Anasounds Savage Overdrives are Another Particularly Fine Take on the Klon Centaur Circuit
I am rather late here - as the MKI Originale re-issues are long since sold out. In fact those 250 units (€299) were pretty much sold out in just over 2 days. They were exactly the same cicruits as the very original 2015 edition - with all premium components, NOS Diodes etc. and extended-range parameters. And also with exceptionally cool packaging per following visual :
Alex Ernandez recounted to me how Anasounds trolled their followers by pretending to launch a Mini Savage version - when everyone had actually been clamouring for the larger original variety to be re-released. Anasounds really went super elaborate on the spoof - while I'm now not sure how much of the Mini was real - or whether it was just a shell with a light-up LED!
Readers will know where my Klone loyalties lie - and I was hoping for another high quality Mini Klone alternative to sit alongside the Decibelics and Function F(x) varieties, and MXR even to a lesser degree. While it seems that the Savage Mini was entirely a spoof and is never destined to materialise!
I've also touched on Mythos, Nordvang and Studio Daydream - who all make superb BB-size editions too. And the Savage MKI totally sits alongside those great varieties. While nothing is likely to shake my own Decibelics Golden Royale - which of course I had something of a hand in too.
Controls - all Savages have classic Out, Tone and Gain controls, while the MKI has additional Treble/Mids Focus and Modern/Vintage Voicing (Silicon/Germanium Diodes) toggle switches.
In any case I really liked the 'Family Portrait' of the 3 Anasounds Savage varieties - however spoofed the Mini one might be. The two actual ones sound fantastic - and the compact MKII version is readily available at €199. Note that like all Anasounds pedals there are a number of internal trimmers and switches which adjust tone and voicing. For the MKI variety more of those are externalised and elaborated.
I have a very high regard for Anasounds pedals in general - which are beautifully engineered and assembled - and with those very distinctive Bamboo Facia Plates, and Green Etched LED Covers. Anasounds Pedals are always available direct from the Anasounds Webstore, wile they are also in fairly world-wide distribution now and with numerous Reverb.com listings. In fact there is a Mint MKI already on there and going for a €150 premium at €450 (down from €600). Please remember not to fuel the scalpers and flippers!
Note that there was also a really cool Limited Extended Savage MKII version out in April/May of 2018 - which has much the same controls as the MKI! As per the last demo below. I was not aware of that version until very recently, and that's the one I would/will hunt down for myself!
I currently have 3 Anasounds pedals to my name - the Bitoun Crankled Fuzz - which is still my all-time favourite octave fuzz, then the Cerberus Drive, and Ages Harmonic Tremolo. I will surely own a few more before long - definitely have an eye out for one of those Extended MKII limited editions!
Any Anasounds / Savage fans among you?
Demos
