How did you get into BJF pedals?

[NewarkWilder]

I know! Don't hate me

Honestly I'd been quite aware of the BJFE pedals for a long time but they were kinda pricey and I wasn't quite sure what made them so special and this and that and blah blah... But then I got to play them... I rarely have a pedal live up to the perceived hype (something you guys are probably sick of hearing about, so forgive me) let alone blow it out of the water completely so I was a pretty fast convert.

You know that feeling when you find a sound you just gel with so naturally you're kind of taken aback by it? Like... this isn't just me trying to make my sound work through this pedal...this pedal IS my sound? That was kind of my response to the Bee. I'd heard about how it was a "mild" overdrive and had it in my head that that wasn't exactly what I was looking for but I decided to give it a shot anyway. I couldn't believe my ears when I got it. Like I described it to someone before, its a little golden brick of tone. Love it.

[Tonefishin]

TGP and a HoneyBee for me. Since then, I haven't met a BJFE pedal that I didn't like...a lot.

[siderealtime]

Heh, I'm a similar story Newark. I picked up DBD about a month ago, and have been loving it to death. Finally a delay pedal that plays along with you. It's like a well trained dog that knows how to keep pace -- you don't have to keep jerking the leash to keep the thing in line =). I love how natural it feels.

And so in researching that I ran across this forum and have been hoovering up tons of threads since, trying to play catch up.

And...... a SeaBlueMiniVibe that I nabbed off ebay just came it in today! I'm in love. I'll have to post a review in a few days.

[Bobby D]

My introduction was kinda unusual. The guitarist for Anthrax Danny Spitz had sold a box of boutique pedals to a local music store down here in 2003.....I came in a few days later, and they showed them to me, so I bought the whole box. Most of it was Keeley modded stuff.....but there was this funny looking green pedal called the EGDM......

then I stopped using pedals for a few years, and recently started using them again, and I listened to a lot of youtube clips from Donnerbox and others.....and something just told me to get an EGDM again....and a DRD....and a CAF.....and now I want the MP auto wah!!!!

[cantineboy]

I got the candy apple early 2004. One of my dearest friend and bandmate celebrated his new job with a new pedal! The guy from the local musicstore here in stockholm sold him the CAF without even trying. . When he tried it out in our rehearsalspace, he didn´t care for it.. I definitly saw a pontenial in it so i asked if i could try it out.. Bought it from him and have used as my main noisemaker ever since..

[colourtones]

I know this is an old thread but I am going to revive it. I have been into music, guitars, amps and pedals for many years and first remember seeing the Dyna Red and Baby Blue advertised somewhere online.(musictoyz maybe). I remember seeing a nitro Dyna Red Distortion and a nitro one with clovers and smiley face stickers(which I assumed was factory) for sale new(I believe) for around $325.(if my memory serves me correct) They looked interesting, yet I held off not knowing anything about BJFE, if there were internal differences between the two painted models, etc.... Fast forward 10 years.

After reading many, many pages of bjfe.org I joined and this turned my interest into the need to hear what everyone was talking about. I did not want to make a mistake on my first purchase and thought I should find a BBOD. My concern was the db difference between V1 and V2. BEFORE ever buying one I pm'd Bjorn asking advice. He went out of his way to help answer my questions about a pedal I did not even own. If that does not go beyond the customer service call of duty I do not know what does. Bjorn is truly a swell guy and as I have come to find out one of the greatest tone sculptors on the planet. Because of the scarcity of BBOD's I decided to keep researching and start somewhere else in the BJFE line. Following many youtube demo videos, including the great Bobby D's, I decided to try to find a DRD.

The trip of the story is, several months ago, I ran into a clover smiley face DRD on an ebay auction, bid and won. This pedal absolutely destroyed my concept of a distortion pedal from the first second I plugged it in. For a light to super hefty Marshalleque plexi tone there is no substitute.
The clarity of this pedal is stunning. Thanks to Mr. Picard's meticulous record keeping I was able to ascertain this is the only known DRD to be altered with the clover/smiley face artwork on the front.(non factory, not by Bjorn or Eva) In addition, I(so far) would tend to be in the Bobby D camp that if only one pedal could be used on a gig the goto versatility award is with the DRD.

Thanks to reading the descriptions of DRD as BBOD's big brother I found a late V2 BBOD 1 month later. No doubt the BBOD is a relative to the DRD but to my ears did not have the db, wide treble sweep and at higher gain settings had more of a classic fuzz quality very hard to compare to anything else BJFE I have heard. Do not get me wrong. The BBOD is a beautiful sounding pedal that is completely unique. I just believe it is a beginning into BJFE's. Not an end. The search continued.

Growing up on rock and blues while growing into the jazz world as time goes by my preferences have leaned into overdrive, distortion and boost qualities.(although I have a soft spot for light fuzz being boosted on the front end) Again after reading bjfe.org posts/descriptions of the HBOD I had to take the plunge. UNREAL touch sensitivity and light to moderate drive capability. This pedal is genius. Period. I loved it from the first second plugged in out of the box and I love it today. Reacts to dynamics just like a tube amp. Dug it so much I am on the waiting list for a HBOD DLX. Onto stop #4 on the BJFE express.

Enter the search for the EGDM. Again, I blame the bjfe.org forum for stoking the fires within me to obtain this pedal. and I thank you all. Because the BBOD was not my cup of tea(beautiful, original, super tone, just not for me) I decided to work it into a trade for one with a great, helpful and honest forum member who will remain anonymous unless he decides to reveal his identity. This pedal has so many great qualities that appeal to me it is hard to articulate a place to start. I love the very, very even clip of the distortion from low drive settings all the way up. The interaction of the distortion, voice and volume knobs (once the internal trim pot is set to your rig) is nothing short of brilliant. The 3 BJFE's I have right now all sound fantastic individually as well as interactively and I always look forward to playing them. They play well with all my pedals/amps/guitars. BJFE pedals are truly like miniature modular amplifiers!

My future BJFE interests currently are SYOD V2, SBEQ, LGW and RRB. My current live setup is Steinberger GM-2S or a Philip Kubicki Telecaster > EGDM > HBOD > SIB Blue Echodrive > original Gold w/centaur Klon > Calrad AP 35 (2 EL34- 2-12AX7- 1-6AT6- 1-5AR4/GZ34 very JTM45ish) > Two Rock Signature 2-12" loaded with 2 Southbay Scumnico 30watt speakers run 16ohm parallel for an 8ohm impedance. I also use a Polytone Mini Brute IV with excellent results.

It is refreshing to be part of a forum whose members have discerning musical hearing and taste and take the time to write meaningful entries. Thanks to all the members/contributions at bjfe.org. Especially but not limited to Donner, Mr. Picard, Slim Henderson, Sonic Troubadour, Doc Rock, Eskimo Joe, Cabo, SteveA, NewarkWilder, Huckleboogie, Analoghog, jfromel and most of all BJF!! You all make this an excellent, entertaining and informative forum.

Walter K.

[SteveA]

Once I saw this thread I had to chime in. I started my journey into the BJF line looking for a new overdrive at my local guitar shop (BoutiqueTone in Montreal). They said that the Mad professor line was killer and that I should try one. Then another guy on my left said yeah i've got the LGW and its really an awesome pedal. So that was it. I was skeptical at first, it was the most expensive pedal I had ever gotten. The LGW was instantly different. It had a very strong sound signature, much more present than what i'd been used to before. It stood out. I started using it as a light tube screamer, even as a booster and liked it. Then I started looking at that box wondering who BJF was? I mean it was right there, design by BJF. So I did and found there was a pedal called the Honey bee that was made by him. And hence, my first BJF pedal was , like many others here the Honey Bee I thought it was so amp-like and just a nice overdrive. Very authentic sounding. From there on I started collecting them all. Going from the HB to the PGC, SBEQ and MH almost instantly. Then came the rarities! The SWF & SYOD. Altogether its been a nice trip. Very happy to be a BJF fanboy

[melodichaotic]

Enter the search for the EGDM. Again, I blame the bjfe.org forum for stoking the fires within me to obtain this pedal. and I thank you all. Because the BBOD was not my cup of tea(beautiful, original, super tone, just not for me) I decided to work it into a trade for one with a great, helpful and honest forum member who will remain anonymous unless he decides to reveal his identity. This pedal has so many great qualities that appeal to me it is hard to articulate a place to start. I love the very, very even clip of the distortion from low drive settings all the way up. The interaction of the distortion, voice and volume knobs (once the internal trim pot is set to your rig) is nothing short of brilliant. The 3 BJFE's I have right now all sound fantastic individually as well as interactively and I always look forward to playing them. They play well with all my pedals/amps/guitars. BJFE pedals are truly like miniature modular amplifiers!

Hey Walter...you are very welcome--I have a thing for the BBOD because it's so unique sounding, and like I said, I will be getting another EGDM down the road anyway...enjoy your stay at "Quality Island"...."you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave"

...well, you won't want to...and you can talk to all the face painted soccer balls you want, it won't matter..

[xtoby44x]

for me it was all Bobby D's aka Slim Hendersons fault Model H was a have to get pedal for me. then most of the mad professor line and now a HBOD.
still really curious about the SBEQ, will it ever end????

[cedjazz]

My friend sold me a BBOD for a very reasonable price. I didn't really use it right away because I had a multichannel amp. Then, one day, a guy who was trying to buy my Klon asked could he hear the BBOD. I plugged it into my Reverend Hellhound and Wooooaaa!! It sounded killer. He actually offered to buy that instead of the Klon. I said no way. Then I bought the DRD, MRD, SBEQ, HBOD, EGDM, LGW and PPF. All just amazing. Looking for the Model H now... Help!!! I'm Gassin' bigtime...