This new arrival to the world of overdrive/boost pedals is not a TS9 clone.
The first time I heard of Normandy Guitars was at the 2009 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim. Normandy’s display immediately caught my attention, as it looked great and was über-functional. The entire booth was made out of chain-link fencing with swinging “barn door” gates on both sides. The fencing had guitars mounted all over it and the gates could be swung shut at the end of the day to secure the entire contents of the booth inside—genius!
Even cooler were the actual instruments the company was displaying. Normandy specializes in aluminum-bodied guitars and basses, and they had some wicked-cool instruments on hand, including hollowbody guitars and basses, as well as an aluminum Flying V bass that I was dreaming about long after the show ended.
We hit it off with the Normandy crew straightaway. Like me, owner Jim Normandy had played bass in a touring band for many years, so we had a lot in common. We kept in touch after NAMM, and recently Jim dropped me a line to introduce their latest product, the O-CB pedal. The O-CB takes two of a guitarist’s most necessary tone tools—overdrive and clean boost—and packs them into a compact single-pedal package.
Now, anyone who knows me is aware that my tastes typically lean towards the more exotic and esoteric effects devices. In other words, overdrives and boosters typically don’t get me fired up. However, as with all Normandy products, the O-CB’s retro-cool aesthetics drew me in, and once I heard the pedal, I was sold.
The O-CB sports a utilitarian design that screams WWII army surplus. The pedal’s bullet-proof construction covers the usual feature set we’ve come to expect from a quality handbuilt device, and this includes 3PDT switches, Switchcraft jacks on flying leads, ultra-bright LEDs, and robust metalshaft pots with smooth turn action and setscrew secured knobs.
The O-CB’s internal circuitry is minimal, but once again displays an obsessive attention to detail. The single op-amp design features a beefy PC board loaded with a single TLO71IN IC, tantalum capacitors, low-tolerance resistors, and classic 1N60 germanium clipping diodes. Solder work is top notch, and all wiring is kept organized and neatly routed using cable ties.
The pedal’s control set consists of three knobs to adjust the output characteristics: The overdrive knob controls the amount of dirt, the level knob controls the volume of the dirt, and clean boost controls the volume of the separate boost circuit. The circuit’s overdrive and boost sections can be engaged separately or combined using the unit’s dual footswitches. When used together, the OD is cascaded into the boost so that the distorted signal can be made louder without increasing the amount of saturation.
Construction and functionality aside, the true test of any pedal is the sound quality and here the O-CB again delivers in spades.
I found the O-CB’s sound to lean more towards the distortion end of the tone spectrum—a TS9 Tube Screamer clone it’s not. The sound is big, full, and robust with no loss of low end and none of the clean signal “leakage” that is sometimes present in op-amp overdrive designs.
With the overdrive knob set low, the pedal exhibits a round, wooly tone that’s great for bluesy lead lines or stoner rock riffing. Turning this knob up increases the saturation but also brightens up the pedal’s overall tone, adding more clarity and sustain while creating a symbiotic interaction between your guitar and amp—lead lines sing and sustained notes morph into glorious harmonic feedback.
With the OD knob dimed, the O-CB takes you into full-on distortion territory and does a nice job of emulating the muscular tones of late-’70s hard rock. Big, burly, and uncompromising, this pedal means business.
The clean boost function can add up to 35 dB of clean gain—perfect for a cutting solo boost or for bombing the front end of your tube amp. The boost function can be engaged independently of the overdrive, which is a useful function if you need to get a clean passage heard over the top of a band without added distortion.
When used together, the O-CB’s overdrive and boost functions provide a versatile tone palette for a wide variety of playing styles. The only other pedal you need is a tuner!
Pricewise, the O-CB rubs elbows with many of the best-known boutique overdrive pedals on the market. Yet with the added bonus of an independent onboard clean boost and touring-grade construction, this pedal clearly stands out in an increasingly saturated market of saturators.
This is Normandy’s first stab at making a pedal—I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. And if you want to see some adventurous aluminum guitars and basses, check out Normandy’s website.
Kevin Bolembach is the president
and founder of Godlyke, the U.S.
distributor for many well-known
boutique effect brands, including
Maxon, Guyatone, EMMA, and
Providence.
The Alumicaster already sounds like quite a nice instrument on paper, but the real star of the show is the bass’ unique aluminum body. Modeled after the internal bracings of jet airplane wings, the Alumicaster is a hollowbody instrument that uses aircraft-grade aluminum and a carefully designed truss system for internal support. And to amp up sustain, blocks of billeted aluminum are incorporated to individually anchor both the neck joint and bridge area to the front and back of the instrument. While our review model boasted a polished chrome body, the company offers a less expensive version in a raw, brushed-aluminum finish. Powder-coated and custom finishes are also available.
Metal Machine Music
The bass weighs in at a very svelte 9 pounds,
and the aluminum top, back, and sides are
joined so well that the body deceivingly
looks and feels like it’s sculpted from a solid
piece of material. Due to the lightweight
qualities of the body, the Alumicaster is a
little neck heavy when strapped up in the
standing position, but just ever so slightly.
The lightweight tuning machines certainly
help with the balance, and the electronics
and internal bracings add just enough heft
to the body to keep the neck from taking a
dive towards your feet.
Even before I plugged it in, the Alumicaster displayed incredible resonance and liveliness, along with a surprising amount of projection. Because the internal bracings are joined from underneath the bridge to the neck joint, the vibrations are transferred in an extremely effective and noticeable way. With each plucked note ringing out clearly, I could feel the resonance throughout the neck as well.
Speaking of the Alumicaster’s 34"-scale neck, it’s simply a blast to play. Topped with a vibrant-looking rosewood fretboard (maple is also an option if you prefer an even brighter tone and attack), the modern, shallow contour is comfortable and provides a snug fit in the fretting hand. And the area around the first five frets provides plenty of mass to hold onto for accurate fret work.
Plugging into a Verellen Meat Smoke head and an Ampeg Isovent 2x10 and 2x15 combo cab, the Alumicaster immediately displayed the rich and throaty tone of a nice P bass, with the aluminum body adding a noticeably sharp edge to the attack. Aluminum bodies tend to brighten up tone considerably and the Alumicaster follows suit by dishing out an interesting sound that may take some getting used to—especially for those who aren’t familiar with the metallic overtones this low-density material delivers.
Ratings
Pros:
Great feeling neck. Powerful, thick output. Fantastic
sustain and detail in the highs.
Cons:
Bright, metallic tonality may not be for everyone.
Tones:
Versatility:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$1,999 (as tested)
Normandy Guitars
normandyguitars.com
To keep the Alumicaster’s highs from becoming overpowering, Seymour Duncan’s warm-bodied Quarter-Pound pickups were the perfect choice for this bass. The mids punched through the mix with a fat low end, and the highs were infused with a unique, metallic sharpness that sounded extremely detailed and round. In fact, the high end almost seemed like a totally separate signal. Each strike of the pick was revealed with enormous detail, as if they had their own hi-fi filter applied to them. Dropping the tone knob brings the sound to warmer territory, but with it fully open, you can hear every scrape, slide, and movement against the strings’ windings—which may or may not be a quality you appreciate.
Regardless of the unconventional attack, the Alumicaster possesses all of the well-loved thumpy and thick traits that make players gravitate to a P-bass-style instrument. And it delivers these sonic qualities with superb sustain, thanks to the bracing that makes the body so exceptionally resonant and lively.
The Verdict
Normandy’s Alumicaster is a great combination
of vintage and contemporary. Its
looks and tone will turn both eyes and ears
indeed, and the old-school feel and vibe
are enough to not scare off the vintage purists.
Compared to other aluminum-based
guitars and basses on the market—which
are usually priced well over $1,000—the
Alumicaster’s starting price of $899 is
unheard of, especially considering its level
of quality and tone. Players who aren’t used
to hearing this level of detail in the attack
and highs might need to spend a little
time to get accustomed to it, but regardless
of one’s opinion on that matter, the
Alumicaster Bass offers exceptional sonic
and visual quality.
Watch our video demo:
