|
Artist
Reviews
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Brent Mason
To: Brian @ IndyGuitarist
Subject: Blues driver~
Brian, man what did you do to that blues
driver pedal? That thing sounds
super fat and warm. A big improvement whatever you did
to it. I used it
today and yesterday on a session and I compared it to
my other overdrive and
it does sound better! I used it on a couple of solos
today and it really
warmed the tone of it up quite a bit.....
I used it with my les paul running through
my matchless amp and it really
screamed but yet it had that big fat marshall sound
to it. Most of the time
those pedals take the low end away from your tone and
add a high midrange to
them. Anyway, I was blown away with it and really impressed
and wanted to
shout back and tell you. Thank you so much for sending
it to me it is
something I will use quite a bit...
I am extremely picky about this sort of
thing and about 90 percent of the
things given to me do not impress me at all, but yours
DID!!!!...sounded
great through my 67 deluxe reverb too.
Thanks again,
~Brent
IG NOTES: www.brentmason.com
*Brent is using these Indyguitarist modified pedals:
Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, Voodoo
Labs Microvibe, Boss CS-3, Ibanez TS-9.
(Brent is one of Nashville's top session
musicians, and has played on most anything that has
been on country radio over the past 15 years or so -
check out www.brentmason.com for more info)
__________________________________________________
From: Chris Leuzinger
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005
Subject: review
To: Brian Wampler
Hi Brian, I just wanted to let you know
that I have been extremely pleased with the mods that
you have done on my pedals. It's a constant search to
achieve a warm, fat and "friendly" rhythm
crunch and lead distortion sound. The main problem is
that when I kick in a distortion pedal it always kills
the low end and adds a harsh high end that is very rude
to my ear. You seem to have found the solution to this
with your pedal mods.
My Blues Driver is now much more usable
and no longer kills my low end. It sounds fat and warm
and is great for my crunchy rhythm stuff.
I have always been a Rat guy for solo
sounds but before your mod my Rat always added a honky
mid that I had to dial out with EQ. Your mod added some
low end that rounds out the tone and now I can get a
warm singing lead sound without using extra EQ and the
end result is much better.
And the Boss Super Overdrive, which before
was a totally unusable pedal, now rocks with the low
end mod you did. It makes my Tele sound fatter and smoother
than ever on lead stuff.
I also love the mod on my Boss Digital
Delay pedal which warms up the delay repeats and makes
it sound more like an analog pedal.
Well done and keep up the good work and
thanks for making my "tonal life" a lot easier!!
Chris Leuzinger
(Nashville session musician, artists:
* Garth Brooks (nearly every album)
* Kent Blazy
* Shawn Camp
* Fred Koller
& Tons more)
***********************************************
From: RICK "LD" WAYNE (Randy
Travis band)
To: BRIAN WAMPLER
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: RicK - about our new Effects Magazine,
couple of quick questions for you.
Brian the "Boss" Blues Driver and the CS3
sound Great....!!!!!!!!!!
I can get that Marshall sound I was looking for in a
Blues Driver!
With the "gain cranked up rock out! I can tell
everyone there is a difference!
It also sounds much better on the front pick-up for
"Blues"!
The CS3 Compressor reminds me of my favorite
"Old Red Comp"!!
They do not make those any more.They are different now.
My Boss CS3 is much better.Now I will use it since your
did your mods.....
{I recomend your mods to anyone}, who
wants a better sound for their "Stock Stomp Boxes."
Man,great work! Most of my work is touring these days
and The Opry and a few sessions and I write music for
some Outdoor Network Shows.
Rick {LD} Wayne Nashville Guitarist. With,
Porter Wagoner, Randy Travis, and I have recorded with
Randy Travis,Waylon,Willie,Porter,Tom T. Hall, Johnny
Rodriguez,Jeff Cook, many others!.....~
Thanks for improving my pedals with your mods...
{LD} :) June 16,2005
***********************************************
From: Danny Groah
To: Brian Wampler
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 12:01 AM
Subject: CS-3 Compressor
Hi Brian just wanted to let you know how much I like
the boss cs3 compressor that you modded for me. It really
blew me away I could not get over the difference. The
pedal is full of warm rich tone now and twice as big
as the stock pedal. This is the best sounding
compressor I have tried. The guys in the band say the
guitar sound is much bigger with this pedal. I can't
say enough about this mod.
Thanks again
Danny Groah
(Alan Jackson Band - the Strayhorns) http://www.alanjackson.com
***********************************************
From: "Bill D"
To: "Brian Wampler"
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 11:43 AM
Subject: Pedals
Hi, Brian,
I've been really getting into the MT-2
with the
Bogner/Diezel mod you did for me, and it's kind
of opened a can of worms.
I'm using it as a boost only, on my Mesa
amps,
volume up, dist down, using the EQ controls to
cut a tad of bass, and a tad of boost on the mids
and treble. Absolutely perfect for tightening up
the sound. (And, by the way, there is no
distortion noise coming through when bypassed
like it did before the mod (and something even
Keeley can't clean up), and the signal is clear
as a bell, no tone suck at all. Sounds like a
true bypass, without a click switch. How'd you do
that?)
I use a lot of pinch harmonics, lots,
and I like
to mix my searing leads with a lot of very quiet
noodling. With your mod, my notes bloom. With my
Keeley mods- DS-1, SD-1 and RAT, which I also
only use as boosts and which I got before I knew
about you, the notes sound like they have some
kind of phase reverse problem. They get thin, and
it sounds like something is cancelling them out,
with no sustain. And the two Boss pedals just
suck when off. I can't use them. That's why I
went with a RAT. I don't want a clean boost, I
want some JRC4558 grit on the bottom, like Jeff
Beck and Zakk use 'em for.
Would this be because Keeley does that
asymetrical thing, and you don't? Something is
seriously different. You've ruined me on all the
other guys' pedals!
...And if you really know the secret to
making pinch
harmonics bloom, I also have to have you remod my
RAT at some point. The Boss pedals just aren't
worth fixing, because of the tone suck. Any trade
in value?
Congrats, Brian, you've really done it
for me.
Thanks.
Bill
***********************************************
Hey,
I tried it out (hughes and kettner warp factor) for
the first time tonight at band rehearsal--it make my
Carvin stack sound somewhere between a Mesa Rectifier
(the first thing that popped in my head when I heard
it was the guitar sound on the last two Lamb Of God
CD's) and a Hughes & Kettner Warp-T.
Palm mutes are cleaner, pinch harmomics
(i.e. "squeals") are still smooth as silk,
and the breakup is much better when I roll back the
volume to get that "mild/semi" drive sound--everytime
I did that before it just sounded like ass.I can actaully
bump up my EQ a bit so that my clean channel sounds
like how a Carvin clean channel is supposed to. Furthermore,
the increased mids allow me to cut through the mix much
better at lower volumes--I still have to play louder
than satan to match my bass player, but at least now
I'm loud and clear.
Oh yea, the green LED is wicked. Nice
touch.
Thanks,Allan
***********************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Robb"
To: <brian - @ indyguitarist.com
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: Speaker Clips
Hi Brian,
I had a few minutes over the weekend, so I implemented
your mods on my OS2
and MT2. Now they sound SO much better! The tone of
the OS2 now matches a
lot closer to my modded SD1, which I wanted, but the
sound is more
in-your-face (if that really is a sound!).
The MT2 is now actually Useable!!! I think
I've only pulled it out twice in
the last couple of years, turned it on for a couple
seconds and gone "Oh
yeah, that's why I never use this!". After doing
your Deizel/Bogner Mods
(&C36) it's a LOT nicer. I ended up putting Germaniums
(1N34A's) in as the
clipping diodes, but liked the LED crunch a bit too
(in the position you
recommended for the LED), so I've put in a little switch
to switch between
the 1N34A & LED in that position.
Thanks again for your help with these,
I really appreciate it!
Cheers,
Steve
***********************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Horton
To: BRIAN WAMPLER
Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2005 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: BD-2 / Tweed Pedal
Hi Brian,
Just wanted to tell you that your BD-2
/ Tweed pedal sounds fantastic! I like the smooth Fender-like
clipping style and can get a nice rich Tweed sound and
with the treble switch you installed for me can also
get some sparkly, trebly Fender-ish tones. The pedal
has excellent clarity and sounds very natural and not
too "crisp" like some other BD-2 pedals on
the market. I even tried using it as a boost pedal and
it added some nice "punch" and clarity to
my tube amp's somewhat muddy sounding distortion channel.
I've been looking for a pedal like this for years that
could give me some different Fender tones but could
never find one...until now. Thanks for coming up with
this mod and keep up the good work!
Steve in Dallas, TX
***********************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: DAVID CHEREPY
To: brian -- @ indyguitarist.com
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2005 12:08 PM
Subject: RE: Dave, How has guitartone.net/Indyguitarist.com
been most helpful?
Hi Brian
I really don't know what to suggest as
far as changes as I an new to moding pedals .I just
did my first last night ! Your Boss CS-3 mod . I chose
that one because the pedal has been un-used for 2 years
and if I messed it up , no great loss . I have been
using the MXR Super comp .
All I can say is WOW !! The CS3 is now
fantastic . Your mod has vastly improved it . Yes I
well admit I did not expect such an improvement . I
figured at best it might compare to the MXR comp . I
was wrong it far exceeds the MXR . I am loving it .
As far far as your kit goes don't change
a thing ! Parts are clearly identified in the pictures
and on the parts sheet . Nothing could be simpler ,
remove old and install new part . And I did it myself
!These kits are an outstanding value . I enjoyed it
so much and the improvement to the pedal is so good
I have just ordered the DS-1 mod .
Keep up the work and thank you.
DAVE
***********************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "sean hauserman"
To: "BRIAN WAMPLER"
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 1:23 AM
Subject: Re: Receipt for Your Payment to Indy Web Builders
Brian,
I received the Epidemic today-great pedal-insant fun
with EH Freq. Modulator--OCD---tele-!!
The horizons have widened-and the craft is ready....
Thank you!!!
-Sean Hauserman-sound experimenter/explorer
***********************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Bailey"
To: BRIAN WAMPLER
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 10:18 AM
Subject: MT-2 mod
all i have to say is this thing is awesome.
took away everything i
hated about the pedal (the mid) and added things that
i didn't even
know i couldn't live without. thanks for this.
Christopher Nelson Bailey
***********************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: ROSS WOOD
To: BRIAN WAMPLER
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 6:34 PM
Subject: Re: Hi Ross-here are some effect pedal related
links for ya
Hi Brian,
I just wanted to thank you for the sd-1
mods you provided for me. I bought that Boss SD-1 pedal
10 years ago for $20 used. I never used it much because
it just didn't do much for me. Now I'm no technician,
as a matter of fact I'm a rank amateur with very unpolished
soldering skills. With your mods (I did the F#llt&ne
F*lldr#ve mod) which cost me 15 bucks and $13.37 worth
of parts including shipping, I have an unbelieveable
boutique pedal!!
I play a "62 reissue Strat (1991)
and a "93 Hamer FM with '59 Seymour Duncans through
a new Carvin Master Tube Series head w/ a Marshall 4X12
cab with Vintage 30's. When I first did the mod I was
a little disappointed because I'd only tested it at
very low volume due to the wife. Saturday night, however
I played it at a gig at a local bar. With normal volume
the pedal had incredible overdrive tone. I got many
positive comments about my tone from my bandmates and
several audience members. Kudos to you for a great job!!
I'm living proof that you don't have to
be a techie to do one of these mods. Invest a few bucks
in a pencil point soldering iron and a desoldering pump
- both are very cheap - and anybody can do this.
Feel free to use this or any part of it
as a testimonial. I think I'll see what you have for
a newer MXR Dynacomp.....
Thanks again!!
Ross Wood
***********************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas Lindsey
To: Brian Wampler
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 2:32 AM
Subject: Re: ts9 mod
Hi Brian,
I got the TS-9 '316' back today. I was pretty eager
to plug it in so I went downstairs and plugged in the
Parker Fly and fired up the Bassman and let it rip.
Man, I almost threw up. What a disappointment! Not for
the TS-9 but for every damn pedal that I ever wasted
money on. Sheesh! I A/B'ed it against my Tonepad modded
TS-9, does not even come close. I used to really like
that little Tonepad TS-9 (*sniff, sniff*), but now it's
like playing through a very weak 4 watt transistor radio.
That pedal's a goner. Then, I tried it up against my
holy grail of overdrive: the almight Barber Direct Drive
(*angels singing*). I thought at best, it would maybe
approximate some of the same sounds without the vibe.
Um, hardly. The Barber sounded like the Tonepad modded
TS-9 to a Barber. What the hell???? How is that possible?
I don't get it. I used to be afraid of the Barber because
of the amount of volume over unity gain that I could
get and the amount of bottom end. The tonal spectrum
of the Barber doesn't even compare now. How sad. I don't
know what's going on in that brain of yours but you
are seriously dangerous guy! You are making too many
things obsolete.Yikes!! I can't thank you enough for
this killer mod, but you should have done it sooner,
I wasted lots of time and money on too much garbage
already. Oh well, better late than never. I'll inventory
my pedals tomorrow and send you a list tomorrow night.
I have still 3 pedals not here, JD Sleep has them right
now (a Chandler Tube Driver, a Tube Works Tube Driver
and a DOD 250 with your clean boost mod). Alright, man,
get some sleep and stop making such scary stuff! I'm
scared already!!!
Thomas
PS I'm looking for a new BD-2 (I've been
reading some posts on TDPRI lately) and a new SD-1 (for
your Fulltone mod). I'm drooling now, I've gotta go!
__________________________________________________
From: Ed Karges III
To: brian @ indyguitarist.com
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 3:34 AM
Subject: Re: Need Info
You should have warned me!!!!!! I put my two modded
pedals to the test tonight. Unbelievable. The CS-3 compressor
has so much presence and level it sounds great. I don't
think I need the MXR DynaComp or Ross Compressor. This
one will do just fine. Also, the BD-2 Blues Driver sounds
great too. I may try the Germanium or LED's but it sounds
so good now I don't know if I want to change anything.
You were right about the tone control (changing to the
.047 cap). The tone is really responsive now....Anyone
can change components but the key is knowing what to
change. I glad I ran across your website. Some of those
guys (pedal modders) mention that they put higher grade
components in the pedals to make them sound better but
the Boss pedals already have high quality components
so when they charge to modify a Boss pedal if they claim
that they change components they are taking someone
for a ride.
-----------------------------
From: Tyler Samson
To: info@indyguitarist.com
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 6:47 AM
Subject: Fabtone!!!!
Hey Brian,
Well, I got the fabtone yesterday, and
immediately got to it...it sounds awesome!! I'm loving
the bottom end and the response now! I even jammed last
night through a Marshall 4x12 cab and a Fender DeVille
head, and man, the bass and chug was just awesome! We
were jammin mostly hardcore and metal stuff, and it
sounded huge on the big break downs!...It's awesome,
sooooo much better than before! The bass fills out the
whole package so well, and it sounds so kick ass now!
Thanks a bunch! I know a friend of mine that's got a
fabtone, and I'll tell him that if he isn't happy with
it that he should send it to you. So, again, thanks
a ton, and I'm really really happy with the pedal now!!
And the blue LED is pretty sweet too! heh Consider me
one more very happy customer!!
Thanks again!
-Tyler
________________________________________________________
message from guitargeek.com customer: 05.27.04 12:50
PM
Hey Brian,
I wanted to let you know that I received and have been
really digging the mods you performed on my DS-1 and
MT-2. To use a cliché, the DS-1 mod is what the
pedal should have sounded like in the first place. The
tone knob is very useable, huge improvement in tone,
and it is extremely loud without being harsh. The MT-2
is like a different pedal. It has all the good qualities
of the stock unit without the fakeness. I have found
that I use less gain and volume since the mod. The guitar
and amp qualities still shine through. And the EQ is
much more intuitive, it doesn’t take weeks of
tweaking to find a good sound. I don’t know what
kind of voodoo you performed, it’s not a miracle,
but it’s close. THANKS!Jsprad of guitargeek messageboard
__________________________________________________
From: "anders pellmark"
To: Brian @ Indyguitarist
Subject: Boss Mod!
Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 02:14:51 -0700
Hi Brian,
I bought your DIY download kit and applied it to my
Boss OD3. The Wang Dang
mod!
I'm so amazed how nice and open it is with sweet even
harmonics and just
tone for days
and really dynamic even at max gain. It has taken the
main spot on my board
over some
other boutique pedals and other "well known"
modded pedals. I was thinking
about getting
another one for my smaller board, but then I thought
I could try to do
similar things to my
Boss Turbo Overdrive OD-2. Now, have you modded those
before and are there
any downloads available for them. I'd love to use it
as it is like the OD3,
a pretty good pedal to start with.
Thanks again for the mod examples. I just
couldn't believe my ears!!!
Anders
__________________________________________________
Date:
Sun, 09 May 2004 00:03:45 -0400
From:
"Ed Mantione"
Subject:
RE: See message.
To:
Brian @ indyguitarist.com
Boy, did you hit the nail on the head. I just got your
kit in the mail today, waited for the family to go to
sleep, then went to work. I am amazed at the changes.
I’ve used your sd-1 mod kit, Jekyll & Hyde
kit, and now the MT-2. To be honest with you, the kits
made great improvements to the J&H and the SD-1,
but I was still unhappy with the J&H no fault of
the mod, just the tube screamer type sound, and the
SD-1 even with the mod, wasn’t what I was looking
for which was something more transparent which is what
I now have with the Fulldrive2. But, the mod sure beefed
up the Sd-1 to be a blues monster. Now onto the MT-2.
I was skeptical when I ordered the kit. After all, it’s
the most ridiculed yet most purchased pedal by boss.
I only do a few songs that would use such a heavy distortion
and I was still looking for other pedals to replace
this one but when I did this mod, that search ended.
I could use this pedal for a bunch of songs now. No
more nasally tone. Just a big wall of distortion tone.
The lead tone from this pedal is thicker, the distortion
is smoother, and the sustain is still there and smooth
and crunchy and warmer. Thick, smooth, and warm are
three words I would have never associated with the Metal
Zone. Great work Brian, keep it up! And one more thing,
that is the brightest blue light I’ve ever seen.
The mod is worth it for that alone! __________________________________________________
--------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: Cristóbal Gallino
To: brian @ indyguitarist.com
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 10:58 PM
Subject: Re: BD-2 Mod
Hello Brian,
I want to thank you. The pedal sound improved A LOT.
I wish I knew about this mod before.
Thanks a lot,
Cristóbal.
__________________________________________________
From: "Ralph Niederlander Jr." <>
To: "Brian Wampler" <>
Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2004 12:20 AM
Subject: DS-1 Classic Rock Mod
> I just wanted to tell you that your Boss Classic
rock mod is very nice. It definitely gives you a more
tubelike response and gets rid of all the harshness
of the stock DS-1. It will give you some nice full tones
that , like the name implies, gives you some real nice
Classic rock sounds. I was able to get some real cool
BTO type sounds on my Fender Bronco. It also cleans
up a little on lower volumes (which the stock pedal
did not). I could almost use it as an overdrive on my
Peavey tube amp at lower distortion settings. I was
very pleased with it. For now it will go in my setup
along side of my Keeley Ultra mod DS-1 for a few weeks.
It is enough different that I want to have both in there
for use now. I think in time, it might replace the Keeley,
as it fits the type of music we are playing real well.
Very nice indeed.
>
__________________________________________________
From: Apollo Vermouth
To: brian @ indyguitarist.com
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 6:26 PM
Subject: Rocktek Overdrive Pedal
Hi Brian,
Thought I would let you know how much I like the Rocktek
Overdrive that you modded.
It sounds great! Not too harsh, Not too lame, Just Right.
Thanks for the outstanding deal.
Mike Stormer
__________________________________________________
From: Ryan Stewart
To: Brian Wampler
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 10:34 PM
Subject: TR-2 mod
__________________________________________________
I just received the TR-2 today and played
with it for about a half hour. WOW, I don't think this
is even a Boss TR-2 anymore... it is like I am using
a completely different pedal, and I mean that in the
best way possible. It is like comparing a house cat
and a lion, the tone is so much stronger now!
__________________________________________________
From: Ralph Niederlander Jr. [mailto:xxxxxxxx@email.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 9:55 PM
To: Brian Wampler
Subject: CS 3 Mod
Hi Brian. I received the CS-3 mod kit today and immediately
set to work. The sheet and the components made it very
easy. I realize since I bought the full DIY kit off
of ebay that I could have probably saved by heading
to radio shack and searching out all the parts, but
I tend to be lazy and hate shopping. This made it real
nice.
I hadn't soldered in a few years so the first couple
components took longer than normal and my soldering
was, well, not horrible but not great either. By the
end though, it was going well. It came back quick. I
did as instructed and tested after adding each component
and was done in about an hour. I think I could probably
do another in half that time.
You asked for a comparison to my Guyatone. Well, first
let me say that the CS-3 mod is outstanding. It really
took a drab, and in my opinion lousy (I can't imagine
paying full price for a compressor that is that noisy
and toneless) pedal and turned it into an extremely
nice compressor. The first thing I noticed was how much
cleaner it sounded. It really eliminated the hiss. Now
it is still there if I crank things up full, but I doubt
you will find one that doesn't do that. I also noticed
some sparkle that was not there before. The tone was
improved dramatically. Bottom end was added and the
sound was much fuller. Now, to compare it to the Guyatone
is a little tough. The Guyatone is super for acoustic.
It really emphasizes the deep resonance on my Rosewood
Carvin Cobalt acoustic. It is clean and very nice. The
switch to mix clean with processed signal is also a
neat feature. The Boss is a bit brighter. Not in a bad
way, but brighter still. I think with my acoustic, I
might like the Guyatone a bit more, but if I had had
the Boss first and done the mod, I would not have been
disappointed. Where the Boss shines is with my electric.
Here I think it outperforms the Guyatone. It is more
versatile with control of attack and Sustain (the Guyatone
only has level and sustain controls) and really sounds
sweet. I got this to make a nice compressor for one
of my band mates who can't afford one. Now I am thinking
of trying to find another CS-3 on ebay or in the paper
and getting another kit for myself just for my electric.
I am very happy with the mod. Thanks again. Oh ya, the
resistor addition to brighten the LED is great. All
of my stock boss pedals (CH-1 Chorus and DD-5 delay)
have very low light levels. I need to see if there is
a resistor I can change in those to brighten them up
as well.
God bless. Oh ya, I added my thoughts in the CM board
as well so others could see.
Ralph Niederlander Jr.
__________________________________________________
From:
"Stefano Benedetti" <email>
To:
wampcat@yahoo.com
Subject:
Re: boss sd-1 overdrive pedal
Date:
Fri, 14 Nov 2003 15:25:45 +0100
Hi, Brian
glad to hear from you again!
I actually use your pedal as my main one
(I play in a rock-blues trio here
in Italy).
I have a Behringer Blue Devil amp with
a single 12" speaker set on a 4x12"
simulation very resonant and I run my guitar to the
Boss sd-1 and then
straight to the amp. I just bought a rotary speaker
pedal (Danelectro Rocky
Roads) than I run to the send/return line (and maybe
I'll ad some delay
sooner or later).
That way I really get a wall-of-sound!
The Boss sd-1 is set this way: Volume
2 'o clock - Tone 9 'o clock and Drive
from 9 to 3 'o clock, it depends on the song I'm playin'.
I just recorded a demo and this setting
sounds awesome.
The thing I like most of your pedal is
that, once you set the Tone knob to
please your ears, you can add as much Drive as you want
and the distortion
increases in a "natural" way.
I made my compliments to you when I bought
the pedal, I renew'em today. I've
had my share of o/d pedals, but this one is for keeps.
You can quote this message in every way
you please, and feel free to keep me
informed on updates/new gear/special offers (expecially
the latter!)...
Greetings from Italy,
Stefano Benedetti
------------------
Date:
Tue, 11 Nov 2003 10:50:34 -0400
From:
"John Hargnett"
To:
wampcat @ yahoo.com
Subject:
DS-1 MOD
Hey Brian,
It sounds great! Very tube like. Excellent crunch.
This is what a pedal should sound like.
BTW, which mod of yours is it? In case my friends want
to know. ;)
Thanks again for everything.
John
-----------------------------
Hey, Brian,
I got my SD1 back on Friday. I can't believe
how much hotter this pedal is now. It screams almost
as much as my gain channel on my amp. Good job, give
me much more tonal versatility and warmth. Thanks for
all your help and quick, friendly service. Look forward
to working with you again in the future.
Thanks again,
Jarad Mitchell
--------------------------------------------
Hey, got the OD-3 this morning, that was
mighty fast i must say. Anyway,
THANK YOU, that thing is just what i was looking for.
My other dirts are a Big
Muff and a Fuzz Face, so that is a perfect contrast.
Sounds great with my new 97' USA Strat. Its similar
to a tubescreamer, in the way that it gives your sound
a lot of definition, and its dynamic. Its also really
loud. I hardly have the
level knob up at all, and the drive at about at 1/2
or so, and it boosts my
volume a lot, which is always good. I also dig the gold
LED and gold knobs on
it, did you do that or was it stock? Well, all in all
you have made me a happy
man, and I am glad I purchased this. Thanks again Brian,
if this was Ebay I
would give you positive feedback, but instead i guess
you are just going to have to settle with knowing that
you have made me happy ;-). Take care, and have a good
summer!!!
-Kyle Parker
--------------------------------
Re: BD-2 mod
Hey, the BD-2 was there when i got home. I only had
15 minutes to play it, but DAMN!!! It sounds soooooo
much better. There's no bass loss, the tone knob is
actually usable and the gain ... oh man, the gain sounds
very nice. I used to not like usign a lot of gain on
this pedal, but now it sounds fantastic no matter where
it's set.
And yeah, that LED will blind you!! very
cool.
I'll post a full review to the board this
weekend after I give it a good whirl. People should
know about your mods.
dude, you rock!
------------------------
Re: ds-1
My wifes' parents came over and also some other company
so I didn't get to check the pedal out till about 9:00
pm.It's 9:30 now and I can't quit playing . This pedal
sounds Awesome!!!!!!!! I am playing through a small
Fender amp right now. I can't wait to try it through
my big amps (with tubes)!!!!!
Do you have any settings/suggestions?
I plugged it up straight out of the box and it was gain
city, but clear and punchy---AWESOME!!!!
Thanks, Tim
------------------
I just wanted you to know that I recently put your mod
to the test against a stock DS-1and a Keely seeing eye
type mod. Your mod wins hands down. More organic/tubelike
and realistic sounding. I was very impressed. Thanks!!!!
and I might send the Keeley type mod to you if you can
do the magic on it too!!! Let me know.
Also , I have shown this pedal to some guitar buddies
and they should be visiting your web site soon.
Thanks,
Tim Berryhill
--------------------
From the GuitarGeek.com forum:
I just modded my DS-1 using information from indyguitarist.com.
I'm absolutely blown away - it's a whole new pedal.
Super-warm, super-crunchy, awesome range. Before, it
such nasty high-end it gave me a headache to use, but
now I love the little thing.
Deep Blue
Member
----------------------
Hey I have one of those pedal boards (Indyguitarist
Pedal boards). It's the best damn thing ever. You should
really check them out.
zepolant
Member
----------------------
Review: Indyguitarist MT-2 mod
Just my little informal review.
Anyways got the mod #2 pedal from Indyguitarist.
Inside it all had really clean soldering and it all
fit really well. What I found really surprising was
the tone I got without him touching my diodes.
At low volumes I found it kind of muddy
and fuzzy, but when I cranked the amp, I heard just
how responsive it is! WHOA! I think I lost a little
distortion with the mod, but not enough for me to really
care (I still only keep on halfway). The mid frequency
doesn't seem to be as touchy, and only really effects
the tone when the mids are set higher. I found a really
nice tone when the eq was set a little closer together.
I didn't think I'd like the fuzzy kind of tone the pedal
had at lower volumes, but when I have at least a semi
decent volume, I find my tone. This isn't what I was
expecting from the mod at all, but I happen to think
it's better.
My mod came with an astonishingly bright
blue LED. It's great for a mid-rehearsal break à
la shadow puppets! Right now I have it disassembled,
sanded and primed, as it's ready to be painted! I'll
try and post some pics when I finish that.
Brian is very helpful with the transactions
and wants you to have good tone. Great to deal with.
I didn't know a pedal could sound like
this. I'm reconsidering buying the 5150 stack. If you
have an MT-2 you're unsatisfied with, send it to Brian.
I'm very happy with my new tone.
thetikiman
Member
----------------------
Indyguitartist BD-2
I had Indyguitarist do his thing on my BD-2 and it's
sweet.
The first thing I noticed is no bass loss
and I bit of a bass boost around the E and A string.
Very nice. The tone is far more useable, you can turn
it past 12 o'clock and it doesn't get icepicky. The
gain is a lot smoother and doesn't get buzzy when chords
are held to decay. Basically, all the things I like
about the BD-2 are improved and the things I didn't
like are fixed.
I have only played it at apartment levels
and it's very nice, sounds almost like a cranked amp.
This will be great for recording. I will be playing
it a lot louder sometime this weekend and will report
how it performs when I can actually turn my amp up.
And the super bright blue LED will blind
ya' if you stare directly into it. Very cool.
nobody
Member
When I got the pedal on Friday, I like it, but honestly
wasn't "blown away" in that sense. It was
great, but no incredible. I played around a bit more
on Saturday and started liking it more still. Last night
I was dinking around with it again and, guess what:
I LOVE THIS THING! It's really really cool! I like it
way better than before! I love what you did for the
bass response and even the volume level is fine. What
I wasn't really sure that I liked or dislike was the
gain, but I'm really really startin' to dig this pedal!
Forget modding a DS-1. This pedal rocks! I must say
(quite honestly at that), I'm really impressed!
Thanks again Brian!
- Ryan
________________________________________________________________________
hi Brian,
I picked up the pedal yesterday and used
it during
rehearsal in the evening. it sounds great! the other
guitar player in my band was already getting jealous
(although he has a jacques tubeblower....). So thanks
again!
Tim
IndyGuitarist Mods- user reviews
"the sound quality is superb-really!"
"this thing sounds 100X better through
my pedalboard, i love how it keeps your sound intact
but has the ability to add so much more OOMPH and drive,
grit and spit. absolutely lovely, and more volume !!
thats a wonderful thing."
"he asked me what kind of sound i
was shooting for !!
i mean, it really was a custom mod-
the great thing is, i got exactly what i needed.
how often does that happen with music gear ?"
"very few drive pedals excite me,
b/c i'm picky about nailing that perfect sound, and
i think that last night i achieved my personal perfect
sound.
bravo."
Boss SD-1 mod
Price Paid: (TRADE)
Ease of Use: 10
using this pedal is easier than clubbing a baby seal
!
Sound Quality: 10
the sound quality is superb. really. i am pretty darn
picky about my tones, and really i was amazed at the
improvement over a boss stock unit, so bajaam ! a 10
!
i play a mexican tele (graphite nut & hardware,sounds
better than most U.S.A. models i've played) through
my board into my amp, a sovtek mig 60 tube lead head
and a 4X12" cab.
my board:
morley lil' alligator volume pedal
boss tu-2 pedal tuner
INDYGUITARIST-modded SD-1
catalinbread Super Chile Picoso clean boost
Ibanez AD-9 analog delay
BOSS DD-20 giga delay
Boss rv-3 reverb/delay
with possibly a true-bypass small stone on the way.
here's the thing:
i had a keeley ts9-808 mod, and it was quite nice, but
after a while i simply couldn't deal with the annoying
compressed sound and too little drive (even though there
should be MUCH MORE in a modded unit).
i post on the guitargeek.com stompbox forum quite regularly,
and so does indyguitarist- i had heard that the sd-1
is much more transparent and 'raw' sounding than a ts9,
so i had to try one.
i set up a trade with brian (indyguitarist) and we swapped,
one keeley ts9-808 mod w/blue LED for one indyguitarist
sd-1 mod w/green LED. i got it last night about an hour
before i headed out to band practice.
this thing sounds 100X better through my pedalboard,
i love how it keeps your sound intact but has the ability
to add so much more OOMPH and drive, grit and spit.
absolutely lovely, and more volume !!
thats a wonderful thing.
no nasty stock-sounding nasal metallic sound here, all
i get pure unadulterated sweetness oozing from my speakers.
Reliability: 10
its still in its boss housing, so you know i can trust
it.
on top of that, brian did his magic to the guts of the
pedal, so hell yes i can trust it.
Customer Support: 10
brian is mega-responsive, ultra-nice, and is willing
to help in any situation-
his website is great and very informative (indyguitarist.com)
and he pulls out all the stops to let you know he's
got your back.
he knows he's good, but doesn't talk any trash when
confronted with message board posts like "WHO DOES
THE BETTER MOD ?" etc.
his patience goes a long way when i'm e-mailing him
asking him every question under the sun, many of which
could be answered by looking around on his site... i
do this on purpose to smaller pedal makers so i can
get an idea of who i'm dealing with. i wasn't disappointed
!
he asked me what kind of sound i was shooting
for !!
i mean, it really was a custom mod-
the great thing is, i got exactly what i needed.
how often does that happen with music gear ?
my drive section on my board is set.
Overall Rating: 10
i'm into basically all things indie-rock, from cursive,
at the drive-in and the pixies to godspeed you black
emperor!, mogwai,don caballero, and do.make.say.think.
i have a side project that is largely influenced by
the magnetic fields and the microphones, so basically
any music that is honest, smart, and good will capture
my attention.
i use LOTS of reverb & delay for atmosphere, and
lots of math-y riffs that coincide with my other guitarist's
playing. i don't believe in sucking, so theres no way
i could back this pedal i'm reviewing if it hindered
my sound or playing in any way whatsoever.
i know theres a lot of soundclips on websites with the
old retarded blues guys playing their stupid boring
riffs through truckloads of effects, but don't let other
reviews & soundclips fool you, this modded sd-1
is VERY VERSATILE.
i can dial in a huge amount of gain for MONO-esque walls
of sound with my band, or just enough to boost my already
cranked amp head (my band plays LOUD) to get a sweet
boost.
indyguitarist's prices for mods are nowhere near as
high as analogman & keeley's. he doesn't slather
his name all over your pedal, and his work is neat and
clean. very few drive pedals excite me, b/c i'm picky
about nailing that perfect sound, and i think that last
night i achieved my personal perfect sound.
bravo.
Submitted by a clock. at 12/19/2003 11:26
Overall Rating: 10
" Warm, full, rich, creamy tones
can be dialed even with the drive knob fully open. There's
no harshness whatsoever."
"Mine sounds amazing after he put
his hands on it. I'm sure he will be "discovered"
and prices will skyrocket, but now I consider the price
paid more than fair. Give him a try now that his prices
are still low! http://www.indyguitarist.com/"
"All I can say is I choose right!"
Boss SD-1 mod
Price Paid: US $70 used
Ease of Use: 10
The Boss sd-1 has three knobs for level, tone and drive,
and they deliver what promised, so it's simple as that.
Sound Quality: 10
This unit, modified by Brian Wampler (www.Indyguitarist.com),
has a gorgeous sound. I usually don't buy what the sellers
claim about their products ("Stevie Ray Vaughan
sound - yeah, give me a break!), but this is the classic
exception. Warm, full, rich, creamy tones can be dialed
even with the drive knob fully open. There's no harshness
whatsoever. The tone knob is the real boss here, though,
because even a small increment can change the sound
spectrum dramatically. Really responsive.
Reliability: N/A
I plan to use it live, it's shell is made out of metal
and I think it can stand it.
Customer Support: 10
I bought this one on eBay. All I can say is that Brian
Wampler is a serious seller and he stands behind his
creations. I'm unfortunately not a techhead, thus I
don't know what kind of magic he does to the circuitry
of the stock pedals. Mine sounds amazing after he put
his hands on it. I'm sure he will be "discovered"
and prices will skyrocket, but now I consider the price
paid more than fair. Give him a try now that his prices
are still low! http://www.indyguitarist.com/
Overall Rating: 10
I play in a rock-blues trio, and I've been playin' guitar
for the last 21 years. I was decided not to buy the
overpriced stock tubescreamer, and I choose between
the many modified overdrive pedals you find on eBay.
All I can say is I choose right!
Submitted by Stefano at 09/08/2003 23:31
Overall Rating: 10
"After it arrived I plugged it in and i was totally
blown away , the green channel was so full and natural
sounding. so much more balls then my first jekyll &
Hyde. this thing really is so much more of a pedal then
it use to be."
" I own keeley pedals , analogman
and other boutique pedals and this pedal is right at
home with all those high priced pedals. great sound
- versitle - no noise - need i say more ?? BUY IT NOW
!!!"
"(it) may have been modded for true
bypass as i don't remember this thing being this silent!"
Indyguitarist Jekyll & Hyde Mod
Price Paid: US $145.00
Ease of Use: 10
Visual Sound Jekyll & hyde pedal , modded to 808
specs by the people /person at www.Indyguitarist.com.
No changes to the controls however
may have been modded for true bypass as i don't remember
this thing being this silent. check the reviews on the
jekyll and hyde pedal itself and you will already see
that its a great pedal and take not that most of the
complaints or cons of that pedal has been improved with
this very affordable modification
Sound Quality: 10
I owned a jekyll and hyde pedal about a year ago and
thought it was a great pedal at the time , since then
I have owned about 20 stomp boxes all of which were
either overdrive or fuzz/distortion. ( boss ds-1 , F.A.T.
multi scream , vintage DOD 250 ,Mr ED , Sobbat fuzz
breaker, Rogery mayer mongoose , Big muff russia &
us versions , nelsound apex fuzz) as you can see some
cheap ones some that cost a little more. I decided to
try the jekyll and hyde out one more time since it was
a very versatile and i was looking for something that
was 808 based. I found this unit on ebay (flea-bay )
and decided to take a chance. After it arrived I plugged
it in and i was totally blown away , the green channel
was so full and natural sounding. so much more balls
then my first jekyll & Hyde. this thing really is
so much more of a pedal then it use to be.
I can hear every note i play and this thing reacts much
like a very good overdriven amp , its open sounding
in a very good way. I plugged this pedal in to my MIJ
jazzmaster into a Top Hat club royal - Mesa boogie dc-5
- Vox ac30tb - Marshall bluesbreaker RI and it had stunning
results .. I can get a mesa dc-5 (which is really a
recto) distortion sound on any of my amps and thats
freaking awesome. use it to boost my tophat into overdrive
and its perfect. this sucker is dead silent , I use
monster rock cables and george L's and my main set up
is the Top Hat club royale 2x12 and the only hum is
from my Jazzmaster. no color what so ever when its bypassed
and believe me i hardly ever bypass this pedal. get
one now !! its one of the better ones if not the best
!
Reliability: 10
i have been gigging twice a month and practice about
6 times a month with the band and about 2 -3 hours a
day at home. ( i sure as hell don't sound like i practice
all that much) this thing hasn't given any problems
, the battery life is long , no issues with switches
..visual sound made this pedal a tough one and im sure
the mod hasn't made this thing weak in any way
Customer Support: 10
have emailed him twice and he was very quick to respond.
He seems to care about his products and his customers..check
out the site email the guy and you'll find him to be
very helpful.
Overall Rating: 10
My music is a mixture of 80's dark wave -mild experimental
and early 90's modern rock ... bands i listen to ..pink
floyd -radiohead -smashing pumpkins-nirvana - pixies-
new order -joy division - interpol - etc etc.
I would def. try to get my hands on another unit if
this met an unfortunate doom. I dont mind spending the
cash when the products are this good. I own keeley pedals
, analogman and other boutique pedals and this pedal
is right at home with all those high priced pedals.
great sound - versitle - no noise - need i say more
?? BUY IT NOW !!!
Submitted by brian P at 09/10/2003 00:37
Sound Quality: 10
Harmony Central Overall Ratings
Ease of use:
Sound quality:
Reliability:
Customer support:
Overall Rating: 10.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
Read
the latest IndyGuitarist user reviews at Harmony central.com
>>>
|
