Originally conceived as a small start-up operation in 1992,
Way Huge was helmed by relatively unknown upstart inventor
Jeorge Tripps with the intent of constructing high quality effect
pedals for gigging musicians. Way Huge products helped start
the golden age of gear we’re now in, but when the company
closed down in 1999 the boutique pedal boom had hardly
even begun. Current boutique mainstays were crafting their
designs and slowly gaining ground with players at the time,
and some believe that Way Huge simply missed the boat
because of unpredictable timing and the unforeseeable explosion
of demand that was only a couple of years away. Timing
aside, the design and construction of Way Huge pedals was
nothing short of perfection. They were classic effect foundations
combined with modern revamps that were truly ahead of
their time.
Tripps chose very high quality components with very closely
matched tolerances, which provided smooth analog warmth
and feel, and a much more consistent tone from pedal to
pedal. On top of that, the pedals left a modest footprint on
the pedalboard. Because of the very high quality parts and
production, their limited availability and unique personality
drove prices through the roof, with some selling for over a
$1000 dollars. Way Huge (along with numerous other small
companies) informed a generation of guitar players that there
were many more choices available to them than they could find
at major chains.
Because of the high demand, Jim Dunlop commissioned Tripps
to bring back the Way Huge line, to give the average player
a chance to enjoy some of these renowned pedals. Along
with the reissue of the Swollen Pickle Jumbo Fuzz comes the
introduction of two new products: the Fat Sandwich Harmonic
Saturator and the Pork Loin Soft Clip Injection.
Way Huge Pork Loin Soft Clip Injection Overdrive
A new addition to the Way Huge effect pedal line, the Pork Loin is aimed
at the more established styles of blues, country and classic rock ‘n’ roll. It
is certainly the subtlest offering in the new lineup, aiming to thicken and
refine the inherent tone of the instrument without excessive EQ-ing and
distortion. The unit accomplishes this by taking the original signal and
running it through a preamp, then layering it on top of a variable soft
overdrive. This gives a three-dimensional feeling: a very cultured clean
tone over a foundation of warm distortion, mimicking the technique of
playing through a clean amp and an overdriven one at the same time—a
method that has become a staple of the blues and rock tones achieved
by such players
as Stevie Ray
Vaughan.
Grabbing a
2007 Fender
Nashville
Telecaster and a
1978 Gibson Les
Paul Custom, I
put the pedal
through its
paces with a
1982 Marshall
JCM800 50W
head.
The Pork Loin’s
controls are
very simple and
well laid out: Volume, Overdrive and Tone, and two smaller controls labeled
Curve (which allows the player to tailor the corner frequencies to round out
the tone) and Clean (volume control for the clean sound in the overall tone).
Unlike most of the other overdrive pedals Way Huge has introduced, the
Pork Loin doesn’t have a lot of gain on tap. This was a little disappointing at
first, but after figuring out how to dial in the unit, it became apparent that
it doesn’t really need a lot. The pedal really shines with single coil guitars,
as the Telecaster/Pork Loin combination demonstrated. The clean on this
particular JCM800 is very smooth, but a little flat. After engaging the Pork
Loin, dialing up the overdrive control to about 70% and mixing in the clean
to taste, the tone gained a lot of bite and muscle. It’s important to note that
there are internal controls for Filter, Voice and Mix, which offer even more
options: they can change the frequencies used and even allow the pedal to
be used as a preamp if you dial out the overdrive completely.
Pushing the volume control higher, the amp really started to cook, mixing
the Pork Loin’s signal with the natural Marshall bite. It was a very pleasing
tone. The Pork Loin makes a great fit for players in the “set it and forget it”
category. Rolling down the volume and picking lightly proved that the Pork
Loin is also highly sensitive to picking style, as it has a very natural way of
cleaning up. The Les Paul definitely hit the amp harder than the Tele did,
but the results were spectacular (albeit different) with great, responsive overdrive
tones. Boosting the amp while it was overdriven pushed it into Alice in
Chains territory, making the combination a force to be reckoned with.
Buy if...
your tone is lacking in punch, definition, and refinement.
Skip if...
more gain is necessary.
Rating...
Go to Page 2 for the Fat Sandwich Harmonic Saturator Review...