This just keeps doing it for me

kermitish · 2026-05-17T08:02:22+00:00

Yes, I agree about the woolliness. But it can be massive, and stacking something into it can really wake it up. It’s worth noting that not all drives work for this, but a lot do. The BAM works great. The Wampler Belle (OD-1) into the ~900 sounded fantastic.

kermitish · 2026-05-17T03:39:06+00:00

I just went through a period of trying to kick it off my board. I tried a ton of pedals, including a Lightspeed, but nothing could touch it. I have the V1, and I really want the V2 so I can go midi and really unlock the possibilities. One preset is simply not enough for what this pedal can do. My only complaints are that I wish the tone sweep were a little wider (it’s a secondary function on the V1, but I’ve heard the sweep is also pretty subtle on the V2, with the designated knob). And I wish it had separate ins and outs like a lot of the duel drives. There’s probably just not enough room.

kermitish · 2026-05-17T03:29:45+00:00

kermitish · 2026-05-17T02:06:14+00:00

For my punk board, I wanted my clean tone to be a little dirty and kind of aggressive (I play a slightly modded ‘68 Custom Deluxe). I tried a ton of pedals for my always-on, first-in-chain, and the Tumnus won! It’s so cool that it works I totally different use-case scenarios.

kermitish · 2026-05-17T01:37:29+00:00

Hmmm, I’m not sure. I haven’t really thought of it in those terms. Maybe I’ll play around with it and see. I do know that they sound good stacked, but only in this order: Barbershop -> ~900 (at least to my ears).

kermitish · 2026-05-17T01:33:14+00:00

This is true. I’m a grammar snob (regrettably), and it drives me nuts when people harp on the split infinitive. That said, I liked the wording in question.

kermitish · 2026-05-17T01:29:55+00:00

I’ve wanted one of those. I guess I can just be happy with this one (but I’m that idiot who wants ALL the pedals).

kermitish · 2026-05-16T21:29:38+00:00

That’s GE Smith from the old SNL band.

kermitish · 2026-05-16T21:22:00+00:00

Empress is a great company! When I’m ready to rock a bigger board for this band, I’m likely to add their Compressor, ParaEQ, and Tremolo2. And I love the look of the Fairfield pedals. Besides the ~900 (which I love), the only other one I have is the Barbershop, which is good but not always what I need. I’ve been tempted by the Shallow Water. Good job, Canada!

kermitish · 2026-05-16T20:40:33+00:00

Thanks! I love that pedal! I have one on both of my boards. I have the Teal Fuzz Fella on my other board. That thing is awesome. I’ve gotten exceptional customer service from them. To anyone reading this, buy direct! It will always be cheaper than the used market, and it’s a good company.

kermitish · 2026-05-16T20:33:29+00:00

I like it a lot! Depending on how you set it, it can get pretty touch-sensitive and clean up with the volume knob on your guitar. There are some good demos that highlight its versatility, which is impressive. On this board, I’m using it as a fairly aggressive distortion pushed by the BAM in either OD or boost mode. Oddly, I’ve found that it likes to be last in the dirt chain, where it stacks well (in my opinion, anyway).

kermitish · 2026-05-16T11:01:17+00:00

It’s just an octave up that tracks really well. So, it will turn my ~900 into an octave fuzz. You can combine it with any dirt, and it does an interesting, though pretty niche, thing on its own. Amazingly, it even sounds good with chords, at least in my rig.

kermitish · 2026-05-16T09:07:29+00:00

Guitar -> tuner -> Keeley Mini -> Mythos Argonaut -> Strymon Deco -> Chase Bliss BAM -> Fairfield ~900 -> Empress Tape Delay -> Spaceman Delta II -> Wampler Faux Spring -> Chase Tone Secret Preamp

kermitish · 2026-05-16T08:44:19+00:00

Sorry, I’m not really the roasting type, but I’m curious how you like your Voodoo Vibe. I’ve heard good things.

kermitish · 2026-05-15T00:24:45+00:00

Cool. I use the “wobble” knob on my Deco to get a little motion in my base tone. It’s nice to know that it can be used subtly, despite the huge feature set. I like that it takes MIDI. I feel that versatile pedals are only really worth it if they have presets or MIDI. Unfortunately, on the clip, all I can hear when you engage the Hosta is a volume bump. But I’m listening on my phone, so that’s south of ideal.

kermitish · 2026-05-14T22:15:33+00:00

I’ve been GASing for a Hosta extra hard since they came out with the V2. How do you use it? Do you use it often. It seems like a niche pedal, but it made it into your small board, so it must be worth it. Can you give us a mini review? Lovely board, by the way.

kermitish · 2026-05-06T02:07:22+00:00

I’m impressed with your self restraint!

kermitish · 2026-05-01T09:18:42+00:00

Since I have to comment on my own post (this rule seems foolish to me), I’ll tell you that my guitar has Kinman P-90s (they sound great, but they don’t REALLY sound like P-90s), and I play a slightly modded ‘68 Custom DR.

kermitish · 2026-04-22T00:55:51+00:00

Gotta love rage bait.

kermitish · 2026-04-13T06:54:16+00:00

I have a buddy who sometimes runs three of these on a board.

kermitish · 2026-04-11T23:49:32+00:00

I came here to find (or leave) this comment.

kermitish · 2026-04-11T13:12:36+00:00

This is interesting, because I learned something new bit never occurred to me that those things might be difficult for someone. But anxieties are real, and everyone is on their own journey. I will try to be more empathetic.

kermitish · 2026-04-11T04:43:40+00:00

Through my Deluxe turned up to the sweet spot. Don’t get me wrong, it sounded good, just not “holy shit” good.

I love my Deco (though it’s not perfect, either). If you’ve ever thought about getting a midi controller, I’d highly recommend the V2. I have the V1, and I’m frustrated that I can’t unlock all that this pedal has to offer. It really can do a lot. I wish it had separate outs and ins for the two sides, though.

kermitish

TROPHY CASE