The Cry Baby BB535 Wah Reissue is an authentic restoration of the expressive, throaty growl that became the collective voice of a new generation of wah. Designed with extensive input from the top early ’90s rock acts, it gave players the power to shape their own sound with a frequency selector, built-in boost, and custom inductor tuned for a uniquely warm, vocal tone. We dusted off the best-sounding model in our collection and recreated it part by part, original inductor included. For modern convenience, we added on/off LEDs for both the wah effect and boost circuit. Find your voice, and put some attitude into it, with the Cry Baby BB535 Wah Reissue.
Dunlop
Cry Baby BB535 Multi-Wah Reissue
Wah Guitar Pedal with Boost, Range Selector, and High-Impedance Buffer
Lerxst Amplification, in collaboration with legendary guitarist Alex Lifeson, has released the Analog Kid™ Chorus Pedal, a powerful and expressive modulation pedal designed to capture the unmistakable chorus textures that defined a generation of iconic recordings.
Drawing inspiration from the lush tones heard across Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, and Signals, the Analog Kid delivers everything from shimmering cleans to expansive, swirling modulation, while opening the door to an entirely new sonic territory.
With two LFO circuits, accessed with each footswitch, the Analog Kid offers real-time control over your modulation landscape enabling players to build, layer, and shift textures on the fly.
The pedal is designed to integrate seamlessly into modern rigs while maintaining clarity and low noise performance. Run it in stereo to unlock a massive, three-dimensional spread that transforms your tone from centered to cinematic.
Mono or Stereo operation
Top-mounted I/O for pedalboard efficiency
Optimized for isolated 9V DC power (150mA) – no battery compartment
At the heart of the Analog Kid is a true dual-LFO chorus engine, giving players unprecedented control over modulation depth, rate, and movement.
Independent or Master Rate Modes for dual LFO control
Independent Depth Controls for each modulation circuit
Stereo Output Capability for wide, dimensional soundscapes
Chorus and Vibrato Modes for expanded tonal range
Selectable LFO Direction for unique modulation behavior
Players can run both modulation circuits independently for complex, evolving textures, or sync them together for classic, cohesive chorus tones.
Throughout his career, Alex Lifeson has relied on a wide range of modulation tools, often combining multiple chorus units to achieve his signature sound. The Analog Kid distills that experience into a single, highly flexible pedal that captures the essence of those tones while pushing beyond their limitations.
The Lerxst Analog Kid™ Double Chorus carries a street price of $299 and is available exclusively through the Reverb Lerxst store. For more information visit reverb.com.
Real amp tone with mobile editing via the TONEX Control app and seamless access to the TONEX ecosystem delivers total freedom in any rig
IK Multimedia announces TONEX ONE+, expanding on the success of TONEX ONE by adding wireless mobile control via the TONEX Control app, eliminating the need for a computer, and making it easier than ever to shape and manage tones anywhere.
Combined with full MIDI integration in an ultra-compact format, TONEX ONE+ delivers the sound, feel and dynamic response of real amplifiers and pedals powered by IK's AI Machine Modeling™ technology. TONEX ONE+ also includes the exclusive Signature+ Collection, featuring 100 Premium Tone Models, 20 of which are preloaded and ready to play.
Designed for players who demand more from their rigs without added complexity, TONEX ONE+ integrates seamlessly into modern setups and the TONEX ecosystem. With wireless editing from a mobile device and real- time control via MIDI, players can build, adjust and perform with their entire rig without interruption.
A complete rig, now fully connected
TONEX ONE+ pairs its capture technology with wireless and MIDI connectivity for stage and studio use. Edit tones from mobile devices, access ToneNET instantly, and integrate into MIDI-controlled pedalboards for pro-level control on stage or in the studio.
Hyper-realistic AI Machine Modeled amps, cabs and stomps
TONEX Control app for ToneNET, wireless editing, and loading
Full MIDI control via TRS and USB for seamless rig integration
Store up to 20 presets, all accessible via MIDI
Includes 100 Premium Tone Models plus TONEX SE software
Access over 60,000 Tone Models from the ToneNET community
Studio-grade EQ, compression, modulation, delay and reverb
Improved noise gate for tighter tones across the TONEX ecosystem
USB connection for recording and preset management
TONEX Control app: take control anywhere
TONEX ONE+ removes the need for a computer by enabling full wireless control through the TONEX Control app (iOS/Android). Players can edit, browse and load tones directly from their phone or tablet, eliminating the traditional desktop workflow and keeping their focus on playing.
ToneNET integration provides instant access to a growing library of Tone Models created by players worldwide, ensuring an endless supply of inspiration wherever music happens.
Full MIDI integration
With full MIDI support via TRS and USB, TONEX ONE+ integrates effortlessly into modern pedalboards and switching systems. Players can access all onboard presets, automate changes and control parameters in real time.
MIDI also enables advanced setups, including dual-pedal configurations for stereo or dual-amp rigs, expanding tonal possibilities while maintaining a compact footprint.
Expanded tone library
TONEX ONE+ includes TONEX SE along with the Signature+ Collection, a premium library of 100 Tone Models created exclusively for TONEX ONE+. Powered by TONEX V2 AI Machine Modeling™ technology, it delivers a wide range of inspiring tones, from pristine cleans to high-gain leads.
Models are based on a curated selection of iconic amplifiers and pedals, offering a versatile foundation of mix-ready sounds that respond like real gear.
Small size, greater flexibility
Maintaining the same compact footprint as TONEX ONE, TONEX ONE+ fits easily into any setup, from travel rigs to full pedalboards. Its expanded connectivity and control options make it equally suited for live performance, studio recording and practice environments. Use it as a standalone solution or combine multiple units to build powerful stereo or multi-amp rigs while keeping your setup streamlined and portable.
Expanding ecosystem of tone
TONEX ONE+ is part of IK's growing TONEX ecosystem, giving players access to an ever-expanding library of Tone Models and preset sharing through ToneNET. Capture, share and explore tones across hardware and software platforms, ensuring your favorite sounds are always within reach.
Pricing and availability
TONEX ONE+ is available now from the IK online store and IK dealers worldwide for $/€249.99* each, and includes the exclusive Signature+ Collection (a $/€99.99 value), TONEX SE, and AmpliTube 5 SE.
Vox’s VTB-1 Treble Booster is a little packet of dynamite. It might also cloud the mystery around thetreble booster effect’s history and nomenclature in general. You see, Vox made a Treble Booster around 1966. It was one of the company’s odd plug-in effects, which also included the Fuzz Face-in-disguise Vox Distortion Booster. But this pedal is not that treble booster. Instead, the VTB-1 is inspired by the most famous treble booster of all, the Dallas Rangemaster.
This is a sensible move on the part of 21st-century Vox. The Rangemaster’s knack for kicking a foggy, tame, and listless amp in the derriére has held the fascination of guitarists since it first appeared in 1965. Vox’s new version takes some liberties with that original Rangemaster design—most notably the use of a silicon rather than germanium transistor in the engine room. But it’s hard to argue with its effectiveness once you’re plugged in. The VTB-1 has fangs.
Bright and Burly
It’s difficult to imagine now, given their association with terms like “chime” and “jangle,” but early Vox AC30s and AC15s tended to be dark if you pushed them. Marshalls had a similar problem. This issue was compounded by other forces. By 1966, a zillion guitarists were taking visual cues from the Beatles and Stones. Keith, John, and George may have used P-90-fitted Epiphone Casinos, but they sparked a fascination with semi-hollow archtops that sold innumerable humbucker-equipped Gibson ES-335s. Keith also used a Les Paul. So did Clapton in the Bluesbreakers. Humbuckers were in. But that meant a lot of players were fighting through tone mud of their own making.
“Flip the fat switch and you can practically see Brian May hand the baton to fellow Rangemaster user Tony Iommi, as he prepares to craft a wall of doom.”
That’s where pedals like the Vox Treble Booster, Dallas Rangemaster, and Hornby-Skewes Treble Booster entered the picture. Though they shared some design DNA with the many fuzz tones then coming into vogue, they were designed to push midrange and top-end specifically. And as anyone who has goosed the mid and high-mid range on an amp can attest, a lot of very appetizing harmonic distortion lives there.
A treble booster’s job was simple—and appropriately, its form, function, and inner workings mirrored that simplicity. In the original Rangemaster design, the germanium transistor driving the works was complemented by three resistors and four capacitors—that’s it. There isn’t much more going on under the hood of the VTB-1. There’s a metal-can BC-109 silicon transistor in place of a germanium one, and thin-film resistors instead of carbon composite, in order to reduce noise.
But there are other critical differences. Vox’s circuit uses several more capacitors than the Rangemaster. More conspicuously, there are two red LED diodes in the circuit. The diodes don’t clip, but they help Vox’s engineers achieve some of the non-linearity in the original germanium circuit, which can sweeten the distortion. In the estimation of the engineers, LEDs also help the silicon circuit deliver germanium-like dynamic sensitivity to guitar volume. That elevates the performance, feel, and sound of the VTB-1 and makes its tone smorgasbord very expansive.
More Flavors Than a Candy Shop
The surprise in using any good treble booster is its unexpected versatility. The Vox excels on this front. Much of this evaluation was done with the AC-style channel on an EL84-powered Carr Bel-Ray and a ES-335 copy. Together, they make a weighty sound, but darken the signal significantly. However, adding the VTB-1 with just a touch of boost transformed the output. The rig was more alive, definitely more sparkly, and heftier, too. Attenuating the guitar volume didn’t do much to diminish the VTB-1’s considerable presence. Instead, the output became chimier across a range, from acerbic to airy depending on the guitar tone setting.
On the neck pickup, adjustments to the guitar volume and tone yielded many shades of Peter Green—smoky and mysterious, with a hint of menace. At the other end of the VTB-1’s gain spectrum you hear the heaps of saturation with diamond sparkle on top that enticed Brian May. Flip the fat switch and you can practically see May hand the baton to fellow Rangemaster user Tony Iommi, as he prepares to craft a wall of doom.
For all the favors the VTB-1 does for humbucker-and-EL84 parings, you shouldn’t be shy about hooking it up to single-coils or Fender-style amps. Though these combinations can be a handful in the searing, spiky ways you would expect, a Telecaster and the Bel-Ray were among my favorite companions for the VTB-1 for the way they dished hot-neon, midrange Revolver tones. The combination of the 335 copy and a late ’60s Bassman, meanwhile, could easily pass for an early plexi. With a Fender Reverb unit, the output became even more sweetly Peter Green. And while you’d want to take care running a Telecaster wide open in front of the Reverb and Bassman, working the guitar’s volume and tone controls yielded a feast of varied sounds, from blue-sky jangly to nasty.
The Verdict
It’s beautiful that one knob and a little toggle can do so much to liven up your tone. Criminally, I don’t have a Rangemaster or Rangemaster copy on hand, so I can’t tell how the VTB-1 matches up at the spectrum-analyzer level. What I can say is that I heard beautiful tones in abundance, that they capture the spirit of a Rangemaster, and that they were more inspiring than any overdrive or amp-style pedal I’ve played in a long time. One knob, yes. But so many possibilities.
Vox
VTB1 Treble Booster Pedal
Treble Booster Guitar Pedal with Fat Switch and Boost Knob
New Orleans heavyweights Crowbar have been on a relentless tour of sellout shows this spring, with a schedule of dates that would have bands half their age fainting. Ahead of their gig at Eastside Bowl in Madison, Tennessee, PG’s Chris Kies talked with guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein, guitarist Matt Brunson, and bassist Pat Bruders to see what gear they’re using to conjure their crushing wall of sludgy hardcore.
This is Windstein’s latest signature model with Solar Guitars, the X1.6KW, in Mardi Gras purple. It’s loaded with a pair of passive pickups at the moment—a Seymour Duncan Invader in the bridge, and a Seymour Duncan ’59 in the neck. It’s currently his go-to instrument for Crowbar dates, and he strings it with DR Strings (.013–.060). Though the band’s down-tuned heft would lend itself well to a 7-string, Windstein grew up on six, and that’s where he’s going to stay.
Not-So-Small Fry
Windstein is running through a Neural Quad Cortex unit, working in tandem with a Fryette Two/Ninety/Two power amp, recommended to him by his sound man.
Dean’s List
Brunson shreds with this 7-string Dean Exile Select, kitted out with a burl poplar top, maple neck, and EMG 57/66 pickups. He digs these pickups for their vintage-voiced, cleaner sound, which pairs well with the band’s high-gain environment.
Kemper and Kab
Brunson is running through this Kemper Profiler MK2, primarily using the stock Diezel VH4 profile. He likes the ease of use and consistency he’s found in the digital platform. The Kemper runs through SonicTone Amplification cabinets loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.
From the Ashes
Bruders has used this EST LTD Phoenix II since 2005. It features active EMG pickups, and he runs it with DR Strings sets.
Extra-Large Amp
Bruders plays through a Darkglass Microtubes 900v2, often blending it with the signal from his Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI. His signal is pumped through an Eich Amplification XLCab cab, which is stocked with a range of speakers: two 15", two 12", four 10", and two NT1 tweeters.
Pat Bruders’ Pedalboard
Bruders’ DIY board couldn’t be simpler. It’s got a Boss TU-2, and the aforementioned Tech 21 Sans Amp DI unit.
