The Southern rockers take no prisoners with their twin-guitar attack.
Jackson’s main squeeze is a ’79 Gibson Les Paul with a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge and a Gibson 496R in the neck.
Premier Guitar hung with Charlie Starr and Paul Jackson of Blackberry Smoke just a few hours before they blew the roof off of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The boys shared their recipe for Southern rock tone that’s as thick as grits and gravy. Special thanks to the band’s tech, David “Doc” Oswalt, for details.
A reverb-based pedal for exploring the far reaches of sound.
Easy to use control set. Wide range of sounds. Crush control is fun to explore. Filter is versatile.
Works best as a stereo effect, which may limit some players.
$299
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star Stereo
oldbloodnoise.com
The Old Blood Dark Star Stereo (DSS) is one of those pedals that lives beyond simple effect categorization. Yes, it’s a digital reverb. But like other Old Blood designs, it’s such a feature-rich, creative take on that effect that to think of it as a reverb feels not only imprecise but unfair.
The Old Blood Dark Star Stereo (DSS) is one of those pedals that lives beyond simple effect categorization. Yes, it’s a digital reverb. But like other Old Blood designs, it’s such a feature-rich, creative take on that effect that to think of it as a reverb feels not only imprecise but unfair.
In this case, reverb describes how the DSS works more than how it sounds. I’ve come to think of this pedal as a reverb-based synthesizer, where reverb is the jumping-off point for sonic creation. As such, the sounds coming out of the Dark Star can be used as subtle sweetener or sound design textures, opening up worlds that might otherwise be unreachable.
Reverb and Beyond
Functionally speaking, the DSS starts with reverb and applies a high-/low-pass filter, two pitch shifters, each with a two-octave range in each direction, plus bit-crushing and distortion. Controls for lag (pre-delay), multiply (feedback), and decay follow, with mini knobs for volume, mix, and spread. Additional control features include presets, MIDI functionality, plus expression and aux control.
The DSS can be routed in mono, stereo, or mono-in/stereo-out. Both jacks are single TRS, and it’s easy to switch between settings by holding down the bypass switch and selecting via the preset button.
Although it sounds great in mono, stereo is where this iteration of the Dark Star—which follows the mono Dark Star and Dark Star V2—really comes alive. Starting with the filter, both pitch shifters, and crush knobs at noon—all have center detents—affords the most neutral settings. The result is a pad reverb, as synthetic as but less sparkly than a shimmer. The filter control is a fine way to distinguish clean and effect signals. In low-pass mode, the effect signal can easily get dark and spooky while maintaining fidelity and without getting murky. On the other end, high-pass settings are handy for refining those reverb pads and keeping them from washing out the clarity of the clean signal.
Lower fidelity is close at hand when you want it. The crush control, when turned counterclockwise, reduces the bit rate of the effect signal, evoking all kinds of digitally compromised sounds, from early samplers to cell phones, depending on how you flavor it. Counterclockwise applies distortion to the reverb signal. There’s a lot to explore within the wide ranges of the two pitch controls, too. With a four-octave range, quantized in half steps, the combinations can be extreme, and Dark Star takes on a life of its own.
Formless Reflections of Matter
The DSS is easy to get acquainted with, especially for a pedal with so many features, 10 knobs, and two footswitches. I quickly got a feel for the reverb itself at the most neutral filter and pitch settings, where I enjoyed the weight a responsive, textural pad lent to everything I played.
With just the filter and crush controls, there’s plenty to explore. Sitting in the sweet spot between a pair of vintage Fenders, I conjured a Twin Peaks-inspired hazy fog to accompany honeyed diatonic arpeggios, slowly filtering and crushing that sound into a dark, evil low-end whir as chords leaned toward dissonance. Eventually, I cranked the high-pass filter, producing an early MP3-in-a-good-way “shhh” that was fine accompaniment to sparser voicings along my fretboard. It was a true sonic journeyThe pitch controls increase possibilities for both ambience and dissonance. Simple tweaks push the boundaries of possibility in exponentially deeper directions. For more subtle thickening and accompaniment sounds, adding octaves, which are easy to tune by ear, offers precise tone sculpting, dimension, and a wider frequency range. Hearing simple harmonic ideas plucked against celeste- and organ-like reverberations kept me in the Harold Budd and Brian Eno space for long enough to consider new recording projects.
There is as much fun to be had at the highest feedback settings on the DSS. Be forewarned: Spend too much time there and you might need a name for your new ambient band. Cranking the multiply and decay knobs, I’d drop in a few notes, or maybe just a chord, and get to work scanning the pitch knobs and sculpting with the filter. Soon, I conjured bold Ligeti-inspired orchestral sounds fit for a guitar remix of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Verdict
The Dark Star Stereo strikes a nice balance between deep control, a wide range of sonic rewards, playability, and an always-sounds-great vibe. The controls are easy to use, so it doesn’t take long to get in the zone, and once you do, there’s plenty to explore. Throughout my time with the DSS, I was impressed with its high-fidelity clarity. I attribute that to the filter, which allows clean and reverb signals to perform dry/wet balance and EQ functions. That alone encouraged more adventurous and creative exploration. Though not every player needs this kind of tone tool, the DSS is a must-check-out effect for anyone serious about wild reverb adventures, and it’s simple and intuitive enough to be a good fit for anyone just starting exploration of those zones. However you come to the Dark Star, it’s a unique-sounding pedal that deserves attention. PG
Introducing the new Gibson Acoustic Special models, handcrafted in Bozeman, Montana, featuring solid wood construction, satin nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, and L.R. Baggs electronics.
Solid Wood Construction
Each of the three Acoustic Special models from Gibson are crafted using solid mahogany for the back and sides, solid Sitka spruce for the tops, utile for the necks, and rosewood for the fretboards for a sound that will only get better and better as they age.
Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finishes
All three Gibson Acoustic Special models are finished in satin nitrocellulose lacquer for a finish that breathes, ages gracefully, and lets the natural beauty–both in sound and appearance–of the quality tonewoods come through.
L.R. Baggs Electronics
The Gibson Acoustic Special guitars come with L.R. Baggs Element Bronze under-saddle piezo pickups and active preamps pre-installed, making them stage and studio-ready from the moment you pick them up.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Introducing the Gibson Acoustic Specials – J-45, Hummingbird & L-00 Special - YouTube
Great Eastern FX Co. has released the limited-edition OC201 Preamp, featuring vintage Mullard OC201 transistors for a unique fuzz sound. Part of the 'Obsolete Devices' series, this pedal combines classic circuits with modern components for optimal tone and reliability.
Boutique British pedal designers GreatEastern FX Co. have released a new pedal. Limited to just 50 units, the OC201 Preamp is an intriguing twist on the familiar two-transistor fuzz circuit, built around a pair of new-old-stock Mullard OC201 transistors.
“The OC201 is a very early silicon transistor,” company founder David Greeves explains. “It was actually the first silicon transistor made by Mullard, using the same method as their germanium devices. It’s pretty crude by modern standards, with very low gain and limited bandwidth, but that’s exactly what makes it so great in a fuzz pedal.”
This little-known low-gain silicon transistor is responsible for the OC201 Preamp’s palette of sounds, which GreatEastern FX say ranges from dirty boost and garage rock drive sounds up to a raw and richly textured fuzz, all with the excellent volume knob clean-up characteristics this style of fuzz is famous for. The circuit has also been tweaked to deliver a healthy kick of volume to your amp.
This limited-edition pedal is the first in a new series that Great Eastern FX are calling ‘Obsolete Devices’. According to the company, the Obsolete Devices series will feature the company’s take on a range of classic circuits, constructed using a mixture of vintage and modern components. It’s a distinct departure from Great Eastern FX’s main range of pedals.
“With pedals like the Design-a-drive and the XO Variable Crossover, we’re really committed to developing original designs that bring something new to the table,” founder David Greeves explains. “I’m always very conscious of choosing parts that aren’t going to go obsolete so we can go on making the pedals for as long as people want to buy them. But I also love messing around with old parts and classic circuits, which is a totally different mentality. The Obsolete Devices series is basically a way for me to have fun modifying these classic circuits and experimenting with my stash of NOS components, then share the results.
“The name is a little bit of an inside joke,” he continues. “I think what gets labelled as ‘obsolete’ is very subjective. As pedal designers and guitar players, we obsess over obsolete components and what, in any other field, would be considered outdated designs. So the name is a nod to that. I also loved the thought of us coming out with some brand-new Obsolete Devices of our own!”
Alongside the pedal’s new-old-stock Mullard OC201 transistors – which are the reason only 50 of them are being made – the OC201 Preamp uses quality modern components, including high-tolerance Dale metal film resistors and WIMA capacitors. GreatEastern FX say that this hybrid approach, using vintage parts where they make the most difference sonically and low-noise modern parts elsewhere, will deliver the best combination of tone and reliability while also keeping the price from spiralling out of control.
The OC201 Preamp will cost £249 in the UK, $299 in the US and €299 in the EU. It’s available now direct from Great Eastern FX Co. and from the following dealers:
- UK – Andertons
- Europe – Pedaltown.nl
- USA – Sound Shoppe NYC
- Canada – Electric Mojo Guitars
For more information, please visit greateasternfx.com.
Obsolete Devices OC201 Preamp | Great Eastern FX Co. - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.“I do think that PTP circuits should stay that way, and circuits made for PCB sound great and don’t need to be handwired to sound good,” says R2R Electric's Cris Vincent, who is especially adept at creating vintage-flavored fuzz machines.
Do vintage parts make better pedals? Not always.
Treble boosters have been used by legends like Brian May, Tony Iommi, Rory Gallagher, Marc Bolan, Stevie Ray Vaughan—you name it. They have empirically proven their place in the evolution of rock ’n’ roll, and even paved the way for entirely new music genres. Naturally, as a pedal builder, I had to make my own. In fact, I was building treble boosters even before Sehat Effectors was born. Technically speaking, the circuit is simple—just a single transistor and a few components.
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But here’s the catch: The results didn’t meet my expectations. At least, not with the setup I had at the time: an old Japanese Iwama Strat copy and a small solid-state practice amp. The sound was terrible—just downright awful! I kept asking myself, “Did I do something wrong? Or was I missing some secret sauce?” My experiments with the treble booster ended up as a long-abandoned project, collecting dust in my workshop.
Years later, I stumbled across R2R Electric on Instagram, and man, I was blown away by this guy. He’s laser-focused on crafting treble boosters using all kinds of old, recycled parts, and they sound amazing! I couldn’t help but be influenced by what he showcased in each post. It was like a masterclass on how he builds treble boosters and how vintage fuzz pedals work their magic.
This curiosity led me to reach out to Cris Vincent of R2R Electric to ask him about his perspective on treble boosters and vintage fuzz.
Can you share the origin story of R2R Electric?
R2R Electric began officially five years ago. I had been saving old parts from reel-to-reel recorders, old radios, and other vintage audio equipment. I had no experience in building pedals, so I didn’t know what to do with all the parts.
One day, I met Tucker [Krishock] of Lamp Electric and asked him to build a Dallas Rangemaster from the parts I had collected. The first time we plugged in, it blew our minds! So, we began “Reel To Reel Effects.” I began practicing copying the pedal Tucker had made me, and selling them on Reverb under the brand “R2R.” Sadly, Tucker ended up passing away, and so I decided to carry on by combining our two names into R2R Electric.
“If you feel better playing a hand-built pedal versus a mass produced one, there’s something to that. Even if it’s only in your head.”
What fascinates you about treble boosters and vintage Fuzzes?
I became obsessed with vintage effects during my time working in recording. I would always be hunting for new tones or to replicate tones from classic records. I had picked up a Roland BeeBaa, which has a fuzz and a treble booster, and I decided to see what the booster sounded like. I loved it! There is something to the simplicity of these old circuits that I feel give a more natural feel and tone. A vintage boost or fuzz needs to be as equal in your rig as the guitar or amplifier—they have that much impact on the overall performance of a rig.
Do you believe vintage effects should ideally be paired with vintage amplifiers?
I think they can sound great through both vintage and modern amps. The drawback with some vintage amps is that they weren’t meant to be hammered by a huge fuzz signal. I’ve had to refine several vintage speakers that couldn’t handle fuzz. Most modern amps are designed with pedals as a fact of life and can handle most of the tones you throw at them. So, from a reliability standpoint, modern amps handle old fuzz pedals a bit better. But for those classic tones, the pairing of a vintage amp and vintage pedal is the only way to get there.
What inspired you to use recycled components?
That was all I had. I have no formal electrical experience, so I didn’t realize that old parts could go bad or be noisy. It took a lot of working with them to realize how unreliable they can be. I also feel like they have a sound that modern components can produce too. Using old parts to build old circuits just makes sense to me.
Do you think there's a tonal difference between PCB construction and point-to-point designs?
I don’t think one sounds better than the other, really. I think it comes down to the original design of the circuit and the limitations of that particular construction type. I do think that PTP circuits should stay that way, and circuits made for PCB sound great and don’t need to be handwired to sound good. The old PTP circuits tend to sound better, but that’s just my opinion. I think it all comes down to everyone’s own personal taste. If you feel better playing a hand-built pedal versus a mass-produced one, there’s something to that. Even if it’s only in your head.
Based on this brief interview, I’ve come to realize just how deeply spiritual and immersive the experience of finding the sound in your head can be. It’s a stark contrast to my own initial disappointment with the treble booster I built—it was something I felt was a failure and quickly discarded. Cris, on the other hand, exemplifies someone who devoted himself with unwavering focus, constantly seeking until he reached that moment of enlightenment—the “eureka” moment—that validated what he had believed in all along.
In a way, what I’ve done—like replacing electric guitar strings with nylon strings—was not technically wrong, but clearly not the right fit. The same principle applies to treble boosters, fuzz pedals, and perhaps many other effects pedals. They each have unique tendencies and characteristics that may be waiting for their own “eureka” moment to truly shine.
