BRITISH BALL BREAKER! Angry Marshall in a box!

[shallbe]

I received this pedal yesterday from geekmacdaddy.com. I had heard the clips in the Manufacturers and Dealers discussion area, was impressed and ordered one.

It arrived at my work, so for the commute home I put in The Song Remains the Same to perk my ears to great, live LP/Marshall tone.

At home, I plugged it into the clean channel of my Demeter TGA-3, since the amp was handy and unpacked. That amp can do blackface or tweed Bassman sounds on the clean channel. I used a 1998 '58 reissue LP with Lollars.

The pedal has volume, presence, tone and distortion. First I noticed how loud the pedal could get. It has mucho output if needed. The tone knob is designed so that at noon, it is flat. I love the sound of this guitar, so that was the best spot. The presence knob is really great---it seems to control some compression, feel/thrust and high end content at the same time.

With the distortion knob maxed, the amp clean channel on the edge of breakup, presence at 9:00, tone at noon, I got an incredible sound. Full, fat, but with clarity and just a hint of cranked amp compression. Like a raging Marshall. Chords are big and tight, with no bottom end mush. Single notes are as fat and loud as chords--nothing thin about anything I played. Plenty of cut and clang. This is not a rhythm or lead pedal---it does both well, and at the same time. The big sound and volume it can produce is really attractive to me.

The British Ball Breaker also cleans up extremely well. You ran have the pedal on with a lot of gain, and roll your guitar back to the same sound as before you clicked it on. Very cool.

With the amp set completely clean, the pedal is not quite as impressive. It works well, but sounds a bit more like a pedal. However, if you have a little hair on your clean tone OR your amp is dynamic and sensitive to boosts and overdrives, this pedal will get you into hot Super Lead territory with a click. Depending on your amp and its gain, you can get cranked Marshall to modded Marshall tones. The Demeter also has two wonderful gain channels, and I compared the pedal to those. The BBB pedal was less compressed, and had stronger midrange and punch. I played for about an hour, tweaking the knobs and really enjoying the sound.

I have not changed a pedal on my small gigging board in years. This is knocking something off.

I'm not affiliated with the builder in any way, and paid asking price for the pedal. I can't wait to use it at next week's gigs.

[jdawg666]

Thanks for the review! I too liked geek's clips and it's great to know that those clips are an accurate representation of the tones the pedal is capable of.

[Ed G.]

Sounds OCD-ish to my ears, but with a better high end.

[HeeBGB]

Great Review! I have a couple of Geeks pedals. A Screamer and a Phaser. I also bought a Geek Ranger recently. Wiating for it to come in.

The Screamer and the GeekyPhase are great pedals. I heard the clips of the BBB and almost cancelled the Ranger but decided I'll just have to buy another.

[jdawg666]

Originally Posted by Ed G.

Sounds OCD-ish to my ears, but with a better high end.

Really? I didn't find it OCDish at all. Much more agressive on the upper mids and top end than the OCD, IMO.

Shallbe, how is it with medium or low gain settings? Or is it a 1-trick pony?

[shallbe]

Originally Posted by jdawg666

Really? I didn't find it OCDish at all. Much more agressive on the upper mids and top end than the OCD, IMO.

Shallbe, how is it with medium or low gain settings? Or is it a 1-trick pony?

It sounds just as good with medium or lower gain settings. And the great part is you can have a bunch of different sounds and feels, as the volume gain and presence really interact. It seems far form a one trick pony to me.

Last night I took my beloved (but little used) very early/swirly PE Experience off my gig board adn replaced it with the BBB. I am going to try the new setup with my main amp (a custom Matchless) today, so I can mark my settings for gigs. I will report back later on how it sounds and any new discoveries.

[jdawg666]

Hey Steve, have you tried a BSIAB2 or a CMATMODS Brownie? I'd be very interested to know if the BBB stacks up against the Brownie/BSIAB.

[GeekMacdaddy]

Don't mind if I chime in on this one. I've built the BSIAB2, and it's a super fun pedal to play on. Real high gain, at low volume. The BBB isn't super high gain like that. One thing about the BBB that I love, you retain the guitars character in a "high fidelity" kind of way. I'm a strat guy, and was pleased to find that the neck, and out of phase settings really shine through. Another thing, it does the 'right at the edge of breakup' thing REALLY well. Just dial down the DIST to just above halfway...adjust the presence and tone, and with the dynamics of your hands, you can go from your regular clean to nasty marshall. Sorry to interrupt. And thanks shallbe for all the kind words in your review. As a side, I'm bringing the price way down on the GeekScreamer and GeekRanger as well. We'll call it the "Bush Administration Special"....

[shallbe]

Originally Posted by jdawg666

Hey Steve, have you tried a BSIAB2 or a CMATMODS Brownie? I'd be very interested to know if the BBB stacks up against the Brownie/BSIAB.

I have not played either of those pedals. I have been very happy with my stuff over the last number of years. However, I heard something in the BBB clip that really got my attention.

I'm going to give it a go with my Strat today if I have time to experience what the builder just described.

[Rock72]

Listened to the clips. Sounds like a great pedal, so I decided to give it a shot. Look forward to be testing it. Have gone through quite a few pedals in this vein, and if the clips are anything to go by, I should be very pleased

[GeekMacdaddy]

Shipped it out today, priority, Rock. Let me know that it got there safe and sound!

[gang twanger]

How come there are only 2 pedals (Geekscreamer & Geekranger) listed on his site?

[Rock72]

Originally Posted by GeekMacdaddy

Shipped it out today, priority, Rock. Let me know that it got there safe and sound!

Will do, thanks for that Geek :AOK

[GeekMacdaddy]

Originally Posted by gang twanger

How come there are only 2 pedals (Geekscreamer & Geekranger) listed on his site?

well, the BBB is about 2 weeks old, and I need to pay someone to update the site.... I'll get there...about to introduce another pedal, as well...

[shallbe]

Spent more time today with my live rig, this pedal and a Strat. Unfriggin'believable.

Huge sound, not noisy, plenty of output, great dynamics, wonderful sound and feel. It has a ton of tones it it, and sounds REAL---even with the gain down low. On sustained notes, harmonics just bloom into feedback all over the neck. Single notes sound as fat as chords. This thing is juicy!

This is the best pedal new pedal I have played in years, and easily worth the money. It is staying on my board, and I can't wait to use it this weekend. It has no pickup bias, keeps the guitar's personality, but makes it wild and FAT.

Highest recommendation.