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TABLE OF CONTENTS ISSUE 76 MAY 22ND

8 TONE TALK
5​ MINI WAHS TO FREE UP
YOUR BOARD
16 TONE TALK
AN IN-DEPTH GUIDE TO THE
BEATBUDDY
24 TONE TALK
5 AMPS FOR VINTAGE TUBE 8
MOJO ON THE CHEAP
32 INTERVIEW
A CHAT WITH
CARL BROEMAL OF
MY MORNING JACKET
16 24 32

38 IBANEZ
TUBE SCREAMER MINI
42 TOMKAT PEDALS
KILLER FUZZ
46 MC SYSTEMS 
BWI DYNAMIC

FUZZ 42
50 SIXSTRING
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
APP FOR GUITARISTS

38 46 50
6 ToneReport.com
W
hen seeking to free up space on a crowded pedalboard, whether to
alleviate an uncontrolled population explosion, or (more likely) to
make room for a new pedal acquisition, it’s natural to look to the big-
gest, most egregious real estate hogs first. On many pedalboards, the
biggest hog in the pen is the wah pedal. For some reason, wah pedals have evolved
somewhat more slowly than the rest of the effects pedal world, where drastically shrink-
ing enclosures, enhanced ergonomics, true bypass switching and standardized pow-
er have been the order of the day for some time now. In contrast, the wah pedal re-
mained largely unchanged for decades, with the standard Vox and Cry Baby models
dominating the market for decades. Innovative designs popped up here and there
over the years, but few garnered much attention among serious guitarists, for a variety
of reasons.

Things are changing, however, and more stompbox designers have begun to pay atten-
tion to that big, black, foot-sized hunk of metal that’s been taking up more than its fair
share of pedalboard space for far too long. Recent years have seen an influx of miniature
sized wahs, some no bigger than a standard issue Boss pedal that not only do the classic
wah-wah tones, but have a bunch of other useful functions and features as well. I have
collected a handful of the best tiny wah-wahs, and I present them to you now. 

ToneReport.com 9
 It’s about time, Dunlop. The new Dunlop AMT Electronics has a reputation for inno-
CBM95 Cry Baby Mini wah looks just like vative, feature-packed products, including
its iconic, full-sized predecessor, only mi- amplifiers, effects pedals, and a spectacu-
raculously shrunk to half the size (which I lar line of tube guitar preamps, so it’s no
must admit, is disconcerting at first glance, surprise that its compact, purple wah pedal
as if someone has played a practical joke ain’t no slouch either. Why is it called “Jap-
of some kind.) Once the Cry Baby Mini is anese Girl?” I dare not speculate, but re-
under foot, however, it feels totally natural. gardless of the name, it’s a great wah that
None of the classic Cry Baby sweep or feel should send your current squawking box
is lost, which probably indicates that Dun- o’ potentiometers packing. As a matter of
lop put substantial effort into making sure fact, this Japanese Girl doesn’t even have a
nothing would be compromised in the min- potentiometer because the circuit is based
iaturization process. The CBM95 has more on an optical sensor design. This means
than compactness going for it, though. It no scratchy pots, fewer moving parts, and
also features three distinct voicings, includ- thus, less maintenance than a regular old
ing Low, Vintage, and GCB95, true bypass wah-wah. It sports  three selectable fre-
switching, standard nine-volt power capa- quency ranges, for a wide variety of tones
bilities, and a Fasel inductor, which gives it that range from classic to modern, true by-
a leg up over the original Cry Baby, as well pass switching, status LED’s, standard nine-
as many other old-school wah designs that volt power, and an adjustable treadle. I like
haven’t evolved since Hendrix’s day. I espe- that it will stay in place even if you take your
cially like its “Low” setting, which gets nice foot off of it, which is handy for those of us
and pukey with fuzz. And hey, the Cry Baby that like to do the ol’ cocked-wah tone filter
Mini is only 99 bucks.  I predict that these maneuver. At around 130 dollars new, the
are going to sell like the hot cakes! AMT WH-1 Japanese Girl is very reasonably
priced. 

10 TONE TALK // 5 Mini Wahs to Free Up Your Board

The Chi-Wah-Wah might be the smallest Hotone specializes in miniature guitar amps
of the small wahs. It’s roughly the size of a and effects, and the company’s Soul Press
Boss pedal, and comes housed in a bomb- wah-volume-expression pedal is truly a tiny
proof rolled steel enclosure that should last
powerhouse of functionality. With three
for eternity, maybe longer.   It’s an optical
modes, it can perform a number of duties
actuation design, so there’s no switch, it just
start’s wah-wah-ing when you press down admirably, all while taking up very little
on the treadle. This is a clever arrangement space on a pedalboard. The wah mode is
which eliminates the inevitable switch-relat- voiced to sound like a classic Cry Baby, with
ed maintenance issues, but it might take a plenty of quack and the signature Cry Baby
bit of getting used to for some guitarists. frequency sweep, while the volume mode
You press down with the toe of your shoe
uses an active circuit to eliminate the tone
to make the wah action, which will seem
dulling impedance issues that plague so
quite unnatural to lifelong players of the
Cry Baby or Vox wahs. Once you get prop- many passive volume pedals. The expres-
erly oriented, however, the Chi-Wah-Wah’s sion mode can be used without external
many charms become obvious. Its action is power or battery, and is widely compatible
buttery, and its tones are splendid. There with most pedals, as well as synths and oth-
are knobs right on top for Level, Contour, er instruments that make use of expression
and Gain, which allow for very musical tone
pedals. The Hotone Soul Press is a multi-
shaping, whether you’re looking for some-
tasking master for the player that needs
thing thick and raunchy, bright and quacky,
or somewhere between the two. The only one small pedal to do a lot of different jobs.
real downside to the Plutoneium Chi-Wah- It’s equipped with true bypass switching,
Wah is that, because of its spring-loaded comes in a fetching red enclosure, and sells
treadle that returns to bypass mode when for around 100 bucks American. 
you lift your foot off, it can’t be set for a  
cocked-wah tone. This is a relatively minor
negative, though, and probably won’t out-
weigh the many positives of the Chi-Wah-
Wah for players in search of the ultimate
compact wah pedal. 

ToneReport.com 11
 This fine vintage piece from America’s own
DOD is one of the most dramatic early de-
partures from the norm in the wah pedal
world, and as far as I know, the first com-
pact wah ever made. Manufactured from
1987 to roughly 2000, the FX-17 used a curi-
ous variable capacitance circuit to make the
wah-wah sounds, as opposed to the more
common potentiometers and inductors.
It can function  as a wah, volume pedal, or
voltage control pedal for synthesizers, and
is engaged with a switch in the heel posi-
tion of the treadle, opposite of the standard
toe switch of a “Baby-style” unit. The sound
of the FX-17 is unique as well, with a mod-
ern, full-range sweep that was a world away
from a stock wah-wah. I have always liked it
for the deep, guttural burp in the lower end
of its range, which sounds remarkably cool
when paired with a thick fuzz tone. Down-
sides include a rather narrow travel of the
treadle, which can make it a little tricky to
control, and its enclosure, which is pretty
damned ugly. Upsides include awesome-
ness, ruggedness, and cheapness. The FX-
17 is common on the used market, often-
times for very miniature amounts of money.
I believe I paid about 30 bucks for mine.
Get one!

12 TONE TALK // 5 Mini Wahs to Free Up Your Board

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16
(Insert BeatBuddy-supplied rim-shot 2013. Like so many great inventors
here.) And yes, you can indeed pro- before him, David conceived of the
gram one of the buttons on the external BeatBuddy to meet a real need in his
footswitch to do just this. Drummer jokes playing and performance requirements.
aside, the BeatBuddy is my new favorite In short, he wanted a hands-free drum
thing. In short, it’s the world’s first ped- machine that he could manipulate with
al-based drum machine. It’s designed his feet. What he created may just be
specifically for guitarists and bassists the best practice, song-writing, and
and is simultaneously a powerful tool performance tool of the 21st century.
and intuitive. At face value, the BeatBuddy is just
The story of the Singular Sound drum machine in pedal form. And quite
BeatBuddy begins in late 2013 frankly, that alone would make it pretty
when founder and CEO David Packouz cool. But thanks to careful attention to
launched an Indiegogo campaign to detail and innovative engineering, it’s
build a pedal-based drum machine. much more than that.
The initial campaign goal was $75,000 BUILD
and it was raised within the first 24 It’s always refreshing when a new
hours! The campaign for the BeatBuddy company arrives on the scene with
ultimately raised more than four times a proprietary enclosure rather than
that goal and ended at $249,057.Clearly, the usual “project box” housing we’re
a pedal-based drum machine was an so accustomed to in the effects world. It
excellent (and popular) idea. suggests that they have grand plans of
And while the BeatBuddy first came being in this business for the long haul.
into the public eye with the Indiegogo And it means that this pedal is built by
campaign, the inspiration and engineer- a real company, not some dude in his
ing of the BeatBuddy began prior to parent’s basement. It’s not that dudes
ToneReport.com 17
 in basements haven’t built great pedals. The BeatBuddy can kick it, human
They have. They just don’t always last beat box style. All you need to do is
long enough to support their product plug the BeatBuddy into head phones,
for years to come. a PA system, or other means of listening
But back to my point. The BeatBuddy and start jamming. You can plug the
enclosure shows attention to detail. BeatBuddy into your amp. It’s even set-
Sure the shape of the pedal (and the up to send a through signal of your gui-
footswitch) pay homage to the clas- tar. Ideally though, you should run the
sic Boss design, but the pedal is larger BeatBuddy into a PA system or other
and feels more substantial. The optional full-range system. It won’t sound its best
two-button external footswitch feels just through your guitar amp and at extreme
as substantial and both units are painted volumes, it could damage your speakers.
in an attractive, heavy-duty silver metal- For practicing at home, I used a set of
lic paint. The BeatBuddy straddles the high-quality computer speakers with
line with regard to size and offers a large a subwoofer and the BeatBuddy
footswitch and user interface without sounded great.
taking up a huge amount of space. Now, start scrolling through your
The optional footswitch will require available drum sets. Next up, select
that you offer up more pedalboard your genre of choice and find a drum
real estate, but the placement of the part you like. The exciting thing is that
two buttons makes it easy to hit the you can choose any drum set to play any
one you are aiming for. pattern, so feel free to get crazy and use
GETTING STARTED the “Country Brushes” to play a “Drum
The BeatBuddy comes from the and Bass” pattern. Just promise to use
factory with an SD card loaded with this technology for good rather than
10 drum sets and 100 songs (grouped evil—don’t use it to create the
within 21 genres). Examples of the drum next “Cotton Eye Joe!”
sounds available include rock, classic, I fell in love with the Ethereal setting
hand, dance, ethereal, and even human (it reminded me of mixed up by the Cure
voice. Yes, you read that correctly. or other late-‘80s and early ‘90s

18 TONE TALK // An In-Depth Guide to the BeatBuddy

 electronic percussion). The It will be different each time, just like
Rock and Classic sets are also a real drummer, and always in time,
favorites of mine. All of the regardless of when pressed.
drum sounds in the BeatBuddy • Hold down the foot switch to
sound professional and I was transition into the “chorus,” the
able to use it to make some very BeatBuddy will play a fill
convincing demo recordings.
• Release the foot switch to end the
You can set tempo with the scroll wheel transition and start the “chorus”
if you know what tempo you are looking
for. Or you can tap in the tempo with the • Hold down the foot switch to
handy “Tap” button that works just like transition back into the “verse”
the tap tempo switch on your delay ped- • Double tap the foot switch to
al (the BeatBuddy comes out of the box end the song
ready to sense your tapped-in rhythm as When there is no song playing, you
quarter notes). can hold down the footswitch to enter
THE BEATBUDDY IS INSANELY EASY tap tempo mode. The optional two-
TO USE, BUT HERE’S THE QUICK button foot switch can trigger accent
AND DIRTY: hits, pause the song, serve as a tap
• Select a genre and drum set tempo input, and more. The BeatBuddy
is highly functional without the optional
• Dial in or tap in your tempo (if different switch, but the added versatility is
than default tempo). There is no reason awesome. It’s worth noting that the
to do this if satisfied with default tempo. BeatBuddy will work with any latching
• Tap the main foot switch once to start or non-latching dual footswitches
the song with an intro fill. It will then go as long as they utilize a single
to the first verse. TRS stereo output.
• Now any single tap triggers a “fill”. MULTIPLE USES
Incorporating the BeatBuddy into your
songwriting or practice regime is much
easier than you can imagine. With the
huge range genres, beats, and drum
sounds it’s sure to open up your creative
instincts and push your technique. You
can even import midi drum parts for any
songs you play. With the BeatBuddy soft-
ware, it’s extremely easy to do this. You
can even create set lists for multiple gigs
and then just scroll through song by song

ToneReport.com 19
 during your practice or live set. You can nome. The simplest way to explain the
even do this scrolling hands-free by using visual metronome is that there is a small
the foot switch. translucent block that moves across the
The ability to save songs adds even display as the beat plays. It’s especially
more versatility to an already impressive helpful when playing in 5/4 or 7/4 (time
device. The fact that this is done via an signatures in which I do not shine) for
SD card is just plain awesome. If you are keeping track of the down beat. Who
managing multiple bands or projects, you knows, maybe someday I’ll be a prog
can easily manage each on its own SD rock god. It’s doubtful, but the
card. I’m not managing multiple projects, BeatBuddy certainly has more patience
but I do have a large stash of half-com- than any drummer I’ve practiced with.
pleted songs. To simply my life, I use one ATTENTION TO DETAIL
SD card for completed songs (saved and With the BeatBuddy, Singular Sound
labeled by name) and a second one for did an amazing job with every detail.
new ideas and uncompleted songs. If I’m From the custom-designed enclosure,
in the mood to work on new ideas, I pop to the stellar drums sounds, to the easy
in one SD card. If it’s time to practice, to use interface, I can’t find anything to
I slip in the other. complain about. One of my favorite fea-
The Save feature of the BeatBuddy tures is the included headphone output
is something I really fell in love with as with volume control. Between the vol-
I was writing this review. The drummer ume control for the drums and the head-
in my band frequently travels for work phone volume control it’s easy to strike
and misses practice. The BeatBuddy is a perfect balance between drums and
now his stand-in. Sure, it’s not as simple guitar without blasting your eardrums.
as saying “Kevin, try this with more of a And even better, when paired with a de-
National feel,” but it’s pretty awesome. cent speaker emulator (I paired the Beat
Buddy with both a Line 6 POD and an
GETTING BETTER Electro-Harmonix EHXTortion—both with
Speaking of practice, I found the great results) you have a near-perfect
BeatBuddy to be an amazing rhythm late-night or apartment practice rig.
training tool. I’ve never been good
about sitting down and practicing with To date, the BeatBuddy is the only prod-
a metronome. Intellectually, I know I uct designed and manufactured by Sin-
should—but it’s so boring. With the Beat- gular Sound. It’s clear that along with
Buddy, there’s a sea of drum sounds and that “singular sound,” they also have a
patterns to choose from. And unlike a “singular vision.” It’s quite impressive
metronome you have multiple time sig- that they created such a great product
natures and visual cues to work with. I straight out of the gate. I can’t wait to
fell quickly in love with the visual metro- see what they come up with next.

20 TONE TALK // An In-Depth Guide to the BeatBuddy

 100% analog
signal path with
unprecedented
digital control.

This analog phaser pedal features an all-analog

signal path with smooth, vintage tones that harken
back to the 70’s while retaining the ability to get
plenty weird and psychadelic too. Since the control
of the effect is digital, it opens up unprecedented
effects and features that have never been heard
or offered in analog stompboxes. chaseblissaudio.com
24
Amplifiers are perhaps the most critical part of a
guitarist’s signal chain. Imagine a beautiful, finely crafted
guitar with choice tonewoods, handwound pickups and top-grade
electronics running through a nameless, solid-state practice amplifier
with a six-inch speaker. Now, unless that combination is a carefully
planned pairing to achieve a lo-fi guitar track for recording, the ears
of mankind should never hear it. There are endless amplifier options
for the modern guitarist, from budget tube combos to boutique, fur-
niture-grade works of art. And while present-day amps are packed
with features to accommodate every sound and scenario, there is
one class of amplifier that has that special swagger you just can’t get
from a new one. I’m talking, of course, about vintage amps. It’s pos-
sible you had one of two reactions when you read that last sentence.
One: You huffed, smirked, looked at your vintage amp collection and
muttered “I know” as if you were Dr. Steve Brule, or two: You rolled
your eyes, imagined a sky-high price tag and thought “not worth it.”
Fortunately, there are vintage amps that won’t require you to sell a
vital organ to obtain them. “Affordable” is a relative term, so for the
purpose of this article, I’ve chosen amplifiers that can be obtained for
$1,000 or less. Keep in mind that many variables—such as cosmet-
ic condition or the lack of original parts—cause the value of vintage
gear to fluctuate; the price ranges listed are based on the prices of a
particular item at the time of writing. Without further ado, here are
five vintage amplifiers you should consider adding to your collection.

ToneReport.com 25
 GIBSON FALCON GA-19RVT:
$450-900
It may be news to you that Gibson
made a combo amplifier with reverb
prior to Fender. The Falcon, introduced
in 1961, has onboard reverb and trem-
olo, hence the RVT in its name. Looking
somewhat similar to the tweed Fender
amps of the same era, it contains a 12–
inch Jensen speaker and puts out rough-
ly 14 watts using a pair of 6V6 tubes
and three 6EU7 preamp tubes, with a
7199 tube for reverb duty. Earlier mod-
els were covered in tweed, while later
models appear to emulate Fender’s
amp evolution, with later-‘60s models
looking similar to silverface combos. As
you might expect, the early years tend
to be more expensive, getting cheaper
into the later years. There is currently
a pristine late-‘60s model for sale at a
local shop in my area for $600. The re-
verb and tremolo are unique-sounding
and somewhat limited, respectively, but
this is a cool-looking and great sounding
amp with its Tweed Deluxe-meets black/
silverface-meets magic pixie dust vibe.
The cool cleans and gnarly grind will
most likely suffice for any player
not playing straight-forward jazz or
speed metal.
FENDER CHAMP (BLACKFACE/
SILVERFACE): $500-1,000
Volume, Treble, and Bass: It’s the con-
trol panel layout of the veritable Fend-
er Champ. What else do you need?
The small but mighty combo has been
on countless recordings and it’s small
enough to fit into any nook or cranny at

26 TONE TALK // 5 Amps for Vintage Tube Mojo on the Cheap

home, on stage or the studio. Featuring
a 6V6 power tube, 12AX7 preamp tube,
and a 5Y3 rectifier, the Champ produces
five watts through an eight-inch speak-
er. With the volume maxed, your guitar
volume control decides how clean or
dirty your signal gets. When mic’d up
at the club, this little monster will give
you all you need for bare bones jams,
and if you add your pedalboard to the
mix, the sky’s the limit. When I recorded
some tracks last summer at a local stu-
dio, there were a handful or amps avail-
able to use. One of them was an all-orig-
inal ‘70s silverface Champ. The sounds
I got with my Gibson SG were sweet
like candy, and I used that amp for the
majority of the session. I easily achieved
classic fuzzy grind sans-boost or over-
drive pedals. It remains a singular
experience in my guitar-playing life.
FENDER MUSICMASTER BASS:
$400-600
Speaking of silverface Fender amps, the can plug in the bass that you’ve got in
Musicmaster Bass is a unique creature. the corner collecting dust for the combi-
As the name implies, it was originally nation Fender originally intended.
designated for bassists—to be paired
KAY 703: $200-300
with the Musicmaster bass, specifical-
Many moons ago, a good friend
ly—but became popular with guitar
semi-permanently loaned me an amp
players due to its simple layout and por-
as only a good friend does. To my na-
tability. It one-ups the Champ in simplici-
ked and untrained eye, it looked like a
ty with just a volume and tone knob and
vintage lunchbox. I had no idea what
pumps out 12 watts through a 12-inch
crunchy rock and roll sounds lived in-
speaker. Early models use 6AQ5 tubes,
side this tiny monster. Using a 50L6 out-
while later models came with 6V6 tubes.
put tube, 12AU6 preamp and a 35Z5
It’s probably the most quirky amp on
rectifier, the Kay puts out roughly four
this list, and due to said quirkiness it can
watts through a six-inch speaker. I re-
be had fairly cheap. It’s great at smaller
member the sound, but most of all, the
gigs and rehearsals. And, of course, you
feeling, as I strummed open chords on
ToneReport.com 27
 my reissue ‘69 Thinline Telecaster. It was
an experience I’d never had before—
touch-sensitive, power tube grind that
cleaned up beautifully with light picking
or the volume rolled off. The Tele and
Kay made for a truly visceral combina-
tion. I don’t remember how many hours
I spent playing that combination, but
I do remember playing Neil Young’s
“Rockin’ in the Free World” until my
roommate informed me he needed to
get some rest and maybe I could turn
it off or down. Keith Richards allegedly
used one of these amps in the studio,
and while I can’t substantiate that, I can
tell you it will do a pretty convincing
“Jumping Jack Flash.” Considering you
can probably snag this for the price of
a pedal, it’s a no-brainer for your living
room or studio.
TRAYNOR YBA-1: $500-700
We’ll end this list with another bass-
turned-guitar amplifier. In its earliest
form, the YBA-1 was known as the Dy- The amps mentioned in this piece
nabass, introduced in 1963 as a rental probably won’t significantly appreciate
amp. With a circuit very similar to the in value over time, and they aren’t the
Fender Bassman, it became a popular main targets of “Holy Grail” collectors.
choice for guitarists because it achieved What they will do is provide classic
Marshall and Fender tones on the tones and help you on your journey
cheap. Traynor re-released the YBA-1 of artistic expression, all whilst looking
in 2013 as a tribute amplifier in limited cool and vintage behind you on stage.
numbers—100 heads and 60 cabs, to be The greatest benefit of all, however, is
exact—but you’ll be better off looking being able to tell other guitarists you
for a vintage original. If you’re after a have a vintage amplifier. Grab your
Bassman or Plexi sound, but don’t favorite axe and give these amps a
have deep pockets, the YBA-1 is spin if you can—it’s time to add some
worth your consideration. vintage mojo to your rig.
 
 
28 TONE TALK // 5 Amps for Vintage Tube Mojo on the Cheap
 UZZ

...IS ON YOUR BOARD?

MADE IN USA

UD IO DESIG
T A NS
ET
J . ROCK
Destroy time with the Obscura Altered Delay from
DigiTech. Its four delay modes can be darkened,
degraded, and distorted on the fly with the stacked
Tone and Degrade controls. Combine these controls
with Repeat/Hold and lose yourself in long trippy,
gurgling repeats or manipulated backwards sonic
mayhem. Obscura also has excellent sounding Analog,
Tape, Lo-Fi, and tap tempo modes with beat divisions,
stereo in/out, tails switch, and true bypass.

© HARMAN 2015
 IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH
MY MORNING JACKET,
a single song or even a single album can’t
serve as your introduction. At the heart of it,
My Morning Jacket is a rock and roll band—ringing
guitars, huge drums, and vocals that can run from
Neil Young to Roger Daltrey to Prince and beyond.
They have quiet and contemplative “folk” songs such
as “Wonderful” from 2011’s Circuital and “Golden”
from 2003’s It Still Moves. They have epic guitar jams
like “Mahgeeta,” also from It Still Moves and they
have songs like “Holdin On To Black Metal” from
Circuital—songs that can’t be classified by genre
but can be classified as awesome, complete with
killer fuzzed out guitar parts.
For their newly released album The Waterfall, My
Morning Jacket decamped to Stinson Beach, Califor-
nia with producer Tucker Martine (Decemberists,
Modest Mouse, and Neko Case among others).
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Carl Bro-
emel, My Morning Jacket’s guitarist, pedal steel play-
er and saxophonist. Carl joined the band in 2004 and
has played on every album since 2005’s Z. I asked
Carl about recording the new album, songwriting and
arranging, and of course, guitars, amps, and pedals.
What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our
exchange.
Tone Report: You guys recorded the new album
near Stinson Beach in CA. Why did you choose that
studio? Who produced this record?

32 INTERVIEW // Loaded Questions in an Automatic World: Carl Broemel

Carl Broemel: CB: Jim usually comes
Jim and Tucker Martine in with demos that he pur-
produced The Waterfall. posely makes very quickly
Tucker sourced the studio so we can all sort it out to-
through a friend, who gether in the room. Some-
had moved his studio from times there are key ele-
Sacramento to Stinson ments that he puts in there
Beach. The studio is in a cra- that just need to be there,
zy castle-like home of cob- and sometimes we fill in
blestones and all reclaimed the space as we go. We still
materials built by a profes- find the need to create new
sor in the late ‘60s. The live approaches to songs in the
room is a pretty non-tradi- studio, even though we’ve
tional studio space, which I made many records togeth-
loved. A huge window over- er, you always need to find
looks the Pacific Ocean and a new wide-open brain to
every day the fog and sun- negotiate twists and turns
sets were epic. The control of what is needed for any
room is down in the base- particular song.
ment near the bomb shelter TR: Did I hear correctly
tunnel which was set up and that you recorded enough
used it as a reverb chamber! songs for two albums?
TR: How would you CB: Yep, we do have anoth-
describe the sound er batch of songs from our
of the new album? time working on The Water-
CB: It sounds like us, lost fall which will become an-
out in Marin County, CA! other album. There is still a
TR: Does Jim [James, bit of work to be done, but
My Morning Jacket’s the idea is to have another
lead singer and primary record ready sooner than
songwriter] come in with we ever have in the past.
fully formed songs or do TR: Do you have any
you guys jam and create favorite guitar moments
new songs in a more on The Waterfall?
collaborative process?

ToneReport.com 33
 CB: “Thin Line” was a song that just came
together very fast, within a few hours we had
a take. Then Jim added the solo over the
outro bit and we were done! Also Jim’s fuzzy
solos on “Spring” and “Like a River,” I really
like. I love the guitar parts on “Like a River.”
They sound like romantic-era piano accom-
paniment to me, like tone painting.
TR: Did you use any new guitars, amps,
or effects that you are excited about?
CB: For amps, I mainly used my old (Fend-
er) Tweed Deluxe and Princeton Reverbs for
electric guitar, and a Fender Vibrosonic for
pedal steel. I did find a Maestro Reverb-Echo
amp at the Marin County Guitar show that
we used a lot. You use banana clips to con-
nect the Maestro to the speaker of your
main amp, and it sends 100 percent reverb
out of its own speaker. It also has a trem-
olo circuit that is after the reverb which is
the reverse of how I would have done it on
a pedalboard, but such a cool effect in this
order. I played my Duesenberg Starplayer, a
Gretsch Tennessean, my Black Les Paul and
GFI pedal steel.
TR: Your approach to pedal steel is very
innovative. It seems like you use it almost
like a string section. Are you still using the
Eventide effects [Modfactor and Pitchfac-
tor] for the steel? What is it that you like
about them?
CB: Thanks a lot. Though I am a pedal steel
novice by purist standards, I do love playing
it and not worrying too much about “how
it’s done” by those masters of the past and
present. For pedal steel effects I try to keep
it very simple, just the amp’s reverb, or add
a Moog or Fulltone tape delay. The Eventide

34 INTERVIEW // Loaded Questions in an Automatic World: Carl Broemel

Modfactor is also a go-to. The Eventide ped- CB: Yes! That thing is amazing. I’ve used it
als are very versatile for steel, sax, keys, and for a soundtrack recording project with a
electric guitar. We used the Eventide Space friend. It’s not on the live board, but always
prominently on a song that will likely be on in the toolbox.
the next record. I also used their mixing link TR: So what’s on your touring pedalboard
to add effects to some saxophone sounds. these days?
I have two H9s on my guitar board for the
upcoming tour to cover all the strange things CB: A Fulltone Full Drive 2, Spaceman
I might need to do. Living in a time where we Saturn, Hudson Electronics Stroll On, Elec-
get to merge the old touchy analoggear with tro-Harmonix POG, Eventide H9s, Fulltone
the new fancy computers is pretty exciting as wah, Xotic SP, Empress Tape Delay, SIB Mr.
long as you are really listening to the sounds Echo, Boss Reverb, Fulltone Supa-Trem 2,
and not just looking at waveforms. and a Disaster Area MIDI controller for
the H9s.
TR: Is your Les Paul Standard still your
main guitar? What’s special about it? CONCLUSION

The thing that stuck with me most from the
CB: I use the Les Paul Standard ‘88 and the interview was Carl’s comment about how
Doozy about the same now, they are friends. lucky we are to live in an age where we get
I’ve had the LP for a really long time, so if I to mix old analog gear and modern digi-
had to choose one guitar to take into space tal gear. “Living in a time where we get to
to go to Mars and never come back, I’d take merge the old touchy analog gear with the
him based purely on his tenure and ability to new fancy computers is pretty exciting as
comfort. When I go to a session and need a long as you are really listening to the sounds
guitar (that) can do it all, I take the Doozy. and not just looking at waveforms.” 
We
TR: What are your other main live really are in a golden age of guitar gear and
guitars now? we are incredibly lucky to have the best of
CB: I have a few more Les Pauls, a gold one, everything so readily available. Like Carl said,
a Jr., an SG for downtuned songs, a Duesen- you just need to use your ears. It ultimately
burg 12-string… doesn’t matter if you are getting your reverb
from an Eventide H9 or a crazy old Maestro
TR: And what about amps? Reverb-Echo that connects to your amp’s
CB: I have been using a Carr Slant 6v6 and speaker via banana clips. As long as you are
Rambler, I also recently purchased a 3 Mon- getting tones that inspire you, that’s all that
keys Grease Monkey. I like to mix and match really matters. Listening to The Waterfall, it’s
heads every so often. clear that Carl is inspired by the sounds
TR: Moving on to effects, I remember see- he’s creating.
ing a video or you using the EHX Ravish
Sitar pedal. Is that something you’re
still using?

ToneReport.com 35
36 INTERVIEW // Loaded Questions in an Automatic World: Carl Broemel
 100% analog
signal path with
unprecedented
digital control.

This “true pitch” analog vibrato/chorus pedal

features an all-analog signal path that can
be dialed in to create limitless palette of
vibrato and chorus. Since the control of the
effect is digital, it opens up unprecedented
effects and features that have never been
heard or offered in analog stompboxes. chaseblissaudio.com
 IBANEZ
TUBE SCREAMER
MINI
REVIEW BY IAN GARRETT
STREET PRICE $79.99

There’s been an explosion and, as an added bonus, still inside. One other thing:
in mini pedals over the last it’s true bypass. The TS-808 is $169, while
couple of years—everything the new Mini is $79. I didn’t
The knob configuration
from tuners, delays and have a reissue (or original)
is another benefit. Unlike
modulation pedals to TS-808 to compare the two,
the TS-808 that has three
fuzz and overdrive is but after years of owning
equal-sized knobs for
represented. And now, the many different overdrives,
Level, Overdrive and Tone,
list is expanding to include including some expensive
the Mini features two
the venerable green Ibanez boutique versions of the
smaller knobs for Tone and
Tube Screamer, and it’s still original Tube Screamer,
Level, and a significantly
made in Japan. maybe I shouldn’t be
larger Overdrive knob in
surprised, but I really
The Mini preserves the the middle, great for toe
liked the Mini. A lot.
unique shape of its bigger fiddlers such as myself.
brother, just smaller. So, It features a nine-volt Many folks like the
what’s different on the adapter in the back, Tube Screamer to push
Mini than the bigger TS- and given its small size, an already-overdriven tube
808? It lacks the square no battery compartment amp. With Overdrive set
footswitch, and that might is possible. Perhaps more lower, and Level cranked
actually be a good thing. importantly is what hasn’t all the way, the Mini will
The Mini instead uses a changed; the JRC4558 chip be sure to please in this
standard size footswitch used over the many years is capacity. I thought perhaps

38 GEAR REVIEW // Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini

there would be more
WHAT WE LIKE CONCERNS
volume on tap, but it did
It’s that classic overdrive None, unless you need
surpass unity with the gain
crunch, and while it doesn’t a pedal that is battery
down low. I really liked the
have a signature tone powered.
gain structure on the Mini;
for the most part, that’s
with the Overdrive turned
never been its goal in life.
up to noon (or even all the
It’s meant to take your
way up), I always thought it
tube amp, and make it
sounded really good—the
scream, in a most pleasant
right amount of bite with
way possible. Mission
a little added compression.
accomplished.
The Tone and Level controls
are tweakable, but you’ll
find they’re basically set-
and-forget type controls.
If you want some added
gain and volume in your rig,
the Mini is a great way to
add it to your pedalboard,
at a great price, and a great
size. There’s not much else
to say about the Mini—you
either get it, or you don’t.
What’s not to love?

ToneReport.com 39
DIRTY
WORK
www.dod.com
 TOMKAT
PEDALS
KILLER FUZZ
REVIEW BY FLETCHER STEWART
STREET PRICE $150.00

SIGNAL overdrive with the guitar reminded me of James

MASTICATION volume backed off. Williamson’s incendiary
IN NYC tones on Iggy and the
The Killer Fuzz can shape
Stooges’ Raw Power. Going
Gazing into the white, shift from Tone Bender-
clockwise from noon on
hungry eyes of the Killer ish clear kerrang, to thick
the Tone control does
Fuzz primes one for a primal Fuzz Face heft, and then
precisely the opposite—the
aural onslaught. New-blood transform into Big Muff-like
midrange shifts, while the
Brooklyn pedal company sizzle with some clever tone
tone becomes pregnant
TomKat Pedals has used the knob twisting. In fact, the
with lower-mid girth that
super-rare Sam Ash Fuzz- EQ shift of the tone knob
bottoms out to bludgeon
Stainer as a development is very similar in operation
with each power chord
platform for this beastly to my old tall font Russian
swing. This wrecking ball
versatile silicon fuzz circuit. Big Muff. At midnight,
of vintage fuzzy goodness
Like a hungry wolf in a the EQ is fairly flat,
is like having a mongrel mix
whiteout, the Killer Fuzz revealing the guitar pickup
of vintage silicon lineage in
can adapt to a wide range characteristics in the most
one Hammond enclosure.
of tonal conditions, digest accurate manor. Edging to
any level of signal source the left, the tone becomes
and excrete blats of buttery brighter and leaner until
splutter, wooly warmth a needlepoint piercing
or even gritty clean fuzz- fuzz-tone is achieved. This

42 GEAR REVIEW // Tomkat Pedals Killer Fuzz

LOOKS WHAT WE LIKE CONCERNS
THAT KILL The Tomkat Killer Fuzz Some may grumble at
is everything we want in the fact that there isn’t a
I don’t usually bang on
a boutique fuzz pedal. battery operation option,
about the looks of a pedal
Simple-yet-versatile tone particularly those that
unless it truly is a part of
dialing, touch and volume subscribe to the “batteries
the experience. The laser-
sensitivity, searing and sound better” fuzz
etched imagery on the
smearing lead tones, philosophy. I personally
Killer Fuzz is courtesy of
crunchy ragged out rhythms don’t (at least not with
Liam Sparkes. At times, his
and everything in-between. silicon-based fuzz circuits)
style reminds me a bit of
It wouldn’t be a proper so this is a non-issue for me.
Raymond Pettibon (who
ripper if it didn’t have Plus, from an environmental
is most famous for Black
some sort of “secret” NOS standpoint, the ol’ adapter
Flag imagery) though;
Ukrainian transistors, and is the more responsible
his perverse and often
that is exactly what lies way to go. The only other
irreverent depictions
under the hood, biased for concern I have now is
wouldn’t look out of place
a full-on fuzz assault. The whether I should buy this
in a Roald Dahl book. It’s
tone is rich raw and wholly awesome fuzz, or spend
no wonder I love Sparke’s
unneutered. If Tomkat my dough on a train ticket
images, because he cites
keeps strutting pedals out to London to get tatted
my three favorite artists
of the back alley that look up by Liam Sparkes.
(Albrecht Durer, Aubrey
and sound this good, they
Beardsley and Harry Clarke)
may just mark their territory
as influences. The way he
permanently in this crowded
and Tomkat pedal builder
boutique tone jungle.
Tom Kogut collaborate
with emblazoned eyes
throughout the pedal
range is ingenious. Oh,
and those creamy fluted
mirror capped knobs are
super styling as well.

ToneReport.com 43
FREEPEDALFRIDAY
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 MC SYSTEMS
BWI DYNAMIC
FUZZ
REVIEW BY IAN GARRETT
STREET PRICE $149.00

As pedal builders boldly activating footswitch. Those who don’t want

blaze their own paths to the to worry about how
To achieve its dynamic
future, some guitarists— hard they are (or aren’t)
response, the BWI uses
used to maybe three knobs, stomping can still get two
MC Systems’s “dynamic
tops—are initially bemused fuzz settings out of one
response V-SWITCH velocity
by their innovations. I pedal: turning the trimpot
sensitive true bypass
confess to being one fully-clockwise means the
switching system,” and I
of those guitarists, but V-SWITCH goes straight
admit to being daunted
I’ve learned that it’s to the secondary fuzz
by the idea of relying on
worth taking the time to setting, while a toggle on
precision stomping to
understand how new and the pedal’s surface enables
determine how much fuzz
unusual pedal designs work, the user to deactivate the
I want. Indeed, I initially
because choices that may velocity-based functionality,
couldn’t get the function
seem mystifying at first meaning the pedal defaults
to work with any kind of
blush often turn out to be to the first fuzz setting. So,
consistency, but tweaking
very useful. Such is the to sidestep the velocity-
the easy-to-access trimpot
case with the BWI Dynamic sensitive functionality,
that controls the switch’s
Fuzz by MC Systems, which users can max out the trim
sensitivity made a world of
allows the user to select the pot when they want the
difference, and soon I was
amount of fuzz applied to maximum amount of fuzz,
able to select the level of
his or her signal based on then set the V-SWITCH
fuzz with relative ease.
how hard he or she hits the Enable toggle to disable

46 GEAR REVIEW // MC Systems BWI Dynamic Fuzz

that function when they allowing the user to dial in
WHAT WE LIKE
want the lesser fuzz setting much sweeter tones that
Cool fuzz tones that
(they can still leave the trim will cut through a mix with
are slightly off the beaten
pot at max). ease, without losing the
path, paired with a similarly
rich body of the fuzz. The
Essentially, the velocity unusual feature set.
V-Fuzz channel offers a
function toggles between
lot more of the same—it’s
two different settings on CONCERNS
thick, chewy and the gating
two different “channels.” The pedal’s output could
effect crosses over to a
The top channel is called stand some goosing.
synthy, Tone Bender MKII-
plain ol’ Fuzz and it has
type texture. I typically run
its own separate volume
my ODs into fuzz, to ensure
control. The top row of
the fuzz’s character isn’t
the pedal also has a tone
compromised by the OD;
control, which affects both
this approach didn’t work
channels. The bottom row
with the BWI-- the intensity
of controls is home to the
of the gating became
V-Fuzz, which has its own
overwhelming, and the
volume control. There’s also
pedal seemed to struggle to
a second footswitch that
get the notes. However, the
allows the user to toggle
BWI worked well running
between the two Volume
into my ODs and, between
controls whether in straight
the rich fuzz and the tone
Fuzz or V-Fuzz mode, handy
control, I felt the pedal’s
for switching between
effect wasn’t compromised.
rhythm and lead.

I really liked the fuzz

character of both channels,
and I’d say the fuzz alone
is reason to consider the
BWI—the various gain and
volume options are just icing
on a very fuzzy cake. The
top channel is like a Fuzz
Face, but with more notable
gating. The tone control
is very well implemented,

ToneReport.com 47
 killer
for the fuzz hungry

tomkat
pedals and electronics

tomkatpedals.com
 SIX STRING
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
APP FOR GUITARISTS
REVIEW BY SAM HILL
STREET PRICE FREE

Since its inception around doubt, have used these downloaded for free on an
the turn of the century, modern resources to their iOS or Android device – is
social media has permeated advantage, as it is now straightforward and easy
every facet of our lives. easier than ever to share to use. After setting up
Gone are the days of not music and let fans know my profile and posting a
knowing what that kid you when the next show will be. picture of my favorite guitar,
went to high school with But—what if there was a I had a dozen fans almost
had for lunch, and only social network specifically instantaneously (sure, the
seeing one baby picture on for guitarists? Behold: first one had “creeper” in
your fridge after someone SixString! their username, but I’ll
you know has a child. The take what I can get).
SixString can be described
Internet is a gathering place,
as the lovechild of Facebook You can browse your feed
and social media outlets are
and a guitar fanatic with and “applaud” (like) posts
places where we congregate
a gregarious personality. and “fan” (friend) various
to share, celebrate, console,
It functions in a similar users. The coolest feature
laugh, and/or inundate
manner to the social about this app is the section
one another with cat and
network behemoth and is labeled Play, marked by a
celebrity memes. Facebook
completely guitar-centric— red rock-hand icon. Tap the
has seemingly taken over
no lunch menu updates hand, then select one of
the world, and Twitter
or baby pictures here. four options: Picture, audio,
and Instagram aren’t far
The app – which can be video or text. Got a new
behind. Guitarists, no

50 GEAR REVIEW // Six String The Social Network App for Guitarists
riff you want to share with The FanFeed is a guitar
WHAT WE LIKE
your fellow axe slingers? It’s newsfeed of sorts that
Cool app dedicated to
as easy as hitting “record.” comes directly from
guitarists and the gear
Want to impress everyone SixString. You know those
they love. It’s free!
with your new git-fiddle? guitar magazine and
Take a picture and wait for manufacturer emails you CONCERNS
the applause. I uploaded a read all day at work? If Significant others will be
loop from one section of a you’ve got SixString, much jealous. Steep decline in
song I’m currently working of that info is consolidated workplace productivity is
on and it was met with into one space, making it a very real possibility.
virtual applause and positive easy for your seventh trip to
feedback. I could get used the bathroom in two hours
to this. to be extremely enlightened
in the way of guitar news
However, this app can do
and knowledge.
much more than stroke
strummers’ egos—it is an The bottom line is this:
incredibly practical way to there’s no reason not to
connect with other guitar have this app on your
players. Remember the old smartphone or tablet. It’s
days when bands formed about guitars and gear,
from newspaper classified it’s cool, and it’s free. It’s
ads? Think of this as the a pleasant alternative to
21st century classified browsing through a guitar
section. It doesn’t matter forum and reading snarky
if you’re in Des Moines and comments about this
they’re in Boca Raton; if you pedal maker or that amp
like each other’s jams, you guy. While I’m sure you
can connect and find a way can find some attitude if
to make it happen. Even if you dig deep enough, the
you’re not looking to put community on SixString
an epic ensemble together, seems remarkably positive
the Play options are a great and eager to connect with
way to record and save song fellow guitar lovers.
ideas you’ve been kicking
around.

ToneReport.com 51
 TONE REPORT
EDITORIAL
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Luke Currano, Rebecca Dirks, Phillip Dodge,
David A. Evans, Sarah FitzGerald, Ian Garrett,
Brett Kingman, Nicholas Kula, Nick Rambo, Sam Hill
Eric Tischler, Fletcher Stewart, Jamie Wolfert, Matt Fisher

ART & DESIGN

SENIOR DESIGNER Richard E. Jones
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Adam Borden
COVER PHOTO Adam Borden

VIDEO
LEAD VIDEOGRAPHER Andy Martin
VIDEOGRAPHER Mike Hermans

SALES / MARKETING
MEDIA DIRECTOR Tom Keithly
[email protected]

CONTACT
SALES 503-747-3239
Gen. Inquiries [email protected]
15717 SW 74th St. Suite 400
Tigard, OR 97224

TONE REPORT WEEKLY

CEO Aaron Miller

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