What is it? Dunlop/MXR M-101 Phase 90. Guessing on the serial number, this unit may have been manufactured around 2003 or 2004. The classic, original MXR Phase 90 is a fine specimen in vast number vintage effects that have earned their milestone status in guitar effects. So it is a classic for good reason. However,…
Month: October 2014
EHX Octave Multiplexer (RI)
What is it? Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer Reissue. Made in USA around 00’s. For starters, EHX Octave Multiplexer was originally an apparent move to compete with all the other octave divider boxes that started to emerge in late 70’s and early 80’s. I have no idea when the very first down octave effect was produced and…
Tone Freak Effects Abunai
What is it? Tone Freak Effects Abunai. Made in USA,2008. More like a boutique brand, the Tone Freak Effects apparently gained some recognition in the latter half of the 00’s. However, the little respect from the diy community turned into a frown pretty quickly. For those who do not see it, i can point out…
Danelectro CTO-2 Transparent Overdrive V2
What is it? Danelectro CTO-2 Transparent Overdrive V2 from Danelectro Cool Cat series. Made in china around late 00’s to early 10’s. This unit was the very first of Cool Cat series pedal i ever bought. Got it as used unit from one great local guitarist who had just tried it out. The price was…
DigiPlay CH-70 Chorus
What is it? Digiplay CH-70 Stereo Chorus. Made in japan in early 80’s. Saw this unit up for sale with a price tag of small pack of peanuts. What was i to do, but to get it. The switch was acting up, but simply cleaning it up with suitable chemicals did the trick. I didn’t…
Ibanez DS7 Distortion
What is it? Ibanez DS7 Distortion from 7/Tonelok series. Made in taiwan, 1999. One of the Tonelok series early birds. Somehow i have a feeling the DS7 was discontinued earlier than the rest of the bunch. I think i see a point in this. Anyway. This one doesn’t have any other controls but drive, tone…
Colorless writings, part 16 – The Transistor
A transistor? As in electronics 101? Yes. A transistor. A rather simple device that we’ll find in almost any stompbox, in form or another. Transistor is usually a triode. Meaning that there are three terminals and all those three terminals have their own purpose. You know, a tri-ode. Three terminals. As opposite to diode –…
EHX OD Glove
What is it? Electro-Harmonix OD Glove from EHX nano series. Made in NYC in 2013. An overdrive that sounds like nothing else on EHX catalog. That’s the catchphrase from the marketing material. Sure enough. It isn’t close to anything from current or past EHX catalog. But it is rather familiar from somewhere else. Take a…
Boss CH-1 Super Chorus
What is it? Boss CH-1 Super Chorus. Made in taiwan, november 2001. At one point i woke up to a feeling. I had tons of effect pedals, but zero Boss brand choruses. That felt extremely weird, as these effects in Boss catalog are usually praised pedals. So what was i to do, bet to get…
Danelectro CD-1 Distortion
What is it? Danelectro CD-1 Distortion from Cool Cat series. Made in china around 2009. The number of good sounding units in this series seems to be on the rise. Took me a while to get one and to tell the truth, this didn’t come too cheap either. But i wanted one, so i went…