# Union Tube & Transistor Pedal Road Trip



## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks to Chris and the guys at Union! 
,.., this arrived today for a one week trial at my house. I am very excited to try some of the pedals, including the new compressor they are putting out.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

I love the riveted name plates. So nineteen-thirties...


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

are they rivets?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Are you a tester then?


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

adcandour said:


> are they rivets?


They are screws.



Budda said:


> Are you a tester then?


No, it's just a pedal tour that I signed up for on TGP. They were first just going to send out the new compressor but all of a sudden 4 pedals showed up today.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Looks like: Lab, Tone Druid, Tour Bender, Tsar Bomba. .???

However if those aren't rivets... just kidding


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

KapnKrunch said:


> Looks like: Lab, Tone Druid, Tour Bender, Tsar Bomba. .???


You are correct.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

vadsy said:


> No, it's just a pedal tour that I signed up for on TGP. They were first just going to send out the new compressor but all of a sudden 4 pedals showed up today.


That sounds cool. Enjoy!


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## LanceT (Mar 7, 2014)

Do you get to share your thoughts here or only for their ears, so to speak?


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

In regards to the LAB, the the only pedal I was asked about by Union at this point. This is what I sent them and I'll just repost here. 

I like it because it adds clarity and the boost can be used to accentuate certain things if you choose to dial it in that way. The boost on its own is good enough to add some grind, which I like. It is very quite when idle, big plus in my opinion. I hear zero "squish" which I am a fan of, I don't like the squish style of compressor. I also like simplicity, the two knobs is what attracted me to it, honestly. It does possibly present the "you either love it or hate it" scenario with certain folks. I went through 5-6 different comps, some budget and some higher end, and settled on the Effectrode PC-2A which provided body and clarity, top qualities for me in a compressor. This one shares some similarities with it. I don't like using buzz words but I love it when a comp lets the note "bloom" after the initial attack, I'd like to hear more of that. Next,..I don't like that it seems to cut a certain amount of signal when placed in front of a drive. It could involve some tweaking but I was using it with the Tone Druid and it certainly can clean it up but it also seemed to cut the gain and some volume a fair bit. I'm going to try it with the fuzzes next and see how they work together.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Ricktoberfest (Jun 22, 2014)

Congrats on the score! How long do you get with them? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

nkjanssen said:


> I have a Tone Druid. Terrific pedal. I've heard lots of pedals described as "transparent" and that's usually BS. The Tone Druid is truly transparent, though. It adds more drive without adding or taking away anything else. No mid bump, no low roll-off, no high boost... just the same sound as without it but more driven.


I haven't tried the Druid on its own, I will before sending things on. I thought their clean boost was the More pedal, which I tried a year ago and it seemed fine but I was up to my elbows in boost pedals at the time. 

The Bomba is a great take on a Russian muff. I'm not a fuzz guy for the most part but I love the way this one sounds.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Ricktoberfest said:


> Congrats on the score! How long do you get with them?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have them for a week basically, at least one full weekend as the rules state. 

I've already had to send the nameplate for the LAB back. They sent out a pedal that was supposed to go to the Edge, or at least the nameplate with his name on it that was supposed to go on his pedal. I thought it was weird when the set of pedals first showed up.


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