Made in Japan and boutique are terms not normally associated with each other, yet that is exactly what stompbox manufacturer Providence combines in their broad line of stompboxes: boutique research, craftsmanship, and tone from an Asian-Pacific manufacturer. The line has just made it to US shores through distributor Godlyke.
All of the Providence pedals found in this review—Sonic Drive SDR-4 (an updated SDR-5 is coming out soon), Heat Blaster HBL-2, Stampede OD SOV-2, Velvet Comp VLC-1, Final Booster FBT-1, Phase Force PHF-1, and Anadime Chorus ADC-3—are rugged and simple to use. They are on the small side (think classic MXR), about 4.5" long and 2.5" wide, with 1-3 black pointer knobs and packed with tone sweet tone. Most are wired for true bypass, which has become a must-have feature, and all run fine on 9-volt batteries. The battery compartment is accessible by unscrewing the bottom plate with four tiny screws, making changing batteries a bit of a headache, but a 9V DC jack is also included on the left side of the pedal. Most of Providence's pedals are priced above $200, which is not cheap for a single function, small form factor pedal. Clearly, what you are paying for is what happens when you stomp the footswitch.
Sonic Drive
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 | Download Example 1 Drive 3 o'clock |
| Download Example 2 Drive 3 o'clock lead tones |
| Download Example 3 Drive 9 o'clock |
| Clips recorded with 1988 Ibanez S540 with Seymour Duncan SH5 pickup in humbucker mode into a Blackstar HT Club 40 head on the clean channel. Speaker emulated line out to E-MU USB0404 interface into Cubase 5. | |
Imagine the fat crunch of a distortion pedal with the clarity of an overdrive—that's where Providence's Sonic Drive sits, tonally speaking. It also has an interesting approach for an overdrive/distortion pedal in that it gives you plenty of effect while mixing in the original guitar tone. While technically an overdrive pedal, it brings some pretty crunchy distortion at levels above 3 o'clock. Even then I could hear my guitar's natural tone, almost as if I was playing through clean and dirty channels simultaneously, though the emphasis was definitely on the dirty side. The Sonic Overdrive is a very musical pedal in this regard. With the Drive knob cranked, the pedal had a nice aggressive distortion shy of a creamy metal distortion, and again, heavy on the crunch while keeping my guitar's dry tone in the mix.
With the Drive knob set low, say 7 to 9 o'clock, the pedal sounded like a classic overdrive stompbox a la an original Boss Overdrive or vintage Tube Screamer. This makes it a solid candidate for rigs where a single pedal needs to handle all overdrive and distortion chores. The Sonic Drive employs a true-bypass circuitry with only a single switch point in the bypass signal path. As with most, if not all, of Providence's pedals, the bright blue LED also acts as a battery indicator. If battery power drops below 7 volts, the LED turns off, though the pedal still functions.
Buy if...
you're in the market for a single pedal that gives both overdrive and distortion tones of very good quality.
Skip if...
you need metal or grunge style distortion, or don't want the mix of clean and overdriven tones.
Rating...
Street $249 - Providence Effects - godlyke.com |
Heat Blaster
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| Download Example 1 Drive 4 o'clock |
| Download Example 2 Drive 4 o'clock lead tones |
| Download Example 3 Drive 10 o'clock |
| Clips recorded with 1988 Ibanez S540 with Seymour Duncan SH5 pickup in humbucker mode into a Blackstar HT Club 40 head on the clean channel. Speaker emulated line out to E-MU USB0404 interface into Cubase 5. | |
Unlike many heavy distortion stompers, the Heat Blaster does not overly compress the signal. It has plenty of bite and presence when the distortion is cranked. There are plenty of heavy distortion boxes out there that sound great on their own, but wash out in band situations due to too much compression in the distortion circuit. The Heat Blaster does not suffer from this in the least. There is plenty of definition at all distortion knob settings.
There is also a Low Cut switch that appears to shelve low-end frequencies. The Heat Blaster manual states the switch can be used to manage the bottom end on seven string or drop-tuned guitars. On standard six string guitars, the Low Cut reduction was a bit too much for me, making my wound strings and power chords slightly crispy.
Harmonically rich and very responsive to picking and fretboard techniques, Providence's Heat Blaster is one of the best distortion pedals I've played all year. Again, another pedal by Providence that sounds good at a lot of different settings.
Buy if...
you need a damn good distortion pedal that is versatile within the distortion framework.
Skip if...
you need overdrive, not distortion, or you get what you need from your amp.
Rating...
Street $249 - Providence Effects - godlyke.com |
Hit page 2 for the Stampede Overdrive and Velvet Comp...
Stampede Overdrive
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| Download Example 1 Drive 5 o'clock |
| Download Example 2 Drive 9 o'clock |
| Clips recorded with 1988 Ibanez S540 with Seymour Duncan SH5 pickup in humbucker mode into a Blackstar HT Club 40 head on the clean channel. Speaker emulated line out to E-MU USB0404 interface into Cubase 5. | |
I liked this pedal with the Drive knob anywhere from 3 o'clock to WFO. In this range, the pedal ranges from indie rock guitar a la Wilco to classic AC/DC blues-rock. It is definitely hotter than a Tube Screamer or Boss Overdrive, and its overdrive tone is boutique all the way—in fact, I've never played an overdrive pedal like it. With that said, it may be an acquired taste for some used to more traditional overdrives. I think players well on their way in their search for the perfect tone will enjoy test-driving the Stampede OD.
According to Providence, the pedal uses a bipolar polar power supply that pumps ± 15 volts to its overdrive circuit. That is more than three times the traditional power on most overdrive stompboxes. It also means 9-volt batteries get sucked dry faster than a can of beer in a heat wave. Providence does warn users about the Stampede OD's battery consumption in the manual.
Buy if...
a truly classy overdrive on a clean-sounding pedal belongs in your rig.
Skip if...
your aim is classic, well-known overdrive pedal tone.
Rating...
Street $249 - Providence Effects - godlyke.com |
Velvet Comp
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| Download Example 1 Clean |
| Clips recorded with 1988 Ibanez S540 with Seymour Duncan SH5 pickup in humbucker mode into a Blackstar HT Club 40 head on the clean channel. Speaker emulated line out to E-MU USB0404 interface into Cubase 5. | |
Like most guitar compressor stompboxes, the compression is an effect and not designed to be transparent—something it took me awhile to figure out back with my old MXR. The three-knob design (Level, Attack and Sustain) should be a clue that this is an effect to be heard, and goes one-step beyond the two knob DynaComp. At any setting I dialed in, the Velvet Comp definitely flattened out my dynamic range—no surprise there. I was impressed with the sustain when playing both distorted and clean tones, and I got used to the effect quickly. I even found myself leaving it on after solos because I liked what it did for the more subtle fundamentals in my chord voicings.
The Velvet Comp can also be used as a limiter. It is okay as a sustainer, though it lacks the boost associated with dedicated sustainer pedals. There really is no magic setting as it is entirely dependent on your rig and how hot your signal is going into the pedal. I did tend to keep the Level knob jacked pretty high, as I felt the pedal lacked the gain required to recover from ample compression.
Buy if...
you need a classic sounding guitar compressor stompbox that is obvious.
Skip if...
you expect a fair amount of boost from your compressor, or you need more transparency in compression.
Rating...
Street $249 - Providence Effects - godlyke.com |
Hit page 3 for the Final Boost, Phase Force, and Anadime Chorus...
Final Boost
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| Download Example 1 Level 3 o'clock |
| Download Example 2 Pedal not engaged, Vitalizer only |
| Clips recorded with 1988 Ibanez S540 with Seymour Duncan SH5 pickup in humbucker mode into a Blackstar HT Club 40 head on the clean channel. Speaker emulated line out to E-MU USB0404 interface into Cubase 5. | |
Though finalizers generally include some multi-band compressing or other processing, Providence's Final Booster does seem to have some finalizer characteristics. On clean channels, the boost was obvious and somewhat compressed—highs and high mids had more presence. On distorted signals, the boost was felt more than heard, but the tonal changes were not subtle. In both instances, the tonal colorings from this pedal were pleasant overall, just sort of surprising. Normally when using a booster pedal I expect tonal augmentations to come from the amp being juiced by the pedal, and not the pedal itself. That said, the color it added was very usable.
Buy if...
you're looking for a booster that levels and colors
Skip if...
you want a transparent booster pedal.
Rating...
Street $199 - Providence Effects - godlyke.com |
Phase Force
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| Download Example 1 Level 12 o'clock, Speed 10 o'clock with Mid Shift |
| Download Example 2 Level 12 o'clock, Speed 10 o'clock through amp's distortion channel. |
| Clips recorded with 1988 Ibanez S540 with Seymour Duncan SH5 pickup in P-90 mode into a Blackstar HT Club 40 head. Speaker emulated line out to E-MU USB0404 interface into Cubase 5. | |
As proven with their overdrive and distortion pedals, Providence seems to have a knack for clean circuits with plenty of high caliber tone. The Phase Force excelled in giving me classic phaser tones that inspired innovative playing, as a good effect should. The effect stops just shy of take-your-head-off phase, delivering gobs of classic ‘70s phase, only cleaner.
There is plenty of effect level to work with so you can be subtle and spacey or obvious and psychedelic with the twist of the Level knob. With the Speed knob all the way down, it gave me just enough phase cycle length for long, ethereal sweeps that sounded great on sustained chords and notes. At 9 o'clock, the phaser was classic space rock all the way, and at 12 o'clock, it was underwater or psychedelic, depending on the Level knob setting. Anything to the right of 12 o'clock was really too fast for me, though I'm sure it has its uses. The differences in switching Mid-Shift on and off were subtle but useable. It definitely added balls to the phaser effect when playing through both clean and distorted amp settings, though I preferred this combination on a clean setting.
Buy if...
you want a versatile, pristine phaser that probably won't take anyone's head off.
Skip if...
you need a take-your-head-off mod pedal, and you demand true bypass.
Rating...
Street $275 - Providence Effects - godlyke.com |
Anadime Chorus
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| Download Example 1 Depth 9 o'clock, Speed 9 o'clock |
| Download Example 2 Depth 12 o'clock, Speed 7 o'clock through amp's distortion channel |
| Download Example 3 Depth 12 o'clock, Speed 10 o'clock with Deep |
| Clips recorded with 1988 Ibanez S540 with Seymour Duncan SH5 pickup in P-90 mode into a Blackstar HT Club 40 head. Speaker emulated line out to E-MU USB0404 interface into Cubase 5. | |
Overall, the pedal is a very rich sounding chorus, providing excellent tone across all guitar frequencies without the over-emphasized high end associated with some classic mono choruses. In fact, I noticed a slight high-end reduction when the effect was on that added to the warmth of the pedal since chorus effects can flame out on the high-end. The pedal also noticeably adds width to your tone, which, coming from a mono analog mod stomper, is impressive.
While the pedal certainly avails itself to the somewhat heavy-handed chorus effects of popular music of the '80s and '90s, I can just as easily hear it on the more subtle John Frusciante type of chorus treatments. For lush clean tones that were not dripping with effect, I kept the Depth knob around 11 o'clock, and the Speed at around 9 o'clock. When playing single note parts, turning up Depth and, to a lesser extent, Speed, added a very deep and round chorus effect that remained tuneful without dissonance. I never once encountered tracking issues with the effect, which I can say goes for all the Providence pedals I reviewed.
Buy if...
you need a pristine but vintage sounding mono analog chorus effect.
Skip if...
you need true stereo chorus, or the purity of a digital modulation pedal.
Rating...
Street $299 - Providence Effects - godlyke.com |
Phat Machine
The Phat Machine
The Phat Machine is designed to deliver the tone and responsiveness of a vintage germanium fuzz with improved temperature stability with no weird powering issues. Loaded with both a germanium and a silicon transistor, the Phat Machine offers the warmth and cleanup of a germanium fuzz but with the bite of a silicon pedal. It utilizes classic Volume and Fuzz control knobs, as well as a four-position Thickness control to dial-in any guitar and amp combo. Also included is a Bias trim pot and a Kill switch that allows battery lovers to shut off the battery without pulling the input cord.
Silk Worm Deluxe Overdrive
The Silk Worm Deluxe -- along with its standard Volume/Gain/Tone controls -- has a Bottom trim pot to dial in "just the right amount of thud with no mud at all: it’s felt more than heard." It also offers a Studio/Stage diode switch that allows you to select three levels of compression.
Both pedals offer the following features:
- 9-volt operation via standard DC external supply or internal battery compartment
- True bypass switching with LED indicator
- Pedalboard-friendly top mount jacks
- Rugged, tour-ready construction and super durable powder coated finish
- Made in the USA
Static Effectors’ Street Series pedals carry a street price of $149 each. They are available at select retailers and can also be purchased directly from the Static Effectors online store at www.staticeffectors.com.
Galloup’s Plek tech Adam Winarski preps a Yamaha acoustic for the machine.
Presently, many certified guitar-repair specialists possess the expertise required to deliver an instrument that both sounds and plays wonderfully. The standards set by manufacturers and distributors have significantly risen, safeguarded by rigorous quality protocols to guarantee the best possible acoustic experience for customers. Additionally, lutherie training has raised the bar for critical processes, and one of the most tricky is fretwork.
Traditional fretwork once involved manual labor, with technicians utilizing sandbags or similar supports to steady the neck as they straightened it with a truss rod during the filing process. A notable advancement in this field came in the mid 1970s when Don Teeter, an author and repair expert, imposed a new method: fixing the guitar body to the bench and using blocks to maintain the neck in a playing position. This refinement was one of many in the continued quest to produce superior instruments by standardized methods.
An example of the Plek’s readings from an acoustic guitar.
Photo courtesy of Galloup Guitars
In the late 1970s, another pivotal innovation was introduced by Dan Erlewine. He created an advanced fret jig with a specialized body-holding system and neck supports, adding another layer of precision to the repair process. During my collaboration with Dan in 1985, we developed a rotating neck jig that counterbalanced the forces of gravity, keeping the instrument in its playing orientation while adjusting the neck supports. This step represented a significant leap in establishing control and standardization of fretwork procedures in our industry. By 1986, our approach had evolved into a freestanding workstation coupled with a sophisticated hold-down mechanism and enhanced neck supports, culminating in increased accuracy, efficiency, and consistency. Over the decades, the Erlewine/Galloup rotating neck jig has become a benchmark in numerous shops, enhancing fretwork performance.
"This step represented a significant leap in establishing control and standardization of fretwork procedures in our industry."
By the 1990s, automated and computerized technologies permeated the guitar manufacturing and repair sectors. Initially applied by import companies in the mass production of guitars, the technology, although expediting processes, did not immediately achieve high execution standards. However, the tech dramatically improved over time, with computer-driven systems eventually transforming the industry. Contemporary automated production utilizing such advancements meets exceedingly high standards of precision. Some bespoke guitar manufacturers, such as Steve Andersen, were pioneers in adopting these methods, but it was companies like Taylor that established them in the modern era.
Inevitably, the progression of technology extended beyond the mere production of parts. Around 1995, German engineer Gerd Anke envisioned the integration of computer-assisted technology into enhancing instrument playability, giving rise to Plek technology, which uses computers to precisely measure and analyze the various components of a guitar, like neck relief, fret height, nut and bridge specs, and more. Nashville guitar-repair tech Joe Glaser was among the first to recognize the machine’s value, followed by San Francisco luthier Gary Brawer. When Heritage Guitar Inc. invested in a Plek machine, the guitar industry could no longer disregard the significance of this innovation.
“The machine’s scanning data confirmed that there was one nature of an ideal fret plane, done by hand or machine, and unsurprisingly, it conformed exactly to what physics predicts, not personal mojo.”
In the spring of 2022, Galloup Guitars obtained its first Plek machine. Promptly, our technician Adam Winarski paved the way for the Plek’s integration in our shop. Now, it’s a rarity for an instrument to leave our shop without having undergone Plek analysis and machining. Impressed by the results of our integration, we created “Intro to Plek” as a course for all students enrolled at the Galloup School of Lutherie, offering our students a practical introduction to this technology. We furthered this educational initiative with a comprehensive one-week intensive “Plek Certification Training Course” for both students and the public. This advanced Plek course serves those seeking to boost their knowledge base and employability in this high-precision field.
Plek is rapidly becoming an industry standard for major manufacturers and smaller shops alike. However, this does not mean that those without access to this technology cannot execute proficient fretwork. Personally, I continue to use my Erlewine/Galloup neck jig—not only out of nostalgia, but also because it remains an excellent method for delivering accurate and reliable guitars. Still, it’s undeniable that the process of fretting, fret dressing, and analytics of fretted instruments has undergone significant transformation, resulting in better sounding—and playing—guitars. And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.