, premium boutique-quality passive components selected for tone, mil spec fiberglass two sided circuit board construction for consistent long term performance, and a 5-year warranty. Made in the USA.

Plush Replay Digital Delay Guitar Effects Pedal Features:

* Echo switch
* Tap switch
* Tempo switch
* Delay control
* Mix control
* Repeats control
* Fidelity control
* Wow control
* Flutter control
* Power on LED
* Peak signal LED
* Tap tempo on LED
* Tempo indicator LED
* Echo on LED

Here is a video demo by FUCHSAUDIO

You can pick up the Plush Replay Delay for $649.00 at Musician’s Friend.

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Popularity: 2%

Today I wanted to talk about the Way Huge Angry Troll linear boost pedal. The folks at Dunlop were kind enough to send me this pedal to demo… so we did. Again, for this demo, I enlisted the help of my good friend Jimmy Rolle. He used his Les Paul Custom Shop Elegant, plugged into a Rivera Knucklehead 100 through a Marshall 4×12 cab (2 V30s, 1 G12H30, 1 Greenback). We mic’d it with a AKG Solidtube microphone direct to a laptop.

The Angry Troll boost pedal can give you a maximum of +50db of gain! There are 2 knobs – Volume and Anger. The anger knob which is a rotary switch with fists (I have to admit, I think that’s pretty cool) adjusts the level of gain through the op-amp. The volume knob regulates the overall pedal output. I have to note, that this is not a ‘clean boost’ since it does alter the sound with some compression for “bite and punch” as their description states.

I also have a high quality MP3 download available via SoundCloud:

You can pick up the Way Huge Electronics WHE101 Angry Troll for $119.99 at Musician’s Friend. But wait, you have a chance to get the exact pedal we demo’d! If you’re not aware, this month’s give away is this pedal. Click here to learn more about the Way Huge Electronics Angry Troll give away!

Popularity: 3%

Yesterday’s band practice, we were talking about reverb so that led to this morning’s wanderings in the reverb pedal world. What I came up with was the Line 6 ToneCore Verbzilla reverb pedal. I found a interesting.. slightly weird video by line6movies (please note the facial expression at 2:27).

Here is the official description of the pedal.

The Line 6 ToneCore Verbzilla reverb effect pedal creates luscious, studio-grade algorithms- from classic guitar amp-style spring reverb to dreamy, high-end studio favorites. Tone, Mix, Decay, and Time controls help you find the exact effect you want, and the Trails on/off switch allows the ToneCore reverb to decay or cut off once you hit bypass. The ToneCore Verbzilla has a huge array of reverb models including ’63 Spring, Spring, Plate, Room, Hall, Chamber, Ducking, Octo (a Line 6 exclusive), Cave, Tile, and Echo.

ToneCore guitar pedals consist of a ToneDock base-in stereo or mono-and interchangeable effects modules that snap in and out, allowing you to change effects without rearranging your pedalboard. The ToneDock is powered by a 9V battery or optional DC-1 adapter.

Line 6 ToneCore Verbzilla Guitar Effects Pedal Features:

* Tone, Mix, Decay, and Time controls
* Luscious, studio-grade algorithms
* Trails switch lets reverb decay or cut off on bypass

Models include:
* ’63 Spring
* Spring
* Plate
* Room
* Hall
* Chamber
* Ducking
* Octo
* Cave
* Tile
* Echo

Here is the video mentioned above:

You can pick up the Line 6 ToneCore Verbzilla Reverb for $149.99 at Musician’s Friend.

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Popularity: 3%