4 of a Kind - Timmy Transparent Overdrive
So it made sense that after I did one of the most obvious ’4 of a Kind’ initial groupings - with the 3-Band EQ Boost pedals - largely EQD Tone Job adjacent - that surely the almost as obvious Timmy quartet should be next up for this format!
Interestingly the first massively popular ’Transparent’ Overdrive - Bill Finnegan’s Klon Centaur - first materialised in 1994. Then in 1998 we had Brian Mena’s Menatone Red Snapper , and a full 10 years after the Klon in 2004 - Murfreesboro, Tennessee resident Paul Cochrane unveiled his own Transparent Circuit - the Tim / Timmy Overdrive - which in turn, has led to many derived and evolved pedals based on and adjacent to that circuit - including the other 3 in this selection, as well as Greer Amps’ Lightspeed, which is also supposedly evolved from the same source!
As before : Looks Like rarely means Like-for-Like, and there are some obvious differences here. Only the original Timmy, and recent MXR Timmy Mini have the 3-way Clipping / Compression Structure switch.
Clipping / Compression Structure Switch :
- UP = Asymmetrical + Most Compression
- MIDDLE = Symmetrical + Least Compression
- DOWN = Symmetrical + More Compression
All the other 3 in the selection forego that 3-way switch :
- Paul Cochrane Timmy Overdrive - $199
- Caline Pure Sky Overdrive - $20
- Vemuram Jan Ray - $375
- Walrus Audio Mayflower - $179 when new!
I personally have 2 actual Timmys - The Paul Cochrane V2 Timmy, and the MXR Mini Timmy - which are supposed to be nigh identical but aren’t quite - because of some parts variances - there are slight differences in their timbres and textures, but they are close enough for most. And like most players - I only really like the Clipping / Compression switch in the middle minimal position - which is why so many of the evolutions and derivatives do without that switch!
Another petty annoyance for the first 2 generations of Timmy is that the Bass and Treble controls are inverted - so that they are at their Maximum values fully CCW, versus the traditional Clockwise direction of the majority of pedals. Only the Rat Distortion of the more well known pedal genres has a similarly inverted control - where its Filter knob is inverted in the same way as on the Timmy.
There was a later 15th Anniversary V3 Timmy edition which normalised those knobs, and slightly changed up the clipping and compressions structure - I intend to get around to that, but kind of reacted too late and missed out essentially! Will need to snag one of those rather more opportunistically.
For whatever reasons I’ve never really quite fully gelled with the Timmy format - where I much prefer the 2 other main Transparent varieties - the Klon, and the Red Snapper - as mentioned.
The Pure Sky is supposed to be a straight up clone of the Timmy, while both the Jan Ray, and Mayflower are somewhat evolved and differentiated. In describing the sound of the Timmy and others of its ilk - the association is normally with Black Face Fender type amps - I.e. very much in that open and neutral, relatively uncoloured tonality!
So the Tim / Timmy materialised in 2004, while each of the other 3 materialised when Paul Cochrane took something of a production hiatus in and around the early 2010’s. All 3 of the others featured in this selection appeared around 2012/13 - when there were no official Timmy’s to be had fro a period. Some of these cite the Timmy has their inspiration, some don’t!
The Walrus Audio Mayflower is long discontinued - coinciding with when Paul Cochrane came back from hiatus, and original Timmy’s started to be available again. While the other 2 seem to have carried on regardless.
As preciously mentioned, it has to be said that some of these are rather more derivative than evolutions - and you get to decide who deserves your hard earned money! Whichever way, there’s certainly a wide range of pricing - from c$20 at the lowest extreme to near 20 times that amount at the highest!
As before obviously there’s more to these beyond their origins and outputs - there are other physical and intangible aspects that make up and inform the overall ownership experience.
As before - the choice is entirely yours! No one is making you buy these - you may even decide that you’re not even remotely enamoured with this style of overdrive!
Paul Cochrane Timmy Overdrive - $199
www.humbuckermusic.com/collections/paul-cochrane-pedals
Controls - Bass (inverted), Clipping / Compression : Asymmetrical + Most Compression / Symmetrical + Least Compression / Symmetrical + More Compression, Gain, Volume, Treble (inverted).
Paul Cochrane's Timmy has long been the other Nashville secret weapon alongside the Nobels ODR-1 - albeit vastly different types of overdrives. The Timmy sort of sits within the same sort of 'Transparent' classification as pedals like the Klon Centaur, Menatone Red Snapper, and Greer Lightspeed.
I've always found the 3-way switch somewhat surplus to requirements - as for me it sounds so much better in the middle position that I never shift away from there really. While it's probably only my 4th favourite of the Transparent types - for whatever reason, I never particularly gelled with it - even though I own both an original V2 edition, and the more recent MXR Mini Timmy edition.
It's not quite as copied or influential as the Klon, while it has vastly eclipsed the Red Snapper, which actually I much prefer!
I can't say why the Timmy has never appealed to me as much, as it has a lot going for it - there's just something there that never wholly resonated with me - whether it's something to do with the inverted tone controls or another facet of its being - I can't really say - I just seem to prefer other varieties a lot more.
I do value its place within pedal history though, and am glad to have 2 such varieties in my reference collection. Possibly I need a V3 edition to fully seal the deal - while in terms of priorities, that seems somewhat far off at the moment - as those Anniversary V3's are all seemingly long since sold out, and besides - Paul Cochrane has a new and possibly even more impressive Overdrive to promote now - the recently released Zefram - which is definitely on the cards for me, while that is also in relatively short supply as of this moment!
Caline Pure Sky CP-12 Overdrive - $20
Controls - Volume, Gain, Treble, Bass.
I believer this one appeared around 2013 or so, and has done very well for Caline since. It obviously ditches the 3-way switch and capitalises on the main open structure - where by all accounts it runs the original pretty close in that regard. By far the most affordable in this listing - being sold on Ali Express for only around $20. There are some that swear by this variant - whatever floats you boat - I guess is the prevailing attitude.
I personally have never gravitated to specifically the lowest cost option. My Scandinavian Scientific Method / Philosophy requires me to evaluate things on a wide basis - including every conceivable impact factor, and especially in the areas of quality and value, and indeed value for money. I don't subscribe to the view that the cheapest item is necessarily the best value - that's something of a distortion of those terms. To make the appropriate decision you need to weigh up all the criteria, concerns, qualities - and both material and intangible aspects - before you reach the right conclusion!
Vemuram Jan Ray Overdrive - $375
www.vemuram.com/product.html?No=6
Controls - Level, Gain, Bass, Treble, Saturation Trimmer on rear.
This is at the opposite end of the scale to the Caline Pure Sky - and once more - I don't subscribe to the view that the dearest is necessarily the best. Though there are some reasons why you might prefer this particular pricey edition - from the lovely weighty brass enclosure, through the very exacting component selection, and onto that extra Saturation trim-pot found on the rear of the device.
Like the Caline Pure Sky - there are legions of Jan Ray advocates who would have nothing else, and indeed some of whom would happily pay twice as much for the privilege. I try to judge everything on merit, and I endeavour to find justification for why the pricing might be quite so high. At the end of the day - we have the same extreme choices presented across many a different object of desire - whether it be a car, an instrument, a vintage of wine, or an expensive uniquely shaped Japanese fruit! We all have different caps and ceilings for what is acceptable and what is a step too far!
I don't judge you if you have more money than sense, and I certainly don't begrudge you for your choices. I've not suffered proper FOMA or envy for a few decades now. For sure there are several things that I would like to own - but are out of my reach. I'm kind of philosophical about those sorts of things nowadays - believing mostly that if things are meant to happen then they inevitably will - while there are other things which you weren't meant for, or weren't meant for you!
I own 2 Vemuram pedals to date - the Myriad Fuzz and Karen Overdrive, I never felt I needed the Jan Ray, while there are a few more Vemurams that I probably would not say no too - if I was able to get them relatively opportunistically! Both of my Venurams were acquired with discounts applied!
Walrus Audio Mayflower - $179 when new!
www.walrusaudio.com/blogs/news/limited-mayflower
Controls - Level, Drive, Bass, Treble.
And finally we have the Walrus Audio Mayflower - which arose at around a similar time to the Jan Ray - in and around 2012. Very much its own take on the circuit - and there are some timbral differences between all 4 varieties here - depending on how acute your aural facilities might be for picking up those distinctions.
A number of my friends love the Mayflower, and have asked for my opinion on it - while since I never properly gelled with the original Timmy, I never particularly felt that I should be checking out this Mayflower variant. Which does though also have a pretty decent following. In fact all 4 here are pretty popular in their own fashion - with there own legions of admirers.
As this is a Walrus Audio project - there are myriad different colourway editions for this one - while I've gone with the classic for my visual. The Timmy one pictured up top is indentical to the V2 one I personally own!
Your Decision!
So you pick your own winner here - in accordance with your own preferences and personal criteria.
I'm actually remarkably neutral on this particular subject - as the Timmy is not one of my favourite overdrive voicings - I tend to have other preferences - where I largely prefer each of the other Transparent variants, but even more so prefer Blues Drivers and Dumble ODS's!
You certainly have a lot of different criteria to apply here, and in the right mix - all of these can sound pretty similar. As to how wonderful they 'feel' under the fingers, and what other warm glows these inspire in you - you need to decide for yourself.
The whole Guitar Pedal X philosophy is that 'X' marks the spot on that specific genre pedal - that is best for you and your own circumstance and preferences - and it won't necessarily be the same one as my choice - everyone will have their own favourite - while of course there are times when public opinion will match up and overlap. While generally it's always a matter of horses for courses - and the runners and riders are the ones that set the pace and make the big decisions!
As I said right at the start - where I'm currently at - I own a V2 Timmy, and an MXR Mini Timmy, and don't really feel I need any more (even though I would quite like to own a V3 Timmy for sake of completion!)! I of course like the Vemuram aesthetic - but the aesthetic is only one of a myriad of criteria that need to be considered!
As before, I would love to hear what insights you have on these pedals or other similar alternatives. Hopefully most of you understand the format by now - in that we have 4 pedals - which are nigh on identical in overall format and inspiration - of course with some idiosyncratic differences and variations of their own!
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