Temporary Trade Reviews & Clips

[Chankgeez]

I thought I'd make a temp trade thread.

This can be for people who temp trade pedals and wanna post stuff about the whole experience of it. I thought it deserved its own thread because sometimes when you borrow stuff you have a different perspective on it.

For instance, I just borrowed a couple of LAL pedals from lordgalvar. (Thanks, lordgalvar. )

So, Tone Axe & Thunder Box. Good for the noise:

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Limited descriptions and infos on YouTube under video screen thingee.

Because the Tone Axe is effected by input signal, I found I really liked rolling back the volume on my guitar to get it to continuously feedback. I liked the sound of the regular fuzz from it too, but it's a little limited in range of sounds. It does what it does. Destroy. The expression pedal is nice especially when controlling feedback.

I liked the way the Thunder Box boosted my signal. Again, it's pretty narrow in scope. As a booster, it has its own sound. Not transparent (not surprising coming from LAL). Sometimes, depending on which other pedals it's used with, I didn't really like that (in the same way that I sometimes don't like what compressors or EQ does to muh signal).

Overall, these are awesome pedals.

I don't know if those clips are good or helpful. You can tell me.

I don't know if this thread is good or helpful. You tell me.

[lordgalvar]

Thanks to the legend Chankgeez I got to try out the Ghost Silicon Pep Box and the Basic Audio Zippy. You should all know by now that I am terrible at guitar, so I will save you the clips (not really turned out anyway...finding a good angle for sound on cheapy microphones is harder than it used to be...I think...or I care more ).

The Pep Box has become something of an obsession for me lately. I don't really know why other than it is a less traveled path of fuzz but probably more because I haven't found any new lastgasp for a while . The Pep Box was a pedal made by Pepe Rush in the 1960s using ACY41 Ge transistors. WEM, through some kind of licencing deal gone wrong, made a silicon version shortly thereafter. Ghost has made a faithful copy of the rare WEM version (well, all vintage versions are rare). Ghost has made several tweaks to the circuit on a unit-to-unit basis (external bias, etc), but Chankgeez's version was from 2012 and was later repaired by Jerms. It is battery only and wired up via tag board. Around the same time that Chankgeez graciously let me borrow the Ghost, I happened upon the Rush Pepbox, a reproduction of the original Ge fuzz made by the original creator, Pepe Rush, and I also added a Basic Audio Pep Fuzz.

I found the Ghost to be more even, with a more standard decay than the Rush Pepbox (which I know is a different fuzz, but I am putting it into perspective via family tree). The Rush feedbacks on delayed swell after the gating whereas the Ghost is less of a feedback machine. I found the Ghost to have a nice level of sustain compared to other fuzzes from around the time and to have a softer gate to it's older brother. The level of saturation of the Ghost also seemed to be less that the Rush which is a awesome distiguishing factor between the two. The Ghost has a nice treble bite to it while still keeping some spirit of the body of the original Rush. It has a very nice, more "punk/garage"* sound to it versus the Rush. Single notes on the Rush sometimes get lost with sloppy playing due to the gating but the Ghost seems to play more even across the fretboard and have a more balanced response. I liked the sound of the Ghost more with single coils over humbuckers; humbuckers felt a little dead and muddy (which I guess is humbuckers ).

Compared to the Basic Audio, both the Rush and Ghost have more life, but the Basic Audio has a bit more of an "EQ-like" variety with it's external bias control. The Ghost is definatley more wild and lively and has a more aggressive sound. The Basic Audio is more "normal" and a bit more tame and polished sounding.

All in all, the Ghost Silicon Pep Box is a great fuzz that I am excited to own (soon).

The Basic Audio Zippy is a take on Shin-Ei FY-2 with some Orpheum and other inspiration thrown in there for uniqueness. There are two modes (which apparently are horn and bacon). It has a very polished sound and seemed very well build in a neat kind of faux-leather enclosure (though I think I like the current look more). The Zippy really did have a wide range of tones going from almost horn like to a nice sustained fuzz. The body control really does have a wide range that gives a nice variety of tones. For me, the big surprise with the Zippy was the gating, it just really wasn't has heavy gated as I thought it would be and it had more sustain than I could have expected. There was something missing to me but I can't really put my finger on it...was it more gate, more high end? I don't know. It is a nice fuzz that I enjoyed but it was almost like 80% there (but I have no clue really what I think it is missing, just something slightly off to my taste, but I would still like to own one someday, ).

I really would have like to have spent more time with it, but, you know, life...haha.

I think the Zippy would be a good fuzz for somebody looking for a different vintage flavored fuzz with options (without having several on their board). It really does have a nice range to it.

Thanks Chankgeez.

* not really sure what I mean by that, but it is just a feeling haha

[Chankgeez]

You may be terrible at guitar, but your reviews are excellent.

Yeah, apparently the Ghost Pep had a blown transistor or something. So, Jerms replaced it and did a little biasing. I didn't know that when I got it, but when I opened it up I saw Jerms had signed off on it. I asked the guy I got it from and that's what happened.

The Ghost Pep is more raw and trebly. The Basic Audio isn't quite as nasty but has more bass which I sometimes appreciate.

That Zippy is an earlier one. It's a great fuzz. Not as versatile as some of the other fuzzes John builds, but it has its niche.

You're welcome and thank you again as well.

[lordgalvar]

Thanks Chankgeez! You said in two lines what it took me two paragraphs!

I will write some more mini review in a bit because I have rented a lot of pedals over the last year or so...(and thank behemoth I did because I saved myself some money). Currently, I am borrowing/renting a DigiTech Drop (but the last pedals were the Crystal Dagger, Bit Commander, Han-Taun, BeeBuzz, and something else that I am probably forgetting).

[oldangelmidnight]

Do you think we should post wants/haves lists in here, too? Or another thread for that?

[Chankgeez]

You could do that too, OAM, I certainly don't mind, the more the merrier. Whatever you think works best.

I just thought it'd be good to have some sort of central locale for this sorta stuff. So, yeah, post your want/haves if you'd like.

[lordgalvar]

I think maybe a second thread with a list of names/links to list in the first post would be good to keep track of it all. Or at least a moderated post where somebody updates links/people that want to be part of the trade. I just think the thread format could be some what confusing if it gets long with the reviews. But other people should weigh in. (maybe that thread should be in bst or general or something).

Maybe just put a link to your temp trade post in your sig so that you can say I am temp trading, rules for you personally, etc. that is a post within this thread?

[lordgalvar]

I find you thread! Yes!

So I recently borrowed some pedals. Here are some impressions or reviews (take them for what they are...it was just a temp trade and just trying to remember the best I can).

Fairfield Circuitry Randy's Revenge Version 1

• I love ring modulation so I was really excited to try out this pedal because it seems to be very well loved. It's pretty good and actually surprised me. I didn't get too in depth with the features, but the easily accessible controls on the face offered a lot of depth while not making operation overly complex. One side note about my use of ring mod: I do not like to blend in any dry signal...100% wet is how I use them...and I do not tune them to be a harmonic pitch shifter and all that...I go for the dissonance.
  
  The Hi-Lo switch gives it a ton of range in the carrier oscillator which is similar to the spectrum of the LAL Sick Pitch King, Moog MF-102, and, hypothetically, the Maestro (roughly twice the range of the EHX Frequency Analyzer). The LAL SPK carrier oscillator sounds like has higher frequency range than the RR, but they are close in range. The RR's carrier waveform is able to be changed between square and sine, which is pretty uncommon for production ring mods. Having a squarewave carrier gives the RR a lot of versitility that the Moog and LAL can't offer and is actually a great sounding, different take on ring modulation that is fresh (even though I know the Lovetone and I think Copilot Robotum can too and many offer a carrier signal input...but most of the time I roll with the internal options and it is really nice to have the choice).
  
  I did find the carrier on the RR to be smooth and very mellow sounding which is totally the opposite of the SPK which is much harsher and abrasive throughout the oscillation range. I do not know if this is because of the oscillators being close to what they say they are in terms of waveform, distortion from preamps, gain stages, "headroom", or purposeful design, but there is a difference between the sound of the carriers (or at least how they sound when modulating my guitar signal since the carrier is never heard in it's pure form).
  
  Due to the quality and smoothness of the preamps or oscillations or whatever, the trem sounds on the RR sound great. On most ring mods I prefer the sounds of the higher frequencies, but the RR really shines and the low end of the range. The RR also seems to blend well in terms of timbre with other instruments and drones. Also the attack of the RR seemed slightly slower or less abrasive than something like the SPK and even the Moog MF-102 even through some of this maybe perception and realistically neglegible. However, there does seem to be a slight compression that does increase sustain which may be contributing to the very nice, blended sound of the carriers/modulation and the percieved slower or dulled attack. The result is a ring mod that blends very well to more droney and "full" sounding guitar playing (like shoegaze or drone with a synth or something).
  
  Another unique feature of the RR is the Low Pass Filter which is a very uncommon addition to a Ring Mod. The EHX Frequency Analyzer has something similar, but it is a flip switch that doesn't allow the user to set the cutoff frequency. I didn't get too much into it, but it worked well and could help people tame the high highs.
  
  My one major criticism of the pedal was the inability for it to go 100% wet ring mod signal. I would get 90-95% but I could still hear my dry guitar. I do not know if this is like a channel bleed, by design, or because I didn't tweak the hidden stuff. Dandolin did mention once in a conversation that the newer version does go full wet.
  
  I did not use any of the expanded features (internal DIP switch).
  
  Honestly, ring modulators shouldn't have as much variety than they do because they are a very simple and specific function, but pedals like the RR are very unique and provide a lot of character to what could be a boring pedal.
  
  The RR offers a lot of features that are inspired by other ring mods in a nice, small package (which is cool, but ring mods are supposed to be imposing on a board so that the rest of your band knows that you are a pretentious artist). Totally worth picking up and one of the best in-production ring mods out that I have tried. The thing just has a ton of features, really does sound nice, and blends well with droney riffs and gear.

Fairfield Electronics Meet Maude

• Ring Mod and Fuzz are my first loves. I am just barely getting into the world of delay (actually just got a delay for the first time this year...played one for about 20 minutes before back in like 2005 or something). Anyway, I ain't all that good at them yet but here is what I thought...
  
  Meet Maude is a BBD based delay (no idea which chip...NOS vs CoolAudio ) with randomized/fells kinda like enveloped controled modulation of the delay time. I have no idea what the actual ms of the delay time is, but it seemed longer than something like the Ibanez AD-99 but shorter than the Moog MF-104z.
  
  The delay time modulation is very simple and well implemented. The switch can either turn it off or go between modes 1 and 2. The 1 and 2 settings seem to be like a modulation sensitivity that changes the trigger and amount of the modulation of the delay time. It is not that over the top and does its job well in a very responsive and controlled way. The modulation is very dynamic and can add a lot of dimension to the sound based on playing dynamics. It also has a significant level of depth from just a switch control.
  
  The compression was subtle and not intrusive, but it did sound good when it was on or off. I think the compression helps add to the overall character of the pedal and the nice blended sound. If I am remember correctly, I think I played with it on most of the time.
  
  I did not mess with the CV, DIP, or FX loop. For some reason, I don't remember the FX loop? I don't know. Knowing the way Fairfield designs things, I am sure it would work better than the one on the MF-104z (though not sure).
  
  The sound was amazing. Playing clean guitar through this thing and letting notes ring out was beautiful. It really does sound so lively and natural that it was easy and fun to play. The repeats blend well with the dry signal (there is a blend too) while still keeping good separation but not getting that detached "under-the-signal" sound. The voicing is on the darker side, but not nearly as dark as the long setting on the MF-104z. However, the short delay times of the MF-104z has a sharper sound.
  
  I have heard concerns that the Meet Maude can get lost in a mix and not cut in a live setting and I could tell that from it's voicing. I experienced this when running heavy fuzz in front or after the meet maude. All of the character was lost and it got kind of muddy. The MF-104z on the long setting has similar cutting problems with the repeats, but the guitar signal sits above a little bit which I think helps it cut more before or after other effects while still providing some body (or a live setting/mix). I think the design of the MM is such that it was designed to provide the great, awesome sound that seemed to blend everything together (and even the addition of the compression switch leads me to believe that it was all intentional with the voicing/cut "problems"). The result is a great sounding delay that works well for styles that work on the sparcer/spaceyer/more "open" side of things with out all of the heavy sounds.
  
  It is a great sounding delay in the right setting. Seriously, one of the best. But I do see it having problems where loudness and heavier sounds are around...it just isn't going to cut. But if I played clean (ever) I would probably have it on the board. It does a lot and it does what it does very well.

I really do think both pedals are worth having...and someday I will (probably).

Videos and more to come.

Thanks again, [don't know if I should name names]. 'Twas a blast.

[amnesiac305]

Great entertaining and informative reviews!!! I hope to read more.

[Strange Tales]

Damn, I'm down for a temp trade thread. So much stuff I wanna try out.

[resincum]

excellent reviews, LG. anyway I could tempt you to temp trade your 669?

[lordgalvar]

Thanks everyone! Temp trades are a different experience. There is a lot of motivation to try and actually use a pedal to give the other person impressions. There is much more urgency and devotion going to the exploration of a pedal which is totally different from buying pedals and exploring at your own pace. Really helps get ideas what is out there without commiting too much.

[Chankgeez]

Yes, very nice Fairfield Circuitry testimonial.

I need to do some more temp trading so I can contribute more to this thread.

[lordgalvar]

Bumpin' so I know where this thread sleeps.