G
grapeskeletons
Guest
Got both these pedals to mess around with, ended up keeping the Menatone--it's now my main drive pedal.
Here's the scoop--both are hot rodded JCM800-type sounds (my idea of a good idea time!). The Menatone is a little pricier, but I got a used one.
I plugged in the Suhr and it barks at you, like a 100-watt head. Every attack is sudden. The end result is very compressed, and fairly believable. Pluses--great note separation, and whisper quiet. Plus, you can set it to boot up into power off or power on mode when you plug it in. Minuses: feels very stiff when you play...though I must admit, I only tried it at 9 volts. It can be run higher and lower. I had the feeling that the attack would be even more sharp when you run it with more headroom. The mid-range switch didn't do more than ramp down the presence--felt like a useless feature that might give way at an inappropriate time. And...it's purple. Verdict: in the right territory, but has some qualities that I didn't like.
Then I plugged in the None More Black. First impression: hiss. Ugh. BUT, the response was very organic, and the sustain was massive. No hiss when playing, and after a bit, I didn't notice it. It didn't bark--more like it hummed along with you. Plus, I put my JB into it, and...instant 80s in a box. Yes, I certainly did play "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight", "Panama", "It's Not Love", and "Lay It Down", and it did admirably. Worked well with my DD-5 Delay. Pros: smoother, more midrange via "suck" knob, overall more organic feeling. Cons: less note separation (though still good), some hiss when not playing, knobs just "float" off the pots (look too small) and look weird unless you are looking straight down on it. Verdict: This one's a keeper! Really feels like an amp. (Basis of comparison: JCM2000 DSL50 Red Channel).
"You have to ask yourself: how much more black could it be? And the answer is none. None more black." --Nigel Tufnel.
Here's the scoop--both are hot rodded JCM800-type sounds (my idea of a good idea time!). The Menatone is a little pricier, but I got a used one.
I plugged in the Suhr and it barks at you, like a 100-watt head. Every attack is sudden. The end result is very compressed, and fairly believable. Pluses--great note separation, and whisper quiet. Plus, you can set it to boot up into power off or power on mode when you plug it in. Minuses: feels very stiff when you play...though I must admit, I only tried it at 9 volts. It can be run higher and lower. I had the feeling that the attack would be even more sharp when you run it with more headroom. The mid-range switch didn't do more than ramp down the presence--felt like a useless feature that might give way at an inappropriate time. And...it's purple. Verdict: in the right territory, but has some qualities that I didn't like.
Then I plugged in the None More Black. First impression: hiss. Ugh. BUT, the response was very organic, and the sustain was massive. No hiss when playing, and after a bit, I didn't notice it. It didn't bark--more like it hummed along with you. Plus, I put my JB into it, and...instant 80s in a box. Yes, I certainly did play "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight", "Panama", "It's Not Love", and "Lay It Down", and it did admirably. Worked well with my DD-5 Delay. Pros: smoother, more midrange via "suck" knob, overall more organic feeling. Cons: less note separation (though still good), some hiss when not playing, knobs just "float" off the pots (look too small) and look weird unless you are looking straight down on it. Verdict: This one's a keeper! Really feels like an amp. (Basis of comparison: JCM2000 DSL50 Red Channel).
"You have to ask yourself: how much more black could it be? And the answer is none. None more black." --Nigel Tufnel.
