sprucebringsteen's Activity

In the mid-1970s, Hohner released the best version of the Muff circuit ever made. There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding this pedal—who actually built it for Hohner, what exact circuit it was based on, and why certain changes were made. But from everything I know about muff circuits, I believe the TDB was copied from a 1971 Triangle, which is close in design to the early 1973 Ram’s Head models.

That said, the Tri Dirty Booster isn’t just a clone—it’s better. The changes made to the circuit result in something truly exceptional. A perfectly balanced low end that’s full but never boomy or muddy, a touch of grit on the low notes that adds just the right amount of edge and on leads, an incredible, harmonically rich bloom—sweet, fluid, and endlessly inspiring. It’s everything I love about the best Muffs, distilled into one rare pedal.

It is in the Ram's Head family but has interesting mods that make it a bit better. I have been on a 70's Japanese clone kick of all the muffs and, in some cases, the Japanese copies are better than the originals

The DOD Buzz Box, one of the worst selling DOD pedals and also one of the most expensive to buy used. Coincidence?

The Buzz Box was an attempt to recreate Buzz Osborne's stacking of the Rat and blue box which didn't even come close to sounding like what it intended to emulate. The Buzz Box did succeed at becoming its own cool and unique sound, recently these pedals have found a resurgence thanks to that JHS geek who won't stop making videos and driving the prices up..... but I digress.

DOD has been known to reuse circuits for other pedal designs, the buzz box distortion circuit is a modified Grunge with the bass control removed. The octave down portion of the circuit is a common CD4013 design found in several octave down designs (MXR blue box, John Hollis crash sync, Guyatone dual octave, madbean lowrider, Craig Anderton Rocktave to name a few)

While the Buzz Box had some cool features there are a lot of options that could have been added for versatility. I'm not one to directly clone a pedal, that's pretty boring so I added a lot of features and got the versatility this pedal needed.

Added features include;

Bass - The buzz box did not originally have a bass control, they probably left this out because there was no room on the circuit boards 4 knob layout.

Soft Clipping - 3 toggle options; Schottky, bypass, silicon. The original Buzz Box does not have soft clipping, this feature is subtle at low distortion settings and adds a smoother curve to the distortion wave as it is increased.

Hard Clipping - 3 toggle options; LED, bypass, silicon. The original buzz box only has silicon clipping, the added LED option gives more of a turbo rat style tone and the bypass turns off the hard clipping completely which cuts a lot of the harshness out of the distortion circuit.

1 or 2 octave down - 2 way toggle allows for 1 or 2 octave down, the original only has 2 octave down

Octave Bypass - The octave down can be switched off via footswitch when not desired. The original design has the octave down engaged permanently.

This pedal also doubles as a signal buffer. A Klon style buffered bypass was added to squash the oscillation feedback that happens with true bypass high gain pedals and also adds signal integrity to a signal chain.

Fell Runner - Unruly and Versatile Fuzz

The Enduring Audio Fell Runner is a vintage style silicon fuzz feeding a JFET boost stage. Sporting adjustable bias and a powerful EQ, tones range from super thick and sustaining to broken and ragged fuzz.

The original inspiration for Fell Runner was the stinging mode from the Roland Bee Baa but where this mode on the original has basically one extremely mid scooped tone and a vintage amount of volume (ie not enough!) Fell Runner adds a Voice control to go from the original’s extreme scoop to a more mid forward tone as well as a ton of volume and a two band baxandall EQ.

Starting with the Sustain control you can go from mid-high gain fuzztortion up to seriously thick liquid sustain. After setting your desired amount of fuzz, use the texture control to adjust the bias of the second transistor stage. This control allows for broken and ragged tones at low settings up to full saturation at maximum. Halfway up is a good starting place which will provide plenty of sustain while retaining some of the ragged feel of the lower settings. These two controls are interactive so this is a fun place for experimentation.

Moving to the second row of controls the Voice control adjusts the midrange character and ranges from an extreme midrange scoop at minimum to a more mid forward tone as you turn it up. There is quite a bit of range in this control and adjusting this can be the key to having a super thick tone that doesn’t get lost in the mix when playing in a loud band. The Low and High controls are part of a JFET boost circuit that comes after the fuzz circuit. This boost circuit is a modified version of the Boss FA-1 and serves two purposes. Like a lot of vintage pedals the Bee Baa is lacking in volume, luckily this boost circuit is SUPER loud so this is like having an always on clean boost pedal running after your fuzz. The boost circuit also includes a two band Baxandall tonestack which allows for both boosting and cutting frequency. Because this EQ comes after the fuzz it is very powerful.

Fell Runner definitely falls in the unruly fuzz camp and provides a wide range of nasty sounds for fun exploration. Great for confusing your family and pissing off your neighbors.

Note: Like many fuzzes Fell Runner can be sensitive to being placed after buffered pedals in your signal chain. For best results place before buffered pedals.

Sustain: Sets the level of gain and saturation

Texture: Bias control ranging from broken to super thick

Volume: Output volume

Low: Cut or boost low end

Voice: Adjusts midrange from an extreme scoop at minimum to mid forward at maximum

High: Cut or boost high end

True bypass switching

Power: 9V DC, 2.1 mm center negative barrel. Current draw is <15 mA.

Inspired by a classic super yellow overdrive, the Enduring Audio Bad Luck offers more of everything that makes the original special.

Bad Luck uses LEDs for clipping instead of the original’s silicon diodes, this increases output and creates a thicker overdrive. The ability to focus and tighten an already cooking amp is still there, but with additional volume and gain. With the additional gain Bad Luck ranges from a colored clean boost all the way up to a fuzzy overdrive. Don’t be afraid to turn everything to 10, this is supposed to be fun!

The Presence and Tone controls offer two different ways to shape the high frequency response. The Tone control works like a typical overdrive tone control, increasing brightness when turned up. The Presence control works more like an amps presence control, adding both sparkle and gain when turned up. Lower settings will give you classic mid range focus. Low end has been increased making Bad Luck killer on bass as well!

Level: Output volume

Drive: From clean boost up to fuzzy overdrive

Tone: Standard overdrive tone control, increasing brightness when turned up

Pres: Adds sparkle and gain when turned up

True bypass switching

Power: 9V DC, 2.1 mm center negative barrel. Current draw is 10 mA.

This is the mini version of the Red Snapper, because pedal board space is the most expensive real estate on earth. This tiny little guy is the same circuit as the original 3 knob Red Snapper with the addition of a couple of treble cut switches inside.

With the switches in the off position it is exactly the same circuit as the 3 knob Snapper. Full sized through hole parts are used throughout, no surface mount in here. The Red Snapper mini will be sold direct from Menatone only, which accounts for the amazing price. Just like every other Menatone pedal, each one is made by hand, one at a time in the USA

I know another overdrive…but overdrive is fun!

Old Dirt is a modified version of the original overdrive, the Boss OD-1, and is the perfect tool for boosting your Marshall into the thrash zone or driving your old Bassman in that Social Distortion tribute band you’ve always wanted to start.

While Old Dirt retains the two knob simplicity and quad opamp of the original, the addition of a three way low end switch and a bunch of additional volume makes Old Dirt suitable for a wider variety of applications.

The mid range focused tone is similar to a Tube Screamer or SD-1 but is tuned for more raunch (or bark, or growl depending on your preferred subjective tone adjective). The three way low end switch keeps the high pass level of the original available while offering two other options retaining different levels of low end. This switch is key to Old Dirt’s ability to work well with different rigs or tunings (or bass!).

Drive: Controls the level of overdrive

Level: Output volume

+/++: Three way low end switch

True bypass switching

Power: 9V DC, 2.1 mm center negative barrel. Current draw is <10 mA.

No option for battery power

The Enduring Audio Charming Voices Analog Chorus starts with the classic 2 knob early 80’s chorus and adds versatility in both modulation and tone shaping. With the addition of a wet/dry mix control and +/- intensity switch players can go from very subtle modulation all the way to psychedelic warbling.

Low and High EQ controls allow for cutting or boosting frequencies in order to shape your tone, and the Level control allows you to cut or boost volume. Low and High controls are post mix and adjust both the chorused and dry signals. A mode switch offers the option of the stock guitar mode and an additional bass mode which decreases the amount of modulation in the lower frequencies. This helps to keep lower frequencies from sounding out of tune. This switch can be subtle if you’re playing a guitar in standard tuning but experiment and see what you like. I actually prefer the bass mode while playing guitar.

Rounding out the controls is an internal switch which changes the range of the rate control. I find the faster range to be more versatile and this is how the pedal is set when shipped, but if you’d prefer the modulation rate slower just pop the back off and switch to slow range.

HAVE FUN!

Depth: Sets the strength of the modulation

Rate: Sets the speed of the modulation

Mix: Controls the mix of the wet and dry signals from fully dry to fully wet

Low: Cut or boost low end from your signal

High: Cut or boost high end from your signal

Level: Output volume

+/-: Switches between less or more intense chorusing

G/B: Switches between guitar and bass mode

Fast/Slow (internal): Set the speed range of the rate control

Note: Extreme depth or EQ settings will increase noise floor

True bypass switching

Power: 9V DC, 2.1 mm center negative barrel. Current draw is <15 mA.

No option for battery power

The CompanDrive 65 is a faithful recreation of the legendary companding circuit found on virtually every studio tape recording since the introduction of the Dolby process in 1965. This all-analog SoloDallas design captures the elusive studio “magic” that defined countless classic recordings.

At its core, the signal path is carefully recreated and optimized: the guitar first passes through the Vintage Console Gain Circuit, then into the 65 Compressor, followed by the 65 Expander, and finally through a Vintage OpAmp Boost. Together, these stages perfectly accentuate warmth, harmonics, dynamics, and that unmistakable je ne sais quoi only true studio circuitry can deliver.

From the moment you click it on, the CompanDrive 65 reveals itself as a missing link—unlocking a wide range of inspiring, mix-ready studio guitar tones with depth, clarity, and musical feel.

Signal Path Breakdown Vintage Console Gain Circuit (VCGC) Produces rich, hi-fi overdrive with abundant harmonics while subtly shaping frequencies to add fullness, presence, and clarity in the mix.

65 Compressor Delivers a smooth, blooming soft-knee attack that enhances note separation and adds musical harmonic clipping without choking dynamics.

65 Expander Restores overall signal amplitude, removing unwanted “pump and squish” while further emphasizing the harmonics generated by the VCGC and compressor stages.

Vintage OpAmp Boost A classic op-amp design that preserves delicate frequencies and maintains clarity as output level is increased, making the CompanDrive 65 equally at home on a pedalboard or in the studio.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• 100% Analog Circuitry
• Commercial Grade PCB
• Heavy Duty True Bypass Footswitch
• Blue LED when effect is engaged
• Neutrik Jacks
• Power Requirements: 9-12vDC (-) Power Supply - No battery
• Enclosure Dimensions: 4.69” D x 2.52” W x 1.57” H
• Made in USA

One of the most lush and adaptable reverbs ever made, the Alesis Microverb is a late-1900s digital artifact, blurring the line between yesterday and yesteryear. We’ve painstakingly crafted some of that unit’s most memorable patches and outfitted them with several tasteful modern amenities. A nod to that era, we call this “CB Paint.” Much like the graphical equivalent it takes its namesake from, the Microverb wrested control of studio quality digital reverb and placed it in the hands of the everyperson. Because digital ‘verb was still an expensive undertaking in those days, Alesis had to cut a few corners to make everything fit both form factor and price point. Those cut corners present themselves as interesting reverb reflection filter options that exemplify this classic box without any of the pedalboard integration hassle. We’ve taken the liberty of outfitting our CB Paint with six of the more unique patches from the original Microverb, along with the gate and reverse patches, adding an actual Mix control, an adjustable low-pass filter and an “onset” control that determines how long it takes the reverb to appear after the initial input signal. We’ve had one of these around the offices for years and keep coming back to it. You will too.

This was one of the earliest tape delay processors for the guitar – better known as an echo effect – released by Fender in 1958. Although it was built into a tweed-covered carrying case to match the Fender amplifiers of the time, the EccoFonic was actually a product sourced outside the company. In fact, in 1959, the designers of the device decided to build and market it themselves. However, the company did not fully understand the music business and the EccoFonic was short-lived. Fender introduced its own internally designed tape echo in 1963, which it named the Electronic Echo Chamber.

Towers teleports your sound into a vast stereophonic expanse, weaving it into its unique resonant filtered feedback networks. Reflections hang in the air and move in and out of a sprawling multidimensional soundscape, where they don’t just fade away—they radiate, breathe and drift endlessly into the void.

The filter frequency offers three distinct modes of navigation: Manual Mode puts the player in charge of the filter frequencies. Envelope Mode where playing dynamics breathe and morph into everchanging filter movements. LFO Mode where the player surrenders control to a slow-moving oscillator that sweeps across the stereo field.