First Impressions – Page 8 – HomeToneBlog.com

16th October 2021

First Impressions: Seymour Duncan Antiquity Tele Bridge Pickup

This photo shows the Seymour Duncan Antiquity Tele bridge pickup, fitted to my Squier Esquire known as The Squirrel.

We can see that the pickup has six flat pole pieces (ie no raised pickup poles at all), in a black bobbin.

The pickup has been distressed to make it look old. So have the screws that came with the pickup. — The Seymour Duncan Antiquity Tele bridge pickup fitted to The Squirrel.

I recently bought a new bridge pickup for one of my cheap-and-cheerful Esquire guitars.

How did I get on with it? Read on for my First Impressions.

13th September 202111th September 2021

First Impressions: Mad Professor Super Black Pedal (Straight Into A Power Amp)

It’s not every pedal that gets not one, but two First Impressions posts here on the HomeToneBlog. In fact, I believe this is the first one that I’ve done this for.

How does the Mad Professor Super Black preamp pedal sound, when I run it straight into a power amp? Let’s find out.

11th September 2021

First Impressions: Mad Professor Super Black Preamp Pedal (Into The Front Of An Amp)

This photo shows a top-down view of the Mad Professor Super Black pedal.

The pedal is rectangular; slightly taller than it is wide.

There are two rows of control knobs. Each row has four knobs.

The top row says: "Bass", "Middle", "Treble" and "Gain". These are all in white lettering.

The bottom row says "Volume" and "Presence" in white lettering. Then there are "Volume" and "Drive" in orange lettering.

Below these controls, there are two toggle switches. The switch on the left says 'Bass Cut' in white lettering. The switch on the right says 'Compression' in white lettering.

There are two footswitches on this pedal. The foot switch on the left says 'ON/OFF' in white lettering. The foot switch on the right says 'ON/OFF' in orange lettering.

The controls in white lettering control the blackface side of the pedal. The controls in orange lettering control the Sweet Honey Overdrive side of the pedal.

Finally, we can see that this pedal has side jacks. The 'IN' jack is on the right of the pedal, and the 'OUT' jack is on the left of the pedal. — Mad Professor’s Super Black Preamp Pedal

I recently managed to tear myself away from my beloved Tweed Deluxe amp long enough to snag a second-hand Super Black pedal. And I swear that I didn’t realise this is (partially!) a tweed pedal when I bought it!

16th August 202114th August 2021

First Impressions: Vox’s GIULIETTA VGA-3PS Guitar

You probably haven’t heard of this guitar. We certainly hadn’t. But once we’d tried one, we were sold.

This is an official product photo of Vox's Giulietta guitar.

It's a top-down view of an archtop guitar, in a natural finish. There are f-holes on either side of the top, a floating bridge, and black pick guard.

No pickups are visible. — Vox’s new archtop guitar, the Giulietta. Official product photo.

30th July 202127th July 2021

First Impression: Bearfoot FX Emerald Green Overdrive Pedal

The photo is a top-down view of the Bearfoot FX Emerald Green OD guitar effects pedal.

Input and output jacks can be seen on the right and left side of the pedal casing, respectively. The power input jack can be seen on the right hand side, just below the input jack.

On top of the pedal, there are four black control knobs. Clockwise from the top left, these are labelled Volume, Drive, Treble and Voice. — The Bearfoot FX Emerald Green Overdrive pedal.

I recently picked up another Bearfoot FX pedal: the Emerald Green OD. Read on for my first impressions.

29th July 202127th July 2021

First Impressions: Fryette Power Station PS-100

My new Tweed Deluxe amp is a bit of a dream come true. Being a vintage amp circuit, it’s also a bit too loud for regular use at home. If I’m going to enjoy it, I need a way to turn it down.

My tool of choice for the job? Fryette’s Power Station PS-100. Why did I pick this over the considerable competition? And does it actually do the job? Read on for my research notes and First Impressions.

28th July 202126th July 2021

First Impressions: B&G Little Sister P90 Crossroads

Earlier this month, I took a trip up to Birmingham to try out a couple of B&G Little Sister P90 Crossroads guitars. I liked them so much, I brought one home with me and named it Merrang! (The exclamation mark is part of the name.)

Why did I get it, and what is it for? Read on for my First Impressions.

27th July 202125th July 2021

First Impressions: Fender 57 Custom Deluxe Amp

I’ve finally done it. I’ve gone and bought an actual 5e3 circuit tweed amp. I wasn’t planning on getting one, but when a different planned purchase didn’t happen, I went for it. And then, by an amazing stroke of luck, the amp arrived months earlier than expected – right when I’ve got a short break from work between jobs.

This is going to be one of the longer First Impression posts. I’ve got a lot of notes to share with you, even though I’ve only had the amp a couple of days.

2nd July 20211st July 2021

First Impressions: The MXR Sugar Drive

This photo shows three guitar effects pedals on my pedal board.

On the left is the Sweet Honey Overdrive pedal. In the middle is the MXR Sugar Drive (the subject of this blog post). On the right, a somewhat dusty Klon KTR. — The MXR Sugar Drive, sat between the Klon KTR and my beloved Sweet Honey Overdrive.

Back in June, I picked up an MXR Sugar Drive. How does this mini Klon klone compare to the real thing? And is it a cheaper alternative to any of the other klones that are in my collection?

26th April 202124th April 2021

First Impressions: Boss FDR-1 Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb Overdrive Pedal

I recently picked up another of the Boss Legend Series pedals: the FDR-1.

Is this dinosaur of a pedal a dud or a delight? As with its sister pedal the FBM-1, it all depends on what guitar you play … and what you want to use it for.