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xxmartinxx « Third time not quite the charm. »
Published on 08/03/11 at 16:58- Volume knob
- Gain knob
- Bass knob
- Treble knob
- LED
- External 9 volt power connection
- Internal 9 volt battery connection
UTILIZATION
This pedal can be used in a few ways. You can use it as a clean boost (it's likely intention). You can use it as an EQ (albeit a limited one). Or you can use it as a light overdrive pedal. I prefer to use it as an overdrive pedal, not to say it does not work well in those other functions, I just don't need those.
To use it as an overdrive, as you might suspect, you crank the gain and keep the volume knob around 9:00 (EQ to suit your gear). To use it to EQ, set the volume and gain levels at a point where they don't affect the volume of the amp and EQ to taste. To use it as a clean boost, pretty much do the opposite of how to use it as an overdrive.
SOUND QUALITY
I used to own a Fatboost V1 that was stolen many years ago. I bought this because I figured it had two EQ knobs (where as the old one just had a single "tone" knob), so that would make it more functional. That's on paper. Reality bares a different result.
The V1 of the pedal worked well with all amps I tried it with. The latest pedal, not so much. It tends to create metallic sounding overtones that are rather unpleasant. I don't recall this issue with the V1. You can turn down the treble, but it goes from metallic to dull without anything in between. There also seems to be a LOT more bass frequencies in this pedal. Almost too much with humbuckers.
If you find a guitar/amp combination this pedal works with, it's magical. If you don't get magic you get painful clanging.
OVERALL OPINION
I'm not sure why Fulltone messed with the perfection that was the first pedal. Maybe they just wanted to update it (now twice). Maybe Mike Fuller wanted to give people a reason to buy a new pedal? Who knows. All I know is I want my original Fatboost back!
- Gain knob
- Bass knob
- Treble knob
- LED
- External 9 volt power connection
- Internal 9 volt battery connection
UTILIZATION
This pedal can be used in a few ways. You can use it as a clean boost (it's likely intention). You can use it as an EQ (albeit a limited one). Or you can use it as a light overdrive pedal. I prefer to use it as an overdrive pedal, not to say it does not work well in those other functions, I just don't need those.
To use it as an overdrive, as you might suspect, you crank the gain and keep the volume knob around 9:00 (EQ to suit your gear). To use it to EQ, set the volume and gain levels at a point where they don't affect the volume of the amp and EQ to taste. To use it as a clean boost, pretty much do the opposite of how to use it as an overdrive.
SOUND QUALITY
I used to own a Fatboost V1 that was stolen many years ago. I bought this because I figured it had two EQ knobs (where as the old one just had a single "tone" knob), so that would make it more functional. That's on paper. Reality bares a different result.
The V1 of the pedal worked well with all amps I tried it with. The latest pedal, not so much. It tends to create metallic sounding overtones that are rather unpleasant. I don't recall this issue with the V1. You can turn down the treble, but it goes from metallic to dull without anything in between. There also seems to be a LOT more bass frequencies in this pedal. Almost too much with humbuckers.
If you find a guitar/amp combination this pedal works with, it's magical. If you don't get magic you get painful clanging.
OVERALL OPINION
I'm not sure why Fulltone messed with the perfection that was the first pedal. Maybe they just wanted to update it (now twice). Maybe Mike Fuller wanted to give people a reason to buy a new pedal? Who knows. All I know is I want my original Fatboost back!