Coming from an audiophile background,
Andy Fuchs started Fuchs Audio
Technology with the intention of making
the best tube amplifiers he could muster.
Since then, his creations have captured
the ears of such players as Al Di Meola,
Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, and
Dweezil Zappa. Fuchs eventually branched
out to pedal design with his critically successful
Plush line of effects, and recently
turned his eyes on bassists with the Jersey
Thunder bass EQ and booster.
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Thunder comes in Fuchs’ standard, cast-aluminum housing and sports a striking, purple powder-coated finish. With just two knobs to adjust the amount of gain and the shape of the EQ, it’s a very simple pedal to operate. The Thunder boasts three custom-voiced EQ curves and gain boost settings, which are accessible via a 3-way switch located on the side of the unit. Each of these three settings was crafted to solve the problems and headaches of audio engineers who deal with electric bass. The settings provide varying EQ slopes and gain levels to either boost lows, dial back low-mids, or add snap in the highs for bassists that use slap techniques. The 3-way switch offers immediate access to techniques engineers and soundmen typically use to shape the bass tone at the board so it sits well in the overall mix.
Blood and Thunder
If you’re looking for a pedal that adds grind and dirt to your bass tone, the Jersey Thunder isn’t going to be your cup of tea. What it does offer is many more tonal possibilities than a simple overdrive circuit can deliver. The pedal isn’t designed to turn your bass tone into a roaring, fire-breathing demon—its purpose is to bring out the frequencies that make a bass stand out, some of which you might not even know are there until you turn on this unit.
With a 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass and a Genz-Benz ShuttleMAX 12.0, the Jersey Thunder kicked out some of the tightest, expansive lows I’ve heard from a bass EQ in some time. The dynamic range was perfectly preserved as I moved through a fingerpicked, Stevie Wonder-inspired groove, with the low end churning in and out like a heaving body of water as I dug into the strings, or let up with my picking hand. The Shape control was incredibly useful when using the low-end boost EQ slope, allowing me to precisely set just how much punch I wanted the pedal to generate, while keeping everything from going overboard.
Speaking of precise, I was really taken aback at just how perfectly tuned each of the three slope settings were. The scooped midrange setting didn’t knock out too much of the low-mids to make the tone’s definition disappear. And the high-boost setting brought out just the right amount of top end for meaty slaps and pops, without the irritating, razor-like highs that so many preset bass EQs deliver.
The Verdict
The Jersey Thunder is a stellar choice if you need to tighten up and give more definition to your bass tone, but want to accomplish the task with a compact, simple- to-operate stompbox. It’s a great pedal for coaxing the best sounds from your bass and will especially appeal to those with a set-and-forget mindset.
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Thunder comes in Fuchs’ standard, cast-aluminum housing and sports a striking, purple powder-coated finish. With just two knobs to adjust the amount of gain and the shape of the EQ, it’s a very simple pedal to operate. The Thunder boasts three custom-voiced EQ curves and gain boost settings, which are accessible via a 3-way switch located on the side of the unit. Each of these three settings was crafted to solve the problems and headaches of audio engineers who deal with electric bass. The settings provide varying EQ slopes and gain levels to either boost lows, dial back low-mids, or add snap in the highs for bassists that use slap techniques. The 3-way switch offers immediate access to techniques engineers and soundmen typically use to shape the bass tone at the board so it sits well in the overall mix.
Blood and Thunder
If you’re looking for a pedal that adds grind and dirt to your bass tone, the Jersey Thunder isn’t going to be your cup of tea. What it does offer is many more tonal possibilities than a simple overdrive circuit can deliver. The pedal isn’t designed to turn your bass tone into a roaring, fire-breathing demon—its purpose is to bring out the frequencies that make a bass stand out, some of which you might not even know are there until you turn on this unit.
With a 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass and a Genz-Benz ShuttleMAX 12.0, the Jersey Thunder kicked out some of the tightest, expansive lows I’ve heard from a bass EQ in some time. The dynamic range was perfectly preserved as I moved through a fingerpicked, Stevie Wonder-inspired groove, with the low end churning in and out like a heaving body of water as I dug into the strings, or let up with my picking hand. The Shape control was incredibly useful when using the low-end boost EQ slope, allowing me to precisely set just how much punch I wanted the pedal to generate, while keeping everything from going overboard.
Speaking of precise, I was really taken aback at just how perfectly tuned each of the three slope settings were. The scooped midrange setting didn’t knock out too much of the low-mids to make the tone’s definition disappear. And the high-boost setting brought out just the right amount of top end for meaty slaps and pops, without the irritating, razor-like highs that so many preset bass EQs deliver.
The Verdict
The Jersey Thunder is a stellar choice if you need to tighten up and give more definition to your bass tone, but want to accomplish the task with a compact, simple- to-operate stompbox. It’s a great pedal for coaxing the best sounds from your bass and will especially appeal to those with a set-and-forget mindset.
Buy if...
you need to shape your bass tone further, but don’t want to deal with the fuss of big EQ units.
Skip if...
you need overdrive or distortion.
Rating...
Street $199 - Fuchs Audio Technology - fuchsaudiotechnology.com |
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