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NPD x6
I took a bit of a hiatus from the forum earlier this fall because I just couldn't seem to find the time to read let alone post. GAS never rests, and I made a number of acquisitions from September through mid-November both for active pedal boards as well as the pedal drawer.
Teese RMC-4 Picture Wah
Yet another Clyde Wah, like the Fulltone Clyde, Vox 846HW, or several Wilson offerings. I've always preferred the Teese to the Fulltone, and this one was a great deal. That being said, the Wilson Signature on my main board isn't going anywhere; I mostly use this for recording lower gain sounds while I have the Wilson dialed in more aggressively.
Z.Vex Octane 3
Is it an Octavia? I don't think so, but it's in the same ballpark. It seems to track much better than the Fulltone Octafuzz, the octave is louder, and it LOVES to be gain staged. While it has a lot of gain on tap, I was surprised that it doesn't really thicken much once you're running enough gain for the octave to really pop. The secret to getting a really in-your-face octave tone ala Untitled by Smashing Pumpkins is to run it with a Tube Screamer immediately afterward into an amp that's just dirty enough. The low cut on the TS really helps with the fuzz getting too woofy while the mid boost helps it cut through.
Keeley Java Boost
It's a Rangemaster, but that's not all; it also does midrange and full range boost. With the toggle switch centered it's classic Rangemaster and sounds great with a Strat or Tele into the Vox tonestack on my Egnater Tweaker. Toggle right for midrange boost, and it's instant Black Sabbath or early Judas Priest into a Marshall. People tend to think of Rangemasters as a fuzz circuit, but it plays more like an overdrive with a raspy or gritty high end. It also has that great 'about to run away into feedback' sound / feel without really getting there. I find full range boost a bit woofy, so I don't really use it. The knobs likewise are pretty useless as I like it best with both up all the way.
Chicago Stompworks Mr. Vermin
It's a LM308 Rat, and it was inexpensive. I've heard a bunch of these but never owned one before. I really like how it's almost amp-like at lower drive settings while getting into fuzz territory when really cooking. I actually picked it over a 1981 DRV as I didn't like the tweaks to the latter. I know people don't like the loose low end and lack of clarity at higher gain, but they're part of a Rat's charm for me. One of these days I'm going to have to try cascading the Java Boost into it.
Darkglass Vintage Microtubes
I don't buy new pedals very often, but I found a great deal on this one. The Pickle Pie B on longcat's board is awesome, but we wanted distortion options beyond the wall of sound reminiscent of Siamese Dream. I've always loved Timmy C's overdriven sound, and Moving Pictures is just legendary in that respect. The Vintage Microtubes is essentially early 80s Rush in a box, and it does a mean Audioslave as well. The best surprise was how well it works cascaded into the Pickle Pie for a really full yet punchy sound that fills in nicely under a guitar solo.
Korg Pitchblack Mini
It's a Korg Pitchblack. The case is a lot smaller and the display if anything is even easier to read than the original. It does a great job tracking bass which is what I really care about.
Teese RMC-4 Picture Wah
Yet another Clyde Wah, like the Fulltone Clyde, Vox 846HW, or several Wilson offerings. I've always preferred the Teese to the Fulltone, and this one was a great deal. That being said, the Wilson Signature on my main board isn't going anywhere; I mostly use this for recording lower gain sounds while I have the Wilson dialed in more aggressively.
Z.Vex Octane 3
Is it an Octavia? I don't think so, but it's in the same ballpark. It seems to track much better than the Fulltone Octafuzz, the octave is louder, and it LOVES to be gain staged. While it has a lot of gain on tap, I was surprised that it doesn't really thicken much once you're running enough gain for the octave to really pop. The secret to getting a really in-your-face octave tone ala Untitled by Smashing Pumpkins is to run it with a Tube Screamer immediately afterward into an amp that's just dirty enough. The low cut on the TS really helps with the fuzz getting too woofy while the mid boost helps it cut through.
Keeley Java Boost
It's a Rangemaster, but that's not all; it also does midrange and full range boost. With the toggle switch centered it's classic Rangemaster and sounds great with a Strat or Tele into the Vox tonestack on my Egnater Tweaker. Toggle right for midrange boost, and it's instant Black Sabbath or early Judas Priest into a Marshall. People tend to think of Rangemasters as a fuzz circuit, but it plays more like an overdrive with a raspy or gritty high end. It also has that great 'about to run away into feedback' sound / feel without really getting there. I find full range boost a bit woofy, so I don't really use it. The knobs likewise are pretty useless as I like it best with both up all the way.
Chicago Stompworks Mr. Vermin
It's a LM308 Rat, and it was inexpensive. I've heard a bunch of these but never owned one before. I really like how it's almost amp-like at lower drive settings while getting into fuzz territory when really cooking. I actually picked it over a 1981 DRV as I didn't like the tweaks to the latter. I know people don't like the loose low end and lack of clarity at higher gain, but they're part of a Rat's charm for me. One of these days I'm going to have to try cascading the Java Boost into it.
Darkglass Vintage Microtubes
I don't buy new pedals very often, but I found a great deal on this one. The Pickle Pie B on longcat's board is awesome, but we wanted distortion options beyond the wall of sound reminiscent of Siamese Dream. I've always loved Timmy C's overdriven sound, and Moving Pictures is just legendary in that respect. The Vintage Microtubes is essentially early 80s Rush in a box, and it does a mean Audioslave as well. The best surprise was how well it works cascaded into the Pickle Pie for a really full yet punchy sound that fills in nicely under a guitar solo.
Korg Pitchblack Mini
It's a Korg Pitchblack. The case is a lot smaller and the display if anything is even easier to read than the original. It does a great job tracking bass which is what I really care about.
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