Splinter is a spectacular new overdrive / distortion / fuzz pedal that achieves similar full-range gain and tonality of a finely-tuned boutique tube amp. On lower gain settings, tone is bright and full of sparkly life. As gain increases, so does bass response and a beautiful character introduces itself. Due to the intense attention given to the completely analog circuit design, the harmonic content and signal breakup is very dynamic and natural. Pay attention to how backing-off on your guitar's volume knob will actually dial-in gain on higher settings! [listen to the sound clips above] This incredible control and lossless tone at your fingertips brings to you a new performance standard. You will find many "sweet spots" with each pickup combo used with Splinter, however I'm sure you'll hear there's hardly ever a bad sound produced. Start with a great clean tone from your amp (tube preferred) and Splinter will give it a few new colors for you to play with. Delving deep into Splinter's transistory soul, you'll find an uncanny grace of Hendrixian ambition: both spectacular and elusive. If you've ever heard a Harmonic Percolator (Interfax) before, this is like one on steroids! This particular beast feeds on single-coils and humbuckers alike, however single-coils are more noticeably enhanced. Also note that you will get great results with both electric and bass guitars alike...remember that experimentation is highly recommended!

Controls

Volume: More than enough output juice to satisfy the most timid of amps.  Start at 9 o’clock.  Brightness increases around 10 o’clock (as well as noise).  Switchable modes.  Pull the knob UP to get the more subtle gain of the “Spark” mode. DOWN lies the ferocity of “Flame.”
Gain: Where it all begins.  Gives life and attitude to your sound.  Thin at 0, thickens clockwise.
Voice: This has 3 dialable boosts (1st position is no boost) for a thick bottom-end and fatter distortion. Note that when Gain and Voice are higher, you can achieve incredible fuzz tones great for chording or soloing.  If the sound is too brass/bold, lower either knob to satisfaction.
New/Old Switch: This alters the “Voice’s” presence to be either bold and bright (New) or warm and round (Old).
Footswitch: Places your signal in or out of Splinter. True bypassing resolves vintage tone-loss issues.
AC Jack: Use a Negative-Tip, Regulated 9vdc 2.1mm barrel-type power plug here. Bypasses internal 9v battery.  Internal filtering minimizes problems with unregulated power supplies.
Input: Plugging a 1/4" instrument cable here introduces your signal and idles Splinter with power, so unplug from Input when not in use to avoid battery drain.
Output: Mouth of the beast.  Purrs and Roars come out from here.
Internal Trim Pot (black knob): Please do not overlook this important control!  This secondary gain adjustment can help you achieve better tone and less noise.  This is factory set to achieve optimum harmonics, however you may change it if you like: use your ears and find the sweet spot that’s symbiotic with your gear.  If the pedal has too much or too little gain for your taste, rotate this baby counter-clockwise for less gain, clockwise for more.  Instant gratification!  This will also clean up any squealing & extra noise.

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Urso Music ~ Los Angeles, CA - E-MAIL
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This page was last updated: Thursday, January 25, 2007