PepTone Boss TR-2 Tremolo Mod: Pure Trem

It's completely done!

We not only have a TR-2 Mod but we have added a special option to the TR-2 Mod. We added a pulsating rate LED. This will pulse with the rate of the Tremolo so you can visually see the rate to match in time with the song you are playing.

I always hated trying to guess the tempo of the song and try to match it with my Tremolo. Now there is no guessing. I hated it when I would start to play and the Tremolo rate was too slow or too fast which threw off the sound of the song. NO MORE!

The Mods completed have given it a more Hi-Fi sound in the focus of a vintage tube amp. The Tremolo tone is wider with a bit of sparkle. We added more volume to give you a level that is equivalent to your setup, usually the TR-2 has a horrible volume drop when its kicked on.

This pedal is a big time boutique Tremolo. We are stunned by the results of this Mod. The Pulsating LED is just the icing on the cake. No more guessing!

Good Delay Pedals

PepTone Electronics is about making pedals better or making pedals that have not been made, either way we are about putting something out that you cannot already buy. This is why I have not started making any delays. There are so many great delay pedals out there.

One of my favorite all time general delay is an analog delay; The MXR Carbon Copy. Out of all the boutique and common company delay pedals that stands on its own with pure delay tone and done so without tone loss! Now if you are looking for weird spacey looped effects this pedal does not do well, this one is great for just pure analog delay with great control and tone. Yes, the delay does have a tone and the Carbon Copy has such a natural sounding repeat.

As far as digital delays go I can never go wrong with the Boss DD series. There are small differences in the tones of those pedals. From the DD-3 to the DD-7 they offer different settings but also have different qualities in tone on the repeats...the DD-3 seems the most "harsh" with my favorite being the DD-5 that I modified to add warmth.

There are great delays out there but it really depends on what you are really looking for in a delay. You can go all out with the Keeley modulation control Ibanez AD-9 delay setup and spends hundreds of dollars, but many will not need that type of control for delay. I am not one to need constant control of the repeats and delay time to need that but I guess someone needs it.

If you do want something more versatile I would look to the BBE Two Timer pedal that offers one delay pedal with two switches to go back and forth between two delay times. So if you use delay as a slap back and need a specific delay time this pedal would be great because you can get two settings ready to go. The BBE Two Timer does have great sounding delay and won't break the bank either. I just never see a situation where spending $200 + on delay is necessary when there are just as good if not better sounding delays for cheaper. Now if it has a gizmo on it (like the keeley) then go for it if you need it. If you just want a delay that sounds good then I wouldn't go too far. Delay is important but it does not change drastically like boost or overdrive pedals.

There are many delays out there and they are great tools for getting good tone.

PepTone True-Bypass Looper and Boss TR-2 Mod for sale!

We have just added the Boss TR-2 Mod :Pure Trem modification to our for sale items. Now you can enjoy an AMAZING tremolo guitar pedal under $150! This thing will blow out any other trem pedal in this price range. It is lush, clean and pulses like an old vintage amp!

We also added the PepTone true-bypass looper pedal. Turn any buffer switch type pedal into a true-bypass pedal. Or combine pedals into a specific chain for some one switch multi effect: for instance, do you like to have delay with a certain overdrive or reverb? now turn them all on at once by having them all through the loop together. This can help clean up your tone and clean up your pedal board!

The PepTone Pro Drive custom overdrive/gain pedal is just about done. The tone controls for this thing are absolutely amazing! I have never played a pedal with the delicate touch that this thing offers. Not to mention we are not using the clipping section that most overdrives use...its the most natural and organic clipping section we have played. It's just beefy tone. We are very impressed with this one, we have never experienced this before.

PepTone Boost pedal coming!

Folks, there has been plenty going here at PepTone.

We have the Boss Mods: BD-2, SD-1, DS-1 all up for sale. The TR-2 will be coming...

The PepTone Custom line only has the Greenie up for sale right now but the PepTone Pro Drive is going to be here soon. We are also looking at a dual channel overdrive pedal that has two individual effects (not one main one and another stacked one) but two absolute individual so you can stack them or use them individually...however this is further down the road.

Along with that we have finally found a pure clean boost that I like. I have the main concept of it's structure but there are a few frills and extras that I am looking at adding. This pedal will obviously be true-bypass and everything else.

I use boost pedals all the time. The boost pedals that I have used (the obvious more popular)seem to never have a sweet spot. They boost a lot but do not carry the EQ transparency that I desire. The PepTone boost really responds well to other effects and handles tube amps perfectly.

I fully expect the TR-2 Mod to be up for sale in the near near future.

I will also be adding sound clips for the Boss SD-1 and Boss DS-1 Mods as well.

www.peptoneelectronics.com

Boss SD-1 Mod on sale, BOT giveaway & PepTone Pro Drive Coming Soon!

Boss DS-1 giveaway going on right now! Check www.peptoneelectronics.com for further information!

We have released the Boss SD-1 Mod and this one is an aggressive Overdrive. Nowhere near a distortion, it's still a pure overdrive but by far the most aggressive overdrive I have played.

We are also now selling Boss Modification bundles. You can buy the New Boss BD-2 Mod & New Boss SD-1 Mod bundle for a lower price than buying them individually new. You can also get a good deal on the Boss BD-2 Mod & Boss DS-1 Mod bundle.

The PepTone Pro Drive will be coming out soon. This pedal is for those real dynamic players who LOVE their guitar and amp setup. This will only make your tone better. Great for recording and is one of those gems that you could leave on all night long.

Check out www.peptoneelectronics.com for other information and deals.

New Boss Mods coming soon!

We are diligently working on the Boss SD-1 Overdrive Mod and the Boss TR-2 Tremolo Mod.

The Boss SD-1 Overdrive Mod will be an aggressive overdrive, more unorthodox than my Greenie overdrive. It isn't anything like the Boss BD-2 Mod since the BD-2 is strictly a gain pedal. This is more in the realm of a Ibanez Tube Screamer on major steroids...big, bulky and nasty overdrive. It will have a great focus for harmonics but its going to have a very aggressive tone structure that is very tube-like and on the verge of a fuzz. A very cool overdrive. Again, we don't want to be redundant. We won't make a pedal that sounds like another, especially one of ours. This one is definitely something different.

The Boss TR-2 Tremolo Mod isn't going to be anything "crazy" or out of the ordinary. It's going to be a pure Trem pedal. The Mods being developed are Modifications needed to HI-FI the guitar pedal and to give it some more boost in it. Some like to Mod this pedal to have more sparkle but that can ruin the overall sound and in the end it loses its feel as a Trem. I wanted this Mod to be as transparent as possible. Dig this one when it's done...

We are looking to have these done by the start of December. The latest would be the New Year.

-PepTone

True Bypass Vs. Non-True Bypass (Boss or Ibanez)

My thoughts and notes on True-Bypass vs Non True-Bypass (i.e. Boss/Ibanez pedals):

This discussion can go on and on. Some who are highly technical and trained in the field say that you can't use anything but True-Bypass for your pedals and some say the Buffers in the Ibanez or Boss pedals help keep your signal drop from having a long pedal board. I think its a matter of both, use your ears and use your judgment. I think 10 Boss pedals in a row results in loss of tone yes but I also think the same of a line up of any pedals. After all of those short cable hook ups you will lose some tone and even then you need to have high-end cables as well with some hefty hefty high costs!

The point is you need to make the call and be particular on what you put on your pedalboard. The buffers in the Ibanez and Boss pedals are well....a buffer! I do have Boss and Ibanez pedals and I can notice a drop in tone with Ibanez more than Boss. I have a Ibanez TS-9 and AD-9 and there is quite a bit of a drop in the highs and overall tone when the pedal is in the chain, now these can be fixed but I don't even like their switching system to begin with so that's another story for another time...It would take more than three Boss pedals to hear the difference in my opinion but I can hear/feel a difference with one Ibanez when they are turned off.

One way you can have more Boss / Ibanez pedals is by using a True-Bypass Looper. Lets say I have two or three effects I always use together or use very seldom. I can toss them in the looper chain and my pedal board that was 10 pedals now is only 8 total:

10 total pedals minus 3 in the looper (from putting in the looper chain) and then add one because we added the looper. 10 pedals goes to 8...or you can toss 5 in there and make it 6 total pedals in the signal chain when all are off...get the point?

I will be making a Custom Looper for the PepTone Electronics Custom line. It will be a rather inexpensive way to handle the true-bypass dilemma and can organize that mess of a pedalboard! It helped mine!

PepTone Greenie Overdrive!

http://www.peptoneelectronics.com for more info...

This is PepTone's Custom Overdrive guitar effect. Built with the TS-808 / TS-9 in mind but this goes further than ANY Tube Screamer Mod could EVER do, that is why I had to build this Overdrive from the bottom up. Many question if it's in the realm of a Fulltone FULLDRIVE 2 or the Keeley TS-9 Mod, my answer is simple. NO. Those are great pedals but are more dead on Tube Screamer tone. The Greenie CAN achieve that but goes beyond that...

PepTone WEBSITE DESCRIPTION:

Welcome To The PepTone Greenie

GREENIE: This was inspired by the family of the TS-808/Tube Screamer fame but I took it to another level by adding more clarity, gain, boost and some great overdrive/gain structure options.

If you are like me, you enjoy playing you overdrive pedals during live shows, leisure guitar time and studio/recording time. I have tried over a dozen overdrives (from cheap to boutique!) and not one of those pedals met all my standards/needs for all three scenarios.

CONTROL OPTIONS: The Greenie controls are basic but useful. You have the 3 way gain toggle, the 'Volume' knob, the 'Tone' knob and the 'Drive' knob as basic controls. I also added something special to the Greenie that helps make the overdrive push out and stand out on stage, this is the 'Bright' knob.

The Drive, Tone and Volume knobs work as you have normally experienced with any other standard tone, drive and volume knobs on other pedals. From there, with my addition of the bright knob you can really brown your sound or make is sparkle and shine, more than you would ever expect from any other overdrive pedal. The thing is something you want a smooth meaty tone but as you roll up on the tone for a bit more sparkle you loose the lower end. So keep the lower end on your tone and just add some bright to your sound!

This three way toggle switch doesn't necessarily change the sound of the pedal as much as how the pedal reacts to your picking and dynamics. So don't expect 3 totally different sounds, think more on the basis of dynamics. There is the more classic overdrive sound along with a grit boost and a silky creamy dynamic drive.

GETTING TO IT: If you want an overdrive pedal that dishes out enough options to keep you entertained but has a focus at the same time; this will satisfy you until your heart is content. If you are looking for a true overdrive with thick tone but the option of added clear highs, I am confident you will love the Greenie; and I stand by that.

TONE TIP: I was given a compliment on how using the bright knob turned up all the way in conjunction with the tone knob up all the way gives the pedal the classic "TREBLE BOOSTER" tone. I couldn't agree more, it is a blast! Again, I don't build pedals that sizzle or buzz, so even with the two knobs turn up all the way you get another great high quality sound from this pedal!

NEW! Boss BD-2 Tone Driver Mod

Boss BD-2 Mod: Tone Driver
www.peptoneelectronics.com
The name of the Mod says it all. Tone Driver. This pedal will drive the tone you already have incorporated with your current setup. It lets your guitar and amp combo breath but gives you the gain/level amount desired. You will not get any muffled sounds out of this one! If you are a fan of your amp and want a boost or gain to push your amp further this is going to be your favorite pedal! There is plenty of gain on tap but I cleaned it up when the drive is on "0" so you have enough headroom. I added more bass boost rather than a bass swell, again, no muffled sounds here! There is a slight hint of compression when on a cleaner setting, think of a natural compression you can achieve from a tube amp being pushed.

I currently use two of these, one boosted and one as a gain pedal, the punch and sparkle it adds is something I have never achieved with ANY boutique pedal. For you amp-guitar combo lovers, welcome to my idea of a pedal to use.

Some people ask how the PepTone Tone Driver BD-2 mod compares Vs. Keeley or Vs Monte Allums and while they have great mods I consider mine more musical. I like this pedal to be more like an amp in the EQ. When you kick it on its not an overwhelming difference in tone but has a bit of tube compression and drive/gain. Yes, you can get really gainy with my BD-2 Modification but my favorite option with it is when it is an amp enhancer.

Boss DS-1 Distortion BOT Mod

Want a blend of a distortion and overdrive? This is it! Many other pedal modders have a DS-1 mod out there like the Keeley All Seeing Eye Mod, Analogmans Super DS 1 mod and Monte Allums DS-1 Rectifier Mod. All of those mods are good mods but this one is built as more of a hybrid rather than a down and dirty distortion. Yes, this BOT mod does get hairy but don't expect a shredder to use this pedal (in my opinion).

My idea behind the pedal:
I have played a TON of boutique pedals in my time and studied them closely (overdrive mainly). I came up with this Mod because I was so sick of all of the "boutique" pedals with flabby bass and piercing highs (not to mention the high high cost). I know it sounds funny that I achieved what I wanted in a common Boss pedal but it is all there!

This pedal is top notch and I guarantee you will love the pedal. If you are not 100% satisfied after 2 weeks I will give you a full refund and you only have to pay for shipping for the transaction. Refund will be given upon me receiving the pedal. I am an honest American and if you do not enjoy this pedal like I do you don't need to keep it!

The purpose of this pedal is to create a pedal that is very unique from the fact that it is a hybrid between an amp simulator and an overdrive pedal. It gets clean-ish dirty with dynamic reaction and it gets smooth high overdrive dirty. I have modified 16 key parts (more than what other modders do!) including higher quality part upgrades and a complete eq upgrade and balance. All of the parts interact with each other to get a tone like never heard (this mod took me 3 months to get to the way I wanted). No raspy tone here!

Gain and Tone Structure:
Using the gain knob the knob turned all the way down through to 12 o'clock this is where you can achieve boost/low overdrive tone. Great crystal clear highs with a punchy mid section that is full and articulate. This is where you can achieve some great amp enhancement tones. This part is not a clean boost per say but one could get a cranked Fender amp sound edged into the tone in this part of the gain knob. You can hear each note individually and doesn't cover or color your amp and guitar set up to make you think you are playing a completely different setup when the pedal is turned on.

From 12 o'clock to all the way up is where the hybrid of gain and overdrive come in. You will notice that there is some compression on this pedal. Very smooth and rounds out the sustain but I made sure this is not overdone. The overdrive starts to push so hard it sounds like your guitar is going to explode!

Like I said before this is not a distortion pedal, its more of a Blues and/or Rock players dream, very vintage-esque tone. There is a great indie rock sound coming from this pedal as well. From cranked vintage amp to the explosion of overdrive tone this pedal will serve many people justice. It does extremely well with single coil pickups but does its best with humbuckers in my opinion.

The tone knob does not have any bad spots, I smoothed it out a bit and made it less dramatic of change throughout the knob. Very articulate and delicate changes changing the lower frequencies.

There is plenty of volume on tap! I have added some extra head room compared to the stock.