2021 June Pedal-Chain Update - Episode VI - Particle Acceleration

Another busy month for overdrives - with a number that were ordered last month, but have only latterly arrived, as well as the delayed Redbeard Effects Angry Rhubarb - which I've had for nearly two months now! Others here included the Beetronics FatBee, Catalinbread Skewer, Cornerstone Antique, Cornerstone Gladio SC, DryBell The Engine, Polarbear Floral Green, and Tsakalis Six Ma1s Ltd edition (article coming soon).

These include the Boss HM-2W (article coming very soon), and ST-2 Power Stack. Also the Catalinbread Dreamcoat, Drunk Beaver Heavy Bat Rat (article coming soon), and Tsakalis Room #40 Plexi/JCM800.

Unusually for me - just a couple of new fuzzes for the month - obviously the long anticipated Boss TB-2W, and of course the recently featured Joe Gore Filth Fuzz.

I ordered a couple of Alexander Pedals, while only the Sugarcube has arrived thus far. Also as mentioned I picked up a couple more Boss modulations - the AW-3 Dynamic Wah and MO-2 Multi Overtone. Finally a long-term target - the Catalinbread Heliotrope Harmonic Pixelator, and the Flower Pedals Castilleja Phaser ordered last month arrived too.

Just the one effect this month - the excellent super-versatile Polarbear Effects Young Hearts Lo-Fi VCR Glitch Delay. Other targets in this area include of course the CBA CXM 1978, Demedash T-120, and Walrus Mako Series R1 - oh and I really like the look of the Foxgear T7E Baby.

I'm working up an article with recent pal Oriol Domingo of El Garatge - just trying to find the broadest serving/usage examples and which pedals are best compatible - requiring a lot of research - and some suitable candidates turn out to be not that suitable in the end - very much a work-in-progress. Also in this category is probably the fairly unique Polarbear Effects Drowner Fuzz Crush Reverb - which I've billed as the perfect Shoegazer effect!

Here are the key pertinent changes for the month of June :

So following on from my Boss Modulations article, and coming into Boss Month, we have the PS-6 Harmonist in place of the usual Meris Hedra on this slot, And reverting to type - I use it mostly in its S-Bend / Tom Morello mode!

Here the Flower Pedals Hosta Wah-Filter is getting a rest - while the Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah / Vocal-Wah takes over for a couple of rotations. Lots of fun here with the Vocalizer Wah - it does take some fine-tuning though to get this performing to its best.

Obviously I've just recently passed opinion on this much anticipated pedal - which I feel has well been worth the wait. Authentic rich breakup and self-oscillating tones, with added versatility courtesy of that 3-way Battery / Voltage Bias switch - and which I tend to prefer on the 7V setting. Congratulations to all who managed to snag one, and commiserations to those who wanted won but ran out of luck. I will be doing a follow-up article of suitable high quality alternatives that should hit the same kind of spot.

I've had the Angry Rhubarb since the start of May really and find it incredibly easy to dial in my preferences. I noted how I use the Pre-Drive as my main gain and then use the Post-Gain to refine - while others use those in a more binary fashion. This is a really cleverly calibrated overdrive pedal with almost instant satisfaction - so easily controllable!

My favourite Keeley-modded BD-2 will soon be back in action on its slot - while the ltd edition (#6 of 10) Polarbear Effects Compact V2 Floral Green Dual-Chanel TS808-style Overdrive takes up the rotation for this month. There are no demos - while in a follow-up article per the referenced visual I will reference the V1 BB-size Floral Green - from which the compact has evolved. Two differently calibrated channels with the second gainier than the first to my ears - and each with different clipping options - and of course stacking ability - a really smart and versatile overdrive / distortion.

I've obviously just reviewed this Cornerstone Gladio SC which perfectly replicates those classic smooth Robben Ford tones - a slightly different beast to my mainstay Kondo-Shifuku and Ethos Clean-Fusion II - offers a slightly different take on the format - which is just as valid - I now have 3 reference Dumble pedals - all with somewhat distinct voicings.

I'm very fortunate to have two exceptional MIAB pedals in the chain - this Tsakalis Room #40 Dual-Voiced Plexi/JCM800 and of course DryBell's The Engine Plexi + RangeMaster - so I've been doing some fun benchmarking of the two - and have found both to be fantastic - with richly defined breakup texture and a huge range of versatility. The Room #40 has a really smart externally accessible Boost trimmer on the rear of the pedal - meaning that the Room #40 has as many controls as its bigger The Engine cousin!

The Joe Gore Filth Fuzz alas had a somewhat shortened innings on this slot - as the Polarbear Drowner Fuzz Crush Reverb demanded inclusion. As mentioned several times on this site - this is the perfect Shoegazer effect for me - in a brilliant format - just the right combination of tones and controls. And highly and easily controllable.

Delighted to have landed DryBell's The Engine at last - and it totally lives up to expectations. The two words that most immediately come to mind are elegance and precision - this is a wonderful MIAB - and you can use the RangeMaster independently too with other pedals in the chain - which is just superb. I've been having some fun combining that side with the HM-2W!. Just a perfectly calibrated pedal.

Again - following on from the Boss Modulations article, the DC-2W Dimension C Waza Craft Spatial Enhancer / Phasey Chorus takes up the Chorus slot again for a few rotations. I will probably be swapping this around with the Aleaxander Pedals Sugarcube - to give both a run at stereo output.

The Alexander Pedals Sugarcube Stereo Chorus/Vibrato/Rotary has been on my wishlist since Virtual Winter NAMM this year - and mostly because of the Stereo Rotary effect in compact enclosure (via Y-Split TRS Cable). 4 lush modes here - Chorus, Dimension, Rotary and Ice / Shimmer - funnily I've yet to benchmark the Dimension voicing against the original Boss DC-2W - a reader has asked me to do just that - and I will report back soon enough on those results.