30 Pedals In 30 Days: Mesa/Boogie TONE-BURST, GRID SLAMMER, FLUX-DRIVE, and THROTTLE BOX
Marc Johnson | Nov 07, 2013 | Comments 0
Don’t forget to check out the video at the bottom of the page.
Mesa/Boogie has always been known as top shelf gear. Top shelf quality and top shelf tone. So, when word came down last year that Mesa/Boogie was going to do a new line of pedals, peoples’ heads were exploding with anticipation. We here at TheToneKing.com had a chance to check out the whole line of new Boogie pedals for 30 Pedals in 30 Days.
To start, Mesa/Boogie Drive Pedal Series aren’t Mesa’s first venture into the world of pedals. Mesa previously had the V-Twin and V1 Bottle Rocket. Both of those pedals were huge, but their price point kept them out of the more mainstream markets. Since every player and their mothers have been dusting off their pedalboards lately, Mesa saw an opportunity to bring their top-shelf tone to the masses.
Every-freaking-thing Mesa makes is made in Petaluma California, and that even includes these bad boys.
Not only is this new line of pedals carefully crafted and rigorously tested in the same shop as everything else with the Mesa/Boogie stamp, but they’re designed by some of the minds behind the Mark Five, the Dual Rectifier, and the TransAtlantic TA-30. And it shows in the characteristics in each of these pedals.
Instead of sacrificing tone by trying to put everything into one pedal, Mesa opted to design four separate pedals built for varying regions of drive.
The TONE-BURST
This Boost/Overdrive pedal starts out so subtly, it almost sounds like a “clean boost.” But, this pedal has the range to push your sound to a sweet blues break-up or push the gain on your amp over the edge. You can also use it to compensate for any signal loss that you’ll get from switching between humbuckers and single-coils.
The GRID SLAMMER
This Overdrive pedal is more than just the next step up. It’s a completely different dynamic. Anywhere between Clapton and Zeppelin. Enough boost in gain to go from singing sweet, to dirty and nasty with a twist of the knob. While the GRID SLAMMER is considered an Overdrive pedal, it is versatile enough to be used as a blues boost or to add a different tonal dimension to your existing sound.
The FLUX DRIVE
The Mark V is a coveted amp. And, much of that has to do with the gain stage. Nowhere is it more apparent than with the FLUX DRIVE that one of the designers of the legendary Mark V was involved in the design process. If this pedal were a candy bar, the gain would be its caramel. Smooth and sweet gain with endless sustain make for an ideal lead tone. With overtones more rich and complex than your favorite English Porter Beer, you’ll be amazed how this pedal complements a tube head.
Basically, if you’re looking for the Dual Rectifier Pre-amp section in a pedal, well, here you go. The THROTTLE BOX is pure ferocity in a baked on black hunk of metal. It’s the Pandora’s box of distortion pedals. Open it up, and you can visit fear on the world. But, surprisingly, you can still get some sweetness out of the THROTTLE BOX if you back off of the gain. It’s very rare that you can find a pedal that can dish out so much aggression while still leaving room for a bit of elegance. To help get that signature Mesa/Boogie tone, a Mid Cut feature allows the player to get that signature Boogie “V” EQ-curve. Also, if your looking for a little more versatility, the THROTTLE BOX has a “Boost” switch located on the PCB under the bottom lid. All of the THROTTLE BOX pedals are sent out on the “boosted” setting, but it’s a bit too much for you, you can always kill the boost and give your sound that less saturated, punchy tone.
Across the spectrum, Mesa/Boogie has managed to create four dynamic, versatile pedals that give the player whole new avenues of tone to explore. Not surprising coming from the same company that brought us the Dual Rectifier and the Mark V. This is a company that focuses strictly on tone. And in a place where tone is king, you know you’ll always find The Tone King.
For prices on the TONE BURST, GRID SLAMMER, FLUX DRIVE, THROTTLE BOX as well as all Mesa/Boogie gear, check out: Sweetwater.com
Randall Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/randallamplifiers
Product Page: http://mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/pedals/pedals-main.html
Unboxing Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r94wbp4ohis
Official Full-On Demo & Review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFyLQCDGD68
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFyLQCDGD68′]
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About the Author: Marc published his first novel Becoming in 2010. It’s a kick-ass book with monsters and dreams and stuff, and you should buy it. Since then, he’s written thousands of articles for TheToneKing.com, many of which have been picked up for circulation by manufacturers and other news outlets. His next book, Drugs and Pancakes, should be available early 2014 if his alcoholic editor can find time to work on it in-between destroying his liver and screaming about punctuation. He graduated from Roosevelt University with honors, which means that he’s not as dumb as he looks. He’s been playing guitar for over 25 years, which is almost twice as long as most of his students have been alive.