SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

Rushfan2112

Rushfan2112

New member
How do you like it? I've been looking for a good overdrive pedal for my Blues Junior, and I read up about this on harmony-central. I like the idea of the two channels -- turns my one channel amp into a three. With the lead channel, can you use it as a boost, and turn the gain down/vol up? I'm trying to compare this to a TS808, Fulldrive II and OCD. Any opinions for blues/rock/jam will be accepted, not really looking for heavy metal stuff... though if it gets to Judas Priest/Iron Maiden classic metal territory I'm not complainin' :p

Thanks guys!
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

Rushfan2112 said:
How do you like it? I've been looking for a good overdrive pedal for my Blues Junior, and I read up about this on harmony-central. I like the idea of the two channels -- turns my one channel amp into a three. With the lead channel, can you use it as a boost, and turn the gain down/vol up? I'm trying to compare this to a TS808, Fulldrive II and OCD. Any opinions for blues/rock/jam will be accepted, not really looking for heavy metal stuff... though if it gets to Judas Priest/Iron Maiden classic metal territory I'm not complainin' :p

Thanks guys!
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2112-

I've been using one now for a couple weeks. Although I haven't spent a great deal of time with it, I can tell you that it is pretty versatile...you can dial in all the styles you mentioned from clean boost to heavily saturated. Older Judas Priest-type distortion is about as far as it will take you (although it isn't Marshally in sound)...definitely not into modern territory. It wasn't designed for that.

One thing I really do like about it is that the two channels have their own distinct flavors...which really adds to its usefulness. The sounds are very natural and don't feel fabricated, as some pedals do. Overall the pedal is very quiet compared to other ODs or Distortions that I have...another plus. It functions well with other pedals in front of it and behind it.

I definitely don't have anything negative to say about it yet. I'm using it with a Vibrolux. Keep in mind...it has its own flavor geared toward classic rock and blues (I'd say you could include jam in there, too). I don't think I'll be selling it anytime soon, if that tells you anything. If you get it, let me know how you like it.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

I'll be getting one around the end of the month, then. Thanks for the review, snotty boy!

LesStrat-- I know what you mean. Worst thing you can do for GAS is go to the 35+ page thread "Post your pedalboard" over at the HC forums. And your strat looks oddly similar to mine, but I put black fender amp knobs on it.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

Rushfan2112 said:
I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and go with the SFX-03.
Click to expand...

Make sure that you buy it from a company that has a good return policy, just in case it does not give you the tone you are looking for. "One mans pedal is another mans poison".
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

As I said in some other thread, it's a hard pedal to characterize, other than to say it's probably NOT a sound you're already getting. It's a familiar sound, but not a dead ringer for any particular amp sound. So it's right to say it "isn't Marshally" but in a world of Marshall clones it's a nice Marshall substitute. Does that make sense? If anything, I'd say it's a Voxy overdrive, but it's not necessarily a Voxy sound overall, just the way it grits up in the midrange. It has a lot of midrange grind, and less of the Plexi or Tweed squeakiness in the high end. All in all I think it's a pedal everyone could use, because it's a new sound/feel.

Like if you had an H&K Triamp, you probably don't need the Tubeman. If you have a JCM900 you don't need a Gov'nor, Rectifier guy probably doesn't need a V-Twin, but everyone of them could utilize the SFX-03. I feel like if you got it sight unseen, even if it didn't sound the way you expected it to sound, you might keep it anyway because it's just that cool.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

frankfalbo said:
As I said in some other thread, it's a hard pedal to characterize, other than to say it's probably NOT a sound you're already getting. It's a familiar sound, but not a dead ringer for any particular amp sound. So it's right to say it "isn't Marshally" but in a world of Marshall clones it's a nice Marshall substitute. Does that make sense? If anything, I'd say it's a Voxy overdrive, but it's not necessarily a Voxy sound overall, just the way it grits up in the midrange. It has a lot of midrange grind, and less of the Plexi or Tweed squeakiness in the high end. All in all I think it's a pedal everyone could use, because it's a new sound/feel.

Like if you had an H&K Triamp, you probably don't need the Tubeman. If you have a JCM900 you don't need a Gov'nor, Rectifier guy probably doesn't need a V-Twin, but everyone of them could utilize the SFX-03. I feel like if you got it sight unseen, even if it didn't sound the way you expected it to sound, you might keep it anyway because it's just that cool.
Click to expand...


I like what you're saying. I'm not looking to make any amp sound like a Marshall, I'm looking for something that will bring out the natural ampiness of it. Bring out that tone, and I don't mind if Seymour adds some of his own flavor.

I plan on buying it from Guitar Center, so I can at least try it with a stock blues junior. Anyone know their return policy? Ever since their swtich to online buying I can't find a damn thing about their B&M stores.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

I have a TS-9 w/t the 808 mod. It's been my #1 go to pedal for years. Now I own a SFX-03. I could ramble on how great the SFX-03 is, But it to hot in this non-AC room to type War & Peace. SIMPLY PUT... NO CONTEST !! Get the SFX-03.:D
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

What Frank Falbo is saying is it maintains the tone of your amp, just gives you 2 more channels to choose from.

I run it through a Celtic Edana (JTM45)...it's a single channel amp. The SFX-03 allows me to run clean (BYPASS), crunchy RHYTHMs, & then the LEAD boosts the crap out of it....all the while, it still sounds like a JTM45.

Does that make sense?
 
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Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

I posted a review of the pedal with the blues jr. earlier. A search shoudl locate it. I think that post will give you your answer from my perspecitive.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

I love all of those pedalls you list, and they all obviously sound different. The SFX-03 is definitely in a league with the best distortion boxes I've tried. At the NAMM show in Austin, a couple of very well respected pedal designers came by the booth to check out the Twin Tube and were very impressed. Anyone who hasn't tried one needs to--it sounds like an amp and feels like an amp. If you decide you like the FullDrive better, I can respect that, the same way I respect a difference of opinion on the Beatles/Stones question.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

I haven't owned a whole lot of pedals, and the SFX-03 is probably the first "boutique" pedal I've owned, but I am seriously impressed. The two channels (like others have mentioned) are drastically different in character which leads to a lot of versatility. I like to use Channel # 1 to thicken up my clean sound with the gain turned way down and the volume way up. You get just a bit of breakup but the increase in tone thickness is amazing. It adds a VOX-ey like AC30 chime when playing barre chords...

Channel # 2 takes me far into the range of liquid sustain - some people say you can't get a "metal" heavy sound out of this channel but I am able to get into some fairly bone crunching distortion with the gain cranked up. Throw in some distortion from your amp and look out! It gets so heavy you might even need a noisegate at that point. This is probably in part as well to the SH4 I have in the bridge it's a cruncher.

Overall, I would adamantly agree to get this pedal - keep in mind it is heavily geared toward that "classic" rock and vintage sound. And read the instruction manual - those guys at SD put some helpful tips in there to dial in your sound.


BTW I did an experiment yesterday and plugged my guitar into the SFX-03 and then direct into my MBOX2 - it recorded quite well through ProTools working as just a preamp.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

So, how would the SFX-03 sound in front of a POD xt Live (and DI to the board)? I would like to (eventually) buy a Franklin from Papa Smurf, but this is what I'm using now.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

That's the question of the day isn't it? I think it would sound great, because when in use, it would usurp the POD overdrive. You'd set the POD to a totally clean sound, and then you'd have this tube buffer in front of it, which technically should also allow you to put a TSx or SD-1 in front of the SFX-03 for a full "amp" setup pre-POD. In other words, even running the SFX-03 as a clean signal conditioner, or with super mild grit should allow you to then use an overdrive before the SFX-03 like you would before an amp, and eliminate the POD's shortcomings from using pedals. You wouldn't ever combine overdrive between the POD and the pedals, because that's where people say the POD doesn't take pedals well up front. But you could combine OD between the front end pedals and leave the POD clean.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

Thanks. I'm thinking that if I ever get around to ordering an amp from our own Papa Smurf, the SFX03 would be an ideal addition. But if it would be cool with the POD NOW, I could go ahead and get the pedal.

I've been using a Dynacomp in front of the POD for about 5 years (2.0 days). It works fine.
 
Re: SFX-03 users/ TS808 v. FDII v. OCD v. SFX-03

I have played both the PODXT and POD 2.0 for a long while now. It does not overdrive like an an gettting hit with a pedal. Clipping is not a good thing on those. Neither is it a good thing with my rack preamp. But, if you use the pedal as a preamp into these as a clean amp it can sound very good. I have also had sucess the Twin Tube Classic as a gain stage for an additional gain stage on these but you have to work the eq on the amp accordingly.
 
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