GearDump

Bitmo Modded Valve Junior

The Epiphone Valve Junior is one example of an amplifier with a rabid modification community. Players typically modify the circuit, speakers, and even the output transformers to get what some call boutique tone on the cheap.

When I came into possession of my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe I had no idea the difference the custom baffle and two 10″ Eminence Legend Speakers would have. I had never been that big a fan of the stock Hot Rod Deluxe sound but wanted one for the fender clean tones. The thing was monstrous, it could roar with overdrive or sing with a fuzz. I couldn’t help but wonder why the original owner parted with it.

Anyway, I’ve owned my fair share of modifiable amps–particularly the Valve Junior. I have been less then happy with most of those amps with basic circuit mods but I think if you have some major amplifier surgery done you could probably see a noticeable increase in performance. (continue reading…)

Hughes And Kettner Tube Rotosphere Mk. II

Hughes & Kettner has manufactured the Rotosphere for a few years. The MkII is a minor revision of the original design. The Rotosphere has been discontinued though new ones are available for around $500-$600. This is a steep price but for true Leslie fans who cannot haul their cabinet this could be a God-send.

The pedal features a 12AX7. Like most other tube powered pedals requires a wall-wart AC plug. Tube based pedals can often introduce more noise in the signal but with the right provisions (like a voodoo labs pedal power 2) there should be no problems. The unit features controls for Drive, Level, Rotor Balance, Bypass, Breaker, and speed. In addition to the top-mount controls there is also an impedence switch for matching signal levels to keyboards or guitar. The effect is intended to be used in a stereo rig but has a switch for monorual operation.

The Rotosphere’s breaker control is unique to this pedal. The breaker control effectively simulates stopping the rotary motor, and so slows the rotating speaker effect down until it finally stops. The balance control is something like a tone control controling (if it were real) how much of the signal goes to the driver or the tweeter.

The effect really does a great job of emulating the sound of a Leslie with a stereo guitar rig. There has been discussion regarding the proper placement of stereo amps when utilizing the rotosphere but ultimately the sound is very close to that of a leslie. The pedal even ramps up and slows down when the speed switch is engaged. The addition of the breaker control is a nice addition as well. The AC power is really the only tonal drawback to this pedal. The casing is built very well and the tube is visible from a glass panel. Some users have reported that the tube is hard to get to for replacement but most 12AX7 tubes have a long life. For anyone who truly relies on the rotating speaker sound for their work the Rotosphere might just be the go-to effect pedal.

If you can stomach the cost of admission the Tube Rotosphere gets leslie-like bliss without back-breaking labor!

Barber Electronics has long been known for producing some high quality boutique stompboxes. The Trifecta was a fairly highly anticipated pedal prior to it’s release. We all know a fuzz addict now don’t we?

The pedal features four knobs and a switch. The knobs control volume, gain, tone, and fuzz. The switch selects from three different fuzz sounds. Honestly unless the pedal is dialed in properly the differences are mostly dynamic in nature. By pulling the tone control the pedal goes from a typical big muff style scooped mids to a more boutique styled midrange. Honestly I just leave it pulled and adjust the tone and fuzz to taste since you can get a fatter sound with more controlled high end.

This pedal is a fantastic fuzz for single note lines but doesn’t get muddy when playing chords either. The only strike against the fuzz is that it does not have germanium transistors and so it cannot get those very early Hendrix sounds. Nevertheless this has been a go-to dirt box for my own rig for quite some time. Like many muff pedals, this also works great with an overdrive or compressor out front to alter the tone slightly or to provide a gain boost.

The construction on this pedal is top notch as well. Inside, it is built on a double sided PCB that looks very solid. The Controls are mounted to the housing and not the board as well. As anyone who has done pedal repairs or modifications knows, this is definately a bonus. Barber is an excellent company and person to deal with. He is always prompt in responding to customer e-mails and information requests. Maybe some point in the future I’ll pin him down for an interview.

You can’t go wrong with most of the Barber effects and the Trifecta is no exception. I suggest you give one a whirl at your local Barber dealer.

Special thanks to Proguitarshop.com for their excellent demonstrational videos.
Check them out for any of your pedal needs!

For many guitar players Dumble’s name is legendary. He has crafted amplifiers for SRV, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, and some of his other amps have ended up in the hands of many others, particularly John  Mayer who reportedly has several of them. Dumble amplifiers are notoriously expensive because of their rarity. Alexander Dumble can only produce two or three of them per year. On the used market their prices are in the tens of thousands. When most people think of Dumble amplifiers they refer to the ODS or Overdrive Special but their are other models he has produced as well.

Since I have never had the good fortune to play through or near a Dumble most of my opinions are based on the accounts of others. As I understand it, Dumbles are extremely touch sensitive. Many players who have used them call them unforgiving. When picking lightly the amp barely distorts. If picked roughly the amp (again based on clips) has a glorious overdrive devoid of icepicking but with just enough presence to cut through the mix. Perhaps that is the reason so many great blues and jazz artists covet these amps as the tonal holy grail. Adding to the confusion is the fact that each Dumble is built to suit a player. That means the Dumble that Santana has will not sound exactly the same as Larry Carlton or Robben Ford’s.

Dumble’s have become so appreciated that attempts have been made to clone the ODS. Two-Rock & Fuchs are two well known company’s doing just that. Dumble himself has attempted to stop these cloning attempts through the use of resin or epoxy coatings covering all the components on the amp internals. Nevertheless Two-Rock and Fuchs have at least come close since their amps are so popular. It is well known that John Mayer often pairs his Dumble with a Two-Rock as well. Frankly, even these boutique clones are far to expensive for me to investigate on my limited budget but perhaps someday I will. Nevertheless, I believe it only a matter of time before a manufacturer like Fender, Peavey, Marshall, or even Bugera release an amp sounding very similar to one. Until that time we will all sit and drool.

Special Thanks to youtube user peterguitlerche for allowing me to use his dumble clip.

Skreddy has been making pedals for a few years now. The waiting list can range from 30 days to 90 days depending on what you are after and when you get your name on the list. Having never owned one of his devices I am always fascinated with them. The majority of the effects he makes are fuzz or distortion devices. I wanted a Lunar Module for a while just because the whole Dark Side of The Moon paint job looked amazing. The sounds were basically straight off the record too.

For tone snobs many of these custom builders offer a special allure that cannot be found with pedals that sound remarkably similair at affordable prices. Even so, the Skreddy stuff as shown in the clips always seems to have something a little extra special. I’ll let the video do the talking. Make sure you check out Gearmandudes reviews on youtube. They are always fantastic and informative!