Conclusion:
I have several conclusions that I came to during this process.
- Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
- The silicon and germanium pedals sound extremely different. Different enough that even though they share the same basic circuit they could (and should?) be marketed as different pedals.
- I really like the design.
All models:
The seperation of the ‘ass volume’ and the ‘bass volume’ really allows a tayloring of levels beyond that of most other pedals I’ve used. It doesn’t seem to matter what peice of equipment you throw at it, you can really dial in the “your flavor”. The ass and harm switchs shift the sonic fury to and fro creating even more sounds by altering the tone and spectrum of the effect.
The sensitivity knob controls the saturation of the fuzz (from subtle to wall of fuzz) for yet another avenue of customization.
Silicon:
The sound on this guy is the most brash of the bunch, and has more of what I associate with other brassmaster samples I’ve heard. There is always a box of bees hiding behind the bushes waiting to strike. In my opinion the octave effect is most noticable in this pedal. I find this configuration to be a little to ‘honky’ sounding for my liking. It’s clearly the most cutting and biting of the group. Additionally I would later discover that I really enjoy the expression pedal on the sensitivity knob (though your mileage may vary, the mod is available for this pedal now).
Germanium:
This pedal has the expression modification done to it where you can control the sensitivy knob using an external rocker. This is an extremely cool feature and can be used to modulate your sound in a way that sounds similar to a tremolo. On the whole this pedal is a lot smoother and less honky then the silicon version, sadly the total range of the pedal seemed somewhat reduced when compared to the silicon version (which swings from light multi-layer grind to brutal shock wall).
Silverburst Double Germ:
Best of both worlds? The enhanced frequency range of this pedal and the extra transistor (I’m not sure in what ratio these things are responsible) create a much larger specturm of sound than the straight germanium and includes much higher gain settings. It still maintains the smoother and less intense sound that I preferred in the Germ version. In the words of Ferris Bueller: “If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”
Which one you will like is going to be a matter of taste, and will be partially based on what you are trying to do with the pedal. Many people will find them to be so different that owning one of each wouldn’t be out of the question. The circuit has a unique flavor, but it is something that I very much enjoy. The silverburst edition Assmaster is one of the best fuzzes I’ve had the chance to try in terms of control and sonic possibilities.
As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment or let me know
Note: A rating of 5 = acceptable and should considered a ‘good’ basic score
Barker ASSMASTER
Versatility: 6
Sound: 6
Value: 6
Overall: 7
Barker ASSMASTER germanium
Versatility: 7
Sound: 7
Value: 6
Overall: 7
, Josh has said he would mod it to share the eq curve to of the silverburst edition – CHEER!
Barker ASSMASTER silverburst double germanium
Versatility: 8
Sound: 8
Value: 6
Overall: 8
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