My Dirt Bender - Another Jounal

[el murdoque]

I know you prefer the real thing but this one is doing the trick for me: Mosky 250X

Back then brand dealerships were closely guarded and highly competitive, very few music stores had more than one or two pedal lines so it was very common to have similar pedal types from differing brands that did not overlap. This was because the various brands were represented and sold through different distribution networks most often by a sales rep that visited stores in a region or state. MXR, DOD and ROSS are examples of these US brands before we saw the imports like Boss and Ibanez virtually took over the effects market. These were often aligned through instrument, amp or string manufacturer distribution networks. There were also several niche manufacturers that made "house brands' for different distributors that offered a wide range of music accessories known as "one stops". C. Bruno was a main one in Texas but there were several in different regions of the US. I would surmise it was much the same in the UK. The markets were limited so much before what we take for granted in todays 'world market'.


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I did order an MXR that seems to be from the 90s. This should be my starting point.
With the DOD, after watching the hour long video that Josh from JHS did on them and reading up some more, It seems that it's impossible to say there is "The" DOD 250. The vintage ones were cobbled together with whatever components could be sourced at the time and no two units sound exactly alike.
Since it's a very simple circuit and the internet seems to claim that the 250 is like the D+ but with a bit more treble, I'll check out the D+ first and then decide if that is a rabbit hole worth diving into. Vintage units are available - and actually not that expensive considering what other pedals in my ever changing collection cost, but I am at the point where I am reluctant to spend that kind of money on a pedal that used to be cheap, was in and out of production for about half a century and is a very simple affair. It just does not feel right in my gut. But maybe the arrival of the pedal changes that.

The same goes for the Rat, by the way.

 

[mouthmw]

Grabbed a Gladius yesterday to see how it works as a dirt pedal. I’m definitely intrigued.

 

[el murdoque]

For a Gladius, I would need to start by buying a pick first

 

[gillento]

.... buying a pick first

Thats would be an interesting journal as well

 

[gillento]

.....

Talking about history, I spent yesterday evening watching the JHS Show video on the history of the DOD250 circuit.
.....

Just watched it as well: great story telling!

 

[el murdoque]

Just watched it as well: great story telling!

Say what you want about Josh, but when he does such a thing he's so thorough, you begin listening for a German accent ;-)

 

[OnlyFlats]

When DigiTech got back up and running, they started making Dod 250s again. You can probably buy one from your local music shop. The classic yellow box but with a working led.

Now they're doing a fancy one

Which is more like the clones going about. Nice though!

But you don't need this el murdoque, try the mxr first. It would just be obsessive and unnecessary getting a dod 250 too...
Wouldn't it?

 

[gillento]

In his video said that the "regular" yellow one (the one that's easily available) is his favourite. It can't be that bad.
I got one of those on a whim from a big european retailer and I love it.

 

[el murdoque]

In his video said that the "regular" yellow one (the one that's easily available) is his favourite. It can't be that bad.
I got one of those on a whim from a big european retailer and I love it.

Well, the regular one he refers to is the model that was done around 2010. They were shut down after that and went back in production a year after the video was published - I have no Idea if the 2010 and the 2023 releases are identical.

 

[el murdoque]

But you don't need this el murdoque, try the mxr first. It would just be obsessive and unnecessary getting a dod 250 too...
Wouldn't it?

Well, since you damn well know that obsessive and unnecessary are my middle names, you also know what direction you're pushing me here.
Right over the edge.
I got something incoming, which is neither the current golden version nor the fancy grey one.

 

[gillento]

Well, since you damn well know that obsessive and unnecessary are my middle names, you also know what direction you're pushing me here.
Right over the edge.
I got something incoming, which is neither the current golden version nor the fancy grey one.

JHS version?

 

[dedpool1052]

Good news: Rat inbound.


What about the Joyo Splinter?
Would that qualify as a cheap copy? What I like about that one is that it's capable of doing the Fat Rat.

I found one for twenty bucks.

A buddy of mine gifted me a joyo splinter.
It's pretty badass.
Highly recommended.

 

[dedpool1052]

Take your rodent to the vet and have it chipped. With a Motorola LM308. Or a Texas Instruments OP07 - or possibly a Texas Instruments OP07 that was re-labeled as a Motorola LM308 and sold as NOS at a higher price.

Good read here by Josh of JHS:

JHS Pedals

Guitar Effects Pedals made in Kansas City USA.

thejhsshow.com

My plan was to start with a simple ProCo Rat. Current issue, whatever the second hand market comes up with. I found one for 45 bucks, but was too slow. My current market sees €75 for a used one as the standard price - which is a bit much IMO, since Thomann sells them for €93.

I am fairly sure this will already be quite the experience. And I think I will then proceed to get one of the cheap ones, Harley Benton Rodent, Mosky, whatever.

The boutique way will only be trodden once I found that it is worth exploring further - I am gravitating towards the Blue Collander Tremond. A Rat from Poland with an interesting dry blend.

Late to the party WRT rats, the Broughton Locust Star is tops for me.
So versatile.
Can even function as a preamp.
Used to be hard to find, they pop up regularly on reverb.

I had one once a few years ago, ditched it in favor of other pedals.
Missed it, got another one locally a few months ago.
Immediately reminded of it's versatility.
Not letting it go again.

 

[warptheory]

Don’t mean to derail this thread, but came across this headphone amp that looks pretty sweet and started a thread on it in case anyone is interested. seems pretty legit for an at home practice rig.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/walrus-audio-canvas-rehearsal.1666024/

 

[MattiZ]

Thanks for that. How do you like the pedal?

Well. It does what it is supposed to do. I like the size, the volume control, the adjustability of the Auto-Return Delay function and the fact that it leaves low frequencies quite intact. It may not have the greatest wah sound ever, but I’m using it more as a band-pass filter, positioned last in my chain after lots of dirt, pre-amp, modulation and reverb. It works for me.

About the bypass, I could not detect a change in sound in band rehearsals with the MusicomLab EFX-VI loop containing the Cry Baby Bass Mini Wah on or off. But, there are always-on buffers in my signal, starting at the Thumpinator, also the EFX-VI has three buffers, one of them permanently on.

 

[el murdoque]

Don’t mean to derail this thread, but came across this headphone amp that looks pretty sweet and started a thread on it in case anyone is interested. seems pretty legit for an at home practice rig.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/walrus-audio-canvas-rehearsal.1666024/

To derail this thread, a necessary condition would be that is actually is on a rail ;-)

This seems like a smart device, quite useful. Here's me saying one positive thing and then start complaining:
The manual states it runs Bluetooth 4.2 - I hope that's a typo and they meant 5.2 - the 4.2 standard is 10 years old.
On top of that, I would have wished for a bit more juice on the headphone out - it does not look like it can drive a 300 Ohm headphone with any kind of authority.

 

[el murdoque]

Late to the party WRT rats, the Broughton Locust Star is tops for me.
So versatile.
Can even function as a preamp.
Used to be hard to find, they pop up regularly on reverb.

I had one once a few years ago, ditched it in favor of other pedals.
Missed it, got another one locally a few months ago.
Immediately reminded of it's versatility.
Not letting it go again.

You're not exactly late to the party - I had the RAT ordered and then instantly shifted my focus on the D+ / DOD250 topic. All these pedals are still inbound, so nothing has happened yet.
I remember that @Charlie Tuna sent me his Locust Star a long while ago. Back then, I was still completely on the "I want a fat, but sparkly, expensive sounding drive that gets me a barely there feeling and rich harmonics" The Locust Star did not deliver on that front at all. IIRC, I did not play and experiment for long before sending it back. Might be time to re-visit. But first, I should wait on the pedals to arrive and then give them their proper test drives.

 

[el murdoque]

JHS version?

Could you stop doing that?
Am I that predictable or do you have a decree in basic mind reading?

 

[dedpool1052]

You're not exactly late to the party - I had the RAT ordered and then instantly shifted my focus on the D+ / DOD250 topic. All these pedals are still inbound, so nothing has happened yet.
I remember that @Charlie Tuna sent me his Locust Star a long while ago. Back then, I was still completely on the "I want a fat, but sparkly, expensive sounding drive that gets me a barely there feeling and rich harmonics" The Locust Star did not deliver on that front at all. IIRC, I did not play and experiment for long before sending it back. Might be time to re-visit. But first, I should wait on the pedals to arrive and then give them their proper test drives.

Adding to the DOD250 topic, the yellow drive from Spiral Effects is fantastic.
Had one, gifted it to a buddy after a local tragedy, and have since been unable to reacquire another.

Apparently, another TB'er talked to Tom Cram (who worked at DOD, and runs Spiral Effects) says this is close to the Yellow Drive
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...ive-preamp-250-pedal-50th-anniversary-edition

 

[el murdoque]

One very brief word on the Aftershock:
I brought it to rehearsal, but none of the sounds I put in there did work for me.
It was not even a close thing. I brought a pen to take notes - but the only note I had to take was "Scrap everything".