Product Review: Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz - The Unfuzz

I’m on the waiting list for a KR Products Gypsy Fuzz. Based on my research it sounds absolutely killer and exactly what I want for $170. But I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting.

So to give me some fuzz tones in the interim I went looking for a good and cheap fuzz pedal and decided to give this unit a try. Some of you may know about the heated discussions online that allege Danelectro has copied the interior workings of some popular boutique pedals for its Cool Cat line. Supposedly the Transparent Overdrive is a copy of Paul Cochrane’s Timmy and the Cool Cat Fuzz is a copy of the $325 Frantone Electronics Peach Fuzz. Interesting that they picked a peachy/orange color. Is Danelectro trying to tell us something?

For $35 including delivery from Musician’s Friend I decided to check it out.

The unit seems well constructed and build quality is far superior to previous Danelectro pedals. It has a die cast metal housing and is true bypass for starters. The controls are on the back face of the pedal which doesn’t bother me, but I could see how this could be a problem, especially if you were playing live as they are hard to see and adjust. So how does it sound?

In a nutshell this is a very nice distortion pedal, but a poor fuzz. It is very quiet when not engaged, but it has a huge boost even at 12 o’clock so you will have to ratchet the volume control down considerably. What’s really important though is that it delivers a rich, luscious and deep distorted tone somewhat reminiscent of the Mesa Boogie Rectifier amps. I really liked the tones I could get from this box, but unfortunately I could already get them from my amp, my MIJ Boss DS-1 and my Timmy. What I wanted was that classic, wet and splattery Fuzz Face tone that completely overwhelms your speakers. Unfortunately in this critical area, the Cool Cat fell short.

For $35, this is no brainer if you are looking for rich, heavy distortion. However, if you are looking for classic ‘60s fuzz tones, look elsewhere. I am very impressed though with what you get for your money so that has got me interested in checking out the Cool Cat Vibe.

Product Review: Danelectro Mini Modulation Pedals

I landed a selection of Danelectro mini pedals from eBay recently for $56. I wasn’t seriously interested, but I have read quite a few positive comments about them so for that price I could not resist the opportunity to check out the tones.

What you get is essentially a mini board of modulation pedals in a custom carrying case with power supply and cables included. The “grab and go” convenience is quite compelling when you don’t want to drag a big expensive board across town to rehearsal or to a gig at a beer chugging frat party. Of course as any guitarist knows, it’s all about the tone regardless of how convenient the set up.

Based on my gear and my ears, here are my opinions of the effects:

Milk Shake Chorus – Does the clean '80s Police sound quite well, but it is not articulate enough to get a rotating speaker/Leslie simulation. Overall it is reasonable, although a bit too “seasick” sounding for my tastes on all settings and it can get metallic quite quickly. There is a volume boost when engaged. Verdict: 5/10

Hash Browns Flanger – Another volume boost when engaged, but overall this is a pretty good Flanger. The sound has some analog warmth to it, although the pedal is somewhat limited in what it can do so don’t expect the diversity or control that a Boss BF-2 provides, for example. Verdict: 6/10

Pepperoni Phaser – I didn’t like this pedal at all. It has a one-dimensional sound that is a vague representation of a real phaser and delivers a huge treble boost when engaged. Verdict: 3/10

Chicken Salad Vibe – This pedal surprised me . . . but not in a good way. I’ve read a number of positive reviews of this pedal on guitar community web sites, but it just didn’t do it for me. Again, it sounded like a vague representation of a Vibe without really capturing the essence of what a quality Vibe is all about. I won’t be swapping out my KR Products MegaVibe any time soon. Verdict: 4/10

Tuna Melt Tremolo – Of all the Dano pedals this was the best by far. It has a very warm and organic sound and can get you that clean Fender amp tremolo sound with ease. I prefer the soft setting to the hard “choppy” setting by far. I currently use a Voodoo Lab Tremolo on my board, which I think provides a bit more control and subtlety, but for the price the Tuna Melt represents outstanding value for money. Verdict: 9/10

Tuna Melt aside, I was disappointed in these pedals. Instead of letting your natural guitar tone shine through they cover it in a not very subtle or controllable effect that vaguely replicates different flavors of modulation without nailing any of them well. Other than the Tuna Melt, I would save your money and wait to buy better effects in each genre – or even the new Cool Cat Danelectro pedals, which come in a metal case and are true bypass.

Product Review - Boss CH-1 Super Chorus

Boss has a long history with chorus pedals starting with the CE-1 in the late 70s. This was was essentially the same circuit that first appeared on the famous Roland Jazz Chorus amplifier, but shoehorned into a separate floor-based unit. Then came the legendary sky blue CE-2 stomp box, which has become the industry standard chorus and is on the boards of many famous players to this day.


So on to the Boss CH-1 Super Chorus. With the Boss pedigree in chorus pedals you might think this particular model would be something special. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

The CH-1 is a fairly popular, widely available unit that is made in Taiwan. Based on my gear and my ears, here’s what I think about it:

The Good
· Does not affect your natural guitar tone
· No volume boost when engaged
· Does the classic clean and icy chorus sounds quite well
· You can run your signal into a second amp from the unit
· Boss “tank like” build quality
· Works well with single coils and humbuckers

The Bad
· Limited range of subtle sounds so not very versatile
· Cannot do a Leslie simulation at all
· EQ and E.Level controls do very little
· Cold and sterile sounding

My favorite setting is 12 o’clock on the E. Level and EQ, and about 2 o’clock on the Rate and Depth. The pedal can be used with acoustic and bass guitars and because of its subtle effect, it works quite well with these other instruments.

Overall I think this is a very average chorus pedal and there are many better options out there even though you can pick these up used on eBay for only $40-$50. For a little more money I would go with a used Arion Stereo Chorus SCH-1, a used Boss CE-2 or perhaps an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone. And if you are really serious about chorus, there are many boutique offerings from Analogman, Diamond and others.

Les Paul R.I.P.

Les Paul, the inventor of the solid body electric guitar passed away today from complications associated with pneumonia. All guitar players owe him much gratitude.

From the early days when he unveiled "The Log" to his pioneering work with multi-track recording and tape echo, he was a music icon - much like the Gibson guitar that bears his name. His contributions to music will never be forgotten and he will be missed.

LYT Pedalboards – Good Value for Money

I thought about making my own pedalboard, but I don’t have a workshop, the tools I’d need or very good woodworking skills. I also don’t have the time so I went in search of low cost alternatives.

I ended up buying a LYT Pedalboard that I purchased via eBay for about $70. I use less than 10 pedals so I didn’t need a huge board so I went with the LYT 24 without the carry case. It arrived within two days and it was, as the name suggests, quite light. It is made from a pressed composite that is quite strong and painted in a flat gray color. The first step was to cut the enclosed Velcro to length and cover the board. My only complaint is the minimal amount of Velcro included – not enough to account for any errors or cover underneath the riser or the sides. I wanted everything covered in black Velcro so I went to Home Depot and purchased some more.

That minor gripe aside, I am very happy with the board. The riser is a nice touch (although it is fixed) and it is a great organizer – all my effects loop pedals are grouped on the riser. The board looks good and is quite strong. For bedroom use and playing out a couple of times a week it is a solid choice. If you are playing out a lot or touring I think any of the Pedaltrain models would be the way to go, but for what I need and the price, I give this two thumbs up.

Danelectro Mini Effects Pedals

I won an eBay auction last week landing five Danelectro modulation effects pedals for $56 including carrying case, cables and free shipping. Score!

The pedals are:

• Milk Shake Chorus
• Hash Browns Flanger
• Pepperoni Phaser
• Tuna Melt Tremolo
• Chicken Salad Vibe

I’m especially interested to hear the Tuna Melt Tremolo as it is on some pro-player boards who could buy any tremolo they wanted. I’m also interested to put the Chicken Salad Vibe up against my $300 KR Products MegaVibe – can I hear a $290 difference in tone?

I will review each product individually in upcoming posts.

King of Tone - Chris Duarte

Many people write Chris Duarte off as a Stevie Ray Vaughan clone – just like when Robin Trower was seen as a Hendrix clone early in his career. Wrong on both counts.

Duarte is really maturing as a guitar player and singer and I really like some of his more recent CDs. His tone is excellent – driven by a nice selection of analog effects pedals.

There is a great video up on YouTube where Duarte talks about his gear. Check it out at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmXUSfBIIsM&feature=PlayList&p=07ED3F6DA67A5E99&index=10


If you’d like to hear Chris is action check out these CDs:

• Chris Duarte Group – Texas Sugar Strat Magic
• Chris Duarte Group – Blue Velocity

You can also stream or download some live shows from here:

http://www.archive.org/details/ChrisDuarteGroup