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Parent Category : 'Musical instruments'   Guitars User-reviews
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Boss FDR-1 Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Amp
By aidan.04 on 04/28/2008 at 16:57

Characteristics  
Boss's FDR-1 is an amp modeler with reverb and vibrato, based on the Fender 1965-era Deluxe Reverb, which is a coveted tube amp known for its distinctive tone. Apparently BOSS worked with Fender to try and nail the sound of the Deluxe Reverb, which increased my expectations for it.
The FDR-1 is packaged in the standard BOSS stompbox casing, which are always pretty sturdy. It would blend in like a regular stompbox on your pedalboard. It has your standard 1/4" input and output, and ac adapter input.
Utilisation  
The controls on the FDR-1 are very similar to the actual amp it seeks to emulate. It has Level, Gain, Treble, Bass, Vibrato and Reverb. Other than to full understand how to tweak the vibrato effect, its very self-explanatory and I didn't even need the manual.
Sound Quality  
As far as the amp model, it is fairly good. I have played modelers that attempted a Deluxe Reverb sound like Line6 and Digitech. This pedal comes a LOT closer to replicating actual Fender sound than any other modeler I've heard. Its got sparkle, spank, and even grit that get pretty darn close to the real thing, without actually BEING the real thing.

As far as reverb, its good. Probably as good or better as the reverb on many amps people will plug this into. Sadly its not nearly as good as ACTUAL Deluxe Reverb reverb. It starts getting cheesy sounding in the upper range, so getting super drippy reverb like you can from the actual amp is not a reasonable expoectation to have. I still can't fault it much though.

The vibrato is great, very usable, and gives a fairly wide range of tweaking possible. I wasn't disapointed.

I played this stompbox by putting it in front of my low end tube amp; an Epiphone Valve Special. It added a new dimension to the already decent clean sound, so I can't imagine the miracles this pedal could work for a lackluster Solid State amp's clean channel. I was also able to use it to push my tube amp into a bit more grit and sustain. They interacted nicely.
Overall Opinion  
What I like most about this is that it seems like they worked very hard to replicate the Fender sound. I can only fault them for the limitations of modeling technology, not for effort. I'm not sure how enthusiastically I can reccomend this pedal as expensive as it is (150 or so), but it is a fairly cheap option compared to buying an actual Fender amp if you only want this sound periodically. The most realistic I can see people getting out of this product is to dress up the clean sound they get from their pre-existing setup. Face it, even if you had a Deluxe Reverb, you wouldnt be happy with the overdrive if you're like me, so its easier to pair this up with your amp of choice. Or it can bring new life to your super cheap tube amp, like the Valve Junior that so many people love for its simplicity. This pedal would make up for the lack of reverb that many lower end tube amps suffer from.
[ More info : Boss ]
Marshall JTM 60 622
By RickD on 04/24/2008 at 23:43 Serious about music, want to make it your profession.

Characteristics  
- What type of amplification (Tube,transistor,...)?
Analogue, tube.

- How much power is delivered?
60 Watts RMS, through 2 x Celestion 12" speakers.

- What connection types are there?
Input on the front. 2 loops on the back: parallel & serial. Direct out, speaker out for an optional cabinet (i have the 4 x 10".

- What are the setting controls, effects?...
Clean channel & distortion channel, operated by provided 1 button footswitch or button on front panel.
Each channel has gain, volume, 3 band EQ and reverb.
Master volume is common to both. Effects mix knob for parallel FX loop.
Presence knob on the back.

Weighs about 24 kg so beware it WILL rip your arm out of its socket.
Also, beware this is so loud that it will rattle the handle off if played loud enough long enough...well, it might. It did on mine, and i only recorded one song with it on 10/10.
Utilisation  
- Is the general configuration/setup simple?
Yes.

- Can you easily get a good sound?
Yes. The EQ is not very powerful so it's actually easier to get a good sound than on a model with a more powerful EQ, cos you can't quite so wrong. ;-)
The reverb is nice.

- Is the manual clear and sufficient?...
To do make manuals for amps?
Sounds  
- Does it suit your style of music?
I'm not into metal, so yeah. You can get pretty much anything out of this except extremely clean or extremely wild. Some nice jazzy sounds, and great on rick with the distortion on 5 or 7.
This sounds British & 70's i think.

- With what guitar(s)/bass(es) or effect(s) do you use it?
Godin LGX, sometimes with Ibanez Tube King compressor or distortion.
The compressor alone is enough to boost this real well and you can get some impressive sustain for those Gary Moore solos...

- What kind of sound do you get out of it and with what settings ("clear", "heavy",....)?
Depending on the guitar settings & amp settings, you can get close to electro-acoustic or jazzy or dirty on the clean channel, and anything from crunch to good old rock on the other channel.

- What are your favorite sounds and/or the ones you hate?
Don't hate any sounds on this! Most of the time it's quite good, really. It's not high-class, but one would expect worse given the fact it is nothing more than a cheap tube amp.
Overall Opinion  
- For how long have you been using it?
About 8 years.

- What thing do you like most/least about it?
It has a sound of its own & its warm. For that alone i am very reluctant to ever sell this.
I believe that some bands would be jealous of the sound you can get with this thing if you recorded it properly.

- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
I tried the other tube amps that came out at the time: the Fender Blues Deluxe, the Fender Hot Rod, and a Peavet tweed something. This was by far the best. The Fender ones were both horrible, bass out of control and muddy sound. The Peavey was close but it was a 1 x 12" speaker and just didn't match the body on this one.

To get something better you needed to spend twice as much and go for a vintage Fender or Marshall.

- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
I paid a good price: 4100 Francs (£410 at the time / 615 €).
I added the 4 x 10" cabinet for 2400 Francs (£240 / 360 €).
Not exactly cheap but for that you have a tall wide tube wall with quite a range and enough power to play in most places.

- Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?...
I have never regretted getting it and it's provided quite a lot of satisfaction.
I would never sell this for less than i paid and i would be very very reluctant to anyway. I would also try many many other amps before replacing it.
[ More info : Marshall ]
DOD TR3M
By Heavyspender on 04/23/2008 at 23:25

Characteristics  
This is an odd little digital unit, it is a combination of two distortion channels, which can be used in tandem or by themselves. It also has a pitch shifter that gave you a range of sounds from deep chorus to single and double octave effects. It could not be edited via computer and being a floor pedal, it is not rackable. There is a single input and dual outputs for stereo applications.
Utilisation  
The setup is fairly simple as soon as you figured out how to engage the unit in order to blend the two distortion channels as well as using them independently. Therefore the effects editing was fairly easy. The manual that came with this unit was clear, sufficient and helpful.
Sound Quality  
The effects on this unit are decent, if not great. I've played a Fender Stratocaster, a Squire Strat and my current Ibanez through this box, and they all sounded fine. The two distortions, while similar in sound, are both usable and sufficiently realistic. YOu can also engage them both and you got a nice thick sounding 70's type overdrive. If you adjusted the pitch shifter for a chorus effect,it sounded nice and smooth with the overdrive/s, perfect and non-invasive in a praise and worship setting. The pitch shifter, along with having some odd sound settings such as a 3rd or 5th above the original note, had some really cool single and double octave effects. These are the facets that I really miss about his unit. (I dropped the unit, and it's pretty much broken and retired.) I also liked the stereo output capability of this unit, which is great for bi-amping. If I had to say anything I don't like about this unit, it's that the input led would start to clip if I turned it up to high, but if I backed it down, sometimes the output volume would not be sufficient on stage.
Overall Opinion  
I used this unit on and off since the early nineties when I bought it up until recently when I broke it. I love the versatility and the cool sounds, as I was able to get overdrive, chorus and octaver out of it. I guess it can be considered one of the first multi-effects pedals. The only thing I didn't like was the clipping of the input. This was a great deal at the time at a price of $99, so I didn't try anything else, especially with it's unique combination of available effects. With all the pros to this unit (variety of effects, stereo capability) I would buy it again, hopefully for half the price, with technology having advanced in the past two decades. Even my current multi-effects pedal does not have an octave effect that compares to the effect on this unit.
[ More info : DOD ]
Squier Pack Squier Se100 Black
By Heavyspender on 04/23/2008 at 23:05

Overall Opinion  
I used the guitar for almost two years. I bought it when I started back up playing the guitar. During this time of exploration and trying to get back my chops while trying to improve from where I left off, this guitar served me well. It had enough tonal range for me at that point in my development. The 22 frets and decent action were adequate at that point. It even had a tremolo unit, which was cool. Unfortunately, I got to the point where the 22 frets weren't enough. The action and playability wasn't as good anymore. I didn't see the need to get it set up as I felt it was time to move on and upgrade to my current Ibanez. I didn't try many other models, because this is precisely what I needed at the time, a beginner pack. For the price, it did just the trick for what I needed it for at the time. There are much better choices right now for this price range (about $200), but to be fair, this was pretty much the right choice at the time of purchase.
[ More info : Squier ]
Squier SP-10
By Heavyspender on 04/23/2008 at 22:47

Characteristics  
This is a solid state practice amp that puts out 10 watts. There are inputs for input and headphone. The amp has knobs for treble and bass. It also has a button to engage gain or drive. A volume knob controls the amp in both the clean and gain settings.
Utilisation  
Being a simple practice amp, the general configuration is straightforward and self-explanatory. The controls are responsive for a practice amp and you can easily get a decent sound being a practice amp. This was bought new, but it did not come with a manual.
Sounds  
Because the power is not adequate and the speaker is not that big, it is hard to get a variety of useful tones out of this unit. I didn't even bother putting pedals through this amp, it probably couldn't handle it. (Oh, I did go through my DOD YJM 368 before plugging into this amp, and the feedback/noise was ridiculous!) I used to use the Squire Stratocaster that came with this amp in a package. I also used my current Ibanez rg-120 through it, and they both sounded decent. (Once again, remember that this is a practice amp.) ONce again, because it's only 10 watts with a tiny speaker, the clean sound is only passable. (Hard to say that about a Fender, but it's not fair to expect it out of this unit.) The distortion is actually pretty decent, especially at lower volumes. The only problem with that is you definitely can't jam with this amp, especially with a monster drummer
Overall Opinion  
I used this amp for a couple years before I sold it recently. I really didn't need it anymore. ONce again, because it's a practice amp, you can't complain about the tone coming out of this little guy. The reason I had to sell it is because it just didn't have enough power to keep up at rehearsal. This came in a package with an electric guitar, so I dind't have to try any other models before getting this one. Seeing as it came with the package, I can't complain about the value, especially since it served its purpose. The guitar served its purpose as well, so I can't complain about the choice I made to get this amp.
[ More info : Squier ]
Boss DD-6
By Heavyspender on 04/23/2008 at 20:49

Characteristics  
This is a pure delay pedal. You can also get chorus and slap back echo out of this unit, among other sounds. I believe it is digital and cannot be edited via computer. It is a floor pedal, so it is not rackable. It has two stereo inputs as well as two stereo outputs, great for bi-amping !
Utilisation  
There are four knobs: E. level, feedback, delay time and mode. I do not have a manual, because it's used. So if you don't know much about delay, like me, you can play with the pedal for a time and figure out some really cool delay effects on this thing. Switch the mode around, and you get several different effects within one pedal. E. Level is like your volume. Feedback is the amount of delay you get, and delay time is the duration of the delay. Pretty straightforward.
Sound Quality  
This is one of the best pedal delays in the business. Don't mess around with other delay stomp-boxes, this is the one to get. I put this pedal at the end of my pedal chain. I use the stereo output to bi-amp and the "ping-pong" effect that occurs at certain delay settings is really cool. Reminiscent of Pat Metheny on clean settings, Van Halen on distortion settings. I use 80 millisecond mode to add a little light delay to my solos. Gives it some nice "sustain", but not so much delay that notes start bleeding into each other. AT 300ms, you have a chorus type effect. Pair it with another chorus, and it sounds very lush and full! AT 800 ms, you've got a slap-back delay or echo, perfect for country or bluegrass music. At 2600 ms, you've got some wicked tape delay ! There's even a setting that makes your electric sound like a violin !
Overall Opinion  
I've been using this pedal for a couple months more than a year. Once I figured how to get some cool sounds out of this unit, there really isn't anything I don't like about it. I especially like the stereo outputs for bi-amping. This was lent to me, so I didn't try anything else besides it. I would hazard to guess that unless I get an expensive rack-mountable delay unit, nothing compares to this amazing pedal. I wouldn't spend as much money as it costs to get this thing new. I would have to get it used. And if my friend didn't lend it to me, I probably would buy it, because I don't know what I'd do without it. The stereo capability alone makes it worth having and keeping.
[ More info : Boss ]
Danelectro Fish & Chips - 7 Band EQ
By Heavyspender on 04/23/2008 at 20:34

Characteristics  
This is an equalizer. It can also function as a volume booster, which is great. I believe it is a digital effect. It cannot be edited via computer. It is a floor pedal,so it's not rackable. It has input and output as well as connector for 9v/dc power supply.
Utilisation  
The general configuration is your standard 7-band equalizer. I don't know anything about equalizers and setting them for specific applications. This is where the manual/instructions came in. I made it easy to tweak the slider controls and get various tones from the unit. There are 3 sample presets: barb-eq for blues or 70's rock, scooped for metal, and curly Q for God knows what?
Sound Quality  
This unit provides top notch equalization for under $35. When you stomp on it and engage it's effect, it is almost like you just engaged a sonic maximizer. It makes your tone jump to life and just improves its presence that much more. It also works great as a volume booster for solos. Just slide the level to over 1/2 all the way to full, then stomp on it when you're solo begins! There's nothing I really don't like about the tones from this thing. (Aside from perhaps the "Curly Q" setting, which I'm still not sure what it's for.)
Overall Opinion  
I have been using this unit since the beginning of this year. I think it is an essential part of your pedal chain, and even though I could survive without it, I'd rather not go without it. It just improves your tone and presence so much more. I've looked at so many distortion pedals as a volume boost, when all I had to do was look at this and I've got not only a volume booster, but a clean volume booster as well. I looked at the boss eq, but it was too expensive for me. I looked at dod and digitech, and they were too cheap looking. With this unit, I get the perfect blend of quality sound and construction as well as great monetary value. Until I can afford a good rack unit equalizer, this will do the trick just fine.
[ More info : Danelectro ]
DigiTech [Distorsion Series] Death Metal
By Heavyspender on 04/23/2008 at 19:50

Characteristics  
This is a pure distortion pedal. You can get overdrive out of it, there are even presets for it. However, I believe this pedal is specifically tailored for hard, heavy, driving distortion. The heavier, the better. It is a digital unit and cannot be edited via computer. It is a floor pedal, so it is not rackable. The unit has one input and two outputs. One output is for going to an amp. The other is a cabinet modeler that allows you to go straight into the mixing board.
Utilisation  
Configuration is simple. It has four knobs : level, low, mid and high. As digitech says, they've set the gain on 11 and ripped off the knob ! Thus the lack of a gain knob on this unit. Sounds/effects editing is very easy and the clear, colorful manual makes it even easier. There are not only presets for just this unit, but the manual also shows how you can combine it with other effects to get a solo tone.
Sound Quality  
This pedal really only serves one purpose....it's a death metal pedal, just like the name says! As such, it sound greats for death, trash, nu-metal, and even heavy metal! I put this thing through a Fender Twin and it was palm muting hell (or heaven depending on your opinion.) It is great for heavy rhythm grind. Unfortunately, because the treble is so harsh, I don't feel this is a great pedal for soloing. The manual has a sample setup that has this pedal chained to a delay and a chorus for a smoother soloing sound. When I mimic this set up, it sounds a little better, but the treble is still too harsh in my opinion, even with the delay and chorus.
Overall Opinion  
I've had this pedal for about 3 and a half years. I love playing Metallica style, Evanescence, basically any kind of power chord riffs with this thing. Unfortunately, it is not good for soloing, even though it has a soloing preset. And using this thing at praise and worship? Forget about it! The only time I've used it on stage at church is when we played Bring me to Life by Evanescence. I figure that will be the extent of my use of this pedal in a church setting. I tried many DOD and digitech models before buying this one, but this one won at the time because I was specifically looking for something that could play the heavy riffs of a song I wrote. Unfortunately, I apparently did not take into consideration the soloing capabilities of this unit. If I did, I very well might have ended up with something different. It's not too bad of a $50 spent, and at least the 2nd mixer output gives me the option of adding another amp to my rig in stereo.
[ More info : DigiTech ]