Radial Engineering Bones London

The Bones London dual distortion is a pedal modeled after a British half stack that has plenty of options: two independent channel volumes, a drive knob, low and high eq knobs and two 3 position switches to control upper and lower mids. There are also two footswitches, bypass to turn the pedal on and off and toggle to select between the two “channels”. Bright leds to indicate which “channel” is on. It is said to be true bypass.

UTILIZATION

The pedal does come with a manual that’s easy to read and understand how to dial the tones in. The use couldn’t really be easier: just select the amount of drive you wish and eq it with the Kick and Bite switches to your liking, fine tune it with the high and low knobs, then set one volume for your rhythm and the other for your lead and let it rip! The second drive is rich with mids and will jump out with ease.

SOUND QUALITY

I use this pedal to drive the front of a clean Marshall plexi type of amp (a Dutch 70’s clone by the name of London City). In bypass my sound is exactly as the amp sounds clean. When turned on it’s pure tonal bliss! I use the first drive as my rhythm and the second for leads. The Bones can be dialed very close if not exactly to sound like a hot-rodded Plexi or JCM (Brown sound anyone?!). Switching to drive 2 results in increased mids with the drive still in tact, so the leads will jump out nicely. The pedal pulls through quite well even in the upper register of my guitar, it doesn’t “sag” like many distortion pedals do when you play around the 12th-14th fret. The only minor flaw is that the mids in drive 2 can’t be tweaked by the user.

OVERALL OPINION

I was looking for a pedal to solve my problem with solo boost and found the Radial Bones London for sale at the musicians’ forum I frequent here. The main thing that sold me was the two independent channel volumes. I thought to myself that I’d give it a go, use it as a booster to drive my amp over the edge to the eighties hard rock sound and use the other volume as my lead tone. Well, it sure delivered! The Bones has plenty of gain / distortion to do that and more. Now I basically have a three channel amp: 1 bypass - 2 drive 1 - 3 drive 2. No need to mod my amp anymore, I just plug in the Bones and I'm set!

Radial Engineering have come up with an awesome pedal here, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who’s looking for that British hot-rodded tone in a compact and affordable format.

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UTILIZATION

The configuration takes a little time to adjust but when the brand is fast enough is known.
I had the Plexi, his big sister with a lamp, but lack of space on my PB I went on this smaller size.
Like all books that remained in the box impossible to comment.
I had the Plexi, his big sister with a lamp, but lack of space on my PB I went to this format

SOUND QUALITY

I use this pedal with a redline Godin and amp FXamps Litle Clean, also note that I alliment this one 12v. Has 2 distortion pedal most of the time the sound one for the rhythm and sound for 2 solo (very handy with separate volumes) but I use it more like a pedal with two separate distortion even if the sound is very close .
With a view to adjusting the gain is 1/3.
The sound has more than one grain, it is perfect for punchy rhythmic contrast to the two that I use for more calmer rhythm.
For solos I couple with OD and then I have a huge gain that can make good solo that spot. Preferably hold me on his expense but two songs.

OVERALL OPINION

I have over 3 months now and I do not regret her big sister, I even prefer this little pedal to the plexi. The sound is clear and is more precise.
The sound is still typed is not going anywhere but to rock - hard rock pedal that works wonders and when I pair with my OD I want to push her more.
I would do this choice without hesitation.

Already seen. I said that the switch "Bite" varies the frequency response curve: less acute below; flat in the middle, lower than the top.
The switch "Kick" adds low mids.
Very nice workmanship.
Gain for each channel, it would still be really good ....

UTILIZATION

Seen from above, it sounds simple but we use a lot of possibilities to sculpt the sound, changes the "Bite" are complementary to the bass and treble knobs. If we add the boost low mids and two different colors for each channel, one realizes that there are ways to properly take the cabbage if you want to nitpick.
The EQ is very effective. Besides, if we put the switches at the bottom (Hi-cut and no boost) and you put the EQ on the left, the maximum output level is borderline low.
The rate of gain goes from almost clear to many, if not too much because it gets really rough spent the last third.
The build quality makes handling very nice. The jacks are frank, the knobs are nicely restrained, and it is beautiful.

SOUND QUALITY

Given the settings, this pedal will fit many amps (tested on Laboga, Peavey Classic, Mesa Studio, Bugera, I know that Fender tube .... Always with satisfaction).
For me the sound is in the spirit of the pedals, Marshall Guv'nor or Schredmaster 1 and 2 (I own or have owned) mediums characteristics of the brand, a good graouh families, although rock. Except that the sound has more presence here and the settings go much further. In short, it's more modern and successful.
I use it exclusively on the clean channel, I find its use in overdrive channel is not saturated with terrible loss of definition and bandwidth.
In fact, this pedal is very similar to a Guv'nor, with more of everything: more gain, more reserved bass and treble.

OVERALL OPINION

It is permanently embedded in my pedalboard in addition to my amp. Its role is to suggest a color "Marshall" when the song asks, and she did it beautifully, with a strong personality.
Very good integration in the mixes.
If you want to add a channel JCM your config, it's a very valid option.
The price is justified in view of sound quality and manufacturing.
A year later, I confirm.

Distortion pedal, two channels (one for rhythm, one for solos (in theory) in any case it is very practical boost free) with a common drive to two channels (the only default and c ' is frankly not a concern, I will explain later) a low and high EQ, EQ very sufficient one gets a nice range of sounds that stay on in the shade of this lovely pedal. As charming as the opinion of "zero-kill", I confirm, it's quality, good workmanship, solid buttons, Radial does not really make fun of us ... I look to other brands and I say that there are no pictures.
No coloration of the sound when turned off, and a beautiful color when activated, it's perfect.

UTILIZATION

The configuration is simple, effective EQ, the drive reacts very well on the manual, I liked a thorough description for the buttons "Bite" and "Kick" but it's a good looking details just 2 minutes you know on which position they prefer. What is really, really well but then, the LEVEL is independent for each channel. It provides many opportunities for solo or riff boost etc ...
There is nothing to blame on this point.

SOUND QUALITY

Here people come into the heart of the matter ... I can confirm everything that was written "zero kill" ... I would say even more is WWWOOOAAAHHH. The 2 channels each have their strengths Sonnora so choose become a dilemma. Channel 1 is more at ease on the rhythm while the 2 shines more on the solos, with its additions of mediums Audible is the slap on my config is soft and creamy hot soup as desired .. . for those who like dry solos (at Kirk Hammett eventually) channel 1 allows very good.
It is a Bristish tone, tell the truth I think we are on the Marshall plexi typed a bit with bass and treble adjusted assets that send without being garish. This distortion is not dribbling, rather straight, but it breathes, it is not on his arch-compressed, or choked ... well spring grain.
I do not hide it will give its full potential on a tube amp, it is a treat. After, at the time, I had a Marshall MG 100 DFX (wholesale bof arch), well this unit has managed to do sound good (in the limit of a transistor amp of course, but is not ringing easy for a GM).
I do not advise the metal or extreme music because it is not his field, drop D is good, but drop C minus.
Finally quality Audible, I can say it is punchy, the dynamic is very good (for a disto), nice grain on both channels.
I put a 9 for the 2 channels, one is on good quality Audible, and a feeling for the client (we) saw its expectations met, Radial is a trademark honest and we prove it.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 2 years, I have already a few steps back (and yet I still packaged as 2 years ago is crazy), I plugged four months on a transistor amplifier, and the rest on a tube amp, and there are no pictures on a tube amp, you do not blush before the material 2000euros.
I'm a pretty critical, but here I confess, it is my criticism to rest.
I tried other models, and I would not trade any other cons pédale.Je prefer to buy another to complete my set of sounds rather than sell it, it is peculiar, we must try to understand.
The pros: The sound, grain, 2 channel, its versatility in the register saturated (but not metal), its heat.

The -: we can talk about the common drive 2 channels, but no, this pedal is already very complete and very good, a second drive would be a whim because we cope very well without.

The value for money is good insofar as it is true that it is hard to spend 150 euros (but in the world of instruments is not ruined), but the key is that the material is really both finish by its sound qualities, then the password pillulle better (I have evidence for a radial recurrence texas overdrive, exellent too).
I would do this choice, I still have not managed to get tired (while as a guitarist as any guitarist, it tends to get used to its sound and a bit tiring, always look for other items améliorerer could this sound) when I use it all the time, but we do not get tired of it, it's probably because it is not just a gadget in a pedalboard, this is a true identity sound that marks the eardrums, a sound that is not exhausted in 2 years.