If you were to ask ten different musicians about the differences between distortion and overdrive chances are you’ll get ten different answers. They will all most likely do it by trying to describe what each sounds like. In other words, they will be describing the effect’s tonal qualities rather than what it is technically doing to a guitar signal. Still, the line between distortion and overdrive tend to blend together so much that it’s pretty hard to draw a line between the two, especially when it comes to effects pedals. In this article, we take a closer look at these two popular effects from inside and out in order to give you a clearer picture.
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The word “boutique” gets tossed around a lot these days in the world of music equipment. What used to mean pedals hand-crafted by small operations (notable for the quality, care, and attention afforded to each of their products) has grown into a marketing buzzword that is made to sell more gear. Fortunately, there are still many awesome builders who take the word seriously and it shows in what they create. One such manufacturer is TSVG, a Philadelphia-based effects maker that has been churning out amazing stompboxes since 2011. While they haven’t been around as long as some of the more established brands, they have managed to grow a healthy following on the back of their solid reputation. Today, we’re taking a look at one of their more popular effects, the Angry Jeff, a pedal perfect for players looking for a different take on traditional fuzz tones.
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Known for their highly versatile and highly stylized effects, Walrus Audio unveiled two brand new pedals that will soon be joining their lineup: the Julia Chorus/Vibrato and the Contraband Fuzz. With its ability to blend between Chorus and Vibrato effects, The Julia allows players to take their sound to strange new places. The Contraband and its simple design meanwhile aim to take the fluff out of the Fuzz pedal. After taking a good look at both of them, we can say that these pedals are sure to continue the pedal maker's penchant for creative takes on well-known effects.
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[caption id="attachment_2253" align="alignright" width="300"]VOODOO LAB Sparkle Drive MOD Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal[/caption]
Today we'll be taking a look at the Sparkle Drive from Voodoo Lab! Does it have enough to stand out among the already crowded overdrive effects scene?
First off, if you don't know much about the guys behind the Sparkle Drive MOD, they are pretty well-known for their rugged, reliable and handmade professional electronics that go beyond just effects pedals. Touring and recording musicians from around the world have been using Voodoo Lab gear since the company’s inception in 1986. They continue to add to their success by delivering pure, richly detailed tones that can be heard on some of the biggest stages in rock today! Alright, now that we got that out of the way, let’s check out some of the finer points of the Sparkle Drive MOD Overdrive effects pedal.
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[caption id="attachment_2880" align="alignright" width="208"]Way Huge Aqua Puss MKII Analog Delay @ $149.99[/caption]
Known for their reliability, consistency and unique tone, the original line of Way Huge pedals quickly became expensive collector’s items as soon as the company folded back in 1999. Luckily for us, the brand was resurrected a few years later and with it came a whole slew of reissues that aim to retain everything that made the originals amazing while trimming the way huge price. Today, we’re taking a closer look at one of these reissues, the Aqua Puss Analog Delay.
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