Throbak

Pretty simple. It's a fuzz od. What more needs to be said? UTILIZATION Pregain switch adds tons of gain, a bit too much with my setup, so I usually have it off. But it's nice to know it's there if needed. Attack knob adds gradual fuzz tone. I keep the Level know near full on. Frequency filter switch is useful for cutting off possible RF interference (radio stations, etc.), but I usually keep it off. The tone is scary. I call this the 'Jimmy Page in a box' pedal as this is the missing ingredient I've been looking for. SOUND QUALITY The sound quality is superb hats of to Jon. Not only does this nail the early zep sound and beck among others..But , it's not just for copying others tones it has sooo many possibilties. Flipping the pre gain switch off realy gives you a nice fat sound. As far as the color switch I dont have a treble problem so i dont use it. I use my tone knobs. real nice sparkle to growling fat fuzz is what this pedel gives me. Roll back the volume knob and it cleans up perfect. Sounds awsome with a slide too. I play a 2000 les paul classic (replaced 500T with a burstbucker3 in bridge), a 1994 epiphone les paul standard( '57 classic plus in bridge and modified bride so I can use a violin bow, lol), and a 1987 made in japan strat. thru the new vox V847A wah, Thru a 70's morley (tel-ray) pro phaser PFA foot pedal( look it up its cool vintage effect), thru the stone bender to a marshal TSL602. Sometimes I add my mxr blue box in the mix too. Also, since i live in a apartment I also run the effects to a pod 2.0 thru the effects loop ( sounds awsome especially on the plexi model ;) when i cant crack the amp itself. Its a little noisy when attack and level are all the way up, but, less noisy than any other od/distortion I have ever tried. And, does not get in the way of my sound and make my other effect noisy like my boss sd-1 did. Works great with my analog effects and the pod. Semms compatible with anything. I dont see any weaknesses with this unit. Notes sound better , bends everything. I never liked the sound i got just running through my amp w/o the pod. Now i love it with or w/o my pod. OVERALL OPINION This is a fantastic vintage/classic rock/garage rock revival pedal for fuzz and overdrive. Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Zep, The Who, The White Stripes, Guns 'N Roses, etc., it's there. It has complexity with great note definition. It's not really for metal and isn't meant to be. I've been playing almost 10 years and have become more and more a Jimmy Page fan over the years. Having listened intently to his playing in an attempt to emulate him (I definately have nailed his occassional sloppiness :), I'm convinced that this pedal is a must for that sound. I can't play without it now...the ProCo Rat, Rangemaster copy (Retroman Beano), and MXR Wylde Overdrive have all taken a back seat for now. It can be noisy but it's authentic and has all that mojo you'd expect from a pedal that speaks the sounds of those great years of early blues rock/hard rock.

This little unit is a very interesting take on classic overdrive with modern flexibility. If you are looking for something that will have vintage sounds and go all the way up to the fuzz distortion and even sizzling modern distortion then this is the pedal for you. It has so much versatility that is almost doesn't make sense how easily you can dial in tones from your favorite past rockers and new influences. The mini switch allows you to tighten up the low end for using Les Pauls or other humbucking style guitars. Switch the knob to the right it adds germanium chips to give it some warm compression and fat fuzz overtones. UTILIZATION Throbak Electronics Overdrive Boost Features: * Powder coated exterior. * 3 Carefully selected TO-18 metal can Silicon transistors, as used in the original circuit. * Externally switchable pre gain control with internal pot allowing you to dial in best pre gain for your guitar. * Switchable Germanium transistor and Germanium diode pair. * Bias adjustment for transistors ensuring a perfectly tuned pedal. * Master volume. * Gain, Bass and Treble adjustment. * Mallory M-150 polyester Capacitors. * 9 volt power jack. * True bypass switch. * Compact pedal design. SOUND QUALITY Try it with any guitar that tone gives you a very workable pallet to construct you lead and rhythm lines. You will hear distinct tones from old records and you can't help yourself play some riffs accordingly. I like this pedal with any guitar. Use a single coil guitar like a Fender Stratocaster or a Telecaster and keep the switch to the left. You will get some sweet classic rock tones from the 60's and 70's. Slap a Les Paul in front of it and switch the mini toggle to the right, crank up the gain and you will get some good fuzz distortion. OVERALL OPINION This is an instant classic pedal for me. It reminds me of all the old records I hear from the classic rock station on the radio. It is a very nostalgic sounding pedal for me. I almost want to hear more classic rock music to inspire me to play this unit. At new these pedals come in at around $260. Not too bad of a price but a little on the high side. if you are a fan of Jeff Beck or Marc Bolan then this is the pedal for you.

This is for all intents and purposes a clone of the old Dallas Rangemaster that's so popular and legendary. I'm surprised that no one else (to my knowledge) has made one besides Throbak. Perhaps it's too expensive to do under $200? I'm not sure. It has a bias adjustment knob and a voicing kind of switch. I'm not super familiar with the tech side of what Throbak did with this pedal. But it's hand wired and obviously a very well made pedal. Again, I'm sort of in shock that no one else has made something like this. You would think Rangemaster clones would be in bigger demand. UTILIZATION To my knowledge there isn't a manual and Throbak doesn't go into great detail on the functions but this pedal isn't hard to figure out if you just sit down with it for a second. I think most players will use it to get those classic sounds and won't bother with the odd tweaks you can do. Sure it's nice to have but personally I bought this because I wanted classic rangemaster sounds. SOUND QUALITY There's something magical about one of these through an AC30. On all the forums you hear people talking about OCD's and Hot Cakes and RC Boosters when AC30's get mentioned. I'm here to say that I've tried all those and they are fine, but the Strangemaster is a much cooler animal. It makes the AC30 sound MEAN. Treble booster is correct. It makes the amp snap and snarl. Not harsh, although if you like your bass this might not be the pedal to get. It really cuts all the mud out of the amp and gives it crunch. You have to hear it to know what I mean. OVERALL OPINION I think everyone who owns an AC30 should try one of these. Yeah they aren't cheap but a lot of AC30 guys I know don't care about price. I don't understand why this pedal seems to go largely ignored in gear circles while the same old same old overdrives keep getting play. For my money this is one of the best AC30 overdrives I've ever heard. The 70's guys did it right the first time. And thank god that Throbak is making this pedal, otherwise this classic pedal might not ever be available. I really feel like I'm doing a PSA with this review. Throbak deserves some kind of award for taking the effort to get this pedal made.