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Mad Professor Little Green Wonder Review

This is a Guest Post by Harry Trumper.

First off, this is the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) version. You can also get a hand-wired version, which is a lot more pricey! Anyway, the designer of this overdrive, said, “The Little Green Wonder is a TS-style pedal, but one for those who don’t generally like TS-style pedals. The big difference between these two pedals would be headroom, distortion style and distortion depth and treble response, output level, function of tone knob, color, symbol…. they do share a common layout of mechanical components.”

Ease of Use/Features

I love the way this pedal looks. The green paint job is pretty nice. It has three white knobs on the front, located at the top of the pedal. The top left knob is your Volume, the middle knob is your Body knob, and the top right knob is your Drive knob. It has a red LED. If I was being REALLY picky, I’d have preferred a blue LED. But that’s not important! The pedal is powered 9v DC.

Sound

This overdrive sounds really great. But the Body knob is where the class of this pedal really starts to shine through. If you turn the knob to the right, it increases the treble. If you turn it to the left, it brings through the mids, and the bass. This is great for me as I like a lot of midrange in my tone, which helps because I play through a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue, which is an amp with quite a lot of treble. The Drive knob basically adds more gain to your tone, and when you have the Body knob to the left, and the drive up, you can get a real nice crunch tone, and a great tone for lead lines where you want to jump out in the mix!

Reliability/Durability

It seems really well built! The enclosure is tough. The on/off switch seems like it could take a lot of stomping. I’ve had this pedal for about 4 months and it’s not let me down yet, and it’s still on my board!

Value for Money

To be honest, the PCB version does enough for me, so I’d suggest grabbing that one. Apparently, it isn’t much different in sound to the Hand-Wired version.

Customer Service

I haven’t had to use it yet. Mad Professor are a Finnish company so I’m not entirely sure about how easy it is to get a hold of them yet!

VERDICT

A lovely overdrive with a crisp sound, that really brings out your playing dynamics. Check it out on Amazon.

TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay Review

This is a Guest Post by Harry Trumper.

Ease of Use/Features
So the first thing I noticed about this pedal (apart from it looking really cool), when getting it out of the box was the bright display. It’s great for dark settings or a low light environment. Continue reading TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay Review

The Best Wah Pedals on the Market

Deciding on the best wah pedal is no easy task, so we are going to use the late ’60s style wah as the benchmark to recommend which wah pedals are the best on the market/are available today. Here they are.. Continue reading The Best Wah Pedals on the Market

Best Guitar Tuners on the Market

The best guitar tuner is dependent on a few factors. Do you want it in a pedal format, or as a clip-on to the headstock? So to decide which guitar tuners are the best on the market, we will showcase them in both of these categories. Continue reading Best Guitar Tuners on the Market

The Best Chorus Pedals on the Market

Today’s article will focus on the best chorus pedals available. Nothing beats that lush, warm, watery, organic chorus that makes you feel like you’re floating. Finding the right chorus however is no easy task as there are many on the market that sound 2-dimensional, and having issues such as volume-drops. So lets take a look at the some of the best chorus pedals.

AnalogMan Bi-Chorus

No secret that AnalogMan has long created some of the best boutique pedals available. The Bi-Chorus is no different, creating a very pure and warm chorus. What’s really unique about the Bi-Chorus is that there are two speed controls and two depth controls along with an A/B switch. The benefit is that you can have two different chorus sounds set to your liking that you can switch between on the fly just by stomping on the A/B switch. I find this to be a great feature as you may want your solos to have one kind of chorus sound and your rhythm parts to have another. AnalogMan has long been known to allow customizations. The Bi-Chorus has an option to add an extra output for true stereo. Definitely a great pedal.

MXR Stereo Chorus

This made the list simply because it is the most cost-effective stereo chorus available! As well, Slash uses one to add even more mojo. A great feature of the Stereo Chorus is that there are separate EQ controls (Bass, Treble) allowing you to really shape the chorus exactly to your liking. As well with controls for speed, intensity, and width, this pedal really gives you unlimited tonal possibilities. With this amount of control, it can work well with any pedalboard. View the MXR Stereo Chorus on Amazon.

Effectrode Vibralux Tube Chorus

Made with real tubes, this all-analog chorus is undoubtedly the most organic sounding of them all. It gives that pure warmth that only real tubes can give. In some ways, it may be perhaps closer to a univibe, but it still gives some of the best chorus tones we’ve heard. This makes the list as being the most organic and pure-sounding chorus.

Red Witch Analog Empress Chorus

The Red Witch is a very deep and lush sounding chorus. It was something we noticed right away upon hearing it, that it just sounded really sweet to the ears. The Empress Chorus has a lot of controls to really tweak the sound, though it sounds great at just about any setting. The controls include a voice switch (chorus/vibrato), Mix dial (between chorus and clean), velocity, depth, and a bright switch. As well, there are dual outputs for playing in stereo between two amps. That’s how you really get a chorus with a lot of depth! View the Red Witch Analog Empress Chorus on Amazon.

Other Great Chorus Pedals on the Cheap

TC Electronic Corona Chorus – True Bybass, and sounds great!

MXR Analog Chorus – All analog and lots of controls for tweaking.

Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus – No frills, but great analog chorus tones. Was used by Kurt Cobain.

Best Overdrive Pedal

With so many overdrive pedals on the market, it is difficult to pinpoint which ones are the best as it’s highly a matter of personal taste. However, there are a few overdrives out there that are loved and highly respected by many (us included) that really are set apart from the rest. So lets take a look at some of the best overdrive pedals out there.

Klon Centaur

The Klon has been around since the mid-’90s and earned its reputation by being used by many famous acts including Jeff Beck, Metallica, and Pearl Jam to name a few. Many find the Klon to be one of the most transparent overdrives out there, so it tends to stack well with other pedals. Many also describe the it to be like its own little amp in a way, so it is great when faced against any amp. With the ability to get a beautiful clean boost, to a nice beefy sweet-sounding overdrive, there are many possibilities even with only its 3 controls (output, treble, drive). Some will use it as a treble booster and others to fatten up their tone. All and all, the Klon is the overdrive people that many put on the top of their list and if could only own one pedal, that would be it.

Ibanez TS-808 Tubescreamer

Next in line for best OD pedal is the TS-808, famously used by the late master blues guitarist, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Much like the name, the TS-808 makes your amp scream so-to-speak, that is it helps a tube amp get pushed. The result is a smooth overdrive, with the perfect amount of bite. I really like that it sounds organic and keeps your guitar tone well in tact, while adding all the right colors. If you are looking for an overdrive that can deliver a sizzling blues tone, than the TS-808 is it! View it on Amazon.

Marshall Bluesbreaker 1

While being a low gain pedal, the Marshall Bluesbreaker 1 (not to be confused with the 2nd reissue) has been used extensively by John Mayer. Word on the street is that he was even snatching many of them up on Ebay. Some describe the BB-1 as a one trick pony, but it does that trick very well. It delivers the definitive vintage Marshall tone reminiscent of players like Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. The Bluesbreaker of course really suits the blues, creating a smooth, fat, warm, on-the-edge-of-breakup tone that really has those nice subtle dynamics in the pick attack. Just a stellar pedal.

Well there you have it. These are what we feel are the best overdrive pedals out there. What do you think is the best overdrive? Feel free to post in the comments section.

Best Fuzz Pedals

Of course the topic of the best fuzz pedal is one that is highly subjective. Everyone has their own taste. So we’re going to list for you some fuzz pedals that we think are some of the top ones. This list will not include vintage pedals that aren’t made anymore, because of course a real ’60s Dallas Arbiter Fuzz would would beat anything! Of course, our opinion. So check out this list of some of the top fuzz pedals that are made today.

Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz

One of our personal favorites, the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz can get some of the best fuzz tones, if done right. I say this because it won’t work great through any amp configuration. Rather, it was designed for Marshall Plexi stacks that already have a good amount of natural tube overdrive without any pedal. Kick on the Axis fuzz and you are taken through different dimensions with unlimited amounts of fuzz and sustain, running through a field of screaming feedback. An absolute world of expression is possible with the Axis Fuzz through the right rig.

KR Gypsy Fuzz

KR Musical, a company that often disappears is still known for making some of the best sounding pedals out there, particularly in the Hendrix category. Their Gypsy Fuzz is no different, offering an aggressive silicon fuzz tone that has a growl to it. It is reminiscent of the Axis Fuzz, though it is a little smoother in tone. Also KR’s The Fuzz is amazing as well.

Analog Man Sun Face Fuzz

Analog Man has long been known on the boutique-market as a maker of great vintage sounding all-analog effects. The Sun Face is no different, and offers that vintage sound based on their choice of transistors. Actually these pedals are made to order, so you can choose which silicon or germanium transistors you want for your Sun Face. It gets pretty specific as you can get transistors that are actually from the ’60s. Also with the option of a sundial, this allows you to control the internal bias without opening up the pedal, essentially allowing you to tweak the fuzz to your amp and room temperature on the fly.

MJM London Fuzz 1

With matched vintage germanium transistors, the London Fuzz will give you some of the sweetest sounding clean tones when you roll your guitar’s volume back. Not fully clean but can be depending on your pick attack. It really brings out a colourful chime in that area. When cranked, a fat warm fuzz tone really makes your single notes seem like they weigh a ton. MJM’s silicon version of the London Fuzz is great also.

These are the best fuzz pedals on the market in our opinion. What do you think is the best fuzz out there? Feel free to post your answer in the comments sections.

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix 70th Anniversary Tribute Series Pedals

Dunlop recently released their new Jimi Hendrix 70th Anniversary Tribute Series. The line includes 4 pedals based on what Hendrix was using in the late ’60s. All of the pedals (except the wah) are enclosed in a small footprint, making them pedalboard-friendly. In addition, these pedals are true-bypass. So lets take a look at these 4 pedals in detail.

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Fuzz Face 70th Anniversary

According to Dunlop, this pedal is supposed to be a faithful recreation of a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz from 1969-1970. If this is true, then it would be an amazing fuzz, thats for sure. The fuzz is built using BC108 Silicon Transistors. It would be interesting to see how close this pedal is to Dunlop’s JH-F1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz that has been on the market for some time. That pedal too uses the BC108 Silicon Transistors. Since the price point of these pedals are relatively similar, perhaps what’s on the inside is around the same as well. All in all, this 70th Anniversary Fuzz is a good price point for a pedal that will get you in Hendrix fuzz territory.

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Octavio 70th Anniversary Tribute Series

Again, Dunlop claims the Octavio to be an exact reproduction of Jimi’s octave-up pedal. As well, Dunlop also has the JH-OC1 Jimi Hendrix Octavio Pedal that been around as well, and features the cheese-wedge enclosure. The 70th anniversary features controls for Level, Fuzz, and DPDT on/off switch. Couple this pedal with a solid fuzz to drive it a bit, and some good octave up tones are to be had.

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Univibe 70th Anniversary Tribute Series

Probably the pedal most will be excited about is the legendary Univibe. This pedal gives that famous heartbeat to the guitar, with options for either chorus and vibrato settings. Controls for Speed, Depth and Level are included to shape those leslie-eque tones to your liking. Jimi famously used the Univibe pedal on Machine Gun, Isabella, and Hey Baby to name a few. This is the pedal to really add that psychedelic vibe to your rig.

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Crybaby Pedal 70th Anniversary Tribute Series

Last but not least, a recreation of Jimi’s most popular pedal, the legendary wah. At the time, Jimi was using wahs made by Vox. Dunlop’s recreation is definitely more on the crybaby side of things. Enclosed in a sleek black aluminium body, the wah will help make your guitar sound more vocal. Jimi was the king at making his guitar talk, and the wah was a big factor in making this possible.

Well there you have it, the Jimi Hendrix 70th Anniversary Tribute Series. These pedals are indeed limited editions, so I would recommend to act fast if you are interested.

The Best Reverb Pedals on the Market

Today’s article is to help you find the best reverb pedal available today. People are always looking for that lush, vibrant, full-of-depth reverb that sounds very organic. Here at Guitar Tone Talk, we’ve tried a ton of reverb pedals and have narrowed it down to these top 5. Here is our choices… Continue reading The Best Reverb Pedals on the Market

Best Delay Pedal

The best delay pedal on the market is not an easy question to answer since there is two categories of delay: analog and digital. In my opinion, I’ve always been a fan of analog pedals, but there are those who want the added features of digital circuitry (Check out our Analog Vs. Digital Delay article). So the best approach to answering the question of what is the best delay pedal, would be to have the best of analog delays and the best of digital delays. Here’s our picks:

Best Analog Delays

1) Tape Delays

I’m not going to say which tape delay is best, rather that tape delays/echoes have the best sound/tone that any delay can produce. Its warm, addictive, big, 3-dimensional, and vintage sounding. Some great tape delay/echoes are the Echoplex and the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo.

2) Moog MF-104z Analog Delay

While pretty expensive (though not as expensive as a tape echo), this analog delay sounds incredibly warm. As well, this pedal features a load of customizing features not usually available on analog delays. The delay swells are very natural and the multiple outputs on the pedal coupled with the ability to use an expression pedal makes this pedal number 2 on our list. View the Moog Analog Delay on Amazon.

3) 80s’ Made in Japan Ibanez AD-9 Analog Delay

These vintage Ibanez delays come in at number 2 as they are very organic and warm sounding. I have yet to hear a better sounding analog delay than this. The reissue of this pedal that is available today is not the same as the 80s made version. They use a different chip, and don’t even sound half as good. If you want the vintage pedal new, the Keeley AD-9 is essentially the same pedal except with true bypass. Also check out the Maxon AD-9, another replica of this pedal.

Other great Analog Delays to check out:

Diamond Pedals Memory Lane 2 Analog Delay

Best Digital Delays

1) Empress Effects Vintage Modified Super Delay

This digital delay does the best at emulating vintage, tube, and tape delays. Its funny that digital delays are trying to emulate analog, but not vice-verse. I wonder why that is (cough cough we love analog!). Anyway, this delay has a whole ton of great features such as tap tempo, expression pedal inputs, presets, and reverse delay! Its number one on our top digital delays list. View this pedal on Amazon.

2) Eventide TimeFactor Duel Digital Delay

This pedal is all about options. You can make your delays mono or stereo. The delay modes include Digital Delay, Band Delay, Vintage DDL, Filter Pong, Tape Echo, MultiTap Delay, Modulated Delay, Reverse Delay, Ducked Delay, and Looper. Having the looper makes this more than a delay pedal. My favourite part of this pedal is that you can send delays to different amps. Talk about really creating an ambiance! Most versatile digital delay. View this pedal on Amazon.

3) Strymon Timeline

This pedal is known as the multi-dimensional inspiration machine. With 12 different delay modes, you can control the sonic character and feel of each. This pedal is a tweekers dream! The ultimate customizability with the focus being on tone. The best part is you can create up to 200 presets of your favorite settings!

Other great Digital Delays to check out: Pigtronix Phi Echolution Delay (both digital and analog), TC Electronics Flashback (inexpensive!)

Well there you have it, the best delay pedals, both analog and digital.