Fuzz Reviews and Interviews
Some samples using my Jazz Style active bass, everything on the pedal is set to ‘default’ as I would put it (which isn’t the same as everything at noon). I stomp midway through the sample to swap modes, these are the same samples I use in my normal reviews.
Looks like the price for this bad boy will be approaching the $300 mark. Sadly, economies of scale are not working in my favor at this point and we have a lot of features packed into a small box. I wanted to share as soon as possible so if it was something you were interested in you could prepare. Barring some oddity, I would imagine the first 10 will be ready in around a month.
Things are moving along very well in the fuzz project I have underway with Mario of Robot Factory Pedal Co and I thought it was time to start the sharing. Here is a photo of the prototype for the ‘Tentacle Love Super-Fuzz’.
This pedal is a melding of my lust for bass friendly fuzz and his wild mechanical genius. This pedal is born from the shin-ei superfuzz, but to call it a clone is doing a disservice to what is going on here. Here are a few highlights.
Description:
Hola fuzzy freakola’s, fresh outta the D*A*M oven we have a very small spattering of FUZZ rong’s (3 to be exact)…..quite obviously based on the good ole fuzzy beast that is the Mosrite FUZZ rite. The FUZZ rong is based on the earliest germanium made version of that pedal and uses an AC125 and an OC76. Now there be fuzz pedals and there be FUZZ pedals, as in this is very VERY Fuzzy fuzz box! If you like subtleties and picking dynamics to shine through this is certainly not for you! Think “I Wanna Be Your Dog” & “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”Each and every D*A*M Pro MKII is hand built in England using…a high quality UK made enclosure, long life audio grade Alpha pots, Cliff audio jacks, Genuine Daka-ware control knobs, NOS Germanium transistors, true bypass heavy duty footswitch all lovingly assembled on hand cut stripboard (not PCB) with 5 % carbon film resistors, high grade Polyester audio caps (Ero Vishay) and long life Electrolytic capacitors (BC Components) using 2.5% silver and 0.5% copper solder and stranded tinned annealed copper core wire with compound PVC insulation.
The MKII is the only straight on exact replica that D*A*M produce and with good reason too. The MKII is a rebuild of the mighty Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII that was made famous by a certain Jimmy Page. The Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII needs no improvement!! It is one of the finest British fuzz boxes ever made and the D*A*M MKII is as close as you can get to the real deal with out paying serious amounts of cash.
It is a part for part sound for sound recreation of the original Sola Sound made units so whether you are after that elusive early Led Zeppelin/Page era Yardbirds tone or just after one fantastically organic sounding fuzz box this could be for you. Features a three stage transistor circuit that has almost endless amounts of sustain which will remain remarkably controllable and melodic.
Should have the D*A*M MKII review totally done this evening, just need to get the finishing touches on the video. I was going to finish it last night, but I started jamming out and got distracted for WAAAAY too long. I guess if I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t have this website.
Some people know, but I’m actually not just a crappy bass player… but a crappy multi-instrumentalist. I really just have a long long long love affair with music and have only in the last few years discovered the joy of making it. I do occasionally sink money into things other than fuzz pedals, in this case I decided it was time to upgrade my $99 guitar.
Here is a shot of me (needing a haircut) in my office after receiving delivery on my new 6 string devil!
It’s much nicer than what I had, and no longer feels like I’m working the playskool angle of guitar playing. Next on the list of instruments… a Korg Microsynth! Maybe I can talk my wife into getting me one for the holidays!