Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Twinfan on December 02, 2008, 01:40:45 PM
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In the never ending quest for tone and simplicity, I ordered some new pedals last week built by a company called Tonerider: http://www.tonerider.com/effects/effects_main.html
Here's my thoughts on them:
(http://www.tonerider.com/images/BD1/bd1_face_small.jpg)
British Distortion - £62
My favourite pedal for Marshall-flavoured high-gain tones is the original '80s Marshall Guv'nor. Lots of mids and some edgy bite give it that cranked Plexi/JCM800 vibe. The British Distortion has now taken that #1 spot. There are a lot of similarities with the Guv'nor, but the BD-1 has more presence, more gain, and sounds more 'hi-fi' as it's very clear and transparent. There's a nice chunk to the tone, and it's great for heavy rock/early metal. Plus like all the Tonerider pedals it has true bypass switching, which the Guv'nor does not. This will turn your clean valve amp into a rock monster! Very highly recommended. This may go on my pedalboard if my newly acquired Cornell Overdrive Special won't handle the high gain that some of our Doppelganger tracks require.
(http://www.tonerider.com/images/SC1/sc1_face_small.jpg)
SuperLush Chorus - £67
This is clearly based on the old Boss CE-2 pedal. It's very swooshy and deep sounding, and quite a bit clearer than my current favourite - the MXR Stereo Chorus. I don't need the stereo capabilities or the complex adjustablility of the MXR when playing live, and the MXR requires a non-9v power supply, so the SC-1 is now on gigging pedalboard. Analog Chorus pedals tonally blow away anything digital, and the SuperLush is one of the best. Especially as it has true bypass switching, unlike the original old Boss pedals. Everyone should own one of these.
(http://www.tonerider.com/images/AO1/ao1_face_small.jpg)
American Overdrive - £59
This is obviously based on the classic Ibanez Tubescreamer, but to my ears it has a bit more gain and a bit more output level. It reminds me a lot of my Maxon OD-9 and Xotic BB Pre-amp, giving a warm and smooth overdrive. The major winning point for the AO-1 though is in the price, as it's at least £40 cheaper than the 'boutique' TS-types, yet it easily sounds as good as them. Perfect for ZZ Top and SRV Texas raunch, and late '60s/early '70s blues rock.
Overall, the Tonerider pedals offer superb tones along with fantastic value for money. AS some of you will know, I'm a complete GAS-aholic and tone hound, and I truly mean it when I say these are SERIOUSLY nice pedals. Really well built and a complete bargain for the price. I can't recommend them enough!
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cool review, I am tempted by the distortion, I have a maxon 808 and an MI crunch box (your old one I think) on my board and they are pretty similar.
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Very interested in trying the distortion just to see what its like. I'm getting a bit sick of the "stiffness" that the Laneys own overdrive/distortion has so I'm looking into having it set as a sort of crunchy clean amp with some pedals in front..
i had a Guvnor plus with my old fender and liked it so I'll proably like that Tonerider.
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The BD-1 will be a bit more open sounding than the Crunch Box. Some like the more compressed CB tone, whereas I like things a bit more transparent......
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Does it sound similar to those clips on their site? I think that sounds pretty damn good especially for the money :)
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I think it'll depend on your amp and how you play as to how it sounds. It cetainly has the character of those clips for sure!
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The BD-1 HighGain1 clip reminds me of Paul Gilbert...
Sooooo how much are they paying you for such a well done write up? ;)
I am, though, seriously interested in them...
Tell me, what happens when you have the Overdrive running into the Distortion? Wall of nasty noise or does it actually work?
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hey twinfan, any idea how the american over drive compares to the maxon and the bb preamp for tight metal boosting? I might be looking for a TS type pedal soon (I was thinking of getting a maxon but I ain't done my research yet)
is the bb preamp a TS type pedal or something else?
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Good review.
Is that the same Tone Rider that makes pickups?
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Wow - they are cheap. Been on the lookout for a Chorus but always put off by the 'clean' digital sound. I may take a closer look at one of these!
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Yep, it's the same Tonerider that also makes pickups.
They're paying me nothing for the review! Just passing on good products to you all :)
JDC - the BB Preamp is more of a saturator than a tight booster, if that makes sense? I've not used a TS for tight boosting but the American Overdrive would work as well as the Maxon would as they sound very similar.
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So, will you be selling your Guv'nor? Acid test of how good the Tonerider is...
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Yep, it's the same Tonerider that also makes pickups.
They're paying me nothing for the review! Just passing on good products to you all :)
JDC - the BB Preamp is more of a saturator than a tight booster, if that makes sense? I've not used a TS for tight boosting but the American Overdrive would work as well as the Maxon would as they sound very similar.
thanks, so which one has the highest volume output and the least noise between the maxon or the tonerider
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So, will you be selling your Guv'nor? Acid test of how good the Tonerider is...
I still like the Guv'nor, so I'll be hanging onto it. I may put a smaller 'backup' pedalboard together for the not-quite-number-one pedals to go on ;)
thanks, so which one has the highest volume output and the least noise between the maxon or the tonerider
I'd say the Tonerider has a touch more output, but there's not a lot in it. Noise levels are the same (i.e. none to speak of) They're both true bypass and have a similar tone. The Tonerider is cheaper, and if I didn't already have the Maxon I'd hang on to it.
If you want to buy my Tonerider, I'll knock a fiver off the new price? I don't need two near-identical Tubescreamers...
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Is that the same Tone Rider that makes pickups?
i was going to ask that too :lol:
nice reviews there, dave, they sound nice, and sound like good prices. Where are they made, are they hand-wired etc.? EDIT: checking the website, they appear to be, but it doesn't exactly make it too clear...
I picked up an HBE big D distortion a while back, so I don't need a distortion... that chorus sounds pretty cool though, and good value for analogue...
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More pedals?
I think the time has come for you to invest in some more appropriate footwear
http://www.dancingwear.co.uk/Catalogue/Shoes/TAP.htm
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Nice review. Which shop was it you ordered them from?
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More pedals?
I think the time has come for you to invest in some more appropriate footwear
http://www.dancingwear.co.uk/Catalogue/Shoes/TAP.htm
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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I don't have that big a board to need the use, obviously! I chop and change what's on it.
I got the pedals from Dangleberry Music who i think are the only UK stockist at the moment.
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These Tonerider folks seem to make very decent products at amazing prices.
I'd be very tempted to try their Tele pickups if it wasn't a false economy (even if they were great, there'd be a voice in my head nagging me to upgrade to BKPs).
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They look groovy too-nice review Dave.
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it said on the site that axesrus were also UK stockists, but whether they have any in stock yet...
no sound clips for the chorus either... :( :lol: i thought the distortion sounded pretty good, i don't really need it, though.
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AxesRUs sell their pickups, but not their pedals....
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oh, ok. :oops: i didn't actually check. :lol: :)
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Well, I went and bought one!
I've not got a "TS" type pedal, and I wanted something to compliament the HT Dual that I have, for a more warm OD.
It's great. There's a lovely clarity to it, definitely warm, and also very clear. Need to spend a little more time with it - one thing that I'll say is that I really like the controls - they make a real difference to the sound, if you get my meaning, good big adjustments. And they're big enough to adjust with my toes!
More later.
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Told you they were good!
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sorry to bump this, but still have some GAS for these :lol: ... mainly the chorus, but i wouldn't mind the overdrive either (or even the distortion, which i really don't need :lol: ). do you guys (dave and MrBump, also anyone else who's tried them by now) still like them as much as you did? have you sold them on? found anything which is better value?
the chorus is analogue too, isn't it? i'm not aware of an analogue chorus which is any cheaper, but i could be wrong... of course, the tonerider website still has no clips of the chorus... :lol:
thanks :)
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I've still got all three of my pedals. The chorus is on my board, the OD I use at home for boosting amps and the distortion I use in my stripped down rehearsal rig. No plans to change any of them. Great sounding pedals at a superb price. Martin W has just bought the OD for his pedalboard.
Dave - let me know what type of clips you want of the chorus and I'll see if I can rustle something up ;)
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oh, that'd be sweet, thanks dave! now i just have to think what kind of clips i'd like, lol.
I guess just some clean arpeggiated and strummed chords, that kind of thing- along the lines of the intro to alone again by dokken, that type of thing- you don't have to learn it or anything, just letting you know what i mean by arpeggiated chords. nothing too complex, arpeggiated and strummed open position cowboy chords will be fine (that's mainly what i play anyway :lol: )... then just a couple of different settings on the pedal, i guess a subtle chorus, a medium one, and a more obvious one. oh, and a few seconds with the chorus off too, if that's ok (as your amps likely have more organic-sounding cleans than mine, i'd probably be impressed even with the pedal off!). if that's not too much bother. anything you can rustle up, even quickly, will be better than what i have at the moment...
Thanks! :D
if martin has bought the OD, then that's another good endorsement, i know he's going to have good ears if he builds amps :) the OD is more or less a tubescreamer-style pedal, isn't it?
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It's very, very similar to the Maxon OD-9 I had and sold. The basic tone is the same to my ears, but the range of gain and volume is increased on the Tonerider.
I'll see what I can do re. chorus clips...
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thanks! i just did a quick edit to the above post (nothing major) in case you missed it. no rush on the clips either, you know what speed i normally work at :lol:
so the overdrive is closer to the od9... that's interesting. i thought i preferred the od808 when i tried both, but it was very close... and the tonerider one is a lot cheaper than either the ibanez or the maxon...
:)
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Hey Twinfan could you do me a favor and tell me what you think about how this sounds. I own one and I like it but hey I want to have what is best right tell me if you think the British distortion sounds better or can get the same or better sounds. I play all kinds of rock up till classic jcm800 style metal
://www.proguitarshop.com/product.php?ProductID=1207&CategoryID=
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Hey Twinfan could you do me a favor and tell me what you think about how this sounds. I own one and I like it but hey I want to have what is best right tell me if you think the British distortion sounds better or can get the same or better sounds. I play all kinds of rock up till classic jcm800 style metal
://www.proguitarshop.com/product.php?ProductID=1207&CategoryID=
That's got a lot more gain on tap than a 2203/2204, but nails the general tonality of the amps. Cool pedal !
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the chorus is analogue too, isn't it? i'm not aware of an analogue chorus which is any cheaper, but i could be wrong... of course, the tonerider website still has no clips of the chorus... :lol:
The chorus is identical sounding to my 80's Boss CE-2, which is a great sounding analogue chorus.
I'm impressed with the OD, and it sounds almost identical to my Visual Sound Route 808, but with more range on the controls (and wiothout the bass boost.)
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^ What Hamfist said. That sounds great. More flexible than the Tonerider for sure!
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Here you go Dave - a demo of the Tonerider SuperLush as promised:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyfz02qJhF0
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That's got a lot more gain on tap than a 2203/2204, but nails the general tonality of the amps. Cool pedal !
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thanks for checking out the proguitarshop demo. So you think the Radial is better?? I like it. I just heard the sound clips of the Tone rider and it sounded like a good distortion too and a little more transparent than the Radial. I love the fact that I have two channels of distortion as well so I will have to be thankful. thanks for posting the reviews Twinfan.
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So you think the Radial is better??
From the clips, personally, I'd go for the Radial, especially as you describe your style as "rock up to jcm800 style metal"
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The chorus is identical sounding to my 80's Boss CE-2, which is a great sounding analogue chorus.
I'm impressed with the OD, and it sounds almost identical to my Visual Sound Route 808, but with more range on the controls (and wiothout the bass boost.)
thanks for the info, martin :) just out of interest, do you have any problems without the bass boost?
Here you go Dave - a demo of the Tonerider SuperLush as promised:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyfz02qJhF0
awesome, thanks very much for the clip, Dave, that's exactly what i was after. I remembered to keep watching this time to see the settings on the screen too :lol: sounds very good indeed- very natural, which is what i'm after. I've already got a digitech digital chorus, which is a bit digital-sounding, but the price of analogue choruses kinda put me off... until these came along. if this tonerider will get me a natural-sounding analogue chorus for around £60 (and judging by your clip, it will), then it's bound to be worth it!
thanks again for the clip, it's much appreciated :drink:
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No probs fella :)
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The chorus is identical sounding to my 80's Boss CE-2, which is a great sounding analogue chorus.
I'm impressed with the OD, and it sounds almost identical to my Visual Sound Route 808, but with more range on the controls (and without the bass boost.)
thanks for the info, martin :) just out of interest, do you have any problems without the bass boost?
No, but only because I've got the other pedal to do that job. For the way I use the Tonerider, it doesn't matter, but it might do if it was the only OD pedal I had. This is a distinct advantage of the Route 808, but then it costs more.
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^ ^ cheers dave :)
^ thanks martin. i don't have any other OD, but i suspect that for the stuff i'd be doing with it, it's probably not going to be a problem either. :)
chorus is the first priority, though. i think that dangleberry place has free postage, anyway, so i don't have to order them all at once anyway. :)
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I'm still a fan of the American OD. It's used on all of the recent clips I've posted here, I think.
One of my fav sounds is the Tone Rider pedal into my CrunchBox - sounds amazing.
I'm I''m playing with Nailbombs I only really have the gain at about 8 o'clock. Sounds great.
Mark.
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thanks, i was hoping you'd chip in too. :) with a lot of things which are cheap, there's a honeymoon period, and if you go back 3 months later everyone has sold the stuff on... :lol: good sign that doesn't seem to be the case with these. :)
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At the risk of causing a bit of controversy...
Anyone tried these Tonerider pickups?
:o
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Yep ;)
I'm pretty sure the stock pickups in my Classic Vibe Tele were TRs. Quite nice sounding actually, and pretty darn good. No real reason to swap them IMHO.
I also had a set of AIV Classics (PAF types) in my Signature LP. Quite bright and spanky, just as a PAF should be but a bit too thin maybe? Ian Price owns that guitar now and he's looking to get some BKPs for it...
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I'll need to get a neck pickup for my SG project and I was thinking of trying these TRs as a cheap stop-gap alternative until I find some Riff Raffs on the Bay....
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I'd give one a go ;)
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i was thinking of trying the alnico IV paf in my edwards, as i don't like the JB... and don't have enough spare cash to swap both pickups (as a bareknuckle would show up the neck '59).
still haven't ordered the chorus... i was just about to and then a couple of other things came up (as usual)... :lol:
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sorry to bump this, again (!), but my superlush chorus arrived today. haven't tried it that much, and only through my valve junior, but initial impressions are that it's very nice indeed. i've also got a digitech multivoice chorus (i bought the tonerider to replace it, as it's too digital-sounding and completely swamps the amp and guitar's natural tones), and when i started testing, i thought that the tonerider was clearly nicer, but that the digitech wasn't too bad (not as bad as i'd remembered, even!)... after about 20 minutes that changed to, "well, the tonerider completely annihilates the digitech!". Just all-round sweeter, more natural-sounding, enhances your tone rather than swamps it, and has that "play for hours" feeling where you think you've been playing for 5 minutes, then look at the clock to realise it's been 45, which all quality gear has.
Really pleased, exactly what i wanted (a quality analogue chorus which didn't break the bank)- thanks for all your help, Dave, and for bringing these to our attention (your review was spot-on)! :drink:
Now just need to decide if I need (when does need ever come into it? :lol: ) the overdrive...
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I also had a set of AIV Classics (PAF types) in my Signature LP. Quite bright and spanky, just as a PAF should be but a bit too thin maybe? Ian Price owns that guitar now and he's looking to get some BKPs for it...
Just catching up on some oldish threads. I keep umming and aaahing about getting BKPs for the Signature LPs. They TRs are nice but as Dave said maybe a little too thin. I really can't decide whether to get some BKPs or just save the money to spend on pedals! I'm looking for a chorus (the TR is on the list of options) and a phaser - chorus first though.
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If you're after a Chorus, there's no better sounding basic stomp than the TR one :)
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Sounds good Dave - I'm not after a huge amount of features so this could be right up my street. Let me know when you're selling it :lol:
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I'll need to get a neck pickup for my SG project and I was thinking of trying these TRs as a cheap stop-gap alternative until I find some Riff Raffs on the Bay....
Hi Mike - I may well be selling the above mentioned TRs to fund some BKPs. Let me know if you're interested. I'm in Hampshire too so we could always meet up so you can hear what the TRs sound like in the Signature LP!
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Sounds good Dave - I'm not after a huge amount of features so this could be right up my street. Let me know when you're selling it :lol:
It's going nowhere :) It's on my pedalboard and it's staying there - it kicked out an MXR Stereo Chorus which I loved :o
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I may have to get my hands on one of the BD-1's... the High Gain 1 clip is spot on for what i'm after
Just got my first 'vintage' amp, james's Carlsbro 60TC from 1972, with mullards and mazda/brimars. Sounds sweet as hell, reminiscent of the JTM 45 when cranked. Though it's gonna be rare when i can crank it!
Takes pedals so well, my '79 DS-1 sounds amazing through it at low volumes.
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Coincidentally I've just got my tonerider overdrive pedal.....I don't need it in a live setting but it helps recreate my amps tone at low low power scaling (practise levels) can't fault what it does at all and the blue light is funky :P
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a guy on another forum mentioned that modtone pedals are very good value too- there are no dealers here yet, but they seem to be a similar idea to the toneriders (not all are true bypass, though). anyway, they do a phaser, and tonerider don't, so might be worth considering, ian. haven't tried them at all, just going by soundclips etc. (which is generally a bad idea :lol: ).