Drunk Beaver's Pedal Drop #26 is a very unique take on the Ibanez LM7 LA Metal - In Aid of the LA Wildfires - with all proceeds going to LA Charities

So interestingly this is the second time Vitalii has covered the Ibanez LM7 LA Metal as there’s a version of it already onboard his Fat Bat Rat. The LA Metal voicing is also one of the options on the JHS Pedals Packrat Distortion - so it’s a well worn path for a pretty distinct Rat Distortion variant.

This PD #26 is very much an evolved and enhanced take on that circuit - with the original 5534 op-amp replaced with a fine-tuned discrete FET op-amp and additional LED clipping mode beyond the original no diodes clipping. 

The original circuit itself was made by the Japanese brand Ibanez - to have additional half-wave clipping at the FET output buffer, so it’s pure op-amp clipping + FET clipping. This potent beast has no less than 6 transistors onboard : a 2SC1815 input buffer, 2x MMBFJ201 (SMD J201) because the THD ones are not produced anymore) and a BC560 in a discrete op-amp, with BC548C in CCS for op-amp (constant current source), and MMBFJ201 in the output buffer (the one that’s clipping the signal too).

All units have NOS Soviet LEDs. Fun fact - that all the traced schematics of the LM7 online have incorrect tone control cap value 1n2 (which moves the lowest setting to 1.7kHz), while Vitalii checked his own LM7 unit and used the correct 6n8 cap - that sets the lowest tone lowpass filter setting to 280Hz.

Only 40 of these PD #26 have been made, and they go for the very reasonable price of $150 - with all proceeds going to support organisations and local charities helping local residents after the horrendous recent LA Wildfires. You can order yours now courtesy of the Drunk.Beaver.Rocks Webstore.

As always - this Pedal Drop is a rapid prototyping release - with no time to prepare an official demo - so I will refer to a demo of Vitalii’s previous Fat Rat take on the LA Metal - they’re no exactly the same - but it will give you an idea on the ballpark of those tones. These are fantastic sounding distortion pedals for sure - much improved by Vitalii - and with the added impetus of supporting LA Residents in the wake of those Wildfires.