# Radial Tonebone Classic



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

After years of using the Boss DS-1 as my main distortion pedal, I decided to try out a Radial Tonebone Classic. This pedal is just amazing. First, I have not used or tried out a distortion unit that responds to pick attack as good as this one. It is also very clear and never gets muddy (not unless you want it to get muddy). If you are looking for a particular tone, this thing is versatile enough to give you whatever tone you want and have in mind.

I'm surprised that I have not seen a lot of people here using it considering it is a product made in Canada. It's a bit pricey but considering how much money I've spent buying distortion/overdrive pedals, I would probably have saved myself some if I went ahead and bought it a while back.

To those looking for a particular "tone" this is one that I think you should try checking out. I'm very pleased with it and looking forward to playing it in a live setting soon. 

Anyone out there using it too?


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i have both the hot british and the trimode. sold all my other overdrive and distortion pedals, as this technology makes them instantly obsolete.

one very minor caveat: these pedals don't react well to other overdrive/boost pedals placed before them in the chain.


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## iggs (Apr 6, 2006)

Quite the opposite experience for me ... got the Trimode when I started looking into pedals again (played my VHT 50CL and no pedals for a while) and then ended up getting tons of other OD/Dist boxes and traded my Trimode ... found it too noisy (compared to other pedals) and could not figure out what is that tube in there for because it sounded nothing like a "tube" distortion to me ... IMHO No depth or substance, quite lifeless and buzzy sounding, and I've spent quite some time tweaking it.

At the moment for my "dirt" boxes I have:
Diamond Fireburst
Subdecay Blackstar
Cusack Screamer Fuzz
BB Preamp
Barber Silver LTD

Each to their own I guess since tons of people seem to like them.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

I tried one and didn't like it. It was a little too muddy/flubby when you brought the bottom end up trying to fill it out and then got to thin when you tried to clear it up.

Just my opinion though...


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## fartecho (Feb 6, 2006)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> I tried one and didn't like it. It was a little too muddy/flubby when you brought the bottom end up trying to fill it out and then got to thin when you tried to clear it up.
> 
> Just my opinion though...


i've got a blues deville 4x10, so it's already a little over-bassy...just wondering if something like the trimode would be too muddy for my setup...any thoughts?


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## Telemark (Feb 9, 2006)

I had to reply to this post because it turned my on to my tonal salvation!. I used to use a TS-10 w Keely Mod but it was constantly failing, I also didn't really dig the tonal change from Clean to Pedal - ( guess I needed 2!)

But The Tonebone Classic is amazing, I rarely turn it off, I use the guitar volume for dirt/clean and I am running a compressor in front for lead boost, but it doesn't really work that well, I may need to move things around.

I have to agree to the pick responsiveness comments.

Cheers and thanks for the post Chito

Mark.:rockon2:


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Telemark said:


> I had to reply to this post because it turned my on to my tonal salvation!. I used to use a TS-10 w Keely Mod but it was constantly failing, I also didn't really dig the tonal change from Clean to Pedal - ( guess I needed 2!)
> But The Tonebone Classic is amazing, I rarely turn it off, I use the guitar volume for dirt/clean and I am running a compressor in front for lead boost, but it doesn't really work that well, I may need to move things around.
> I have to agree to the pick responsiveness comments.
> Cheers and thanks for the post Chito
> Mark.:rockon2:


...one thing that i have noticed with both of my tonebone pedals is that they do NOT like to be boosted or pushed. the sound gets all squirrely. 

i wonder why?

i run a barber tone press in front of them, but only at unity gain.


-dh


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## Telemark (Feb 9, 2006)

Well I have been thinking about this, and I have seen it posted on other forums... I am guessing ( handwaving on) the sensitivity designed to get the nice pick attack, respsonse to to volume control etc, sweet spot dial in control, all that nice optimization is an Oscams Razor kind of deal.

So the Big voltage push from the gain pedals in front just pushes it over the edge and turns it to mush. ( Handwaving off)

Dosen't really explain a thing does it! I wonder why a good tube amp can have that same sensitivity but still respond well to a booster pedal! One of the design mysteries of amp building.

Or maybe the gain curve is non linear - so the higher signals slam the input overly hard, 

Mark.


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## cale0906 (Apr 15, 2006)

*Tonebone*



Jeff Flowerday said:


> I tried one and didn't like it. It was a little too muddy/flubby when you brought the bottom end up trying to fill it out and then got to thin when you tried to clear it up.
> 
> Just my opinion though...



I have to agree , i own a Tonebone Classic but am not blown away by it , i use a Drivetrain for mild od and a Vstack Classic for more gain


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

I stick with the tried and true,,,TS9/808, Blues Devil, and a London Fuzz. Cannot get bad tones out of this stuff. Check out the clips.

http://www.mjmguitarfx.com/


CT.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I just got my Tonebone Classic this afternoon and for me it does the thing really great! I really love the sound! Mabey not enought for hard stuff but for rock and the "not-hevier" stuff it's amazing! Like some people said, the pick response blow me away, really happy that I sold my DS-1 to buy that one! Really a must! But the only problem is that know I wanna get the British one to compare it! But maybe later!


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## Kapo_Polenton (Jun 20, 2007)

My issue is that first and foremost, the soundclips on the site suck. They used direct recording through a palmer device which does not seem to be up to the task they way they produced it. Its buzzy and thin. This isn't attracting me.. 

Another issue I have is that i play my amps wide open through an attenuator. They already pretty much cover the sounds of the hot british. What I want, is something that gets me into lead territory without altering my tone. I think this would be rather noisy on top of a JCM800 type amp at full pin would it not? 

I currently have an SD-1, bad monkey, DOD 250 type clone someone built for me, and recently, the BB preamp. I think the BB preamp gives me the most options though i am not totally in love with it because the ideal would be to tweak the circuit a tad more and get all the gain i want for lead from the amp. 

I am interested in that red effects loop box they have though.. i don't have one on eithe rof my amps.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Kapo_Polenton said:


> Another issue I have is that i play my amps wide open through an attenuator. They already pretty much cover the sounds of the hot british. What I want, is something that gets me into lead territory without altering my tone. I think this would be rather noisy on top of a JCM800 type amp at full pin would it not?


...it would, i think. the tonebone o/d pedals are best used with a clean setting, in my opinion.

-dh


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I've always used my Tonebone Classic on the clean channel of any amp I have. It doesn't seem to like having anything that adds gain after it. For boosting it, I have the boost before the tonebone rather than after.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

Chito said:


> I've always used my Tonebone Classic on the clean channel of any amp I have. It doesn't seem to like having anything that adds gain after it. For boosting it, I have the boost before the tonebone rather than after.



...my tonebones hated the seymour duncan pickup booster, but seem to work well with the new radial bigshot pb1 - i'll know better after i gig with it this weekend.

what are you using for a booster?

-dh


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

david henman said:


> ...my tonebones hated the seymour duncan pickup booster, but seem to work well with the new radial bigshot pb1 - i'll know better after i gig with it this weekend.
> 
> what are you using for a booster?
> 
> -dh


I have the BBE Boosta Grande and I have it in front of the Classic. In essence it adds more gain before it goes into the Classic.


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