Kai Tachibana delivers superior harmonics yet again - this time with his superb Nordland Electronics MT-11 Mosland take on the Ibanez Mostortion
This is my 4th Nordland Electronics pedal - and all have been brilliant, in fact I would put up the ODR-C-30A, and ODR-CS up against anything - both rightly featured in my 12 Degrees of Saturation 2023 Compact Editions.
And this newest sibling - the MT-11 Mosland is right up there at the top of its tier.
For certain circuit engineers, you have a consistent element / sound signature, that you can hear in all their pedals - even though each sits within a different genre. I’ve said it before, but there is definitely something magical about how Kai Tachibana’s pedals break up and deliver harmonics. Ever time I play a Nordland pedal - I encounter that certain magic that uniquely identifies each pedal.
You kind of get it in the timbre of the peak harmonics - there’s a really special element in there that continues to appeal to me.
Controls - Drive, O.D.C. (Overdrive De-Compress), Level, Bass, Mid, Treble.
As a result, this Mosland Overdrive is probably already my favourite Mostortion take. That's not to say each of my other 3 aren't killer too - they all have their own distinct character. While the texture of the Mosland's breakup is just a wonder. It's like everything that's great about the Mostortion - with Kai's secret sauce on top.
Note that these distinct signatures can be quite subtle if your ears aren't attuned into picking out that level of detail. For me it is absolutely distinct - I feel I could pretty much identify each of Kai's pedals blind-folded as such - or at least that's how I feel. I may not have that Rob Chapman instant identification second sense - but I do feel I have a certain something - as there are several pedal brands that sound instantly identifiable to me.
So apart from the general circuit magic that distinguishes Nordland Electronics Pedals, we have another proprietary functionality here by way of the O.D.C. Control - which allows you to really smartly decompress the output. I kind of like it a half way - and I tend to progressive dial it down as the Drive level goes up!
Here follow Kai's frequency traces - which demonstrate how finely honed the 3-Band EQ is. All of Kai's pedals have an extra degree of refinement about them - which mostly renders as superior textures! It's like one of those really fine wines that have a somewhat more intricate and nuanced flavour profile than anything else in the same category.
My preferred settings for maximum harmonics are Drive @ Noon, Volume @ 3 o'c, Bass @ Noon, and Mid and Treble both @ 3 o'c
Everything about this pedal is exceptional for me - the extended range on all those dials, ease of dialling-in, and very generous levels of volume and gain. It's another Kai masterpieces as far as I'm concerned, and joins its two top tier siblings on that same podium.
The MT-11 Mosland Overdrive is available for orders from the Nordland Electronics Webstore - note that these are made in relatively small batches - so will be temporarily out of stock between batches. When these are in stock they can be had for €224.90 inc. taxes, €189 without ($205). Oh - and the even further bonus is that gorgeous Midnight Blue Sparkle enclosure - this pedal looks as good as it sounds!
Here below are my 4 Mostortion types to-date - surrounding the original version. I actually really like the core Mostortion texture and flavour profile, and I have 4 of the best already - all very different takes - with the MT-11 probably at the top of those. I'm certainly not done yet with the format - I will likely add a few more to the capsule. Original vintage Ibanez Mostortions are still way too expansive - and the vast majority of those are not even close to the condition they should be in to command those prices!
Based on how it looks and sounds - I would definitely have this MT-11 Mosland above anything else in that category - highly recommended!
Demos
