My short test run of the SFX-03

[foo3001]

Finally got to test one of these in my local shop.

Played it through a Bogner Metropolis. With two different strats, one S-S-S and one S-S-H.

I must say I left the store a tad disappointed. The unit sounded good, but IMHO not good enough for the price. The overall sound was a bit grainy for my taste, and the mids weren´t there at all. It has mids but they are pretty low mids. I think this could be a problem when playing with a band. It could get lost in the mix quite easily. Why they didn´t add a mid pot is beyond me.

The unit sounded best with the rhythm channel set to a slight breakup. That way it didn´t alter the guitar sound as much as with the higher gain settings. And it was a perfect sound for vintage-y rhythm work.

As the gain was turned up the sound got mushy and grainy and the mids started to cover up in that mush. Didn´t like it. Not a musical OD to my ears/playing.

AND it DID alter the sound with the gain low also. It eats mids. No matter how I tweaked it. The low-control affects the low mids in particular and the high control is more of a presence-control IMHO.

I think a FullDrive II is a better buy for the price. It has almost the same features (two different gain-options being the most important), same gain and IMHO sounds better.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

:wow:

So far, the clips I've heard make me want to try one...and buy one. I guess I need to hear it live, first.

Edit: Hm. Here's a contrasting review.

 

[tone4days]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

bummer...

the amp's mids couldnt compensate?

will need to try one myself and be mindful of that .... when i tried a prototype, it was with an H-H guitar and had plenty of mids ... will be sure to play a production model with a strat to compare

cheers
t4d

 

[Scott Miller]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

Keep in mind that amps can vary pretty drastically, and it may take some tweaking to get it right---depending on the amp being used. When I hear the word 'grainy', I suspect that you are using a fairly bright amp with EL84 tubes. With amps like that, I have found that the treble needs to be rolled back a bit (otherwise, the tone gets brittle and grainy).

For example, I have used the Twin Tube extensively through a Fender Super Reverb---and if I engage the bright switch on the amp, the distortion gets nasty and brittle unless I dial back the amp's (or the pedal's) treble control a decent amount.

Try the Twin Tube with an amp that uses EL34's or 6L6's and see if you get the samw result.

 

[flank]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

Keep in mind that amps can vary pretty drastically, and it may take some tweaking to get it right---depending on the amp being used. When I hear the word 'grainy', I suspect that you are using a fairly bright amp with EL84 tubes. With amps like that, I have found that the treble needs to be rolled back a bit (otherwise, the tone gets brittle and grainy).

For example, I have used the Twin Tube extensively through a Fender Super Reverb---and if I engage the bright switch on the amp, the distortion gets nasty and brittle unless I dial back the amp's (or the pedal's) treble control a decent amount.

Try the Twin Tube with an amp that uses EL34's or 6L6's and see if you get the samw result.

+1. For example, if i run my Duncan Tweak fuzz into my twin reverb and turn the bright switch on, it gets nasty and and grainy like a bad solid state amp. When i turn the bright switch off, it sounds amazing. It really does make a big difference.

 

[foo3001]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

Keep in mind that amps can vary pretty drastically, and it may take some tweaking to get it right---depending on the amp being used. When I hear the word 'grainy', I suspect that you are using a fairly bright amp with EL84 tubes. With amps like that, I have found that the treble needs to be rolled back a bit (otherwise, the tone gets brittle and grainy).

Yes you´re right, the Metropolis runs on EL84s and it´s kinda bright as that kinds of amps usually are.

AND my test run was pretty quick like the title says. But usually I get the picture pretty quickly, I´ve owned and tried pretty many ODs. IMHO using a pedal for overdrive should not require tweaking the amp. The pedal should be tweakable to suit the amp and not vice versa.

I´m sure the SFX-03 is a fine unit and especially for blues players it must be a dream come true. In no way am I to slam the unit. But it didn´t impress me today. Tomorrow, with a different amp it could sound different.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

I think a lot has to do how you approach the SFX-03. I don't view mine as a Dirt box, But rather 2 external channel's. Matter of fact... I think I could live without the tone controls on my SFX-03.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

From what I've heard, I thought that this would be a good replacement for the TS.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

From what I've heard, I thought that this would be a good replacement for the TS.

No Contest! I A/B'ed my TS-9 (w/t 808 mod) and my TS-5 (w/t 808 & modded for more bass & Gain) I've always consider the Tube Screamers the smoothest of all OD's, But they sound raspy compaired to the SFX-03 Which sounds Smooth and Pure w/t the gain about 1/2 way.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

That is what I figured. Thanks for the report.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

No Contest! I A/B'ed my TS-9 (w/t 808 mod) and my TS-5 (w/t 808 & modded for more bass & Gain) I've always consider the Tube Screamers the smoothest of all OD's, But they sound raspy compaired to the SFX-03 Which sounds Smooth and Pure w/t the gain about 1/2 way.

I often wonder what mods I could do to get the lead channel to have a little more aggression built right in. I like the rythem channel as is because it's open etc, but the lead channel needs a little more oomph if I'm gonna sacrifice the open sound it has. I'd either like a more open lead channel sound or more aggressive gain.

 

[James Rock]

Re: My short test run of the SFX-03

Keep in mind that amps can vary pretty drastically, and it may take some tweaking to get it right---depending on the amp being used. When I hear the word 'grainy', I suspect that you are using a fairly bright amp with EL84 tubes. With amps like that, I have found that the treble needs to be rolled back a bit (otherwise, the tone gets brittle and grainy).

Does this mean that SFX-03 doesnt work well with Vox's and the similar or does it need to be EQed properly