Ampeg Scrambler

Back in the day I was trying to sound like the Edge from U2. Somewhere I had read that he uses this unit on certain effect for different songs. So I decided to try it out. What it does is give an octave sounding fuzz tone to your guitar. It is very smooth in character and fuzzy as you dial up the gain.

This is a pedal that sounds its age. I doesn't sound modern at all and once you play it you can instantly figure out which artists used this on recordings back in the 60's and 70's. It has a vintage feel and quality even though this was a reissue pedal for this demo.

The layout as follows....

Texture and Balance knobs. and a 9v plug

The texture add that gain an fuzz to your tone while the balance really covers the unmodified sound. These two knobs though simple in design can do some interesting sounds when dialed in certain ways. I though that it wouldn't be that versatile with only being two knobs but I was wrong. Let me be clear, when this pedal is engaged it does octave fuzz and there is no way around that, but you can get interesting sounds when playing around with it and your guitar's volume.

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use with just two controls. The manual was sufficient and added necessary understanding a some basic user suggested settings. This is a unique pedal that has been cloned and sought after for many years for its unusual tones. It is a sound that you will use sparingly but can be fun when in the recording studio

SOUND QUALITY

For what it does it does it very well. I used it with a Les Paul and an Old Marshall JMP. I found myself playing more with it then actually playing the instrument. Under different circumstances I think I will write out riffs before engaging this pedal because I found myself so focus on playing around then actually playing the guitar. So that being said it did sound very good and unique.

I didn't get to try it with a bass since it was made by a bass amp manufacturer. This will be my next experiment. However, the octave fuzz made that guitar sing with a very cool sustain and effect.

OVERALL OPINION

Again for what it was designed for it does very well. It cannot be a normal everyday distortion pedal or first go to OD when playing in a band, but it will color your tone in a way that a normal amp or OD pedal will never do. I suggest using this pedal sparingly and within the right situation.

Given the chance to buy it again I would do it again because nothing really recreates this sound. There are clones...sure...and you can shell out $1000 for an original but the reissues sound almost identical to the old.

I would recommend this to any guitar player or even sound engineer who wants to add to his arsenal or collection. It will be a fun and exciting tool when added to existing riff or even maybe writing a riff or hook around the sound of this pedal with a little delay might just be what you need to get the creative juices flowing again.

The Ampeg Scrambler is a simple and interesting distortion pedal, with overall a pretty standard make up.<span> </span>The pedal has a ¼ inch input and output, and is powered by the power supply that is made for it (which I believe comes with it).<span> </span>


UTILIZATION

<p class="MsoNormal">Using the Ampeg Scrambler is cinch to use, as you’ve only got a few really basic parameters.<span> </span>The Scrambler has knobs for texture, which is like tone, and a balance, which is a simple volume parameter.<span> </span>There aren’t any parameters other than this, so I can’t imagine any users having trouble with this pedal at all, or needing to look a manual barring technical issues.<span> </span>

SOUND QUALITY

<p class="MsoNormal">While Ampeg isn’t exactly known for making pedals, the Scrambler is a pretty cool sounding distortion pedal.<span> </span>It is definitely suitable for both electric and bass guitar, but I’ve only used it in tandem with a Fender Strat and a ’76 Fender Twin Reverb.<span> </span>The sound that I’m able to get within this set up is definitely something that I like, although I wouldn’t use it in all situations where I would want distortion.<span> </span>I’ve only used the pedal when I’m looking for a real down and dirty distortion, as this isn’t a very transparent sounding pedal.<span> </span>I would describe it as more of a fuzz pedal than traditional distortion or overdrive.<span> </span>I can’t say that I would recommend this is as an all purpose or ‘go-to’ distortion pedals, but it sounds great in most situations and when used tastefully.

OVERALL OPINION

<p class="MsoNormal">While I’ve used the reissue of this pedal rather than the original, overall I’ve been very pleased with the pedal.<span> </span>It is more of a fuzz sound than anything else, and I can see how so many people like this pedal.<span> </span>The original goes for a lot of dough used, but the reissue is a lot more reasonable and has more or less the same configuration.<span> </span>I’ve you’re interested in vintage pedals or are simply looking for a great fuzz distortion.