JAM RetroVibe

March 2015 Guitarist 127
JAM PEDALS £165-£255
PEDAL ROUND-UP
JAM Rooster
PRICE: £185
ORIGIN: Greece
TYPE: Treble boost pedal
FEATURES: True-bypass
CONTROLS: Level, treble/
mid/bass switch
CONNECTIONS: Standard
input, standard output
POWER: 9V battery or 9V
DC supply (5mA)
DIMENSIONS: 60 (w) x 111
(d) x 32mm (h)
T
he Rooster is a treble booster
inspired by the Dallas
Rangemaster, used by Rory
Gallagher, Brian May, Tony Iommi and,
perhaps most famously, by Eric Clapton
on the Bluesbreakers’ ‘Beano’ album.
JAM has strived to get the vintage sound
right by again calling on the services of
the CV7003 transistor – the original
Rangemasters also made use of the
OC44. As well as a knob to dial in the
amount of boost, starting with unity gain
at about 12 o’clock, you get a three-
position switch that focuses the
frequency range of the boost. The bass
setting is more of a full-range fat-
sounding boost, while treble loses some
bottom for a brighter presence, and mid
is between the two. Whatever setting of
the switch, the Rooster will excite the
top-end frequencies of an overdriven
amp, bring out the harmonics and send
sustained notes into singing feedback.
Verdict
This Rooster will certainly wake up your
amp in a vintage-inspired fashion.
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: 1960s-style vintage treble
booster with tonal options
JAM Fuzz
Phrase
PRICE: £219
ORIGIN: Greece
TYPE: Fuzz pedal
FEATURES: True-bypass
CONTROLS: Level, gain,
internal BIAS trimmer
CONNECTIONS: Standard
input, standard output
POWER: 9V battery or 9V
DC supply (5mA)
DIMENSIONS: 60 (w) x 111
(d) x 32mm (h)
D
esigning a vintage-sounding
fuzz pedal has a lot to do with
choosing the right transistors
and matching them. For this Fuzz Face-
style pedal, JAM has chosen the rare
CV7003, military-spec version of the
OC44 germanium transistor, which it
says is consistent and heat-resistant
(germanium transistors can be
susceptible to temperature changes) —
more so than the more commonly used
AC128 and NKT275. We liked the sound
best with the level knob on max while
dialling in the dirt with the gain knob
through a nice overdrive at mid settings
to the last bit of travel, which brings out
the top end and a richer fuzz. It’s about
finding the sweet spot, though, and
edging the gain back worked for us,
although running it flat-out and
controlling things with your guitar
volume may be the way to go, as it cleans
up really well.
Verdict
Expressive fuzz. Worthy of that afro/
purple background artwork.
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: Sweet-sounding fuzz, but
it doesn’t come cheap.
http://bit.ly/
guitarist391
VIDEO DEMO
GIT391.rev_ped1.indd 127 22/01/2015 14:55