Best natural, transparent, edge of break up pedal?

Lebarque

Littlejonny said:

Regardless of pedals, are there any recorded examples of the tone you’re after?

I like the sound of most recorded/YouTube edge-of-break-up tones, but when it comes to my set up and playing... 

Lebarque

UnclePsychosis said:

Just to be the latest to add a suggestion...

EQD Special Cranker

Received the Special Cranker (great name) this morning and so far, so good (honeymoon period pending). Germanium mode with gain at 0 and it sounds just like my amp starting to break up. Liking.  

Gassage

Kingsley Page by a country mile.

StuartMac290

Lebarque said:

EricTheWeary said:

Someone on here said something about Kingsley. I have been watching stuff on my brother in law’s YouTube feed which is basically classic and prog rock but I noted that Steve Rothery uses a Kingsley Jester to valve up a very clean sound. Probably too crunchy, from about 10:20, just seemed interesting in the context of this Discussion…

https://youtu.be/5U6Dnt7LfwI?si=wsRrMLgctcAUjAVq

I'm sure the Kingsleys are amazeballs, but I refuse to pay that much for pedals when there are so many great options around.

The Page is less than £300 delivered, and worth every penny.

Just don't look at the used prices for Kingsley pedals on Reverb, because they've gone silly.

StefB

DOD Looking Glass is my stock answer when this question crops up every couple of weeks.

Seriously, it should be made a sticky thread along with:-

- best clean pedal platform?
- best MIAB?
- what Vox alternative?
- guitar prices these days
- Essex Recording Studios' latest eBay listing...

Lebarque

StuartMac290 said:

Lebarque said:

EricTheWeary said:

Someone on here said something about Kingsley. I have been watching stuff on my brother in law’s YouTube feed which is basically classic and prog rock but I noted that Steve Rothery uses a Kingsley Jester to valve up a very clean sound. Probably too crunchy, from about 10:20, just seemed interesting in the context of this Discussion…

https://youtu.be/5U6Dnt7LfwI?si=wsRrMLgctcAUjAVq

I'm sure the Kingsleys are amazeballs, but I refuse to pay that much for pedals when there are so many great options around.

The Page is less than £300 delivered, and worth every penny.

Just don't look at the used prices for Kingsley pedals on Reverb, because they've gone silly.

Long exhale of breath.... I'm going to have to try a Page aren't I?! Why the silly prices? Is there a waiting list or summink?

Littlejonny

Lebarque said:

Littlejonny said:

Regardless of pedals, are there any recorded examples of the tone you’re after?

I like the sound of most recorded/YouTube edge-of-break-up tones, but when it comes to my set up and playing... 

I see, that's tricky and it's probably all about context - are you playing in a band/with a backing track at decent volumes? In case not, I think we get very nit-picky about tones when we're at home practising. I find that what works in one context isn't necessarily best in another. When you're at stage volume, distortion is distortion to some extent. The nuances seem to diminish. 

That said, the best edge of break up tones I have come from a Mooer Blues Crab, which is a slightly darker sounding Marshall Bluesbreaker clone. It's kind of an MSG pedal - it just makes everything sound smooth and sparkly. I also have a TC Cinders, which is a Boss Blues Driver clone, and that does a nice thing too, although it sounds more like a 'pedal' to me. I've been through many pedals and kept these two...if the Cinders was expensive, I would probably sell it. I've also got a H&K Tube Factor which can do edge of break up, but it's less forgiving than the Blues Crab. 

Lebarque

Littlejonny said:

Lebarque said:

Littlejonny said:

Regardless of pedals, are there any recorded examples of the tone you’re after?

I like the sound of most recorded/YouTube edge-of-break-up tones, but when it comes to my set up and playing... 

I see, that's tricky and it's probably all about context - are you playing in a band/with a backing track at decent volumes? In case not, I think we get very nit-picky about tones when we're at home practising. I find that what works in one context isn't necessarily best in another. When you're at stage volume, distortion is distortion to some extent. The nuances seem to diminish. 

That said, the best edge of break up tones I have come from a Mooer Blues Crab, which is a slightly darker sounding Marshall Bluesbreaker clone. It's kind of an MSG pedal - it just makes everything sound smooth and sparkly. I also have a TC Cinders, which is a Boss Blues Driver clone, and that does a nice thing too, although it sounds more like a 'pedal' to me. I've been through many pedals and kept these two...if the Cinders was expensive, I would probably sell it. I've also got a H&K Tube Factor which can do edge of break up, but it's less forgiving than the Blues Crab. 

Yes, you're right about context. But I'm a big believer in gear that inspires you to play. If a pedal doesn't give me a bone, it's not for me, even though the audience can't tell the difference.

Majorscale

See, the Page is very nice, but it’s not transparent to my ears, it adds a lot of warmth/thickness/lows/muddiness(?) to my ears and I would worry it doesn’t cut through as well as say a Benson Preamp would do. Edge of breakup is lovely on Page too, but not sure how it’d fare live.

StuartMac290

Lebarque said:

StuartMac290 said:

Lebarque said:

EricTheWeary said:

Someone on here said something about Kingsley. I have been watching stuff on my brother in law’s YouTube feed which is basically classic and prog rock but I noted that Steve Rothery uses a Kingsley Jester to valve up a very clean sound. Probably too crunchy, from about 10:20, just seemed interesting in the context of this Discussion…

https://youtu.be/5U6Dnt7LfwI?si=wsRrMLgctcAUjAVq

I'm sure the Kingsleys are amazeballs, but I refuse to pay that much for pedals when there are so many great options around.

The Page is less than £300 delivered, and worth every penny.

Just don't look at the used prices for Kingsley pedals on Reverb, because they've gone silly.

Long exhale of breath.... I'm going to have to try a Page aren't I?! Why the silly prices? Is there a waiting list or summink?

Not really! When I got mine recently it was three weeks tops.

I think traditionally there maybe WAS a long wait so used prices rocketed due to sheer impatience.

beed84

StuartMac290 said:

Lebarque said:

StuartMac290 said:

Lebarque said:

EricTheWeary said:

Someone on here said something about Kingsley. I have been watching stuff on my brother in law’s YouTube feed which is basically classic and prog rock but I noted that Steve Rothery uses a Kingsley Jester to valve up a very clean sound. Probably too crunchy, from about 10:20, just seemed interesting in the context of this Discussion…

https://youtu.be/5U6Dnt7LfwI?si=wsRrMLgctcAUjAVq

I'm sure the Kingsleys are amazeballs, but I refuse to pay that much for pedals when there are so many great options around.

The Page is less than £300 delivered, and worth every penny.

Just don't look at the used prices for Kingsley pedals on Reverb, because they've gone silly.

Long exhale of breath.... I'm going to have to try a Page aren't I?! Why the silly prices? Is there a waiting list or summink?

Not really! When I got mine recently it was three weeks tops.

I think traditionally there maybe WAS a long wait so used prices rocketed due to sheer impatience.

That's good to know. Everyone seems to drop their trousers over the Page, so I'm going to have to try one as well. That said, the demos I've seen are very impressive.

However, is there an advantage having the standard Page over the DS version? From what I've heard I like the Page DS and Squire combo, but would probably want to use and get the most out of the Page on its own too.

Sassafras

When I think of transparent edge of break up, I automatically think of the Xotic RC boost.

Brad

beed84 said:

StuartMac290 said:

Lebarque said:

StuartMac290 said:

Lebarque said:

EricTheWeary said:

Someone on here said something about Kingsley. I have been watching stuff on my brother in law’s YouTube feed which is basically classic and prog rock but I noted that Steve Rothery uses a Kingsley Jester to valve up a very clean sound. Probably too crunchy, from about 10:20, just seemed interesting in the context of this Discussion…

https://youtu.be/5U6Dnt7LfwI?si=wsRrMLgctcAUjAVq

I'm sure the Kingsleys are amazeballs, but I refuse to pay that much for pedals when there are so many great options around.

The Page is less than £300 delivered, and worth every penny.

Just don't look at the used prices for Kingsley pedals on Reverb, because they've gone silly.

Long exhale of breath.... I'm going to have to try a Page aren't I?! Why the silly prices? Is there a waiting list or summink?

Not really! When I got mine recently it was three weeks tops.

I think traditionally there maybe WAS a long wait so used prices rocketed due to sheer impatience.

That's good to know. Everyone seems to drop their trousers over the Page, so I'm going to have to try one as well. That said, the demos I've seen are very impressive.

However, is there an advantage having the standard Page over the DS version? From what I've heard I like the Page DS and Squire combo, but would probably want to use and get the most out of the Page on its own too.

The standard Page is designed to go in the front end of an amp whereas the Page DS and Squire are to replace the preamp section of an amp. The DS and Squire can work as conventional pedals into the front end, but the output is incredibly hot and I don’t think you get the best out of the pairing when going into the front end.  

EricTheWeary

StefB said:

DOD Looking Glass is my stock answer when this question crops up every couple of weeks.

Seriously, it should be made a sticky thread along with:-

- best clean pedal platform?
- best MIAB?
- what Vox alternative?
- guitar prices these days
- Essex Recording Studios' latest eBay listing...

My Looking Glass is gathering dust, getting to be on my bucket list to plug the big(ish) pedalboard in again. It's a bit of an arse of a design if you like to tweak things on a gig, shiny pedal with concentric knobs. But an overall very versatile OD, I remember having to cut the bass back when using it which is something that rarely happens with ODs. 

beed84

Brad said:

beed84 said:

That's good to know. Everyone seems to drop their trousers over the Page, so I'm going to have to try one as well. That said, the demos I've seen are very impressive.

However, is there an advantage having the standard Page over the DS version? From what I've heard I like the Page DS and Squire combo, but would probably want to use and get the most out of the Page on its own too.

The standard Page is designed to go in the front end of an amp whereas the Page DS and Squire are to replace the preamp section of an amp. The DS and Squire can work as conventional pedals into the front end, but the output is incredibly hot and I don’t think you get the best out of the pairing when going into the front end.  

Thanks @Brad . That's saved me a lot of money and getting the wrong one! A standard Page it is. 

bbill335

bd2 for me. it *literally* cuts bass, but what i've found is, it means that when you switch off the bd2 your amp is set correctly for a nice & full clean sound. switch it back on and you have *qualitatively* the same sound/tone, just with however much distortion you've set on the pedal.

Fishboy7

Edge of breakup is a bit like my marriage   Natural and transparent not so much  

UnclePsychosis

Lebarque said:

UnclePsychosis said:

Just to be the latest to add a suggestion...

EQD Special Cranker

Received the Special Cranker (great name) this morning and so far, so good (honeymoon period pending). Germanium mode with gain at 0 and it sounds just like my amp starting to break up. Liking.  

Nice! 

That's basically how I use mine. I like it a lot. 

Petepassion

As previously said, it depends on how you play, your guitar and your amp.
When I'm using my Strat in the neck position into my AC30 clean, the Lightspeed adds a beautiful crisp, touch sensitive break up, whereas if I switch to the bridge pick it can sound too bright and fizzy, but kick in the Nobels ODR1/mini instead and gives it a far more suitable fuller rock sound.
   And then my Box of rock works better with my AC50/335 rig.

fastonebaz

A steal At £435  !!!

Kingsley Page DS Tube Boost V2 2017 - Present - White https://reverb.com/item/68434628