but I found that my low end
stayed intact, and so the mids
did not come off as overly
boosted. Compared to the
other three settings, Vintage
has a little less volume and
gain on tap, but you can
crank the Drive control for
significantly more oomph
and volume than the TS
Mini. Interestingly, I actually
preferred the Texas Pro’s
Boost option as a better way
to boost my amp’s crunch
channel, and I liked the TS
setting as an actual overdrive.
Which is better? It totally
depends on your amp.
MODERN SETTING
Next up is the OCD-esque
mode, featuring more gain,
with more compression at
higher gain settings, more
volume than the Vintage
mode, and a bit brighter
overall tone. To be honest,
it’s not a radically different
tone from the TS, but I liked
it a lot. It did remind me of
my OCD, but with less mids
and a bit more bottom end.
Increasing the gain past noon,
Modern mode can really pack
a punch suitable for classic
rock and up to heavier rock
tones. At lower settings, it
does a nice blues crunch too,
giving a slightly different vibe
from the Vintage setting. I’m
not sure I prefer the Texas
Pro over the OCD, they’re
just slightly different flavors,
and both are very good.
MAXIMUM SETTING
The third setting does not
have a direct comparison
to another classic circuit,
but overall, it has more
gain, more openness, less
compression, and more
volume then either of the
other modes. At the highest
gain setting, Maximum mode
is a beast, best reserved for
your guitar’s bridge pickup
because of the prodigious
amount of bass—even my
single coils sounded thick,
rude and aggressive. The
only setting I didn’t like
was on a humbucker’s neck
pickup, because the bass was
overwhelming. Here, I would
recommend turning back
the Gain a bit, and add just a
little more treble to avoid the
typical flab you get with too
much gain and in the neck
position.
EFFECTS LOOP FUN
rarity in overdrive pedals
at this price point. With
separate send and return
inputs, a pedal in the loop is
activated by turning on the
boost footswitch. I tried an
EHX Micro POG in the loop,
turning it on and off via the
footswitch for when I needed
to add that lower and higher
octave effect. The volume on
the boost still works, making
the POG’s effect louder or
quieter.
WHAT WE LIKE
With three distinct and high-
quality overdrive tones in
one box, and a very capable
class-A boost, plus an effects
loop, a price under $170 is
a great deal. The chance for
guitarists to simplify their
pedalboard with less pedals,
while still having a great deal
of versatility should not be
overlooked.
CONCERNS
If you’re looking for a TS-type
overdrive clone that boosts
mids and cuts bass in order
to push your amp à la SRV,
this might not be quite what
you’re after
The effects loop is not to
be overlooked, which is a
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