BearFoot FX presents the BJF-designed
One Control Strawberry Red Over Drive!
Tone Report Review! (June 24, 2016)
by Eric Tischler
Read review HERE!
The same article (above) made it into the Tone Report Weekly 2016 FX Buyers Guide!
Demos
Burgs
Mike Hermans
Hans Johansson
Vitali T
It has been several decades since the effect called “overdrive” was first launched. How many overdrive pedals have been created since then?
Now the overdrive is going beyond the scope of an effect and advancing into the sphere of guitar amps.
The One Control Strawberry Red Over Drive is not an imitation of the sound created by existing equipment. No matter how great or high quality the equipment is, once you start targeting a sound, it ends up being a simulator. While you need sublime spirit to develop an advanced simulator, it cannot become a true original overdrive pedal.
The development of the Strawberry Red Over Drive is such that guitarists from all genres have started to demand it. Thus, it is important that this becomes indispensable equipment for any guitarist. Guitars and guitar amps are necessary equipment for all guitarists. In particular, high-end guitar amps should be longed for by all guitarists.
So, what if we can offer an overdrive that is equipped with all the necessary sound attributes to become a high-end guitar amp? When you say a high-quality guitar amp, every model has a different sound. However, there are common sound attributes that are recognized as “good sound” across all guitar amps. BJF, who designed the circuit for the Strawberry Red Over Drive completely understands this.
These attributes are:
・Pedals that stimulate the core of the guitar sound
・able to output the sound that guitarists want for any guitar and any amps
・maximizing the attributes of other equipment including guitars, amps, and effectors
・covering everything from completely clean to strong distortion
・able to fully pick up all the expressions that a player manually creates
・able to adjust subtle sounds
We could not compromise on these requirements in developing the Strawberry Red Over Drive.
The Strawberry Red Over Drive can control everything with a single Drive knob from a complete clean boost to low gain bluesy overdrive, powerful hard overdrive and to even more powerful distortion.
If you keep the drive at the minimum level, it becomes a clean booster, with which you can get the maximum +6dB boost with a Volume knob.
If you reset the gain, you can reduce the gain immediately if you turn down the guitar volume without moving the Drive knob. If you turn off the Drive on the Strawberry Red Over Drive and turn down the guitar volume, you can get a clean sound that is rich in harmonic overtones and offers a thick and sensitive, beautiful sound at the same time. This will remind you of the supreme one volume tune amp.
Its quick response also draws the maximum attributes of guitars and amps even when the gain is set to high. Actively using the pickup select switch will allow variation in the sound expression in a more meaningful way.
Highly responsive and highly dynamic range overdrive pedals can sometimes create a sound that is hard to deal with. The Strawberry Red Over Drive creates a sound that is easy to deal with, while responding dynamically to the guitar operation because it never loses the core of the guitar sound and is dense and stable at its center of gravity.
Guitar amps are originally made to create a sound that makes the player feel good. The Strawberry Red Over Drive, with any amp, can create a sound that is sought after by guitarists. This reflects the fact that the Strawberry Red Over Drive has the attributes that are common among high-end guitar amps.
The treble control of the Strawberry Red Over Drive is an active tone that can control mid-treble in the range between -3dB and +6dB. If you turn down the treble, it can adjust the range between 70Hz and 7KHz and if you set the treble to high, you can boost it to between 700Hz and 7KHz easily. Because of these attributes, you can adjust the sound from the gorgeous distortion that augments the harmonic overtone to warm tones that reduce the treble. No matter what level you set it at, it won’t create any extreme sound and you will have the freedom to create any elaborate sound by taking advantage of the knob variability.
The Strawberry Red Over Drive has the Low Cut trim pot ready right next to the output terminal which will enable you to cut out the low-end. While the Strawberry Red Over Drive meets the demands of guitar amp users for a tight low end sound, some users might feel the low coming out stronger than others due to the characteristics of their guitars, amps or the speakers they use. In that case, you can adjust the trim pot to cut the low end to simplify the sound. Its ability to cut the range from 19Hz to 170Hz down to a maximum -6dB could avoid the possible hollowness that could be a side effect of this. You adjust it while fixing it to the pedalboard so that you can check the sound immediately.
*If you want to move the trim pot, turn off (or bypass) the Strawberry Red Over Drive to avoid any unexpected noise.
● Usability as an effect
No matter how great the overhead drive you make, if it requires specific plug and its size is the same as the normal amp headphone, that would narrow the player basis. One Control introduced its unique super compact cut-out aluminum case for the Strawberry Red Over Drive. This allows it to be space-saving even when it’s set up on the pedalboard. Its small size with incredible long-lasting battery power will not limit the place of its use. You can enjoy the sound of the Strawberry Red Over Drive anytime, anywhere. When it’s powered by an adapter, it supports between 9-18V. You will be able to enjoy even more dynamic range and stereo sound when you use it at a higher voltage.
●Driving tube amps
The Strawberry Red Over Drive has a sound that is common among high quality amps. If the Strawberry Red Over Drive is used in a tube amp, you can emphasize the benefit of the amp even further and attain the ultimate drive. The Strawberry Red Over Drive matches British-style amps completely and expands the potential of the amp EQ selection even further. You can also put the sound forward freely and enhance the resolution of the sound. If you are using a stacking amp, this might flatten the sound when you raise the gain on the amp, but you can get a high resolution sound with the same gain by pushing the gain on the Strawberry Red Over Drive to keep the gain low enough on the amp. The Low-Cut control would be effective and could adjust the balance of the sound.
For American style amps, it can push the amp by increasing the gain while not losing the bright shine of the amp. While these types of amps tend to have stronger treble, the Strawberry Red Over Drive can balance the level of the tone properly with its Treble control. The Strawberry Red Over Drive enables the distortion sound that tightly combines sounds, which is hard to create with American style classic amps.
The Strawberry Red Over Drive also does great work when used in combination with modern high gain amps. You might think the overdrive is unnecessary as the amp itself realizes distortion but you can attain an even higher resolution sound when you combine the bass response of the Strawberry Red Over Drive and Low Cut control and Treble controls. If you combine the gain of the Strawberry Red Over Drive and the gain of amps, you can maintain the powerful high gain while keeping down the saturated tone by lowering the gain on the amp, and further push the sound to the front.
●Driving transistor amp
The attributes that are required for truly high quality guitar amps remain the same for both vacuum tubes and transistors.
Even though the amp does not have those attributes, you can still realize tones that only skilled players can create and attain the utmost quality that amps and guitars can offer by utilizing the sound attributes that the Strawberry Red Over Drive can create that are similar to high quality guitar amps. If you use a transistor amp with larger speakers, you can get a sound with a powerful charge and mass just like the sound created by the combination of high power amps and large cabinets. And the Strawberry Red Over Drive’s unique compression gives tube amp-like attributes to transistor amps as well. You can create a solid and deep drive sound that is unheard of among conventional transistor amps when using with an 18V adapter.
“The Strawberry Red Over Drive (SROD) aims to cover any pickup, ranging from low to medium gain overdrive, distortion, distorted amp sound, as well as other distortion pedals.
The sound of the SROD is different from any overdrive you have heard on the market. It is a muscular overdrive that can create an old sound at the same time. It is truly versatile. The EQ option of the SROD responds well to various situations by keeping the level within range for actual live performances or recording and deliberately eliminating extreme settings.
The SROD is so compact that you can take it with your carry-on luggage when you fly. You can take it anywhere with you to enjoy the best sound whenever you like.”
— Björn Juhl
One Control Tourbox Reviews (The Gear Page)
GEAR USED: Stock Fender Esquire, 90’s Guild S100 with Gibson 57’s through a 3rd Power Dream Weaver MKII (w/Plexi channel, and a Fender channel that has either the tweed or blackface voicing)
“This was the one I was most looking forward to trying, and it didn’t disappoint. It was the one that sounded the best through all 3 different voicings of my amp. It was the least picky about what guitar and voicing was being used. I was always able to dial it in really well.
It’s hard to exactly describe this pedal. It just seemed to work for me in a lot of different applications. It worked really well at low to medium gain, and then it worked GREAT as a boost into the other drive pedals in the tour box. I’d love to buy one of these.” (USA, July 2016)
GEAR USED: Schecter with EMG 81/85 actives; two Ibanez’s: a classic Roadstar II completely stock and one loaded with DiMarzio Crunch Lab (passive also) through an Orange Rockerverb 100 MKII and Peavey MH25 (closed back Mesa 2×12 cab)
“In a word: RETRO! Definitely a low gain OD. Not a TS as it had a pretty flat boost/bump without the midrange hump. That’s nice and a different style from other ODs. Didn’t really love this OD as a boost to my amps dirty channels. Got a little muddy and didn’t really make the amp tighten and jump like I wanted it to (see OD 808 bias above) However I did like this pedal as a boost to the Purple and Fuzz better than as an amp boost. This was a pedal that was also better with the EMGs. Really really liked the retro sound and feel of this pedal. Bon Scott ACDC, pre MTV ZZ TOP blues, James Gang, 70s Priest. This will get you there. At its dirtiest its a rock box, not a hard rock box. I found a cool lead tone with the gain around 12n and then boosted this with the TS and got something nice, gritty, punchy. Gain range was good from around 8:00 to 3:00/4:00 making it similar to dial in to the others.” (USA, August 2016)
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