STRAWBERRY RED OVERDRIVE 4K – “And the Legend was Born” It’s been decades since the first effects pedal called an “Overdrive” was born. How many overdrive pedals have been made so far? And can a new overdrive be found that is not a recreation of one of the older designs? Our new SROD4K does not imitate the sound of existing pedals. For those seeking unique sounds for their creative spirit, we bring to you the latest edition of our founder’s favorite overdrive pedal in the 4K (four knob) style mini enclosure, as well as a special limited art “Japonism” edition. While many pedals seek to “simulate” a style of amplifier, the SROD4K boldly goes forward into the new. We have ensured that the SROD4K will work well with an extremely wide range of amplifiers – from small solid state practice amps to large tube amplifers with 4x12 cabinets. The most important thing to most players is to have a great dynamic sound that they are comfortable with, so that they can perform their best in various equipment situations. Björn Juhl has designed some of the world’s most desirable tube amplifiers and he has done his best to include as many of the characteristics of these “boutique” amplifiers as is possible. A great pedal can be your “secret weapon” to help get your sound and feel anywhere, anytime. One of the most important features of the SROD4K is the single GAIN knob. This knob will take you from a low gain treble booster style of effect, up to low gain and medium gain overdrives before noon on the dial. Using the volume knob on your guitar (or your fingers/pick attack) you can easily control the gain level and dynamics. Where many pedals will turn into a “mush” unless played at full volume, the SROD4K behaves like a tube amplifier would and gives both the tone and feel players demand. Using the SROD4K into British-style amps will give the player the ability to further emphasize the characteristics of the amplifier without the entire tone turning to “mush”. You can even help dial in a high gain amplifier by judicious use of the GAIN and TREBLE/LOW knobs to further sculpt a wall of sound. If you happen to like playing a more American style combo amp, these are usually brighter sounding and harder to work with for overdrive pedals – but you can use the tone controls on the STRAWBERRY RED to balance the tone and create a singing, cohesive sound that is impossible to create on those style amps without some pedal assistance. Many times, players will be using solid-state amps, as they are much more affordable and lighter to carry. The characteristics required for a high-quality amplifier remain the same whether they are constructed with tubes or solid-state components. However, the SROD4K can help bring out the best from any amplifier, regardless of the construction. If you have a high-wattage amp with a large speaker (such as a 12” model) the STRAWBERRY RED can help get a tone and feel similar to a large tube amp with a 4x12 speaker cabinet. While it is not an amp simulator pedal, the SROD4K can help “tame” even the stiffest and most unforgiving transistor amplifiers. The compression and dynamic character introduced into your sound from this pedal will delight your ears and your fingers. The SROD4K’s TREBLE control is an active tone control that works in the mid to high range from -3db to +6db. When the TREBLE knob is lowered, the range between 70hz and 7khz is adjusted; and when the knob is raised, the range of 700hz to 7khz is lightly boosted. This allows what Björn calls the “luxury trebles” to be heard. It is the difference between painful or annoying high-end content, or a sound that makes sound engineers and music fans smile. No matter how you set the knob, it will give you a great tone that emphasizes the overtone components for a warm sound with great presence. This is one of the secrets of the high-end tube amplifiers. The LOW knob will cut and boost the low end to help adjust for the style of amplifiers that you may be plugged into. We have always used the highest quality machined aluminum ultra-compact housings for our effects pedals, as well as industry-leading artwork and hardware. Even though the size is small, you can still power our pedals with a 9v battery if you desire. Also, if you wish to experiment with some more dynamic high-headroom tones, the power input can support 9v to 18v operation, which can give you a more “three-dimensional” characteristic to your sound.
Demo by Jack Fossett (EN)