Fxdoctor Saves Cool Cat Vibe with Volume Mod

Never one to give up and move on – usually the smartest and least expensive course of action – I decided to try and improve my Danelectro Cool Cat Vibe CV-1. If you read my review of it here: http://tonewarrior.blogspot.com/2009/10/product-review-danelectro-cv-1-vibe.html you’ll know I liked the sound of the pedal (a lot), but could not live with the huge volume boost, which made the pedal virtually unusable.

In search of a cure, I visited a few online forums and found some threads about how people have added a volume pot to reduce the boost. I’m no electronics expert and should probably be kept away from a soldering iron at all costs so I went looking for someone that could fix the boost and perhaps completely rehouse the pedal.

I found Boston-based fxdoctor (www.fxdoctor.com) and after a few emails with Joshua I sent over my pedal for some open case surgery. Joshua added an internal trim pot set at unity so the volume when switching the pedal on and off is now even. And because it’s an internal trimpot, there has been no drilling into the pedal casing. I don’t see the need to adjust levels once it’s set at unity so this internal trimpot is a good solution for me. I decided not to go the rehousing route because I have an awesome $300 KR Products Mega Vibe so this Cool Cat was never going to be my main vibe and as a result it wasn’t worth the additional investment.

The fxdoctor answered my emails promptly and was a fast surgeon. I sent my pedal on Monday and had it back on Wednesday. The total cost including shipping and handling was $37. Added to my original eBay purchase price of about $40, I now have a very usable, high quality and true bypass vibe for under $80. I’m running this pedal on my second “small board” and am having a lot of fun with it now the boost has been tamed.

If you are sick and tired of the volume boost on your Cool Cat Vibe, the fxdoctor has the prescription.

Product Review: Danelectro CV-1 Vibe

I was quite impressed by the Danelectro CF-1 Fuzz so I decided to check out the Cool Cat Vibe, which at $69 MSRP is the most expensive pedal in the range. I happened to find a mint condition CV-1 on eBay for only $33 and could not resist. But really, how good could it be at this price? The surprising answer is very good indeed.

As with all pedals in this range, the controls are on the back face of the unit making them a little challenging to access. And like its brothers and sisters, this pedal is true bypass and comes in a strong metal casing – a vast improvement over the previous plastic encased “deli” range of pedals. This particular unit sports a cool ‘50s sea foam green color, which I quite like.

Despite the placement of the controls – Mix, Intensity and Speed – they are fairly straightforward to use and offer up a wide range of tones. The mix control is particularly useful as you can mix your dry signal and the effected signal to taste. One big plus is the variety of different sounds you can get out of this pedal – regular vibrato, phaser-like swooshes and swirly chorus – so it is very versatile. It will definitely put you into Hendrix, Trower and Gilmour territory if desired.

As you would expect at this price point nothing is perfect and it does have some issues. First, it takes a second or so for the effect to engage after you have stepped on the pedal - not a big deal to me. Second, there is a significant volume increase when the effect is on when typically modulation pedals are a little quieter than your normal signal. And while the CV-1 is true bypass and quiet when not being used, it does affect your tone a little when engaged. You'll notice it takes off some high end giving a more compressed and richer tone. That I can live with, but the volume boost is so large it makes the pedal all but unusable unless you are recording and have your levels all set. As a result, the CV-1 did not make it onto my main board even though I liked its versatility and the sounds I could get out of it.

I did an A/B test to compare this with what I consider to be the best vibe on the market: the KR Products Mega Vibe, which costs around $300 if you can even get hold of one. The Mega Vibe was certainly more transparent and authentic – you can replicate Hendrix almost exactly. However, the CV-1 was certainly in the ballpark and could get you perhaps 75% there. So considering the $60 price tag I do think this represents great value for money. For a more affordable vibe that doesn't break the bank I think the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe is the best value for money at around $130.

In conclusion, the CV-1 Vibe is not going on my main board, but it is a lot of fun to play around with so I am keeping it as a back up and for recording situations.