Some Experiments with Jazz and Dirt Pedals

[ruger9]

I had a C600 that I modded for that "octal tone"... I didn't put an octal preamp tube in it, but between tubes, speakers, and circuit mods, I had it sounding very much like the smaller V47 amps.

Then I sold it, because I found it too limiting. I don't play with that tone often enough to warrant keeping an amp around for that tone. which is why the Junior Barnyard pedal is so interesting to be. Ideally, I'd love an amp that had a gorgeous clean tone (think Johnny Smith), was able to take a gain pedal well (think Johnny A or Brian Setzer), then with the flip of a switch, turn into an EH-185 lol (like having a built-in Junior Barnyard on the front end).

This thread has reignited my GAS for that pedal.

[PB+J]

I had a C600 that I modded for that "octal tone"... I didn't put an octal preamp tube in it, but between tubes, speakers, and circuit mods, I had it sounding very much like the smaller V47 amps.

Then I sold it, because I found it too limiting. I don't play with that tone often enough to warrant keeping an amp around for that tone. which is why the Junior Barnyard pedal is so interesting to be. Ideally, I'd love an amp that had a gorgeous clean tone (think Johnny Smith), was able to take a gain pedal well (think Johnny A or Brian Setzer), then with the flip of a switch, turn into an EH-185 lol (like having a built-in Junior Barnyard on the front end).

This thread has reignited my GAS for that pedal.

Yeah I have a Henriksen that can get a great clean tone and stomping on the Jr. Barnyard pedal is really very close to instant EH-185.

[PB+J]

I've been on a search for a great trem pedal and picked up a used Supro Trem. Wow! This is a great pedal!

Like I said in the OP, I like my tone through either a Henricksen jazzamp or an acoustic image clarus. But sometimes I want the saturation that even a clean, lower wattage tube amp gives, like a tweed deluxe.

The Supro Trem pedal has a preamp that colors the tone in interesting ways. It offers a bias type "amplitude" trem and a "harmonic" brownface fender trem. It has speed and depth controls and also a "gain" control, which is the preamp level. It adds saturation mostly on the highs: it may also add a bit of mid scoop. The two trem modes are great, very rich sounding, but I'm liking it as an "always on" pedal with the trem controls at zero, and the "gain" at its lowest setting.

here are some short clips, played on my homemade fully hollow body tele, which has a P90 in the neck position. Henricksen jazzap and henricksen cab, recorded with an sm57

First clip, neck p90: Dry guitar, then Supro drive with trem controls at zero, gain at lowest setting. I think if you listen on good speakers you will hear that it's adding a saturation and EQ

Second clip, barden tele bridge pickup: first dry, then trem pedal engaged, first in "amplitude" mode, then in "harmonic" mode

Third clip, barden tele bridge pickup: first dry, then trem pedal engaged with "gain" about halfway, to give a clearer sense of what the preamp sounds like. This is more gain than I'd probably ever use.


This pedal is definitely worth checking out. The "feel" is really good, both wth and without the trem. It's on the pricey side, but I do see them used. I'm even thinking of getting second one, one to be a trem pedal and the other to be a preamp!

[Boston Joe]

For heavy OD (i.e. fusion, etc) I like an old school TS-9 screamer.

But for straight ahead stuff, I've got an Everything Zen (Zen Drive clone). I set the gain really low, so that when I've got the volume all the way up on the guitar, there's just a little hair. Then I can back it off a little and have a clean tone roughly below 5, and varying degrees of "pushed" sounds from 5 to 10. The Everything Zen has two tone controls ("voice" and "tone"). I try to set those so that they don't color the sound too much.