Readers will know that I’m a huge Marc Ahlfs / Skreddy Pedals fan, and a range re-stock is always a big event for me - even though I own a large number of these masterpieces by now.
The top row of the visual is particularly exciting as we get a rare reissue of some long discontinued pedals - all improved version of those classics - Ernie, ? Lady, and Mayo. Marc is one of the kings of Big Muff - which represents all of the top row and the Zero in the bottom row.
We also have the brand new Serenity FuzzDrive, and updated Echo Infinity with one additional control now. Thee’s also another new pedal in the guise of the Martian Tatantula - an early Tone Bender take, but with Silicon Transistors. I’m not 100% clear on whether the Klipper is a reissue. While the Screaming Lizard is also fairly recent, and has sat somewhat under the radar.
A number of these pedals haven’t been generally available since around 2016. I already have an early edition Mayonnaise MKII I think it it, otherwise the Mayo would have been a top priority for me.
I picked up the super fat Ernie Ram’s Head, and the brand new Serenity FuzzDrive. I already have an earlier Zero, so that’s not a priority - while pretty much everything else here could have been a target for me. I love the sound of the Echo too - while its Mono only output limits its scope within my chain.
This is an incredibly strong Skreddy selection - and a properly rare occasion to capture some of those formerly discontinued classics!
These are all available on the Joe’s Pedals Webstore priced from £199-£295, while I expect them to be snapped up exceedingly rapidly. The two additions to my reference collection here - bring my own tally up to 13 Skreddy Pedals to date - my Skreddy selection is looking pretty potent these days!
Note that a number of these are not available on the Skreddy Store - they’ve been specially made for Joe’s Pedals!
Further details below :
Controls - Scoop/Flat Switch, Sustain, Volume, Tone.
This is one of two Ram's Head types in this selection - both delivery beautiful liquid sustaining distortion - while this one has the phatness dialled up to 11 - which is usually exactly my kind of thing - and indeed I snagged one of these for the collection.
Controls - Scoop/Flat Switch, Sustain, Volume, Tone.
Slightly more open sounding and somewhat more elegant balanced for some compared to the above full-fat Ernie. Both sound super, while I generally have a preference for the fatter sounding variants - which is the Ernie on tis occasion. In an ideal world I would own both - the ? Lady still remains a target for me as one of Marc Ahlfs classics - while on this occasion I only really had funds for the Ernie and Serenity!
Controls - Scoop/Flat Switch, Sustain, Volume, Tone.
Named after the Smashing Pumpkins song Mayonnaise - this represents and early Triangle Muff take with expectational balance - and with some magical mids frequencies. I have the predecessor Mayonnaise MKII - which is already one of my favourites - so I did not feel the urgency to snag this one also - at least not on this occasion. My Mayonnaise is one of my very favourite Big Muff variant - it really sounds superb!
Controls - Level, Overload (Attack).
This is an interesting vibrant Silicn Transistor take on an early Tone Bender circuit. Marc has done a superb of calibrating this one, and replicating that core sound with Silicon rather than Germanium. I would really have liked the inclusion of an external Bias control here too - I always feel those are pretty much essential for me to get the most textural impact from the Tone Bender format. The fact that this is just a 2-knob variant limits its appeal a little for me - while I concede that it sounds pretty great as is!
Controls - MAIN } Repeats, Mix, Time; WARBLE (Modulation) } Intensity, Oscillation, Rate, Active Footswitch, Hold Footswitch.
One of the very best loved PT2399 variant delay units out there - with really superb sounding modulation. And now with additional Oscillation control. Sure it's a Mono delay - but it's one of the very best sounding one there ever has been - now in improved format!
Controls - Volume, Fuzz, Hot, Presence, Body.
This is the newest Skreddy - unique Fuzzy circuit - which allows you to fully work your way up the gears from Overdrive through Fuzzy-Drive, and onto some superb textured fuzz. A proper extended range style circuit with the perfect complement of controls. This was the first one of these that caught my eye - followed of course by the Ernie. I'm delighted to have been able to snag both of those on this august occasion!
Controls - Scoop / Flat Switch, Fuzz, Volume, Tone.
As I say in the intro I'm not 100% clear on the provenance of this circuit, it's not based on the Iommi Laney Supergroup as most of these are, but on a later more vibrant 'Tube Clipper' variant. I've long intended to get a Black Sabbath style distortion - where up until I set eyes on this was mostly likely to be the Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra - while now - this would become the main target for me!
Controls - Volume, Bias, Voice (Bright Articulate > Smooth Syrupy), HB (Humbuckers) / SC (Single Coils), Fuzz (Gain), Scream (% Feedback), Bypass Footswitch, Scream Footswitch.
A very interesting take on a classic Fuzz Face - with some unique and unusual controls. I guess there are some parallels between this and NRG Effects' Mauler Feedback Fuzz - as both are feedback enhanced spins on the 2-Transistor topology - but both equally distinct. I would have preferred this one in a compact edition, but the number of controls and dual footswitch properly overall justify the 1590-BB box here. This is yet another target for me. In fact of the 9 I was really only covered for 2 of those - which means 7 highly viable targets for me.
I said at the start this was a rare selection - some of those listed here haven't been available for nearly 10 years now! This Screaming Lizard though is part of the current main range, there are however no official demo videos for this yet!
Controls - Mids Scoop / Hump Switch, Sustain, Volume, Tone.
And finally one I already have a version of - albeit my version is an earlier take - without the additinonal EQ switch. Still sound brilliant. A slightly different High Gain Muff take versus its Cognitive Dissonance sibling. I may add another evolved Zero at some stage, but it's not currently a priority. I feel I got exactly what I needed on this occasion!