A flexible stomp that spans overdrive and fuzz modes, and sometimes seems to blend them in an inspiring way.
A very juicy, creamy, dynamic fuzz tone that’s well suited to many styles. Bonus slate of drive tones.
Crown-mounted knobs can be tricky to see.
$199
Beetronics Nectar
beetronicsfx.com
If you imagine a gain-pedal spectrum, fuzz is usually situated at one end and boost at the other. The Nectar, from California builder Beetronics, makes it possible to explore both extremes in a single pedal. It also beautifully blurs the lines between those extremes, generating fuzzy overdrive, and thicker, more OD-like fuzz within its wide range.
Beebadoobee Built
Ask Beetronics why they chose to explore the realm of fuzz and overdrive in a single pedal and the likely answer will be “because we could.” Indeed, Beetronics tends to march to its own drum. With just a single footswitch, there are limitations to Beetronics’ take on the concept. Most players that use fuzz and overdrive use two different pedals, or a larger pedal that uses two footswitches to access the two circuits together or independently. Here, you have to use a toggle on the pedal’s crown. But for players that love saving space, having one little pedal that can cover it all is an appealing proposition. Another is how the Nectar’s tones often seem to blend fuzz and overdrive, creating complex dirt sounds.
The Nectar doesn’t mark the first time Beetronics dabbled in fuzz/overdrive fusion. The Royal Jelly runs the two effects side by side, in a much larger three-footswitch, seven-knob pedal. Nectar takes a more economical approach. Apart from the fuzz/drive mode toggle, there are knobs for output volume, “honey,” which controls the gain, and “taste,” which is a dark-to-bright tone knob. All are mounted on the pedal’s crown, which can make it tricky to see your settings on the fly, but it’s easy to navigate the controls by feel after a little practice. The Nectar is a very what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of pedal, with no secret settings or hidden controls or sub menus.
Beetronics pedals are very nicely built. And they have made it a signature of sorts to creatively stretch the meaning of “printed” in printed circuit board—adorning it with a floral graphic similar to the one on the plastic plate on the pedal’s face. Checking out this nifty internal touch is, however, the only reason to remove the plate. There’s no battery connection inside and the pedal is run by an external 9V DC supply only.
Bouncing the Beebop
The core tone in the Nectar’s fuzz mode, which I’m guessing many players will use the most, is rich, creamy, dynamic, and full of sustain. It strikes me as voiced to appeal to a wide range of guitarists and playing approaches. And at the risk of over-egging the metaphor pudding, it is undeniably honey-like, rather than a reproduction of the harsh, edgy, Velcro-like tones you associate with early fuzz boxes. Such smoothness—some might hear a balanced, contemporary distortion— means the Nectar works across genres without sounding too vintage, which is a good thing, in my opinion.
That said, the Nectar’s fuzz mode can sting when the taste knob is up high. With some guitar/amp combinations, you might even hear traces of harshness. But it is mostly appealingly sweet and luscious at heart, and there is so much range in the gain control that you might be tempted to skip the drive mode. Right up to around 10 o’clock on the honey knob, the fuzz maintains a thick, clear, edge-of-breakup response that’s very dynamic and definitely well south of true fuzz in terms of gain. It’s an appealing overdrive alternative.
As rich as the fuzz mode’s low-gain sounds are, the drive side’s fat-boost and low-gain overdrive sounds offer a practical alternative to fuzz mode. Real breakup, predictably, happens much deeper in the honey control’s range. And when you max it, the drive mode gets aggressive, with a throaty bark reminiscent of, if not precisely like, the MXR Distortion+. It’s a gutsy sound and adds character and muscle to any guitar you put in front of it. In drive mode, the Nectar also stacks well with other overdrives. I love how it meshed with a Marshall-like JHS Angry Charlie and a Tsakalis Six (which approximates the Paul Cochrane Timmy, Marshall Bluesbreaker, and Analog Man King of Tone) without devolving into a muddled mess.
The Verdict
With a tonal range that bridges brawny boost and a particularly delectable fuzz, it’s hard to avoid wishing the compact Nectar’s two modes were footswitchable rather than toggle activated. Still, the sounds alone, which mostly manage to avoid glitchy, spitty fuzz and tend more toward the smooth, creamy side of drive, will appeal to a lot of players that like their gain devices more predictable than unruly.
The extended weekend is dedicated to guitar—with workshops, intensive masterclasses, live concerts, a huge exhibition featuring brands from the guitar & bass world and much more.
From September 27-29, 2024, the international guitar community will meet for the sixth time at the Rosengarten in Mannheim, Germany, to celebrate their favorite instruments at the Guitar Summit.
Artists
TOMMY EMMANUEL
We are very proud to present the legendary Tommy Emmanuel CGP at Guitar Summit 2024! As a driving force in the contemporary six-string scene, his status is unassailable worldwide. Tommy will grace the stage at the Friday Night in Concert show on September 27th, delivering his mesmerizing performances live. But that's not all! On the same day, Tommy will also be conducting a workshop.
JARED JAMES NICHOLS
Jared James Nichols, the blues-rock powerhouse from Wisconsin now shredding the LA scene, joins us at Guitar Summit 2024! Known for his raw, energetic blues inspired by the blues legends and his own unique twist, Jared stands alongside the likes of Gary Clark Jr. and Rival Sons with unparalleled charisma and work attitude. Get ready for an electrifying performance that brings the timeless essence of blues and rock n' roll to life!
CHARLES BERTHOUD
Bass players watch out! Charles Berthoud , the bass wizard who has been one of the absolute "big names" in the bass scene for several years now, is coming to the Guitar Summit 2024. With over 1.8 million followers tuning into his YouTube channel for a mix of mesmerizing solos and stunning technical wizardry, all spiced with his signature sense of humor, he's a true bass phenomenon.
GREG KOCH
The Gristle-Man is back! Greg Koch loved it so much at last year's Guitar Summit (and we loved having him there, too!) that he'll be back this year! The "terrifying guitar phenomenon" (Joe Bonamassa) will once again unleash monster licks and ingenious guitar tricks, adding an extra touch of madness to the performance! Be there!
MIKE DAWES
We are excited to announce another acoustic guitar highlight! Mike Dawes, one of the world's most innovative fingerstyle guitarists, will grace Guitar Summit 2024 for the second time! This year he will be touring with the legend Tommy Emmanuel, who will also be joining us at Guitar Summit. Mike's unparalleled creativity and teaching skills promise an incredible experience. Don't miss it!
The 3-day ticket for the Guitar Summit 2024 costs €69, the 1-day ticket €49 (Sunday €33) and for children under the age of 14 there is the discounted KIDS ticket for €19 (Sunday €29). Children up to and including 3 years of age have free entry!
For a relaxed weekend at the Guitar Summit 2024 without the hassle of looking for a hotel, we offer the Weekend Package: a complete package consisting of a 3-day ticket for 1 or 2 people, 2 nights in a 4* hotel including breakfast and other extras.
For more information, please visit guitarsummit.de/.
Chibson USA and Blammo Electronics team up to create the limited-edition Priority Delay pedal, featuring a dual PT2399/compander setup for long, noise-free repeat times and intuitive controls for easy use.
"It’s time to check the mailbox one more time because Chibson USA and Blammo Electronics have delivered with the all new Priority Delay Pedal! After 4 years in the making Chibson USA and Blammo Electronics have combined forces to bring a limited edition, fully functional Analog/Digital hybrid delay pedal that will be sure to turn any Postmaster’s head."
This pedal has settings for “Tracking”, “Days”, “Months” and even an indicator light that lets you know your tone is “Out For Delivery.”
"Adding to the authentic feel of the Priority Delay is the pedal’s Collector Box designed by Chibson USA which gives the excitement of a special delivery straight to your door…but now you get to decide when it arrives."
No C.O.D.s Pre-sales begin April 1st and ship Mid-May 2024
The Priority delay uses a dual PT2399 / compander setup for long, noise-free repeat times up to 1.5 seconds (at 45 BPM) as well as super short slap-back and fake double-tracked sounds.
The no-click footswitch is either momentary or regular latching style (press and hold for momentary, or simply tap for on/off latching) and is set up in a buffered fashion so the delay repeats decay naturally after the pedal is turned off rather than abruptly die out when switched into bypass mode.
The “Days” knob controls the repeat function and will self-oscillate when turned fully clockwise but gets even more wild when fiddling with the “Tracking” or time knob at the same time. This is how folks get those crazy whooshing spaceship sounds and the Priority Delay does this well with its unique echo voicing.
The “Months” knob is a Mix control that sets the loudness of the repeated signal. It goes from barely audible, to significantly louder than the original signal. Single-coil pickups might be a bit quieter than humbuckers, but not by much. In summary, the Priority Delay is an easy-to-use pedal with intuitive controls that can do long AND short delay times well.
- Buffered Bypass
- No-click footswitch either momentary or regular latching
- Top mounted jacks
- 1590bb enclosure (4.7 in x 3.7 in x 1.34 in)
- Blue LED on/off indicator
- 2.1mm center negative 9 volt DC power supply (Boss style)
For more information, please visit chibson.com.