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xxmartinxx « Can be $30 well spent, or $30 wasted »
Published on 08/03/11 at 15:46- Output knob (aka volume)
- Tone knob
- Gain knob
- Internal voicing switch
- LED
- External 9 volt power connection
- Internal 9 volt battery connection
UTILIZATION
It really does not get much simple than this. The Output knob is your volume, the gain knob controls the amount of gain, and the tone knob control the equalization of the signal. Turning it up gets brighter tones, turning it down gets you darker tones.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal basically sounds like juiced up Tube Screamer. I have found that with some amps it sounds phenomenal and on other amps it sounded dismal. All of the amps I have tried it on were tube amps. I'm not sure what causes the huge disparity in tonal quality other than the preamp design.
It has a fair amount of gain on tap. When mated with an amp the pedal likes the EQ knob is quite useful. When mated with an amp it does not like, it goes from bad to worse. Similar problems occur with the signal volume.
There is a switch inside the pedal that changes the overall voicing of the pedal. Based on the clips I've heard, it's not a huge change but it requires you to take the entire thing apart (unscrew the knobs and pots) which I haven't gotten around to doing yet. A lot of people have been modding them with an external switch.
OVERALL OPINION
MXR sold these pedals on a limited basis through Guitar Center only. Then Guitar Center ending up blowing them out at $30. It's a steal for $30 and worth the gamble to see if it will create magic with your amp. The prices on the aftermarket are starting to creep up to around $100 and at that price; I don't think it’s that good of a deal. There are things around that price that will sound much better and probably do so more consistently.
- Tone knob
- Gain knob
- Internal voicing switch
- LED
- External 9 volt power connection
- Internal 9 volt battery connection
UTILIZATION
It really does not get much simple than this. The Output knob is your volume, the gain knob controls the amount of gain, and the tone knob control the equalization of the signal. Turning it up gets brighter tones, turning it down gets you darker tones.
SOUND QUALITY
This pedal basically sounds like juiced up Tube Screamer. I have found that with some amps it sounds phenomenal and on other amps it sounded dismal. All of the amps I have tried it on were tube amps. I'm not sure what causes the huge disparity in tonal quality other than the preamp design.
It has a fair amount of gain on tap. When mated with an amp the pedal likes the EQ knob is quite useful. When mated with an amp it does not like, it goes from bad to worse. Similar problems occur with the signal volume.
There is a switch inside the pedal that changes the overall voicing of the pedal. Based on the clips I've heard, it's not a huge change but it requires you to take the entire thing apart (unscrew the knobs and pots) which I haven't gotten around to doing yet. A lot of people have been modding them with an external switch.
OVERALL OPINION
MXR sold these pedals on a limited basis through Guitar Center only. Then Guitar Center ending up blowing them out at $30. It's a steal for $30 and worth the gamble to see if it will create magic with your amp. The prices on the aftermarket are starting to creep up to around $100 and at that price; I don't think it’s that good of a deal. There are things around that price that will sound much better and probably do so more consistently.