I have 2. Neither are going anywhere. They’re the best OD ever post-mod. Stacked them up against some boutique stuff and they always come out on top.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Pork Loin mod
- Thread starter johnk_10
- Start date
I picked up a PL based on what I read in this thread. I wanted something to put a bit of growl before my Mesa Subway D-800. I was missing the sound I got from the tube in my previous setup, an Ashdown RPM-1 EVO II preamp into a Crown XTI-1000. I loved the sound of that rig, but not the size. The PL with the mod does an awesome job and comes really close to that tone. I am going to use it as an "always on" bit of dirt before the Subway.
Glad to have stumbled onto this thread and thanks to all who contributed!
Also, I have a 24 more 470pF caps, if anybody wants one just message me.
Glad to have stumbled onto this thread and thanks to all who contributed!
Also, I have a 24 more 470pF caps, if anybody wants one just message me.
Wow,,, can't believe they are going to stop making the PL.
I love mine - which is the second one I've actually owned. Had a PL, sold it, tried out some other stuff, and went back to the PL.
During a show, I am usually am using my foot to roll the overdrive control up and down from song to song.
I guess there is always the Pork & Pickle. (Side note, I recently got a Russian Pickle. Not a huge fuzz guy, but man it sounds so F*ing rad in front of my octave pedal).
If they came out with a small version of the PL, I would be pretty tempted.
I love mine - which is the second one I've actually owned. Had a PL, sold it, tried out some other stuff, and went back to the PL.
During a show, I am usually am using my foot to roll the overdrive control up and down from song to song.
I guess there is always the Pork & Pickle. (Side note, I recently got a Russian Pickle. Not a huge fuzz guy, but man it sounds so F*ing rad in front of my octave pedal).
If they came out with a small version of the PL, I would be pretty tempted.
Anyone know if the Pork & Pickle can get that JohnK Pork Loin sound? I just saw that they're coming out with smalls version.
On a similar note, does anyone know what the outside dimensions of the "smalls" series Pork & Pickle are? I've looked around and couldn't find the actual specs. I'm toying with idea of maybe getting one if there a significant space gain to achieve...
Had a "duh" moment after seing @KansasCityBassDude 's last post and I've reached out to them via their Facebook page. Aside from the dimensions, I also wanted to ask if the PL circuit is exactly the same as the original or if it has been improved/optimized for bass (specifically regarding the headroom issue some of us have at 9V). If it is as small as the Blue Hippo shown on your pic and can be used as-is or easily modded for 18V operation, I might have to get one. I don't really need a fuzz at the moment but the Pickle side doesn't sound too shabby if I ever do.
Blasphemy! That OC-2 is utterly mis-configured.
(I had to, sorry)
(I had to, sorry)
Ordered the Pork & Pickle Smalls and it’s on its way. I’m hoping to get it Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I’ll come back here and give a review and will share how I think it compares to my JohnK Pork Loin.
Looking forward to your review. Kinda hoping you'll tell us it sucks, just so I can skip a GAS attack.
Way Huge didn't get back to me about the headroom question.
This is interesting because it seems like a lot of people here do this mod on a PL that already has this cap?
I know I was about to....
That being said, I didn't feel like my PL was as "dark" as I have seen it mentioned, but the notion of a brighter OD had me intrigued.
So, I got around to using the Pork & Pickle Smalls and it is excellent. There are four knobs inside which really are important to getting your sound. And here's the big part, yes, it got me the JohnK PL sound I was looking for.
Now, I want to say this. I primarily use a Jazz and Precision bass. I primarily use the PL and P&P to get a sound that's primarily clean with some mild breakup and I like to keep as much of my bottom end as possible. I did not experience any bottom end loss with this pedal. You might get different results but that's how I use the pedal.
There are two things though. The first one I bought worked fine until about half an hour of using it then it started giving me a giant clicking sound every time I engaged the pedal. I bought it from Sweetwater so I contacted them and they sent me a new one immediately before they even received the return. They paid for the return shipping. I have had no issues with the second one.
Secondly, after reading through @johnk_10's (the man behind the mod) website, and seeing his HIGH praise for the SourceAudio Aftershock, I decided to give that pedal a try. I won't go too far into it here because this is a Pork Loin mod page, but I decided, crazily enough, that is the only distortion pedal I need. I'm selling my PL, Green Russian, and the new P&P. Anyway, to see what he wrote about the Aftershock you can check out his post here.
Thanks for the report!
After the initial GAS that this pedal sparked ("Oooooh, shiny!") I've decided not to buy it, since the space I'd gain from the smaller enclosure would not be enough to squeeze an extra pedal on my board anyway...so I'm holding on to my good ol' full-size modded Pork Loin until further notice!
So the After Shock is that good, uh? I might have to reconsider digital pedals, then. TC Electronic kinda ruined them for me with that trainwreck of an interface they had on the SpectraComp. My only other concern with digital effects is the noise level...How do you power your After Shock? Daisy chained or via a Voodoo Lab type power supply with fully isolated outputs?
I'm not noticing any noise with the Aftershock. I charge mine through an MXR Power Brick. One other nice thing about this pedal is that there is an adjustable noise gate built in so if you do notice noise you can use that but I’ve yet to have seen a need for it.
I agree with you about issues with TC products. I had high hopes for them and was let down.
I’m also in the same boat as preferring analog but I will say the Aftershock does not feel digital at all. Be prepared though to spend some time on it to figure it out and go through the many many voices it offers to sculpt your sound.
Back to the P&P though. I would say if you’re happy with your PL then stick with it. The P&P is excellent but it’s not a necessary upgrade.
So how would one tell if a Pork Loin is from the first run or not? Is there a way to tell just by looking at a picture of it, like on Reverb or the classifieds? I love my JohnK modded Pork Loin so much, I’m considering getting a second while they can still be found, since they’re discontinued. I’ve noticed that some Pork Loins say “Soft Clip Injection” right above the switch, and others say “Overdrive” instead. I was curious if that was an indication of an older vs newer run.
The ones with “soft clip injection” are the first ones. I can’t remember exactly when it changed I’ll try to get some more info but I believe they started making the ones labeled “overdrive” before the Johnk mod happened, so there is no real way to know if you are buying one with the mod from the factory or not.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
