BJFE / BearFoot fx Guitar Effects Community

As the first 'batch' of SYODs reaches thier new owners, I wanted to start this thread for everyone to compare notes...
The SYOD is still also a research project and it will be nice to have all the feedback in one place and the owners comparing notes etc.......

So if you could place your thoughts and also any former reviews, including MysToury, Docs Dynamic Amber and Teaheads Little Purple ....

Please include your Guitar/Amp/Speakers info and dont be shy - honest reviews are the most valuable

+++ Yes this was the 'MysToury' Pedal in the Swedish Meatball +++

(And you are also welcome to talk about them on other sites you visit )

Excerpt from a description I had given elsewhere on the site:

"Depending on how you set it, this SYOD pedal can get very Brian May-like. I'm careful about putting too many labels on these sorts of things, but it definitely has that glassy, shimmering, upper-midrange sparkle that one would come to expect from an anthemic Queen guitar solo. Can be set to be very cutting through a dense stage mix, that's for sure!

"It is an excellent rhythm OD that had its origins as a custom prototype that was built to go as a companion to my Dyna Red. Being familiar with my tastes and playing styles, combined with my love for EL-34 based British rock amps, Bjorn very kindly put together this pedal for me, the Dynamic Amber Overdrive. (The SYOD is the same circuit, different color box.) This was July 2006. Since then, there has been some talk and some buzz, and BJ was kind enough to make a couple more for some other folks. He has said that he is so pleased with it that he should one day like to make one for his own personal use, LOL.

"While it excels at strong rhythm, it is also an excellent low- to mid-gain lead pedal. It is more open and less compressed than the Dyna Red, making it a perfect mate.

"I use it as my 'classic' overdrive, when I want more 60's-early 70's tones. The Dyna Red covers my 'classic' distortion sounds, 70's and onward. Feeding the DAOD (SYOD) into the DRD and stacking them gives over-the-top 80's arena rock guitar hero tone."

_____________________________________________________________

This is my desert-island OD pedal, and perhaps my favorite of all the BJF's.

Have fun

Doc

Edit: I forgot to list guitar / amp / speakers, sorry!!!

Guitars: McNaught LP-style Vintage Singlecut w/ Rio Grande Texas / BBQ Humbuckers & a Korean Squier II Strat w/ G & L M.F.D. singlecoils.

Amp: Hiwatt DR-103

Speakers: 2 WGS Classic Lead 80 clones in a Port City closed-back 2x12 Wave Cabinet

Typical Pedal Settings: Volume 10:30, Treble 11:00, Drive 2:00

Donner has informed me that my SYOD is on the way.

I'm a Tele user primarily and my amps are a '93 Reissue AC30, my new baby a 65 Amps London, and a modded Trace Velocette.

I'll be really interested to try my SYOD compared to my other current pedalboard inhabitants of Timmy>TA-100>RC Booster>Donnerised Tap-A-Whirl and Replica.

I did have a Honey Bee some time ago too so I'll be really interested to compare the SYOD to my memory of the HB.

This is much brighter and in your face than the HB. It has alot of treble much like a treble booster and an OD had a baby.

Thanks for letting me be a part of this one!!

More on this later

Right JK, another thing it does it brighten up dark rigs - I dont hink this one will ever be called muddy or mushy

i think sparkling is a fitting name for it. Has real nice sparkling clarity thru out. I do find its a nice match using before the HB,, and DRD as noted before. The PGC I use to add some comp going into it. The SBEQ is nice to add some bass at times after it.

pedal settings for SYOD are usually V-1:00 T-10:00 D-11:00,, pretty much the same setting as they were back in June.
Ive been using a Tele with it and love it. Ive tried a ruokangas mojo that is just too bright, and my LP is out of commish.

My amp for a while had been Traynor 20 watt w/ 4x12 greenback loaded
ext cab. Now working some things out with the MP cs-40 so I cant really comment yet on the amp. I did work nice with the Traynor setup and I also enjoyed it with a Mesa LS that has black shadow celestions I think. Seemed to be a good match with that combo of speakers.

Mostly gets used for rhythm, and then stacked for lead with HB(I would use the DRD but not enough room sometimes, and I love the R too much ). I set the HB nature @ 9:00 and drive @ 10:00,,adds some bass and compression.

Pretty versitile as the SYOD has a nice cranked Gain sound as well which stands alone fine for med/gain distortion purpose. I do turn the treble down when I crank the gain.
Sometimes when practicing alone its a bit too much treble for my taste,,but once the other members kick in it,, seems to blend perfect.
Very much like there is no pedal on even when it is. A nice consistant trademark for BJF's.

hope all the new owners enjoy.
cabo

Donner wrote:Right JK, another thing it does it brighten up dark rigs - I dont hink this one will ever be called muddy or mushy

Hey guys,,,I think that is why I liked it with the HB and the Mesa Black Shadow combo. A nice working contrast.

I'd like to chime in with some very preliminary thoughts...

I was not crazy about it when I first plugged it in, but the more I play it the more I like it. To me it sounds like it is not quite an OD, not quite a distortion, but somewhere in the middle (Edit - I'm referring to when you crank the drive). I like it for lead work more so than rhythm. If I had to provide constructive criticism, I'd have to say I think it's a bit trebley. Whereas almost every BJF pedal is full of usuable sounds no matter how you twist the knobs, I do think there are some sounds in this one you wouldn't want to use, or at least would rarely use as they would be too over the top with regard to treble. On the positive side, I think it would cut through a mix like nobody's business. Also positive is that BJF has made an original pedal that isn't simply a repackaged copy of something that has already been done. I have found a sweet spot that I like quite a lot. Sounds nothing like the BBOD, HB, or LGW, which is impressive I think.

Limited time to get acquainted but, through PRS Custom 22 with THD Flexi 50 and THD 2X12 with Lead 80's:

- I prefer to think of it as "tight" versus trebly.

- You do have to be careful when switching pickups without changing settings as you certainly can generate the "ice pick to the tympanic membrane" sensation.

- It stacks well before the EGDM (which was a pleasant surprise) and the HBOD. Have not tried it in front of any Fuzz.....

- I can hear some of the Model R and EGDM in there; just more "up front"; don't play in a band but imagine it would certainly make its way through to the front of the mix.

- Keeps singing at lower volumes which is very good after you've gotten a new pedal and played it at full volme until everyone in the house is screaming "turn it down"!!.

- Have to agree with the good DocRock that its an all around great sound.

- Lots of new combinations yet to try; so much tone, so little time!!

More to follow...

cork

Hmmm, I hope it's not too bright for me.

I'm 80-90% Tele bridge pickups and generally use a fair bit of treble roll-off on overdrives (treble at 2 o'clock on my Timmy for example).

I guess in the next few days I'll find out for myself.