
Both stomps celebrate milestone anniversaries and will be available in June.
The SD-1-4A celebrates 40 years of continuous production, while the MT-2-3A celebrates 30 years. Each pedal features a black body with unique styling and will be available throughout 2021 only.
In 1977, the introduction of BOSS's legendary compact pedal series forever changed the landscape of stompbox effects for guitarists, bassists, and other musicians. Famous for their great sound, rugged durability, and timeless design, BOSS compact pedals have been loved by everyone from casual hobbyists to rock icons performing on the biggest stages, and it's difficult to find a player who hasn't owned one or more throughout their musical life. To date, there have been over 125 unique compact pedal models produced and more than 17 million total units sold. The current lineup includes nearly 60 models, from effects like overdrive, distortion, chorus, delay, and reverb to tuners and other utility pedals.
BOSS SD-1 SUPER OverDrive - INTRO
Many BOSS compact pedal models have been continuously produced for multiple decades, and the SD-1 Super Overdrive and MT-2 Metal Zone are two of the most revered. Scores of innovative and trendsetting guitarists across all genres have adopted these pedals for their core tones and used them to create some of the most popular and influential music of all time.
BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone - INTRO
Introduced way back in 1981āthe same year that MTV launched and mass-market personal computers began to take off in large numbersāthe SD-1 Super Overdrive has remained a players' workhorse for four decades strong. Its distinctively smooth voice is derived from the groundbreaking OD-1 Overdrive, one of the three original BOSS compact pedals from 1977, and also the pedal that created the now-ubiquitous "overdrive" category in the industry. Powered by a unique asymmetrical clipping circuit that produces the pleasing sound and feel of a driven tube amp, the SD-1's rich, versatile, and highly musical tone continues to inspire guitarists everywhere.
The commemorative SD-1-4A features a black body with yellow lettering, gold-capped knobs, and a vintage silver thumbscrew for the battery compartment and comes in a box with a special 40th Anniversary logo. Unleashed in 1991 as heavy and aggressive music styles started to hit full stride in the mainstream, the iconic MT-2 Metal Zone continues to reign supreme as the king of high-gain distortion stomps for devoted fans around the world. With over one million sold and counting, the MT-2 is the second most popular BOSS drive pedal after the DS-1 Distortion. Its famously thick, saturated sound is perfectly suited for metal music and is also great for playing powerful rhythms and soaring solos in other genres.
A standout feature of the MT-2 is its three-band active EQ with semi-parametric midrange, which provides extensive tone-shaping range that goes far beyond the capabilities of most analog distortion pedals. The commemorative MT-2-3A features a black body with gray lettering and a vintage silver thumbscrew for the battery compartment and comes in a box with a special 30th Anniversary logo.
Availability & Pricing
The BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive and MT-2 Metal Zone will be available in June 2021 for $59.99 and $112.99.
For more information:
boss.info
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Grez Guitars has introduced the Grez GrandTour Bass, a short scale semi-hollow carve-top instrument available in 4-string format.
The Grez Grand Tour Bass, designed in collaboration with bass powerhouse Ian MartinAllison is, like all Grez instruments, a modern sleek interpretation of the classic instruments from the 50ās and 60ās.
The instruments feature a carved Spruce top, Honduran Mahogany body and neck. The 30" scale construction includes a Macassar ebony fretboard, 12ā radius with 21 jumbofrets. Each bass comes equipped with a Halon bridge, Grez string anchor and LaBellaDeep Talkinā long scale 45-105 flatwound strings. Electronics include Curtis Novak Bisonic/Darkstar pickups with coil tap.
The Grand Tour bass features a nitro finish and is available in a variety of colors(pictured here in custom Toasted Marshmallow).
Grez Grand Tour Bass with Ian Martin Allison
Barry Grzebik explains: āI love process of design instruments, marrying acoustical,electrical, visual and ergonomic engineering with industrial and artistic design. In this case creating something that artfully balances the desire for a robust acoustic voice with the need to hold up to professional touring and stadium stage volumes. One small notable detail is that although this is a short scale instrument, because of the after-length of string past the bridge, it uses standard long scale strings which dramatically increases sting options and availability.ā
Ian Marin Allison shares, āIām inspired by the unique character of vintage hollow andsemi-hollow basses, but they donāt always live up to our modern expectation of stability, playability, versatility and QUALITY. Iām proud to have helped create something that doesā.
The Grez Grand Tour Bass, is available now from Grez Guitars and their dealers with astreet price starting at $5,999. Light customization is welcome with delivery times aslittle as 8 weeks.
$149
Marshall 1959 Super Lead
The very definition of classic, vintage Marshall sound in a highly affordable package.
Thereās only one relevant question about Marshallās new 1959 Super Lead overdrive/distortion pedal: Does it sound like an actual vintage Super Lead head? The answer is, simply and surprisingly, yes. The significant difference I heard within the voice of this stomp, which I ran through a Carr Vincent and a StewMac Valve Factory 18 kit amp for contrast, is that itās a lot quieter than my 1972 Super Lead.
The Super Lead, which bore Marshallās 1959 model number, debuted in 1965 and was the amp that defined the plexi sound. That sound is here in spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts. Like the Super Lead, the pedal is easy to use. The originalās 3-band EQ is replaced by a single, rangeful tone control. The normal dial and the volume, which together mimic the character created by jumping the first and second channels of a plexi head, offer smooth, rich, buttery op-amp driven gain and loudness. And the high-treble dial functions much like the presence control on the original amp.
The pedal is sturdy and handsome, too. A heavy-duty metal enclosure evokes the classic black-with-gold-plate plexi look and a vintage-grille-cloth motif. Switches and knobs (the latter with rubber sides for slip-free turning) are ultra solid, andārefreshinglyāthereās a 9V battery option in addition to a barrel-pin connection. Whether with single-coils or humbuckers, getting beefy, sustained, historic tones took moments. I especially delighted in approximating my favorite Super Lead head setting by flooring the high treble, normal, and tone dials, and turning back the tone pots on my Flying V, evoking Disraeli Gears-era Clapton tone. That alone, to me, makes the 1959 Super Lead stomp a bargain at $149.Two guitars, two amps, and two people is all it takes to bring the noise.
The day before they played the coveted Blue Room at Third Man Records in Nashville, the Washington, D.C.-based garage-punk duo Teen Mortgage released their debut record, Devil Ultrasonic Dream. Not a bad couple of days for a young band.
PGās Chris Kies caught up with guitarist and vocalist James Guile at the Blue Room to find out how he builds the bandās bombastic guitar attack.
Brought to you by DāAddario.
Devilish Dunable
Guile has been known to use Telecasters and Gretsches in the past, but this time out heās sticking with this Dunable Cyclops DE, courtesy of Gwarsenio Hallāaka Jordan Olds of metal-themed comedy talk show Two Minutes to Late Night. Guile digs the Dunableās lightness on his shoulders, and its balance of high and low frequencies.
Storm Warning
What does Guile like about this Squier Cyclone? Simple: its color. This one is also nice and easy on the back, and Guile picked it up from Atomic Music in Beltsville, Maryland.
Crushing It
Guile also scooped this Music Man 410-HD from Atomic, which he got just for this tour for a pretty sweet deal. It runs alongside an Orange Crush Bass 100 to rumble out the low end.
James Guileās Pedalboard
The Electro-Harmonix Micro POG and Hiwatt Filter Fuzz MkII run to the Orange, while everything elseāa DigiTech Whammy, Pro Co Lilā RAT, and Death by Audio Echo Dream 2āruns to the Music Man. A TC Helicon Mic Mechanic is on board for vocal assistance, and a TC Electronic PolyTune 3, Morley ABY, and Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 3 Plus keep the ship afloat.
Ernie Ball, the worldās leading manufacturer of premium guitar and bass strings, is proud to announce the release of the Pino Palladino Signature Smoothie Flats, the newest innovation in flatwound bass strings.
Developed in collaboration with legendary bassist Pino Palladino, these signature sets are engineered to deliver an ultra-smooth feel and a rich, warm tone thatās as versatile as it is expressive. Available in two gaugesāExtra Light (38ā98) and Medium (43ā108)ā Smoothie Flats are crafted with a precision-polished cobalt alloy ribbon for low tension, flexible playability, and deep vintage-inspired sound.
Ernie Ball: Pino Palladino Signature Smoothie Flats Bass Strings
Product Features:
- Precision polished for an ultra-smooth feel
- Cobalt alloy ribbon winding for a rich, deep sound
- Flexible, low-tension design for superior playability
- Trusted by Pino Palladino for studio and live performance
Pino Palladino Signature Smoothie Flats bass strings are available at Ernie Ball dealers worldwide.