This is the pedal I was talking about http://www.catalinbread.com/Varioboost.html
Great concept, but I don't think Catalinbread uses single coil pickups when creating their pedals. You will notice almost all of their video demos are humbuckers and the occasional P-90 (yes, I know that is a single). The Vario Boost was very hard and clean sounding, but if it had that feel of the SBEQ it would have been a winner.
Purple Humper..
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Re: Purple Humper..
by thesjkexperience » Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:09 pm
Gunbarrel Guitars, Evidence Audio wires.
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Re: Purple Humper..
by cajone5 » Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:30 pm
Humper has landed in TX
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
BJFe: DIY CB, DIY FF 3.5%
BJFe: DIY CB, DIY FF 3.5%
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Re: Purple Humper..
by Your name here » Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:13 pm
cajone5 wrote:Humper has landed in TX
I'd still like to check it out after the other TX dudes are done... I'm in Houston.
My rainbow of BJFe:
BJFe.org CB --> RRB --> PGC --> CAF 4K -->AWF! --> "Bjorn again" Phase 90 -->BBOD --> EGDM --> MG --> SBEQ --> BPB --> BJFe Echoverb
BJFe.org CB --> RRB --> PGC --> CAF 4K -->AWF! --> "Bjorn again" Phase 90 -->BBOD --> EGDM --> MG --> SBEQ --> BPB --> BJFe Echoverb
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Re: Purple Humper..
by Donner » Fri Oct 21, 2011 9:06 pm
Your name here wrote:cajone5 wrote:Humper has landed in TX
I'd still like to check it out after the other TX dudes are done... I'm in Houston.
Yeah send it to him when the other two have had a ride...
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Re: Purple Humper..
by jdandry » Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:34 am
Cajone5.. any thoughts on the Humper...got a chance to play it yet?
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Re: Purple Humper..
by SteveA » Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:43 am
jdandry wrote:Cajone5.. any thoughts on the Humper...got a chance to play it yet?
Reading through this thread and I too am really curious about the humper. Any impressions so far?
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Re: Purple Humper..
by cajone5 » Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:42 am
Goodmorning 
Will post thoughts in a couple hours.
Will post thoughts in a couple hours.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
BJFe: DIY CB, DIY FF 3.5%
BJFe: DIY CB, DIY FF 3.5%
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Re: Purple Humper..
by cajone5 » Tue Oct 25, 2011 9:37 am
Well I just PM'd AlanB about dropping off the Humper with him so I figured it's a good time to get my thoughts out on the pedal...
So I've had the humper for a few days now and I've spent a good amount of time testing it out. For reference, I've tested it with the following setup...
Anderson 3-Pickup Telecaster with trem bridge > Retro Channel RR1 > Mesa 2x12 cab with Vintage 30's
Clean
Not surprising -- using the humper on clean tones wasn't terribly inspiring. It just gives a little more mids to your sound and a bit of boost in volume. Nothing you couldn't do using your amp EQ and volume knob couldn't get you. The only big plus using it for clean playing is the typical BJF sparkle and clarity (think SBEQ or MGMV) that you get, especially in the top end. However, due to the Humper's EQ focus it's not as apparent as in the SBEQ or the MGMV.
Post-Drive Boost
I used it the least in this way. It kind of does what you would expect -- adds mids and helps things cut a bit but it can get somewhat "honky" in this position so I didn't really spend much time using it here...
Pre-Drive Boost
This is where the humper really shines and if I had to bet, it was designed for use in this application. I used it to push 3 basic types of pedals...
1) Muff-based fuzz
2) Marshall-style distortion
3) Fuzz-based OD
With and without the humper engaged, each pedal sounded pretty drastically different. The EQ and boost from the PH into the front end of each pedal resulted in a pretty significant change in tone. However, the humper's effect on each pedal was essentially the same. As best I can describe it, the PH really emphasizes the low mids and lends a really aggressive grind to pedal. I'm not sure how to really describe the tones that it produced with the muff-based fuzz or the fuzz-based OD (other than awesome/huge/thick/rich) but what I heard when pushing the Marshall-style distortion was Billy Gibbons all the way. Tons of thick raunchy bluesy distortion. The PH killed in this stack.
The only "negative" to speak of when using it as a pre-boost is that it pretty much takes your pedal and turns the gain to 11... which could be good or bad depending on your outlook 
So the real questions are...
-- Given the option, would I use it?
Absolutely. I loved the way it thickened up my drive pedals and was able to turn everything to 11. Totally rock n' f'n roll.
-- How would I use it?
If it's not obvious yet, I'd use it as a pre-drive boost. In an ideal world I'd have it hooked to an A/B switch for clean and dirty, running it on the dirty side only.
-- How would I like to see it introduced into the BJFe/Bearfoot line?
After hearing it's effect on marshall style distortion, this is the 4th knob I'd want on a DRD. A mid-focused pre-drive boost for the DRD would definitely make that pedal the ultimate distortion for me. Although in this application, I'd want the EQ to go further counter-clockwise for flatter mids.
Fantastic work BJ
Thank you to Donner for getting this one out there for us to test drive
PS -- I think this is my favorite color BJFe pedal. Just thought I'd add that
So I've had the humper for a few days now and I've spent a good amount of time testing it out. For reference, I've tested it with the following setup...
Anderson 3-Pickup Telecaster with trem bridge > Retro Channel RR1 > Mesa 2x12 cab with Vintage 30's
Clean
Not surprising -- using the humper on clean tones wasn't terribly inspiring. It just gives a little more mids to your sound and a bit of boost in volume. Nothing you couldn't do using your amp EQ and volume knob couldn't get you. The only big plus using it for clean playing is the typical BJF sparkle and clarity (think SBEQ or MGMV) that you get, especially in the top end. However, due to the Humper's EQ focus it's not as apparent as in the SBEQ or the MGMV.
Post-Drive Boost
I used it the least in this way. It kind of does what you would expect -- adds mids and helps things cut a bit but it can get somewhat "honky" in this position so I didn't really spend much time using it here...
Pre-Drive Boost
This is where the humper really shines and if I had to bet, it was designed for use in this application. I used it to push 3 basic types of pedals...
1) Muff-based fuzz
2) Marshall-style distortion
3) Fuzz-based OD
With and without the humper engaged, each pedal sounded pretty drastically different. The EQ and boost from the PH into the front end of each pedal resulted in a pretty significant change in tone. However, the humper's effect on each pedal was essentially the same. As best I can describe it, the PH really emphasizes the low mids and lends a really aggressive grind to pedal. I'm not sure how to really describe the tones that it produced with the muff-based fuzz or the fuzz-based OD (other than awesome/huge/thick/rich) but what I heard when pushing the Marshall-style distortion was Billy Gibbons all the way. Tons of thick raunchy bluesy distortion. The PH killed in this stack.
The only "negative" to speak of when using it as a pre-boost is that it pretty much takes your pedal and turns the gain to 11... which could be good or bad depending on your outlook
So the real questions are...
-- Given the option, would I use it?
Absolutely. I loved the way it thickened up my drive pedals and was able to turn everything to 11. Totally rock n' f'n roll.
-- How would I use it?
If it's not obvious yet, I'd use it as a pre-drive boost. In an ideal world I'd have it hooked to an A/B switch for clean and dirty, running it on the dirty side only.
-- How would I like to see it introduced into the BJFe/Bearfoot line?
After hearing it's effect on marshall style distortion, this is the 4th knob I'd want on a DRD. A mid-focused pre-drive boost for the DRD would definitely make that pedal the ultimate distortion for me. Although in this application, I'd want the EQ to go further counter-clockwise for flatter mids.
Fantastic work BJ
Thank you to Donner for getting this one out there for us to test drive
PS -- I think this is my favorite color BJFe pedal. Just thought I'd add that
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
BJFe: DIY CB, DIY FF 3.5%
BJFe: DIY CB, DIY FF 3.5%
-
cajone5 - Posts: 931
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Re: Purple Humper..
by alanbarley » Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:19 am
Good review Cliff! I just emailed you. I am looking forward to trying out the Humper. Some weirdness at the moment on receiving the PMs so email is best.
Alan
Alan
CPRHD, HBOD, SYB, BPB, DBD, BBOD, BBOD, PH, DRD, LGW, RRB, CH11, MH V1/V2/Ht, MG, MG, MR, SYOD V1/V2, AMWM, EGDM, SBEQ, MGMV. MP LGW, MRD. BF HB, DRD, DRDRH, MGMV, Beest1&2
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Re: Purple Humper..
by Your name here » Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:40 am
I guess it's coming to me after you... Just shoot me a PM when you're done.
My rainbow of BJFe:
BJFe.org CB --> RRB --> PGC --> CAF 4K -->AWF! --> "Bjorn again" Phase 90 -->BBOD --> EGDM --> MG --> SBEQ --> BPB --> BJFe Echoverb
BJFe.org CB --> RRB --> PGC --> CAF 4K -->AWF! --> "Bjorn again" Phase 90 -->BBOD --> EGDM --> MG --> SBEQ --> BPB --> BJFe Echoverb
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- amps: Morgan AC20 Deluxe 1x12, brown Princeton, Silvertone 1482, Ampeg Gemini II, '63 Vox AC30, Harmony h430, Dr. Z Mini Z combo, Alamo Montclair... Etc...
- pedals: 50
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