Indoor Saturday, laying low

Indoor Saturday as unemployment looms once more. 5 more days to feeling useless & vulnerable. In this country, if you have no money, it's like precipitating cataclysm. 

Anyway, spent time with the Ibanez ADX120. I dislike the default pickups, they sound fuzzy with high gain / intense distortion settings. In view of that pickup cavity limitations, majority of the replacement pickups won't fit in there.  The reason I don't play this much these days but the sustain coming from this beast... it's one of the best.

Surprisingly, these two sound good together. The MXR Malmsteen is hyped to deliver a certain distortion voicing but it is capable of churning out other pleasant tones as well. A deserving appraisal soon.

MXR: Malmsteen

You guessed it - the MXR Malmsteen signature pedal is finally available here (List: $189) & it's immediately out of stock - it's a Malmsteen thingy & I want one kind of fever setting in, every time all the time.

Pic: Dunlop

RR D+

We know MXR has this pedal called the Distortion +; it's that proverbial yellow stomp box that's quite up there with BOSS' DS-1 & DOD's OD 250 with reference to the distortion's chronicled emergence. So this dotted being is the Randy Rhoads version. I've read the literature over at the manufacturer's website & it has no differentiated circuit to make it sound different. Expect a pedal monger to announce to the world that he / she actually hears a difference from this one & a lively debate would entail, spurring rampant purchases of the pedal. Isn't this always the case?

Pic: MXR

Badass

OK... it's a variation of what MXR already have in its lineup but that BOOST / CUT switch there might just attract that group of pedal geeks who find this fruitful. Available at Davis GMC (List: $185).

Pic: Futuremusic

Review quickie: MXR Distortion +

Dunlop's MXR pedals are some of the most enduring effects unit out there. The Distortion + here is definitely one of them. Of course, this is the revised edition, the original being the script version, featuring no indicator LED which is a pain when you need to monitor power. 

Likes

• simple to use
• effective
• well-built
• runs well on battery

Dislikes

• lacks EQ control

This is not my first episode with the D+ (CLICK). It's a very utilitarian pedal, effective in fulfilling fundamental objectives, very similar to what the BOSS DS-1 & Ibanez Tube Screamer are in context. I sold my first D+ away after thinking intense distortion units (Metal Zone et al) are the way to go. However, if you are already happy with a your amp's dirty tones & wish for some mindful reinforcements, this is the pedal to get. On that note, the D+ was used to boost my already driven amp & that's the perspective of this appraisal. The D+, I must say, is a good match for the DS-1, but it lacks any form of EQ control. However, do note that the OUTPUT control adds to bass & the DISTORTION adds treble to your signals. I didn't realize this with my initial bouts with the pedal due to the preoccupation of making things sound heavy. It gets a firm recommendation from me but it will loose out on price appeal against the DS-1. 

Overall rating: 85%

Dunlop MXR Distortion +

• Availability: Davis GMC / Swee Lee / Ranking Sports (please check out the respective dealer's websites for prices)

Duke 'em

This was announced a week ago - MXR's Duke of Tone. Those of us familiar with the script there, would know there's an Analog Man collaboration here. Analog Man is a boutique brand of pedals with a cult following despite the rather prohibitive price tags. If you've been wanting one, you know the semi-ridiculous waiting time involved. This collaboration means, pedals are made more accessible with a more inviting price tag. I just feel good seeing this kinda collaboration not because it satiates the want for a boutique label, but the availability of good-sounding pedals to the masses - that's more important. Here are some insights for your considerations:

PIC: Sweetwater

MXR cable

One of my favourite cables became microphonic, crackled & hissed badly today so it was retired. It's my tried & trusted LIVE LINE cable, made in Japan. It had seen 6 good years of playing time. Since I was on a budget, the replacement is an MXR Standard Series cable seen above (3m, $19). It's not a costly item & it's not boutique grade either but it works very well. It passed my quiet test, that's the most important for me when it comes to cables. It also passed my whipping test, this was done at home; it didn't crackle. If you are into something impressive but unwilling to spend excessively on something you know will be replaced along the way, do consider this one - worth every cent. Available at Davis GMC.

Raijin

I have a love/ hate relationship with MXR's Custom Shop models. Love- because some of them are good for the money. Hate- because there are indeed ordinary sounding units with excessive price tags due to the Custom Shop label. As for the Raijin Drive above, watch this & decide for yourselves (forgive the Teen Spirit-esque vibe, yes?):

Sweet driving

Here's a new one from MXR, the Sugar Drive. Yes, it's in a smaller footprint type, I do not wish to call it a mini pedal because there are others out there smaller than this. 

I'm not aware there's an acclaimed 90s drive circuit pedal being used by the manufacturer in their pedals but it's here, in this one. Also, the drive control  blends your clean signals with the processed ones so it's not just a typical drive type of pedal out there. If you've come across Voodoo Lab's Sparkle Drive, you'd understand the concept here. Anyway, let's just ask ourselves how much our ears can discern a standard drive response & a 'blended' version without knowing it's one to begin with.

The wonderful thing, I believe, is the pedal's 'underdrive' capacity from the clips I've come across. It's not that over zealous drive that you activate for obnoxious solos- no. It's something for those of us who wish for subtle clippings. OK, MXR let's you choose between true or buffered bypass with this one. On my list 😁

Driving to Shinjuku

So it's one MXR pedal for the other. I said goodbye to the GT-OD just a few days ago & bought this version instead. It's still within the same drive voicing parameter but this one has that 'dark' button there to mess with the bottom end & push the top instead. It has that wee bit more strain in the drive that angry people like me would embrace, despite it not being a heavy metal type unit. 

Selling: MXR GT-OD CSP-021 (SOLD)

For sale: MXR GT-OD CSP-021. This is the custom floor version, cost more than the standard GT-OD (M193). Please note the difference 😁

• MXR: GT-OD CSP-021, box & under-lining included as depicted
• 9/10 condition
• No reservations/ No trades
• Queries: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Strictly self-collect: CCK MRT stn
• Price: $95 (final)

Selling: MXR EVH 5150 overdrive

It might be an awesome pedal for many but to me, it's missing the point. Letting go (box included).

• MXR: EVH 5150 overdrive
• 9/10 condition
• No reservations, no trades
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $220 (final)

MXR: EVH 5150 OD

Good Sunday morning, everyone. December is a busy month for many of us. For the gear hunters & tone chasers everywhere, we are in a better financial standing to consider a pedal (or two... three even) for whatever the occasion may be. Dunlop's MXR division has the new 5150 OD out not too long ago & it's finally in the shops here for our consideration. This should keep up busy, yes?

Build/ Features

The fact that you are representing someone's guitar tones in a pedal format is a little dangerous. That's because the pedal itself proves to be a fraction of the tone equation, the guitar & amp are other crucial elements in this understanding. The 5150 here is an interpretation of Van Halen's 5150 tone & we take this to mean his overdrive voicings from his amp. We do note the fact that Van Halen uses tube amps with a unique set of circuitry not reproduced by this pedal, hence the 'interpretation' understanding. On this note (no pun intended) the features on board are measured understandings of what this tone manifestation should consist of- an intense overdrive section with a boost capacity for some OTT responses as well as a 3-band EQ portion for adequate frequency sculpturing. The noise gate feature is the manufacturer's hint of what you should be supplemented with in view of the level of gain on tap (more on this later). 

As with other MXR products, the 5150 is as sturdy as it should be & it isn't heavy should you be wanting this in your pedal board line-up. The pedal's flip side (seen above) revealed a no-frills battery compartment cover but you need a little bit of fingernail play here to get it open. Also, the pedal features allen-type access instead of the conventional slit/ cross top feature. All in all, the pedal was well cut & assembled at the factory, nothing dodgy to report here. Oh, those knob slit indicators- they glow in the dark.

Tone

If you choose to invest in this pedal (which could easily get you a starter guitar), it means you have a tone priority. The 5150 emulates Van Halen's current amp tones (lest you forget why it's labelled 5150), notably his Peavy/ EVH package. If you wish for his Marshall brown sound drive, it's not represented in this one. Engaging the pedal itself, you get a saturated amount of crunch bordering on the extreme. Putting that boost feature to use gets you some insane drive responses which could rival a heavy metal-type intensity. This brings the noise gate feature into play; the extra background hissing (further amplified by whatever gain-laden pedals you have in your set up) means you are better off with this application turned on (if you are using single coil pickups, it becomes mandatory). I personally feel it's a very useful consideration in this package & it's a quality noise gate implement, mind you, not a get-by standard. 

Let me fill you in with the rather repulsive element included in this pedal- that excessive amount of treble. From the get go, you'd be taken aback by how much top end excess this pedal offers, even when you trim the amount down to zero- that's right, it's really excessive. You might say it's an oversight on MXR to be having this on board but the reality is, Van Halen has this much working top end in his amp so hearing that in this pedal simply means the manufacturer factored this peculiarity into it. The thing with any 5150 amp is,  once the treble amount is checked, lower setting would simply turn the drive voicing into a smooth, polished tone we all love to hear but that does not happen with this pedal. So this, my friends, is a make-or-break consideration for you because you will be forking out a good amount of money for some Van Halen love which might not appease you personally. 

Conclusion

How can you accurately replicate a tube laden voicing into a transistorized representation for the masses? You can't. The 5150 pedal is a very good reproduction of what we expect to hear from a Van Halen type amp response but it's missing some elements only players who had come across the 5150 amplifier would understand. If you worship this pedal in isolation, it probably means you are agreeable with what the manufacturer offers, not because you are blown away by how accurate the representation is. Treble issue aside, the MXR EVH 5150 overdrive offers a different overdrive experience & would easily appeal to those of us who are after an intense drive response, not the polite type typified by almost all overdrive pedals out there that make it a point not to cross into distortion territory in this aspect.

Rating: 80%

MXR: EVH 5150 overdrive

Availability: Swee Lee/ Davis GMC

Price: Please call for quotes

Available now: MXR 5150

If you are waiting for this one, if it's on your wish list, if you need your Dad to pay for it because you passed your exam, if your darling had this in mind for your Xmas present- whatever the reason; it's selling fast @ Swee Lee. List: $299

MXR: 5150 OD

I have high anticipations for this pedal because the 5150 label there has implications when it comes to overdrive. We know how meticulous Van Halen is when this is concerned & the drive-inclined players out there benefit from this, as proven by his Peavey 5150 amps & the current EVH high gain selections. The current 'brown sound' pedals out there simply fail when intensity is concerned & they are manifesting his Marshall-era voicings more than anything else. I was informed that this pedal will make it here & look forward to hear it in action (hopefully before 2015 ends).

OD round-up/ recommendations

Someone asked me just a couple of days ago if I have a list of recommendations for guitars/ amps/ effects & 'yes' was the answer. However, the fact that those recommendations were a distant memory is a little embarrassing. So here it is a 'current' recommendation of OD pedals & this discussion is based on the following ground rules: 1. Available here (in SG) 2. Within reach (price-wise)

1. BOSS: OD-3 Over Drive

Yes, it remains the standard- BOSS is indeed the standard to beat when it comes to overdrives simply because they did a good one & it withstood the test of time. I won't go into those mod territories but if you are looking at something affordable, with a good re-sale value & more importantly, an over drive tone that's most likely appealing, the OD-3 is it. They are so likable that they got away with being non-true bypass units.

2. Maxon: OD808 Overdrive

But isn't Maxon the real standard to beat? In my books, the Maxon drives, regardless of the incarnations, are sitting a little above the industry standard. As such, some people might not deem it a little too coloured for good ol'  plain drive & I couldn't agree more. In any case, majority of the Maxon offerings are refinements of the Tube Screamer & some of us simply do not wish to waddle in this territory. However, I've not come across a Maxon drive I dislike & I'd recommend them to you if you wish for something 'extra' in this aspect but not going over-board; more saturation & pick sensitivity.

3. Fuchs: Plush Drive

Ladies & gentlemen, the Fuchs camp is an amplifier camp but the fact that they churn out drive pedals goes to show that they are a bunch of jolly tone people. From my experience, pedals with an amp association would list for a little more than the rest of their counterparts & that's the case here. So is it just another hype OD pedal isn't it? Absolutely NO. The Fuchs name, in this drive domain, would appeal to players looking for that extra smooth tone with lots of saturation in tact. It's could get addictive, mind you.

4. CMatmods: Signa Drive

OK, I'm pushing it a little too far when it comes to affordability but the Signa Drive is something the over drive fan should check out. This is one of those much overlooked pedals that works great as a stand alone unit or something used to push your amp's drive channel. In fact, they cascade well into each other but buying a pair in a single receipt is a little too excessive.

5. MXR: GT-OD

MXR makes good stuff & they are much in the shadows of those other brand names that offer more value for less money. Nevertheless, the GT-OD is a variation of a familiar theme but what I like about it is its thumping tone at higher volume/ level settings. Other that that, the GT-OD could sound ordinary for some of us without any extras to look forward to.

6. Pro-tone: Dead Horse OD

And then there's the Pro-tone territory. It's the most expensive in this list but it's something different (yes, that's right, 'different' is subjective). If you are a high gain proponent but still into overdrive for that super saturated experience, you simply need to hear the Dead Horse in action. It's not for simple applications so the traditionalists are the wrong pool of people to refer to for appraisals. I'd dare say it's the only brand name out there for gain-crazy players, it's currently in Ver. 3 & there's even a Jeff Loomis variation to check out.

Bricking it

This brick is a firm statement by the manufacturer in offering a sensible power supply for your needs- yes, needs. We sometimes need a single unit to cater for different input voltage & the Iso-Brick has it. It also features 2 variable input points for you so it's a great PS to have on your board, especially when it's light-weight. It's also a trend now for such PS units to feature variable voltage options so the rest of the PSes out there would need to 'upgrade' or be left out.

Selling: MXR Micro Amp + (SOLD)

Yes, this is only about a month old but it's for immediate clearance. Reason being, I need something with a Level/ Volume control in addition to the Gain feature. Do check out how much this one lists for at the shops & get back to me if I'm being unreasonable in this aspect:

• MXR: Micro Amp + (box included)
• Condition: 9/10
• Self-collect: CCK mrt stn
• No reservations, no trades
• Queries/ confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Price: $99 (FINAL)

Item SOLD :-)

MXR: Micro Amp +

MXR's Micro Amp + isn't a complete re-thinking of its standard, non-Custom Shop version, the Micro Amp (M133). This pedal isn't a dedicated drive unit, it's a boost pedal which is suffering from a performance confusion of sorts (in a positive way, definitely) because it's clean for most part of its gain stages, dirt only kicks in past the 1 o'clock mark (depending on the pickups of your guitars).

Like its standard sibling, the MA+ offers up to +26dB of gain so you get what this one's driving at (no pun intended); subtle push when used as a stand alone unit. The 2-band EQ there adds to some gain at upper settings in addition to some frequency push.

In use, the MA+ has no drive push in the lower gain settings. However, you can hear the output difference, namely a fattening effect unlike a bass-only enhancement. I am pleased with the Treble control for its ability to enhance clarity as opposed to making the signals too sharp-sounding. The Bass knob delivers what it says- more lower end. This control also enhances gain in its upper settings unlike the treble counterpart. In its stand alone application, I observe that single coils benefit more from the MA+ in fattening notes up but a treble restraint need to be observed.

Because I'm a distortion dweeb, putting the MA+ in a drive enhancement situation is obligatory so it was made to push an already driven amp. Verdict- wonderful provided you understand it's more-boost-than-drive function but with that said, the MA+ makes an angry amp sound more defined so it gets a thumbs up from me in this application.

The 2-band EQ here gives an illusion that the MA+ has more dirt than its M133 counterpart but it's clear that both pedals serve the same amount of gain range. Yes, the EQ plays some part in gain enhancements but do not expect a marked jump in drive if you put it through some applications. Let's see now, the MA+ is a proto-under drive pedal but serves a bit more pleasure if you think it's an exclusively clean boost. Get it?

MXR: Micro Amp +

Availability: Swee Lee/ Davis GMC

Price: Please refer to the respective stores for exclusive prices

MXR: Micro Amp Plus

This is my second chapter with an MXR Micro Amp but this time, I'm dwelling into the plus version. The difference here is the addition of those two EQ controls & the manufacturer tweaked the gain structure a little for a more expansive response. The setting you see here was my final playing episode before calling it a day; yes, I employed only a tad of gain to supplement my amp's OD channel to induce that saturated Tweed-type voicing & it was wonderful. I didn't buy this pedal for distortion madness because that's not what it was conceived for. The MA+ isn't new but I've been ignoring it based on my previous encounter with the MA which wasn't too beneficial for me. One of the more rewarding investments this year, I must say.