CyanideJunkie
New member
Ok, a little intro for the 'Punch Tone': I asked Scott of Sound Alchemy what he was going for when he designed this pedal, and his answer was that he wanted to capture the raw, crunchy distorted guitar tones that were most prevalent during the 80s. So think Marshall 4x12s in an arena setting and you wouldn't be very far behind from what the 'Punch Tone' is going for.
Guitar:
Orville Les Paul Custom with WB Vintage Tuned PAFs
Amp:
Carr Rambler
2. 'Punch Tone' Distortion ($220)
Features:
True Bypass switch, Volume, Gain, Tone
Sound:
One of the first things I noticed when I stepped on this little baby was how FAT this thing sounded! Although at first, my initial impression was that the 'Punch Tone' sounded like a really overdriven Fender amp due to it's clarity, but then again Marshall amps were initially created as Fender clones so the corelation is understandable.
Back to the sound, the Gain and Tone controls are, like the 'Brown Sugar', quite responsive. It should be noted that I have never liked my controls to be TOO responsive, lest a little nudge throws the whole setup off. Anyway, once I dialed in the appropriate settings, there was an immediate urge to belt out 'Paradise City'. The amount of crunch churned out by this pedal is addictive to say the least, with songs like 'Back In Black', 'Shout At The Devil', 'Crazy Babies' being well within its range. Heavier sounds from songs like 'Creeping Death' and 'Symphony Of Destruction' can also be coaxed out of it with some judicious tweaking. The bass frequencies are firm but not too tight, mids have that gut-punch feel Marshall fans love, and the highs are bacon crispy. More importantly, it does not mush out at higher volumes, a crippling weakness apparent in most distortion pedals these days.
The other great thing about this pedal is that it works well in conjunction with your guitar's controls (something which I failed to mention in my 'Brown Sugar' review); predominantly the volume control, which allows one to significantly clean up the tone by rolling it back.
Conclusion:
A Marshall-in-a-box? Close, but not quite. The Wampler Plextortion would be more deserving of that title, but if a solid, no-frills dirt box with attitude and perspective is what you're looking for, the 'Punch Tone' is as good a place as any to start looking.
Guitar:
Orville Les Paul Custom with WB Vintage Tuned PAFs
Amp:
Carr Rambler
2. 'Punch Tone' Distortion ($220)
Features:
True Bypass switch, Volume, Gain, Tone
Sound:
One of the first things I noticed when I stepped on this little baby was how FAT this thing sounded! Although at first, my initial impression was that the 'Punch Tone' sounded like a really overdriven Fender amp due to it's clarity, but then again Marshall amps were initially created as Fender clones so the corelation is understandable.
Back to the sound, the Gain and Tone controls are, like the 'Brown Sugar', quite responsive. It should be noted that I have never liked my controls to be TOO responsive, lest a little nudge throws the whole setup off. Anyway, once I dialed in the appropriate settings, there was an immediate urge to belt out 'Paradise City'. The amount of crunch churned out by this pedal is addictive to say the least, with songs like 'Back In Black', 'Shout At The Devil', 'Crazy Babies' being well within its range. Heavier sounds from songs like 'Creeping Death' and 'Symphony Of Destruction' can also be coaxed out of it with some judicious tweaking. The bass frequencies are firm but not too tight, mids have that gut-punch feel Marshall fans love, and the highs are bacon crispy. More importantly, it does not mush out at higher volumes, a crippling weakness apparent in most distortion pedals these days.
The other great thing about this pedal is that it works well in conjunction with your guitar's controls (something which I failed to mention in my 'Brown Sugar' review); predominantly the volume control, which allows one to significantly clean up the tone by rolling it back.
Conclusion:
A Marshall-in-a-box? Close, but not quite. The Wampler Plextortion would be more deserving of that title, but if a solid, no-frills dirt box with attitude and perspective is what you're looking for, the 'Punch Tone' is as good a place as any to start looking.
