Discover the SoloDallas Orbiter Fuzz, a meticulously crafted effects pedal designed to blend genuine vintage tones with user-friendly versatility.
Building upon the legacy of the 1966 Arbiter Fuzz, the Orbiter Fuzz enhances this classic circuit with advanced fine-tuning circuitry.
Key Features:
- Vintage Tone: The Orbiter Fuzz delivers smooth, musical fuzz tones with cutting sustain, offering immediate inspiration.
- Vintage Power: Our unique power circuit internally converts modern wall power to emulate the draw of a vintage carbon zinc battery.
- "Sweet Spot" Dial: An internal mini potentiometer allows you to dial in the perfect impedance response for your favorite pickups.
Versatile Controls:
- FUZZ: Adjusts the overall amount of fuzz by shaping the signal’s waveform from triangular to square as the knob is turned clockwise.
- GAIN: Increases the amount of signal entering the circuit, pushing it into harmonic clipping for smooth overdriven fuzz tones.
- BIAS: Modifies voltage to the matched pair of transistors, unleashing a wide range of vintage fuzz tones. Lower voltages produce spitty Black Keys responses, while higher voltages create smooth American Woman fuzz.
- Compact Design: Optimized for pedalboard space and easy integration with any standard pedal.
- Durable Construction: Crafted for reliability to withstand rigorous touring conditions.
Technical Specifications:
- Input Impedance: 500 kOhm
- Output Impedance: 10 kOhm
- Power Requirements: External 9V DC center-negative power supply
- Dimensions: 4.75" x 2.50" x 1.5"
- Weight: 0.8 lbs
- Bypass: True bypass
Design Details:
- Custom Artwork: Retro space-age design that pays homage to the Arbiter’s flying saucer enclosure.
- High-Quality Housing: Durable reinforced steel enclosure with a vintage metallic blue hammered finish.
Why You Need the SoloDallas Orbiter Fuzz Pedal:
A great fuzz pedal is essential for every guitarist and bassist. The Orbiter Fuzz offers the smooth, singing fuzz tone every musician dreams of, combining musicality with the reliability you need. If you’re looking for a pedal that excels in both sound and style, the Orbiter Fuzz is a must-have. Complete your search for the perfect fuzz pedal with the Orbiter Fuzz.
Arriving on Planet Earth 9/1/24! The Orbiter Fuzz will be available for purchase exclusively at SoloDallas.com starting September 1, 2024. The first 100 orders will include a SoloDallas swag pack guaranteed to impress. All SoloDallas orders ship within 24 hours.
Price: $249 USD.
Revisiting the very first wah circuit with delicious vintage-flavored results.
Delicious, present voice. Satisfying, expressive range and filter curve. Well-made. Very little noise.
Toppy tones could be too hot for some players.
$279 street
Vox Real McCoy VRM-1 Wah voxamps.com
Some pedals are more fun than others. And on the fun spectrum, a new Vox wah is like getting a bike for Christmas. There’s gleaming chrome. It comes in a cool vinyl pouch that’s hipper than a stocking. Put the pedal on the floor and you feel the freedom of a marauding BMX delinquent off the leash, or a funk dandy cool-stepping through the hot New York City summertime. It’s musical motion. It’s one of the most stylish effects ever built. A good one will be among the coolest-sounding, too.
Vox Real McCoy - MAIN by premierguitar
Needless to say, there are not a lot of original Vox Clyde McCoys on the gigging circuit. They’re collector-spendy and a rarity, even in nice studios. And as anyone who has ever owned a wah knows, the combination of vigorous stomping and relative fragility in electro-mechanical terms means many wahs live short lives. A late-’60s Clyde McCoy can indeed sound special, though: top end that’s substantial, sweet and searing, and vowel-y contours in the filter sweeps that lend a haunting humanity to the voice. The new Vox Real McCoy VRM-1 is exhilarating in many of the same ways vintage specimens can be.
Of Halos, Pots, Treadles, and Trips
The Real McCoy mixes old and newer components and circuit construction techniques. The machine-populated board is clean, neat, and dotted with time-tested, familiar parts, like BC-109 transistors, and a contemporary halo inductor design. The latter component, like any inductor, shifts the resonant peak and shapes a wah’s voice. The one used here is less noisy than those on early Clyde McCoys, but clearly shares many very similar tone attributes.
Something in the Wahter
When I play a wah, I love using long, slow filter sweeps—like, “Maggot Brain”-at-half-speed slow. The McCoy’s nuanced taper means lots of copious tone colors to paint with if you take that approach. If you’re accustomed to the narrower vocal range of inexpensive wahs, the Real McCoy can inspire a relaxed approach to the effect—the kind that compels a player to lean on a single note and enables sweet, vocal-style support in more tender, soulful musical settings. As much pleasure as there is in these lazy-footed adaptations of the effect, the McCoy’s range and treadle action also makes it a standout for Wah Wah Watson and Skip Pitts “wocka-wocka” rhythm jabs. The Real McCoy is quiet, too, adding little hiss or noise to your signal.
At extremes of the potentiometer’s travel, the McCoy shines. The toppiest of the top end is blue-flame hot—a killer place to punctuate a solo or linger for a whole one, for that matter. The bassier reaches of the sweep are throaty, thick and powerful rather than muffled. I love the sounds the Real McCoy makes here, particularly with a nasty fuzz on the receiving end, which can sound really snarly and focused rather than grating.
The Verdict
The Real McCoy sounds, in most respects, very vintage in its tone profile. There’s lots of range, sharp trebly peaks, and fat, bassy resonance. It feels great underfoot, too. It’s responsive—facilitating fast, fluttering “Dazed and Confused” filter sweeps and long, slow throws of the treadle. About the price: $279 is on the high end for new wah wah. That’s only 20 bucks less than Vox’s V846-HW handwired wah and anywhere from 100 to 180 bucks more than wahs at the affordable end of the price spectrum, where the occasional wah-ist tends to look. If lyrical, super-present wah textures are a cornerstone of your sound, the Real McCoy merits a listen to see if the differences here justify the cost. Even wah newbies, however, may well find the Real McCoy’s characterful voice infectious and irresistible.
John Bohlinger & Tim Aven Play Guitar and Talk About Being a Pro Musician in Nashville
The LANCO lead guitarist sits down with John Bohlinger and covers his journey from software engineer to touring pro, surviving the deep waters of Nashville’s music scene, and how he uses social media and YouTube as a resume. Plus, he and John jam it out!
Martin D-11E Rock the Vote acoustic-electric guitar is a limited edition collaboration between Martin Guitar, Rock the Vote, and artist Robert Goetzl, honoring David Crosby's passion for voting. Crafted with premium materials and featuring unique LR Baggs M80 soundhole pickup and Luxe by Martin Kovar strings, this guitar inspires civic participation through music.
The Martin D-11E Rock the Vote acoustic-electric guitar is a special edition instrument crafted to inspire people to participate in our democracy. This collaboration between Martin Guitar, David Crosby’s estate, Rock the Vote, and artist Robert Goetzl tells a powerful story. “David was a patriot,” says Executive Chairman Chris Martin IV. “He believed deeply in this great experiment of ours, and his passion for voting is something we wanted to honor and continue.”
The vision for the original D-16E Rock the Vote guitar launched back in 2020 was born from a conversation between Chris and David Crosby, partnering with Rock the Vote to encourage people to register and participate in federal, state, and local elections. That conversation led to blending Robert’s compelling artwork with Martin's renowned craftsmanship. Robert shares, “David threw out this quote, that ‘democracy works if you work it,’ and that became a guiding theme for the artwork.”
A reissue of that original guitar, the all-new D-11E Rock the Vote model includes new features like an LR Baggs M80 soundhole pickup paired exclusively with Luxe by Martin® Kovar™ strings. Kovar is a unique alloy of two ferromagnetic metals, nickel, and cobalt, not found in conventional phosphor bronze strings. When paired with the adjustable M80 humbucking coil, these strings are guaranteed to deliver an exceptional acoustic-electric experience. It’s the ideal pairing for players seeking warm, authentic, amplified tones in any performance setting.
The D-11E Rock the Vote acoustic-electric is crafted with premium materials, including American sycamore satin back and sides and a spruce gloss top showcasing Robert’s custom artwork. Its Dreadnought size and unique 000 depth offer players a powerful, projective sound with strong bass and a comfortable feel. It also features a satin select hardwood neck, ebony bridge and fingerboard, silver binding, and includes a softshell case made of hemp.
This guitar not only commemorates David Crosby’s legacy, but through this collaboration, Martin Guitar is proud to support Rock the Vote with a $5,000 donation. Rock the Vote is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to building the political power of young people, and over the past 30 years it has helped register over 14 million voters. According to the organization, “In 2024, Millennials and Generation Z will comprise 44% of American voters. Young voters are new voters and as new voters they face unique obstacles to voting... Our efforts focus on research-driven programs and innovative solutions to right the system and ensure each youth generation is represented in our democracy.”
"We are thrilled to partner with Martin Guitar to harness the power of music in inspiring young musicians and their fans to engage in our democracy," said Carolyn DeWitt, President and Executive Director of Rock the Vote. "Music has always been a catalyst for change, uplifting critical issues and driving people to action. As we face the defining challenges of 2024, it's essential that young voices are heard and their passion is transformed into meaningful participation at the polls," adds Carolyn DeWitt, President & Executive Director of Rock The Vote.
With only 47 of these guitars made, honoring the election of the 47th U.S. president, each one represents a commitment to encouraging civic participation through the universal language of music. “I believe it’s our responsibility as citizens to participate in our democracy,” says Chris.
For more information, please visit martinguitar.com.