sprucebringsteen's Activity

BK Butler's original hand made Tube Driver guitar pedal used by Eric Johnson, David Gilmour, Billy Gibbons, Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robbie Krieger, and many other pros.

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL DESIGN from BK Butler, NOT a reissue!

I've been continually hand-building and improving my Tube Driver quality since I created it in 1983. Used by Eric Johnson - for his famous 'violin tone', David Gilmour -his 'go to' pedal since the Division Bell album, ZZ Top - Billy Gibbons, Joe Satriani, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. This current production is actually BETTER than the first units because of superior parts. Note: My latest improvements include a new quiet, humbucking toroid transformer to eliminate AC hum and noise.

NOTE: I see some unauthorized 'Chandler' copycat clones for sale here on Reverb with separate 'wall wart' power supplies. Wisely avoid them as I get players requesting me to repair them quite often. There are NO spare parts available and they do NOT sound the same as my originals because Chandler made 2 gross errors in the circuitry when they tried to copy my original. NO pros use them!

The latest production JJ tubes sound fantastic. I hand select them carefully for no microphonics, great harmonics and tone!I've also just added a B+ adjustment trim-pot inside so you can dial in the overall gain you want. This is EXACTLY what all the pros are currently using. Joe Satriani recently got 2 of these and is very happy. -See the pics. Don't buy used, overpriced or abused used pedals or unauthorized 'Chandler copies' with wall warts!! This is the only place on Reverb to get a NEW ORIGINAL Tube Driver directly from BK Butler. Authentic and hand-made BK Butler Tube Driver. I personally designed it in 1983. I autograph each one also. NOTE: The primo 5-knob Bias upgrade is also available for $70 more: Just message me that you want to upgrade when you order. I'll answer and let you know how to upgrade.

This dual tone overdrive is designed to help you get the "most music from the least gear" and has Keith from five watt world's two favorite classic overdrive tones in a single compact pedal.

The B.U.S.S is derived from the circuits of the Burn Unit and the Direct Drive Super Sport. The "five watt world" edition uses these circuits to celebrate two historic tones; Eric Clapton's JTM-45 from the landmark "Beano" album, and those created by Alexander Dumble's Overdrive Special #39.

The left toggle: Switch to the left is the Super Sport mode, with a classic British and high-powered tweed sounds.

Switch to the right is Burn Unit mode. This is a louder and punchy setting that gives Dumble-like thickness to your bridge pickup (bucker or single coil) and can push a neck pickup to warm flute-like textures.

In addition there is a three way harmonics and dynamics switch that helps you adjust the pedal to match your guitar output and amplifier.

Get all these great tones in a single compact pedal...

David’s take: The Burn Unit has been a 27-year project to design and manufacture an analog circuit that can closely replicate the sounds of amplifiers producing different levels and textures of distortion, while keeping a simple, easy to understand control-set. The one amp that set the journey off more than any other was a Dumble ODS, which was in my studio for an extended stay. When the amp was at low volume levels the overdrive was not terribly inspiring, or distinct from other master volume amps, but when the amp could be played at loud club levels, it was fantastic. Since I had been able to spend time inside the chassis, I could see that the power amp was somewhat like Fender amps I had worked on, although it had some tweaks in the phase inverter and power supply. I also had the chance to look inside and play two other Dumble ODS amps that belonged to another friend, they were a little older and had Fender transformers. So, the average guitar player using a nice tube amp, might have something reasonably close to the output stage of the little known, but rather expensive ($5,000 at the time) Dumble. The preamp on the Dumble had some neat features like a “jazz/rock switch, I preferred “rock of course”, it seemed a lot of other ODS users did too when I saw them play live. This setting was most like a Fender blackface, although again with some tweaks. To sum it up, a Dumble is still a tube amp with lots in common with classic tube amps, the main thing being the difference between the distortion, voicing and texture that can be created in the overdrive section of the preamp. A pedal, when thoughtfully designed, can go a long way to reproducing this sound.

By 1998 I had started making pedals, I was selling Tone Pump overdrives and had good reviews. I thought I should revisit the ideas I had for my Burn Unit project. I had come up with a basic set of controls that could get a lot of textures from lot of amps. I thought it was just as important to emulate distortion from Fender Tweeds amps (large and small), blackface, vintage Marshalls along with that somewhat unknown Dumble ODS sound that I really liked. I never thought I could market a pedal that only created a Dumble sound since only serious guitar nerds knew what it was. I also liked some advantages that op-amps had, I could make complex chords sound clearer, you could actually play 5 note chords with a lot of sustain, where with a magic tube amp cranked you were lucky to get a 4-note chord to work well, usually leaving out the 5th, but that dom7#9 is still pretty cool!

I also wanted the Burn Unit to have a voicing that was complimentary to a guitar’s tone knob. I loved how Larry Carlton “rolled the tone knob back to 3” on Kid Charlemagne and other tunes, and Eric Johnson got that thousand-pound violin tone from rolling the tone knob way back, but with pedals, the voicing of the tone knob could be redundant and end up sounding compressed or heavily muted. When guitar players roll the tone knob back on the bridge pickup, you get to build the harmonics against the guitar’s fundamentals, instead of building harmonics on top of harmonics, which gets splashy sounding. The “tone knob trick” goes a long way to getting that detailed but soft distortion (read: no ice pick). You just set the Burn Unit (or amp) for plenty of harmonics/sustain and top, then roll back the tone knob on the guitar to get a fat balanced tone, all the experienced players know this trick.

The Dynamics knob (now a 3-way toggle) allows you to set the point a secondary compression/distortion kicks in. The Burn Unit has two clipping sections, each can be adjusted, much of the thinking here was, tube amps clip in at least two places, the preamp and the power amp, and often one handles more of the harmonics/texture than the other. The Burn Unit can achieve this between the Burn setting, and dynamics setting. In keeping with tradition, the compact Burn Unit has an internal bass trim pot, it’s set to work with neutral amps at our shop, so you may never need to touch it, but, if you like internal controls, and want to give it a twist, you can dial in the bass to match your own amp.

The Rumble MOD is Hao's ultimate overdrive pedal. This overdrive/booster pedal uses hand-selected components to provide the purest, smoothest, thickest overdrive ever. The problem with most OD pedals lies in mismatched input/output impedances that can make components work overtime. The Rumble stompbox's input and output buffers provide proper impedance matching, allowing its circuitry to focus purely on generating the fattest overdrive possible.

Rumble MOD creates a unique and highly musical overdrive effect. When a mini switch is set to "Boost" position, Rumble MOD functions as a booster and amplifies input signal so that a player can vary the signal strength with pick attack from crystal clean to crunchy overdrive. In "Drive" mode, depending upon setting of "Color" control, Rumble MOD generates from fat and silky to edgy and sizzling overdrive. This "Color" control works opposite of regular tone control and acts as a type of filter control on significant frequency ranges.

If you’re looking at this amplifier, you might feel it doesn’t need explanation. You’re probably right, the SSS 100 is THAT good, but humor us…. It took us YEARS and tens of thousands of USD to get access to this amplifier. But we did it. We all but sold our souls, but it was well worth it.

The Ceriatone SSS is a clone of a specific high volume, high power, high headroom clean amplifier. Who knew clean tones could have this much testosterone? We sure didn’t.

With all of the tonal options the SSS holds, we would be surprised if you couldn’t find a tone in this amp that you didn’t LOVE. And don’t be surprised when you engage the FET boost and start experiencing one of the better crunch tones of any “D” amplifier. Unlike some particular “SSS” amps, mortals can actually play the one we cloned without sounding like a chump.

The Welagen Steel String Singer provides the guitar player with glowing clean tones of exciting dimensions, reminiscent of the tones of Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Lindley, and John Mayer. The Welagen Steel String Singer is aimed at those looking for an amplifier that excels at huge singing reverberated clean tones. PRE AMPLIFIER

The preamp of the SSS features Normal and FET inputs, FET Volume, Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass and a Bright switch for bell-like highs, a Deep switch (or Mid switch) and a Rock/Jazz switch to select between two EQ’s. The cascading FET and NOR volumes allow for tweaking the sound from sparkly clean to crunchy compression, all with that characteristic SSS glow, punch and sustain. The SSS features the high and low step filters. These two 7-step filters allow fine-tuning the voice and response of the amplifier into 49 different settings. Lush 3-dimensional tube Reverb with maximum tonal control: The Send and Return Levels can be used to shape the response, length and depth of the reverb.

POWER SECTION

A high power, non break up power section allows for retaining the SSS preamp tonal qualities at all volumes.

Reverb switching is accessible via a footswitch. Passive effects loop allows for use of outboard effects. Compatibility with speaker cabinets is maximized via the Impedance select switch.

The Sebago Sound Texas Flood is based on an early silver face Dumble Steel String Singer model serial number #002 currently owned by a Grammy winning blues/pop artist John Mayer. The Texas Flood is the only amp on the market right now built using this circuit. This most special amp was previously owned by a Japanese luthier and owner of Fullmoon Guitars, who is also the authorized Sebago Sound distributor for Japan! The amp has 4x6L6 power tubes, a power amp cathode follower driver circuit, unique SSS reverb send and return mixer circuits, and the inductive high/low step filter circuits. The power amp driver circuit was originally found in Ampeg SVT Bass amps and gives this version of the SSS an incredible low end punch and enormous amount of headroom. The reverb is other-worldly, as is the rich second-order harmonic content (it's not really "distortion") the circuit produces gives this amp a special vibe. It is absolutely wonderful sounding, both by itself and wtih almost any pedal you put in front of it. Since the majority of the harmonic content is coming from the preamp, the amp has a very consistent feel and tone over a very wide volume range. From bedroom to stage levels you'll get a very warm, rich, singing tone that can be dialed from super clean to very warm and slightly overdriven. The tone and feel of this amp is not something that is easy to describe, it simply must be played to be understood.

While no two SSS amps are the same, they do share some important circuit topologies that give them their very special vibe, and this amp is no exception. There are circuit topologies in this amp that simply do not exist in any other guitar amplifier - multi-stage feedback loops, inductive step filters, and cathode follower mixer stages for the reverb/dry signal mixing. Our amp is a faithful reproduction of the real thing, based on very detailed information that is not widely known nor simple to reverse engineer. There are very few amps this close to the real thing, and none abailable at the price of the Sebago. Component selection and layout play a big part in the performance of a high powered tube amplifer, especially a "clean" amplifier. Poor components, substandard power and output transformers, inferior bypass caps and improper layout will cause an amp to be harsh, "fart out" when pushed, and lead to intermodulation distortion which will lead to ghost notes and make chords sound out of tune. They may sound fine at lower volumes and when playing single note lines, but for the type of heavy duty playing these amps were made for they will not hold up to the punishment. Don't be tempted by the lower price options out there, there is a big difference in performance that is worth paying a bit extra for.

Texas Flood

The layout of the Sebago Texas Flood amp is a bit different than the real thing. We wanted to keep the width the same as our Double Trouble heads so they would fit on top of the standard 1x12 and 2x12 speaker cabs, and not be too much trouble to transport. The original SSS amps were very wide and heavy and really only fit well on top of a 4x12 cabinet.

The original amp had two inputs, one "normal" input and one "FET" input. The normal input goes straight to the first tube gain stage. The FET input goes through a small "Field Effect Transistor" gain stage similar to a clean boost before hitting the first tube gain stage. This input works very well with the SSS amps if you want some extra overdrive from the preamp. The oringinal had the "volume" control for the FET input inside the amp, so it could not be adjusted on the fly. As an option we offer the FET control on a push-pull switch just above the input, and the FET volume/gain can be adjusted with this knob. It can also be switched on and off via a footswitch.

The Secret Weapon of the SSS amps are the High and Low step fliters, which can be used to dial a wide range of tones. Each filter has six settings. They work in conjunction with the normal tone controls to create a very broad pallete of sonic options. The Bass Filter is very useful for taming a boomy speaker cabinet or room, or adding a big fat low end to a Stratocaster. Once you set the step filter you can fine tune the low end with the standard Bass tone control. With the High filter you can go from mild to wild glassy top end on your tone, and again fine tune the color with the treble and mid tone controls. If you can hear it in your head, there's a good change you can dial the Texas Flood to deliver it.

The reverb send knob is on the back to save a little extra space on the front panel. The reverb send gain is typically used to keep from overdriving the spring reverb tank and causing it to be too flubby or boingy. Once you have the reverb effect sounding the way you want with the send contol, then the front panel reverb return control can be used to set the overall reverb level. It is a very versitile and natural sounding implementation, as good as any studio reverb unit out there and a big improvement over the standard Fender Twin circuit used in almost every other amp. The amp has passive FX loop with the Send and Return jacks on the back.

It’s a MONSTER! Both physically and sonically.

Weighing in a almost 100 pounds with its included Anvil case, the HPD is not for the faint of heart or weak of constitution.

150 earth shaking watts of power under your fingertips waiting to explode in sonic glory.

The HI-PLAINS DRIFTER is able to deliver pristine high headroom cleans, as well as the edge of breakup or full-blown swampy grind.

Available in multiple versions, voicings, and configurations, the Bludo-Drive can be totally customized to suit the tastes of the end user.

Features:

Painstaking handbuilt construction The finest available components Power configuration 150/75 watts Your choice of 3 standard voicings or custom voicings available at no extra charge Included 3 button footswitch (FET pre-amp boost, reverb) Passive break-loop, pre-amp out/power amp in Selectable impedance 4, 8, 16 with two parallel outputs Your choice of suede or leather covering at no extra cost, tolex and vinyl are also available, your choice of grille cloth and piping. Includes a custom Anvil or Calzone flight case

The Amplified Nation Six String Sustain is a high powered amplifier known for its extraordinary hi-fi sound and crisp articulation. Its voice is complex; from shimmery silky cleans to the most coveted clean-lead sounds from greats like Stevie Ray Vaughn and John Mayer. With a balanced EQ and an outstanding amount of clean power, the amp is articulate, punchy, and stays clear to high levels of volume. You can dial in sparkly, tight cleans, or high-output aggressive leads, and the amps luscious reverb works well with either style.

Our SSS was based off of Eric Johnson original #005. That amp was designed with a cathode follower driver, which is an additional 12AT7 located in the power section. The cathode follower adds high output with low distortion giving the SSS its signature sound and percussive nature. While we loved the original 150w version, we realize it’s too much power for some players, so we now offer this amplifier in 22w (6V6) , 50w (6L6), 75w (6550), 100w (6L6), or 150w (6550).

The amp has three-tube reverb with send and return controls, allowing control of the depth of the reverb and the level into the mix. The Singer also has two six-position EQ filters and three tone boosts, allowing quick tone stack adjustment that give you even more flexibility with your tone. Preamp boost and the FET input toggle from the 2-button footswitch. Users can switch from the FET to the NOR input with the FET OFF feature on the amp.

The Silver Sterling Signature is a continuation of our pursuit for iconic guitar tones. Built on our newly designed silver anodized chassis, this “SSS” amp produces massive guitar tone that has to be heard and felt to be believed, and immediately proves why Two-Rock is known for creating and building products for both the serious artist and casual players alike.

After nearly a decade of R&D since the original Sterling was released, and a lifetime of listening to the iconic guitar tones this coveted amplifier has produced, Two-Rock has revisited and greatly enhanced this classic circuit. The 100 watt version is switchable to 50 watts, while the 6550 powered 150 watt version is switchable to 75 watts, and thanks to our proprietary output transformer design, there is zero performance loss when power scaling. There’s no doubt that this amp loves to be pushed to the limit, and the tone stack along with the high and low cut filter switches allow the player plenty of flexibility to create their ideal tone. There’s also a lush, tube driven reverb and a 6th 12AX7 cathode follower tube which extends the punch of the amp, adds an immediacy to the feel, and creates more headroom and clarity.

From lush cleans to Texas blues, this amp will give you the classic sounds that you’ve been searching for. Offered in standard black tolex or a clean, grey suede with silver-skirted knobs, the Silver Sterling Signature will provide you with amazing tone and classy looks as well!

The NuX Steel Singer Drive pedal from the Reissue Series is an overdrive pedal with the tonal character of the famous boutique amp from California. It has very smooth high end and sweet mid-range. Whether used as main overdrive or in conjunction with a guitar amp, the NUX STEEL SINGER DRIVE pedal is going to make your guitar sing!

Overview Pure Analog Circuit Warm and Natural Tube Overdrive Tones True-bypass Hardware Switching

In order to achieve our concept of ideal sound, we began by restructuring all of the components in an effects unit based on our expertise and extensive experience cultivated and accumulated over the years, and our innate sense of tone, and ultimately arrived at our Integrated Series which was started as FREE THE TONE’s 15th anniversary project. The first release in this series is a pair of overdrive pedals.

We sought extended dynamic range, brilliant overtones, long sustain, quick but fat tone, and of course, the most important thing, pure and clean overdrive sound. In order to realize all of these things, we thoroughly investigated various electronic circuits and parts and all of the factors related to sound such as magnetic fields and/or resonance. We also employed the best quality materials we could find for the case and knobs. After a few years and many prototypes, we finally completed the STRING SLINGER and FIRE MIST.

The String Slinger and the Fire Mist have a LOT of headroom and volume available. With the drive at zero you can get a good cleanish boost, the pedals voicing tightening up the low end and bringing the mids forward. This works well to push the amp into overdrive. Backing down the level and then turning up the drive, there’s definitely plenty available but even with the drive at maximum there’s still good note definition when playing chords and/or rhythm stuff. Backing off the guitar volume, they both clean up really well which would be important for players who get most of the tonal variations by using the guitars volume control. Both pedals are really responsive to playing dynamics. Tonally the overdrive is kind of thick sounding. The pedals are very harmonic and touch sensitive.

In our quest for ideal overdrive sounds, we usually recall the American Blues sound symbolized by the classic Black Face period and the British Rock sound as represented by the golden “Plexi” panel.

The STRING SLINGER revives that ideal American Blues sound. Its viscous, clean-to-crunch tone with moderate compression feel can generate the best Blues sound.

The instant you play through our STRING SLINGER, you will understand the true meaning of “Amp-like.” FEATURES New HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) Circuit: The Integrated Series device implements our renewed HTS (Holistic Tonal Solution) circuit. Unlike conventional buffer circuits, this newly designed circuit brings out individual sound characteristics of your guitar and amplifier to the utmost while providing impedance conversion and establishing both the ideal sound and low noise. FREE THE TONE Custom Knobs: We developed a custom turned brass knob to reduce vibrations in the shaft and wiper of the semi-fixed resistor used for each control and suppress harmonic components that might adversely affect sound. Casing Design*: All of the parameters of a case -dimensions and plate thickness of the case – affect overdrive sound. We employed the best size case for our Integrated Series to provide the ideal sound. Its weight has also been optimized to deliver the best sound. FREE THE TONE’s Unique IC Tone Plate: This metal plate for damping and shielding covers the top of an IC chip to make the most of the characteristics of the IC and to prevent noise contamination to the utmost. Passive Tone Circuit: We adopted a passive tone circuit that minimizes the phase shift in guitar signals.

＊Because a pedal’s case provides a signal ground (0 V) and shielding, changing the material, size and thickness of the case can change the sound of the pedal. The capacitance between the case and any signal lines inside the case can also affect sound quality.

The guitar pedals of yesteryear looked much different than the pedals of today, leading me to wonder, "What would these pedals look like if they were designed today?". I don't mean to undermine the classic, simple, rectangular-shaped enclosure boxes, but what if... What if those pedals from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s were redesigned today? So, I took the shape of a '90s icon, the famed Blues Breaker, and embarked on a design journey. A journey to create something that, while maintaining an unmistakable tie to its roots, boasts its own modern identity. And also, a journey to make it smaller. Those old black pedals are huge... I appreciate the bulkiness for its charm, but they aren't really pedalboard friendly.

This led to a lot of brainstorming, more than a few design iterations, and, thankfully, not too many failed prototype enclosures. The end result is a pedal measuring 70mm in width, 100mm in length (105mm including the jacks), and just a little over 40mm in height, including the knobs. Speaking of knobs, they have also been designed from scratch, crafted from a solid piece of aluminium.

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Okay, okay, but how does it sound? It is an overdrive pedal, so we're not reinventing the wheel here. It's based on a classic clean op-amp boost with some modifications and added features. This pedal ranges from a clean boost to medium-gain overdrive, maintains a fairly flat EQ response, includes a tone control to tame high frequencies, and a master volume to help it scream quietly and whisper loudly. Does it sound like garbage? To some guitar players probably yes. Does it sound like the best guitar pedal you have ever tried? To some guitar players probably yes. Why add another overdrive to the already saturated market? Because I love guitar pedals. I'm passionate about guitar gear and find joy in the little nuances, subtle differences, and the various shades of color, shape, size, and tone. I appreciate pedals made by big companies as well as those handmade in small batches by creative individuals around the world.

Oh, and also, this pedal requires a 9V center-negative power supply. There's absolutely no space within it for a 9V battery.

A compact version of our beloved big box T120, same british sounds as before, same “wall of sound” and while I was at it I added a bit more headroom and an additional line output to drive anything. It can be used by itself or as a platform, it takes other boost, fuzz and overdrive pedals really good!

The GT120 is a reissue of the original 70s amp. Unmistakable Green Matamp organic sound at incredible sound pressure levels or classic Matamp warm clean.

The preamp is the original circuit including the four position drive switch, bass boost and presence/boost circuit incorporating the inductor.

The key to this amp is its clean tone. The preamp has origins going back to the days of Orange Matamp when Peter Green described the tone he wanted to Tony and Mat as “sweet….but not like treacle…like honey.” Coupled with four EL34s the warm sweet clean tone is a perfect match for fuzz.

The power amp has been slightly updated to feature individual bias adjustment per valve. This makes matched sets a thing of the past and enables the user to replace a single valve while still maintaining optimum performance.

The big difference in this reissue is that the amp is now hand wired on turret tracks, our hybrid PCB turret construction method that we have been using throughout this millennium. Greatly improving reliability and serviceability over previous versions, including the original amps from the 1970s. We have searched the country to find a transformer company still capable of making transformers that live up to the quality and reliability of the old units.

The GT120 can drive multiple cabs from the 4, 8 & 16 ohm speaker outputs. The amp has been updated to allow multiple cabs to be connected direct from the head without daisy chaining.

Also available in Green for no extra cost!

The GT120MV is the master volume version of the original GT120. Taking elements of the original and later versions we have developed an amp that retains the characteristic Green Matamp organic sound while offering some way to control the awesome power these heads offer.

The preamp features a gain pot in place of the drive switch which offers greater control, and the master volume is moved to a position in the circuit just before the driver stage so you can get the amp to overdrive at drummer friendly levels. Don’t worry though, the same great warm clean is available.

The power amp has been updated to feature individual bias adjustment. This makes matched sets a thing of the past and enables the user to replace a single valve while still maintaining optimum performance. The driver and power amp stages have been optimised to achieve reliable performance with a tone reminiscent of the original units while using modern valves. The GT120MV can drive multiple cabs from the 4, 8 & 16 ohm speaker outputs. By using the parallel inputs found on Matamp cabinets the player can construct their ideal rig from our range of cabs.

Step into the realm of sonic excellence with the AMT Electronics V1 Guitar Preamp, a compact powerhouse designed to bring the iconic overdrive tones of a Vox amp right to your fingertips. With its intuitive two-band EQ, alongside meticulously crafted controls for level, gain, and master volume, this preamp offers a universe of tonal possibilities. Whether you're aiming for a subtle warmth or a full-blown overdrive, the V1 stands ready to deliver. Its straightforward interface ensures that you can dial in your desired sound with ease and precision, making it a must-have tool for guitarists seeking that classic British sound with modern reliability.

Key Features:

• Two-band EQ for precise tonal shaping
• Controls for level, gain, and master volume to sculpt your sound
• Designed to emulate the iconic overdrive tones of a Vox amp
• Compact and robust design for ease of use and durability

Step into the realm of sonic excellence with the AMT Electronics V1 Guitar Preamp, a compact powerhouse designed to bring the iconic overdrive tones of a Vox amp right to your fingertips. With its intuitive two-band EQ, alongside meticulously crafted controls for level, gain, and master volume, this preamp offers a universe of tonal possibilities. Whether you're aiming for a subtle warmth or a full-blown overdrive, the V1 stands ready to deliver. Its straightforward interface ensures that you can dial in your desired sound with ease and precision, making it a must-have tool for guitarists seeking that classic British sound with modern reliability.

Key Features:

• Two-band EQ for precise tonal shaping
• Controls for level, gain, and master volume to sculpt your sound
• Designed to emulate the iconic overdrive tones of a Vox amp
• Compact and robust design for ease of use and durability

The Fish Circuits MODEL ONE is a classic natural overdrive with spicy tweaks. Incredibly versatile and more than usable on just about any settings. At lower gain settings, the MODEL ONE will give you dynamic amp-like breakup tones, that react to the subtleties of your playing. When cranked, you will find yourself in a saturated « fuzzstortion » territory, with loads of sustain and depth, reminiscent of citrus-colored amps.

The BSM RM model is based on the British Range Master unit produced between 1965 and 1969, as used by Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Eric also used the booster when playing in the legendary group Cream. Its biting, powerful sound is clearly in evidence on the Bluesbreakers "Beano" album. Blues rocker Rory Gallagher, Heavy Rock pioneer Tony Iommi and Brian May from Queen were also heavy users of the orginal Range Master unit. The Range Master unit was also used by G. Tipton & K.K. Downing of the British heavy metal band Judas Priest in the late 1970s years to push its amps in full-tilt heaven. The long yearned for new edition, now issued under the name RM from BSM, includes the same OC44 germanium transistors as the the original 1965 version.

Almost all British rock guitarists using single coil pickup guitars used a germanium Treble Booster from the late 60's to the mid 70's. By the end of the seventies, the Treble Booster was replaced by a new circuit from Japan, the so called Tube Screamer and other similar overdrive circuits. These were based on the old Treble Boosters and therefore had a very similar frequency response. The germanium boosters on the other hand, sadly fell into oblivion despite their unique and inimitable sound. The RM Treble Booster has been specifically designed for single coil and humbucking pickups with a relatively low/medium inductance, such as pickups in Fender, Gretsch, Burns or Gibson guitars. On these pickups, the RM produces (with the volume control of the guitar turned up to the max) a fat, biting and penetrating lead sound, minus any shrill characteristics. By lowering the guitar's volume control, many shades of crunch can be easily dialed in. Another thing to consider is that when a guitar amp's volume is turned up (reaching saturation), the power amp normally begins to mute the highs, which results in a duller sound. At an amp's full tilt, the RM Treble Booster allows a more transparent tone (covering the entire frequency range) to shine through. The presence control on the amp need only be minimally used (if at all). When vintage amps are used (such as the Fender Deluxe, Fender Bassman, Vox AC30, Marshall JTM 45 or Marshall Plexi) it is amazing what effect the use of a good treble booster has. It is also of interest to note that Eric Clapton used a new 2 x12" Marshall combo (Model 1962 with KT66 output tubes) with the Bluesbreakers, and 100 Watt Plexi heads with Cream. Brian May used a couple of VOX AC30 combos with the RM in front of the "Normal" channel.

The Treble Booster is inserted between guitar and amplifier, not into the FX loop. The magical tone is achieved by the interaction between guitar pickup, treble booster and amplifier. The unit is powered by a 9V battery with a current consumption of approx. 250 uA. The average output level is 10dBm, the maximum output voltage when the strings are struck really hard is 7V max. Note: The positive pole of the battery is ground. By turning the volume pot, the special circuit design makes noises - just like the orginal does!

The CE Preamp is based on the preamp from the BOSS CE-1. The BOSS CE-1 uses ±13V for the preamp section, and the CE Preamp is similarly driven by a 9V power supply internally converted to ±13V. Because it uses the same circuit as CE-1, the CE Preamp also has low impedance. You will hear a muffled sound when you use those pedals. That can be solved by putting a buffer pedal in the front position.

Controls GAIN : Gain

Components The CE preamp uses the TA7136AP and 2SC900, just like those used in the BOSS CE-1.

Power Jack Works with 9V DC adaptor (tip-negative)

The Cali76 Stacked Edition is a dual-stage compressor pedal, using two of our Cali76 compressor circuits cascaded in series for the ultimate compressed guitar tone. Based on the iconic Urei® 1176®, we’ve taken this studio classic to the next level of compression and flexibility.

Open up a huge range of new sounds with independent control of each stage. With heaps of clean gain and compression on tap, the Cali76 Stacked Edition offers up punch, presence and limitless sustain, all delivered with studio-grade fidelity. This pedal will totally transform the feel of your guitar.

The LAB is an optical compressor. It uses custom optocouplers to achieve up to 30dB of musical-sounding compression.

We loved how in the recording studio even with tons of compression the old optical compressors such as the LA-2A, the LA-3, the LA-4 sounded smooth and natural.

The essence of the LAB's sound comes from the fast attack and slow release times of the custom optocoupler. The optocoupler's behaviour is quite complex, and program-dependent. It can't be modelled with simple resistor-capacitor networks. We wanted the pure response of the optocoupler to define the LAB's dynamics, and not supplement that with RC filtering.

To that end, we tried out just about every off-the-shelf optocoupler on the market, but ended up designing and manufacturing our own custom units. There's an interplay between dynamics, noise floor, distortion, and available compression on the one hand, and the opto's electrical parameters on the other. Since nothing commercially available fit the bill, we built our own.

With just two controls – compression and gain make-up – the LAB is fast and simple to use. It sounds great on bass and electric guitar, and the noise floor is impressive – quiet enough for studio use. It really shines on acoustic guitar, vocals and drums.

LAB Optical Compressor Specifications

Power Requirements +9VDC @40mA

Input Impedance 1MΩ

Output Impedance 100Ω

Frequency Response 20Hz–20KHz ±0.1dB

Maximum Input Level +7.5dBu

Maximum Output Level +10.0dBu

Compression/Gain-makeup 30dB

Noise Figure (Rs=10K) 3dB

For studio use you will need to attenuate going in and boost coming out of the LAB.