on the 385. It plays nicely
with others, but because
the treble and bass knobs
are very interactive, you
may need to adjust when
combining it with other
fuzz, distortion and
overdrive boxes.
as a standalone dirt box, it
stacks well with other fuzz,
overdrive, and distortion
pedals, and you can use it as
a foundation for your entire
sound by placing it at the
end of your signal chain. If
you like the idea of having
Because the 385 is modeled an amp in a box, but want
to step away from Fender,
after an amplifier, you can
treat it like one in your pedal Marshall, Vox, and other
popular alternatives, the 385
chain. I had a blast running
is unique enough to inspire,
my board into the 385 as if
it were the amp, and setting but musical enough to be
the EQ and Gain controls to right at home in any musical
context.
enhance what was running
into it. I experimented with
placing the pedal in various
parts of my effects chain,
and while some sounds were
more conventional than
others, they were all useable
and fun.
WHAT WE LIKE
Great sounding overdrive
and gritty tones. Works
well with other pedals, as a
standalone dirt box, and at
the end of your signal chain
for the amp effect.
CONCERNS
Your other pedals don’t look
as cool.
If you love the idea of funky
cool vintage tube amps,
but don’t want to spend a
ton of coin on something
that may fall apart at the
gig, don’t sweat it—the 385
gives you a radical spectrum
of drive and fuzzy-wuzzy
tones in a convenient,
easy-to-operate stompbox
format that doesn’t cost an
arm and a leg. Despite its
simple layout, it can be used
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