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Recorded with a Burns Steer Cutaway and a Fender Deluxe

Professional musicians make their living by their tone, and no one knows it better than L.A. sideman Jeff Rubin, who’s shared the stage with artists like Oingo Boingo, Randy Jackson, and Chuck Berry. Jeff’s quest for tone led him to manufacturing his own hand-built pedals and Geek MacDaddy was born.

The latest offering is the British Ball Breaker overdrive/distortion, featuring a powder-coated aluminum chassis displaying Britain’s flag beside a jovial Rubin in guard’s uniform. The Ball Breaker uses Burr Brown opamps along with Wima, AVX, and Nichicon capacitors. The true bypass pedal also features Gain, Presence, Tone, and Volume controls for a number of tonal possibilities.

Keeping with British tradition, the Ball Breaker was tested with a Burns Steer Cutaway into the AC30-inspired Top Gain module of a Randall RM50. With Gain, Presence, and Tone all set at 12 o’clock, the Ball Breaker immediately nailed that classic British distortion reminiscent of Brian May or Jimmy Page. Adding some of the Ball Breaker’s Presence knob changed the character completely, leaning now more toward a Marshall-type tone, especially with the tone knob cranked.

Geek MacDaddy’s Ball Breaker is a great option for players looking for a warm, organic-sounding pedal. It responds like it’s actually part of your amp instead of a separate pedal. It may not be versatile enough for players in other genres like metal, but if you need classic overdrive this may be the box for you. – SS

Buy If...
you love the sound of classic British overdrive and distortion.
Skip If...
you need a modern scooped distortion sound.
Rating...

MSRP $205 - Geek MacDaddy - geekmacdaddy.com