The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[Sushi Box FX]

When do you plan on announcing your December builds?

I can probably announce what the lineup will be for December ordering, I'm planning to open the batch up next week, most likely the 15th (because why not).

The new additions for December batch will be:

• Dreamcatcher
• Echosaurus Valve
• Glass Butterfly

One thing that will most likely change, pending verification in the next week or so:

• SMD UA and SMD Slampegg layouts will move to the same configuration as the HW designs with the tube moved to one side instead of the middle. As I work my way through all my designs for "best engineering practice" it makes more sense from a layout perspective to do it this way. It also eliminates the need for me to maintain two different versions of the CNC drill files and two different versions of the UV print files.

I've considered a bunch of different colors for dealer's choice in December, but none of them really spoke to me, so I'll probably just carry over the November's dealer's choice color and not introduce a new one at this time.

I assumed the pre-finished enclosures also came pre-drilled. Of course, you could also drill an extra hole yourself in that case. I was just overcomplicating for the sake of whiteboarding. Don't mind me.

They do, but I'm not there yet. It's been kind of frustrating working up to it slowly, my original plan was to switch over to pre-made enclosures in July, and that didn't happen. Now I'm shooting for January, we'll see what happens there.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Another quick note, I don't think this will be ready in time for December ordering as I'm still waiting for the circuit boards to arrive, but I've redesigned JC Emerald to the point where it makes sense to start referring to it as "JC Emerald II".

JC Emerald is the stock JCM800 preamp, and I've always felt like it was too bright even on guitar (for my tastes at least). So I started by revoicing it; I shifted the frequency range of the tone stack to open up the bass end a little more, then I removed some of the things I thought were making it overly bright, so it has a more useful range for guitar use. Then I put the things that I had removed back in but on a Bright switch, so you can flip a switch and get back to the stock JCM800 sound. Lastly I added a similar bass boost mod on a switch (which I realize now could more accurately be labeled as a Deep switch) so you can open the low end further for use on bass.

So you're left with 5 knobs (Bass, Mids, Treble, Gain, Master) and 2 switches (Bright, Deep), staying in the same size enclosure. It should be pretty neat

Both switches off = Nathan's guitar tone
Bright switch on, Deep switch off = stock JCM
Bright switch off, Deep switch on = bass-voiced JCM
both switches on = bass-voiced JCM with some added high end, I guess?

 

[bassbrad]

Another quick note, I don't think this will be ready in time for December ordering as I'm still waiting for the circuit boards to arrive, but I've redesigned JC Emerald to the point where it makes sense to start referring to it as "JC Emerald II".

JC Emerald is the stock JCM800 preamp, and I've always felt like it was too bright even on guitar (for my tastes at least). So I started by revoicing it; I shifted the frequency range of the tone stack to open up the bass end a little more, then I removed some of the things I thought were making it overly bright, so it has a more useful range for guitar use. Then I put the things that I had removed back in but on a Bright switch, so you can flip a switch and get back to the stock JCM800 sound. Lastly I added a similar bass boost mod on a switch (which I realize now could more accurately be labeled as a Deep switch) so you can open the low end further for use on bass.

So you're left with 5 knobs (Bass, Mids, Treble, Gain, Master) and 2 switches (Bright, Deep), staying in the same size enclosure. It should be pretty neat

Both switches off = Nathan's guitar tone
Bright switch on, Deep switch off = stock JCM
Bright switch off, Deep switch on = bass-voiced JCM
both switches on = bass-voiced JCM with some added high end, I guess?

That is all unless you want a story.

 

[JackFawkes]

Both switches off = Nathan's guitar tone
Bright switch on, Deep switch off = stock JCM
Bright switch off, Deep switch on = bass-voiced JCM
both switches on = bass-voiced JCM with some added high end, I guess?

Could you ditch the "both switches on" option and just use a single ON-OFF-ON switch?
Switch UP = Bright (stock JCM)
Switch MIDDLE = (Nathan Signature model)
Switch DOWN = Deep (bass-voiced JCM)

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Could you ditch the "both switches on" option and just use a single ON-OFF-ON switch?
Switch UP = Bright (stock JCM)
Switch MIDDLE = (Nathan Signature model)
Switch DOWN = Deep (bass-voiced JCM)

Alas no, because the two switches control completely different things at different parts of the circuit.

EDIT: Just realized I was missing something from my explanation above, in reference to the Bass Boost switch what I meant to say was a "bass boost mod on a switch similar to Black Eye II". I like how it opens the low end without losing anything from the top and without getting too boomy.

 

[Ryan L.]

Another quick note, I don't think this will be ready in time for December ordering as I'm still waiting for the circuit boards to arrive, but I've redesigned JC Emerald to the point where it makes sense to start referring to it as "JC Emerald II".

JC Emerald is the stock JCM800 preamp, and I've always felt like it was too bright even on guitar (for my tastes at least). So I started by revoicing it; I shifted the frequency range of the tone stack to open up the bass end a little more, then I removed some of the things I thought were making it overly bright, so it has a more useful range for guitar use. Then I put the things that I had removed back in but on a Bright switch, so you can flip a switch and get back to the stock JCM800 sound. Lastly I added a similar bass boost mod on a switch (which I realize now could more accurately be labeled as a Deep switch) so you can open the low end further for use on bass.

So you're left with 5 knobs (Bass, Mids, Treble, Gain, Master) and 2 switches (Bright, Deep), staying in the same size enclosure. It should be pretty neat

Both switches off = Nathan's guitar tone
Bright switch on, Deep switch off = stock JCM
Bright switch off, Deep switch on = bass-voiced JCM
both switches on = bass-voiced JCM with some added high end, I guess?

Sold.

 

[4Mal]

@Ryan L. Do we need to arrange an intevention and an introduction to a twelve step process for you?

jk ;-)

 

[CH Design]

For those of you using a Lab Rat, how do you use it in your signal change and what type of tone are you going for?
If I was trying to emulate the grind Justin Chancellor gets on Tool's "The Pot", does it do that kind of grindy crunch that's mixed low sort of tone?

 

[Ryan L.]

@Ryan L. Do we need to arrange an intevention and an introduction to a twelve step process for you?

jk ;-)

Maybe?

But in all seriousness, I really dig Nathan’s pedals, and I really like supporting small builders.

Also, the general vibe of this thread is always positive. There’s no brand/builder bashing, no elitism, etc.

My analog gig board currently looks goes like this:
Shure GLXD16>Doc Lloyd PDR>More>Aguilar Octamizer>Mutron IV>SMD Lab Rat>Fuzzrocious Lil Fella>Strymon Mobius>Echosaurus>HW Space Heater>Empress Bass Comp>SMD UA>SMD Slampegg>SMD Elementary>SMD Finally and out to the board.

This gives me the choice of 3 different preamps/sounds, switching between the UA, Slampegg, and Elementary (which replaced my Dr Wattson).

 

[warptheory]

Maybe?

But in all seriousness, I really dig Nathan’s pedals, and I really like supporting small builders.

Also, the general vibe of this thread is always positive. There’s no brand/builder bashing, no elitism, etc.

My analog gig board currently looks goes like this:
Shure GLXD16>Doc Lloyd PDR>More>Aguilar Octamizer>Mutron IV>SMD Lab Rat>Fuzzrocious Lil Fella>Strymon Mobius>Echosaurus>HW Space Heater>Empress Bass Comp>SMD UA>SMD Slampegg>SMD Elementary>SMD Finally and out to the board.

This gives me the choice of 3 different preamps/sounds, switching between the UA, Slampegg, and Elementary (which replaced my Dr Wattson).

How do you like MORE at the beginning of the chain? I'm looking for something to add to the beginning to drive everything else with just a slight bit of hair on it. I don't know if the MORE or the Space Heater is better. Not looking for a lot of change in tone at the beginning.

 

[Ryan L.]

The Space Heater will give you what you’re describing.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Well I freaking love this. I'm keeping this one. @Derek Williams if you want me to do the hieroglyphic background like this on yours let me know, but this one is for me.

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

Is it safe to assume a Emerald V2 with deep switch engaged can go full Lemmy mode?

 

[all_sixes]

Well I freaking love this. I'm keeping this one. @Derek Williams if you want me to do the hieroglyphic background like this on yours let me know, but this one is for me.

View attachment 4868837

WOAH. That’s even nicer than I expected!

I’m definitely gonna need to get one of these if I like the BEII my buddy picked up.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Is it safe to assume a Emerald V2 with deep switch engaged can go full Lemmy mode?

That was certainly the intention. I haven't been able to find exactly what mods were done to Lemmy's JCM800, but if Lemmy brought me a JCM and asked me to make it rumble, the Deep switch is exactly what I would do to it.

 

[Derek Williams]

Well I freaking love this. I'm keeping this one. @Derek Williams if you want me to do the hieroglyphic background like this on yours let me know, but this one is for me.

View attachment 4868837

It looks cool, but I like the simpler graphics on the one you’ve done for me already. Thanks for offering though!

 

[bassbrad]

Is it safe to assume a Emerald V2 with deep switch engaged can go full Lemmy mode?

That was certainly the intention. I haven't been able to find exactly what mods were done to Lemmy's JCM800, but if Lemmy brought me a JCM and asked me to make it rumble, the Deep switch is exactly what I would do to it.

Details have been scarce about the mods to Lemmy's '76 Marshall Major head or the later custom heads that he toured with. Even the very limited Marshall Signature models reportedly made to his spec are not exact copies. Plus there is so much to the Lemmy Kilmeister sound that it is hard to really replicate, and well it should be. That said I have enough faith in @Sushi Box FX design ear to happily add the E2 to my collection.

I used a tweaked JCM800 stack ( 4x12 over 18 ) as the crunch side while touring hard rock blues act for several years and love that particular vicious grind.

 

[Ryan L.]

The original JC Emerald, running in an effects loop on my Helix, with a Mesa 610 cab sim after it to add some low end, is probably my favorite driven rock tone of all time.

But now that I’m using either the Helix or my analog board live, and not mixing them together, the JCE II should be perfect if it retains the low end. The original is just a little low-shy for my taste to use on its own.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

The original JC Emerald, running in an effects loop on my Helix, with a Mesa 610 cab sim after it to add some low end, is probably my favorite driven rock tone of all time.

But now that I’m using either the Helix or my analog board live, and not mixing them together, the JCE II should be perfect if it retains the low end. The original is just a little low-shy for my taste to use on its own.

I just checked in with my board supplier and it looks like I can expect to have the new boards in hand by the end of next week, I will certainly let you know how it goes.

 

[GR7G5TER]

What if you design the enclosure with a knock out and set up the transformer and XLR on a daughter board you can simply add upon request? Then, you can offer both!

Because, it's just that simple, right?

Haha! I see an electrical incident in my future!