# Unique Pedals



## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

I'm wondering what you guys have found for really unique pedals. I've been having some fun revamping my pedalboard a bit lately (I'll post a pic soon) and it seems to me that 90% of the pedals our there are clones of this or that. The more I look around, the more I realize that there's way more pedal manufacturers out there than I'll ever be able to keep tabs on. What have you found that you really like and think brings a unique voice to the pedal market these days?


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

No idea, Im too much of a n00b!

However, this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnF-jKqW6kI that is discussed, in the original circuit design has both audio signal triggering in, and audio out. The sound is very chaotic and 'futuristic' and if it could be contained, used to drive a modulator or instance, it could be interesting in a pedal design.


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

One unique pedal that springs to mind straight away is the Diamond Drive TR/MKII.
The only drive pedal I know of that utilizes a transformer for effect.
B.


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## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

Hmmm....I've played the MKIII and was thouroughly impressed, but I've got a few things that cover that territory already. I really like the Diamond stuff though... how to the Drive TR and MKII differ from the MKIII?


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

The TR used a 2N388A germanium transistor for the boost section. To my knowledge, only 100 were made due to lack of suitable transistors.
B.


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## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

Now the trick is finding one, eh? I guess I'll start looking!


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## Alien8 (Jan 8, 2009)

Eventide, Dr. Scientist, Moog, Line6, Electro-Harmonix, Pigtronix, Subdecay, ZVEX, Tone Czar, Empress FX, Metasonix... There's more of course.

They all make unique products. Not only your standard chours/phaser/flanger/delay.


http://www.axeandyoushallreceive.com/ is a good resource for some unique stuff.


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## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

I've had a few from in there... an EH DDM, Line 6 DL4 and now a Eventide Timefactor, I love my Subdecay Liquid Sunshine and Empress Trem. I'll have to check out some of the Dr. Scientist stuff and spend some more time on the Axe website!

Any pedals that people own that they can rave about?


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Lots of the Electro-Harmonix pedals are pushing the envelope (little joke there...) and almost all of them can be dialed to get really strange and over the top sounds if that's your thing. I just got the English Muff'n tube preamp/overdrive/fuzz thingy. Named after the Big Muff (it has square wave fuzz in the top half of the preamp knob) and made to also be a "British" sounding preamp. It is head and shoulders the best fuzzy pedal I've ever owned. It's also really great at warming up my solid state practice rig. 

Amazing range of sounds AND I get to play mad scientist with tube changes. SO far Ive tried 9 (NINE!) different combinations of tubes and they all sound good in their own different ways. It can't do everything, but it does its thing well.

Matt


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...eventide pitchfactor.

-dh


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I like to think that every pedal on my pedalboard is unique in some way, so I think they all qualify for this:

Barber Tone Press - The clean blend knob makes it unique. Sounds like no other compressor I've tried
Keeley/Legendary Tones Time Machine Boost - Sure, it's a Rangemaster clone, but it also has a unique modern boost side and is a super useable booster
Full-Drive 2 - Ostensibly a TS9 clone, it's actually more similar to an OD-1, but sound nothing like it. I didn't really enjoy the OD-1 I had for a while, but maybe it was a bad representation of that pedal. This guy can do it all when it comes to dirt.
Diaz Trem - Very good Fender-y sounding tremolo. So good that Monster Effects cloned it for its Swamp Thang.
Boss DM-3 - maybe the DM-2 is more unique because it came first, but the DM-3 give you a dry and wet only out and is the best unmodulated analog delay I've heard.
EHX DMM - _the_ modulated delay. 'nuff said
Dr. Scientist RRR - most Dr. Scientist pedals are unique in some way. The RRR is unique, and awesome!!!

Also, though I no longer have it, I used to own an Ibanez Flying Pan 777 back before they reissued it. I'm pretty such it's phaser and pan circuits were completely unique and I'm positive that it's sound was. In mono, the pedal was fantastic. In stereo, it was heavenly. Wow.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

After the first 100 distortions, and the first 20 compressors, they pretty much all sound the same to me. What I like to keep my eyes peeled for are things that demand I think and play differently. So, I like things like unusual envelope-controlled devices. I also like things with interesting modulation options.

Three things I'm quite enjoying these days are a simply little sitar simulator thet Tim Escobedo called the "Jawari" ( http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=145 ), a combination pedal that marries a modded Distortion+ and an Ampeg Scrambler into a beast that covers a lot more territory than the typical octave fuzz, and a fascinating adaptation of the Small Stone and Ross phasers referred to as a "phase-filter" setting. That latter one provides an intriguing melange of tremolo, autowah, and vibrato all at once.

I'd like to get myself an EHX Flanger Hoax, but for the time being am content with a Tone Core Liqui-Flange. In stereo it is wonderful. I like the envelope-controlled sweep and the S&H sounds it produces.

A lot of the Pigtronix things look very interesting. Hope to try them out one of these days.


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

This topic reminds me of a joke.
How do you catch a 'Unique Pedal'?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Umm...I give up. How *do* you catch a unique pedal?


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

*Unique up on it!*
B.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

bduguay said:


> *Unique up on it!*
> B.


nood one

Dave


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

bduguay said:


> This topic reminds me of a joke.
> How do you catch a 'Unique Pedal'?





mhammer said:


> Umm...I give up. How *do* you catch a unique pedal?





bduguay said:


> *Unique up on it!*
> B.












LOL GOOD ONE INDEED!!
I DIED LAUGHING!!


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## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Three things I'm quite enjoying these days are a simply little sitar simulator thet Tim Escobedo called the "Jawari" ( http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=145 ), a combination pedal that marries a modded Distortion+ and an Ampeg Scrambler into a beast that covers a lot more territory than the typical octave fuzz, and a fascinating adaptation of the Small Stone and Ross phasers referred to as a "phase-filter" setting. That latter one provides an intriguing melange of tremolo, autowah, and vibrato all at once.
> 
> I'd like to get myself an EHX Flanger Hoax, but for the time being am content with a Tone Core Liqui-Flange. In stereo it is wonderful. I like the envelope-controlled sweep and the S&H sounds it produces.
> 
> A lot of the Pigtronix things look very interesting. Hope to try them out one of these days.


I'll have to check into some of these! I've played a bit with some of the cheaper EHX pedals and wasn't overly impressed. I had a DDM for a little while and thought it was awesome, but at bit too big and not overly practical for my board. I try to own only the pedals on my board... keeps my life simpler that way!


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Boss DF-2 Super Distortion and Feedbacker. I don't know of any pedal that does the "feedback" effect which it tries to emulate.


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

That pedal is definately a special one. I've modded a couple to do really strange things when the sustain is engaged.
B.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Chito said:


> Boss DF-2 Super Distortion and Feedbacker. I don't know of any pedal that does the "feedback" effect which it tries to emulate.


The Line 6 Dr Distorto does, and does it better. I know because I have both of them.:smilie_flagge17: I'll bring 'em both on Sunday and let you compare. For now you can watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NVlEUiYjCI 

The only thing I like about the DF-2 better than the Dr D is the footswitch. The DF-2 has a 2-mode action. Press once, and it flip-flops, like any well-behaved Boss pedal. Hold it down and the "feedbacker" is engaged until you lift your foot. The neat thing is that it will hold whatever note it tracked, and you can then riff over it like a drone-tone. The Dr D will not let you do this as far as I know.

Neither of them are an E-Bow or Fernandes Sustainer pickup, but for that money you can't have everything.:smile:


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

unique pedal...

http://www.gear-vault.com/strange-guitar-effect-pedals-digitech-talk-box/


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## tallhouserecordingco (Jul 29, 2009)

If you want unique...check these out:

http://4mspedals.com/
http://deathbyaudio.net/


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## tallhouserecordingco (Jul 29, 2009)

Almost forgot, these are pretty crazy too:
http://www.deviever.com/
http://lalweb.com/index-e.html


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

keeperofthegood said:


> LOL GOOD ONE INDEED!!
> I DIED LAUGHING!!


How do you catch a 'Tame' pedal?
B.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Okay, I will once again sacrifice myself on the altar of straight men.

Hit me, Brian. How DO you catch a "tame" pedal, sir?


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

I've got a unique pedal. It looks like a plain old Ibanez Tube Screamer:









but it has a quick change socket so the op amp chips can be swapped without soldering. It came with a NOS JRC 4558D,








the Texas Instruments (reissue) RC 4558P, the STMicroelectronics LM833N, and the original TA 75558P and it has carbon composition resistors.

In short...it is a beautiful sounding pedal.


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## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

smorgdonkey said:


> I've got a unique pedal. It looks like a plain old Ibanez Tube Screamer:
> but it has a quick change socket so the op amp chips can be swapped without soldering. It came with a NOS JRC 4558D,
> the Texas Instruments (reissue) RC 4558P, the STMicroelectronics LM833N, and the original TA 75558P and it has carbon composition resistors.
> 
> In short...it is a beautiful sounding pedal.


I think I had one of those too actually. I got a tubescreamer modded and decided to sell it because I found something I liked more. I took the back battery cap off to put a battery in for the guy who bought it and found the extra chips - I had forgotten completely that I had them! Either way, very cool to be able to switch things on the fly.


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Okay, I will once again sacrifice myself on the altar of straight men.
> 
> Hit me, Brian. How DO you catch a "tame" pedal, sir?


Tame way, unique up on it!
Come on now don't any of you guys/gals have kids? This is family friendly humour 101 here.....:smile:
B.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

bduguay said:


> Tame way, unique up on it!
> Come on now don't any of you guys/gals have kids? This is family friendly humour 101 here.....:smile:
> B.












I am glad these come, one at a tame.


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## Evilmusician (Apr 13, 2007)

I just bought a Pigtronix Envelope Phaser looks like a fun versatile pedal !


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

I'd love to try one of these...Thermonuclear Drive by Random Devices...

http://randomdevice.yolasite.com/thermonuclear-drive.php


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