The one slight in the EQ section was the treble control, which I found to be somewhat harsh at even medium levels. Even on the Les Paul, I found myself turning the control well below noon. So if your guitar tends to be on the bright side, the treble dial will require some extra attention. At $200, the Civic Crown hits the upper end of the TS market, but for a versatile handwired pedal, it definitely hits the mark for low-to-mid-gain stomps.
Test gear: Schroeder Chopper TL, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Fender Hot Rod Deville ML212, Fender ’64 Custom Deluxe Reverb
Ratings
Pros:Powerful EQ section. Tight bass response.
Cons:
Treble can get spiky. Midrange bark needs some extra attention.
Street:
$199
Epigaze Audio Civic Crown Overdrive
epigazeaudio.com
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
TC Electronic PolyTune 2 Mini
TC’s polyphonic PolyTune was a hit from its first iteration. The ease—and the sense of reassurance that comes from determining which strings are sharp or flat with a single strum—made it super practical in real-world performance situations. This even smaller version makes it even more utilitarian. It’s an elegant, simple tool and a shoo-in for a Premier Gear Award.
$89 street
tcelectronic.com
Click here to read the full review
In the years we’ve compiled our annual list of Premier Gear Award winners, we’ve probably never seen a list more eclectic than 2015’s. From high-gain monster amps and atmospheric reverbs to mini overdrives and wahs, 2015’s award winners covered all the bases.
As always, it was a joy to see how both big-time musical instrument industry players and little shops a step removed from the garage managed to haul in Premier Guitar’s prize for gear excellence. And if anyone’s counting, we’re pretty sure we also set a record for Premier Gear Award winners. So we hope you’re comfy—this list of primo gear may take some time to cover.
Explosions in the Box
In most respects, the Monoceros 838 is a no-frills echo. The enclosure houses a circuit built around the ubiquitous PT2399 chip. The pedal has 10-580 ms of available delay time and features typical delay controls: time, sensitivity (mix), and repeat. Oddly, two of the three knobs—time and sensitivity—increase values with counterclockwise turns.
This takes some getting used to and makes adjustments on the fly tough at first, especially in the heat of a performance. A bright switch adds sonic flexibility—it’s useful for making short delay settings pop in a mix.
Ratings
Pros:
Fun self-oscillating supernova function. Bright switch adds versatility.
Cons:
Large footprint. Counterintuitive knob rotation. Pricy.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$225
Epigaze Audio Monoceros 838 Echo
epigazeaudio.bigcartel.com
Weapon of Mass Oscillation
The Monoceros 838’s star attraction is its “supernova” function, which spirals your echoes into glorious oscillation at the tap of a soft-touch momentary footswitch. Regardless of where the pedal’s time knob is set, the oscillating signal comes on loudly and quickly. It’s particularly lethal when paired with big fuzz sounds and/or octave-down effects.
Epigaze Audio chose not to tamper too much with the PT2399 chip’s innately clean, bright sound—they use little filtering to mimic analog warmth, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Played with a humbucker-equipped Carvin Star through an early ’70s 100-watt Marshall Super Lead full stack at high volume, the 838 melded beautifully with the amp’s distortion, generating spaced-out shoegaze soundscapes and expansive post-rock swirl that would put a smile on the face of anyone with a taste for Sonic Youth’s or My Bloody Valentine’s amorphous walls of sound. A well-timed stomp on the supernova switch during lead passages summoned an explosive tornado of oscillation that added drama and power, but which dissipated quickly enough to be controllable. And with the right mix settings, the supernova function can create an undercurrent of oscillation rather than an in-your-face death-ray blast.
The Verdict
If you’re looking for thousands of preset voices, endless tone-shaping flexibility, or an exceptionally warm analog tone, the Monoceros 838 might not be right for you. But if you love the thrill of blasting audiences with massive self-oscillation detonations, the supernova function is potentially priceless. Noise-mongers, rockers, shoegazers, and psych-heads with a taste for the skronk—take note! This beast might be exactly the delay you need.