Tag: features

PRS SE 245 Single Cut
Price: $650 (street).
Info: prsguitars.com

Pick up the PRS SE 245 and turn it around a few times. After blinking repeatedly at its finish, you may have trouble believing this is a mid-priced guitar.

A single-cutaway from the company’s Korean-built SE line, its intent, of course, is to provide entry-level/intermediate players a chance to play a PRS without the investment required to get into one of the company’s U.S.-made instruments.

But does the SE offer the same overall quality? We recently set to find out.

Sporting many standard PRS features – mahogany body and one-piece neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, bird inlays, a pair of PRS zebra-stripe humbuckers, and a simple, elegant wraparound tailpiece. The body is extra thick, much like a Les Paul, but not all that heavy. Also notable is the chrome hardware and a pair of Volume and Tone knobs (the Volume knobs are in the two row, which takes a minute to get used to, but makes sense).

There are a few differences between the SE and U.S.-made PRS single-cuts. As its name implies, the SE 245 has a 241/2″ neck scale, unlike the usual 25″ scale that Paul Smith made famous. And while a half inch may not seem like much, it gives the guitar a different feel compared to upscale PRS models. Also, the neck on the SE is substantially fatter than its upscale brother, more like a beefy ’50s Les Paul Junior. It’s reasonably comfortable to play, but presents a key difference in feel.

As we alluded to earlier, the finish on our review SE was stunning. From even a few inches away, you couldn’t tell the 245 apart from a three-grand PRS, though the top on this guitar is a veneer (glued atop another maple slab, except on opaque models) rather than a 1/4″ piece of maple. And the back has that famous purply-brown stain. Workmanship and finish are shockingly good.

Another hint this isn’t an American PRS is that the neck needed a minor bridge adjustment to fix a fretted-out note. Once done, the guitar rocked like a hurricane.

Plugged into a high-end tube combo, the SE 245 handled the paces well, churning out big, fat notes from blues to hard rock. Upping the gain brought in more chunkiness, covering the range from Mountain to Iron Maiden to Avenged Sevenfold. At some points, the 245’s deep body provided tones almost too fat, practically forcing the use the middle pickup position to get that best-of-both-worlds tone. Cleaned up, the guitar was very good, as well, finding all sorts of interesting sounds from total clean to just-slightly dirty. Sonically, there’s nothing to complain about.

It’s hard to argue the SE 245 is anything but impressive. Veneer top or not, its finish and construction are beautiful, all the moreso when you consider the bird inlays. The only caveats are the different scale length and larger neck, but that’s a personal taste – your mileage may vary.

This article originally appeared in VG December 2012 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

MXR M87 Bass Comp and M234 Analog Chorus
Price: $318 (M87 Bass Compressor), $170 (M234 Analog Chorus).
Info: jimdunlop.com

For decades, players in virtually every musical genre have been familiar with MXR pedals; the name connotes a solid road-warrior stompbox associated with great tones from ’70s through today.

The Analog Chorus M234 is designed to capture the properties of a classic chorus pedal with a few perks. It has the Rate and Depth knobs found on most chorus pedals, but there’s also a Level control, and separate Low and High controls, which is markedly different in that both go from a significant cut of frequency when rolled completely off to an actual “flat” frequency response when both are turned all up all the way. Players who like to experiment will dig this, since chorus pedals tend to be harsh in either EQ curve. And single-coil guitars can be brittle-sounding with the wrong chorus, so rolling off high-end helps tame them. The opposite holds true in low-end response with hollowbody instruments and basses, which can turn to mush in a heartbeat with certain chorus effects.

Keeping the Analog Chorus straightforward and simple, MXR gave the pedal a small housing, used standard 1/4″ input and output jacks, along with an additional through output for dry signal.

With a few strums, the Analog Chorus offered the classic sonic signature for which MXR is known, most notably in terms of lushness. It’s hard to beat an analog chorus for warmth and tone shaping, whether you’re playing guitar, bass, or even a vintage synthesizer. From subtle to warble, the Analog Chorus will appeal to chorus junkies.

The Bass Compressor M87 offers a new approach to bass compressors in that it uses MXR’s Constant Headroom Technology (CHT), which incorporates the concept of a high-quality studio compressor in a compact box. Starting with a transparent signal – not always the case with some compressors, which significantly color tone – you have a five-knob setup with controls for Input, Output, Attack, Release, and Compression Ratio. It’s rare to have this much control in a compressor pedal. Even more impressive in this true-bypass gem are 10 gain-reduction-status LEDs that give an immediate warm-and-fuzzy visual to monitor the compressor’s function.

Plugged into a variety of instruments ranging from vintage basses to exotic active instruments and even an upright, the M87 did not color the tonal properties in any shape or form. Studio-grade compressors should only do the job they’re designed to do – even-out notes and add articulation and attack when needed. The Bass Compressor did just that without sounding squashed or unnatural, no matter the bass instrument.

Experimenting further with the M87’s claims of being studio-worthy, we put it through the paces with a variety of guitars and synthesizers. Again, the results fortified MXR’s mission; guitars smoothed out nicely while retaining their character and the ability to completely dial in the effect due to the five-knob layout is a knob-tweaker’s delight. Consider that it’s the size of a Phase 90, and it’s a package tough to beat.

This article originally appeared in VG December 2012 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

There are plenty of affordable hollowbodies on the market, but Epiphone’s recent reissue of the Gibson ES-175 is almost a slam-dunk out of the box. Whether your guitar guru is Joe Pass, Pat Metheny, or Steve Howe, there’s a historical aura to the 175 design that transcends categorization. In that light, Epiphone has an instant advantage before you strum your first Gmaj7^#13 chord.

For materials and construction, the ES-175 Reissue has a laminated maple top, back and sides, along with a 24³/4″-scale mahogany neck. The fingerboard is rosewood and sports 20 frets, along with the 175’s classic “split parallelogram” inlays. The nut width is 1.68″, and both the body and neck are bound. The guitar’s hardware is chrome, including the tuners (while the Gibson has Kluson pearloid tuners), and the zig-zagged tailpiece is also a different design from the elegant original. Add to that the Epiphone headstock and the big Epi “E” on the pickguard, and you have most of the cosmetic differences between the two guitars covered. Other features of note are the Alnico V Classic humbuckers, gold tophat knobs (two Volume and two Tone) and a lovely vintage-sunburst finish.

Unlike some Epiphones, which can have chunky necks, the ES-175 Reissue’s is slim and fast. This, coupled with its low fretboard action and light strings, suggests the Reissue will appeal to rockers, while jazzers and blues players may install heavier flatwound strings in a jiffy. One cool aspect of the ES-175 design is its extra-deep body, which has a large heel at the 15th fret. This may seem like a disadvantage to rockers accustomed to soaring in the upper ranges, but actually, it encourages players to focus on the lower ranges where you can find sumptuously warm, woodsy tones. This is the ES-175’s sweet spot and, on the Reissue, works to perfection, especially on the neck pickup. The Alnico V Classic pickups are full and warm, too, adding to the jazz and blues vibe. Of course, the ES-175 also has a bridge pickup, which evokes a funky, twangy range of tones when coupled with the hollowbody design (for a demonstration of the 175’s bridge-pickup range, listen to Steve Howe on The Yes Album from 1971). Dial up the gain further and you’ll find some fat, commanding rock tones. Again, versatility is not a problem for this Epiphone.

As for construction, the ES-175 Reissue has generally good craftsmanship. As previously noted, the finish is stunning, though you may find one or two blemishes in the maple grain below. The binding looks good, but our test guitar had one sloppy glue joint in its binding by the cutaway tip. If this was a $3,500 Gibson, it would be a point of concern, but it’s not so much on a mid-price axe. Also, the guitar is a hair on the heavy side compared to other import archtops, but it’s only a consideration if you specifically have a physical issue or a preference for extra-light guitars.

The ES-175 Reissue is a classy, stylish guitar that says “vintage jazzbox” on the outside, but with its fast neck and punchy pickups, rock players will dig it, too.

Epiphone ES-175 

Price: $832 list (approx. $500 street)

Contact: Epiphone.com

This article originally appeared in VG October 2011 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Most everyone has seen a department-store-catalog guitar (or two!) from the ’60s or ’70s. With their funky, cool body shapes and smorgasbord of knobs and switches, their looks grabbed ya’. Trouble was, they were usually plagued with cut-rate hardware and electronics, low build quality, and crude playability. The latest creation from Eastwood, the Airline Bighorn, pays homage to one of those department-store classics while leaving to history all of its shoddier elements.

The Bighorn stays true to its roots, with features like a cool, ’60s-style slab-cut basswood body (available in Green, Sunburst, or Red), bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fretboard, large dot inlays, retro pickguard and knobs, and classic Airline headstock and logo. Gone is the short-scale neck with its tiny (and poorly installed) frets, open-strip tuners, non-adjustable bridge, thin-sounding single-coil pickups, and funky slide switches. In their place is a 25¹/2″-scale neck with large, polished/leveled frets, Kluson closed-back tuners, a hardtail bridge with height and intonation adjustments for all six strings, a pair of high-output Airline Argyle Diamond pickups, and a three-way pickup selector.

Eastwood head honcho Mike Robinson found inspiration for these pickups in the original DeArmonds used in guitars that carried brand names like Kay, Airline, and Silvertone, and updated them with wax potting to control squeal and feedback. The Bighorn offers excellent playability, with low, buzz-free action, a comfortable C neck shape, and a nice body chamfer that makes it comfortable on the forearm, while the neck heel is less bulky. Its longer scale and hardtail bridge make it comfortable to play compared to the short-scale vintage pieces, which also typically used archtop-style/floating bridges.

Plugged into a Fender reissue Super Reverb (12AX7/6L6) 4×10″ combo with a Homebrew Electronics Power Screamer overdrive pedal, the Bighorn’s pickups had a classic, crystal-clear single-coil tone – punchy in the bridge and throaty-sounding at the neck. Engaging both produced lush jangle, and the well-voiced Volume and Tone controls for each allow good flexibility when dialing in tone, falling between traditional Strat pickups and P-90s, with snap, sizzle and stronger output/midrange punch. Even though the pickups are true single-coils, they are surprisingly quiet and hum-free, even with the overdrive pedal engaged. The 1³/4″ thick basswood body  (³/4″ thicker than most of the bodies on old-school catalog guitars) along with the tight, well-fitted neck and hardtail bridge gave the Bighorn a surprisingly resonant tone acoustically and electronically, with a bigger, bolder sound than expected.

Anyone whose first guitar came from a department-store catalog in ’60s or ’70s will be especially impressed with the Airline Bighorn. It’s a funky retro axe with great tone, excellent build quality, easy playability… it’s just plain fun!

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Eastwood Airline Bighorn
Price: $399 (street)
Contact: eastwoodguitars.com

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This article originally appeared in VG September 2011 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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When Vanilla Fudge helped pioneer the progressive-rock movement in the latter half of the ’60s, bassist Tim Bogert played more than one Fender Precision – and usually installed Telecaster Bass necks on them.

Bogert preferred the chunkier feel of the Tele Bass neck, which reminded him of ’50s P-Basses. And for him, one instrument, in particular, became a favorite for nearly three decades as he used it during stints with the Fudge, Cactus, and Beck, Bogert and Appice. Like many dedicated musicians, through the years, he refined it as parts became worn or when he felt the need to experiment. From the top down, it epitomizes a perpetually viable piece of gear.

The maple neck, for example, is its third, and was bought from a parts supplier that let Bogert search its inventory until he found one that looked and felt right. It has a plethora of birdseye figure markings, and he installed a brass nut and had a ’50s Precision Bass decal added to its headstock.

Sharp-eyed Fender aficionados will note the lack of holes on either side of the pickup, where an arched handrest/pickup cover would normally be installed. Nor are there holes on either side of the bridge. That’s because the body is also a replacement!

“It’s a body Fender gave me in the late ’80s,” Bogert recounted. “The earlier maple body had been chewed up over the years, and I asked for a new one; I’ve always liked a maple neck and maple body.”

“The only original parts left on the bass are the tuning pegs, bridge, and neck plate,” Bogert said. “I was always f***ing around with it!”

The two small chrome caps on the pickguard cover a spot where switches were once installed to control a two-pickup setup he used with a previous body. “One was an on/off, the other was a pickup select,” Bogert recalled.

Though not an original part, he considers the bass’ pickup it’s “…most important part, because it came off a ’57 Fender I got in ’68 or ’69, when we played the Hollywood Bowl with Jimi Hendrix.”

The finger rest, which was installed between the pickup and the bridge instead of the typical location on the pickguard, helped him manipulate the strings.

“In ’65 or ’66, when I started working with the Pigeons, we would do these crescendos. But the volume on Fenders back then would drop off really quickly if you tried working the Volume control. So instead, I would brace my thumb on that rest and work the strings to make the crescendos smoother. I learned to do that very precisely.”

In the late ’80s, he acquired a new body for the bass and installed the original bridge and ’57 pickup. But because by then he had begun playing basses with more than four strings, the warhorse was mostly relegated to storage. Today, he primarily plays contrabass.

In the late ’90s, Bogert sold this vital piece of prog-rock history to New York music producer/collector Randolf Pratt, who also owns Fudge guitarist Vince Martell’s Gibson ES-335 (VG, April 2011).

This article originally appeared in VG September 2011 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Victoria VIC 105
Price: $1,495
Contact: Victoria Amp Co.; phone (630) 820-6400; victoriaamp.com.

In the 1990s, Mark Baier put himself on the map making quality reproductions of choice ’50s tweed-amp circuits. For the last decade, Baier has broadened his amp line with models that are not reproductions, but the product of his own fertile imagination.

His latest is the VIC 105. A variable-/low-watt amp housed in a 50-caliber ammo box, it has a cool Plexiglas front panel/faceplate with an input, Volume and Tone controls, a Boost switch, a Boost Level control (which increases power-stage gain while decreasing negative feedback), and switches for Half-Power (which switches off one of the power tubes and runs the amp in pure single-ended mode), Standby, and Power. Tubes include a single 12AX7, a pair of EL84s, and an EZ81 rectifier tube. Amazingly, phase-inversion is handled by the EL84s in what Baier calls a “self-splitting output stage inverter” that uses the dual power tubes in single-ended fashion. In effect, one power tube drives the other.

The back panel has an IEC connector, fuse holder, and speaker outputs for 4- and 8-ohm loads. Victoria was kind enough to include a speaker cable with the amp.

Using a Fender Telecaster and 1×12″ cab, we dialed in a clean tone on the 105. Setting the amp on full-power mode and engaging the Boost function, the Vic stayed clean until the halfway point, where it became more responsive while giving a very nice “clean with just a bit of dirt” tone.

Activating the Half-Power switch made for the perfect jump-blues tone – funky and ready to distort with hard playing, yet clean with a softer touch. Cranking up the Volume, the amp got dirtier but cleaned up consistently when the guitar’s Volume was rolled back.

Activating the Boost function, the amp turns into a rock machine, especially when paired with a humbucker-equipped guitar and a 4×12 cab. Naturally, humbuckers shed some of the “cleanliness,” but their driven tones make the switch worthwhile. With the Tone set at 2 o’clock and the Boost and Volume each at 3 o’clock, the amp does a great job mimicking ZZ Top tones.

Playing through the VIC 105 using various guitars and cabs, the amp was impressive in its ability to produce raw-yet-full tones. Most amps with a “raw” sound have an obvious midrange emphasis, while amps that cover a wide frequency range are not known for their responsiveness. This one is different; even though it has the same power tubes and rectifier as an 18-watt Marshall, it is not the least bit British-sounding. Baier credits the amp’s responsiveness to its simple circuit – based on a vintage PA head – and the self-splitting output stage.

The VIC 105 is a great-sounding plug-and-play/low-watt head. If you are looking for raw, responsive tone with a wide frequency range, few if any amps do it this well. Though happiest when paired with a guitar bearing single-coil pickups, the VIC 105 works well with other guitars. And it’s built into its own road case! –

This article originally appeared in VG July 2010 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

The AC30C2X is a 30-watt, 2×12 combo loaded with Celestion Alnico Blue speakers (there’s another version of this amp with Celestion G12M Greenbacks – take your pick). There are two channels – Normal and the famous Top Boost, which adds more grit and presence. There are also High and Low input jacks for each channel, offering more options for guitars with different pickups. With three 12AX7 tubes in the preamp, there are a myriad of tone controls here, as well. While the Top Boost channel has its own Treble and Bass controls, the Normal channel does not; fortunately, there’s a Tone Cut knob in the master section that can help you find the right tones for both channels. The reverb circuit also has its own Tone knob for dialing in brighter or darker ’verb flavors. No question, the AC30C2X is a tone-tweaker’s dream come true. And aside from reverb, there’s a Tremolo circuit for adding all sorts of wavy, pulsating effects to your guitar tone. For more, plug your pedals into the amp’s effects loop, and there’s also a footswitch jack to turn the reverb and tremolo on and off. There’s a jack for an external cab, as well.

Powered by four EL84 tubes, the AC30C2X packs a nice punch for a 30-watter – you’ll be pleasantly surprised by it’s big, beefy sound. Using a Strat and a Les Paul, the amp is suitably retro, giving plenty of tonal options. Sure, you can get all the bright, chimey George Harrison sounds you want, but the AC30C2X is just as much a great blues, rock, and country amp. And with the built-in reverb and tremolo, surf guitarists are going to love it – the brawny tube tones combined with these essential ’60s-instro effects are not to be missed. It also packs nice overdrive tones, but if you need more, an overdrive pedal on the front will deliver your favorite Stevie Ray/Bluesbreaker sounds. And if you want more old-school vibe, you can “jump” the two channels with a short cable, essentially linking the Normal and Top Boost sections for even more drive. All told, this is one amp whose charms are hard to resist. The only potential pet peeve is the upside-down control labels – which while they may be more authentic, require standing behind the amp to read, which is a minor annoyance. At 73 pounds, it’s also a weighty beast, but that’s fairly common for a 2×12 tube amp.

Its smaller sibling, the AC15C1, is a 15-watt/1×12 combo with a three 12AX7s and a pair of EL84s in the power section. Accordingly, the amp isn’t as loud as its bigger brother, nor does it have the big low-end. But the effects sound killer, especially for surfy sounds.

This amp would be great for club gigs with a PA, or rehearsals. Or, just set it up in the living room for your own retro riffing.

Because these amps are made in China, their prices are quite affordable. You may think they lack the requisite British mojo because of that, but they’re good-sounding boxes, with vibe out the wazoo – especially the 2×12 AC30C2X. No doubt, John, Paul and George would say, “Check ’em out, mates!”

Vox AC30C20X/AC15C1
Price: $2,000 list/$1,249 street (AC30C2X); $900 list/$599 street (AC15C1)
Contact: voxamps.com.

This article originally appeared in VG January 2011 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Rick Gessner is a tweed amp enthusiast who has more than made a splash since entering the fray in 2005.

His versions of tweed-era Fender classics (with subtle refinements), along with his Spring Thing reverb unit, have been making waves with players from Pat Travers to Brad Paisley.

The ValveTrain 205 is Gessner’s interpretation of the venerable F52A tweed Princeton circuit from 1955. While the tweed Champ has gotten much more attention in the under-five-watt camp, the tweed Princeton has some desirable features that were worth revisiting. First, the F52A had a bigger output transformer than its little brother, helping to give the amp more low-end response. Also, the Princeton had a Tone control on its top-panel, which for most players certainly comes in handy.

The 205 uses a solid pine cabinet with a hand-wired chassis, lacquered tweed covering, a distressed tweed for you “relic” lovers, and two-tone tolex, for those who like a little more flair. The workmanship in the covering application is second to none – clean, clean, clean. The top panel hosts controls for Volume and Tone, along with an on/off switch and yellow pilot light. Looking under the back panel reveals a Groove Tubes 12AX7M in V1, followed by a cathode-biased 6V6 and a 5Y3 rectifier. The final piece of the five-watt amp’s tone puzzle is an alnico-magnet Weber Signature Series 8″ speaker. And because it weighs in at a very svelte 17 pounds, you could fit this amp in your backpack!

With a Crook Custom Guitars single-cut with Kinman Broadcaster pickups plugged in, and with the volume set low, the 205 offered that transparent, acoustic quality for which tweed-era amps are known. Very nice! With the Volume cranked up a few notches, it shifted to a chunky, compressed distortion, thanks in part to the Weber alnico-magnet speaker, but mostly you hear just good ol’ amp distortion.

With an early-’80s Ibanez semi-hollow thinline equipped with high-output humbuckers, the 205 was hard to keep clean – not surprising given that again, this is a five-watt amp. Substituting a 12AY7 in the preamp (position V1 on the tube chart) reduced the gain considerably, and with the amp’s Volume set at about 2 o’clock, the 205 synched right up with the Ibanez, while remaining quite nice to the Tele. A 5751 in V1 produced the richest tone, with more gain than the 12AY7.

Overall, the 205 performs very admirably. Its small, resonant cab and proximity of speakers to tubes makes for a very minor tube rattle when the amp is driven very hard, but it’s hardly troublesome.

So, what can one do with this, or other five-watt terrors on the market today? Well, you could sit in your underwear at home and get some very fine edgy tones at lower volumes. But wonderful as that can be, the 205’s real magic comes into play in the studio. No groundbreaking news, of course – we’ve all heard about our favorite guitar tones coming from tiny tweed terrors. But consider another recording situation; say you just laid down some robust guitar tracks on a song and decided to add an additional guitar part, but the engineer is telling you there’s no room in the mix. The answer, play the part through the 205, and listen as it cuts through without getting in the way of your other tracks! That single-ended 6V6 and 8″ speaker keeps your guitar heard, with its tighter, more focused sound, all while staying out of the way of your main guitar tracks.

The Valvetrain 502 is a well-built amp that makes some fine tones. It won’t do big clean tones, but it wasn’t designed to. And without some kind of 9-volt gain monster in front of it, the amp will also never produce shred tones. But if you’re looking for a great-sounding little amp that can produce Stonesy rhythm sounds, and gnarly, compressed lead tones, the Valvetrain 205 might just be your ticket.

ValveTrain 205

Price $1099

Contact ValveTrain Amplification, LLC, 1119 Robie Ave, Mount Dora, FL 32757; phone: (407) 886-7656; www.valvetrainamps.com.

This article originally appeared in VG September 2007 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

The guitarist’s greatest quests is most often that of the tone that resides within their heads. That quest drove guitarist Ken Doles to design his own amplifier.

The tone in his head was a mix of vintage sound with new ideas, and the result is the DoleSonic Vintage 108. A hand-wired, Class A combo in a deftly crafted pine cabinet, it’s aesthetically reminiscent of an antique radio or armoire, with an amber-tinted finish and hand-assembled internal bracing that denotes a commitment to detail. A ³/4″ birch baffleboard, leather handles, and vintage-inspired grillecloth further enhance its class.

The Vintage 108 is set apart in another way – speaker configuration. At first glance, it looks like a single-speaker combo, but inside are two Jensen Vintage Series speakers – a C10Q in an unusual combination with a C8R. The amp can be used with both on or, due to the angle in which they fit in the cab, you can disengage either for a low-watt fiesta.

The cathode-biased, 8-watt R.M.S. amp treads into more new territory with its use of tubes. The stock model uses a pair of JJ 6V6s, a single JJ 12AX7, and a 5Y3 N.O.S. rectifier. Tube selection, alone, would serve most playing styles, but the customization options on the Vintage 108 allow for the use of a single 6L6, single 6V6, or a single EL34 with minor modifications from a qualified technician. While these features may seem complex, in some ways, the Vintage 108 is a straightforward amp; controls include a single Volume and Tone, and components are high-grade throughout, with point-to-point construction and a two-way switch for choosing between 4 and 8 ohms output.

Live and in the studio, the Vintage 108 rendered a surprising variety of tones given that it has only two knobs. Plus, its combination of 8″ and 10″ speakers give it a different voice – warm, full-range, and useful for a variety of styles. Its diversity goes even further when one experiments by unplugging either speaker. Using the 10″ speaker alone produces a robust low-end; changing the impedance and running the 8″ alone makes the amp sound a Fender Champ on steroids.

At the end of the day, the Vintage 108 achieves Doles’ goal – it’s an amp made with vintage inspiration, but is ready for a variety of musical situations and genres.

DoleSonic Vintage 108 Woody
Price: $1,299 list
Contact: tremcaster.com

This article originally appeared in VG September 2011 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

We understand how you might react. “Another drive pedal?” There are so many… a lot of them similar, or nearly identical? But then again, some are different…

(Cue Captain Kirk voiceover…)

Prepare, then, gearhead followers, to embark on a journey of drive, fuzz, and distortion unlike anything you’ve experienced before! Just step aboard (okay, on) the Improbability Drive by Effector 13…

(Okay, Kirk, go home.)

Part guitar effect, part physics experiment, the Improbability Drive is the product of the active imagination of Ever Was, the 24-year-old proprietor of Effector 13, a company he founded after becoming enamored with the great fuzz players of the late ’60s through the early ’90s, everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Billy Corgan.

After earning a degree from Arlyn Studios in Austin, Texas, Was fired up the Guitar Pedal Archive website, and shortly thereafter began experimenting, building pedals from parts purchased at Radio Shack. After many hours, the Krackle Fuzz was born. That pedal would evolve to become the Truly Beautiful Disaster pedal, his first market-ready unit.

Then, feeling there was something missing in the fuzz world, Was began working on the Improbability Drive (which gets its name from The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). An over-the-top, Hendrix-inspired pedal, it’s offered in the same free-spirited manner that was epitomized by Jimi. While most gear is shipped with an instruction manual/sheet, because the Improbability Drive was so new, Was’s instructions to us were handwritten in red and green marker on a piece of 81/2″ x 11″ paper.

“I suggest giving it to try out, to someone with a long coffee break who likes to experiment!” it says. “There are lots of ‘sweet spots,’ so move the knobs gently.”

“Well, we can do that,” we thought, grabbing our ’72 Fender Stratocaster with stock pickups and mid-’80s Peavey Butcher head with 2×12″ cab.

The top of the hand-wired Improbability Drive has five knobs, two mini-toggle “mode” switches, and a true-bypass on/off stompswitch. The keys to piloting the unit are in the three knobs along the top edge, labeled simply I, II, and III. A few minutes of experimentation had us hearing knob I manipulating the tone and adding a bit of boost, while II and III are gain controls. Mode switch A adds a bit of darkness to the signal. And Mode B? Well, we couldn’t tell what it was doing, so we turned back to knob I, which, when set between 0 and 9 o’clock, produced a very dark, muffled sound. After 9 o’clock it added a bit of boost/drive, and a touch more treble. The effect of control II was more obvious. Past 9 o’clock, we got very fat gain with a meaty low-midrange boost. The gain peaked at about 2 o’clock, and past 3 o’clock, it tapered off.

At 10 o’clock, control III adds the same meaty low-mid gain, peaking at 12 o’clock. Playing with controls II and III yielded a variety of gain structures with several sweet spots. With control I dialed back, we heard a muffled, ultra-smooth vintage fuzz tone. The low, meaty, midrange was prevalent throughout all settings and pickup positions. With the gains at max, single notes jumped and screamed; definite Hendrix tones, especially in the neck and middle pickup positions.

The overdrive/fuzz was notably smooth in all settings, as well. We set the input and output volumes very low, to balance with the bypass mode, then pushed the Peavey into overdrive to get a lot more gain. The pedal retained its unique, fat tone.

Pushing the input volume to full revealed the pedal’s true ability to produce gain. Simultaneously pushing the output volume to full sent our signal clean over the top, like mixing fuzz with overdrive. It was noisy, but that much gain can’t be any other way. So we backed off the input gain, and keeping the output gain to full, we got a crystalline enhanced tone, which was pure, but again somewhat noisy. Noodling with the two volumes, we dialed in a host of in-between gain/fuzz tones.

Backing off the Butcher’s gain, and pushing the input volume revealed a gritty, obnoxious – but very usable – fuzz. A person could play with this pedal for days and not tap all the possibilities. Better yet, go Gibbons on it and line up a half-dozen of them!

The Improbability Drive is the most unique drive/fuzz/distortion pedal we’ve tried. It requires time to unlock its potential. The more we played with it, the more we loved it. If your signal chain is in need of a shot of something new, the ID may be what it’s looking for.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s January 2005 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.