Anybody ever try any of the offerings of Nerd Knuckle and S&K? I'm intrigued by their pedals but no real bass info online about any of them.
Their pedals look very nice. They are well thought out and Professionally done with lot's of color choices. They are handmade in Boston. The Ill Omen looks extremely cool and they say they sound great on bass. Time to check Youtube.
All well built and get plenty of praise from guitar folks and builders alike. S&K's VHD is supposedly a ripper on guitar. Not sure if any are bass specific but S&K has a few new ones coming out. I'm interested in his 250/Bifet boost. Nerd Knuckle has some of the cleanest wiring this side of Dunwich.
I've experienced both companies. Well-made, high quality, killer sounding. Worth mentioning that the dudes running these companies are excellent, supportive, rad people.
Thanks. Just had a nice back and forth with Scot at S&K about one of his designs. As you said he was very helpful. May take a chance on one of his pedals just for fun.
It's nice to talk directly and quickly with the dude making the thing. Plus you know exactly whom you are supporting with your payment for his product. The dude works hard and makes nice things .
I took a leap of faith and bought a Nerd Knuckle Martyr Box (one of those dreaded late night purchases that I regretted because I don't need another fuzz). It will be here tomorrow. I do have high hopes though and the Nerd Knuckle guy was super cool to deal with.
Just got a Martyr Box in and put it thru it's paces. Couple observations. 1) Low end is not only preserved, it is thickened and boosted. 2) Boost function probably better for guitar as it seems to cause the pedal to drop a little low end. 3) Articulation and note definition are great. This is not a smooth, silky, synthy fuzz. 4) This thing can be a direct replacement for the Behemoth II for those interested in that pedal. In fact, while I have to fight in vain with my Behemoth to give me the articulation and high end I need, the Martyr Box has the same huge, thick, juicy tone the Behemoth has, but with the all important treble punch/bite that I need. This should not be taken as a swipe at the Behemoth. That pedal is incredible for what it is and what it does. I just prefer a little more bite. 5) Bypass switch is in an awkward place relative to my other pedals, but I can get used to it. 6) Knobs are placed nicely far enough away from the bypass switches. This is an issue I am seeing more and more with boutique builders.......they place everything too close to where my big, clumsy foot is gonna stomp. This pedal doesn't have that problem. 7) The etching is great and the customer service before the sale was top notch. I would not hesitate to add more of Brad Macombers effects to my collection. For now, here's a pic. {}
Couple weeks later and surprisingly (for me) the Martyr Box has not come off the board. I still think the boost function is not very bass friendly, and Brad did confirm that for me, but the main tone is so friggin thick. Keeping the gain below noon elicits the phattest tone I have ever gotten out of a pedal. It's like a Superbass on steroids. People, don't sleep on the Martyr Box, especially if you are looking for a phat, old school sound.
