tuckerofthorraxe's Reviews

Easy like Sunday morning.

Super simple DAW without a huge CPU load. Does everything the big kids do, just a little stirpped down. Works just fine for demoing.

You don't think you need it, but you probably do.

Got an amp that you think is cool? This makes it cooler. Holding it down makes a feedback loop. Trust me, you'll have more fun with it than you think.

Hail James Brown.

James Brown, designer of the Peavey 5150, owns and is the builder of Amptweaker stuff. This pedal was a joint project with him and one of the gutarists of Misery Index. According to James, it's kind of a mid point between a 5150 and an Ampeg VH-140C. This version just had a single tone control, but there were other controls to help offset the limiting nature of that design. Another cool feature was the output volume being able to sit at line level, so as to act as a preamp into an effects loop return or into a stand alone power amp. If you're a touring metal musician going overseas and using unfamiliar amps for backline, this may be your saving grace to have some semblance of a consistent tone through pretty much anything. Do recommend.

Almost.

A great idea in theory. In practice leave s abit to be desired. The parametric EQ is pretty versatile, but the distortion is kind of an "all or nothing" affair. It starts as a mild overdrive until it just kind of detonates into something bordering on fuzz.

Also, the depth knob does almost nothing. But there's mods to fix that online.

SWEDISH CHAINSAW

If you know, then you know. Get a crunchy amp, plug this in, and dime the high knob to understand if you don't. Or just throw caution to the wind and put every knob on ten and be shocked when you somehow still punch through a mix.

Decent enough.

I was in a weird spot when I owned this one. The overdrive was a bit too spongy for my needs, but nonetheless I used it live for a few shows. Mostly destroyed the front end with an HM-2.

Articulate and crushing.

James Hetfield, Alex Skolnick, and Paul Gilbert all used these. Does 80s metal and beyond spectacularly. Built in chorus/doubler is nice, albeit with a tiny bit of output sap, but that's easily compensated for. Hot rodded Marshall tone in a single rack space. There's a ton of mods for these, but for my tastes, I see no reason for me to patake. Sounds great through tubes, solid state, or straight into an interface for recording (with a good impulse response, of course). I've owned two of these, the first when I was still in high school and the second one I acquired from a friend about a year ago. I've learned my lesson and will likely never part with the one I have now.

It's a reverb.

Pretty good. Used the "Flerb" setting on a couple songs on our second album. Only downside is a slight volume loss out of the pedal when it's engaged.

Budget slayer.

Mine is one of the Sheffield 1290 loaded ones that were sold with the VTM heads. 16 ohms with a series jack. Sick.

Yes.

If you've heard of this amp, you know what it does. There isn't an amp in the world that does it better.

Why bother with anything else?

Bought it new in 2011 and haven't taken it off my board since. It's never not worked, even after getting beer and blood spilled on it. I'm a nearsighted loser, so when I'm onstage with my glasses off, I can read the display clearly.

Bang for buck.

Aside from old Peaveys, you really are going to be working to find a better 4x12 for the money on the used market. Actual plywood construction, unlike Marshall's equivalent entry level cabinet.

Useful.

Ibanez Tube King maybe? It rules. Play around with swapping tubes.

Starter JCM800.

Exactly what you think it is. One of the best 2203 clones out there, by a wide margin. Run two at once like I used to if you want to rip a hole in the sky.

Extreme. ...-ly versatile.

Dragonfly Effectors (RIP) made this in 2009 or so. Only 666 in the world. I have number 218. Based on an Artec Soloist distortion. Acts very amplike in terms of reacting to pick dynamics. It's really hard to make the thing sound bad, in spite of its name. I typically use it as an overdrive with a JCM800 type amp to get deep saturation.

Pretty much perfect for me.

I have a walnut finished one, which according to a dude who wrote a book on Guild guitars in the 90s is a pretty rare color. Mine rotted and dried out in an attic in Texas for thirty years before I got it. Had to do quite a bit of work on it, and it's definitely no museum piece now, but it plays and that's all that matters to me.