VS Audio finally unveils its perfectly calibrated, super versatile Jangle Master British AC style Preamp with Top Boost
My good friend Panos first teased this Jangle Master pedal at the London Synth and Pedal Expo - which took place in the middle of March. Back then, the prototype had the same black knobs as the Platinum Preamp, while the production model features new custom commissioned magenta knobs - which really raise the profile of the pedal.
Getting the new knobs in caused the biggest delay to the launch - but for sure it was worth it.
The pedal is kind of split into 3 sections :
Controls : TOP BOOST } Gain, Bass, Treble, Boost Footswitch; BOOST TYPE } Treble Boost / Clean Boost; MASTER } Volume, High Cut, Main Bypass Footswitch. Plus internal Presence Trim-Pot (default set to Min / CCW).
The grouping of controls can be a touch misleading in how they are deployed and rendered. The main thing you need to know is that you already get a brilliantly chimey signature Voxy sound with the Boost switch off - while if you engage that - the pedal delivers more harmonic textures and richness.
The combination of those 5 Dials and further deploying the Boost gives you a very wide range of Voxy tones - even touching on the Beatles’ early Vox UL730 tones. For sure you can easily get authentic peak time Rory Gallagher, Brian May, and U2 tones.
VS Audio has very carefully honed this pedal to give you that authentic, slightly darker Vox AC30 Top Boost sound - which is why we have an internal Presence Trim-Pot for balancing the high end of the pedal - along with the High Cut control.
To deliver the very best textures, the Jangle Master makes use of an audiophile military specification high fidelity transformer - the Triad Magnetics MIL-T-27E. That certainly contributes a lot to the dynamics and sparkle of this Vox style preamp.
In terms of delivering an authentic Vox style profile - this pedal really excels - and has a properly extended range of tones onboard. My go to signature Queen riff track is 'Hammer to Fall' - where I have a slightly different preferred settings to the ones recommended in the manual.
In the manual the Hammer to Fall settings are Gain at Noon, Bass @ 11 o'c, Treble @ 1 o'c, Volume @ 1 o'c, and Cut @ around 10 o'c. Obviously with the Treble Booster engaged. While for my preference the dials are set to Gain @ 3 o'c, Bass @ 3 o'c, Treble @ Max, Volume @ Max, and Cut @ Min. I also popped off the back of the pedal one more time and increased the Presence by just a couple of millimetres circabout!
My only niggle with this pedal is its output volume, which I feel could be slightly higher - and more in line with its Platinum Preamp sibling.
In terms of the core timbre and textures, VS Audio has totally nailed the format - it sounds great, while I typically post clean-boost it a smidge to get it up to my preferred output level!
The pedal is beautifully and exactingly calibrated - it looks amazing up close and direct, and has a sound profile to match its looks. With just a little more volume this would surely be my perfect Vox style preamp.
Interestingly the volume of the Treble Booster side is a little higher, but when deployed with the Main Master voicing it drops down to the level of that.
So if you're looking for the perfect 'Vox in a Box' - then this is surely a prime candidate for that. I've been hugely impressed with the Platinum Preamp too (Silver Jubilee) - which has gone onto the board at the same time - for my usual kind of Voxy + Plexi pairing on slots #18 & #19. So a full review is up nd coming for that pairing too!
The Jangle Master Vox style Analog Preamp with Top Boost is of course available for orders right now on the VS Audio Webstore - where it goes for €239 / $239. Also available imminently at leading International Dealers.
It's a really smartly designed pedal - with an easy and reliable dial-in, and just the right complement of controls to deliver the full range of authentic Vox AC30 style tones. It's premium looks and feel neatly match its well-honed output profile. I expect this pedal to find a lot of love, while I would still like just a touch more volume for my preferences - that would really seal the deal for me!
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