SYOD Research Review Repository

[melodichaotic]

Awesome review is right! Marty you have a way of describing sounds that is ultra articulate - your description of the sizzle comparing to a cymbal crash in decay, for example... Love the detail on the knob positions and ranges as well.

I don't associate it with a vintage Fender amp overdrive per se--out of the tweeds/blonde/browns, and blackfaces, I think it is most reminiscent of a cranked Vibrolux Reverb, even more than a Deluxe Reverb, because of the 2x10 configuration...

I mentioned a Deluxe loosely.. because the riffs I played that sounded dead on to originals... that many of these were playing deluxe's in the studio. Not a scientific process at all. Just mainly getting that this has a Fenderish quality as opposed to vox, marshall, hiwatt, soldano, mesa, etc.. For clarity to all I was not implying this is a "Deluxe in a box" type of pedal.


I found it interesting that you found V2 being more focused, and V1 being more open and looser sounding. One thing that I immediately read and agreed with was also the comment V2 has "a feel that begs you to want to dig in"... dead on.

The more I play these.. the more I want both instead of just one of the pair. They both cover enough different ground on their own for sure.

In fact anyone who is looking to offload thiers in favor of V2, let me know... Ive got the V2 covered already.

Thanks for the positive comments guys...I will follow it up with some demos to further "sonically" elucidate.

These are just my observations--Bill, just to clarify, obviously some points get lost in posting translation. Certainly wasn't being critical of the Deluxe thing whatsoever. I would agree that it is closest to the Fender amp overdrive over others(V2), most specifically the 2x10 Vibrolux Reverb, as mentioned in my review.

The SYOD's don't remind me of anything straight off specifically except the "American" sounding description, which I suppose is an amalgamation of sorts that comes from say early Tom Petty, The Eagles...actually more SYOD V2 regarding that.

I will say V1 has more a cranked 20 watt Marshall vibe, more because of the more ballsy attitude, and overal EQ profile.

I say that V2 is more focused overall, because to my ears it is..with it's EQ profile, it is tighter sounding as the frequencies seem to move together more, hence my comment on that it "begs you to dig in"...

I think V2 has that looser top end(upper mids-treble), whereas the lower mids are more focused, so there is some "shake" going on up top which gives it a more raw, less refined sound.

As for the gain thing, again just my observations, and wasn't being critical of your comments, but I absolutely not only hear more gain, but undeniably feel it, as sustain(and compression) in V1's decay characteristics.

Like I mentioned a 4-knob merge of the two would be cool, but I think slightly tweaked separate versions of the two might be even cooler and better, as some would favor one over the other, and other nuts/addicts like myself , would want both for different flavors and to have the ability to stack them in either order in a "psuedo" Deluxe dual overdrive
2-channel dual rhythm/lead channel fashion...these pedals are far more than a variation on a theme, and only Bjorn could pull something off this cool.

Of course, in classic addict fashion, we could have tweaked V1, V2, and a special order 4-knob V3(sounds cooler than 1.5) as mentioned, to make everyone happy ...just sayin'

[SteveA]

Like I mentioned a 4-knob merge of the two would be cool, but I think slightly tweaked separate versions of the two might be even cooler and better, as some would favor one over the other, and other nuts/addicts like myself , would want both for different flavors and to have the ability to stack them in either order in a "psuedo" Deluxe dual overdrive
2-channel dual rhythm/lead channel fashion...these pedals are far more than a variation on a theme, and only Bjorn could pull something off this cool.

Of course, in classic addict fashion, we could have tweaked V1, V2, and a special order 4-knob V3(sounds cooler than 1.5) as mentioned, to make everyone happy ...just sayin'

All killer suggestions. I don't think its Bjorn's style to have many many versions of a pedal going around so I can't wait for him to chime in on all of these suggestions as they are great. You got me drooling with a two stomp version Then again, while I do like the v1 aggressive sound, something would certainly have to be done to smooth out the treble a bit and make it more "universal". The v2 seems like its more ready for the big leagues. Its a great R&R pedal that captures a certain sound perfectly. Like I said, can't wait to see what BJ will do with all this incredible input and ideas !!!!!!

[bsic]

As for the gain thing, again just my observations, and wasn't being critical of your comments

Totally dude! Comparing and contrasting notes is what its all about we all hear things differently and hopefully thats what BJ finds useful about the feedback.

[Donner]

Excellent work so far guys !!!! ( and thanks for the finish compliments )

I dont want to interfere much ..... some thoughts/info

4th knob (internal trimmer EGDM style) has been tried and doesnt work - there is too much difference to get it all in one pedal

....someone should try SY1 into SBEQ and RRB into SY2

the original SY was made as a 2nd channel/booster moderate little bro pre drive for the DRD - it was truly born to stack the SY2 was an adaption that would stand on its own better and with brighter amps

SY1 Marshall-Celestion/Vox SY2 Fender


keep em comin

[bsic]

Hey guys-- I lent the SYODs to the other guitarist in our band "Group Therapy", who has always used amps for dirt. I was really interested to see his take.

And Don, see the bottom, you cant escape compliments even from those who dont know your work !!

Ive asked him which speakers are in his JTM60. Ill be picking them up today and will post any of his other observations that he mentions verbally.

Bill-

Here are my review notes:

Overall:

Tried both pedals with a solid state Marshall 15 watt Microstack as well as my complete Marshall JTM 60 all tube combo rig.. The effects are definitely more interactive and noticeable on the tube amp. The solid state reactions were marginal at best but when hooked up to the tube amp, they came alive!

Controls were pretty responsive and had a wide sweep, especially the drive. These things can go from 0-60 really easily. The Treble response was very nice although both pedals were a little too bright for me unless turned down to 9:00 or less.

Tried using the pedal as a volume boost with drive at min and vol at max, however, it didn't seem to do much set that way.

To my ears the V1 of this pedal was brighter and had more treble than V2, which had a slightly darker and more midrange sound. With the drive cranked and the tone turned down to about 9:00 and the volume set at 12:00 or higher, I was able to emulate the drive channel on the JTM60 quite well on the clean channel using the V2 of the pedal. Being an amp distortion guy at heart, any pedal that can actually sound like my amp distortion including the spongy reactive feel of the tubes, is very impressive to me and this one did it. However, you can dial the drive down to a bare minimum and use it to add over the top of an already slightly dirty amp. Very versatile with a nice range of drive.

The only real difference I can tell between the two is that the V1 voicing sounds much brighter and had more treble in the mix while V2 was darker, not as brittle and with more midrange. I prefer V2.

Thanks for letting me contribute.

P.S. My daughter and wife really liked the sparkle paint job.
Troy

ptbarnum--- the set should be on its way to you in tomorrows mail!

[Donner]

hehehe ! thats my job ~ keepin the womenfolk happy

[cajone5]

I guess I should weigh in with my current experience with the arrival of v1 this afternoon. I have had v2 for a week or so now but due to a little mix up v1 temporarily visited Hawaii

Gear Used:
Amp: Dr. Z Carmen Ghia Amp set clean with the tone set a little past noon (slight treble cut - very slight).
Guitar: Parts Built Stratocaster with Maple Neck, Swamp Ash Body and Lollar Vintage Tweed Pickups (low output - Neck 4.9K, Middle 5.3K, Bridge 5.7K)

First I want to say both of these are incredible drive pedals with their own merits. I can see both being usable in certain situations but one of them really shines with my rig. I think my "Distortion" search is over

SYOD v1

This one is ballsy, cutting, tight and trebley. The tone control is mostly unusable above one oclock but sounds great with everything between 7 and 12 with a sweet spot around 10 oclock. Beyond 12 the high end gets to brittle and shrill and just didn't sound too good with my rig. The drive knob has a wide range allowing for this pedal to be used as an EQ'd boost all the way through to light to medium distortion. As a boost it adds some sparkle and high end really making chords crisp and vibrant. The drive on this one seems to allow for about 20% more gain than on the v2 and there is a ton of volume on tap and I never had to push the volume up beyond 1-2 oclock with the drive up. The drive on this really sizzles as many of you have mentioned. It really pushes your individual notes forward in the mix and lives up to its namesake in adding a lot of sparkle to your tone. I have to say that this one really pushes into the distortion territory when the drives up or when it's being pushed with a boost and gives a nice crisp loud crunch. There's still a lot of note clarity with the drive up and this thing works wonders with the volume knob on the guitar. From clean to ballsy distortion with the turn of the volume. I can't get over how tight and bright this one ended up being. I think it's best suited for rock and lead playing due to the tight cutting tone.

SYOD v2

This one is mellow, smooth, even and seems to emphasize more of the mid frequencies than the v1. The tone control is usable through most of the sweep. It gets a little too dark for my tastes below nine and really seems to shine around 2-3+. The drive knob has a wide range allowing for this pedal to be used as an EQ'd boost all the way through to light to medium distortion. There is a similar amount of volume on tap when compared to the v1. As would be expected, the EQ yields more mids and less highs than the v1. The drive is noticeably less than the v2 but I think it's deceiving because the distortion this imparts tends to sit under what you're playing with a fuzzy rumbling rather than cutting through with your notes as the v1 does. With the drive up I found this one became a bit muddier and didn't cut like the v1. At the top end of the drive knob you get a light distortion that's very smooth and mellow. I like it a lot and think it would lend itself more to blues and jazz due to the mellow mid voiced smoothness.


So there it is... good news is I think the v1 kills and has won my shootout of all the BJFe distortions for me (MH, DRD, EGDM) and now I think I have a complete board... for the moment

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to try these out. Donner, the finish is incredible it really stands out and is very unique and well suited to the tone of these sparkling ODs - Bjorn, the circuits are again incredible. The feel and tone are unique and inspiring. Thanks for helping me find my tone!

[High Noon]

Great review Cliff!

[ptbarnum]

Got the twins from Bsic yesterday...man, they're purty
Played, uncritically, with them last night, and had a great time. I'll post more later.

[ptbarnum]

Ok, I just finished another sparkling yellow session..
Gear used: custom strat w/dimarzio areas, collings 290 w/loller p90s, Brian Monty les paul style w/florance voodoo buckers. Into fractal axe-fx using a 'Fender-ish' patch.

here's my initial take:
I can definitely attest to what the others have said so far. I'll do my best to not be redundant.

--V1) could be called "sizzling yellow od," it really has that quality, commanding your attention when playing, and hearing it. Put another way, more in your face than the v2. Almost like it's breathing on you..but not in a creepy way. Also, this guy sounds awesome with p90's!
I really like running it in front of my other pedals, particularly the LGW, DAM super bee, and the HBOD. The brightness of the SYOD v1 really keeps the stacks from getting muddy, and I was able to hear sus2's and m9ths even at high gain settings, and through multiple drives at once..very nice.


--V2) much easier to dial in a great sound with the strat, but even at extreme settings, it lacks the attitude of its sibling. Not really darker, rather a bit more subdued, maybe polite? to my ears. Reminds me a bit of the Model H. Very fun riffing through it wide open with the humbuckers, but preferred v1 for leads. The V2 also sounds great as a stacker, but seems to blend in more, whereas the v1 retains its own character in the mix.

Needless to say, they look marvelous
Donner, you're good, you.


Ok, I'll post more as I think of it.