STOMPSCHOOL
ANALOG TOM
Five Pedals You Must Try Before You Die!
Greetings fellow students of stomp; this Muff can cop an incredible range of use-month we’re going to have a little fun with ful fuzz tones, from warm and wooly to
our list of pedals you must try before hot and nasty. But the Muff really shines
you die. Please note that the operative like no other when delivering the smooth,
word here is “try” – we’re not suggesting singing sustain it’s known for on single
you need to actually go out and buy any note leads. Any version will do to get you
of these, we just feel your explorations started, so you don’t need to spend $500
in effects may not be complete until you for a triangle knob version on eBay just to
experience the essence of these classic get the idea. Your life ain’t complete until
pedals. Between the two of us, Analog you try a piece of the Pi!
Mike and I have played literally thousands
of different effects and that’s not
counting the various different versions of certain pedals. In our opinion, you owe it to yourself to spend
at least some time with each of
these great pedals. You may decide
there are a couple that you don’t
care for or aren’t right for your style –
that’s okay! At least you know what
they’re about. On the other hand,
you may just discover your signature
sound – the one pedal you can’t live
without. Okay, let’s get started:
4. Germanium Fuzz Face These days, an
original Arbiter Fuzz Face is hard to find
and prohibitively expensive, so what we’re
really talking about is a good, boutique-style remake of the original. Analog Mike
suggests, “Don’t put any other pedals
before it, so you can see how it interacts
with your pickups, playing sensitivity and
volume knob on your guitar. Keep the fuzz
knob up high, but also try it lower if your
amp is running with some drive.”
1. Tube Screamer The little green
pedal that all other overdrives are
measured against; smooth and mild
with that prominent midrange hump
that some players love and others
could do without. Whether it’s vintage or reissue, straight stock or custom modded, original or clone, TS-808, TS9,
TS10, or what-have-you – a Tube Screamer
is one of the most versatile dirt pedals
ever created and sounds great with literally
any combination of axe and amp. Analog
Mike recommends, “Try it into a clean amp
with high drive settings, and into an already
driven amp at lower drive settings with
higher volume to check out both of its
common uses.”
5. Univibe In reality, the UniVibe is sort of
a funky, malfunctioning phase shifter. With
a circuit built around a flashing bulb and a
photocell, the design is pretty off-the-wall.
So it’s no wonder the resulting sound
is so distinct and identifiable. Though it
won’t really lend itself to a wide variety
of styles, in the right context the smoky,
lopsided, hypnotic throb of the ’Vibe is
irresistibly appealing. Like the Fuzz Face,
original examples of the UniVibe are rare
and pricey. Fortunately, there are a number
of high quality boutique remakes available
from makers such as Sweet Sound, Black
Cat, Fulltone and Foxrox.
We could easily come up with another
five for our list, but we’re out of space. So,
until we meet again, keep on stompin’!
2. Big Muff π Since its first appearance
(circa 1970), the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
π has been associated with a diverse
range of players, including Carlos Santana,
Robert Fripp, David Gilmour, J. Mascis, and
Billy Corgan. Surprisingly versatile, the Big
3. Crybaby By “Crybaby” we mean pretty
much any wah-wah pedal, be it an original
Clyde McCoy, a Dunlop reissue, or a Teese
RMC. Even if it turns out that it’s not your
thing, you gotta at least give it a try. By its
very design, a wah is a dominating, in-your-face effect, so you won’t want to use it on
everything. But there are some occasions
when absolutely nothing else will do. It’s
also more versatile than it may at first
appear, and responds well when applying
different techniques – you can just tap your
foot in time, a la Clapton with Cream; you
can do the wakka wakka wakka “Theme
from Shaft” thing; you can leave it half-cocked like Michael Schenker – and we’re
just getting started.
Tom Hughes
Tom Hughes (a.k.a. Analog Tom) is the owner and
proprietor of For Musicians Only ( formusiciansonly.com)
and author of Analog Man’s Guide To Vintage Effects. For
Musicians Only is also the home of the FMO Gear Shop.
Questions or comments about this article can be sent to:
stompschool@formusiciansonly.com.
Analog Man
( analogman.com) is one of the largest boutique effects
manufacturers and retailers in the business, established
by “Analog” Mike Piera in 1993. Mike can be reached at
AnalogMike@aol.com
