roundness , and concluded that , in addition to restoring low end , Phat adds compression and pushes the signal more . It ’ s really most useful at low-gain settings , when the Drive isn ’ t working hard , or for lending weight to single notes . Drive compresses the signal , accentuating the upper mids but also bringing out attack in the low end , ultimately adding both cut and more muscle .
As I turned to plug in a variety of humbuckers and more powerful single coils , I switched the Super Phat to Flat mode . With the higher output pickups , the Super Phat Mod sounded wiry rather than weedy . As I eased Drive up to noon , I became more and more enamored of the pedal ’ s distortion and , by the time I had Volume , Tone and Drive at 12:30 I couldn ’ t turn back . The roar was intoxicating . And kinda British . The nasal attack of the Blues Driver ’ s tone stack was now a brash , Vox-y clarion call . The slightly anemic character of the Flat mode became the lean , compressed attack of a JCM800 but with a more powerful push that was Hiwatt-y in its authority . I couldn ’ t stop playing power chords . My arm would hover — mid-windmill — as I ’ d wait for the notes to slowly resolve , each one audible within the halo of harmonics . Interestingly , this setting was equally fulfilling in both bridge and neck positions .
On his site , Keeley talks about looking for chips that provided the right “ grain ” for this pedal ’ s drive character , and I totally get it . While the voicing itself manages the enviable trick of being both focused and powerful , the character of the overdrive is so lively and complex that it was genuinely thrilling to me — it popped out of my speakers and lingered in the room . Forget internal charge pumps , forget germanium diodes : the Super Phat Mod has your new secret sauce and , apparently , its Toshiba FETs . Robert , I hope you had the good sense to goop ’ em !
Thrilling , amp-like distortion that manages to suggest unruly rock ‘ n ’ roll while maintaining articulation and responding to picking dynamics .
Truly “ transparent ” voicings at lower-gain settings were a little dull to my ears , but the solution was simple : I turned the Super Phat Mod up .
roundness , and concluded that , in addition to restoring low end , Phat adds compression and pushes the signal more . It ’ s really most useful at low-gain settings , when the Drive isn ’ t working hard , or for lending weight to single notes . Drive compresses the signal , accentuating the upper mids but also bringing out attack in the low end , ultimately adding both cut and more muscle .
As I turned to plug in a variety of humbuckers and more powerful single coils , I switched the Super Phat to Flat mode . With the higher output pickups , the Super Phat Mod sounded wiry rather than weedy . As I eased Drive up to noon , I became more and more enamored of the pedal ’ s distortion and , by the time I had Volume , Tone and Drive at 12:30 I couldn ’ t turn back . The roar was intoxicating . And kinda British . The nasal attack of the Blues Driver ’ s tone stack was now a brash , Vox-y clarion call . The slightly anemic character of the Flat mode became the lean , compressed attack of a JCM800 but with a more powerful push that was Hiwatt-y in its authority . I couldn ’ t stop playing power chords . My arm would hover — mid-windmill — as I ’ d wait for the notes to slowly resolve , each one audible within the halo of harmonics . Interestingly , this setting was equally fulfilling in both bridge and neck positions .
On his site , Keeley talks about looking for chips that provided the right “ grain ” for this pedal ’ s drive character , and I totally get it . While the voicing itself manages the enviable trick of being both focused and powerful , the character of the overdrive is so lively and complex that it was genuinely thrilling to me — it popped out of my speakers and lingered in the room . Forget internal charge pumps , forget germanium diodes : the Super Phat Mod has your new secret sauce and , apparently , its Toshiba FETs . Robert , I hope you had the good sense to goop ’ em !
WHAT WE LIKE
Thrilling , amp-like distortion that manages to suggest unruly rock ‘ n ’ roll while maintaining articulation and responding to picking dynamics .
CONCERNS
Truly “ transparent ” voicings at lower-gain settings were a little dull to my ears , but the solution was simple : I turned the Super Phat Mod up .