View other reviews for this product:
Audiofanzine FR
Published on 03/09/09 at 06:23
(Originally written by poufinou/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
The Super Duper 2 in 1 is a preamplifier pedal. It provides the sound of the Super Hard On (SHO). But it's two SHO in series.
The goal of a preamplifier pedal is to boost the signal without coloring it or altering it. It brings more punch to weak signals.
Usual ZVex high-grade construction. Hand-made and hand-painted (including the autograph of the artist, Jason Mylord, and Zack Vex).
Impeccable original finish (and more so if you find a custom finish).
Powered with a 9-volt battery (unscrew the bottom side to get to it). No PSU operation.
Input/output, volume and gain controls for the first SHO and gain control for the second one. Two footswitches for independent control of each SHO.
It's sold with an original cloth bag.
Everything gives away its quality as a handcrafted product.
UTILIZATION
Very easy: just plug in and turn the three controls. It's difficult to find an easier tool.
- Is it easy to get the right sound?
If case you don't know ZVex, every product is a bit special. Turn the controls until you get the sound you like. So yes you get a good sound but not necessarily the sound you were looking for!!! Very intuitive (but not logic).
The user's manual is as original as the product. It's very funny (but useful too).
The only con is the battery. No PSU operation is possible and the housing must be unscrewed to get to the battery!! But it gives you the opportunity to look inside the beast!!
I give it 9/10 because of this non-ecological aspect...
SOUND QUALITY
With only one SHO and a low drive setting, the boost is fully transparent and it brings to life low output pickups.
The sound becomes progressively dirty when you turn the gain up and it ends up being quite saturated.
Note: when you change the drive setting you can hear a crackle noise. Zack mentions several times that it's normal. It's funny but in the beginning lots of people returned their pedals because of this noise!!
The second SHO provides a second booster for a fatter distortion sound.
As a summary, you get two boosters or even three different gain stages.
This pedal is ideal for all vintage amps and guitars.
OVERALL OPINION
If you have a guitar with low output level pickups (a Danelectro for example) or a vintage amp without master volume control (a Fender from the 50's for example),
this pedal will enhance your guitar's signal and it will add a distortion channel to your tube amp without coloring or altering THE precious sound of your guitar+amp combination. It also allows you to add three channels to your single-channel amp.
Handcrafted, high-quality and very original pedal.
The price?? Don't speak about money when you talk art!
The Super Duper 2 in 1 is a preamplifier pedal. It provides the sound of the Super Hard On (SHO). But it's two SHO in series.
The goal of a preamplifier pedal is to boost the signal without coloring it or altering it. It brings more punch to weak signals.
Usual ZVex high-grade construction. Hand-made and hand-painted (including the autograph of the artist, Jason Mylord, and Zack Vex).
Impeccable original finish (and more so if you find a custom finish).
Powered with a 9-volt battery (unscrew the bottom side to get to it). No PSU operation.
Input/output, volume and gain controls for the first SHO and gain control for the second one. Two footswitches for independent control of each SHO.
It's sold with an original cloth bag.
Everything gives away its quality as a handcrafted product.
UTILIZATION
Very easy: just plug in and turn the three controls. It's difficult to find an easier tool.
- Is it easy to get the right sound?
If case you don't know ZVex, every product is a bit special. Turn the controls until you get the sound you like. So yes you get a good sound but not necessarily the sound you were looking for!!! Very intuitive (but not logic).
The user's manual is as original as the product. It's very funny (but useful too).
The only con is the battery. No PSU operation is possible and the housing must be unscrewed to get to the battery!! But it gives you the opportunity to look inside the beast!!
I give it 9/10 because of this non-ecological aspect...
SOUND QUALITY
With only one SHO and a low drive setting, the boost is fully transparent and it brings to life low output pickups.
The sound becomes progressively dirty when you turn the gain up and it ends up being quite saturated.
Note: when you change the drive setting you can hear a crackle noise. Zack mentions several times that it's normal. It's funny but in the beginning lots of people returned their pedals because of this noise!!
The second SHO provides a second booster for a fatter distortion sound.
As a summary, you get two boosters or even three different gain stages.
This pedal is ideal for all vintage amps and guitars.
OVERALL OPINION
If you have a guitar with low output level pickups (a Danelectro for example) or a vintage amp without master volume control (a Fender from the 50's for example),
this pedal will enhance your guitar's signal and it will add a distortion channel to your tube amp without coloring or altering THE precious sound of your guitar+amp combination. It also allows you to add three channels to your single-channel amp.
Handcrafted, high-quality and very original pedal.
The price?? Don't speak about money when you talk art!