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DOD announces the introduction of their new YJM308 overdrive pedal, which was developed to meet the exacting sound requirements of artist Yngwie Malmsteen. Yngwie, a long-time user of the DOD250 overdrive pedal, worked with the DOD engineering team to help create the tone and overdrive qualities of the new YJM308. The process required rigorous electronic testing and real-time analysis of various overdrive and equalization combinations before they finally were able to match Yngwie’s signature sound. The YJM308, which uses Yngwie’s initials in its name, features Gain and Level controls and a bypass footswitch.

“When I was a kid in Sweden back in 1978, I bought my first DOD 250 pedal. This preamp overdrive pushing the front end of my tube amps has been a key element to my tone ever since. Like most handwired vintage equipment of the era, there is some variety in the sound between my different old gray pedals. DOD took my favorite pedal and used that as the reference to create the YJM308. Now I can always get my trademark tone and keep my original vintage gear safe at home. More than that, this new pedal sounds so good it is what I am using these days. I have not hooked up my old 250s at all recently. I am using the YJM308 for everything, including my new album. Not to mention it looks cool” – Yngwie Malmsteen

DOD YJM308 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Overdrive Pedal Features…

Input Impedance: 4 M ohms

Output Impedance: 100 k ohms

Max Input Level: 6 V

Power Supply: 9 VDC

Buy DOD YJM308 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Overdrive Pedal

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I was actually pleasantly suprised by the sound and tone. It mad all of the classic American strat sounds, and the rear stacked humbucking pickup allowed for some shredder tone.

I have played many types of strats: real vintage types, loads of 70s models, the newest 50th Anv model, and the Mexi strat line (which are also great). The hottest one of them all was a black Fender standard fat strat HSS with a Floyd. That was one of the heaviest guitars I have owned with its humbucker from hell.

I could best say that the sound of the single coil YJMs are not hot, but VERY toney. They are more than a 50s Alnico type, but less than what you would expect in a Texas Special. The rear pickup is not excessively hot either. The Mexi Fat Strat HSS I had was MUCH hotter, and the sound with the rear pick up would not sound 'stratty'.

The rear pickup on this guitar keeps the stratty sound. From what I can tell its a shade more boose over a 50s Alnico type with the quiet of humbucking.

I guess I would expect that the pickups are more geared for tone rather than output, as Yngwie is quoted as yammering about how the pickup must be a PURE pickup and not just for hot sound.

The scalloped neck also affects tone, as you are not deadening the string into wood. The tone is brighter, and the steel on steel contact makes for some great vibrato and sustain (listen up Santanna).

Dont buy this guitar for a replacement to a Randy Rhodes Jackson modified with a battery operated pre-amp. This one makes improved strat sounds. I know of a guy in the Chicago area that has three of them and uses them for blues and alternative music (not metal of thrash). I bought it to play Robert Cray light to Pantera heavy and it does so well accross the board (it is like any other improved American standard).

This is a review for a brand-new 2004 American YM Signature Stratocaster. This is NOT the first Yngwie signature I have owned, nor is it the first scalloped neck guitar I have owned. I have played scalloped neck guitars exclusively from 1987 to 2000.

I wanted to avoid the "Christmas rush review" syndrom by giving a review the day I got it (which I hate in reviews). But I have played scalloped guitar for over 15 years, and owned the 1989 version of this guitar prior to this one to know I got a great guitar and six more months of playing wont change that.

This is a STOCK model. It has Schaller vintage 'F' machines, oversized headstock, brass nut, 3-position switch (not the 5 like the older model), scalloped maple neck with Dunlop 6000 jumbo fret wire, vintage white body, two YJM single coils and a single DiMarzio HM3 in the bridge section. The bridge is the 6-screw vintage type, and it has all aged plastic parts, light mint green pickboard. It came with a tweed hardshell case, Fender strap, manual and a nice guitar chord. The finish is excellent: its that heavy-duty looking American standard laquer (nitrocellulose?) and looks like it is built to play for years.

I would have given a '9' ('10' is impossible), but the lack of at least the latest American standard tuners dropped it to an '8'. I do like Klusons and the Vintage 'F', but it would have been nicer if it had the new Fender locking type. Also bigger strap buttons so the cheap strap they give doesnt drop your new $1300.00 guitar.

The new Vintage 'F' tuners (like the new standard Fender Klusons) work if the player knows to tune upto the notes and work out front/backlash by stretching the strings and repeat tunings until it has stabilized. But, the newest American standard tunes (sealed Schaller) are far superior, and the locking version tops them. Too bad Yngwie has more style than desire to keep a guitar in tune.

I got this brand-new from the factory. It was factory set like any other factory American standard (they vary). It required some minor modifications to play great and stay in tune GREAT. Remember this is a 70s strat with better picks and scalloped neck.

This is not a shredder guitar. I know that sounds like total BS, but if you want one of these to play true shreadder music, get a Jackson or a Via/Satrianni Ibenez. Pick up a nice setup American Standard sometime: the scalloping helps, but you can get faster on an Ibenez or Jackson (but then you get lack of tone).

Remember that Yngwie uses high action, 008-49s, 1.5mm picks, and has long lanky fingers: he does not play a Strat because its the fastest thing to play on. He would still shread on a Hondo connected to the cheap transistor amp you get with them in the $100.00 beginner guitar packages.

How was the quality: well, I got to admit the $1300.00 made me expect a Christmas wrapped Les Paul Custom delivered by Pam Anderson (ala natural of course). The reality set in that this is an American standard Stratocaster (and not a Martin guitar). This guitar was in par with any of the other strats I have owned, saw, or played (quality-wise). All Strats are maintenance traps, and require TLC to make them play flawless. Once stabilized, one can see whay since 1954 little has changed.

The weight was nice, and it feels like I am playing a guitar and not a light Squier. I have to admit it feels nice to play, and anyone who uses strats know you can play 100 of them and find 20 you hate, 60 you can play on pretty well, and the remaining 20 you absolutely jam on. They vary that much.

So what about the scallop neck you may ask:

The scalloping helps to make the note transition more fluid with less effort to do smooth runs from the 1st to 6th string. One benefit that you get is that you ALWAYS hit that bend no matter where it is at (you can even bend and control 1st and 2nd fret bends on the high E or B!).

Scalloping makes linear line runs much easier, but it is true that you must get used to the feel. The first thing people that picked up my scalloped guitars is that after a couple minutes of playing, their fingers hurt, as the fingertips support the string at all times (not like wood necks).

I find that people either love or HATE scallop neck guitars. Even myself going 15 years on a scallop neck only: a Rosewood neck and no scalloping was a nice change on my next main guitar.

My current and only guitar is the '04 YM Signature series, and I dont feel that I am at a disadvantage to play blues, rock, metal, chainsaw sounds out of this guitar.

If it played more like a Jackson, I would have given it a '9'.

Unknown:

Anonymous (06/30/2004)

I loved my first one so much that I desperately wanted to get another. My new one is Candy Apple red with a Rosewood board. Both guitars are the best sounding guitars that I have ever played. I have been playing since I was 15, and I am know 44. I my opinion, the Malmsteen strat is the ultimate Blues guitar. There is nothing like it. The HS3 and YJM pick ups are low out put which helps to preserve the clarity of the original signal. If you really want it to scream you will need to boost the signal sent to the amp by using an overdrive pedal. I use a DOD YJM 308 overdrive. Plugging into a Marshall or a Mesa with the gain cranked will really make it scream and squeal. I play at my church, which is a Calvary Chapel in the San Diego area. The music we play ranges from Hymns to almost Heavy Metal at times. My Malmsteen strats are the only electric guitars that use, or want to use.

The guitar is basically a vintage strat with a scalloped neck. This is my second Malmsteen strat. I reveiwed my first one here back in August 2006. I pray A.H. will read this review, and that it would be helpful in getting his guitar working properly.

Before writting this I read A.H.'s previous review and felt horrible for him. I also had my huitar shipped to me and it arrived with the high E string on the edge of the neck. The guitar had been set up by the store I ordered it from before shipping so I was very concerned. The new one also had a pretty good size neck pocket gap. My first one was great. I brought the guitar to my repair guy who is approved by Fender for warranty work. After looking the giutar over he told me not to worry. He stood the gutar up on the end of the body and pushed on the neck. The neck made a popping sound. After that he tightened the neck plate screws. The high E string was no longer on the edge of the board. I was told by my repair guy that the neck had shifted in the neck pocket during shipping. I was also told that it is not uncommon for this to happen. The guitar has since been set up again and it plays like a dream. The scallops are a little deeper than on my Blue/Maple board one. I am writting this review partially in hopes that A.H will read this and have similar success. I have prayed that he will. Both guitars are absolute beauties. The new guitar also had a buzz on the 11th fret because of a loose fret when it arrived. Still I have to give it a Rating of 10 because the problems were easily fixed, and it plays better than anything else.

They have been helpful answering my questions. The tweed case for my new guitar, which is actually a brand new 2004 model, had a red interior. My 2005's case has a gold interior and so do the other Malmsteens that I have seen on EBAY. After several calls to Fender, I finaly informed by Fender's Customer Service that the artist models normaly ship with the gold interior, but Fender only states that the guitar comes with a tweed case. Fender will ship it with whatever tweed case the have on hand.

Robert B. (04/03/2007)

The London ‘Bone’ is a solid-state version of the popular Tonebone Hot British distortion pedal. The ‘magic’ inside is a multi-stage drive circuit that produces rich, fat tones reminiscent of the latest high-gain Plexi-style tube amplifiers. This unique circuitry retains note clarity even when driven to extremes. Features include: variable drive that lets you dial-in the perfect amount of distortion, a powerful dual-band equalizer with Radial’s distinctive passive-interactive tone circuit, a 3-position ‘Kick’ switch to add extra mid-range drive or fatten up single coil pickups, plus a 3-position ‘Bite’ control that can compensate for overly bright amps or add extra cut and sizzle to your tone.

The London employs a unique high performance buffering circuit with preset load correction that retains the performance of ‘true bypass’ connectivity while lowering the impedance and susceptibility to noise. This enables the London to efficiently drive the guitar signal when using longer cables and enables it to employ our latest EIS – Electronic Impulse Switching – for unmatched durability without the challenges posed by mechanical switches.

For maximum on-stage efficiency, the London is configured for ‘clean, rhythm & lead’ playability whereby in bypass mode, you get the natural clean sound of your guitar. When the London is activated, you can choose between two output drive circuits using the toggle footswitch. Each is equipped with a variable level control ( so that Level-1 can be set for rhythm while Level-2 can be driven at a higher level for lead. To increase sustain and cut for solos, the second drive circuit is augmented in the mid-range. Bright, easy to see LEDs deliver on-stage switching cues so you know exactly where you are at all times.

As most players employ pedalboards, the London features standard ‘Boss style’ 9V powering that will adapt to most multi-pedal power supplies. The ultra-compact design with top mounted i/o connections allow pedals to be placed close together for those wishing maximum pedalboard density.

The London is a high performance distortion pedal that delivers decades of Plexi-style tones in a compact and easy to use format. God save the Queen!

Radial London Bones Dual Distortion Pedal Features…

Multi-stage high gain distortion

Modeled after ‘British Plexi’ half stack

Dual mode for clean, rhythm & lead

Compact to fit on any pedalboard

Standard 9 volt power supply operation

Buy Radial London Bones Dual Distortion Pedal

 Nano Metal Muff Instructions

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Heavy metal firepower that fits in the palm of your hand. The little brother of the Metal Muff family is nasty. Carefully selected mid frequencies are switch selectable offering powerful, musical scoops. Slag simplicity.

Electro-Harmonix Nano Pocket Metal Muff Pedal Features…

Volume knob

Distortion level knob

Mid frequency selection switch

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metal is all

i bought this pedal for some over-the-top distortion in adition to all my many overdrives. i wanted a punchy, and consuming sound, and the compact-ness of this pedal (and the price) sold me. the sound however, is nothing i thought. its very buzzy and 80's metal sounding. weak sauce in my opinion. Someone also said that by turning the gain low, you could get just some overdriven sounds out of this thing. WRONG. definetly nothing clost to any decent overdrive here, just metal. so thats whats up.

telecasterdisaster from twin cites, mn (Oct 29, 2008)

total distortion

This is one of the best distortion pedals I've ever used. No matter were I go to a gig or to band practice I always take my pocket muff.

Redx567 from St. Louis, MO (Jun 13, 2008)

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MXR DD11 Dime Distortion Pedal

When Dimebag Darrell of Pantera first exploded on the scene, he ushered in a new era of tone and attitude. When it comes to guitar, Dime doesn’t need a ‘warm’ or ‘pretty’ sound. He can’t be bothered with ‘vintage’ this or ’boutique’ that. He wants a heavy, aggressive, razor-sharp tone that can slice through a loud band and a louder crowd. It’s a tone that rages with distortion but remains tight and focused enough to keep up with lightening-fast rhythm lines and face-melting solos.

Finally there’s a pedal that can deliver all that: the The Dime Distortion from MXR. With its 3-band EQ, proprietary Scoop switch, and ungodly output, this stomp box from Hell has the guts and the muscle to stand up to your heaviest displays of power. Crank the gain, boost the lows and highs, and hit the Scoop switch for a rhythm tone that will annihilate. Dial the mids back in and mow down the competition with a lead sound that can penetrate steel. If it still hasn’t gotten heavy enough for you, stick the Dime in front of a distorted amp and experience sustain and sonic mayhem that’s so over the top it should come with a warning label. The Dime Distortionnot subtle, not pretty.

MXR DD11 Dime Distortion Pedal Features…

Proprietary Scoop switch notches the mids for deadly metal tones

3-band EQ

Phosphorescent ‘glow in the dark’ control stencil makes performance on dark stages nothing to be afraid of.

Bullet-proof die-cast zinc housing.

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 Manual

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I understand fully the debate that is going on here, since IMHO the life of the electric guitar rock player could be described as the endless pursuit of the perfect distortion. From the so called ?boutique? noise generators in the US and Japan to the massive, oppressive gain of the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and Krank heads, everyone of us had been looking for that sound in our heads at, in, on, towards and from unimaginable places. The funny thing about that is that ?the? sound we?re after evolves with our own selves. It becomes impossible to describe it after a while, and we realize that we don?t know what we want? yet we positively know. Enter distortion boxes. The choice is so vast that is impossible to choose. The methods of obtaining simulated or genuine distortion range wild. Tubes, transistors, FET transistors, interference? just to saw a couple of waves. The amount of resources placed on getting it is endless. What is undisputable, although, is that distortion defines the electric guitar.

If I confessed that I had my share of experimentation with compression, that is nothing in comparison with what I did to achieve a satisfying distorted tone. No stone was left unturned. That introduced me to all time classics and to an endless menu of timbres. At one point, I decided that the core of the solution resided in the head. In the amplifier head, that is.

Notwithstanding the aforesaid, every now and then the need for a distortion box resurrects, as happened a few weeks ago. What I needed in a distortion box now was something mild, yet with defined character and enough gain to boost up a little bit my Mesa Boogie Dual Caliber DC3. I get my distortion from the amplifier every time, but I felt that the DC3 needed an ?extra push?. I went out to check some preamplifier (or ?booster?) stomp boxes, but finally decided that a powerful overdrive or (better yet), a distortion will do just fine. To get this going, I started the hunt with an old usual classic: the MXR Distortion +. I really don?t know what happened since the late 70?s, but the modern reissues have no resemblance whatsoever to the ones I remember. Since I was already into that (and I hate DOD, ART, Zoom, DigiTech, Ibanez and Boss? distortion) the ZW44 (MXR Zakk Wyle signature) was presented to me. What a rip off! I discarded that as fast as I?m capable of unplugging an electric guitar. I dug into more serious stuff (Buddha, Mesa V-Twin, etc.) but that was not what I was looking for. Never seriously though about checking this camouflage box, but I was running out of options. I finally get it because of the radical EQ and considerable gain levels. Since the camouflage is already there, I threw it in the jungle of my home studio and we?ll see if this got what it takes to survive?

With identical specs, this pedal was manufactured in two different versions. The first runs of production presented a rectangular metal box finished in a discrete military green and the following runs, finished it in some high profile camouflage paint, together with an ugly portrait of Dime?s stenciled face (see picture). I?ve got one of the latter specimens, and I?m becoming famous for my lack of good taste. Every single time a popular player dies (the goriest and youngest the better) some manufacturer manages to pull out a ?signature? product at a ridiculously high price tag (this pedal is well over 100 USD! and compares modestly to similar stomp boxes costing half of that figure), so I guess I?m not alone in my quest for bad taste. BTW, Dime?s signature DB01 Wah from Dunlop is also available at the time of this release.

Going back to how this sounds, you'll be just right if you know what you're doing (which is not harder that getting distortion out of a distortion unit). If you're a purist about slighly crunch tones, I'm sure you'll never get this pedal… or reading this for that matter. If you want to sound e-xac-tly like Darrell (or any other) you'll learn sooner or later that the search is hopeless, and some 100 bucks stomp box will not be a magic potion. If you're after some brutal distortion (which could alternatively could scoop mids nastily) this is the one.

Stomp Pedal. Four knobs, five switches, all said. Editing is manual, and talking about firmware revision is crazy. Is a stomp pedal for **** sake! I just read about somebody trying to press the "mid cut" switch with his foot! C'mon guys!

Hard specs are as follows: Not true bypass / 3 band EQ of huge spectrum / Scoop Switch that notches mid frequencies / High Gain (probably over 20db!) / Die-cast Zinc Housing, meaning this is STRONG / Made in the USA.

Looks like a stomp pedal, feels like a stomp pedal. Dependability could not be an issue. I felt that older pedals (e.g. Japanese Boss or a DA Fuzz) were somewhat more reliable, but that's nothing I can prove with hard facts. Die-cast Zinc housing is probably the highest quality (int erms of reliability) you can get today, so no complaints whatsoever.

Gigging without a backup is ALWAYS a bad idea, and I never did that when I was at the professional level. Nowadays I couldn't care less about that, but I suspect this box might survive regular abuse.

I mostly play shred, so this one is an arguable choice. Notwithstanding, I do experiment a LOT with tones and colors, so this pedal always come handy. I own more than 100 guitars and several amplifiers and I've been playing for more than 30 years now. I fail to see the use of this, but was in the question.

No loves or hates in particular, I will just state that this pedal is an interesting addition to anybody in the market for intense distortion. You might want to have some other pedals, but this sounds with a strong character and you'll find room for it in years to come.

Mariano Limongi (11/11/2005)

i hate the sound when the button is on , no punch,cold,plan,weary dis.

but when the button is off , you can get a marshall-like sound,

very descent drive!

very easy to use.

but the bass knob is imperfect.

a green metal brick

18v and the button have to be press on and off only by hands,these are the only disadvantage DD11 have.

core (01/07/2007)

 Article on Owner Mike Matthews

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 Forbes Article on Owner Mike Matthews

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 Instruction Manual

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John Jorgenson Muff-Mistress-Memory

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Dandy Warhols – Power

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John Jorgenson Muff-Mistress

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Kenny Korade BMuff with Memory

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Mudhoney Excerpt

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Mudhoney Full

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Kenny Korade

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Greta Brinkman Excerpt

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Mogwai Soundscape

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P-Funk Muff Memory Excerpt

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Like the legendary Big Muff Pi of the 70’s, the reissue has 3 controls that let the player dial in the finest harmonic distortion/sustain ever produced. The Volume control adjusts the output level. The Sustain control optimizes the long sustain with just the right amount of harmonic distortion. The Tone control provides a range of sounds, from warm bass to crisp treble. A “made in NYC original.”

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Distortion Pedal (Made in NYC) Features…

USA Big Muff Pi “made in NYC original”

Volume Control

Sustain Control

Tone Control

Buy Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Distortion Pedal (Made in NYC)

 Article on Owner Mike Matthews

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 Forbes Article on Owner Mike Matthews

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 Instruction Manual

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John Jorgenson Muff-Mistress-Memory

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Dandy Warhols – Power

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John Jorgenson Muff-Mistress

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Kenny Korade BMuff with Memory

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Mudhoney Excerpt

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Mudhoney Full

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Kenny Korade

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Greta Brinkman Excerpt

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Mogwai Soundscape

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P-Funk Muff Memory Excerpt

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Wow

Ok, lets start off with the good stuff. This is probably the best fuzz pedal by EHX(next to the russian version). It has great fuzz tone, though the more you crank up the tone knob, you lose low end. This can get Dave Gilmour(pink floyd)type sounds, though I do suggest using a strat for that. Also, delay, and slight reverb will bring out the best of this pedal. If you already own another fuzz pedal(fender blender, fuzz face, supa-fuzz, ect.), this pedal is very unique, dont hesitate, Buy it.
The only bad thing I could find with this is that the true bypass pedal went out after the first 2& 1/2 yrs. I had it, but I use it everyday. So that has too be expected.
<p>Hope this was helpful!!
</p>

FuzzBoy from Illinios (Dec 26, 2008)

I play a Squire Strat Silver Series through a fender delux 85, and can get a resonably chunky distorto sound out of it, but when i play it through the Big Muff it makes anything else sound piss weak.

High screachy highs (obviously) if you want it, big chunky distortion (huge chunky distortion is a better description), great sustain.

THIS IS THE DISTORTION PEDAL!

3 knobs to change tone distoriton and volume, one button to turn it on and off. it's labelled pretty self explanitory, but i guess if you were illiterate… but then again if you couldn't read this review wouldnt be worth anything to you anyway so, eh?

This thing is a perfect example of soviet engineering. This thing is built like a tank. even the same colour as a tank. it is pretty simple to construct, so don't worry about the whole soviet thing they can't stuff it up, but it doesnt break. It chews batteries but don't they all.

i have only had one problem with this, the battery leads broke (it doesnt have a battery door cause mines a beat up peice of shit), i took it to an electrician, he fixed it, and he even told me it was built like a tank. "could run it over with a mack truck" i think were the words he used.

I play everything but metal (you don't count zeppelin as metal do you?). This thing is very versitile, but if you want a distoriton pedal you arnt going to be playin surf music. The strat really limits the sound, i'm sure a les paul'd sound awesome.

This thing is a old Big "green" Muff Pi. olive green, made by a company called sovtek, it even has russian writting on it, how cool is that.

This is the Distoriton pedal!

they don't make them anymore so if you see one you should buy one, if i had to get rid of it id definatley get a new one as soon as possible, if i could find on

Justin Rickett (06/26/2005)

 Brochure

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Offering an infinite number of available distortions for any guitar player, the Red Witch Famulus Distortion Pedal features parallel distortion circuits that can be used separately or together to create completely unique tones!

“Alchemy is a bridge between Earth and Heaven, matter and spirit, the solid and the fluid, the visible and the invisible, bringing the horizontal and the vertical together.”

- J. Ramsay.

The Famulus is here to aid you in your quest for Tonal Alchemy.

Parallel distortion circuits operate with independent gain controls but with a shared tone and volume. The Alchemy control allows you to use either circuit or any blend of the two.

Circuit A produces a biting, crunchy sound while Circuit B delivers a fat mid range punch. The real magic kicks in when you blend the two and adjust the gains independently – use lots of the biting circuit with low gain and add a smattering of the punchy circuit with high gain, way back in the distance. Or the reverse. Or any combination you like.

Add to all that buckets of boost in the volume control and you have an exciting, state-of-the-art distortion pedal. A multitude of tones, a myriad of flavors, a cornucopia of useable distortions!

Red Witch Famulus Distortion Pedal Features…

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 Brochure

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