Gear Acquisition Syndrome and Me
Although my blog posts are few and far between (usually during a rare lull in writing/university/band activities), it suddenly struck me that I’d never done a full-length piece on an affliction which affects the majority of guitarists: Gear Acquisition Syndrome, often shortened to G.A.S. The term, or so the legend goes, was originally coined by Walter Becker of Steely Dan in a 1996 article for Guitar Player magazine. His original definition described an insatiable need to acquire more and more guitars, all of which sound essentially the same but feature marginal technical alterations so as to render them desirable, hence the original acronym Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. Over the years the virus has spread and now affects all manner of instrumentalists, as well as the possession of all possible aspects of gear.
Aside from the financial strife induced by the condition, the least desirable characteristic of G.A.S. is the lack of actual playing, songwriting and practice which occurs as a result of trying out so much new gear. And with the renaissance of the YouTube gear demo, bolstered by the likes of ProGuitarShop, the temptation to purchase and subsequently test a new product with your own rig can often be far too much to bear. Of course, whatever ends up being acquired is often quickly sold on as it doesn’t quite “gel” with any number of factors (guitar, pedals, amp, playing style, colour scheme etc.). This leads to a constant desire to achieve that “perfect” rig, a state of acceptance where you, as a player, are happy with your sound and what it says about you.
ProGuitarShop: dangerous for your bank balance and time-keeping abilities.
G.A.S. affects people in different ways. Personally, I reached a stage where I was satisfied with my guitar and amp some time ago, although this is more likely due to my notoriously cheap-skateish nature rather than a divine sense of contentment. No, my vice lies with effects pedals, as anyone who’s seen my pedalboard will testify. I don’t even buy anything particularly expensive; there are some absolute bargains scattered across my collection. However, to obtain these great deals, as well as research what makes the pedals themselves any good, I have spent countless hours scouring the ‘net, whether that be Google, eBay or the Harmony Central Effects Forum, the latter of which providing the biggest G.A.S. injection of all (no sniggering at the back please).
In addition to the somewhat localised nature of my G.A.S., it tends to strike only at particular times. Boredom is an obvious catalyst, as is listening to new bands and wanting to, ahem, “borrow” a few of their aural tricks. However, if I want, and I mean really want something, I will somehow manage to incorporate that particular sound into a new song, before I even have said sound in my arsenal. The tone I’ve conjured in my head will be so indispensable to the composition that I simply won’t be able to play the next gig without it, or so I tell myself. This has resulted in audience members commenting that they can’t take their eyes off my feet as I tap-dance my way through myriad different noises. My response is that the actual guitar playing doesn’t bother me so much any more; my main worry onstage is coordinating my feet so as not to fall over when switching pedals on and off.
My pedalboard: great sounds, but a logistical nightmare to navigate.
Still, considering the relative cheapness of my addiction, I don’t have that much to complain about; I’m not blowing my cash on vintage Les Pauls every month, partly because I’m a poor student and partly because I’m more of a Strat man myself. And, true, some aspects of my ‘board have stayed fairly constant over the years (despite buying a number of potential “replacements” which subsequently failed to stand up to their predecessors). But still, there exists that sense of utter frustration when you buy one thing to replace another thing only to discover that there was really nothing wrong with the original thing. By all means, I can simply sell the new pedal (in this case) and keep the old one but that means more time spent on eBay, more lost parcels courtesy of the Royal Mail and, ultimately, less playing time.
It’s for these very reasons that I admire players like Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello; now there’s a man who has steadfastly, perhaps even stubbornly, stuck to his gear-based guns and kept the same amp and almost the same pedal setup for nigh-on twenty years. Then again, I’ve hardly been complimentary of Morello’s actual songwriting in the last ten of those twenty years (see, for example, my review of third solo album World Wide Rebel Songs) so perhaps keeping his rig the same has limited his creativity in the process. Hmm.
Tom Morello: keeping it simple.
Nonetheless, there’s something to be said for that kind of approach and I believe that all G.A.S. sufferers could learn a little from Morello’s anti-consumerist philosophy. After all, undisputed guitar god Joe Satriani, despite a gargantuan range of signature products, has famously said that “tone is in the fingers, effects just do the colo[u]ring”; nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the closing video clip below, where Satriani plays 80s classic ‘Surfing with the Alien’ through a guitar, pedal and amp combo that couldn’t cost more than a couple of hundred pounds, yet sounds almost indistinguishable from his thousand dollar rig. And if that doesn’t make G.A.S. sufferers shut down the computer and pick up the guitar, I don’t know what will.
Marshall Echohead Review
That there are so many different delay pedals on the market demonstrates not only the effect’s popularity, but also its supreme influence on modern music. With such a wealth of options available to guitarists it’s easy to overlook any number of underrated gems, something that is certainly the case with the Echohead, one of the standout products in Marshall Amplication’s most recent foray into the stompbox arena. First released in 2002, the Echohead has never achieved the same kind of fanfare that has greeted similar offerings from Boss and Digitech, although it has been developing a steady following thanks to its low price, particularly on the used market. Faced with an unending deluge of new delay units, can the Echohead still hold its head above an ocean of competitors?
On The Surface
Whatever you think of Marshall’s pedal design, there’s no denying its sleekness. In fact, most everything about the Echohead screams quality; whether it’s the unit’s comforting weight, the sturdy metal jacks or the recessed metal knobs, the pedal’s build quality belies its Chinese origin. And while the on-off switch feels suspiciously light to the touch, it still gives a satisfying click upon operation. In fact, if there are any complaints to be had, they lie with the robust, yet much-maligned, control knobs, as their thin black setting markers fail to show up under harsh lighting. Indeed, Marshall would be advised to cut back on the shine factor as users may end up feeling their way if their live set requires a lot of delay tweaks.
Feature-wise, there’s a lot on offer: external tap tempo, up to 2 seconds of delay time and six usable, and not so usable, delay modes (hifi, analogue, tape echo, multi tap, reverse and 
mod filter). In fact, this advanced feature set may account for the pedal’s fairly high current draw (80mA), so try to avoid using batteries: they’re unlikely to last more than an hour or two.
The Echohead still has plenty more tricks hidden beneath that space-age exterior. For one, it not only works in stereo but also provides two options for mono outputs: a passive bypass or a high-quality buffered bypass with trails. The former doesn’t offer the much sought-after “true bypass” but is a useful option if your ‘board is already overrun with buffers or if you simply don’t want your delay to continue when you turn the pedal off, as is the case with the buffered trails option. The pedal also features a true analogue signal path, ensuring that both your delayed and non-delayed tone will remain the same, without the audio path crumbling under the weight of those evil digital converters. Sure, there may be no looper function or stereo inputs but for a digital delay of this build quality at this price point and with external tap tempo, their exclusion is understandable.
Sounds
As an obvious starting point, the Echohead’s default digital setting, or “hifi” as it’s labelled on the pedal, is faithful to the original input signal but without the harshness associated with, say, Boss’ recent efforts. In this respect, it melds well with the guitar’s tone, ensuring that the effect is present but without ever dominating what the guitar is actually playing. Indeed, anyone looking for a delay to mask their mistakes might want to look elsewhere, although the Echohead makes a good job of texture-thickening on spacious riffs.
In terms of retro appeal, the analogue setting (note the uncompromisingly British spelling) further supports the Echohead’s claim as a background effect. While it may not be quite as faithful as other compact digital offerings, it works well to add a subtle ambience without muddying a distorted tone. Similarly, the tape echo mode adds a pleasing “flutter” and degradation to its repeats and is capable of anything from slapback to psychedelica. Looking back, it’s a shame Marshall never expanded upon this pedal range because, with a few extra controls, the Echohead’s tape mode could have been a real force to be reckoned with in the modern tape echo simulation stakes.
The pedal’s last three settings are where things start to get a little weird. The reverse mode, in particular, is probably the least usable of all, but the same can be said about its inclusion in the majority of other delays. In a time of need reversing a melody can serve as an impetus for songwriting but don’t expect to use it too often. Similarly, mod filter may be a bit too wacky for some tastes as it adds a uni-vibe-esque swirl to the repeats, something which can be a tad overbearing in more subtle moments; more usable would have been a chorus or vibrato effect setting, along the lines of the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man.
More usable is the multi tap setting, which allows for some interesting rhythmic interplay ala The Edge or for more subtle cascading delays, as seen in Joe Satriani’s staggered delay use in live settings. Again, this isn’t likely to form your bread-and-butter, all-purpose setting but it’s always fun to have additional options, particularly when recording. Another interesting quirk is that the Echohead will repeat forever when the feedback is set to full and, if the trails output is used, the pedal will repeat indefinitely when off. While this can be useful for songwriting, it also means that the pedal won’t self-oscillate so if you’re an aspiring spaceship pilot, this may not be the delay for you.
Overall
Even in today’s oversaturated delay market, the Marshall Echohead can still fight its corner. The sheer quality of the sounds on offer, as well as the construction of the unit itself, means that, at least as a basic external-tap-tempo-equipped delay (one of very few at this price point), the Echohead is an option to be considered. However, some of the mode choices are a tad overambitious and more controllable parameters are required to make them truly useful in an everyday setting; a few tweaks here and there and Marshall would have an unquestionable winner on their hands, particularly if they include a looping function to compete with some of delay’s big boys. Still, any quibbles about functionality are easily dispelled by the Echohead’s ease of use and pristine sound quality, making this an ideal entry-level or secondary delay on your pedalboard.
Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus Review
Danelectro’s Cool Cat range has been a pleasant surprise for anyone who has tried any of their funky-looking but great-sounding boxes. Although a number of pedals (Transparent Overdrive, Drive and Fuzz) now have second incarnations, partly due to rumours of boutique-“inspired” circuits, much of the original lineup is still going strong and with good reason. Indeed, the Cool Cat Chorus is Danelectro’s fourth mass-produced chorus pedal and, some would argue, their best, thanks to the many advantages the company’s latest format brings with it as standard.
On The Surface
If any stompbox stylistics will split opinions, it’s Danelectro’s and the Cool Cat series is not one to buck the brand’s unique, but ultimately bizarre, trend. Where other companies are happy to settle with a non-descript rectangular box, Dano have gone one “better” and created some kind of half-car, half-animal-paw hybrid with a kerazy logo. On the plus side, this will liven up any pedalboard lacking in character but whether such a flamboyant personality is wanted is another matter entirely.
Still, to concentrate on appearance is to ignore all the fantastic features Danelectro have, ahem, crammed into this crazy cat. True bypass, metal enclosures and jacks, as well as a blinding blue LED come as standard in the Cool Cat series and the Cool Cat Chorus is no exception. Four controls for mix, EQ, speed and depth make this the most versatile cheap chorus on the market, particularly when compared to its closest true-bypassed competitor, Electro-Harmonix’s Small Clone. Unfortunately, the sheer number of knobs also brings with it a number of extra problems; top-side controls may prevent inadvertent setting changes mid-stomp but they also make turning the damn things much harder than on a regular stompbox, particularly with regard to the stacked mix/EQ controls. Fortunately, power preferences are the simple Boss 9V kind, ensuring that the Cool Cat Chorus isn’t quite the most finicky feline on your board.
Sounds
It’s only upon hearing a Cool Cat that you realise exactly why they’ve been such a success; close your eyes and you’d believe that you were listening to a far more expensive pedal. Indeed, not only does the Cool Cat excel in its basic chorus tones, but the range of sounds available make it worth much, much more than its unassuming asking price.
All controls set to 12 o’clock provide a rich, deep sound and, with a couple of tweaks, dependent on your guitar and amp setup, it’s perfect for adding a touch of shimmer to an exotic chord progression. The EQ and depth knobs are particularly effective for avoiding the sometimes seasick, but always overused, 80s chorus effect, making this cat an ideal candidate for the clean grunge and metal tones popularised by the likes of Nirvana and Metallica in the early 90s. If, however, the 80s are still your proverbial thing, a touch of distortion and a few open chords can help to capture some of that perm-addled magic.
One of the pedal’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to make full use of the mix control, thanks to the effective depth knob. Indeed, true vibrato sounds can be obtained by simply cranking the mix and gradually adjusting the depth to your liking. This can capably reproduce the wobbly sounds heard on Blur’s early work but carries with it a slight alteration of your guitar’s tone which the EQ can’t quite offset. Still, this is to be expected when tonal control is assigned entirely to the pedal, without any of the guitar’s original signal.
Another area in which the Cool Cat succeeds is emulating leslie/rotary speaker tones. A common request for chorus pedals, this sound is best achieved through faster speed and lower depth settings and can add an element of fragility or a psychedelic vibe, depending on your playing style. Considering how highly praised my old Arion SCH-1 is for this very task, I was impressed at how well the Cool Cat held up and, in the case of its enhanced control, superseded the old plastic relic.
Interaction with other pedals is an important area for stompboxes, particularly when it comes to modulation and gain, but, once again, the Cool Cat doesn’t disappoint. The pedal responds well to picking dynamics and there were no detectable clipping issues with high output humbucker signals. Indeed, I had great fun placing the Cool Cat after a high gain fuzz and, combined with a digital delay, was able to emulate a number of square wave synth tones surprisingly convincingly.
Overall
Despite a somewhat overzealous exterior design, the Cool Cat Chorus offers a remarkable feature set at an incredibly impressive price point. While it certainly holds up to pedals double, and even triple, the cost, it does have a number of unique quirks that might dissuade potential buyers. For one, it’s not the quietest chorus when used with gain but still considerably more so than Electro-Harmonix’s offerings. Additionally, the stock chorus sound is more of a square wave than a triangle and, as such, its undulating movements may be interpreted as somewhat “sharp”. However, to ask for a wave shape feature on an already overcrowded control panel would be ludicrous, especially considering the troubles already experienced on this front. However, any drawbacks pale into insignificance upon hearing the lush chorus tones this pedal is capable of and, at such a cheap price, there’s no reason not to give this cat a loving home.
TC Electronic: Saviours of the stompbox?
Winter NAMM 2011 had a whole host of stompbox highlights, including Strymon’s latest mind-bending venture with the Timeline as well as some welcome additions to Malekko’s diminutive (in size only) Omicron line. However, the announcement that has me most excited comes in the form of TC Electronic’s TonePrint series: five new digital stompboxes (plus two analog drives), each with a generous number of modes, true bypass plus stereo ins and outs. On paper these are already impressive specs, especially for the price (around £100-120) but the clever folks at TC have one more trick up their already considerably lengthy sleeve: the TonePrint itself.
TonePrint is, essentially, an additional preset for each pedal which can be downloaded from the TC Electronic website. Each of the five pedals in the TonePrint series offer USB connectivity and, as a result, users have the ability to alter the default sounds hidden within the unit. Like all other presets, TonePrints can be tweaked by utilising the pedal’s individual controls but the base sound is entirely new depending on what has been downloaded to the unit.
Perhaps the most important aspect of this innovation however lies with who created the TonePrints. TC have managed to convince a number of pro guitarists to contribute their own settings, including the likes of muscular death-shred merchant John Petrucci, Doug Aldrich (you know, from Whitesnake) and Bumblefoot (“Guns N’ Roses”). While I’m sure there are thousands of people desperate to experience Bumblefoot’s “evil chorus”, this still doesn’t explain why I’m so excited for the TonePrint series. In fact, my real reason for writing this article is not because of what TonePrint will bring to the pedal arena but what it might stop.
Signature pedals: with an oversaturated signature guitar market, evil heads of marketing lured previously virtuous guitarists into giving their name to a product that people, quite simply, step on. Digitech grabbed Brian May, Eric Clapton and, erm, Dan Donegan while Dunlop have been churning out endless variations on the Cry Baby with Kirk Hammett, Slash and Jerry Cantrell models among the company’s most recent innovations. Even the dead aren’t safe from this insatiable cash-grab as both companies snapped Jimi Hendrix up for a couple of much-needed psychedelic treadle-based units.
Fortunately, should TC’s TonePrint format gain momentum, there’s a real chance that signature pedals could finally be resigned to the wastepaper bins of Digitech’s heads of department, where they belong. We could be spared from the tedious fanfare that surrounds the release of one more digital modelling pedal that the namesake artists would never touch (see Zoom’s artist series). No more would Zakk Wylde be able to promote his tepid approach to “brutal” riffs with yet another signature wah/overdrive/chorus (delete as appropriate). With TonePrint as the default configuration, artists could share the sounds they want to share and we, as guitarists, could make use of the sounds we want to hear. It’s a heart-warming thought and, for that at the very least, I thank TC Electronic (although not for their decision to leave tap tempo off the Flashback Delay). Here’s to forward-thinking and progression!
Then again, I hear that MXR also unveiled another game-changing product at NAMM.
Michael Brown 