Stomps. hits and misses.

[JeffB]

Got a Zendrive in the mail today. This is my 1st experience with one so after reading so much about it for so long I was pretty stoked to finally be able to try it out.

Well my experience so far is pretty.......meh, what ever. Its not great for me. Ive played it loud quiet, gain high, gain low, Volume high, low, turned voice and tone. Ive stacked it. Put it in the front, and behind. Pretty meh sort of stomp for me through any of my amps and with any of my guitars. I think I might find a place for it eventually.

 

A week or so ago I got the Catalinbread Dirty little Secret. For me it just doesnt work at all. Ive got enough amps and guitars to mix it up with to give it an opportunity to work some where in the mix. I hate it anywhere.

 

Two pretty hyped stomps that dont work for me but seem to work for everyone else.

 

Another stomp that Ive had for a week or so is the T-REX Twin Boost. This is completely awesome for me and on the face of it a pretty boring stmp.

It can be used in a variety of ways. Some obvious and some not so obvious. Ive used it as a mic stand.

I run it in the front of my Fender Concert. Ive never had better strat tones out of that amp. Infact Im renewing my vows with my strat this weekend. I promise never to neglect her again. Or the Concert for that matter.

I can Set one channel on the Double Boost for rhythm and then wind up the mids and a little bass plus a good volume boost on the second channel and use it as a fat warm lead channel. Or I can set one channel up for nice strat and then another for succulent H150 and not have to dick around making volume and eq changes between guitar changes.

The only time the Zendrive made real appealing sounds for me was when I used it in conjunction with the Double Boost either before or after it. Its made other stomps Ive had no like for through the Concert seriously cool sounding with a little tweak here and there.

 

So yay, one out of three.

 

Next stomp up that has been a recent acquisition is the T-REX Room Mate.

I dont want to turn it off. Say no more.

 

So, two out of four.

 

So at the end of the whole thing, the Catalinbread is JFET based is the Zendrive also?Is the Fulltone OCD JFET as well?

Not sure exactly what JFET is but I dont seem to like them. I know I like most opamp based pedals. What ever an opamp is.

[tulk1]

Pedal Junkie!!!

 

The Double Boost (Twin Boost? You call it both) sounds like T-Rex's version of the Fulltone Drive 2. And we need pics of how you used it as a mic stand!!

[JeffB]

Pedal Junkie!!!

 

The Double Boost (Twin Boost? You call it both) sounds like T-Rex's version of the Fulltone Drive 2. And we need pics of how you used it as a mic stand!!

Oh ok. Its a Twin Boost. It has bass mid treble and level. No gain. Its just an awesome clean boost and eq device.

[JeffB]

Better pic.

[Gitfiddler]

Tully~ (Fellow Concert Bretheren) I think with more tweaking you will get some decent tones out of your new Zendrive. It is not meant to be a full n Distortion or High Gain pedal. It is best as an 'edge of break-up-tube-pushing' drive pedal. What I like most about it is that it is fairly transparent. With my Concert running totally clean, it works great. Keep twisting the knobs and I bet you'll find some good stuff in there.

 

I get my best Carlton-esque tones from the Zen by turning the guitar volume down to about '8', then switch to the middle pickup position, and raise/lower the treble pots to taste. The Zen does not have to be turned way up. Just give it enough juice to find the sweet spot. Trust me, it's in there!

[SouthpawGuy]

It took me weeks to "get" the Zendrive, now it's my go to OD pedal. I have the DLS and the ZD, bought both "remotely" and think both are superb pedals.

 

I do run both into a clean amp though, a Blues Jnr or an AC30. I also have a high gain Laney TT50 and I've never even tried it with pedals, it's not that type of amp, it has plenty of gain all by itself.

 

One pedal that I actually got to play before I bought it was the Vox Satchurator, even played it through the exact AC30 that I ended up buying a few months later. In the shop with an Epi LP Custom it sounded great, at home it sounded like poop regardless of what guitar or amp it was plugged into. Some pedals are like that I suppose.

 

btw a Zendrive with a Tele, or ASAT, is a wonderful thing ... clean fat twang !!!

[Trouble]

I've never played a zendrive but from my understanding of it its not what want in a pedal either, just saying.

[JeffB]

Ok......Im totally ok with the Zendrive. Its good at what it does. I like it. Moments like these Im glad Im a hoarder.

I stopped playing my H150 and picked up another guitar and the Zendrive made sense a bit more sense. Then I plugged into another amp I hadnt played much and the lights came on.

Also I had been listening to Marc Ford playing through a dumble and it helped that I had a target I liked to aim at.

 

The Catalinbread DLS is still really horrible for me. I cannot see or hear any redeeming features in it. Its moment like these I wish I wasnt a hoarder.

I'll see what happens in another 6months. I might discover what the DLS is all about by then.

[koula901]

T Rex Twin Boost sounds like a really cool pedal. I must have one!

[fxdx99]

No giggy for this piggy Sat nite, so went and saw some friend's bands. 4 band bill at a place we've played, good room, good sound and I know 2 of the bands. Both played good sets of tight, original material. As each band played, I went up to side stage to check out the guit-rigs. All players had pedal boards with at least 2-3 versions of OD on them. Out front, each guit player consistently got muddy and lost in the mix when they'd stomp on the board. Tone suffered. One was more focused on the board than anything else... which distracted him from the music.

 

I'm clearly in the minority as almost every local cat has a pretty good sized board, but for me the 'heavy' ODs in the mix in a band situation take away rather than add. I get that to the player they add sustain and make the guitar easier to play... it seems that if it sounds 'right' on stage, it's too muddy out front. That it needs to almost sound too clean on stage for it to be right out front.

[JeffB]

No giggy for this piggy Sat nite, so went and saw some friend's bands. 4 band bill at a place we've played, good room, good sound and I know 2 of the bands. Both played good sets of tight, original material. As each band played, I went up to side stage to check out the guit-rigs. All players had pedal boards with at least 2-3 versions of OD on them. Out front, each guit player consistently got muddy and lost in the mix when they'd stomp on the board. Tone suffered. One was more focused on the board than anything else... which distracted him from the music.

 

I'm clearly in the minority as almost every local cat has a pretty good sized board, but for me the 'heavy' ODs in the mix in a band situation take away rather than add. I get that to the player they add sustain and make the guitar easier to play... it seems that if it sounds 'right' on stage, it's too muddy out front. That it needs to almost sound too clean on stage for it to be right out front.

Yes!!!

Spot on Randy.

On the 2nd channel of my Mesa LS at home I have the mids and bass @ about 11:00, treble about 1:00 and run it through a greenback loaded cab. At gigs and jams the bass is barely on, the mids(mesa low mids) cut a lot and the treble is cranked and I run it through a vintage 30 cab. My home mix would be lost and very sludgy in the band mix. The band mix is a bit in your face at home by itself.

The fender concert really to me only sounds any good in a band mix. I have a hard time dialing out(or is it in?) frequencies on it that work so well in the mix but sound quite brash?, maybe flat?, at home.

[koula901]

Yes, in the very little experience I've had (only 2 gigs) when you're on stage at a club full of people - they seem to suck up all the highs. You could do a sound check before everyone comes, but then once it's full of people, the accoustics change.

[Trouble]

Yes, in the very little experience I've had (only 2 gigs) when you're on stage at a club full of people - they seem to suck up all the highs. You could do a sound check before everyone comes, but then once it's full of people, the accoustics change.

Yep, soundchecks are almost pointless as far as I'm concerned, I do them so nothing is way out of whack when we start the show, and I guess just to make sure everything still works after being unloaded and set up. But typically when you soundcheck there is almost no one there, and then when you start playing the place is starting to fill up, and maybe a couple hours in there are twice as many people as when you started, so you still end up tweaking all night long. I really envy bands that have a dedicated soundman all the time who is not actually in the band, not only does a soundguy make you sound good but he definately makes your night a lot easier.

[koula901]

A dedicated sound man - yes, Amen to that!! It's on the wish list.

[DetroitBlues]

Yep, soundchecks are almost pointless as far as I'm concerned, I do them so nothing is way out of whack when we start the show, and I guess just to make sure everything still works after being unloaded and set up. But typically when you soundcheck there is almost no one there, and then when you start playing the place is starting to fill up, and maybe a couple hours in there are twice as many people as when you started, so you still end up tweaking all night long. I really envy bands that have a dedicated soundman all the time who is not actually in the band, not only does a soundguy make you sound good but he definately makes your night a lot easier.

 

I used to run a sound board for a church when they brought in Christian rock bands in for a two set, $500 gig. I'd constantly work the board so the different instruments could be heard by the audiance but the singer stood out. The hardest part was the monitors. Every now and then, I'd get a singer with a full stack pointing at them complaining he/she could hear themselves in the monitor... hmmm wonder why....

[DetroitBlues]

 

I used to run a sound board for a church when they brought in Christian rock bands in for a two set, $500 gig. I'd constantly work the board so the different instruments could be heard by the audiance but the singer stood out. Not to mention the whole time I'm working the board, I had to tweak the lights and fog machine. The hardest part was the monitors. Every now and then, I'd get a singer with a full stack pointing at them complaining he/she could hear themselves in the monitor... hmmm wonder why....

[koula901]

that's pretty funny, DB

[smurph1]

Pedal Junkie!!!

 

The Double Boost (Twin Boost? You call it both) sounds like T-Rex's version of the Fulltone Drive 2. And we need pics of how you used it as a mic stand!!

I think we are all becoming one..I wasn't one until I started hanging with you enablers!!

[smurph1]

No giggy for this piggy Sat nite, so went and saw some friend's bands. 4 band bill at a place we've played, good room, good sound and I know 2 of the bands. Both played good sets of tight, original material. As each band played, I went up to side stage to check out the guit-rigs. All players had pedal boards with at least 2-3 versions of OD on them. Out front, each guit player consistently got muddy and lost in the mix when they'd stomp on the board. Tone suffered. One was more focused on the board than anything else... which distracted him from the music.

 

I'm clearly in the minority as almost every local cat has a pretty good sized board, but for me the 'heavy' ODs in the mix in a band situation take away rather than add. I get that to the player they add sustain and make the guitar easier to play... it seems that if it sounds 'right' on stage, it's too muddy out front. That it needs to almost sound too clean on stage for it to be right out front.

I am probably one of those Pedal board gazers..And since I Play Lead, sing about 30 percent of the songs and run the board at our gigs..I'm beginning to think that maybe I should just go back to what I did for years..One nice Clean tone with a touch of reverb, and chorus.. And overdrive.. No wah.. No smoke and mirrors..Just play the damn songs and hope my singing doesn't totally suck..LOL I feel better now..

[DetroitBlues]

I think we are all becoming one..I wasn't one until I started hanging with you enablers!!

 

I know I'm not because I cannot match the slush funds ya'll spend on pedals...

[smurph1]

 

I know I'm not because I cannot match the slush funds ya'll spend on pedals...

I guess I need to chop up my credit card..LOL

[Trouble]

I have a gremlin in my board that pops occasionally and just kills everything like there is a cable unplugged. it never does it while playing. I'll come back from a break and nothing will work, I'll unplug stuff and plug it back in and eventually everything will start to work. Still don't know what it is but I'm thinking it will be a good excuse to buy a new stomp of some sort. It may turn out to be the Bypass switch on my Wah, probably just need to upgrade huh?