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mooseherman
Published on 02/08/10 at 17:39
This is your basic analog distortion pedal. This is one of the finer pedals Ibanez has made. It's sort of comparable with the Tube Screamer by Ibanez, and in fact it could be considered a ripoff of that pedal. This effect is traditional, just the 1/4" ins and outs, and the basic 9V AC Adaptor plug in. There's no midi connections or USBs, and it's not rackable.
UTILIZATION
The effects editing on this is simple, There's three knobs, Gain, Tone and Level. The setup is pretty simple, just plug it in and go. The manual is very short, and almost unnecessary.
SOUND QUALITY
I have used this with a Les Paul and a Strat. I mainly wanted to compare this pedal to the tube screamer, which will run you about $400 more than the Maxon. I think that the difference is notable, but not really that drastic. The sound in both pedals is basically a smooth, melodic overdrive. It can give some of your open chords and rock riffs some extra kick without getting too crunchy. It isn't going to give you the most heavy low-end crunch out there, but that's not really the point. Cranking the gain gives your leads a soaring, powerful tone that will give every note you play more of an edge and a warmth. The one crucial difference between the Ibanez and the Maxon was brightness; the Maxon was brighter, but the Tube Screamer was warmer. I think they are both so similar and good in their own right that it's a matter of taste, and I had a difficult time deciding which one was better. I ultimately went with the Tube Screamer, but it was tough to deny how good this pedal is.
OVERALL OPINION
The main appeal that this pedal has over the tube screamer is the price; its far cheaper than an original and arguably just as good. The sound quality is great for some rhythm sounds and great leads. It's certainly a pedal I'd recommend to anyone who plays similarly to me.
UTILIZATION
The effects editing on this is simple, There's three knobs, Gain, Tone and Level. The setup is pretty simple, just plug it in and go. The manual is very short, and almost unnecessary.
SOUND QUALITY
I have used this with a Les Paul and a Strat. I mainly wanted to compare this pedal to the tube screamer, which will run you about $400 more than the Maxon. I think that the difference is notable, but not really that drastic. The sound in both pedals is basically a smooth, melodic overdrive. It can give some of your open chords and rock riffs some extra kick without getting too crunchy. It isn't going to give you the most heavy low-end crunch out there, but that's not really the point. Cranking the gain gives your leads a soaring, powerful tone that will give every note you play more of an edge and a warmth. The one crucial difference between the Ibanez and the Maxon was brightness; the Maxon was brighter, but the Tube Screamer was warmer. I think they are both so similar and good in their own right that it's a matter of taste, and I had a difficult time deciding which one was better. I ultimately went with the Tube Screamer, but it was tough to deny how good this pedal is.
OVERALL OPINION
The main appeal that this pedal has over the tube screamer is the price; its far cheaper than an original and arguably just as good. The sound quality is great for some rhythm sounds and great leads. It's certainly a pedal I'd recommend to anyone who plays similarly to me.