Texas Dual Overdrive
The Texas Dual Overdrive shares a few features with its series mates—Bypass and channel Toggle switches, Level controls for each channel, and a single Drive control—but from there it goes its own way. Instead of High and Low equalization control knobs, it sports two simple Tone controls—one for each channel. In this case, the pair of plastic switches is dedicated to Bite levels for each channel—off, medium, and maxed-out. Radial claims that Channel-2 is augmented in the mid-range, but to these ears, when set identically, the two channels sound the same. Nevertheless, this configuration allows radically different tonal coloration to be applied to each channel.
What is a Texas tone? Well, to paraphrase what the man said about pornography, you may not be able to describe it but you know it when you hear it. You will hear all sorts of Lone Star sounds coming out of the Texas Dual Overdrive.
Starting on Channel-1, with the Drive set low and the Bite off, my Strat conjured up Stevie Ray for days, whether through the Orange or the Reverend. Strapping on the Tele and moving over to Channel-2, I moved the Bite to medium, rolled the Drive up to noon and the Tone down to 10:00. In no time I was ripping through all the David Grissom licks in my repertoire (both of them), with a tone to match. Just goosing the Drive up to about 2:00 put me smack dab in Billy Gibbons territory with some solid Reverend Willie G mojo.
Like the Hollywood, the Texas responds to pick attack and guitar volume, essential qualities for a blues picker, or for that matter all but the most saturated metal players. This pedal seems to provide a bit more level to drive your amp’s front end, but it is hard to tell because some distortion remains even at the lowest Drive settings.
The Bones Texas nails all the blues-rock sounds associated with the home of the Alamo, and does so with a tube-like tone and response. Think of it as the Super Reverb/Bassman to the Hollywood’s Twin, Dumble, or Boogie.
Buy if...
You want to sound like you were born in Houston.
Skip if...
You think Austin means "Powers."
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