Category Archives: Gear

GEAR 407 • Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail Analog Delay

Gear, Pedals, , , ,

Here is a demo and review of the Vapor Trail Analog Delay from Seymour Duncan. There are a lot of analog delays on the market now, and this one really stands out with its unique features and easy usability. Features I like include: battery door on the back and delay modulation controls on the top – you don’t need to unscrew the back to get to either; bright blue led; flashing led inside clear delay knob. Overall, this has a nice clear sound – it’s a little brighter than MXR Carbon Copy, but still has analog warmth. In the demo, I try the clean sound first and then pair it with the Hoof Fuzz from Earthquaker devices.

This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Ernie Ball Classic Rock-n-Roll nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.

Seymour Duncan page for the Vapor Trail: http://www.seymourduncan.com/pedals/vapor_trail_analog_delay/

Earthquaker Page for the Hoof Fuzz: http://earthquakerdevices.com/shop/Hoof/cat/13100

GEAR 406 • Electro-Harmonix East River Drive vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

Gear, Pedals, , , , , ,

This video compares the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer to the electro-harmonix East River Drive. The TS9 is a well known commodity; the East River Drive is a clone of the TS808 circuit designed in conjunction with Analog Mike of Analog Man fame. The East River Drive’s 808 style circuit means it has a slightly smoother sound and a little less gain than the TS9. Overall, though, the two pedals sound similar. Both have the JRC chip and come in green. The East River has nice graphics, a nice green led, is true bypass, and is less expensive. Also, my version said “Made in NYC, USA.” The Ibanez pedal is made in Japan, has easier access to the battery, and has heftier construction than the East River Drive. The led on the TS9 is not very bright, though.

This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Ernie Ball Classic Rock-n-Roll nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone. Also note, the Tube Screamer has the JRC 4558D chip.

Ibanez page for the TS9: http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_effect_page14.php?year=2014&cat_id=6&series_id=153&effect_id=5

EHX page for the East River Drive: http://www.ehx.com/products/east-river-drive

Analog Man – http://www.buyanalogman.com

You may also want to check out my comparison between the Tube Screamer and the Soul Food: GEAR 402 • Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer vs Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

For additional reading, here is an interesting article about the history of Tube Screamers with Analog Mike. He mentions the East River Drive too: https://reverb.com/blog/inside-the-overdrive-overlord-an-ibanez-tube-screamer-primer-with-analogman

GEAR 405 • Park Fuzz by Earthquaker Devices

Gear, Pedals, , , ,

Here is my demo and review of the Park Fuzz by Earthquaker Devices. The pedal is a reissue of the original Park Fuzz pedal, which apparently dates to the 1960’s (not the 70’s, as mentioned in the video).
Park is a recently resurrected brand that used to be owned by Jim Marshall (no affiliation with the current Marshall amp company though), and the reissue has been designed and manufactured by the fuzz dudes at the Earthquaker facility in sunny Akron, Ohio. The pedal has germanium transistors and the warm (though sometimes finicky, often beloved) sounds they produce. Though I don’t have an original Park to compare it to, the pedal sounds like a good vintage style fuzz that can be appreciated on its own merits. The form factor of the pedal is smaller than the original, and is similar to other Earthquaker pedals with top-mounted jacks (i.e. the Hoof Fuzz), although the knobs are different. The pedal has a really nice blue finish, and appears generally well built like other Earthquaker pedals. Overall, this would be a good option if you’re looking for a quality, American made boutique germanium fuzz.

This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Ernie Ball Classic Rock-n-Roll nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.

Earthquaker Devices page for the Park Fuzz: http://earthquakerdevices.com/shop/Park%20Fuzz/cat/13096

GEAR 404 • J. Rockett Archer vs Electro-Harmonix Soul Food – Klone Comparison

Gear, Pedals, , , , , ,

This demo compares two popular clones (Klones) of the Klon Centaur, the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food and the J. Rockett Archer. I already talked some about the Soul Food when I compared it to the Tube Screamer (link below), and so here I spend a little time looking at the Archer. J. Rockett built the first 1,500 KTR pedals for Klon, so they are familiar with the Klon’s build quality and design attributes. Rather than try to figure out which one sounds more like a Klon, however, my goal here is to evaluate the pedals on their own merits… and both of these pedals offer similar yet slightly different flavors of transparent overdrive. Compared to each other, the Soul Food is a little brighter, a little more cutting, and has more clarity. The Archer is warmer/darker, thicker, and has a little more hair/grit on the gain.

This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Fender Original Bullet pure nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.

The demo and comparison with the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food is here.

J. Rockett Audio – http://rockettpedals.com

EHX page for the Soul Food: http://www.ehx.com/products/soul-food

GEAR 403 • Joyo Sweet Baby Overdrive Pedal

Gear, Pedals, , , ,

Here is my review and demo of the Sweet Baby overdrive pedal from Joyo. An inexpensive clone of the Sweet Honey overdrive from Mad Professor, I prefer to evaluate this pedal on its own merits. The Sweet Baby specializes in low gain overdrive that is perfect for pushing a tube amp on the verge of breakup. The overdrive is mostly smooth and, well, sweet. Higher settings on the drive knob gave some mild grit – though this typical Fender characteristic could be coming from my amp in part. Maxing out the drive and volume gives you a sustaining lead tone, though chords are a bit fizzy. I’ve found the settings are better somewhere ‘in the middle,’ where you still get a smooth, sining lead tone and chords have a nice crunch. In general, I prefer buying pedals a step up in price point (especially used) as I find you get better build quality and (usually) better sound, but there’s no denying that some of these clone pedals sound surprisingly good for being in the rock bottom price point category.

This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups, Fender Original Bullet pure nickel strings) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.

GEAR 402 • Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer vs Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

Gear, Pedals, , , ,

In this demo I compare and contrast some of the sounds you can get from two popular overdrive pedals – the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer and the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food. The Tube Screamer, a mild overdrive with a midrange boost, has been a pedal board staple for years. The Soul Food is a clone (Klone) of the Klon Centaur, a boutique pedal known perhaps above all else for its high price tag. The Soul Food seeks to bring Klon tone to the masses, but rather than trying to figure out how close it sounds to a Klon we can just enjoy it for what it is: a transparent overdrive with lots of clean headroom and an emphasis on the trebles. So this is really not a shootout to determine which one is “better,” since they’re different from each other and both good at what they do.

This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.

Ibanez page for the TS9: http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_effect_page14.php?year=2014&cat_id=6&series_id=153&effect_id=5

EHX page for the Soul Food: http://www.ehx.com/products/soul-food

GEAR 401 • Boss ’59 Fender Bassman Pedal

Gear, Pedals, , , ,

Here is a two part review & demo of a cool little under the radar pedal, the Boss FBM-1 Fender ’59 Bassman. The Boss Fender Bassman pedal has a lot of tone-shaping options; it has presence, mid range, bass, and treble knobs in addition to the gain/level knobs. There is also a regular input and a “bright” input, Fender Bassman style. So, this ends up being a very versatile pedal that does mild grit (tweed style), clean boost, or can just be used as a pedal to fatten up your tone.
I think of this as a milder, mellower Blues Driver pedal – with milder overdrive (but still lots of clean gain) and many more tone shaping options. It pairs well with another overdrive pedal, like a Tubescreamer, in addition to working as a stand-alone unit. I have used this as a pre-amp plugged straight into the mixer and also plugged into a solid state amp, but found that it really shines when used in conjunction with a tube amp.

Part I is an overview of the pedal’s features, my thoughts on the pedal’s unusual cosmetics, and a few thoughts on how you might use it.
Part II is a sound demo with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.

The YouTube window below will play both videos as part of a play list.

Boss page for the FBM-1: http://www.bossus.com/gear/productdetails.php?ProductId=854

GEAR 301 • Roland Cube Street Amp

Amps, Gear, , ,

I have owned both the Roland Cube Street and the Roland Micro Cube and can say that these are great portable amps with a lot of good sounds for not a lot of money.  You can find Micro Cubes used for under $100 and they are great for people that want a small, affordable practice amp.  The Micro Cubes are loud enough for home practice and some  jams / rehearsals (though it won’t compete with a drummer).  If you need a mic channel and might want to do some (very) small gigs, the Cube Street is basically like the micro cube with an extra channel and an extra speaker.  The Cube Street is a little bit louder than the Micro Cube (noticeably louder, but not twice as loud) though not quite as portable.

My demo below looks at the Cube Street and focuses on the guitar channel, which is similar to the Micro Cube’s.  It starts with a basic overview of the features (part I), then moves to a demo with electric guitar (part II), and finally a demo with acoustic guitar (part III).  You can watch all three below: