Yes, you read that right. JHS has taken the ubiquitous Boss DS-1 and made some crazy mods to it. And then they asked Mike Hermans – one of the top demo guys – to show what this thing can do.
It starts out with an upgraded drive circuit, complete with a three-way toggle switch for different clipping types. That alone would be a great mod in its own right.
Then, they added 3 different synth circuits that you can switch in and out independently … just in case you’re bored with overdrive sounds. Or you just want something that’s batshit 🙂
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a supportive comment if you enjoyed Mike’s video.
Sam Coulson has posted a short video, showing us the rig he’s using when he’s giving guitar clinics this year.
He’s running a modded Charvel into a Helix, out to the Yamaha THR-100HD. The Yamaha’s setup as a clean platform for the Helix. It’s a simple rig that looks very easy to load in and out without a lot of effort.
I’ve got the Yamaha THR-100HD myself, and for a couple of years it was my main practice amp. It takes pedals better than any other modelling amp did at the time. You can run two amps at once out into different cabs, and that gives you a taste of that two-amp blended tone thing.
My main complaint with the THR-100HD is that it felt like Yamaha abandoned it to a large extent. It’s been a couple of years since the last firmware update, and they haven’t added any new models – or improved the existing ones – since launch. It’s become a very much take-it-or-leave-it amp.
But – unlike some modelling amps – you can use it as an amp, without hooking it up to a computer. Which means that they’ll continue to be usable long into the future.
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a supportive comment if you enjoyed Sam’s video.
Pete Thorn has posted his demo of Fender’s 2018 Pedal range. If you want to hear what they sound like together in a mix, this is the demo for you.
Rather than go through every single tone the pedals offer, he breaks down a complete song, showing what he used for each part – and letting us hear them soloed out.
I love the tones Pete gets from the Santa Ana Overdrive in this video. I’ve already got the Pugilist, and it sounds great with a Tele. The Santa Ana with humbuckers … that’s a sound that I do have a need for. Not too long until pay day 🙂
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a supportive comment if you enjoyed Pete’s video.
Burgs has posted a demo of Mad Professor’s new Kosmos reverb pedal.
The Kosmos is a mono pedal, featuring 11 different reverb models in a standard-sized pedal format. It also has a freeze feature – just hold down the foot switch to keep the reverb going until you lift off again.
These mono pedals are great for running straight into a clean amp, or in the effects loop of an amp – especially if the amp doesn’t have a built-in reverb of its own.
Mad Professor is one of those pedal brands that most players haven’t heard of. I’ve been using their pedals for years, and I’ve normally got several of them on my main board at any one time. (My pedal cupboard has plenty of them too, waiting to fight their way back onto the board.) Not only do they sound great, they have the lowest noise floors around and lots of input headroom – perfect for stacking.
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a supportive comment if you enjoyed Burg’s video.
Danish Pete from Andertons (and before that, from demoing Mesa Boogie gear) has his own YouTube channel – and he’s just uploaded a demo of the new hand built Mudhoney from T-Rex.
He’s a phenomenal player. Give him a looper and an overdrive, and he’ll entertain for hours. This video is no exception.
There’s a really cool story behind this video. Pete had #4 of the original Mudhoney run, and he let T-Rex have it for their museum cabinet. Turns out that they took it apart, and used it as the basis for this new handbuilt series of Mudhoney pedals. So Pete’s in effect demoing a recreation of his old Pedal here.
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed Pete’s video. And maybe hit that subscribe button too while you’re there?
Shane’s posted another of his Donner “amp in a box” pedal demos. This time, he’s looking at the Black Devil, which emulates the Peavey 6505 amp.
I’ve never played a real 6505, so I’ve no idea whether or not this pedal comes close. It does have a thick and saturated tone, which might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a supportive comment if you enjoyed Shane’s video.
Chris Buck – sporting his new pirate look – has posted a vlog answering some questions he’s had about the King of Tone pedal.
He’s had a much happier time with the KoT to date than I’ve had, it’s fair to say. And it certainly sounds fantastic in his hands on this video.
Last year, I listed the KoT amongst my top 3 disappointing buys of 2017. I’ve still got it. (I’ve still got all 3 things that made the list, in fact.) I need to try it through my new amp setup first before deciding whether to move it on or not.
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a supportive comment if you enjoyed Chris’ video.
The folks over at Guitarist Magazine have posted an interview with Ariel Posen, whom some of you might have come across from the Andertons videos or That Pedal Show.
Man, they did a great job recording the audio on this one. It’s such a rich tone, with plenty of body captured without it sounding muddy at all.
I’m going to go and play it again with my eyes closed, just to enjoy that glorious sound once more.
Oh yeah, there’s a bunch of great pedals featured too in the video. I’m far too busy just listening to that tone to list them out here for you though, sorry!
Please head over to YouTube to leave a like and a supportive comment if you enjoyed Guitarist Magazine’s video.
Earlier today, I had the opportunity to play the new Fender Santa Ana Overdrive for myself. AStrings’ recent demo had left me unsure what this pedal actually was, so I thought I’d go and find out for myself.
And I’m glad that I did.
I ran the Santa Ana into the vibrato channel of a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue (DRRI). I went for that amp partly because it’s the clean tone that I’m into right now, and partly because I know that particular DRRI is a very sweet-sounding amp. (If only I had the space for it, it would have come home with me a long time ago!)
For guitars, I used two very different beasts: a single-cut PRS 594, and a certain green Fender Special Telecaster. I’m not sure how I managed to leave the store without the Telecaster …
I haven’t come across another drive pedal that sounds quite like the Santa Ana Overdrive does. To my ears, it does offer something different.
I really liked how it sounded through the DRRI. Roll back the treble and presence a bit, wind up the drive and mids, and there’s a really sweet creamy lead tone there. Roll back the volume on the guitar, and you’re in ZZ-Top-ish Texas tones for rhythm.
There’s a softness to the initial attack that I particularly liked. Along with the pedal’s natural compression, it certainly made me sound a lot more fluid than I really am! I really enjoyed how it tamed the natural spikiness of the Tele’s bridge pickup. I had a hard job handing the Tele back after that 🙂
You can hear an example of what I mean in the jam at the end of this video:
The jam starts just after the 32 minute mark. The tone that Danish Pete gets out his Les Paul is very similar to what I was getting myself today.
Also, check out the earlier jam around the 25 minute mark. Very impressed with how well the Pugulist Distortion pedal worked over the top of the Santa Ana Overdrive in that.
Other thoughts …
The light-up knobs aren’t a gimmick. Even in a well-lit shop, I found they made it quicker to see how the pedal was dialled in. I wonder if we’ll see them catch on with other brands.
The two voices were different, but not drastically so. A bit like how a Tweed is different to a Deluxe, I guess. One was a bit more in your face than the other. Both were very usable.
The boost/extra drive circuit doesn’t change the tone at all. It’s just either a volume gain or increased saturation. I’m not sure that I’d make any use of it personally. I’m more inclined to either ride the volume knob of my guitar, or kick on a second pedal to change the tone.
It’s an interesting pedal, and I’m sure I’ll be picking one up at some point.
