Vintage Colorsound effects

pj310

I'm sort of fuzz shopping atm and while scrolling through pages and pages of options online I ran into some colorsound pedals. Now I know that the powerboost is legendary but I saw some fuzz/wah/volume pedals which reminded me of @Gassage 's volume/wah pedal which is very cool. 
So, what's the crack with these, is the wah any good?

Sassafras

I had a fuzz/wah which was nice but it often picked up radio interference.
I don't know if that's still a thing.

richardhomer

And in their day were the 'bargain basement' option....

Their wahs have a wider travel than Cry Babys - so they sound very distinctive.

Cool without doubt - in a 70s sort of way - but could equally be viewed as over-priced tat - depending on your viewpoint.

juansolo

The Colorsound Overdriver (and power boost) is a beast. Old fuzz rules apply when it comes to playing nice with other effects. But a REALLY nice OD tone that can get you to massive stonery borderline fuzz when you crank the gain and bass.

impmann

The wah is good but beware some of them work *backwards* and have done from the factory - ie toe down is bassy, heel down is trebly.  It has a very very long sweep which can be cool but can give your ankle a workout if you want boom chucka wa wa type sounds.

The tremolo disappointed me... wasn't keen.

The fuzz pedals are epic. @Juansolo built me a replica of the  1970s Tonebender, which also has a switch to change it to the (Colorsound built) B&M Fuzz (the fuzz used by Edwyn Collins on A Girl Like You). Its like a Big Muff without the PITA - flipping HUGE sounding.

Colorsound also made one of my fave phasers - the "Eurotec Phase Module" which is just gorgeous.

impmann

Oh this is a clone of the B&M Fuzz... it sounds this amazing in real life. The demo is recorded with a Squier Tele into a ZT lunchbox!!

ICBM

Flimsy build quality, prone to rust and picking up noise, often the circuits are noisy too, jacks the wrong way round, crappy internal wiring, battery rattles about, pop when you turn them on and off...

... and usually sound brilliant.

 The British Electro-Harmonix, really.

Some of them are worth a lot now too.

pj310

Haha what a fantastic summary!

Gassage

Palash,

If I told you Charlie Chandler swears by the old Colorsound Wah, then you'd agree he's a decent judge!!

@icbm The last original non MV Powerboost I know that was sold went for £850 (and the buyer was Mr G, for the Wall show with Waters)

pj310

@impmann that fuzz sounds awesome

juansolo

impmann said:

The fuzz pedals are epic. @Juansolo built me a replica of the  1970s Tonebender, which also has a switch to change it to the (Colorsound built) B&M Fuzz (the fuzz used by Edwyn Collins on A Girl Like You). Its like a Big Muff without the PITA - flipping HUGE sounding.

It's specifically a clone of a 1976 Jumbo Tonebender that we had pass through our mitts. The B&M is two parts different from it hence easy to make it switchable. My personal favourite fuzz of all time.

meltedbuzzbox

juansolo said:

impmann said:

The fuzz pedals are epic. @Juansolo built me a replica of the  1970s Tonebender, which also has a switch to change it to the (Colorsound built) B&M Fuzz (the fuzz used by Edwyn Collins on A Girl Like You). Its like a Big Muff without the PITA - flipping HUGE sounding.

It's specifically a clone of a 1976 Jumbo Tonebender that we had pass through our mitts. The B&M is two parts different from it hence easy to make it switchable. My personal favourite fuzz of all time.

Another +1 for an awesome fuzz made by the man.
I love the pedals John has made for me, so much so I haven't bought another fuzz since. 

Ro_S

the wah is very well regarded.  different range.

the tonebender fuzzes and the fuzzes in the wahs are modified Big Muff.

nb. when looking at used listings that there are modern reissues since the 90s. 

there are many current pedals that recreate the Colorsound fuzz and wah circuits.   i prefer to go this route and i'd suggest the same - .   unless you're a vintage collector.