Chromatic Pedal Tuner

CARL MARTIN REMAINS ONE OF
the most underrated brands, and we
hope that this third version of the
excellent Hot Drive ’N Boost will fi nally
put the name centre stage in the
consciousness of guitarists everywhere.
The idea behind all three versions of
the HDB is to get as close as possible to
the compressing beauty of the drive of
an all-valve amp and the Mk 3 version
incorporates a complete overhaul to the
internal design intended to bring that
aural goal even closer.
Features such as the wave control – in
Carl Martin Hot Drive ’N Boost Mk 3 £149
KEY INFO ❘ CARL MARTIN HOT DRIVE ‘N BOOST MK 3 ❘ PRICE: £149 ❘ TYPE: OVERDRIVE PEDAL ❘ TEL: FIRST LINE 01392 493429
MISCELLANEOUS GUITARIST INTERACTIVE
KEY INFO ❘ EPIPHONE VALVE JUNIOR ❘ PRICE: £129 ❘ TYPE: CLASS A VALVE COMBO ❘ TEL: ROSETTI 01376 550033
RATING
WE ARE SPOILT NOWADAYS
with myriad knobs and switches on our
multi-channel Quadruple Rectum-fryer
stacks, but for an aspiring guitarist in
the early fi fties, this was pretty much
what you’d get: two valves, one volume
control and an eight-inch speaker.
Despite the ultra-low price, the Valve
Junior’s minimalism and retro stylings
make for one cute little unit, with
construction quality robust and
confi dence inspiring.
SOUNDS: Given its small physical size
and eight-inch speaker, you’d be
forgiven for thinking that the Valve
Junior is a bedroom practice amp.
However, don’t expect any drive at all at
neighbour-friendly volume levels
without some form of attenuator. Five
single-ended Class A watts ensure that
the projection of the sound is
impressive, assisted by the extra
dispersal of the open back cabinet.
The way to get the best from this amp
is simply to play it wide open and
control the tone with the guitar’s
volume knob. With a medium output
humbucker you get everything from a
warm, touch-sensitive clean voice to a
juicy classic rock drive sound with all
the inherent fi reworks of a small
amplifi er pushed hard.
Verdict
If you want a cool sounding small amp
for recording with a quality clean sound
at bedroom levels, then you simply have
to try a Valve Junior out. A circuit this
simple is also perfect for those of you
who enjoy valve swapping or DIY
modding. Early production runs were
reported to suffer from excess hum, but
happily Epiphone seems to have
Another superb
overdrive pedal from
Carl Martin
Small amp, big sound, low price. What’s not to like? by Chris Vinnicombe
Epiphone Valve Junior Combo £129
Epiphone
Valve Junior
Combo: small
and perfectly
formed
Verdict
It doesn’t really do extreme
metal or rock tones – use your
amp drive to really wind up the wick –
but for everyone else, this is a versatile
overdrive/boost you have to try.
CARL MARTIN HDB TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED The valve-like tones are
second to none at this price
■ WE DISLIKED Doesn’t really do extreme
metal...
resolved this
issue, with no
more hiss than you
would expect.
EPIPHONE VALVE JUNIOR TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Dynamic clean and raunchy
drive sounds; superb value
■ WE DISLIKED Only a four-ohm speaker-
out limits external cab options
AUGUST 2006 143
simple terms a subtle but very musical
EQ sweep – and boost function, which
can kick in as much as 22dB for either
solos or a more aggressive drive remain
from the original HDB designs.
Two switches, for on/off and boost,
each have their own dedicated LED
and, if you step on the boost without
having the drive engaged, you have yet
another useable tone at your boot-tips.
Additionally, the pedal is mains-driven,
which accounts for its rather squat
appearance.
SOUNDS: This has to be amongst the
very best overdrive pedals we’ve tried
and, through either a wholly clean,
slightly crunchy or cooking amp, it
authenticity replicates the tone and,
most importantly, feel of a driving valve
amp. Soulful blues, rock and all points
in between react beautifully to the
pedal, and the boost option gives you a
huge headroom too.
RATING
The Danish company celebrates its tenth anniversary with a gift for all by Simon Bradley
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