Black Arts Toneworks Tres Diablos Ruidosos

SOUND:
Black Arts Toneworks has been developing some of the heaviest sounding pedals imaginable, and Tres Diablos Ruidosos (Three Rowdy Devils) is no exception. Below is a YouTube video with various sound samples.



This pedal is not a one-trick pony. There are three volume/gain knobs that can provide a modest boost, a sizzling gain, a thick crunch, classic distortion and over-the-top fuzz with a bass rumble that screams Doom Metal. The three gainstage knobs each has its own drive/frequency, providing higher end and lower end output you are able to mix and match for dozens of tonal possibilities.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Encased in steel, the Tres Diablos Ruidosos has a metal foot switch for ‘on’ and ‘off.’ The volume/drive knobs are plastic and far enough removed from the foot switch that there shouldn’t be an issue of damage caused by stomping. The input and output are located in the back, as is the standard 9v power input… far from harm’s way.

You can achieve mild boosting to more classic crunch and distortion, all the way to the thickest and fattest fuzz I ever heard (apart from other Black Arts Toneworks pedals, I should add). Guaranteed you will spend hours tweaking and experimenting, and even be inspired to compose music that reflects Tres Diablos Ruidosos’ unique characteristics… it’s difficult not to crank out some heavy riffing with this pedal.

EASE OF USE:
This pedal is straight-forward, but the tonal variations are varied enough that it will take some getting used to, to find the tone you want, and certainly to discover tones you never thought possible with an array of drive, crunch, fuzz, etc. As well, each knob not only increases its own gain, but will increase volume. Consequently, backing off on the guitar’s volume may be required at times (since increasing one pedal knob will give a boost to the signal), but that’s part of the fun, since volume knob experimentation will help you discover even more tonal variations beyond what is possible just in the pedal. Uncomplicated in the general sense (three knobs), anyone into distortion and fuzz pedals with love the Tres Diablos Ruidosos, even if you’re using it primarily for some thick crunch. The only drawback is that it does not run off a battery… you need a power supply.