LLL
New member
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Catalinbread Naga Viper
- Thread starter LLL
- Start date
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
Yes, lots! Can provide audio examples as well.
Will respond better when I have time tonight, had rehearsal last night.
Anything particular you want to know?
Also, your PM box is full!
Yes, lots! Can provide audio examples as well.
Will respond better when I have time tonight, had rehearsal last night.
Anything particular you want to know?
Also, your PM box is full!
LLL
New member
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
Excellent; thanks.
Nothing particular; just looking for another "classic" boost stomp to throw in front of my Marshall (this time, Rangemaster-flavored).
So far I've got:
MXR 6-Band EQ
MXR 10-Band EQ
Maxon GE-601 EQ
Badgerplex Trilogy
Badgerplex 1011
CAE Boost/Line Driver
Excellent; thanks.
Nothing particular; just looking for another "classic" boost stomp to throw in front of my Marshall (this time, Rangemaster-flavored).
So far I've got:
MXR 6-Band EQ
MXR 10-Band EQ
Maxon GE-601 EQ
Badgerplex Trilogy
Badgerplex 1011
CAE Boost/Line Driver
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
Didn’t forget about you, just haven’t been home yet!
Didn’t forget about you, just haven’t been home yet!
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
Okay, finally have a few minutes to expound on this subject.
For reference: I had an original Rangemaster for a couple of years which I had borrowed from a friend of mine, also had an Analog Man Beano Boost, as well as the Naga Viper. I sold off the Beano Boost and ended up keeping the Naga. I use it, like, a LOT.
I am a huge fan of boost pedals and have around 10 of them; I love stacking them, and I love 'color' boosts most of all, as even my cleanest tone still has quite a bit of harmonic distortion on it.
First thing to know about the Naga is that it is not the Rangemaster circuit, and doesn't even use the same transistors for clipping. It is designed to sound like the Rangemaster at one particular setting, which it does really well (in a blind test you would be hard pressed to tell the Naga from an actual Rangemaster).
Where the Naga comes into its own is when you stray away from straight TB Tone Land ... It's a wonderful, harmonically complex, light-mid grain boost and saturation pedal. When you pair it with an overdrive, you can get some REALLY searing lead guitar tones.
The second thing to know about the Naga is that it doesn't work particularly well with Marshall style amplifiers, in my opinion. There is something about the tone stack in a Marshall which doesn't come alive in the same way as when I use it with other amplifiers; particularly a VOX (surprise, surprise) or Fender Tweed circuit.
The third thing to know about the Naga is that it's a classic style boost; if you are using it to saturate your amp's input stage it's going to double, or even, triple, it's SPL to get there -- it will do it, gladly, but it's going to be (( L O U D )) in comparison to using an overdrive pedal.
But if you are looking for classic saturation tones, I think that the Naga is at top of the heap. I found it to be particularly suited to open back (or semi open) cabinets and Alnico speakers, which compress in a very musical way when pushed and due to their low wattage rating can do so at almost-reasonable SPL's. I still put my cabs in an acoustically treated closet sat atop a Black Diamond Racing The Shelf and Auralex GRAMMA to keep it from blasting the entire house to pieces when recording electric guitar parts.
Third thing to know, or at least consider, about the Naga -- Clapton used a Rangemaster, which seems to contradict my findings. However, he was using a Bluesbreaker at the time, which I find to be tonally darker than a straight plexi stack ... also, those recordings were cut to tape which deteriorated over time with each playback, and probably used a U67 or ribbon microphone when tracking; all of which gives a false positive result when listening back to those recordings. In-room, a Marshall with a Rangemaster can be Ice Pick Central.
Of course, your mileage may vary, and I am certainly not trying to dissuade you from checking it out, I think it's a phenomenal pedal and have it somewhere in my recording chain on virtually every guitar track I have recorded over the past 3-4 years that isn't metally-sounding.
So, on to some examples:
Pretty much all of the guitars in this song are the Naga into either a Lil Dawg Champster or VOX Lil Night Train; the chorus effect was added afterwards with an Eventide:
Same with this song, aside from the metally bit and the fugue, of course.
Note that both of those songs used a Sennheiser e609 microphone and Eminence Swamp Thang speakers.
On this song, which is from the upcoming album, the intro uses the Naga Viper into the Champster and uses an open back 1x12 cabinet with Weber Alnico speaker. Mic was a Cascade Fat Head II. Same with the 7/4 section right before the NWOBHM ending bit.
Okay, finally have a few minutes to expound on this subject.
For reference: I had an original Rangemaster for a couple of years which I had borrowed from a friend of mine, also had an Analog Man Beano Boost, as well as the Naga Viper. I sold off the Beano Boost and ended up keeping the Naga. I use it, like, a LOT.
I am a huge fan of boost pedals and have around 10 of them; I love stacking them, and I love 'color' boosts most of all, as even my cleanest tone still has quite a bit of harmonic distortion on it.
First thing to know about the Naga is that it is not the Rangemaster circuit, and doesn't even use the same transistors for clipping. It is designed to sound like the Rangemaster at one particular setting, which it does really well (in a blind test you would be hard pressed to tell the Naga from an actual Rangemaster).
Where the Naga comes into its own is when you stray away from straight TB Tone Land ... It's a wonderful, harmonically complex, light-mid grain boost and saturation pedal. When you pair it with an overdrive, you can get some REALLY searing lead guitar tones.
The second thing to know about the Naga is that it doesn't work particularly well with Marshall style amplifiers, in my opinion. There is something about the tone stack in a Marshall which doesn't come alive in the same way as when I use it with other amplifiers; particularly a VOX (surprise, surprise) or Fender Tweed circuit.
The third thing to know about the Naga is that it's a classic style boost; if you are using it to saturate your amp's input stage it's going to double, or even, triple, it's SPL to get there -- it will do it, gladly, but it's going to be (( L O U D )) in comparison to using an overdrive pedal.
But if you are looking for classic saturation tones, I think that the Naga is at top of the heap. I found it to be particularly suited to open back (or semi open) cabinets and Alnico speakers, which compress in a very musical way when pushed and due to their low wattage rating can do so at almost-reasonable SPL's. I still put my cabs in an acoustically treated closet sat atop a Black Diamond Racing The Shelf and Auralex GRAMMA to keep it from blasting the entire house to pieces when recording electric guitar parts.
Third thing to know, or at least consider, about the Naga -- Clapton used a Rangemaster, which seems to contradict my findings. However, he was using a Bluesbreaker at the time, which I find to be tonally darker than a straight plexi stack ... also, those recordings were cut to tape which deteriorated over time with each playback, and probably used a U67 or ribbon microphone when tracking; all of which gives a false positive result when listening back to those recordings. In-room, a Marshall with a Rangemaster can be Ice Pick Central.
Of course, your mileage may vary, and I am certainly not trying to dissuade you from checking it out, I think it's a phenomenal pedal and have it somewhere in my recording chain on virtually every guitar track I have recorded over the past 3-4 years that isn't metally-sounding.
So, on to some examples:
Pretty much all of the guitars in this song are the Naga into either a Lil Dawg Champster or VOX Lil Night Train; the chorus effect was added afterwards with an Eventide:
Same with this song, aside from the metally bit and the fugue, of course.
Note that both of those songs used a Sennheiser e609 microphone and Eminence Swamp Thang speakers.
On this song, which is from the upcoming album, the intro uses the Naga Viper into the Champster and uses an open back 1x12 cabinet with Weber Alnico speaker. Mic was a Cascade Fat Head II. Same with the 7/4 section right before the NWOBHM ending bit.
Last edited:
LLL
New member
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
Jolly good TO! I'll check it out when I have more time later today. :smoker:
Jolly good TO! I'll check it out when I have more time later today. :smoker:
LLL
New member
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
Alright - well, you've sold me.
Fantastically textured (the clipping) and focused (eq-wise) grind there... good stuff!
Yeah the two big Rangemaster users for me would be Iommi & May.
May of course did the Vox thing, but Iommi did the Laney Supergroup thing - which is for all intents and purposes
the same EL34 circuit found in the Marshall 100w Superleads of the day. I know I'll have great results pairing
the Naga Viper with my vintage-circuit Marshall. Also, I really like how you can adjust the hi-pass circuit to
add or take away low end... that solves one of the problems with clean boosts; which boost all freqs.
Great clips too - I heard early Rush and also like that dude commented, BOC! :smokin::smokin::smokin:
Alright - well, you've sold me.
Fantastically textured (the clipping) and focused (eq-wise) grind there... good stuff!
Yeah the two big Rangemaster users for me would be Iommi & May.
May of course did the Vox thing, but Iommi did the Laney Supergroup thing - which is for all intents and purposes
the same EL34 circuit found in the Marshall 100w Superleads of the day. I know I'll have great results pairing
the Naga Viper with my vintage-circuit Marshall. Also, I really like how you can adjust the hi-pass circuit to
add or take away low end... that solves one of the problems with clean boosts; which boost all freqs.
Great clips too - I heard early Rush and also like that dude commented, BOC! :smokin::smokin::smokin:
dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
I thought my Marshall Jubilee sounded great with a Keeley Java Boost in front. I've heard it's pretty similar to a Rangemaster, though I don't know for sure. I'm definitely a humbucker guy, and I could imagine it being harsh with vintage Strat single coils for example.
I thought my Marshall Jubilee sounded great with a Keeley Java Boost in front. I've heard it's pretty similar to a Rangemaster, though I don't know for sure. I'm definitely a humbucker guy, and I could imagine it being harsh with vintage Strat single coils for example.
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
*waits patiently*
*waits patiently*
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Catalinbread Naga Viper
Yup, it's the dog's whatsits!
Yup, it's the dog's whatsits!
