The Gear Mall

Radial Engineering

anthony — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:18:17 +0000

Radial Engineering is top quality audio equipment outfit based in in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company first began back in 1991 as the Canadian distributor for Jensen Audio Transformers and Mogami cable. The next year, they reformed as JP Cabletek Electronics, and they started using the Radial name for their house brand cables. Later, in 1996, the Radial brand launched the JDI direct box, and today, there are more than 50 different products marketed under the Radial, Forest Audio, and Tonebone brand names. In 2006, the company officially became Radial Engineering. They have a huge staff of more than 50 employees and work out of a 25,000 square-foot facility, giving them the ability to manufacture many different great products.

Under the Radial brand, the company offers their J-class products. This line of boxes, splitters, and re-ampers are some of the best in the world. Then there’s the Pro series, which is designed to balance performance with price. The HotShot series, on the other hand, is innovative and built to last for years.

The Trombone pedals will all add some nice color to your sound. Each of these pedals, and there are a number of them, are easy to use and powerful. The Bone series of pedals, likewise, are designed to provide low noise output and are really user friendly. Finally, the BigShot line of pedals is more about power. Check out the video below for more info...

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Matchless Chieftain 1×12 Combo

anthony — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:37:33 +0000

Need a great boutique amp that’s going to pump out all the tone you could ever need... If you know anything about amps, you know that the Matchless line of boutique amps really deliver a mixture of modern high fidelity mixed with an old school sensibility and taste. The Matchless Chieftain Boutique Amp is another in their line of powerful amps that provide top quality sound. This amp is a Class A 1x12 combo amplifier, and it is completely hand built by the professionals at Matchless.

The Chieftain is one of the Matchless Celestion Signature Series. It is a 30 watt amp that features point to point wiring and all tubes. It is powered by four 12AX7’s and two EL34’s. The back of the amp provides inputs for either 4 ohm, 8 ohm, or 16 ohm operation. On the front, you can control the bass, middle, treble, brilliance, reverb, and volume, plus there’s a master control. The presence on the Matchless Chieftain is actually similar to that you’d find on a top of the line British amp. Below the controls is a Matchless logo that is backlit.

This is one of the top Matchless amps on the market today, and it’s sure to provide the sound and the power you need for any gig. While it’s not cheap—a used one may cost upwards of $2,000 or more—it is certainly worth the money.

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Maxon TOD-9 True Tube Overdrive

anthony — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:10:57 +0000

If you are someone who is looking to get the most out of your overdrive pedal, then you will want to consider using the Maxon TOD-9 True Tube Overdrive pedal. This is because it is designed with the best military specification subminiature tube at its core. Because this technology was once considered outdated when submarines stopped being used so widely at the end of the Second World War, there is a large quantity of this product that is ready for use. The manufacturers of the Maxon TOD-9 True Tube Overdrive realized the potential that the subminiature tubes had on the sound quality of a pedal and they decided to use these tubes as a base component of the sound that was produced by their product.

The Maxon TOD-9 True Tube Overdrive has harnessed the power of these subminiature vacuum tubes to create a truly unique pedal that combines solid distortion with the tube stage. The benefit of this is that the pedal works in a way that completely enhances the player’s performance, creating a balance that is truly interactive with the guitar and the artist. If you utilize this pedal to the maximum then you will be able to increase your performance and this will work to make your music even better. The dials are simply laid out and can be used by anyone with a basic understanding of how they operate.

The Maxon TOD-9 True Tube Overdrive retails for $259.00 .

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Dr. Z Monza Boutique Amp

anthony — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:15:50 +0000

One of the things Dr. Z is known for is creating very simple, traditional amps that do a lot more than what they first appear to do. The Dr. Z Monza Boutique Amp follows this route. With only three knobs, this amp does a lot. This Monza has amazing gain and sustain. It features 20 watts of power, and it can actually be a bit too loud for some home studios with thin walls.

The Dr. Z Monza amp uses two 12AX7s for preamp, two EL84 cathode biased tubes for output, and a 5AR4 tube as the rectifier. While it’s only 20 watts, it can sound like it’s pumping 100 watts of power through it—it’s that powerful and amazing. Crank up the volume and you’ll find the sound just gets bigger and bigger, while the drive and tone knobs give you control over your sound. The speaker is a 10” Red Fang AlNico. Overall, this powerful little amp only weighs 37 pounds, making it a great amp to take on the road. If you want to score a Dr. Z Monza for your own, you’ll find them used for about $1,200.

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Maxon VOP-9 Vintage Overdrive Pro Pedal

anthony — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:48:50 +0000

Maxon has made a number of great overdrive pedals in their Vintage Overdrive Pro Pedal series, and the VOP-9 is yet another one of them. This overdrive pedal combines both overdrive and clean boost into one device. It uses a dual pot to mix the saturated and clean tones together to make a less compressed and more transparent sound. It also features true bypass switching so you can let your signal shine through if you want.

The VOP-9 is actually an upgraded version of the OD820, a pedal that Maxon introduced in the 90s but that was largely overlooked. However, at the time, few saw the benefits and power of the pedal, and it was mostly ignored as simply being an overpriced version of the OD808. However, the VOP-9 is more than just a renamed OD820. While the pedal does run the entire circuit at 18 volts, just like the OD820, it now comes in one of Maxon’s nearly indestructible 9-series chassis. The pedal is also capable of operating at 9 volts by activating an internal DIP switch. The VOP-9 also makes use of the same op-amp that allowed the OD820 to operate so quietly, and the negative feedback loop clipping diode is the same as well. The Maxon VOP-9 Vintage Overdrive Pro Pedal costs
$200.

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Category 5 Amps Tsunami

anthony — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:50:12 +0000

The Tsunami is an 18 watt boutique amp by Category 5. It's a great amp for classic rock and blues. The 18 watts of power mean that this small, portable amp works great for small venues, especially blues clubs, and it also works great as a recording amp. The Tsunami features two preamp channels, a global reverb circuit, variable recording line out, and a variac voltage control.

The first channel has a single gain stage that provides some nice tube overdrive. The second channel is for versatility. Here, you’ll find a full tone stack and the ability to really shape the tone to your liking. This channel is great for scooped mids, treble, and bass, and with three cascaded gain stages, you’re able to get both more and less clean headroom than you can with the first channel.

The Tsunami is powered by two EL84 power tubes and four 12AX7 preamp tubes. The first channel features tone and volume controls, while the second features volume, bass, middle, and treble controls. The basic Tsunami 1x12 combo amp retails for $2579.

MI Audio Blues Pro Overdrive Pedal

anthony — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:41:29 +0000

Looking for a great blues overdrive pedal? Then check out the MI Audio Blues Pro Overdrive. This low-medium gain overdrive provides great sounds for everything from a light blues to great classic rock tones. The booster is very clean and transparent when you’ve got the gain down, but it certainly lights up when you add in more and more gain. Then you’ve got the tone control, which gives you everything from a nice, tight sound to a mellow, smooth overdrive. There’s no odd muffled tomes or any tinny sounds when you crank it to the extreme, either. The Fuzz switch then gives you the option to move the Audio Blues Pro to Fuzz mode, a mode that focuses on tones from the 1960s.

You’ll find that the MI Audio Blues Pro Overdrive features a lot more gain than other pedals created by MI, such as their Blue Boy Overdrive. It still keeps that great defined, sweet tone, however, at all levels of sound. It can give you some great extreme control without making it sound extreme. There’s no need to worry about this pedal sounding too loud or crazy. If you need an overdrive that lets you crank it up, the MI Audio Blues Pro is for you. It retails for $129.95.

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Dr. Z Stang Ray

anthony — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:05:52 +0000

The Dr. Z Stang Ray premiered in 2006, and within no time was already a good-to amp for a number of players. One of the key features of the Stang Ray is it's ability to deliver a fat tone that is also still quite articulate. It has a very full and defined sound with a nice, deep sustain. The mids are very strong and aren’t pinched off at all, while the low end is rich warm and defined.

The Stang Ray (once named the Mantaray) is the result of Dr. Z collaborating with country superstar Brad Paisley. The two had previously worked together on the Prescription Extra Strength, and they were eager to partner up again. They set out to create an amp that provides a great pallet of great tonal possibilities and works along with the Prescription Extra Strength. The output transformer was designed by Trainwreck’s Ken Fischer, who had worked with Dr. Z before on the Airbrake. The amp gets at the classic British sound, but also has its own voice that is unique and different.

The Stang Ray is a 30 watt amp that uses four EL84 output tubes, a EF86 preamp tube, and a 12AX7 preamp tube. It features cut, tone, and volume controls, and it generally retails for $2,399.

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Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop Overdrive Pedal

anthony — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:37:46 +0000

Looking for an incredibly responsive overdrive with a sweet warm tone? Need this overdrive to be versatile enough to pair with any amp or guitar? If so, then you need a Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop Overdrive Pedal. This pedal keeps it's signature vintage sound with added gain, and it is super responsive. The pedal will responds to the nuances of your pick attack, and it breaks up naturally, like a tube amp. If you ease back on your picking, the pedal can be more transparent and just add some fatness so that the natural tone of the guitar will really come through.

The overdrive features a Sag knob to mimic tube rectifier sag. By simulating Sag on an amp, the knob opens up many overdrive possibilities. If you want spongey tones, just roll the Sag knob back a bit. The more it’s turned, the tighter and more compressed your sound will become. This pedal is all about subtlety and can really add variety and unique tonal shapes to your sound. The entire pedal is made from a thick, unfinished metal case that is incredibly durable. It’s powered by a 9 volt dc. With this great amount of variety, you may think the Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop Overdrive Pedal will cost a lot, but it’s only $160.

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Shopping Results for Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop Overdrive Pedal

Fairfield Circuitry The Barbershop Overdrive

US $159.00

15d 14h 37m

Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop Overdrive Pedal NEW

US $160.00

12d 17h 35m

Matchless King Cobra

anthony — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:19:51 +0000

Matchless Amplifiers has created a number of great amps, including the Independence, the Clubman, the Nighthawk, and the Spitfire. The Cobra is another favorite. Building on this amp, Matchless created the King Cobra, a 30 watt single channel powerhouse with both tremolo and reverb. The Matchless King Cobra features controls for master tone, tremolo sound and depth, reverb, volume, cut, and master volume.

While it is based on the Cobra amp and includes many of the same features, the King Cobra uses two EL34 tubes instead of the four EL84 tubes the Cobra amp uses. It also features a EF86, four 12AX7s, and a 5AR4/GZ34. You’ll find a speaker phase selector and a high/low power switch on the amp as well. The King Cobra delivers some great distorted tones, but it is also capable of producing amazing clean sounds as well. The tremolo and reverb are top notch, and the amp overall is very high quality, exactly what one would expect from Matchless. Of course, you will pay for quality. Even used, expect to pay as much as $3,000 for a Matchless King Cobra amp.

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Question: High end Guitar Amps?
Money is not an issue, have been looking at matchless amps and a few vox amps. Will be used for many different tones and guitars. What are the luxury/high end brands in terms of amps. I know its all about personal pref etc etc but the question is...what are the rolls royce of guitar amps. electric or acoustic??? i have been playing for over 14 yrs and have my own experience and knowledge but am interested to what youre thoughts are on "the pinnicle of amp perfection" cheers!

Answer: The best guitar amplifier ive ever heard was a Fender bassman 4x10 combo?...Mesa boogie?...well i never got a good sound out of it!... in the 2 years i owned it...Marshalls?...good if you use it flat out!...no good in clubs etc...Try a new Vox valve tronic...surprisingly warm and punchy...only buy 'Old vintage' stuff...if you dont mind unreliability and high voltage mis-haps sometimes lethal?...I personally use 2 Fender FM65's in stereo!...£300 for the pair?...but then I play mostly clean...best of luck...(SOURCE - Yahoo Answers)