MXR releases Legacy Signature Artist Pedals for Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen
So I’m not always the biggest fan of Signature pedals - as often they’re simply a re-badged version of a standard pedal - like say the EHX J Mascis Big Muff or EHX Andy Summers Walking on the Moon Flanger - with little or no direct artist input for that actual circuit. At other times they’re too specific in their scope - like say Jack White’s MXR Double Down or Paul Gilbert’s JHS PG-14 examples. And sometimes they’re out-and-out cash-ins - usually priced a little higher and made available in limited quantities.
I initially decided I would give the Randy Rhoads one a wide berth - as he passed away all the way back in 1982 - so there’s no chance that he had any input on this pedal. Obviously I sympathise with his family - while the ’Randy Rhoads Estate’ which is responsible for these ongoing collaborations is still very much a commercial concern. I understand Randy Rhoad’s sister Kathy was involved in this pedal - where she gave MXR engineers access to Randy’s own touring pedal from his Ozzy Osbourne days.
In real terms these are mostly cosmetic ’skin jobs’ - as the Randy Rhoads one is simply a version of the MXR Distortion+, and there are several iterations of those you can get your hands on, the current one retails for $99.99. And for the Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive - we’re pretty much talking about a version of the DOD250 - where Yngwie has had a number of signature editions or associated edition - inducing a very similar looking Red Fender one most recently. A current edition of the DOD250 retails for $89.99 - for you reference.
Albeit not referenced exactly - I believe both these Artist editions are limited to some degree - while those numbers or availability date ranges have not been wholly or properly disclosed. My understanding is that each of those pedals has some slight parts variances - but you’re mostly paying for the different cosmetics.
I feel the polka dots design of the Randy Rhoads edition makes that version a little more visually appealing - the Yngwie Malmsteen pedal looks a little dull by contrast. There seem to be a few retailers with the Yngwie pedals already, although not so many for the Randy Rhoads one (possibly sold out already?). And I can’t see anything yet in Europe - where the preorder prices are all over the place currently.
There’s an interesting story too on YouTube where a Singaporean was prevented from buying an Yngwie pedal from Sweetwater - something to do with an MXR contract which specifies that their MXR sales have to be within the USA only. I’ve bought a number of pedals from Sweetwater before - so this is an ugly turn of events if it becomes commonplace. There are already far too many USA-only exclusives as is - those brands will soon trigger a ROTW backlash if they continue down that path.
I’m still wholly undecided if I want / need either of these - I have a number of extended-range DOD250 takes, but not so many of the Distortion+. I always get nervous when I see just 2 knobs - I almost always need some sort of tone control or bias to be present to shape the character of the pedal’s output. That is the nature of Clean Pedal Platform Rigs. These old school 2-knobs Drives and Distortions are really just designed for going into already slightly cooking amps - a Marshall Plexi for Randy, and a modified Marshall Plexi for Yngwie.
These Artist Pedals are often sold as Signature Sound editions - while they’re rarely more than one small part of the puzzle. And if they’re mostly used for pushing amps - then the Amp is what’s creating most of that signature tone!
Here follow some further individual details :
MXR Randy Rhoads Signature Edition Distortion+ - $169.99
I wasn't paying too much attention when these were launched - but I believe they're mostly sold out now. And I'm not sure we ever had any for sale in the UK or Europe - while I'm not exactly the core audience for this pedal - even though I'm a Randy Rhoads fan as such.
As I said in the intro - this pedal was mostly used to boos an already cooking Marshall Plexi - so while it's labeled a distortion - it's very much on boost duties within a typical Randy Rhoads rig. Those kinds of boosts don't tend to work particularly well within a Clean Pedal Platform setup like mine - and as mentioned - most of the tone is coming from the Plexi!
It's a pretty looking pedal - and looks good on the shelf no doubt - but I would not really be getting any use out of this pedal - I already have several more amazing boosts and overdrives already in the Reference Collection - and you can approximate those signature sounds in a variety of ways - where these types of pedals are just one part of the puzzle!
This one would have been a nice-to-have - but surplus to requirements really for me. This whole launch seems to have been somewhat ill-advised and poorly executed!
MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Edition Overdrive (DOD250) - $129.99
I like and admire Yngwie Malmsteen - while he doesn't really sit on my roster of guitar heroes per se. Yngwie is certainly not new to this rodeo - he first had the DOD YJM308 Signature pedal, then presumably fell out with them or got a better offer from Fender - where he collaborated on the Yngwie Malsteen Overdrive - in red - like the new one, but with white text. And now - 3rd time lucky or so - we have the MXR variant - of that essentially same circuit - in identical red to the Fender one, but now with yellow text and graphics!
It's odd that he's held to Fender throughout for his signature yellow Strat - but here he has cavorted with 3 different pedal builders to-date. Surely we'll see a JHS Yngwie OD in around 5 years time!
This was another launch that I wasn't particularly tuned into - in fact a little like the above Randy Rhoads special - there was a limited Sweetwater exclusive Yellow version of this pedal - to match the signature guitar - but those seemed to sell out about as quickly as the Randy Rhoads variants did!
I actually collect DOD250 variants - but really the extended range takes - I have very little interest in a basic 2-knob Overdrive (besides the HSE Anchor Drive!) - which pedal Yngwie is using to boost his modded Marshall Plexi amp. As mentioned previously - that kind of dynamic doesn't really apply to Clean Pedal Platform Rigs - it's more about creative gain-stacking - than front-loading / boosting - you just don't get good results that with with my kind of rig.
If I had had the money and opportunity - then I maybe might have gone for the Randy Rhoads Distortion+ - but since I have use for neither of these - it's all kind of a moot point. I don't collect shelf-ware - all my pedals are internet for use on the board!
Both of those MXR Signature Pedals actually do a very similar job - but they're really just two more variants of Marshall Amp boosts in this context - and there's a whole plethora of more clever and versatile designs for those!
As always I'd love to hear your own insights here - particularly if you own any of these - older / original variants and others that I might have overlooked. It's alway good to understand what the general consensus is out there in the wide world!
12 Degrees of Saturation 2023 Compact Edition
