Product Review – Analog.Man Chorus

I’ve had a Boss CE-2 on my main board for a while now. I picked up a used made in Japan 1980 model a couple of years ago with the black label, silver screw and long dash. Supposedly these are the best sounding of the many versions available.

I liked this chorus pedal a lot. Its sound was thick and rich and not surprisingly, it excels at the ‘80s chorus tones. But over time, one thing really started to bug me: the rate control. This control dictates the speed of the chorus “sweep” and pedals like the CE-2 are often used to replicate a rotating Leslie speaker. The problem is the rate/speed never went high enough for my liking. Just as you were starting to get into Leslie territory the control maxed out, which was frustrating and sent me searching for another unit (although Robert Keeley does have a mod to fix this issue).

After trying a few different options at different price points, I chose the Analogman Chorus. If the Boss CE-2 was the go to chorus of the ‘80s, Analog Man could claim to be the same for the current decade. It’s on the boards of many quality players including Guthrie Govan and Kenny Wayne Sheppard. I picked up a used 2006 version for $150, which is expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Build quality is exceptional and the work under the hood is very clean. Like the CE-2 it has depth and speed controls, but unlike the CE-2 it is true bypass. According to the Analogman web site, the pedal uses “the highest quality USA made circuit boards, double-sided to isolate the signal from any noise, and professionally soldered for perfect, reliable circuitry. These also have more shielding, less jumpers, and no volume drop when the pedal is switched ON.”

All of these technicalities translate into superb chorus tones. This is a rich, transparent chorus with many more sounds available than the CE-2 due to the wider ranges of the speed and depth controls. You can easily find many sweet spots and it does the rotating Leslie simulation very well. As my unit was built in 2006, it does not have the “deep switch” option, but I like a subtle chorus so this is not something that’s critical for me.

So after a long run on my board I’ve decided to let the CE-2 go. I also have the DOD FX65 Stereo Chorus and this is a very, very close imitation of the Boss unit so I am going to keep that for my bargain basement board while the Analogman is the king of chorus on my main board.

Product Review: Area 51 Wah [The Dunlop JH-1 Cry Baby Saga – Part Two]

Last year posted about the horrible (to my ears) Dunlop JH-1 Cry Baby pedal [http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2009/06/dunlop-jh-1-crybaby-saga-part-one.html]. After researching a lot of pedals I decided to purchase the Italian Drop In Kit from Area 51 Tube Audio Designs.

What a difference!

Now I have a very sweet sounding wah with a nice wide sweep. The tone is superb: not shrill or nasal at all, rich without being muddy, and usable tones all across the sweep.

In addition to the Italian Drop In Kit ($139.95) I also ordered the pre-wired Buffer ($40) as I have a fuzz pedal in my chain and this enables the wah to be placed before fuzz and sound more natural. I also ordered the pre-wired DC jack ($15) so I can run the pedal off of a 9V power supply and can leave my cable permanently plugged in as there’s no battery to run down.

The kit arrived within a week and was easy to install. As the name suggests, it does indeed “drop in” as it comes pre-wired. All you have to do is remove your old wah circuit board and jacks then screw in the new jacks that come pre-wired with the drop in kit. If you order the buffer, owner Dan Albrecht will solder that for you as part of your “kit” so you can be up and wahing in 30 minutes. Because he had to build the kit especially for me (he did not have any already built with the pre-wired buffer) he also kindly offered to wire up the DC jack as well at no charge. GREAT customer service!

I thought about buying a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe from Michael Fuller or a Picture Wah or Wizard Wah from Geoffrey Teese – all excellent choices. But those work out to be a little bit more expensive and in the end, the tone of this wah convinced me to give it a try. I am really glad I did and think I’ll be happy with it for a while. It’s great for spicing up solos with gain and also works well with clean tones. As a nice little surprise, it also records exceptionally well.

If you have an old wah casing lying around gathering dust, you could do a lot worse than bringing it back to life with the Italian Drop In Kit.

Product Review: Maxon Phase Tone PT-999

Even though phase is one of my favorite effects, I was not 100% happy with the two units I had: the DOD FX20 from the early ‘80s and a version 2 Small Stone from 1977. The DOD is an excellent low priced unit, but lacks the fidelity and clarity of higher priced, boutique units. The Small Stone delivers a classic phase sound heard on countless ‘70s songs, but it is a huge tone sucker. One of these days I will send it to Analogman for a true bypass mod, but before I invested any more money into it I wanted to see what else was out there.

In addition to the Dunlop MXR Phase 90 reissues at around $120, I also looked closely at the Mojo Hand Nebula, the Retro-Sonic Phaser and the Maxon Phase Tone PT-999 – all around $150-$175. All of these seem like excellent units and any would be a good purchase, but because of the volume control and true-bypass feature, I think the Retro-Sonic would be my first choice. I missed out on a couple of used Retro-Sonic pedals on eBay, but by chance I managed to snag a used Maxon Phase Tone PT-999 in mint condition for only $55 including shipping. A pretty good price for a $150+shipping pedal when purchased new.

This is a super simple unit with one speed knob. It comes in a strong metal case and the unit is very light – lighter than similar Boss pedals for example. The switch is easy to engage and there is no audible sound when turning it on and off. It beats the MXR reissues in the feature department as it has a handy on/off LED and takes a Boss-type 9V power supply. It’s an attractive looking pedal in a matte blue color and the unit is made in Japan, which is always a bonus these days when a lot of manufacturers are moving production to China.

Sound wise this is a very sweet four-stage phaser. It is quite transparent and extremely smooth. Unlike the Retro-Sonic it is not true bypass, but to my ears it does not adversely affect your tone although it does take off a little high end – almost like it adds some compression to your signal. There is a slight volume drop when engaged, common to many phasers, but it is nothing serious and I can live with it. The speed control has a wide range and you can get usable sounds at either end of the dial and at all points in between.

What I really like about this pedal is it does not add distortion to your signal – a classic feature of the MXRs. Some people like this and can live with it; I do not, so this pedal gets bonus points from me. According to the marketing guys at Maxon, “The PT999's FETs (Toshiba #2SK246) are carefully sorted and matched by hand to produce the smoothest phasing sweep possible with low noise. Unlike other phasers, the PT999 runs negative feedback of the signal to each phase-shifting FET for less distortion.” I would agree with that.

Compared to the DOD FX20 and Electro-Harmonix Small Stone it is much clearer, more subtle and more refined. It works equally well with clean or gain channels which is another big plus - to my ears many phasers sound great clean, but struggle with gain. The DOD FX20 does provide more depth and complexity, in part because it has Speed and Regeneration controls, but the sound is darker and muddier compared to the Maxon. The Small Stone can also get much more extreme, but that’s not an effect I use.

Overall, I really like the Phase Tone. So much so that it has found a place on my main board. This is my first Maxon pedal and I am very impressed. One of these days I may still try out the Retro-Sonic if I can find a deal on a used unit, but for now the Maxon PT-999 deserves its position as My Main Phase. I really like playing with this unit and often have to convince myself to turn it off. But you don’t have to take my word for it as the PT-999 has also received a Guitar Player Editor’s Pick Award.

Specifications

Input Impedance: 500K Ohms
Input Jack: 1/4 inch standard phone jack
Output Impedance: 10K Ohms
Output Jack: 1/4 inch standard phone jack
Output: 1
Controls: Rate
Switch: Normal/Effect
Max Input Level: 0 dBu Noise (IHF-A) -80 dBu
Speed Frequency: 0.2 Hz 14 Hz
Power Supply: 9V Manganese dry cell battery (S-006P) or special AC adaptor
Power Voltage: DC9 V (Battery) / DC10 V (AC-adaptor)
Current Consumption: 12 mA (9V) / 14 mA (10 V) AC Adaptor AC210N (option)
Input: AC120V Output DC9V/200 mA Center - / Sleeve +)
Dimensions: (whole) 70 mm (W) x 112 mm (D) x 55 mm (H)

Review: V-Picks – Small Price, Big Tone

Look in the popular guitar magazines these days and you’ll see ads for all kinds of exotic picks – some costing $20 or more. Even though I’ve been quite happily using a Jim Dunlop Jazz III pick for years, I decided to find out if any of these high-end picks would improve my tone.

One manufacturer that promises a lot for a reasonable price (about $5 per pick) is V-Picks, based in Modesto, CA. They claim to be “the world’s #1 guitar pick” and that their picks will help you play better and sound better. So do they live up to the hype? I ordered a Small Pointed Lite and a Ruby Red Small Pointed from the web site at http://www.v-picks.com/ to find out.

The picks arrived within 2 days, which is great customer service. Another nice surprise was the company included a free pick with my order – a Medium Rounded. All picks are considerably thicker than typical picks, even compared to the Jazz III. However, they are made from a super slick material that glides over the strings very easily. They also react to the heat from your skin and lightly stick to your fingers, which is a nice bonus as I am often dropping or reorienting my picks. The picks I ordered are more pointed at the tip which I think helps you play faster and more accurately so that’s an advantage. Another plus is that the picks wear slowly and have 3 pointed edges, all of which can be used so one pick will last quite a while.

Because of their thickness and the material used, all the picks deliver a fuller, louder and smoother sound than the Jazz III. The difference in tone is surprisingly significant – but in a good way. These picks seem to take off some harshness while still retaining the high frequencies and also boost the lower frequencies. To my ears, it’s almost like putting a compressor in your chain – but a decent compressor will cost you $100+ and these picks are only $5. Of the three I have tried, I liked the Small Pointed Lite the best as it retained more of the treble frequencies but also delivered a fuller, smoother sound. I never would have picked (no pun intended) the Medium Rounded because it is so thick, but I like this a lot as well, especially for beefing up solos.

Considering the minimal $5 price tag, which is about the price of a set of strings, it's a no brainer to check out a couple of V-Picks. You never know, they might be a decent tone upgrade for you. They were for me.

Michael Landau - Gear Inventory

Michael Landau has just revised his web site and the good news is he has provided the inside scoop to all the gear he uses. I know tone is "all in the hands" but this is still very helpful for those of us wondering "How did he get that tone?" According to the "Gear" section on his site, here's what he has in his arsenal:

Live pedal board setup (all pedals are before the amp in this order)
Maxon SD-9
Lovepedal COT 50
Real Mccoy Wizard Wah
Arion Stereo Chorus (in mono, true bypass mod)
Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe
Boss Volume Pedal FV500H
Line 6 DL4

I sometimes use a Lexicon MPX-1 in the effects loop of the amp with a Suhr Mini Mix for reverb and delay, or I take a speaker line out of the amp into a Palmer PGA-4 Speaker Simulator into the Lexicon MPX-1 into a Marshall Valvestate 8008 power amp into 2 Custom Audio 2x10 cabs with Celestion Vintage 10 speakers. These 2 cabinets have the wet sound only.

Amps I use live:
Custom Audio OD100 Classic Plus
Dumble Slide Winder head
Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2x12 with Eminence Tonespotter speakers
'64 Pro Reverb with Eminence Tonespotter speakers
'64 Super Reverb with Dumble Ultra Phonix mod
Kerry Wright 4x12 open back slant cabinet with Celestion Heritage Series G12-65's
Kerry Wright 2x12 open back cabinet with Celestion Heritage Series G12-65's

Studio setup:
I mic the cabinet with a Shure SM57 through a Chandler LTD-1 mic pre, that signal is fed to the line in on the Custom Audio Interface. The rig was designed by Bob Bradshaw @ CAE.

The effects rack has the following:

Tri Stereo Chorus 618
Eventide H3000 D/SE Harmonizer
Lexicon MPX-1
Two Line 6 Echo Pro's (1 in line, 1 in the Custom Audio mixer)
TC G-Force processor
Two Lexicon PCM 42's (left and right)
Boss SE-70
Custom Audio Super Tremolo

I use this setup only for recording because the line level processing is after the dry cabinet (in other words, I insert the rack effects between the dry cabinet and the recording console)

Amps I use for recording:
Dumble Slide Winder head
Custom Audio OD100 Classic Plus
Suhr Badger 18 watt
'64 Deluxe Reverb with Dumble Ultra Phonix mod
'67 Plexy Marshall 100 watt Super Bass head
Phil Jameson custom 30 watt head
Kerry Wright 4x12 open back slant cabinet with Celestion Heritage Series G12-65's
Kerry Wright 2x12 open back cabinet with Celestion Heritage Series G12-65's
Bogner 4x12 straight cabinet with Celestion Vintage 30's

These are the guitars I use live and in the studio:

'63 Fiesta Red Fender Stratocaster.
'68 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster with Suhr SSV in bridge.
'69 Black Fender Stratocaster with Suhr FL's neck and middle, Suhr SSV in bridge,
Suhr Silent Single Coil System.
'63 Gibson SG.
'68 Gold Top Les Paul with Seymore Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers
'52 Telecaster
Suhr Stratocaster with Suhr FL's neck and middle, Suhr SSV in bridge,
Suhr Silent Single Coil System.
'97 Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster with Suhr FL's neck and middle,
Suhr SSV in bridge, Suhr Silent Single Coil System.
Suhr Telecaster with Suhr S-90 in neck, Suhr Classic Tele in bridge.
Tyler Stratocaster with EMG pickups

D'Addario strings (10-46 or 11-49)
Dunlop Nylon 1mm picks
Belden 9778 cable

Learn more at www.mikelandau.com

Mike Stern – Regattabar, Cambridge, MA 04/09/10

Caught the Mike Stern early show on Friday night. He played a great set and seemed to be really enjoying himself and joking a lot with the band: Dennis Chambers on drums, Bob Malach on sax and Tom Kennedy on bass. Kennedy was very impressive, but Chambers was just stunning. It’s easy to see why he is so much in demand and so respected.

Stern has a good thing going. He gets to play with some of the best musicians around and do a lot of improvising in true jazz fashion. Once the band plays the “normal” intro there’s no telling where the song will go. And there was even improv on some intros to keep it interesting.

Stern’s tone was no surprise – he’s had it for years and it is instantly recognizable. After the show I got a close look at his gear. His amp is a beaten up solid state Yamaha G-100 combo. This was a popular amp for clean jazz tones in the 70s and 80s and it sounded great. His effects board was very simple: two Boss DS-3 Digital Delays and two Boss DS-1 Distortions. The DD-3s were set for short delay (for solos) and multiple repeats (for some solo song intros). The DS-1s were set for light and heavier distortion. Very simple, but very effective. I guess there is a lesson to be learned for all of us struggling with massive pedalboards.

News: Mod Amp Effect Kits

There are a number of effects pedal kits on the market that enable you to build your own pedals. All you need is a soldering iron, some skill and a little patience. One of the most popular is Build Your Own Clone (B.Y.O.C.). Another vendor in this market is Mod Amp Kits and this week the company announced four effects pedal kits.

• The Rattler Pedal Kit – A 60s/70s fuzz.
• The Piledriver Pedal Kit – A clean boost that provides up to 38dB of gain “that can push your preamp into overdrive or as a line driver if you are experiencing signal degradation from your effects chain.”
• The Verb Pedal Kit - A reverb based on the Belton Digi-Log module.
• The Persuader Pedal Kit – A tube pre-amp pedal built around a real 12AX7 tube

For more information, visit their web site at http://www.modampkits.com.

RIP: Herb Ellis

Guitar great Herb Ellis passed away last weekend due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 88.

Heavily influenced by Charlie Christian, he was a very influential player in his own right and went on to play with jazz giants Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson. In remembrance, I am going to dig out my copy of "The Oscar Peterson Trio at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival [Live]" which is a great, swinging recording.

Product Review: Boss CE-2 vs. Arion SCH-1

Welcome to this 1980s Chorus Pedal Smack Down. In the red corner we have the undisputed king of chorus, the heavyweight champion, Boss CE-2. And in the blue corner we have the challenger, the plastic prince, the Arion SCH-1. Let the battle begin.

The Boss CE-2 needs no introduction. This little sky blue box quickly became the go to chorus in the ‘80s and was used by David Gilmour, Andy Summers and literally thousands of others. Dig out any ‘80s album and that heavily chorused guitar is most likely running through a CE-2. The Arion SCH-1 on the other hand was certainly not as popular when it was launched, but over the years it has built up a good reputation and devoted following, especially for its ability to fake a rotating Leslie speaker. This unit is used by some of today’s leading players like Michael Landau and Scott Henderson.

I was looking for a classic ‘80s chorus stompbox to add to my board and after a lot of research I narrowed it down to these two units. I couldn’t decide which one to buy so I picked up one of each on eBay: a 1980 CE-2 made in Japan, black label, silver screw version and a black made in Japan SCH-1 (not the later gray version or the newer SCH-Z). Here are my impressions:

• Boss CE-2 – It’s immediately obvious why this unit is so popular even today. It delivers a wonderfully rich and smooth sound – almost like there is a compressor buried in the circuit somewhere. It does give your tone a slight volume boost when engaged and is not completely transparent – it does affect your tone, but the result is still very impressive. It always sounds very lush, warm and full, never metallic, making it very easy to dial in usable tones. And with the Rate control cranked it can get into slow Leslie-land. As you would expect from Boss, it is housed in a virtually indestructible metal casing and even after 30 years the on/off control is a thing of beauty and still functions perfectly. It has Rate and Depth controls only. It would be nice if Boss had included a volume control and my only other gripe is I wish the Rate control had more range for faster speeds.

• Arion SCH-1 – Manufactured by Prince Tsushinkogyo Limited, this unit does not have the build quality of the Boss CE-2. It has a plastic case, fragile plastic knobs that are prone of falling off and a battery compartment cover that is also liable to go missing. Despite the construction issues, the actual chorus circuit is very nice indeed, which is why you sometimes see these units rehoused and upgraded with new pots and even a true bypass switch. In addition to Rate and Depth controls, the SCH-1 includes a Tone control which is useful. However, this chorus pedal sounds much colder and more sterile than the CE-2 and perhaps sounds “more ‘80s” than the Boss unit – you can get some very obvious ‘80s chorus tones (good if you are playing in a cover band) whereas the CE-2 is much more subtle. Where the SCH-1 really excels is the rotating Leslie simulation, in part because the Rate (speed) control can be set much faster than the CE-2.

To my ears, the Boss CE-2 is clearly the better unit and is more polished and professional. It just sounds much more natural and warm. It’s so good that you almost want to have it running all the time. The Arion is a decent unit, especially for Leslie simulation, but it just doesn’t sound as rich on the other settings and it is harder to dial in respectable tones as it can get metallic quite easily. If you can pick up a Japanese CE-2 for under $150 it is money well spent considering the tone quality per dollar.

News: Vox/Joe Satriani Ice 9 Overdrive

I guess a lot of people want to sound like Joe Satriani these days and they must be buying lots of Satch-endorsed Vox pedals. Why else would Vox be cranking them out so frequently?

Hot on the heels of The Time Machine (delay), The Satchurator (distortion) and the Big Bad Wah, Vox is introducing an overdrive pedal named “Ice 9” that is expected to ship in June this year. It’s a curious name because overdrive is all about warmth so I think the marketing guys could have come up with something better and more satchalicious. “Alien Overdrive ” anyone?

Here’s what Vox has to say about it at http://www.voxamps.com/us/pedals/ice9/

• "Two voices of overdrive: Vintage or Modern
• Gain and Volume knobs offer exacting distortion control
• Tone and Bass controls deliver detailed tone-shaping
• The signature Joe Satriani 'More' button

"The Vintage mode employs a special op amp and premium diodes to offer overdrive effects that are sweetly warm and classic, with just the right amount of sparkle and sustain. In contrast, the Modern voice utilizes a Germanium diode to kick up a cutting-edge overdrive that is altogether new and aggressive. "

As for the Tone and Bass controls, Vox says:

“The Bass control adds extra bottom to the sound before it enters the drive stage, delivering dynamic low-end response. Turning the Bass down will result in an overdrive tone with a crisp, extra bite The Tone control shapes the sound as it exits the drive stage, offering even more sonic flexibility.” The More button apparently adds a 14 dB volume boost.

So this sounds like an overdrive with superior tone control and a boost, in a similar style to the CMATMODS Super Signa Drive that I covered here http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2010/02/news-cmatmods-releases-super-signa.html

It will be interesting to hear how this sounds as the overdrive market is very competitive, despite most of the pedals in this space being fairly undistinguished in my opinion. No pricing details as yet, but Vox is going to have to deliver a killer pedal at a killer price to knock the Paul Cochrane Timmy off my board.

Product Review: Voodoo Lab Tremolo

My main amp delivers a lot of tonal options and has a great spring reverb, but it does not have tremolo. I really like the classic, clean Fender amp tremolos of the ‘60s and went searching for a stomp box solution.

I had heard a lot of good things about the Danelectro Tuna Melt at the low end of the market. I also considered the Demeter Tremulator at around $180, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend this much on an effect that I would only use sparingly. After listening to a lot of demos on YouTube and by ProGuitarShop, I settled on a used Voodoo Lab Tremolo that cost me about $80 on eBay – a decent discount from the $129 new street price.

The pedal comes in a strong metal casing and the footswitch is very smooth. This version has four controls (earlier versions had just two) and they are Intensity, Slope, Speed and Volume. The key to this pedal is the Slope control, which provides a wide variety of sounds – from subtle, smooth tremolo to extreme helicopter-like chops. Speed and Intensity give you more subtle control over the speed and deepness of the “throb.” Two nice touches are the Volume control so you can cut, boost or keep the effect at unity when engaged and an on/off LED, which is handy if you a playing live. Other positives are the pedal uses the same lamp and photocell assembly found in many popular vintage amps and it is true bypass. It is also made in USA, which is to be commended.

To be honest, I can’t find much wrong with this pedal at all other than it is larger than the Boss-type units so it does take up some valuable board space.

Plugged in, I really like how the unit sounds. It is very warm and rich and does accurately recreate the sounds of vintage amp tremolos. You can cover Duane Eddy, surf, scary movie/sci-fi, and avant-garde soundscapes with ease. I don’t care for the extreme choppy settings myself (but it’s nice that they are available) and I tend to use it as a subtle tremolo shimmer for clean picking and slow blues. My favorite setting is Intensity at 2 o’clock, Slope at 10 o’clock, Speed a little past 2 o’clock and volume at 11 o’clock (which actually sounds like unity to me). I run the pedal in my effects loop after my Small Stone Phaser and before my Boss Digital Delay DD-3.

If you a looking for a quiet, true bypass tremolo that delivers a wide variety of sounds from vintage to extreme, the Voodoo Lab is a good choice at a good price. Compared to the Danelectro Tuna Melt I think it is more subtle and controllable; compared to the Demeter it is considerably cheaper and less “throbby”, which I prefer. Since I purchased my Voodoo Lab trem, Seymour Duncan has introduced its Shape Shifter pedal and that seems like another good choice and well worth checking out at a similar price point.

King of Tone – Robin Trower

Robin Trower needs no introduction as he has one of the most recognizable guitar tones in rock. And he has always had an extensive pedal board to supply those tones. Here is a great video from Musician’s Friend where Robin talks about his Signature Strat and Fulltone effects pedals.

You can see it for a limited time at:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/mc_highlight2

Here is another great site that has copies of some of Robin’s interviews with various guitar magazines over the years:

http://members.shaw.ca/stevesplace/magazines.htm

If you want to hear some of Trower's best playing, I highly recommend these albums:

Twice Removed from Yesterday (1973)
Bridge of Signs (1974)
King Biscuit Flower Hour Live 1977
Beyond the Mist (1985)
Living Out of Time (2003)

News: Smaller Pedal Power Unit from Voodoo Lab

I've had my eye on a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus for a while as a clean, regulated power source for my main board is becoming more of a necessity as I add more pedals. Along with quality cables, devices like this really help to cut hum and extraneous noises while keeping pedals consistently supplied with enough power to operate at their peak. The company is extending its product line with the recent announcement that Pedal Power ISO-5 is now shipping. This is a good option, although perhaps not a necessity, for those with smaller boards.

According to the company press release: "With 5 completely isolated, regulated, and filtered output sections, it's the ultimate compact solution for small pedalboards, rack shelves, or as an additional supply for larger boards. Based on the same technology that made the original Pedal Power the industry standard, Pedal Power ISO-5 keeps digital effects and even the most sensitive vintage and boutique analog pedals dead quiet.

Pedal Power ISO-5 delivers clean, consistent power even with poor AC line conditions found on stage. Unlike wall warts that create a large hum-inducing magnetic field, or daisy-chained digital switching supplies that generate unpredictable transients, Pedal Power ISO-5 uses a custom designed, audiophile quality toroidal transformer for stable, pure power. Plus, its completely isolated output sections eliminate ground loops and unwanted interaction between effects, giving you noticeably improved tone, dynamics, and lower noise.

Features include 3 standard 9V outputs, a dedicated 18V output, and a unique 9/12V output designed to run modern, high-current digital effects from TC Electronic, Eventide and Line 6. Pedal Power ISO-5 comes with a detachable AC power cord, all the necessary pedal power cables, and is handmade in the USA with a five-year warranty"

Pedal Power ISO-5 MSRP: $160.00

Upgrading a Peavey Reactor

I recently bought a mint condition Peavey Reactor – a made in USA Fender Telecaster copy – for $125 on craigslist (see here: http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2009/12/peavey-reactor-great-telecaster-copy.html). These are very nice guitars for the money and are ideal platforms for a wide range of upgrades.

While the guitar played really well, the stock pickups were fairly average in tone so that’s where I started. There are so many fantastic high-end pickups around from the likes of Lindy Fralin, Don Mare, Lollar and Kinman, but as this would not be my main guitar I decided to go with a more economical choice. I wanted a traditional ‘50s Telecaster tone so I selected a Seymour Duncan Vintage Rhythm STR-1 and a Seymour Duncan Vintage ’54 Lead STL-1. I am very happy with the results.

The STL-1 is a vintage-correct reproduction of 1954 Tele lead pickup and is well suited for a wide range of styles, from traditional country, country pop, chicken pickin', rockabilly, blues, and blues-rock. The STR-1 is a vintage-correct reproduction of 1954 Tele lead pickup that delivers a twangy, bright and biting sound. The Seymour Duncan web site states that the rhythm (neck) pickup should compliment the bright twang of the lead pickup with a smooth and open tone, warm lower-mids and airy highs. I agree and these pickups work well together. Compared to the stock pickups they are louder, fuller, and much more articulate (less muddy) – especially the neck pickup.

While I was at it, I also decided to upgrade the electronics. I have been interested in trying a 4-way switch for some time and this was a great time to experiment. I replaced the stock 250k pots with 500k pots because I wanted a really bright sound and added a Sprague Orange Drop 047µF Capacitor. I also dropped in a 4-way switch, which was wired in this manner:

• Position 1: neck/bridge pickups in series
• Position 2: neck pickup
• Position 3: neck/bridge pickups in parallel
• Position 4: bridge pickup

These upgrades have made a huge sonic difference. This Tele really rocks now and delivers great twang and bite. Play with some gain and this little guitar is a blues-rock monster. Position 1 is absolutely killer. It sounds incredibly rich, combining the fullness and power of a humbucker, but with the nuances of single coils.

Cosmetically I also made a few changes to improve the guitar’s appearance. I ordered a custom cut pearl white pickguard from Chandler guitars (unfortunately the more cost effective standard Telecaster pickguards do not fit the Peavey Reactors). I also added two new black knobs with pearl tops ordered from Stewart MacDonald. This guitar now looks as good as it sounds.

So for about $350 I have a great Telecaster that I would put up against all imports without hesitation and even some of the U.S. made Fender Telecasters that start around $799.

Video - BBE Soul Vibe

Here's a decent video from the folks at Gearwire putting the BBE Soul Vibe through its paces. This is a Univibe sound alike, providing that famous rotating speaker sound made famous by Jimi Hendrix ("Machine Gun"), Robin Trower and others. It sounds pretty good to my ears, especially with some gain. It seems like the build quality is high and for $129, it represents good value for money. At this price point, the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe is also worth checking out.

Specifications

• Input Impedance: 82k Ohms
• Output Impedance: 1K Ohm
• Hardwire Bypass: Yes
• Power Requirements:
  • DC inlet: +9VDC min.200ma
  • Battery Life: 100 hours
• Dimensions: 3.7"(W) x 4.7"(D) x 1.8"(H)
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 lbs.

Recommendation: Beta Monkey Drum Loops

While we are on the subject of drum loops I thought I would highlight the acoustic drum loops and samples available from Beta Monkey. I use these myself and think they provide a lot of variety in sound (different kits and styles) as well as tempo. But most important of all, the recording quality is excellent and everything sounds very real and natural.

In my arsenal I have:

Drum Werks Volume 1 - Classic & Hard Rock Grooves
Drum Werks Volume 2 - Rock Tool Box of Grooves
Drum Werks Volume 3 - Blues & Bluesy Rock Grooves
Drum Werks Volume 4 - Versatile Studio Rock & Pop Loops
Double Bass Mania

And the thing I like most about Beta Monkey . . . the drummer always keeps perfect time :-)

Learn more at http://www.betamonkeymusic.com

500Mb of Free Loops from Prime Loops - until 3/14/10

This post has nothing to do with tone, but if you do any home recording like me, you are always on the look out for free loops with which to build backing tracks and original compositions.

To say thank you for all the support, the loop and sample provider Prime Loops is offering a collection of free loops and samples to everyone - not just to previous customers and subscribers.

FreePack 2010 offers more than 500 MB of free audio loops, samples, and multi-patches. The exclusive pack includes loops from new releases, such as NYC Piano Sessions, Dubstep Nation, Ghetto House Grooves, Orchestral Scores, and many more.

Get it while you can. All content is royalty-free and available absolutely free until March 14, 2010. For more info go to:

Learn more at http://www.primeloops.com/index.php?page=free-pack

News: CMATMODS Releases Super Signa Drive

I first learned of Chad Matthews about three years ago when he installed the Monte Allums mod on my made in Taiwan Boss CS-3 Compressor. He turned a mediocre pedal that used to hiss like a snake into something very useable and his customer service was first rate. While he was offering his own pedals at that time, he has developed many more since then and one of the most popular has been the Signa Drive.

Matthews has just released a new enhanced version of this pedal – the Super Signa Drive, which seems like the Signa Drive on steroids. The latest version adds more EQ control – instead of just “tone” you now have separate controls for treble, mids and bass. He’s also added boost, which is separate from the overdrive. He states, “There is so much sustain in this pedal it is amazing, it just drips with harmonics and has so much clarity.”

Even though there are so many drive pedals on the market these days, this looks like a welcome addition. Learn more at http://www.cmatmods.com/super-signa-drive.html

Product Review - Ibanez Bi-Stage Phaser

Originally released in 1985 this phaser is from Ibanez’s often overlooked Master Series, which falls between the much more collectible 9 and 10 Series. It is somewhat unique in that you can select (using a toggle switch) between 6 or 10 phasing stages. When I saw this Made in Japan unit on eBay for only $30 my inner fx junky said “Buy it!”

In addition to the Stage toggle switch (which you can only move with your fingers) the pedal has controls for Speed, Width and Feedback. In theory the Feedback control enables you to change the phasing intensity, but in reality its affect is minimal while Width and Speed allow you to adjust how broad and fast the sweep is. The unit is Boss sized and comes in a very rugged metal casing.

The Bi-Stage Phaser delivers a good variety of sounds. The 6 stage setting adds a lot of treble and midrange to your tone making it sound rather “lo-fi”; the 10 stage setting is thicker, richer and more chewy, but it still gives your tone a significant treble boost. With so many options and controls you can get all of the standard phase sounds as well as some very nice Leslie rotary simulation with the Speed control at its higher settings. In fact, I think this is where it really shines. However, despite the many tonal options available, the overall sound of the unit is cold and sterile – a stark contrast to the warmth of the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone for example.

There are also two other issues that are big detractors for me. First, the pedal is quite noisy, in part because it is not true bypass. When engaged, and especially when you are not playing, you can clearly hear it sweeping and at louder amp volumes with high gain channels this is not welcome. It also provides a strong volume boost when engaged and I prefer effects to be at unity gain. What Ibanez should have done is added a volume control and moved the Stage toggle switch to the side of the unit so you could switch between the 6 and 10 stages using your foot on the fly.

My favorite setting is with the Speed control cranked and both Feedback and Width at about noon. This gives a nice rotating Leslie sound with a subtle phase.

Overall, this unit didn’t do it for me so back on eBay it goes. In the bargain basement category, I don’t think it is anywhere near as good as the DOD FX20 Phasor, which I reviewed here http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2009/10/product-review-dod-fx20-phasor.html

If you are interested in listening to a wide range of phasers, including this one, be sure to check out the Pedal Area site at: http://www.pedalarea.com/phasers.htm

News: A/DA Flanger Takes Off Again with Help from Analogman

A/DA flangers were highly regarded and endorsed by some respected players including Pat Travers in the late ‘70s and into the '80s. Unfortunately Analog/Digital Associates (A/DA) faded into obscurity years ago leaving prices of these first class flangers to skyrocket on eBay as collectors fight over any remaining units.

The good news is that David Tarnowski, the original owner and designer, has been working with effects guru Mike Piera (Analogman) over the last couple of years to manufacture and reissue the esteemed unit with a few valuable enhancements. Apparently, the signal path for the reissue is identical to the original and Panasonic (Matsushita) bucket brigade devices are still used for the analog delay. One nice new addition is that the reissue is now true bypass.

The reissues have been available since mid-January 2010 for $259.95. You can learn more at the Analogman web site.

News: DigiTech JamMan® Solo and JamMan® Stereo Looper Pedals

I use a Boss Loop Station RC-2 for practicing and I like what this pedal can do. But I wish it could do more – like accommodate more memory so I could store more tracks, and most important of all, connect to my computer so I could easily manage my loops and recordings.

Enter the new DigiTech JamMan Solo and JamMan Stereo Looper pedals.

I am especially interested in the Solo because it seems like it builds on what the RC-2 can do. According to the marketing blurb from DigiTech:

“Both feature the ability to store 35 minutes of CD-quality loops in 99 loops internally as well as having a SD memory card expansion slot, giving the artist the ability to store up to 16 hours of material in the JamMan Stereo and 48 hours of material in the JamMan Solo in an additional 99 slots.

The JamMan Solo and JamMan Stereo feature USB connectivity and will sync to DigiTech's free JamManager™ software that organizes and saves your JamMan loops to a PC or Mac. The software also provides the user with the capability to create JamLists and have them available for use anytime.

Both loopers also include a USB port to transfer loops to and from a computer, metronome with multiple rhythm sounds and time signatures, automatic recording, and Hands-Free™ functionality. The JamMan Stereo also features a balanced, professional grade, low impedance XLR mic input with a dedicated gain control.”

This all sounds pretty compelling to me because using the Boss RC-2 is somewhat like being stuck on a deserted island. Because of its complexity and the fact that it is not a very intuitive pedal to use, I think an USB interface to a computer with requisite software would make it much more manageable. I think DigiTech got it right with the Solo and at around $199 it seems deserving of a much closer look.

News: More MXR Reissues On The Way

After the recent success of the Custom Shop Script Phase 90 and ’74 Vintage Phase 90 it should come as no surprise that other vintage MXR pedals are being reissued by Dunlop Manufacturing.

Here’s what the marketing suits at Dunlop are saying: (I’ve fixed the errors in their copy . . . it should be ‘80s not 80’s guys!)

Micro Chorus – “This ‘80s reissue delivers a stunning range of rich chorus textures, from sparkly watery shimmers to intense rotating speaker simulation with a twist of the Rate control. The Micro Chorus is designed with old-school bucket brigade technology for warm analog tone and features true bypass for pure guitar tone when the pedal is off. Its road-worthy hardware and components are housed in a space saving Phase 90 sized box.”

Micro Flanger – “Based on the benchmark sounds of the MXR M117 Flanger, the MXR Micro Flanger classic features many of the same flanging effects of its big brother, but in a smaller and more convenient size. Originally released in the ‘80s, this faithful recreation features the same two critical controls—a Speed knob to control the rate of cycling and a Regeneration knob to manage the overall intensity—and stays true to its 100% analog bucket brigade technology for the ultimate in warm and organic tone. The Micro Flanger has been updated with a true bypass switch so you don’t lose any tone during bypass. Go from jet plane like sweeps to cool outer space type effects with the MXR Micro Flanger.”

Phase 45 – “The ’75 Vintage Phase 45 reissue from the MXR Custom Shop reproduces the rare little brother of the Phase 90 to exacting specifications. With two stages of phasing, the Phase 45 offers up it’s (sic) subtle and musical voice via hand-matched FETs and hand-wired circuit board. Authentic tried and true components and hardware such as a Carling switch, CTS pot and Switchcraft jacks.”

Considering the very positive reaction to the other recent MXR reissues these should all be home runs.

Learn more at http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?page=products/p_and_e&cat=16

Jeff Beck - New York Times Article

Here's an interesting article that includes an interview with Jeff Beck, one of my favorite guitarists. It covers his career, the new tour and the upcoming album "Emotion and Commotion."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/arts/music/14beck.html?ref=arts

Product Review – Tone Factor-Mojo Hand Analogue Filter 442

I have been playing a lot of funk lines lately and using my wah pedal to add some color. However, after a few minutes of this my foot gets tired and there is not much variation in the wah sound. That got me thinking (again) about those envelope filters that were so commonplace in the ‘70s for funkin’ it up.

As some of you may have read in my previous post
http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2009/06/product-review-boss-ft-2-dynamic-filter.html I tried this route before with the Boss Dynamic Filter. That pedal just did not do it for me so I went in search of other stronger sounding pedals.

At the high end of the market I considered the Emma Discombobulator, but at over $250 that was too much for my budget considering this is an effect I will only use now and again. I looked at some vintage units like the MXR and the DOD 440, but the pricing and potential reliability problems made me nervous. At the low end of the market I considered the DOD FX25 (two knob version) and the newer DOD FX25B (three knob version as favored by Buckethead). These are not true bypass pedals and I was concerned about tone coloration because my board is getting fairly large these days.

I was quite tempted by the Electro-Harmonix Nano Dr Q, but after a lot of research and auditioning I picked up a used Tone Factor Analogue Filter 442 (now rebranded under the Mojo Hand name). These retail for $149 new and I am really happy with my choice. The pedal is modeled after the DOD 440, which is one of the classic envelope filters. It is quite small and that is a big plus because I don’t have much real estate left on my board and it runs off of a standard Boss type power supply. It is also true bypass and has a handy on/off LED which some of the vintage units don’t have so it is a good compromise – vintage sound, but with an upgraded and modern feature set. So how does it sound?

The answer: pretty funkin’ good! It is very quacky and funky, plus it tracks what you are playing extremely well. There are controls for Level and Range and both give you many options from the subtle to the intense. I’ve found the sweet spot to be around noon for both controls, but this is a fairly sensitive filter so even changing pickups will change the effect – sometimes significantly. It responds well to your picking dynamics producing different wah sounds and the harder you pick the more the envelope opens so the more “wah” you get. I am having a lot of fun with my Boss RC2 Loop Station in combination with this pedal. Typically, I lay down some funky guitar lines over a drum pattern, loop it, and then add some gain to practice my soloing.

Here is a short video from Jack Zucker (he always seems to audition the best pedals!) that gives you a taste of the Mojo Hand Analogue Filter in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8_6dDP43u4&feature=related

The bottom line: This is one groovy pedal. Just be sure to place it very early in your signal chain and before a compressor.

News: Way Huge Aqua Puss Reissue Now Shipping

Way Huge made its name long before the boutique pedal craze with a number of highly regarded offerings with strange names like The Swollen Pickle Fuzz, Pork Loin Overdrive, and Fat Sandwich Distortion. Now part of the Dunlop Manufacturing empire, some of these high quality, true bypass pedals are being reissued at reasonable prices.

As of February 2010, the next reissue to hit the streets is the famous Aqua Puss Analog Delay (US$150). According to the marketing materials, the Aqua-Puss MkII is "ready to bathe a tone-thirsty world in gorgeously smooth delay. One twist of the Delay knob takes you from a tight 20ms delay to a cavernous 300ms. The Feedback control regulates delay duration and intensity. But watch out. Extreme settings can send the Aqua-Puss MkII into self-oscillating psycho-freak-out mode! Meanwhile the Blend knob lets you set a balance between dry and delayed signal—from mild to wild."

Kudos to Dunlop and Way Huge Electronics founder Jeorge Tripps for working together to recreate authentic versions of these classic pedals and bring them to market.

King of Tone - Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson is one of my favorite guitar players. Not only does he have great tone, he also has great taste.

Here is an excellent video of Eric in the studio going through his set up and gear. Check it out at:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/document?doc_id=102063&autop=1&pgvar=interviews&wv=EricJohnson-03-effects_1&vname=Eric%20Johnson%20-%20Effects

If you don't have any Eric Johnson CDs in your collection - shame on you!!! - I recommend his 1990 release "Ah Via Musicom." The sound quality and engineering are first class and the songs are extremely diverse in style so you really get a good feel for the many different dimensions of EJs playing.