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all of the pedals in this roundup.
SKIP IF…
you want a pedal that works right out of
the box.
BOYC
Street $79
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JAM PEDALS
WATERFALL
By Gary Guzman
Jam Pedals, who build their stompboxes in Greece by hand, aren’t
yet a household name among guitarists. But with users that include
Nels Cline, John Abercrombie, and Greg Koch, Jam’s analog pedals are steadily popping up on more pedal junkies' wish lists. Most
Jam stompboxes are based on old circuits of the ’60s and ’70s and
incorporate rare NOS chips, matched NOS transistors, and carbon
comp resistors. The Waterfall is not based on any specific vintage
circuit, but in terms of delivering warm, analog chorus sounds that
can range into the realm of Leslie-quality modulations, the Waterfall
has few equals.
New/Old Wonder
Under the hood, the Jam Waterfall is built around original NOS
Panasonic MN3101 and MN3007 chips. But on the outside, it’s
designed around a fairly basic set of controls consisting of knobs for
Speed and Depth, plus two toggle switches—one to control intensity
and the other for switching between chorus and vibrato. Inside the
pedal, there’s an internal trimmer for adjusting the maximum modulation speed, should you want an even more intense chorus.
All of Jam’s pedals sport folk-art graphics that enhance their cottage-built vibe. The Waterfall features brushed blue paint to simulate
rushing water, and it also has a water faucet on the face of the pedal,
with the two mini toggle switches cleverly placed on the handle of
the faucet.
and the end result exceeded my expectations. Assembling the kit
with my own two hands gave me a real sense of satisfaction that no
off-the-shelf purchase can match. It’s worth keeping in mind that
attempting a pedal kit can present some challenges—even if you’re
experienced with a soldering gun and circuit boards. But if you’re up
for the challenge, the BYOC Analog Chorus delivers classic, tasteful,
and subtle chorus tones along with the gratification of having built a
part of your own rig.
Let It Flow
The Waterfall is a plug-and-play effect with a forgiving and intuitive set of
parameters. Using a Parker Fly with humbucking pickups and an Egnater
Tourmaster amp, I started working with the Waterfall’s basic rich, smooth
chorus and immediately fell in love with sweet tone of the humbucker in
the neck position and a clean, uncomplicated chorus setting.
RATING:
BUY IF…
you’re after a warm chorus you can
decorate yourself.
178 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2010
Working the Speed and Depth knobs yields everything from a subtle
doubling effect to a really swirly, warbling sound. The Waterfall also
works well within an amp’s effects loop. For example, if you want to
treat your preamp overdrive with some chorus, the Waterfall adds a
smooth, liquid tone to the distortion that sounds great for either rhythm
or lead playing. With the pedal in its more extreme settings, it can also
add some wilder effects to your playing, such as super-fast speed rates
or a crazier vibrato sound.
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The two toggle switches add variety—and extreme sci-fi textures—you
won’t find in many analog chorus pedals. The switch labeled with plus
