ROSS @ SL

This is the buzz in the mean time - JHS brought back the ROSS pedals ($269 ea). No idea if there's a strong following here but there's a little bit of history which you need to be immersed into for the Ross name to maybe conjure some desire. It's losing out on space-saving consideration for sure but that's all in the name of accurate reproduction. It's also a minimalist affair (2 knobs). At that price tag, many of us would maybe consider a BOSS WAZA pedal or something equally appealing in terms of status appeal. More importantly, if you like it after you tried it, that's all that matters. Available at Swee Lee now.

Pic: GW

Snake Vader

This is a spin-off from yesterday's guitar-tivities. OK so it's another Snake-stortion episode. Had been playing the pedal with single coils so it's a humbucking adventure now. As you can see from the dial, it's hard clipping all the way. The guitar sounds good in other clipping modes but not 'metal' enough, whatever that means. I've never been thoroughly happy with a pedal, the EH Snake-stortion is quite a rare feat in this sense. Thusfar, tone had been kept in the treble register with all pickups. It's like the pedal is happy to let your hear added clarity without thinning out the overall tone.

EH: Snake-stortion (3)

This is my concluding entry pertaining to the EH Snake-stortion. I got this instruction late; I wanted the brand name screened onto the pedal but all labels had been printed. Consolation - sticker which I pasted onto the baseplate. I just want to be proud of the fact that a certain brand name listened & helped me conceive my ideas. So, there.

How the pedal's innards look like; very neat & tidy. Pro-level workmanship indeed. Personal signature of the EH mastermind, Mr. Khian, in gold. As you can see, the pedal was ready in early December of '22.

This was something I inserted myself; a cushion for the battery. I hear the battery rattling in the enclosure when it was moved around so that was an easy fix. Initially, there were no intentions to run it on battery but I decided to include this feature as a final instruction. In the event that no isolated power supply could be employed for the pedal, the battery alternative is the way to go. This actually happened to me not too long ago. During a sharing session, the venue had a limited power outlet so my amp, effects & computer had to share a power source which proved to be too much for the pickup; every time the distortion pedal was activated, feedback happened. The squealing was excessive & ear-piercing. Even when I played clean, there was a background buzz to that was the limit for me. I was caught off guard. 

OK folks, that was pretty much the highlight of my 2022 which was gloom & doom mostly. I would want to remember it for this pedal which was above my expectations. I kept things simple, more importantly, I included features that serve my needs, no fancy graphics, no fancy knobs, no fabled capacitor, stuff like that. Objectivity was key. Please visit Elektrik Head pedals to see what's on offer. More importantly, you might want to contact them to get things going. You can reach EH at Face Book (CLICK) & IG (CLICK)

PRS pedals

PRS himself declared he's not into guitar effects pedals so the release of these three would leave us guessing if it's really about having a share of the lucrative stomp box market. Those names wouldn't hint at what the pedals are all about but it's a peculiar announcement of their presence. On that note, there are already fans of the flanger unit but as always, I reserve further comments till these get here for a personal audition.

Pic: PRS

Flash sale: Pedals

SV Guitars' flash deal this week - effects pedals. The ones you see here are going for good prices + delivered to your doorstep. Do check out price details at their online store: CLICK HERE

Santa Ana- driving there

Overdue update on Fender's Santa Ana overdrive... 😁 As seen above, the guitar used is a Fender Tele. Not treading the purist path (Fender into a Fender) but it was the most convenient- grabbed & played.

What can I say but it's a good drive to own. Not that it sounds too different from a BOSS Super OD (so it's something voiced along this line) but it's good in its own right. The boost here is user preference; you either opt for a volume (LEVEL) boost or go the extra drive way. The former serves you well in stand alone mode, especially so if you trim the drive down for sweet voicings, nothing harsh. The drive boost is recommended if you engage in drive stacking (with another drive type unit or simply into the amp's dirty channel) for a more electrifying episode. 

These are some of the smoothest control knobs I've come across & we note the blue LEDs there. These are also optional, a slider switch at the rear end enables you to have them switched ON/ OFF; you'd definitely choose the smarter option if you are running this on battery. 

Speaking of battery, here's the acclaimed, super user-friendly flick cover which features a spring hinge. One of the fasteners has a magnetic feature that holds the battery in place. The annoying thing here is the cover on auto flip-close mode like a mouse trap so it definitely requires a little getting used to. 

All in all, the Santa Ana has some elements aimed at Strymon's Sunset unit but without being excessively boutique (OK so it's in the boutique price range anyway). The in-built boost feature is definitely a plus point knowing how this pedal could be the reference to some high gain desires without switching guitars with higher pickup output for some sizzling solos. 

New trio

So folks, more new Fender pedals in the market Summer NAMM 2018), this time it's a booster, distortion & fuzz serving. It's a waiting game, really. Despite constant visits to the stores, I don't see them in store till I gave up & dismissed them as unavailable that I get personal updates on availability. Hopefully these three won't be subjected to such lesser treatments. Interested in the boost. 

Fender stomps

New for 2018, a sextet of Fender stomp boxes. Let's see now, we have reverb, compressor, distortion, delay, buffer & drive. We know Fender isn't known for effects pedals but these may be the manufacturer's break into the market. 

I like how presentable they look & that drawer-type battery access is awesome (but it screams DOD all over) & the knobs' pointers are futuristic (OK you might see them in vehicle dashboards somewhere out there). These are mid-priced units but we know how 'mid' can easily cross over into boutique territory & with the 'Fender' name there, they won't hesitate to do it.

Dirty goodness

This is the current talk here- Friedman's Dirty Shirley pedal. For you to like this pedal, you need to have a liking for a Marshall-like voicing with added saturation. Sounds like the brown sound formula but not quite the drive response. The DS does not saturate like a pedal, it climbs up the gain range by manifesting an amp's sensitivity response. It sizzles at maximum gain setting & remains demure at the lower range with touch sensitivity. The PRESENCE knob & TIGHT flick switch add to character. I'm of the opinion that the former might appeal to the black metal community in turning one's signal grizzly without sounding too polished & prog, along the lines of Dark Throne & company. Like a typical Marshall response, the treble end can be excessive even with the knob dialled up to only the half-way mark.

Like its BE-OD counterpart, the power input jack is still attached to the circuit board. This was the main aggravation highlighted by the pedal community when the BE-OD debuted. It's not a functionality issue but a durability issue.  The white knob you see to the left is the pedal's gain trim knob so there's more to it in terms of drive than what the external controls have to offer.

When the BE-OD entered the pedal market in 2016, I walked away with disinterest. It's purely a tonal stand & I saw no point in saying something here. I really didn't like what I heard back then, a boutique level pedal sounding passable with a real potential of being awful. There's this miserable upper midrange honk that threatens to sound mono & killing enthusiasm. The DS pedal on the other hand, brought over its amplifier manifestation so if you've come across the amp & absolutely like what it has to offer, there's much of those character in the pedal. The only thing lacking is some tube warmth so do check your midrange control to prevent a harsh attack for all high gain applications. 

Grand D

Once more, nothing ground-breaking here, just the TC Electronic Grand Magus distortion pedal. I've been using my DS-1 for distortion-related stuff lately. In terms of intensity, it's not as intense as the name suggests which isn't a bad thing. I find such organic responses to be more useful when pushing an amp's dirty channel rather than having a terribly angry distortion pedal which would serve to be a one-trick pony. The Grand Magus here isn't that intense, it still doesn't cross into the metal territorty. It's not a super saturated, Wampler Pinnacle-esque type either. It's a grizzly bear which isn't too angry when put to use, just angry. It's neither costly nor skimpy when it comes to the available voicings. 

Driving Morgan

As boutique as it is, the Morgan OD is not meant for some applications. I bought it last weekend & had given it a rigorous application. Thusfar, it's a good match for a decent clean amp & has a good fuzz potential at upper end settings for both GAIN & VOLUME. Fair warning to metal heads- not a delightful booster type unit for angry amps, also not as forthcoming with lower tunings & active pickups. 

Dragon June

That awesome feeling when the pedal's in the mail. This also marks the turn into the mid-year. Looking forward to some great happenings soon. Have a great mid-year ahead, everyone. 😆

Darn turd!

If you've got that crappy feeling because it's a Monday, then Dr. No effects feel you. In fact, they reckon that by offering theirs to you, it would somehow make life a little happier, especially when you plug your instrument into one. With reference to the following video clip, you'd agree that it sounds kinda awesome with single coils:

Cinders & ashes...

Fighting backache, thought I'd do some walking around at Swee Lee... retail therapy 😁

Anyway, managed to score the new TC Electronic pedal- Cinders overdrive. It's green & does overdrive- you get the hint. However, there's no signature midrange bump, & it could get a little spiky at the treble end if push comes to shove. Bottom line- affordability + above average performance = smiles. 

Pop(ped) juice

The battery popped in one of my pedals. Nobody was harmed largely due to the fact that the pedal was tank grade & contained the explosion. This battery came default with my Seymour Duncan Killing Floor unit. I was wondering why this happened since:

• it was never connected to any PSU
• no guitar cable was left in tact when the pedal was at rest

I have a fresh 9V battery in my Killing Floor just to make sure it wasn't the pedal killing it (no pun intended). Safety first, everyone. 😛 #justsharing

Mooergan it

If you think EHX is the only party in the mean time to offer the world guitar-friendly pedals which emulate cool organ/synth sounds, then check this Mooer out. It's sheepishly called the Mooergan but it does a fine job in the organ tone emulation. The following clip here puts the pedal in action but I hear some gated signals along the way. Reserving further comments till I personally hear it in action:

JRADs @ DGMC

These 2016 JRAD pedals (Tour series) are now available at Davis GMC. Had a blast trying them earlier today. Thanks Janet & company for the heads up & opportunity to try.

PIC: Davis GMC

Empress: Multidrive

Finally, what I wanted- the Empress Multidrive. I'm not a boutique brand fan, in fact, I urge you to find a standard equivalent of what a boutique brand offers if it's within your means & invest in that alternative instead. Too many boutique brand names wax lyrical about the superior components featured in their products only to fall below your tonal expectations when you hear it in action. The Multidrive pedal here is a favourable product not because it's a boutique brand name item but it was conceived with practicality in mind. It offers the player 3 drive modules so one need not carry 3 individual pedals instead. Even in distortion mode, the player has 3 voicings to choose from. Together with a 3-band EQ, it's endless tinkering, tone-wise. Bonus- the pedal isn't heavy at all.

Knoblessness

I was at Davis earlier today to check out these knobless pedals by Henretta Engineering. Turn them ON/OFF & that's about it. However, there are internal trim pots which can be accessed via the base plate removal to fine tune your desired performance before re-embracing the knoblessness performance once more. 

I have to give it to them for simplicity- thumbs up. However, it's rather annoyinng that one cannot vary one's desired outcome by turning some knobs. I think we are all accustomed to that & having none of that on offer here is just plain 'wrong'. However, if you are the set & forget type, they are highly recommended especially when the tones on offer are good tones, nothing wimpy. Compressor, fuzz, filter, boosts, tremolo, octave & a pre-amp are currently in the line up. No dedicated drive/distortion on offer yet.

Eno

We end May on a good note- Eno pedals are now in stock at TYMC. These are very much like the Mooer range of pedals but they are of a different price range, particularly tagged to please, really. I'm pedal-hunting in the mean time & these are good stuff for the money.

Pic courtesy of TYMC.