Zvex Super Hard On?

robkay

Anyone used one of these, any thoughts.....might build one up this week to give it a try....

http://media.zvex.com/FLASH/SHO/

Rob

stickyfiddle

I have a home-built one on my board. It's a good, slightly gritty booster, with a shitload of gain at the top end. Definitely worth a go if you're building your own. The parts hardly cost anything!

Deijavoo

I had a clone until I bust it. Awesome tool. 

Kebabkid

I heard/tried one of these recently - older looking design. Wonderful boost that imparts this quality to your sound and the sort of pedal you can leave on. It's hard to describe what it does and I see it as a subtler version of my Xotic EP boost. Yes, it boosts and there's some added brightness too as well as body and light compression and it sounds like a pushed amp.  

I was told the draw on these was minimal.
Simple control + simple components = very useful and nice sounding pedal

stonevibe

I use a Mooer sized one on my board that I bought from someone off this board recently. I owned a ZVex original and they do exactly the same thing.

Useful pedal live and very simple.

Adji

Really great pedal, there is a reason it is one of the most cloned, simple, transparent and powerful.
The only one that betters it for me is the Bob Burt Clean Boost, which is a monster.

robkay

Great thanks all for your thoughts....
Rob

suspiciousminds

I built a pedalparts clone and am quite impressed especially playing my fender bronco through it - it adds some nice sparkle to an old pickup.

suspiciousminds

If you leave it switched on, on the board should it be infront or the end of the pedals?

ICBM

I will be the lone voice as usual and say I didn't like it. I found it harsh, spiky, and overly 'touchy' as a clean boost, and noisy when used to push an overdriven amp - even if you don't turn the knob, which admittedly is marked 'Crackle OK', but is horrendous at any kind of volume.

I didn't mind the Super Duper 2 In 1 which uses the same circuit, but only when using the side with the volume control (with or without the first one).

stickyfiddle

I feel I should add that while I like mine, I prefer my cloned Alembic Stratoblaster (pedalparts's Blaster). A bit more mid-humpy but less harsh and much better with single coils.

Deijavoo

See I love it because of how harsh and spiky it is. Each to their own I guess. 

ICBM

Deijavoo said:

See I love it because of how harsh and spiky it is. Each to their own I guess. 

True. I like harsh fuzz and distortion, just not clean boost. Actually I don't like clean boosts really .

I don't mind the MXR Micro-Amp and the EH LPB, but I can't think of when I'd want to use either of them.

Deijavoo

I think of stuff like Shellac or Retribution Gospel Choir when I use one, and the closer I sound to those guys the better.  :-D 

Bod

I've got a Super-duper that I built from 2 SHO PCBs from Pedalparts.  I keep the first half switched on permanently, which adds a real spark to the sound IMO.  The second half I use purely as a clean boost with the master on unity and then the gain at 10 o'clock.  Works a treat and it's a great utility pedal.

EdGrip

I have built a couple of these. I like what they do, but I find they do it a bit too much. I'm told that if you bring their input impedance down a bit (I think it's 10M as standard) it gets a bit less bright and a bit less noisy, but still does its thing. I haven't got round to trying it - good candidate for a breadboard!

photek

Deijavoo said:

I think of stuff like Shellac or Retribution Gospel Choir when I use one, and the closer I sound to those guys the better.  :-D 

Ahhh Shellac. It has been a while, off to find At Action Park now!

davedave

I only recently sold mine. I'd had it a good few years and it was my favourite pedal. I used it all the time.

I'm using a pedal parts lpb kit now. I'm building one of his super super clones at the moment.