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StewMac Two Kings Boost Pedal Demo

StewMac Two Kings Boost Pedal Demo | PG Plays

Offered as a buildable kit and inspired by the Analog Man King of Tone, this 2-in-1 boost/drive offers warm and gritty sound you're after without the five-year wait.


StewMac Two Kings Boost Pedal

Inspired my Analog Man's King of Tone (without the 5 year wait!) this 2-in-1 pedal boost/overdrive is something completely different. It's transparent but still warm and gritty, with a full range of frequencies available without completely overtaking your tone. StewMac made this kit so anyone can build this incredible pedal without breaking the bank. The two sides of the pedal are completely independent. Knobs for gain, volume, and tone get anything from simple boost, gritty overdrive, to distortion. Two internal controls and DIP switches let you get deep to shape the sound. It won't overpower the unique tone of your guitar and amp—it just makes it better. The full color detailed step-by-step instructions are written for the beginner, and StewMac is there to help if you have any trouble with your build. Choose white or bare enclosure, includes custom labels.

StewMac
$129.99

The two-in-one “sonic refractor” takes tremolo and wavefolding to radical new depths.

Pros: Huge range of usable sounds. Delicious distortion tones. Broadens your conception of what guitar can be.

Build quirks will turn some users off.

$279

Cosmodio Gravity Well
cosmod.io

4.5
4
4
4.5

Know what a wavefolder does to your guitar signal? If you don’t, that’s okay. I didn’t either until I started messing around with the all-analog Cosmodio Instruments Gravity Well. It’s a dual-effect pedal with a tremolo and wavefolder, the latter more widely used in synthesis that , at a certain threshold, shifts or inverts the direction the wave is traveling—in essence, folding it upon itself. Used together here, they make up what Cosmodio calls a sonic refractor.

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The author in the spray booth.

Does the type of finish on an electric guitar—whether nitro, poly, or oil and wax—really affect its tone?

There’s an allure to the sound and feel of a great electric guitar. Many of us believe those instruments have something special that speaks not just to the ear but to the soul, where every note, every nuance feels personal. As much as we obsess over the pickups, wood, and hardware, there’s a subtler, more controversial character at play: the role of the finish. It’s the shimmering outer skin of the guitar, which some think exists solely for protection and aesthetics, and others insist has a role influencing the voice of the instrument. Builders pontificate about how their choice of finishing material may enhance tone by allowing the guitar to “breathe,” or resonate unfettered. They throw around terms like plasticizers, solids percentages, and “thin skin” to lend support to their claims. Are these people tripping? Say what you will, but I believe there is another truth behind the smoke.

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Featuring a preamp and Dynamic Expansion circuit for punch and attack, plus switchable amp simulations.

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Photo by Chuck Brueckmann

Creed extend their sold-out Summer of ’99 Tour with 23 additional dates.

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