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.

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.

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.