scott peterson and other xotic pedal users..

[Cary Chilton]

I am really getting gas for the xotic pedals. Which would you recommend. Is the MI audio blue boyat all like the AC or the zen more like an AC?

About the RC, since it produces little boost or little gain, does the bb pre make it obsolete, since it has been remarked to get the rc tones. Some people have all three, but I don't know if I want to buy all three.

I am happy with my blues devil and blueboy with my strat.
I am still curious about some pedals with my vintage 66-67 plexi, for a bigger sound, and also another pedal for lead and BJF DRD, KOB menatone or the bb pre are my current considerations.

Any thoughts, based on your experience with these non, ts circuit pedals?
Killer eq, too!

 

[Glowing Tubes]

The xotic pedals are really great. The AC didnt do it for me, great pedal but I ended up selling it.
The RC is an absolute keeper, it works wonders with every anp I have tried it through, I use it as a lead boost. Think I need a second one to keep on at all times as it just thickens the tone without coloring it.

RC

 

[Bx3]

I bought both over a year ago. The AC is gone, the RC is here to stay. Make sure you get a new one or a used with the upgraded switch.

 

[erksin]

I only have experience with the AC, I liked it but it had a little too much overlap with my Timmy. If I didn't already have the Timmy, I certainly would have kept it - it stacked very well with other pedals and had a nice low-gain OD voice.

I do own a Blue Boy as well, and the AC sounds different enough to warrant having IMO - the Blue Boy has a lot more gain on tap. The AC *to me* sounded like a good smooth TS-style pedal with a very flexible EQ.

 

[JohnLutz]

I've had all three. I currently use the BB regularly...

RC - Clean boost. Can make your amp sound better, kind of like a loudness control on an old stereo. Can sound a little sterile with bright amps (i.e., EL84).

AC - Nice warm distortion. Low end is pure mush. Forget it if you want to do any kind of palm muting. Nice for leads. I liked the Timmy and Blues Devil better.

BB - Can cover same territory as RC and AC. I use it with the gain dimed. Gives you big crunch with lots of articulation and tight low end. Mixes clean with the distortion so that the end result is lots of punch plus great sustain. Not as harsh as OCD.

John

 

[drolling]

I'm also interested in hearing more about the MI pedals. At those prices, I'm going to have to try at least one.

I've no experience w/the BB Preamp, but can recommend the RC Booster w/o hesitation. Works w/just about everything you throw at it & the beautifully voiced EQ makes it very versatile as well. This is not a totally clean booster, but has far less gain than the lowest of the lo-gain overdrives. At extreme settings at bit of grit, but still very 'natural' sounding. I did have the AC for a while, but I have other overdrives that cover similar territory.

My limited experience w/BJF pedals has been entirely positive. The SeaBlueEQ is a keeper for life. It brings out the best in everything I've used it with. Wish I had another one. The HoneyBee is a very unique take on overdrive, and I'd be almost tempted to say it's in a class by itself. Bjorn has managed to take the tone of a small tweed amp and pack it into a hammond enclosure. I hope to have more of his pedals soon..

 

[Cary Chilton]

THanks everyone for your great comments. I wondering WHICH vid clips on prosound.com (xotic) sound true to your own experience OR do the best demo. There are many vids, I have them all at least 5 times over the past year. I found I like 3-4 of the tone in the demos and the others didn't care for.

BTW the BJF SBEQ is a eq pedal notwithstanding, it can add punch or boost, too. Has any RC XOTIC owner ab'd or bought a sbeq? Does one replace the other? I know that the sbeq pots are VERY similar to the xotic tone pots.

THoughts?

 

[Scott Peterson]

I can't compare the Xotic stuff to most any of the pedals you name, because I haven't tried the other pedals named.

I use the RC as a clean boost; it is best of breed for that job IMHO.

I use the BB as either a light OD (real low on the gain) or cranked up and stacked with the RC for RAWK tones.

I use the AC as a medium gain pedal; and *love* stacking it with the RC or my Timmy to crank rock tones out. It is less compressed than the BB; just a different flavor.

Personally, I would start with the RC. It works with single coils or humbuckers, Fender, Vox or Marshall style amps and excels in most every situation. It is a magic pedal IMHO.

Then I'd get the BB, simply because it is a deceptive pedal; you won't be blown away till you try to play with a band or record. Then the lights will come on and angels will sing for you.

The AC is the most workman's type of OD pedal; it stacks with the RC or BB (or Timmy!) to create incredible tones; but on it's own isn't spectacular... until you play with a band.

The key with the Xotic stuff is that it is all musical, beyond this tone or that tone. I call them "musical traction" pedals. They sing.

PS: I don't work for, am not paid by, nor do I get any favors or freebies from Xotic. I bought all my Xotic pedals used; and no I have no clue how why they wanted me on thier artist's page. They approached me about it, I didn't go knocking on their door.

 

[drolling]

THanks everyone for your great comments. I wondering WHICH vid clips on prosound.com (xotic) sound true to your own experience OR do the best demo. There are many vids, I have them all at least 5 times over the past year. I found I like 3-4 of the tone in the demos and the others didn't care for.

BTW the BJF SBEQ is a eq pedal notwithstanding, it can add punch or boost, too. Has any RC XOTIC owner ab'd or bought a sbeq? Does one replace the other? I know that the sbeq pots are VERY similar to the xotic tone pots.

THoughts?

G&L, clips are fun to listen to, but I never base my evaluations upon them. MY fingers/guitars/amps always skew the equation completely. Well written reviews/descriptions are far more useful to me.

The RC & SBEQ serve completely different purposes for me. The SBEQ adds no dirt at all, unless there's an OD in front of it. The tone controls can't really be compared either. Nice to have both.

 

[trisonic]

The RC Boost is an amp sweetener! Sounds great with BF Fenders, more of just a boost with Marshall types, dunno why, ymmv.

Best, Pete.

 

[LGPlayer]

Madison turned me on to the RC Booster....It is a great clean boost pedal and also works great in front of my TS-9. :AOK

 

[BillyK]

About the RC, since it produces little boost or little gain, does the bb pre make it obsolete, since it has been remarked to get the rc tones.

The RC has plenty of boost IMO. It's the best all-round boost I've owned - it's on all the time.

 

[Bx3]

Madison turned me on to the RC Booster....It is a great clean boost pedal and also works great in front of my TS-9. :AOK

Is this Randy?...just guessing. If so, welcome to the GP!

 

[LGPlayer]

Yep, its me.....see you in January if not before!!! :RoCkIn

 

[ricoh]

You know how when you play your Strat or Tele at home at a lower volume and you get that very intimate tone where it is really clean but retains the sustain in a natural way? Then you get to the gig and now your same settings are thin and trebly and teenie tiny......well the RC booster cures that. If you enjoy a clean tone -w- alot of girth...then it is like TV magic!!!! I still have my Fat Boost but the RC tops it.
Rico

 

[Eric Pykala]

Owned all the Xotics, and still have the RC and BB on my board, which is where they will stay permanently. The RC is such a must-have I'm thinking of getting a second one I can just leave on all the time, and use the first as a boost. The BB is really versatile. I've used it for everything from a clean boost on an acoustic gig, to a Marshall-crunch-in-a-box, to a maxed-out solo Tone. The AC is a nice pedal, but I've grown out of Screamerish sounds, and needed the real estate.
If I could have only three pedals in my rig, it would be RC/BB/Memory Lane. If you can't cut it with these, shut up and learn how to play.-Eric

 

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

I bought the RC, AC and BB. I ended up selling the AC because it was overlapped by the RC and BB. Now I use the RC either on all the time to sweeten the tone at a low gain setting or I'll use it with higher gain for my crunch mode, while the BB is the solo channel. The thing I like about xotic pedals that other pedals (that I've owned) don't do is, they keep your full bandwidth intact. In other words, you don't lose the bottom end and lower mids like you do with a lot of over drives.