All proceeds will go to The Whiteside Institute for Clinical Research, a joint effort between St. Luke's and the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth.
Duluth, MN (December 2, 2013) -- Lotus Pedal Designs introduces the release of FK CNCR, a modified version of the esteemed Iceverb reverb pedal. Modifications by Jack Deville with additional assistance from Philippe Herndon. This is a limited release (100 pedals) with all proceeds going to The Whiteside Institute for Clinical Research, a joint effort between St. Luke's and the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth.
Lotus' Sean Erspamer tells the story behind the FK CNCR Iceverb
On May 20, 2014 my father, Daniel Erspamer, was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer with metastasis to the bone. Under the care of Dr. Goueli, (director of St. Luke's Regional Cancer Center) treatment began on May 28, with radiation to a tumor on the lower spine that was causing problems. After 10 radiation treatments, and multiple x- rays, scans, and an MRI or two, chemo was started with the hopes of extending his life expectancy beyond 6 months. In mid August, Dad developed intense pain in mid back and along his left side. After another chest CT, a compression fracture in the spine was found.
Chemo was put on hold to do radiation to the spine. CT also showed that the lung tumor was decreasing in size, but cancer had spread to the liver, kidneys and more bone involvement.
Dr. Goueli was happy with lung tumor response, but shocked with other growth. A new combination of chemo drugs was started in the hopes of slowing this very aggressive, out of control cancer. At this point Dad started having problems maintaining a platelet level that would allow further chemo. The first part of October additional symptoms developed that suggested new tumors to the upper spine and possible brain involvement. At this time Dad made the decision to stop further treatment and 2 weeks later, on October 23, 2014, my Dad passed away.
Dr Goueli, head of the oncology unit of St. Luke’s hospital, gave Dad the best care available, always listening to him, and did everything possible to give him the quality of life he wanted for his final days. Dr. Gouli will be opening his own research lab in the near future with the help of the Whiteside Institute for Clinical Research. All proceeds from the sale of this pedal will help him with this.
Early on in his treatment I tried to figure out what I could do. Being the relative of a cancer patient is a struggle as there is nothing really you can do other than be there for support. Lotus Pedals has been involved in numerous charitable events over the years, and after talking with my Dad and hearing him praise the doctors, especially Dr. Goueli, for their care and treatment I decided what better than a donation to help with research in hopes of eventually finding a cure.
Shortly before all of this went down I had been talking with Jack Deville, he owns an Iceverb and had requested a schematic to see if he could push it a little bit further. I then asked Jack if he would be alright with me doing a benefit with his modification and he graciously agreed. I received the changes and built a prototype. I was unsure on the results and frankly the project was reaching a little too close to home. I then contacted Philippe and sent him the proto for evaluation. Philippe and I went back and forth on little things that could be done to improve the pedal. The Spring mode is basically the same as the standard Iceverb with the left knob all the way up. The Hall mode is the Jack Deville mod.
Check out the company's demo:
Street: $150
For more information:
Lotus Pedal Designs
This reverb stompbox is designed to deliver subtle, sweet spring-style sounds.
After ordering a boutique pedal that arrived dead, Sean Erspamer, an electronics technician at Crane Song LTD for over a decade, decided to build his own pedals. In 2009, he formed Lotus Pedal Designs and turned his attention to quality and a function-over-form aesthetic that was—and remains—a distinct contrast to the look-at-me designs that prevail in the world of custom boutique pedals.
The Iceverb is Lotus’ take on classic spring reverb. Like almost all Lotus designs it takes a less-is-more approach, bucking the deeper-than-deepest-space reverb trend. It’s also built to work more like an “always-on” pedal, not unlike an amp’s built-in verb.
Too Cool for School
While previous Lotus offerings had a utilitarian vibe with bare-bones aluminum cases, the Iceverb comes in a (relatively) flashy ice-blue enclosure. Like other Lotus pedals, the Iceverb’s knobs are unlabeled, a design feature that is at once cool and irksome. And even though the Iceverb has only two knobs, it would be nice to have some hint about each control. After going online, I found that the right knob controls the reverb level or mix, and the left knob is what Lotus calls the glamour control, which is essentially a high-cut filter that tapers the high-end of the reverb trails.
Subtly Surfy
The Iceverb is all about subtlety. It’s capable of being very warm and lush, but its basic voice is on the drier side of things. As I put the pedal through its paces, it seemed like the intensity knob didn’t really kick in until about 9 o’clock. Before that the effect was pretty faint.
In maneuvering the glamour knob, I needed to move it to about noon before it had any kind of noticeable impact. From that point on, though, the glamour control added a sheen that really brought my basic guitar tone to life. And as I turned it clockwise, I got a lot more high-end sparkle with the trails, which contributed definition, atmosphere, and presence.
To my ears, the pedal sounded best with both knobs maxed. Here, the Lotus provided one of the best pedal executions of a spring reverb effect I’ve ever heard.
Ratings
Pros:
Sonically excellent spring-style reverb.
Cons:
Less versatility than some other reverb pedals.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$179
Lotus Pedal Designs Iceverb
lotuspedaldesigns.com
As much as I really enjoyed the sounds I was getting, there were times I wanted a little bit more ceiling. Even if you never need to go past the edge, there is a certain comfort in knowing that territory exists—like an amp that goes to 11. That gripe aside, however, you can’t argue the loveliness and detail in the reverb sounds that are available.
The Verdict
If you are looking for an extreme and cavernous reverb, or if your tastes lean toward David Torn-like soundscapes, the Iceverb probably wouldn’t be the right choice for you. Erspamer is fine with that. “The pedal is designed to be an always-on kind of reverb,” he says. “And no, it does not do ‘over-the-top’ reverb. This was intentional because so many reverbs on the market today focus on extreme settings.”
If you're in need of a gorgeous, simple reverb to complement a reverb-less vintage amp like a Fender Bassman, or replace or supplement an anemic onboard unit, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better sounding reverb than the Lotus Iceverb. It might be a one-trick pony but it does that trick a lot better than most.
Summer NAMM '13 - Lotus Pedal Design Iceverb Reverb, THD+N Fuzz, & Yellow Delay Demos
Hear demos of Lotus Pedal Design's newest effects pedals - Iceverb Reverb, THD+N Fuzz, & Yellow Delay.
Premier Guitar's Jason Shadrick is on location in Nashville, Tennessee, where he visits the Lotus Pedal Design booth to hear demos of Lotus Pedal Design's newest effects pedals - Iceverb Reverb, THD+N Fuzz, & Yellow Delay.