MXR Script reissue Distortion +

[the guy who invented fire]

These were done for the overseas market only until Pro Guitar Shop worked out a deal with Dunlop and now you can get them ONLY at PGS...

My wife bought me one for Christmas and I have to say...it's just as cool and ratty as I remember my originals being but unlike at least one of my original units this one will get to and slightly past unity gain!



Also...just like the originals, the handwired PCB says "hand built by guitar players"...I love that!

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Cool, I will have to check that out. I like the older ones but some of them still feel like you are are taking volume off the amp even with with the level maxed.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Hehe now that is oldschool!!
Even the diodes are germanium...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Cool, I will have to check that out. I like the older ones but some of them still feel like you are are taking volume off the amp even with with the level maxed.

Yeah...I used to have one that even with the volume full on if you switched on ON and OFF you'd realize that the pedal was below unity gain!

That one isn't like that...there isn't tons of boost available but it'll go past unity.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Hehe now that is oldschool!!
Even the diodes are germanium...

Yes indeed!!!

I hooked up a bit ago with the 76 script Dyna Comp and the 76 Script Phase 45...old school tones all day long!

The D+ is a much better sort of gritty OD than I remember and if you get the Distortion knob up a little more it's sort of a nice toothy Joe Perry sound!

 

[d1dsj]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

I remember a mates old D+ from back in the early 80's into his Marshall Superlead being a killer sound, and I mean killer! I've been looking for one of these new D+'s too Christian but they are £150 ish over here and I'll be damned if I pay that. I've just picked up a great Phase 45 off Greg (B Bent) and want to make up a nice compact MXR board filled with old school pedals.

 

[JeffB]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Cool Beans Christian. Nice score.

Those are responsible in part for alot of great guitar sounds of the 70s, and even some in the 80s, Like Randy Rhoads, Dave Murray, and Adrian Smith.I had a late 70s block logo, and sold it around 1976 or so. It was a great pedal, I did not have a serious unity gain issue with mine, though it definitely did not have loads of output on tap either.

Just because I need the wall wart capability and I prefer TB, I would go with the Rochester version...if it is half as good as the phaser it will be an amazing pedal. I have been eyeing it for awhile. the PGS video of the Script RI only brought on more GAS for one.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

I remember a mates old D+ from back in the early 80's into his Marshall Superlead being a killer sound, and I mean killer! I've been looking for one of these new D+'s too Christian but they are £150 ish over here and I'll be damned if I pay that. I've just picked up a great Phase 45 off Greg (B Bent) and want to make up a nice compact MXR board filled with old school pedals.

That sucks about the price...that said I'm sure they are still less than an original unit.

I dunno...it'll never be my main dirt box or anything but I dig these kool reissues and it's pretty neat sounding too.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Cool Beans Christian. Nice score.

Those are responsible in part for alot of great guitar sounds of the 70s, and even some in the 80s, Like Randy Rhoads, Dave Murray, and Adrian Smith.I had a late 70s block logo, and sold it around 1976 or so. It was a great pedal, I did not have a serious unity gain issue with mine, though it definitely did not have loads of output on tap either.

Just because I need the wall wart capability and I prefer TB, I would go with the Rochester version...if it is half as good as the phaser it will be an amazing pedal. I have been eyeing it for awhile. the PGS video of the Script RI only brought on more GAS for one.

Yeah, the D+ is all over the place in the 70's if you listen for it! They weren't really made for boost but the reissue will give you a little. One of my original units had a slight tick above unit the other wouldn't even get there!

As for the Whirlwind stuff I just don't know...I know a lot of guys dig the Orange Box but the Red Box pales compared to the 76 Dyna reissue (they don't even use the correct parts in the Red Box) and I have seen gut shots of the Gold Box and again...wrong parts...

If you had to have true bypass and an LED I guess I understand but the stock bypass isn't that bad and trust me...you'll know when it's on!

Also worth mentioning...the Gold Box is $120 online, the D+ reissue is $99.99 at PGS!

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

I might have to pick one of those suckers up.Ive got me a BYOC D+ Clone, but I bet the Pro Shop one is better.
As you all well know, the old D+ is one of the least expensive vintage pedals out there, but Im still not gonna pay what an original is going for. Yup, safe to say I'm probably going to grab one of those PGS D+'s at 99 bucks.

 

[JeffB]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Yeah, the D+ is all over the place in the 70's if you listen for it! They weren't really made for boost but the reissue will give you a little. One of my original units had a slight tick above unit the other wouldn't even get there!

As for the Whirlwind stuff I just don't know...I know a lot of guys dig the Orange Box but the Red Box pales compared to the 76 Dyna reissue (they don't even use the correct parts in the Red Box) and I have seen gut shots of the Gold Box and again...wrong parts...
P
If you had to have true bypass and an LED I guess I understand but the stock bypass isn't that bad and trust me...you'll know when it's on!

Also worth mentioning...the Gold Box is $120 online, the D+ reissue is $99.99 at PGS!

The clips I have heard of the gold box are pretty good, but I have not tried it..so who knows....you can get it on Amazon for 99 bucks new, btw am not a fan of compressors so IDK about the Red box, but the Orange Box is flat out the closest thing to my old script phase I have heard. The MXR 74 RI is ok, but still not really there. The rest of the MXR stuff..block, EVH, custom shop script with LED, not even close.

 

[Aceman]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

I personally believe there is a time and a place for EVERY dirt box ever made. Bravo on the "splay" comment Christian! Same with a Boss HM-2...some great sounds in there, when you want/need them.

The other guitar player in my first band had one of those. I hated it. Never could get anything usable for ME out of it. He managed to wrangle some pretty great sounds out of that and his Yamaha amp...plus the phase switched pups. Worked for him.

Glad you dig it!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

The clips I have heard of the gold box are pretty good, but I have not tried it..so who knows....you can get it on Amazon for 99 bucks new, btw am not a fan of compressors so IDK about the Red box, but the Orange Box is flat out the closest thing to my old script phase I have heard. The MXR 74 RI is ok, but still not really there. The rest of the MXR stuff..block, EVH, custom shop script with LED, not even close.

Interesting take...the script reissue MXR stuff is dead on to the original, even using NOS parts where needed (which Whirlwind doesn't do). The only changes are from carbon comp to metal film resisters (which the Whirlwind stuff also uses).

When I bought the Phase 45 reissue I tried it out next to an original script Phase 45 a buddy of mine has and we both agreed that there was really no difference except the reissue has less white noise, likely due to the use of more modern/more quite resisters...

No one is wrong on this, just different ears and all.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

I personally believe there is a time and a place for EVERY dirt box ever made. Bravo on the "splay" comment Christian! Same with a Boss HM-2...some great sounds in there, when you want/need them.

The other guitar player in my first band had one of those. I hated it. Never could get anything usable for ME out of it. He managed to wrangle some pretty great sounds out of that and his Yamaha amp...plus the phase switched pups. Worked for him.

Glad you dig it!

I agree...there is a time and place for everything!

That's one of the biggest reasons I have a stack of pedals I rarely if ever use...I just keep thinking one day I'll need that sound and if I sell it I won't have it!!!

The other cool think about the D+ is just nostalgia for me...I used to have a good example of every script MXR pedal they made (save for the Noise Gate/Line Driver) as well as a few choice block logo pedals (analog delay, flanger, etc) and dug them but at one point when I was between jobs years back I sold them all to a collector so when they did the script reissues I paid attention and my wife noticed so she decided I needed the D+!

 

[JeffB]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

It was my understanding the 74RI is dead on to ONE specific original MXR had laying around. Mike Lanwhatshisface tinkered a bit, and according to him, the Orange box is what he saw as the best sounding version of that original design. IDK. I am not apedal builder and do not know the diff between all the tech mumbo jumbo.i can only compare to the Script I had. All I can say is the OB has something that the 74ri does not have..the midrange swell is different, and the highend clarity is different..it is more apparent under gain than clean.

No clue about the 45s, I am only talking about the 90s.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

It was my understanding the 74RI is dead on to ONE specific original MXR had laying around. Mike Lanwhatshisface tinkered a bit, and according to him, the Orange box is what he saw as the best sounding version of that original design. IDK. I am not apedal builder and do not know the diff between all the tech mumbo jumbo.i can only compare to the Script I had. All I can say is the OB has something that the 74ri does not have..the midrange swell is different, and the highend clarity is different..it is more apparent under gain than clean.

No clue about the 45s, I am only talking about the 90s.

I feel ya, I'm just saying that the old ones did vary a bit here and there so there are bound to be small differences.

As for the MXR vs Whirlwind I say it's unfair to make the comparison...the MXR reissues used NOS parts where needed to be exactly like original pre 1977 MXR units and Whirlwind doesn't...the Whirlwind stuff is true bypass which as good as the bypass in the reissue MXR stuff is in terms of clarity it does make a difference (however only when OFF). Not to mention most of us, myself included are comparing what the reissue MXR and/or whirlwind stuff sounds like in comparison to our own personal 10, 20 or even 30+ year old memory of what our original MXR stuff sounded like...which is not even worth talking about in terms of did they get it right or not.

As for the 74 Script 90 you are right...Jorge Tripps based the reissue off of a specific 1974 unit that is part of the Dunlop collection, not sure what Whirlwind used for a basis but I'm sure it sounds good. The Orange Box is the one I haven't tried yet so I really can;t offer much opinion on it.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Nice grab, theres some good reads on the differences between the dist+ models (http://www.pedalarea.com/mxr_distortion.htm) this one doesn't include your model though.

Going to be building a D+ clone soon myself, (sorry for the slight hijack) any opinions on which versions are preferred/ defining features? I'm looking to mod it slightly to solve the unity gain issue

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

The reissue is the same as the 73/74 Script version save for metal film resisters.

I'd go with that circuit and I'd built it stock first...they will get and slightly past unity gain and they have they cool/gritty sound.

Make sure you use the "correct" 741 op amp and germanium diodes!

 

[Rich_S]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Just thought I'd stop in and update this slightly zombie-ish thread.

I got an email from PGS yesterday which included this interesting tidbit: the MXR Script Reissue Distortion+ is now only $69, down from $99. I just ordered mine.

A blast from past... I had an original script D+ back 1977-78-ish.

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: MXR Script reissue Distortion +

Only $69 huh? I think I'm going to have to bite on this one.