Lava Box

PFDarkside

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Is there a thread somewhere that describes in detail the Lava Box? It sounds a lot like the Red Llama, with the addition of the Tweak Fuzz style 6-position switch. Is this accurate or am I way off base?
 
Re: Lava Box

+1 I'm in the market for an OD that's got more rock 'n roll than a tubescreamer but not as gainy as a Marshall sounding pedal (plexitone, etc). I thought about the Twin Tube Classic but it's a little high and haven't gotten to try one yet. Maybe the Lava Box will be my thing.
 
Re: Lava Box

Well, there goes my theory. ;)

Still... there has to be more info. When the Twin Tube CLassic came out there were threads all over the place detailing how the two submini tubes were military spec, and ran at high voltage unlike typical tube pedals that are just run at starvation, et al.
 
Re: Lava Box

Well, there goes my theory.
Not quite...the Red Llama is using a cmos chip cd4049 for clipping;)
But alot of things can be changed, as there are several things you can do eq-wise, seems like Duncan went with the more variable one, and with an inpust stage as well.
We have made a prototype as well with a cmos chip, just with a different in and outputs stage, we had the fet circuit as the end;)
I want a Lava and the SFX-3:D
Love pedals
 
Re: Lava Box

I screwed around with the lava box all weekend but didn't have a chance to really turn up my amps to anything past "pretty loud". But then again I didn't need to!

I love this thing!. when i first turned it on I was very pleasantly surprised at the richness of the tone. I spent the most time with it on the front end of my vert input JCM 800. It absolutely loved the lava box. I was comparing it to a TS clone I built, a modded Boss SD-1 super overdrive(I forget who modded it but it has a pull knob to go between stock & the "chocolate mod" I think it was called), and a stock Boss DS-1 distortion pedal.

One thing i find with most dirt boxes on the clean input on the JCM is that they tend to sound "mixed in" with the clean tone where there is an obvious clean signal side by side with the juiced up drive signal (like you can hear some of the percussiveness of a clean tone mixed with the fuzziness of a dirt box). I HATE THAT!!! The lava box exhibits none of this behavior and the best way I can put it in words is that it completely took over the tone and smoothed everything out really nicely. All notes are still articulate but there was no wanky mid bump or really anything unpleasant at all.. just gobs of nice thick drive.

The rumble knob yielded a bunch of very useable tones (really they were all "good") and i ended up with the switch on the #4 position and the drive at around 80% for my particular sweet spot. I was using my new '61 SG reissue for most of the messing around and I have to say the Lava box had me re-thinking the pickup swap I am about to do to it.

Through the high gain input my 800 was screaming like a modded SOB. I gave me the exact tone i hear in my head when I think modded JCM 800. THICK! articulate and just dripping with ball sauce. I WAS VERY HAPPY!!!

True to the description it really does clean up nicely when you ease up on the picking hand. This was totally obvious through the lo-gain input and still noticeable through the high gain.

I'm gonna bring it to jam next weekend and give it a thorough high volume workout and see how I feel after that but so far so good. It's a strong little box that really just blew me away from the first notes.
 
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Re: Lava Box

Damn, I went to GC but they don't cary them. I guess I'll order it online. Is Martinsixstring or whatever still here and carrying Duncan pedals?
 
Re: Lava Box

Nice review, pixelpusher.

Official sound clips should be done in a week or so. Since they're scheduled to be done anyway, and all my recording equipment is still in Chicago, there's no need for me to do any.

Perhaps next week when I'm in Chicago, I'll make some clips of something else for you to contemplate...
 
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