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NPD - Accountant Content

monsterthompson

monsterthompson

The Eighth Note Wonder Of The World
Nov 25, 2008
20,285
37,634
Hollywood
#1
Today, I got a brand-new-to-me Fairfield Accountant! I learned two things:

1 - When the pedal is named after your job, it's probably a good idea to try it. I'm an accountant by day, so I'm happy that the word "accountant" isn't actually printed on the pedal. I don't think I could deal with that kind of a reminder.

2 - If I hate your distortion pedal, I probably like your compressor. I know I am in the minority of people who isn't a big fan of the Darkglass distortion pedals. However, I really do enjoy their compressor. I've also not been a big fan of the Barbershop sound clips that I've heard. It sounds too much like a kazoo when pushed. However, after just a few minutes of fiddling around, I think I'm really going to enjoy this pedal, too.

I was really hoping that I would like it more than the Darkglass, and it would be an easy decision which pedal to keep and which one to sell. It definitely isn't looking like it's a clear line winner. Instead, it seems to be a horse of a different color. While I do like the mix control and the LED meter on the Darkglass, I don't use any of the other knobs very much, nor notice any drastic effect when turning them. I like the way the Darkglass rolls off a little bit of the top end, and doesn't lose any of the bottom. The Accountant, on the other hand, does seem to have much more color to it. It has much more noticeable squish in certain settings. And in some settings, it seems like it almost gets cartoonishly weird sounding. Some of the distortion is kind of nice, but at some point it gets to be a little much. In the more subtle settings it seems to be a nice warm squishy pedal.

In the few minutes I've had playing with it, the thing that I've liked the most, is how much more natural and organic it makes my Spector Euro5LX Alex Webster sound. The pickups and preamp in that Spector are very modern aggressive sounding, and they can border on sounding a little sterile. Playing stuff that is more like classic rock or blues can often sound artificial with that bass. However, with the Accountant on, it sounds like it fits in much better.

Okay, back to playing :)

Obligatory pic:
image.jpeg
 
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#6
Crazy Otto said:
How does it pair with your ODB?
Click to expand...

I'm still figuring that out. My Darkglass was used to thicken up the sound going into it. The Volt Thrower (next in line on the board) could sometimes cut more mid than was ideal. I found the compressor first would alleviate that issue, and that the wet/dry mix on the Symmetry was helpful for dialing in the right amount of adjustment. The Accountant doesn't quite do that tick. It lacks the clean blend, and it is brighter than the Symmetry, so the output signal hits the ODB sounding a little different. What I've found, is that at the more subtle settings, running the Accountant into the ODB, I can get some pleasant sounds. However, at some of the more extreme settings, the lows on the Accountant, and really the overall tone gets a little weird and distorted in a squishy way. I've found that doesn't pair well with the warmth of the ODB, and it just gets sloppy sounding. It is even a bit muddy for the Volt Thrower, which is a tighter, crisper sound.

I'm still early in the experimenting phase, though :)
 
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#11
monsterthompson said:
2 - If I hate your distortion pedal, I probably like your compressor. I know I am in the minority of people who isn't a big fan of the Darkglass distortion pedals. However, I really do enjoy their compressor. I've also not been a big fan of the Barbershop sound clips that I've heard. It sounds too much like a kazoo when pushed. However, after just a few minutes of fiddling around, I think I'm really going to enjoy this pedal, too.
Click to expand...

It sounds like we're largely on the same page. I also rather disliked the clipping on the Barbershop and flipped it immediately. I probably would have guessed you would have gone for the Empress comp as it sounds right up your alley. It also has the greatest metering of all time. The Cali76CB has a lot in common with the Empress too, but it's twice the price and the metering is utter garbage.
 
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#12
dinoadventures said:
It sounds like we're largely on the same page. I also rather disliked the clipping on the Barbershop and flipped it immediately. I probably would have guessed you would have gone for the Empress comp as it sounds right up your alley. It also has the greatest metering of all time. The Cali76CB has a lot in common with the Empress too, but it's twice the price and the metering is utter garbage.
Click to expand...

Had a Diamond a while ago, and the Empress seems to be closer to that. Decided I wanted to go a different direction. Also wanted simple controls, and small size on my pedal board. I also like to churn gear :)
 
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#13
monsterthompson said:
I'm still figuring that out. My Darkglass was used to thicken up the sound going into it. The Volt Thrower (next in line on the board) could sometimes cut more mid than was ideal. I found the compressor first would alleviate that issue, and that the wet/dry mix on the Symmetry was helpful for dialing in the right amount of adjustment. The Accountant doesn't quite do that tick. It lacks the clean blend, and it is brighter than the Symmetry, so the output signal hits the ODB sounding a little different. What I've found, is that at the more subtle settings, running the Accountant into the ODB, I can get some pleasant sounds. However, at some of the more extreme settings, the lows on the Accountant, and really the overall tone gets a little weird and distorted in a squishy way. I've found that doesn't pair well with the warmth of the ODB, and it just gets sloppy sounding. It is even a bit muddy for the Volt Thrower, which is a tighter, crisper sound.

I'm still early in the experimenting phase, though :)
Click to expand...

My inclination would be to run a compressor after dirt...have you tried it after the ODB?
 
#16
MTN.bass72 said:
I've been interested in this little guy.
I've been searching for some dirt, but haven't been happy with any.
How does one run this as a dirty boost/ OD?
Click to expand...

Depends how gritty you like your boost. I like a tighter, harder edged break-up sound, and this gets a tad on the farty/woolly/squishy side for my liking, in the extreme settings. In some of the more more subtle positions, it can be quite pleasant, and I'd think if you like the Mesa Walkabout type of sound, this could be a good tool for that job.

I need to try it with my J. My hunch is that it is great at warming up clean/sterile/thin sounds (like my Spector Euro with EMG), but might be too gooey for warmer rigs (like my P bass with a Steve Harris and Chromes). I also need to try it with my warmer cab, a Barefaced Two10. As of now, I've only used my Barefaced BB2 with it, and my Demeter VTBP M 800D head.
 
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