I went nutz over the Ross Pedals...Now look what I did!!

jazzyitalian · #1 12-10-2008, 12:10 AM

I'm not regreting doing what I am about to divulge. To a certain extent, I'm a bit stoked.

I used to have that clunky red (made in Chanute KS) Ross Flanger. Jet Planes, liquid swirls and all the other descriptives in between, this was a great unit. I don't know what got into me, but the damn thing seemed like an inconvenience at times. It didn't fit on a pedal board, the input and output were on the same side. The list goes on.

Like an idiot (and I say this now...), I sold it on eBay thinking that a different unit that fit sqarely would suffice. You know, I was thinking there must be something at the least an equal that fit on a board the way it should....WRONG...

Some of you have lived this story: It's the one about your old high school girlfreind. Right? When things look sad in your love life, you think about her and say to yourself: "I wonder what happened to her? Man was I an idiot for letting her go!"

Well...That's the feeling I got 3 years after letting the Ross go to a "Buy it Now" dude on eBay. It went for a mere $128 and now happily resides in Chicago and hopefully playing in all of the hip clubs and bars.

But why was I so stupid to sell this one? Okay no one answer that question. It's rhetorical. I know this was a dumb move, and you can't fault the guy in Chicago for being smart enough to see a bargain and not to wait it out.

I decided I needed to win her back. Well...not the one I sold. That was long gone and there was no way this guy was going to part with it. Instead, I got her asian sister. That's right! This is the Ross product that was outsourced to Tiawan ROC. I had read the reviews and even spoke with a dude in Canada that knows the Ross products quite well and he swears it'll be much like the US version. Others have said the same thing. (Apparantly Canadians are less hung up about having the "Made in the USA" lable displayed on their pedals.)

Well I had located these Ross Pedals again. This time they came from a pawn shop and they all look impeccable. It's as though they were all placed in a time capsule, and pulled out looking brand new! 1981 here I come!!! I'll be floored if they sound half as good as they look.

I went crazy on this one. Call it desperation. But for me this was the affirmation to never do something stupid again. Or did I do just that? I wound up buying the Flanger...Oh but I also pulled the Ross Phaser/Distortion and then went to the leslie-ish Ross Chorus.

All ROC made, all looking as pretty as can be.

So, I'll be trying these all out and will come back with my opinions. But for those of you familiar with the Tiawan versions, please share your thoughts. I won't take it personally.

Jazz

jazzyitalian · #2 12-10-2008, 12:11 AM

the last one...

katri · #3 12-10-2008, 03:00 AM

How does the chorus sound???
How much did they set you back?

jazzyitalian · #4 12-10-2008, 02:01 PM

Katri-
I'll get back to you on the chorus once it arrives. All three products combined set me back just over $300.

Mark Olson · #5 12-10-2008, 02:09 PM

Not bad! I'm curious to hear how you like the phaser/distortion. I can't remember correctly if that's the pedal the bass player from The Groove Collective uses or not for those fuzz/phase tones.

Basshappi · #6 12-10-2008, 02:55 PM

I remember Ross pedals from back in the day. The guitarist from my first band had a couple.Nice score, give us a review of the pedals when you can.

Cheers!

jazzyitalian · #7 12-10-2008, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basshappi

I remember Ross pedals from back in the day. The guitarist from my first band had a couple.Nice score, give us a review of the pedals when you can.

Cheers!

Yea...So do I. I'm doing more research and as I read along what I'm seeing is that they used a RC 4558 Chip in the USA's and the Asians. I also saw that Germanium was used as a key property to the semiconductors. I haven't heard too many glowing reports on the chip from the real engineers out there that use these chips to build a multitude of things beyond a pedal.

Some of the hardcore pedal jockeys that take it upon themselves to mod, will discuss changing the RC 4558 chip with something more quiet and long lasting. But that's the chip that Ross used.

Thankfully what I think I understand is that the key components to the Ross USA pedals were also used in the Asian modles. So they should be one in the same. I have a friend with the original Ross USA Phaser Distortion. We'll be doing a side by side of those down the road.

Jazz

4stringmangler · #8 12-11-2008, 06:14 AM

i got the red ross flanger, i'm sending it out to get modded for true bypass, move the output jack on the other side and if possible remove the wall wart and install a 9v input jack and a green led.

jazzyitalian · #9 12-11-2008, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4stringmangler

i got the red ross flanger, i'm sending it out to get modded for true bypass, move the output jack on the other side and if possible remove the wall wart and install a 9v input jack and a green led.

My thoughts exactly.
How much is that mod going to run you?

Jazz

4stringmangler · #10 12-11-2008, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzyitalian

My thoughts exactly.
How much is that mod going to run you?

Jazz

i won't know until he get's the pedal and see if all the mods can be done. i won't send it out to get modded till after christmas. i can let you know after he does the mods. i'm sure he will even do the mods for you, his prices are reasonable.

Toasted · #11 12-11-2008, 08:23 AM

It's cool when you get the pedals you've always wanted

katri · #12 12-11-2008, 10:53 AM

Sounds cool.

BTW toasted, great avatar

Gashaponcito · #13 12-11-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katri

BTW toasted, great avatar

+1 XD

The Universe · #14 12-11-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzyitalian

(Apparantly Canadians are less hung up on the "Made in the USA" lable.)

HAHA! Not so my friend - I work in an Eddie Bauer retail store, and I receive customers all the time who ask me "How come everything's made in China these days? Can't get nothing that's American made anymore"

Sadly the truth of the matter is not so much that labour is cheap in the orient, bu more so that China (along with Japan and India) have the most advanced robotics technology in the world, and can mass-produce quickly with generally higher quality than can be produced in the west.

That has nothing to do with bass, bass playing or bass effects. I just felt the need to rant. Working retail before Christmas is hell. But I get to either go to rehearsal or a gig every night so it's all ok :P

Toasted · #15 12-11-2008, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katri

BTW toasted, great avatar

Thanks, I thought TB FX could do with some xmas cheer.

jazzyitalian · #16 12-11-2008, 10:22 PM

Yes....I like the Santa adaptation thing too...

But I'm really looking forward to seeing what these Tiawan ROC's are made of. I'm really hoping that the quality is consistent with the Kansas Ross pedals. Some companies have done exceptionally well in their overseas licenses. And as many of you can attest, some companies have not so well in that effort.

I'm still waiting for them to arrive...I'll let you guys know when they hit my mail box.

Mudfuzz · #17 12-11-2008, 10:43 PM

My guitarist has one of those choruses, very nice deep chorus.

bassteban · #18 12-11-2008, 11:05 PM

I'd love to hear that phaser/distortion.

jazzyitalian · #19 12-11-2008, 11:18 PM

You got it man. I'll PM a bunch of you guys when I have things written up. I'll actually be in a postion to compare this with the US version, as my freind has one of those.

Templar · #20 12-14-2008, 12:06 AM

Dunno what the Taiwan's sound like, but the USA one is extraordinary.