Power to the pinkyāthe variety of sounds in this homage to the 1960s Colorsound Fuzz is damn near astounding. The PG Vick Audio Lucky 13 review.
Clip 1: Eastwood Sidejack Baritone DLX with Curtis Novak Widerange Jazzmaster pickups into a Goodsell Valpreaux 21. Neck pickup, first with pedal bypassed, then engaged with Lucky 13 level at max and neck pickup selected, then middle position, then bridge, then back and forth between positions, adjusting guitar volume to various levels throughout.
Clip 2: Curtis Novak Tele-V Telecaster bridge pickup into the Lucky 13 (bypassed first, then engaged with level at 3 oāclock and guitar volume at max) then into the boost side of a SoundBrut DrVa MkII and a Ground Control Tsukuyomi mid boost, then into a 1976 Vibrolux Reverb with a Celestion G10 and a WGS G10C/S. Ā
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RatingsPros:Myriad fuzz tonesāfrom thick and gnarly to reedy and sqwonkyāvia guitar-volume tweaks. Cleans up really well with humbuckers. Pretty decent price. Cons: Somewhat unpredictable sounds, guitar to guitar/rig to rig. Can be quite noisy with single-coils. Street: $119 Vick Audio Lucky 13 vickaudio.com | Tones: Ease of Use: Build/Design: Value: |
Inspired by the 1960s Colorsound Fuzz designed by Dick Denney (also of Vox AC30 fame), Vick Audioās new Lucky 13 is one of those stomps whose full potential can only be accessed via guitar-volume tweaks.
Silicon fuzzes sometimes have the reputation of being jagged, harsh, or trashy, but at full guitar volume, the Lucky 13 has a warm, thick, germanium-like sound. Its single level control (which governs a simple, two-transistor circuit) goes from nada to woolly-bear beef at its extremes, but for my money thereās no reason to set it below 3 oāclock. The higher you set it, the more tonal variety, dynamics, and clean headroom you can conjure with your instrumentās volume knobāthough different rigs can have surprisingly different results.
For instance, with my Teleās single-coils, lowered-volume sounds were more lo-fi, less varied, and considerably noisier. Meanwhile, driven by a baritone with Curtis Novak Widerange Jazzmaster humbuckers, the 13 churned out a deliciously smooth chocolate-destruction milkshake with the neck pickup at max, a chunky, slightly sweeter explosion with both pickups at max, and a velvet-fisted bruising with the bridge dimed. But these doom-friendly sounds were just occasional stopping points, as the ābuckers yielded a plethora of in-between tones that didnāt just vary in cleanness but also in EQ profile. With baritone volume near minimum, the tones were surprisingly clean, though also scooped and thinābut not quite Mosrite Fuzzrite-thināyet more mids crept in as I increased guitar dBs. At mid volume, the ābuckers brought out wonderfully sensitive, even, and amp-like overdrive/crunch, and as I nudged volume further, the tones bloomed beautifully ā¦ until bursting into a filthy mushroom cloud at full throttle.
Test Gear: Eastwood Sidejack Baritone DLX and Squier Tele Custom with Curtis Novak pickups, silver-panel Fender Vibrolux Reverb and Vibro Champ, Goodsell Valpreaux 21, Jaguar HC50
The circuit is based on a classic fuzz from the '60s but adds more gain and a modern EQ curve.
Gilbert, AZ (August 26, 2020) -- Vick Audio, a company that specializes in reproductions of out of production and original guitar effects is excited to announce the re-release of the Lucky No. 13 fuzz pedal.
Vick Audio is bringing it back the Lucky No. 13 fuzz pedals that has been out of production since late 2014.
The Lucky No. 13 is an exceptional smooth fuzz with thunderous lows and loads of singing sustain. It is great for banging out woolly rhythms with its heavy dynamic fuzz tone, while retaining enough clarity to do lead work.
The Lucky No. 13 sets itself apart from other fuzzes with its smooth saturated tone and natural sounding decaying breakup. It is based on a classic one knob fuzz circuit designed in the 60ās but with higher gain, a smoother tone and a more modern voicing. If you are looking to get a unique signature fuzz tone give the Lucky No. 13 a try.
As with most one knob pedals the single control knob is a volume control and it is meant for you to use your guitarās volume control to control the pedals gain.
The Lucky No.13 is retailing at $119.
For more information:
Vick Audio
A versatile low-to-medium gain overdrive with a high-cut switch.
Gilbert, AZ (August 24, 2017) -- Vick Audio, a company that specializes in reproductions of out of production and original guitar effects is excited to announce the latest member of its lineup the Mount Pleasant overdrive.
Vick AudioĆ¢ā¬ā¢s newest addition to its effects pedal lineup the Mount Pleasant is a versatile low to medium gain overdrive that is perfect for blues, rock and a variety of other applications.
The Mount Pleasant was designed to give warm overdriven tones with great frequency response without over whelming or oversaturating your existing tone. If you are looking for a heavily distorted and highly saturated sound this is not the right pedal for you. If you want a natural tube-like overdrive while maintaining touch response and your rigs natural dynamics the Mount Pleasant should be an excellent fit.
With the exception of the high cut toggle switch the Mount Pleasant has your standard volume, gain and tone controls. The tone stack has a balanced response but a high cut switch has been added to give additional options. The NC (No Cut) option is the standard recommendation but you can reduce highs, add warmth and increased low-end response with the High Cut 1 (HC1) and High Cut 2 (HC 2) settings.
The Mount Pleasant is particularly responsive to pickup selection giving warm full tones towards the neck and bright singing tones when you switch towards the bridge.
The Mount Pleasant is retailing at $129
For more information:
Vick Audio