JAM Lucydreamer or Red Muck

[Mark06]

So my first impressions after last evening tests at home with my Wal active bass, old strings, on headphones & small amp :

• Lucydreamer Bass : a bit deceived, the gain is much higher than I thought and heard from demos, even minimized, and the high-gain 2nd FS pushes it nearly to a fuzz (?) as said by @micguy. I didn't open to change the trimpot position but will. On the contrary it can be useful for someone searching both OD & really high gain in the same pedal, maybe @skyisblue. Also, as mentionned by many users on other topics, the tone has to be maxed, or nearly, not to be dark sounding. Actually it's really far from a B3K, but "warmer" (darker) and higher gain at low values, even with blend mix. Both footswitches are relay based and clickless, but they don't keep the active state when powered off then on.

• Red Muck Bass : The tone on this is much more tweakable, depending on mix and gain levels (I'm around 1 o'clock now) but it can go from mid-gain to really high gain fuzz and the 2nd FS is a great gain boost ! Love the tone, not too dark, not too bright. Both footswitches have a very light click, so differ from the Lucydreamer, and they keep the active state when powered off then on.

Even if footswitches are not similar, the build quality is spotless on both.
It seems unity volume level is around 1 or 2 o'clock and not noon so it doesn't have a hugh reserve (contrary to the pork & pickle for instance).

I know have to try different chain order to make combos better with my other dirt pedals and of course, try them, normally this sunday, in rehearsal at high volume and with new strings. I'll post a second review about these then.

 

[Bisounourse]

I own both.
If you want low gain OD with a bit of a vintage flair, I'd got for the Lucydreamer. The Red Muck is great, but it is more in your face.
I would check out some clips of the JAM Rattler (bass version) as well (which I also own). It is a distortion, but it is somewhere in between the Lucydreamer and the Muck; it is touch sensitive as well and you can get some nice low gain sounds of it as well.

 

[Mark06]

Second impressions with home amp but with volume pushed and reversed chain order of the 2 JAM Pedals from OD to Fuzz this morning (in comparison to yesterday evening Fuzz > OD) : Lucydreamer > Rat > Red Muck > Chancellor Wah's Fuzz > Darkglass Alpha Omega (DI preamp)

• Contrary to my first notes, there is a volume level reserve on both, and even more on Lucydreamer.
• Lucydreamer is definitely dark/vintage OD but stack pretty well with the rest, even always on Alpha Omega I use as preamp/DI at the end of my chain and it pushes Rat or Muff in a great way.
• Red Muck is quite versatile in tone and gain level. Great with whammy and much more defined than my tone bender style fuzz (Chancellor Wah's Fuzz) for instance

Try with headphones first was a bad idea... looking forward for the real test in rehearsal.

@Bisounourse : Great suggestion, I asked myself also this and if I didn't already own a Fuzzrocious Rat Tail that I really like, I could have chosen this, certainly a good compromise between both and must not be far from fuzz territory with 2nd footswitch ON

 

[skyisblue]

Second impressions with home amp but with volume pushed and reversed chain order of the 2 JAM Pedals from OD to Fuzz this morning (in comparison to yesterday evening Fuzz > OD) : Lucydreamer > Rat > Red Muck > Chancellor Wah's Fuzz > Darkglass Alpha Omega (DI preamp)

• Contrary to my first notes, there is a volume level reserve on both, and even more on Lucydreamer.
• Lucydreamer is definitely dark/vintage OD but stack pretty well with the rest, even always on Alpha Omega I use as preamp/DI at the end of my chain and it pushes Rat or Muff in a great way.
• Red Muck is quite versatile in tone and gain level. Great with whammy and much more defined than my tone bender style fuzz (Chancellor Wah's Fuzz) for instance

Try with headphones first was a bad idea... looking forward for the real test in rehearsal.

@Bisounourse : Great suggestion, I asked myself also this and if I didn't already own a Fuzzrocious Rat Tail that I really like, I could have chosen this, certainly a good compromise between both and must not be far from fuzz territory with 2nd footswitch ON

Wow, that's very interesting. Yeah definitely worth trying Lucydreamer>Red Muck vs. Red Muck > Lucy Dreamer. Good news is that I asked my JAM dealer today and they can allow me to try both and ship back if I don't like any one of them. What's your impression about Lucydreamer vs. B3k or other type of OD?

 

[skyisblue]

I own both.
If you want low gain OD with a bit of a vintage flair, I'd got for the Lucydreamer. The Red Muck is great, but it is more in your face.
I would check out some clips of the JAM Rattler (bass version) as well (which I also own). It is a distortion, but it is somewhere in between the Lucydreamer and the Muck; it is touch sensitive as well and you can get some nice low gain sounds of it as well.

What do you think about Lucydreamer vs. Vulcan/Darkglass B3k OD? I think I will definitely get a red muck but can't decide if I should have Lucydreamer replace my Vulcan.

 

[Mark06]

What's your impression about Lucydreamer vs. B3k or other type of OD?

Darkglass sounds really different, B3K is very clanky when compared. I think even Darkglass Vintage would be still not as "vintage" or warm sounding as this Lucydreamer but I don't have the Vintage to compare...

 

[Bisounourse]

What do you think about Lucydreamer vs. Vulcan/Darkglass B3k OD?

I have no experience with the Vulcan, as for the DG B3K; I've played through it, but didn't like it; it was too clanky.

 

[Mark06]

So after rehearsal, my verdict is that the Red Muck really owns its place on my board, it's quite close to the (Russian) pickle side of my Way Huge Pork & Pickle but I really appreciate the 2nd stage FS to boost another level and it cuts the mix a bit better on fuzz side.
I'll keep the Pork (Loin) side of the WH Pork & Pickle for overdrive, I find it way more tweakable in terms of gain and tonality, but the lucydreamer will find its place on my 2nd board for funk / soft rock for it's great warmer sound with the huge gain boost/distortion available on 2nd FS when needed.
Honestly the 2 pedals are too different to choose but if you want to cover OD to Fuzz, I really suggest the Pork & Pickle as an option, it has many settings (and inside trimpots) which make it very versatile and it's sounding great.

 

[skyisblue]

So after rehearsal, my verdict is that the Red Muck really owns its place on my board, it's quite close to the (Russian) pickle side of my Way Huge Pork & Pickle but I really appreciate the 2nd stage FS to boost another level and it cuts the mix a bit better on fuzz side.
I'll keep the Pork (Loin) side of the WH Pork & Pickle for overdrive, I find it way more tweakable in terms of gain and tonality, but the lucydreamer will find its place on my 2nd board for funk / soft rock for it's great warmer sound with the huge gain boost/distortion available on 2nd FS when needed.
Honestly the 2 pedals are too different to choose but if you want to cover OD to Fuzz, I really suggest the Pork & Pickle as an option, it has many settings (and inside trimpots) which make it very versatile and it's sounding great.

Wow, thanks a lot! While the pedals are shipping from JAM to my dealer, I will definitely check out the way huge pork & pickle, looks like a very versatile od to fuzz pedal. I am thinking to have Lucydreamer as my od (as you said soft rock, low gain setting) and red muck as fuzz (combine with other pedal for lead/synthy sound). Now I got to compare the pork & pickle lol... Let me know if you have more input on that before I acquire them and try them out myself. Feel free to PM me!