Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS Waza Craft DC-2W Dimension-C

I don't think I get this one. I understand that it's a vintage pedal that BOSS has released under the Waza label, but other than the vintage appeal, there just isn't anything here that I'm stoked about. I ran a little long in the post about the Waza Metal Zone, so I think this will be shorter.

Ugly Truth in: 3... 2...

1. Presets

I'm a knob tweaker. I love to twist knobs. I like to fine tune all the settings. The biggest reason that I don't own a Strymon pedal is that I would probably be found dead from dehydration next to it because I tried to adjust all the parameters. So the fact that this is a "set it and forget about changing it" type of pedal is a little detracting for me. I get the appeal, but I'd be screaming for a Blend knob right off the bat. I mean, it is a cool pedal with a lot of vintage appeal. Also, you can rig it up in a loop with a blend if you are that into it, but it sounds like a lot of trouble just to run a special pedal with some cool vintage cred. 

2. Premium

This pedal isn't for me. The whole Waza line has a particular customer base and 9 times out of 10 I'm not interested. (actually, it's 2 of out 8 so far...) This is the most expensive Waza pedal at 229 USD. No doubt there will be those that buy and love this pedal. Those people probably already know that they will love this pedal before they buy it and they don't mind paying that premium. I'm not cool enough to really "get" this pedal, so my money is better spent on a used MD-500. You get 20 presets with the Dimension-C, but your options are nearly limitless with the MD-500. 

3. There is no 3

Conclusion

No doubt there are some cool sounds in this box. If you were stoked when BOSS announced it, then you are the type of person that BOSS made this pedal for. I, however, didn't. 

Ugly Guitar Truth: EHX Op-Amp Big Muff Reissue

Here we are, just weeks away from NAMM 2018. EHX decided to beat the rush and unveil another Big Muff Reissue, just in time for the holidays. (Well, probably not really in time for the holidays. You might be able to pre-order them for your loved ones.) Seem to be a theme emerging. Hot on the heels of the Green Russian reissue, this pedal seems strangely fitting. Why? Let's look.

The Market


Vintage versions on the Big Muff Pi have always been sought after. It's almost as if once a particular version goes out of production, then it become much more sought after. A quick search for "OP Amp Big Muff" will yield tons of results for vintage pedals going somewhere north of $300. Clones sell for over $100. So, an $80 EHX reissue is probably a welcome sight for all those that can't pony up big bills for vintage gear.


Dizzying Variants


If you happen to be like me, you might be a little confused by all the variations of the Muff. While I'm aware of most of them, I'll admit that I never really viewed the Op-Amp version to be very sought after. However, as I look around, I find that they are favored by many. Overlooking the Op-Amp isn't hard to do. There are 9 version of the circuit out there and the lion share are based on four transistors instead of the three Op-Amps in the V4/V5 Muffs. For those that speak Muff, Russian, Triangle, Civil War, Ram's Head all have very specific meanings. But to the uninformed it can be dizzying.


Fatigue


Can you keep all the Big Muff Straight. I mean all the big muffs. There are tons of these things. Most fans of the Muff are familiar with a handful, but there are still many in production that may fly under many's radar. The Little Big Muff, Tone Wicker, Deluxe and Germanium versions are rarely mentioned in the same breath with the vintage ones. They all have at least one thing in common though. They all wear the Big Muff Pi badge. They range from overdrives, to metal distortion, to fuzz, but they are all Big Muffs. Electro Harmonix gets a lot of mileage out of their Muff. Honestly, it could be the worst thing to say about this pedal. It's just another is a long line of others.


Conclusion


I had to read a little bit about this particular pedal before I really excited about it. I didn't know much about the Op-Amp Big Muffs. Now, knowing slightly more, I see that it's release make a lot of sense. Although, it may be a black sheep in the Muff family, it's sound is unique and distinct. A nasty, gungy pedal that has spawned many clones, finally has a well deserved reissue.

Ugly Guitar Truth: EHX Green Russian Big Muff Reissue

Those that follow the history of the Electro Harmonix Big Muff know the pedal has had a long and complicated past. Starting life in New York City, the pedal has seen many revisions spanning decades and continents. Those casually aware of the pedal may be familiar with words surrounding the pedal like Ram's Head, Triangle, Civil War, and Russian. I won't get into all of those in this post, but I will take a close look at Electro Harmonix's latest muff, the Green Russian reissue.

What Does A Green Russian Sound Like?

Well, those unfortunate enough to be unable to find/afford a vintage Green Russian Big Muff (like my self) have to settle for finding clips on the internet. An excellent source for all things Bigg Muff is Kit Ray's site devoted to the accumulation of accurate Big Muff knowledge. According to the site's research, all Russian made Big Muff pedals (Green Russian, Black Russian, and Civil War) all have similar components and sound (Fatter Bass, Brighter and less-scoped Mids, and Less Gain) These features made it a natural for bass players looking to add a fuzz to their tone.

A Russian Spy?

It is speculated that maybe, just maybe, the Green Russian has been operating undercover for years and we just haven't noticed. Some suspect that the Nano Bass Big Muff has been a Sovtech Spy all along! Actually, there is a rumor that the Green Russian reissue is just a Bass Big Muff in a new coat of paint. (admittedly, that new coat of paint looks awesome.) The strongest case for this being the EHX website! From the Nano Bass Big Muff Page: "With voice inspired by the battle tank, GREEN RUSSIAN BIG MUFF" (emphasis mine). Well well well... I'll just leave this here:

Placebo Mojo

Expert wine tasters have been fooled into describing a white wine with typical red wine characteristics because it was made to look like red wine with food dye. Similarly, the same experts praised inexpensive wine when led to believe it was more costly, and dismissed top-shelf wine when told it was inexpensive. Why am I talking about wine? Because the same effect happens to guitarists. The Boutique Boom was born out of people wanting more expensive looking pedals. It's no coincident that re-boxing BOSS pedals became a big thing around the same time. You could pick up a used BOSS pedal and put it in a boutique looking box for less than most boutique builders ask for their pedals. I'm not better. I'd spend time swapping out the LED on a BOSS pedal and become the proud papa of a custom/modded pedal. There is something to be said for enjoying the way your pedals look. You always want to be proud of your rig, but remember to use your ears first.

Conclusion

It is well-documented that the Big Muff has had numerous variations. Each one of those variations having a different effect on the sound produced. Many variables come into play when discussing tone, perhaps none more hotly debated than mojo. Some tout the Green Russian as the superior Russian Big Muff others believe the Civil War Big Muff the best, but in all honesty, the circuits are nearly identical. All components have tolerances, some as much as 20%, so there is some truth to the "this one sounds different than that one". Is this the golden goose of tone the EHX has been reluctant to put out until now? No. This is a way for Electro Harmonix to offer a genuine Green Russian Big Muff... clone that was made in the far east, assembled in NYC and has already been on shelves for years under a different label (probably). But it looks really cool!
Also, just to point out, that according to NWinther of tdpri.com, the Cyrillic letters spell out "Overdrive". Which could be a shout-out to the Red Army Overdrive, the pedal that Mike Matthews of EHX produced before regaining control of the EHX brand and Big Muff name.

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Update On The Way Huge Camel Toe MKII

A sight that Way Huge fans have been waiting for: In the picture above is what seems like the first from a production run of the Way Huge Camel Toe MKII. Way Huge has been teasing us with pictures of the pedal for months. This is the same pedal that 'goes for' $5000 on eBay. Will it be a wide release or a small run? Will it debut at Summer NAMM in a few days? Not much has been said about the pedal's reissue, but there are plenty that are excited to get their hands on it despite the knowledge that it is basically two pedals (Green Rhino and Red Llama). I'm excited to try one out and see if the rabid Camel Toe fans are right with all the hype.

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Ugly Truth About Way Huge Camel Toe

Wow, I never thought that I'd title a post that way, but there it is. I hope I don't confuse people looking for something other than talking about Guitar gear. BTW, this is a post about the Overdrive pedal called the Camel Toe by Way Huge and absolutly nothing else... let's move on.

Way Huge let us know today that there is a Camel Toe MKII to be released sometime, possibly, with the release uo this photo via their instagram.

Lately I noticed Shnobel, of YouTube fame, playing a Way Huge Camel Toe. I've never heard of this pedal, probably because it was only released in a very limited quantity and I've never been much of a follower of what Way Huge does. If you start Google-ing Way Huge Camel Toe, you might find something other than what you are looking for. There just isn't that much information out there about this rare pedal. However, if you plug that same search into eBay, you are likely to find auctions starting at thousands of dollars. Why? I honestly have no idea. Well, from what I've heard, the pedal sounds fantastic, but it doesn't spout rainbows, so whats with the price? The limited quantity might have something to do with it.

You see, in many ways, the Camel Toe was ahead of its time. It is a light-duty, 'transparent' overdrive. In a market that is flooded with Klones, the Camel Toe is a stand out. It is not a clone of anything that I can tell, in fact it came before many of the clones that, in the wake of the Klon becoming so mythical, because so privalent. That's the problem, it was a transparent overdrive before transparent overdrives were cool. So, in a way, it's the hipster of transparent overdrives...

Regardless, I like this pedal and I look forward to trying one out for myself. However It is highly unlikely that I ever have the chance to put the MKII and the original together for a comparison given its rarity. Hopeful Way Huge won't try to make a money grab with this reissue, but they have always been a little on the boutique side of the price range anyways.

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The Ugly Truth: DOD Gunslinger MosFET Distortion

A few days ago DigiTech posted on there website that the DOD Gunslinger is available for sale. I was unaware that this pedal was even in the making. I can think twitter to bringing it to my attention. Checking YouTube gave me an idea of what it sounds like. I am a bit of a MosFET fan. I really dig my EHX Glove MosFET OD. Throw in High and Low controls along with 9v/18v switching and you have a lot of features in a nice little box. DOD always put their pedals in a nice sturdy box with attractive designs. They now throw in LEDs for no extra charge. (although DOD now charge $99 for remakes of pedals that used to sell at about half that) I have to admit that I am excited about this pedal, but everything isn't so great.

It's Another MosFET Drive

When I hear MosFET I think of Fulltone's Fulldrive2. I've never really enjoyed using that particular pedal, but I really like my MosFET Glove. Just like "Tube Overdrives" the market is getting a little crowded with pedal makers putting out their MosFET pedals. This one tries to separate its self with some neat features and it seems more saturated than other pedals of the same type. I don't know that anything I've seen about this pedal makes me think that it is anything unique.

 It's DOD

I don't want to put any particular brand on blast, but Harman/DigiTech/DOD (mostly DigiTech) has let me down more than other pedals. (Boss is number 2 if you were wondering and my board is about 40% Boss). So DigiTech is DOD and they are remaking these classic pedals which is fine. I think I like these DOD pedals more than anything that Digitech has put out in the recent past. I've never use the originals, but the remakes that I've played have been solid. They just have that stigma about them. If I bought this pedal, I'd be looking for it to fail somehow.

It's Overpriced

Like I mentioned before, the reissue of the classic DOD pedals have come with a decent price hike. I'm not saying that they have to be dirt cheap, but pedal that are as simple of the DOD 250 is a little hard to justify at $99. I will say that Musician's Friend has put them on their SDOTD for half price, and that seems like a great deal. EHX put out there dirt pedals for a little more than $50. Being as cheap as I am, it was like Christmas. I have to wonder how many units they are selling. Out side the reissues of classic pedals, is the DOD brand even relevant any more?

In Conclusion

This pedal is worth a look. It may or may not be worth the full price tag. I think if you can catch this pedal on sell, then the flexible EQ and great sounds (that I've only heard via Youtube) are worth you adding it to your line up if you are looking for a MosFET Drive and the EHX Glove didn't float your boat.

**With a little reading I've found that this pedal might be a reincarnation of an old DOD pedal of olde. The FX100 Integrated Tube was basicaly a ModFET distortion with the same type of tone controls. Like the other Reissues, they are 100% faithful. Still, very interesting strategy DOD (Harman... or whatever) have adopted.