pete cornish ss2 /g2 questions

[KTT]

Im really interested in these two cornish pedals,at the moment im using the barber direct drive(best ive had,and ive had pretty much everything) and im curiuos what these cornish pedals sound like?

I like the smooth sound of the barber(it lacks a bit of bottom end)i have a fulltone OCD and i dont like it at all,the top end is harsh and it has a lack of body(middle) in the sound IMO, i am asuming the cornish pedals have a smooth quality?

So my question is: what could i expect tone wise from the cornish pedals? and which one is best?i really cant afford both! id like to be able to go from a light blues overdrive all the way up to high gain! what is the difference tone wise between the ss2 and g2? i seem to get the idea most guys here favour the ss2?why? oh and one other thing:WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE!?

BTW: i use a totally clean amp(marshall plexi) at low volume to get my sound,and then use pedals for overdrive/tonal options etc.

 

[57special]

Cornish's tend to be smooth , but not dull. They are so expensive because of ;
1- sound quality
2- workmanship

The G2 is capable of more gain than the SS2. I prefer the G2, but someone after a smoother, more refined, " Dumbly" sound might go for the SS2. They work great through an amp with a good , unclogged, clean sound.

 

[KTT]

Originally posted by 57special
Cornish's tend to be smooth , but not dull. They are so expensive because of ;
1- sound quality
2- workmanship

The G2 is capable of more gain than the SS2. I prefer the G2, but someone after a smoother, more refined, " Dumbly" sound might go for the SS2. They work great through an amp with a good , unclogged, clean sound.

thanks very much for the response,im still undecided which one will do the job for me

i still dont quite see why something that sounds good automatically justifys more £/$? no pedal can really be worth £300,i understand we have to pay for the R+D but even at half that price im sure they would be still well in profit)

But take the barber pedals,they sound great at a 5th of the price,after all a pedal is a pile of caps and resistors,i cant help but feel the cornish pedal thing is a little bit of a hose job

 

[KennyM]

I use an SS-2, G-2 and a P-2. These are the first distortion/OD pedals that I can truly say I love. I have a bunch of other dist/OD pedals that I have collected over the years but have never been all that knocked out by any of them. The Cornish pedals feel more like a part of the amp.

Even though each of these pedals sound different, the one thing they have in common is a clarity and solidness in the sound. They are very dynamic and clean up just like a great amp when you turn the guitars volume down. They also allow the guitar's signature to come through intact even when using large amounts of OD/ sustain.

The difference between the three is mainly in terms of the amount of distortion available with the SS-2 having the least, the G-2 in the middle and the P-2 having the most. The P-2 is actually more of a fuzz type tone and is actually the most fun one of the group. The SS-2 is more of a great overdrive type of sound with the G-2 being a little thicker and capable of more distortion/ OD than the SS-2. The trio give you a pretty wide preset palette of any amount of overdrive to all out fuzz you could ever need.

Expensive, but I think worth every penny.

Kenny M.

 

[57special]

Originally posted by KTT
thanks very much for the response,im still undecided which one will do the job for me

i still dont quite see why something that sounds good automatically justifys more £/$? no pedal can really be worth £300,i understand we have to pay for the R+D but even at half that price im sure they would be still well in profit)

But take the barber pedals,they sound great at a 5th of the price,after all a pedal is a pile of caps and resistors,i cant help but feel the cornish pedal thing is a little bit of a hose job

But you've never tried the Cornishes, have you, so what's your opinion worth? Stick with your Barber's, and don't waste our time.

 

[KennyM]

i still dont quite see why something that sounds good automatically justifys more £/$? no pedal can really be worth £300,i understand we have to pay for the R+D but even at half that price im sure they would be still well in profit)

Pete has been doing his thing for so many major rock stars since the 70's. Your paying for his expertise and design, not the sum of the part cost in the box. Also in my opinion, no one has the buffering thing down as well as he does. It is just an exceptional sounding product. I wish they were cheaper too, but you generally get what you pay for most of the time.

Kenny M.

 

[KTT]

Originally posted by KennyM
Pete has been doing his thing for so many major rock stars since the 70's. Your paying for his expertise and design, not the sum of the part cost in the box. Also in my opinion, no one has the buffering thing down as well as he does. It is just an exceptional sounding product. I wish they were cheaper too, but you generally get what you pay for most of the time.

Kenny M.

Kenny thanks alot!im not doubting im paying for r+d as i said but its still expensive IMO and im giving my honest opinion about the price,i appreciate the info,im leaning towards the g2,cant wait to get hold of one

 

[abergdahl]

I'm also thinking about a Cornish either the SS-2 or G-2 i mainly run a single channel amp so that it have a fair amount of distirtion with guitar volume fully on but is almost clen when tuning down. My amps are quite "broadband" with that i mean that they have a wide sinic spectrum, glossy, shimmering, sparkle i the high end, a full mid response and a fair amount of base respons, at leat when runned semi clean.
So my quesion is, will a Cornish sound good and transparent thruogh a amp that is set to distort a bit. I can accept NO loss og high end but I like a fattening of the tone as distortion increase.

 

[lv]

Originally posted by abergdahl
I'm also thinking about a Cornish either the SS-2 or G-2 i mainly run a single channel amp so that it have a fair amount of distirtion with guitar volume fully on but is almost clen when tuning down. My amps are quite "broadband" with that i mean that they have a wide sinic spectrum, glossy, shimmering, sparkle i the high end, a full mid response and a fair amount of base respons, at leat when runned semi clean.
So my quesion is, will a Cornish sound good and transparent thruogh a amp that is set to distort a bit. I can accept NO loss og high end but I like a fattening of the tone as distortion increase.

Pete's pedals are designed for broadband amps, but not ones set to distort. They are designed to run into a clean tone. That said, for a little fatteneing, the SS2 would probably be a better match.

For the orginal poster, for high gain, you want the G2, not the SS2. I prefer the tone and feel of the SS2, but its not a high gain pedal. Re: the cost, you have to figure the difference of the exchange rate into the equation - A Klon Centaur in the UK costs approximately the same as the SS2. That said, they are not cheap, but are built well, sound wonderful, feel like an amp and are some of the quietest pedals I have used.

 

[michael_smurphy]

I have Pete's G2 his P2, his SS2, his TES, Line Driver, Super Chorus, TB83 and his leads and I can tell you its wroth every penny...

Here is my board

 

[KTT]

Originally posted by Lou V
Pete's pedals are designed for broadband amps, but not ones set to distort. They are designed to run into a clean tone. That said, for a little fatteneing, the SS2 would probably be a better match.

For the orginal poster, for high gain, you want the G2, not the SS2. I prefer the tone and feel of the SS2, but its not a high gain pedal. Re: the cost, you have to figure the difference of the exchange rate into the equation - A Klon Centaur in the UK costs approximately the same as the SS2. That said, they are not cheap, but are built well, sound wonderful, feel like an amp and are some of the quietest pedals I have used.

Thanks for the info,ill prehaps order an ss2 AND a g2 and return one of them, ive had a klon in the past too,great pedal

 

[KTT]

Originally posted by michael_smurphy
I have Pete's G2 his P2, his SS2, his TES, Line Driver, Super Chorus, TB83 and his leads and I can tell you its wroth every penny...

My pedal board is in my webshots

Michael in what way are the cornish leads(cables) special? im just curious,

 

[michael_smurphy]

Originally posted by KTT
Michael in what way are the cornish leads(cables) special? im just curious,

Directional leads, about the best I have heard in 25 years man...

 

[lv]

Originally posted by KTT
Michael in what way are the cornish leads(cables) special? im just curious,

They are very very quiet, and built very tough. Sonically they have a bit of midrange flavor in them. Very nice stuff.

 

[KTT]

Originally posted by Lou V
They are very very quiet, and built very tough. Sonically they have a bit of midrange flavor in them. Very nice stuff.

Thanks ill get the ss2 first and then check them out

 

[Ted Witcher]

Smurph, you need to do some clips, man.

BTW, I think the sound of the G2 into the SS2 is thoroughly killing. And, to me, the P2 is the most superior fuzz sound currently available. Other Cornish users -- does it sound to you guys, like it does to me, that the SS2 is technically a fuzz, albeit a low-gain one? Something Pete said to me also makes me believe this. And does anybody have trouble with their wah going into these boxes? I'm not sure how Pete does his buffering thing, so I don't know if getting the Fox retrofit would help.

Some quirks to me in the sound, like everything, but all in all these are outstanding products. The way the EQ changes when you twist the knob is kind of amazing. It's way more complicated than just "more treble/more bass." And they do sound more amp-like than anything else I've ever heard. Quiet as hell, too. That exchange rate's a mother, though.

 

[lv]

Originally posted by Ted Witcher
Smurph, you need to do some clips, man.

BTW, I think the sound of the G2 into the SS2 is thoroughly killing. And, to me, the P2 is the most superior fuzz sound currently available. Other Cornish users -- does it sound to you guys, like it does to me, that the SS2 is technically a fuzz, albeit a low-gain one? Something Pete said to me also makes me believe this. And does anybody have trouble with their wah going into these boxes? I'm not sure how Pete does his buffering thing, so I don't know if getting the Fox retrofit would help.

Some quirks to me in the sound, like everything, but all in all these are outstanding products. The way the EQ changes when you twist the knob is kind of amazing. It's way more complicated than just "more treble/more bass." And they do sound more amp-like than anything else I've ever heard. Quiet as hell, too. That exchange rate's a mother, though.

Ted, to my ears, the SS2 at higher setting on the tone knob sounds very much like a fuzz - though I never used mine that way, I almost always had the tone knob all the way off for a real smooth and creamy tone.

Yea, the exchange rate does suck, I bought an SS2 from a dealer in the UK for about $350 years ago. Pricey, but not the $550 that dealers are asking for them now.

 

[Jemlite]

I have a G- 2 and it has a great crunch, with a real breathy growl to it. It is super quiet, and plays great with other pedals. (It sounds huge with either a compressor or my old tube screamer on at the same time).

The only thing for me was at first it seemed a little dark, and the tone knob really didn't seem to do enough. From full on to full off it is sometimes hard to tell. But once you start messing with it, you can see more interaction between the knobs and can compensate. It's almost like the tone knob only adjusts the bottom end. It won't add any highs, just removes lows... Even though it's warm, it cuts in a live mix huge.

I wouldn't say it is high gain either. Somewhere around enough, but not whoooohooo. I plan on getting a P-2 in the future.

I usually run it into my amp on edge of breakup, but I think it works fine into some crunch too.

 

[JVIOLIN]

Is there anything that compares to the P-2? I STILL have not found the right fuzz... I should have bought this combo a LONG time ago.

 

[1198SP]

Not for me there isn't. Its a very deep, powerful, bone shaking sound and I like it. There is a lot of gain on tap and it doesn't seem to get muddy. Checkout the TopTone DG series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqjPxHAkqgg