
Vox’s Clyde McCoy wah was arguably the first signature pedal, introduced in 1967. McCoy was a jazz trumpeter, but onomatopoeia inspired the device’s name.
Parsing the (mostly) good and the bad in the world of stompbox endorsements.
In the universe of guitar gear, artist-endorsed products are as common as stars in the night sky. Decades ago, signature pedals only had household names on them, but these days, manufacturers are tailor-making guitar gear for niche guitar players as well, and offering these bespoke creations to the rest of the public, too.
While many, if not most, pedal builders would leap at the chance to collaborate with hero-level guitarists with or without the promise of large financial rewards, the economic incentives are clear. It is tremendously difficult to draw attention to a new product in today’s marketplace. Tapping into the reach of a well-respected and popular musician can make the difference between a good product growing into a hit, or lying fallow.
Artist-endorsed gear offers the purchaser an instant connection to their musical hero. If you love Andy Wood’s music and guitar playing, buying his Wampler Pedals signature Gearbox overdrive gets you that much closer to his sound. Moreover, there is the romantic notion that not only did the signature artist design this piece of gear strictly for themselves, they designed it for you, too. Owning a signature stomp then becomes a personal connection between you and the artist. You’re not just listening to something that they made, but using something they made in a much more tangible way.
Andy Wood’s signature overdrive is an example of a pedal created for all the right reasons.
That increased connection often translates into a greater appreciation of the gear itself. Additionally, there is an implied assurance of quality when purchasing an artist’s signature pedal. The idea being that, like their musicality and technique, an artist’s professional and personal standards far exceed that of mortal guitar players. If a piece of gear has been finely tuned and meticulously crafted to satisfy a guitar hero, then it is surely more than sufficient for the average player. This is akin to the satisfaction some get in getting groceries in a car equally at home on the Nürburgring.
The above notions are how the signature gear world should work. In the real world, endorsed pedals can fall short of this platonic ideal. We have all seen examples of signature gear where the player constantly affirms their device as the end-all-be-all, despite the fact they have never been seen using it outside of a photo op. Additionally, some players use highly altered or tweaked versions of their signature gear, leaving their devotees to buy products that are not representative of what they are actually using.
Unfortunately, there is also a group of endorsees who perpetually shop their name and influence around, showing up every six to 12 months with a new company making the current version of their perfect overdrive, an overdrive whose very existence is a criticism of what they had classified as unassailable only months ago. These situations make it hard to determine whether endorsing statements are heartfelt testimonies or exaggerated marketing talking points.
“Most of the current generation of guitar players see their opportunity to make something for the community as the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition and not just as a cash grab.”
I do genuinely think these ignoble types are the exception rather than the rule. Most of the current generation of guitar players grew up with signature gear, dreaming of a chance to make gear with their own name on it, and see their opportunity to make something for the community as the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition and not just as a cash grab. Accordingly, they spend a great deal of time working to develop and dial in their offering to the nth degree—sometimes much to the weary chagrin of their manufacturing partners.
Some dismiss signature-pedal-playing guitarists as uncreative or as clout chasers, suggesting that “real” players should strictly forge their own path when it comes to the gear they use. However, it is widely supported that playing along with your favorite player’s music is a great way to learn the instrument, and most don’t berate or condemn the beginner for not scratching out their own études over those of Mel Bay.
If your favorite player’s music can help you find your voice, then maybe their gear can, too. Try some signature gear out, even if it comes from artists you don’t favor. It inspired them to do what they do; maybe it’ll inspire you to do what only you can do.
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StewMac International House of Overdrive Pedal Kit, With Bare Enclosure
The IHOO is based on the Crowther Hot Cake, an overdrive that became available around 1976. It was one of the earliest hand-made boutique effects pedals available. The circuit was designed to be what is now referred to as a “transparent” overdrive. An effect that enhances the player's sound while keeping the original tone intact.
This circuit has undergone many changes since its inception, and we have further expanded on the design by returning to an earlier version most revered by players and removing the buffer, which resulted in a reworked circuit that is true bypass but still retains the charm of the design.
We also include the original LM741 IC chip found in the originals, as well as the TL071 that is found in later versions so you can experiment with which IC best suits your playing style.
Two horns? It must be a Bison!
Our columnist links a few memories together to lead us to another obscure guitar model—one he remembers from his childhood and came to acquire as an adult.
Do you have any “click and stick” movies that you love? Like when you are channel surfing and see a movie that you’ve watched a lot, and then just watch it again? Lately, for me, it’s been the 2015 movie The Revenant. It’s a truly brutal tale of survival set in 1820s frontier America. My gosh, that movie just draws me in every time. There’s one scene where the main character goes flying off a cliff while riding a horse! He just sort of falls/rolls through a pine tree and lands in the snow … and he still survives! It’s crazy!
It makes me think about an old childhood friend who lived up the street from me. Jerry and his parents lived in an old house on their grandparents’ large plot of land. On one part of the land there was an old orchard filled with all types of fruit trees and pines, and I remember how we would climb to the top of the pines and just roll ourselves down the side, Revenant style! If you fell the right way, the branches would kind of gently let you down to the next, but if you hit it wrong and got in between the branches, you’d be wrecked. It’s like we enjoyed getting hurt, and, of course, when you’re young, you can snap right back. Ah, the days when pain really didn’t hurt. Now I wake up with injuries, for real.
“The action was way high and the fret ends were sharp. It was basically a painful affair.”
So why am I talking about my click-and-stick movie and stupid childhood escapades? Well, let’s get back to memories of my old friend Jerry. First, the house he lived in was so old that it had real wooden siding, but it hadn’t been painted in forever so the exterior took on a worn, faded, haunted house vibe. Second, his carpet was so tattered that it was being held together with duct tape. Lastly, I remember his dad had a cool, old electric guitar in the living room. His dad would let me play it sometimes, and I remember that it actually hurt to play! The action was way high and the fret ends were sharp. It was basically a painful affair. Not falling-out-of-a-tree painful, but as bad as it comes with guitars. It had the label “Conrad,” and young Frank didn’t realize that he’d be looking for that guitar again one day. I mean, it did have four pickups and lots of knobs and switches!
Made at the old Japanese Matsumoko factory in the ’60s, this Conrad Bison 1233 has four pickups and a 27" scale.
Years later, I would discover that his was a Conrad Bison guitar. The model came in a few different configurations, but the four-pickup design was designated as the 1233. Primarily featuring a lovely sunburst, these Bisons were made at the amazing old Matsumoku factory in Japan and were imported by the David Wexler Company that was based in Chicago. Matsumoku always had a good supply of aged wood, and many of the guitars made there are resonant and built well. The Bisons first appeared around 1966 and had a rather good run into the early ’70s.
Simple volume/tone knobs are paired with preset solo/rhythm switches that power alnico magnets. There’s an on/off switch for each pickup, and the sound really covers all the bases. Thumpy lows and crisp highs are all there. And, the pickups handle fuzz and distortion with ease. The Bisons also came in one- and two-pickup configurations with a normal scale, but the four-pickup ones have a longer, 27" scale, which is common for Matsumoku-made electrics.
So there it is: pain, survival, American frontier, Bison, haunted houses. It all sticks together like a duct-taped carpet. Click and stick, baby!
A 1000-watt speaker cabinet crafted for musicians who demand power and precision. Sunn Amps intends to reinvent the standard 4x12 configuration with the introduction of this new cabinet.
The Sunn Amps DoomBox is built to accommodate both guitar and bass, offering an impressive 1000-watt handling capacity—making it the first commercially available 4x12 cabinet with such high power handling. With four specially designed 12” drivers rated at 250 watts each, this cabinet provides clean, unrestrained sound levels that can maintain power integrity across all frequencies, ideal for high-volume performances.
Inspired and developed using feedback from artists and bands who rely on the depth of lower tunings and high volume genres, the DoomBox was engineered to meet the unique demands of professional musicians looking for a robust, high-efficiency cab that can translate the raw power of their sound without compromise.
Premium Craftsmanship and Materials
The Doom Box cabinet is crafted from solid finger-jointed Baltic Birch plywood, ensuring both durability and tonal clarity. Each cabinet is constructed by hand in the U.S.A. using original 1930s machinery, the DoomBox reflects Sunn’s historic commitment to quality, contrasting with some of the mass-produced, MDF-based cabinets on the market today. The cabinet’s aluminum basket, ferrite magnet, and custom Sunn weave Tolex with a custom grill design complete its professional-grade build.
Technical Specifications:
• Power Handling: 1000W
• Inputs: 1 x ¼”
• Impedance: 8 Ohm
• Drivers: 4 x Sunn 12S250
• Construction: Marine Grade Baltic Birch
• Dimensions: 29.25” X 30” X 14”
• Weight: 107 lbs
• Price: $2399.00
With clear low-end punch, even sound response, and ample air movement, the Doom Box ensures that every note reaches the audience with clarity and power. This cabinet is a game-changer for musicians who need high-performance, road-ready equipment that enhances their unique sound.
Does the guitar’s design encourage sonic exploration more than sight reading?
A popular song between 1910 and 1920 would usually sell millions of copies of sheet music annually. The world population was roughly 25 percent of what it is today, so imagine those sales would be four or five times larger in an alternate-reality 2024. My father is 88, but even with his generation, friends and family would routinely gather around a piano and play and sing their way through a stack of songbooks. (This still happens at my dad’s house every time I’m there.)
Back in their day, recordings of music were a way to promote sheet music. Labels released recordings only after sheet-music sales slowed down on a particular song. That means that until recently, a large section of society not only knew how to read music well, but they did it often—not as often as we stare at our phones, but it was a primary part of home entertainment. By today’s standards, written music feels like a dead language. Music is probably the most common language on Earth, yet I bet it has the highest illiteracy rate.