BBE Stinger Pedal

Simple. Both knobs straight up for starters, tweak ever so slightly to taste. This is just like removing a blanket off of your amp. Puts all those frequencies where they belong. It clarifies and adds shimmer. Turn it on, leave it on. Turn it off and you'll HEAR why I say that.

As explained above, it doesn't create a distortion or an effect, it simply makes your signal the best that it can be. I'd have named it "The Sparkle-izer". Does and exceptionally wonderful job on my 12 string Rickenbacker. I just recently snagged my second one off of ebay for my other pedalboard. Yes it is that good and, I don't want to play without it. I use it with an Orange AD30R, a modded Fender Blues Jr (Weber alnico speaker and JJ tubes) and a Tech 21 Trademark 60 married up to the Tech 21 Power Engine 60 extension amp. It is consistantly terrific with all of these amps. Tube and solid state.

If a situation existed where you had to play out of somebody else's crappy amp or setup (like at an open mic night), having it with you, you would put it at the end of the effect chain (last pedal in line before the amp) and it greatly improves on the overall sound.

Mine work fine with no problems at all. My buddy has one and it works OK with a 9 volt battery but, he had problems with his when he hooked it up to the standard Boss type wall wart 9 volt power adapter (center pin negative). It wouldn't work and heated up. Based only on knowing what his is like, I'll put an 8 on them because mine are great and I power them with the VooDoo Labs Pedal Power 2 units on both my pedalboards.

None. They are discontinued. Haven't needed any though. BBE is a well established company and all their products are terrific. I also own one of those new BBE direct boxes. Absolutly stellar! Does the same thing as the stinger.

I play classic rock in a bar band. Gig 2 to 3 times a month. Been playing since 1964. Playing out Semi-professionally since 1992. I listed my amps previously. Guitars are: 12 string Roger McGuinn Limited Edition Rickenbacker, 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom, 2000 Gibson SG Supremeburst, Carvin CT6M, 1966 Guild Starfire III, PRS Customm 22, PRS CE22, and a Fernandes Monterey Sustainor.

Like I said, I love them so much I bought 2. I just leave it on all night. If it were lost or stolen, I try the new BBE Opto Stomp version. It's probably the same thing in a much larger pedal.

Very simple. The website states that the BBE technology corrects for the phase and amplitude distortion / shifting that occurs at the speaker. It is very effective.

I can't really add much to the other positive reviews of this device. Just to expand on one thing however, this pedal will greatly increase the effectiveness of an overdrive pedal in terms of added harmonic content. I've found I can get very close to the elusive Robben Ford / Larry Carlton tone using any number of relatively inexpensive overdrive pedals followed by the Stinger. I don't have any high-end amps, either - far from it. The harmonics that are generated by the overdrive simply become more audible. I would recommend a Stinger or Sonic Stomp first before chasing tone by purchasing expensive boutique overdrive pedals.

No problems, but I don't play out either.

This simply improves everything. The new incarnation of the Stinger as I understand it is the Sonic Stomp; I don't know if the technology is identical, the knobs are labeled differently. In any case, this is a can't-do-without pedal. Highly recommended, great value.

Just like others reviewers said : all i need is just both of my ear after connect the stomp with others..turn it on and it doesnt takes a minute to find out that i have an amazing stuff!!! two knob low and hi with common on/off switch so who need manual anyway?

i use BBE stinger in the "dirty" line of my routing signal. here's the routing of my effect signal chain : musicman stingray I/Ibanez SZ - Vol.pedal - Whammy II - Morley Power Wah - LN2 send and return to(Clean and Dirty)-Send to Dirty : Costum Preamp Mutator by doogie (Revoltmusic/Indonesian Costum Stompbox Maker)- NS2 - BBE Stinger - PN2 - MXR Commande Phaser - Return to LS2 - out to amp/others (peavey combo/PC Device. This unit is sound great..bring the pure low and hi supposed to be..make the sound open and wide..even i love many artist sound i never waste my time try to sounding like'em..no at all..all i need i just build my own signature sound and BBE take a big part of it!!

i bought it 2nd..i have problem with the switch capasitor once..my friend came and fix it..i hope "nothin'else matter"...

never dealt with the BBE

I play Some Nu School attitude..from modern rock to modern/nu metal. i play rock since 1997 and came with new sound in 2002. BBE Stinger really take an important part in my signature sound creating proccess..so if it stolen or lost i'll have nothin' to say..buy it again? this thing is discontinued so i might will try another BBE product like sonic maximizer while lookin for another 2nd BBE stinger hahaha....BBE Stinger is an awesome pedal!!!

Its a piece of cake to use, let your ears guide your fingers as you slowly tweak the two knobs (hi and low) to taste and... viola! instant clarity and pppunch! manual not needed, just a good pair of ears.

Presently, it sits last in an effects chain which consists of a dod fx-17 wah/volume, modded boss sd-1, ibanez mt-10 mostortion and an ibanez chorus/flanger, into a peavey classic 20. My main axe is a jap ritchie kotzen strat.

I wouldn't classify this yellow box as an "effect", nor would it belong the the same gene pool that graphic/parametric equalizers do. perhaps calling it an "enhancer" would be much more appropriate. the bbe website describes the maximizers function as "phase correction"- restoring frequencies that are lost as your signal travels through the amplifier and speakers. appropriately, the stinger can be described as an early sonic maximizer in stompbox form.

this mother does one heck of an amazing job in maximizing tone! when engaged, the enhancement is immediately noticeable. with the amp set clean and both stinger controls set at 12 noon, the tone becomes more lively, bottom end is extended, mids that you never thought existed are now present, and the high end shimmers and becomes pristine. strum a chord and note separation is vivid. no more muddy tone! it does wonders to the neck pick up setting. it'll make a guitar with average pick ups sound good, and one with great pick ups... fantastic! kicking in the overdrive is jawdropping. overdrive texture/harmonics ring clear, muted chords sound like your playing catch with a cast iron anvil. single note lines, articulate but not thin. i can imagine how the guitar would standout in the mix with a band playing at full bore, keyboards and all. my sd1 and mt-10 both sounded like amp distortion, thats no bull.
like i mentioned earlier, you'll have to use your ears as the ultimate guide, in finding the right setting that suites you. as with all things, this is best used in moderation, as extreme "high" settings will put the sting to "stinger", and extreme lows will rumble your bowels and send shocks to your pancreas. i'm not kidding when i tell you that this can hurt you. we're supposed to making music here, not crowd dispersal. unless crowd dispersal is your thing :)
i personally set my amp with the treble either low or totally off, the mid past 12'oclock and the bass at around 9-10 o'clock, letting the stinger handle the high and low frequencies. i find the midrange more present this way, and the tone much more rounder, both clean or dirty. give it a try ;)
moreover, i totally agree with all the below-mentioned reviews.

no expectations whatsoever. its long been a discontinued item, the bbe site doesn't even offer the pdf manual for download anymore (last time i checked)

no expectations whatsoever. its long been a discontinued item, the bbe site doesn't even offer the pdf manual for download anymore (last time i checked)

i play a hodge-podge of music, from full-on rock, blues, hell-billy country, currently a jazz wannabe. to some it all up, its fusionesque. from clear to overdriven, this baby is INDISPENSABLE. i cant live without it anymore! after my guitar buddy turned me on to it and lent me his (heheheh, his extensive review should be right below this one!) i just couldn't sleep peacefully until i'd find one for myself. luckily, the Good Lord was merciful. whew. my dreams have been clear (stinger enhanced!?), nights restful ever since. it'll give a run-off-the-mill overdrive pedal elephant's balls. i think this pedal is perfect as it is, and amazing for what it does. gives your lethargic tone a shot of ginseng. if this came in pill form, it'll no doubt enhance your sex life! its an inspiring gadget, my tone's soul mate. we cannot be parted. guitar would never be the same again... my life would never be the same.
if i were to lose it, i'd be really depressed, and lost as well, wayward until another appears. if stolen i'd set bloodhounds on the crook's trail, tie him up when i catch him and give a huge doze of the stingers sting to his poor ears with all treble cranked til they bleed! that's not a threat, that's a promise, so beware!

The BBE Stinger is a relatively-unknown pedal, but despite this, it produces an effect that could only be produced by some of the other more expensive boutique pedals.

It!|s not an overdrive or a preamp, so it doesn!|t give you that much-coveted gain or drive. But what it does, it does so well.

The reviewer below aptly described it as a !Ytone enhancer,!| and that!|s what it does best. Although it has only two knobs - a low and high frequency control - most guitarists would tend to assume that the Stinger is an EQ pedal. But then again, it doesn!|t quite fit the mold of other sterile- and harsh-sounding eq pedals. Wait, let me rephrase that. The Stinger is NOT an EQ pedal.

As explained in BBE!|s website, in their description of the circuitry of the Sonic Maximizer (which I!|m sure has its origins in the Stinger pedal), it says something to the effect that !?the circuitry corrects the phase inversion of the high and low frequencies in such a way that they come out through the speakers at different rates!? or something like that.

At first hearing, one cannot help but marvel at the amazing clarity - enhanced highs, tight (but not muddy) lows, and a very clear, sparkling presence. Even at low volumes, the processed sound comes out quite !Ybig.!| (if that makes any sense)

And while other EQ pedals tend to sound extremely raspy with the treble knob maxxed out, the Stinger doesn!|t !V even with both knobs turned fully clockwise.

The strange thing about the Stinger!|s tone is that it boosts certain frequencies that you!|ve probably never even heard before from your amplified guitar signal. Trust me, if you believe your guitar!|s pickups are the best on the planet, just try plugging into the Stinger and I can bet that as soon as you switch it off, you!|ll suddenly realize how !Ydead!| and !Ydry!| your unprocessed signal is!

This effect is especially more pronounced when used with a Strat - with all its intrinsic snap and clatter.

Excuse me if this may sound like a bit of an exaggeration, but playing through the Stinger is pretty much like having another set of pickups on! If you!|ve heard of SRV!|s amazing Strat tones on his gut-wrenching ballad, !YLenny,!| you!|ll have an idea of the tremendous clarity that this thing approximates - or even comes to par with. And the good thing is that it does it consistently no matter what you plug into it !V clean, overdriven, chorused, etc.

Perhaps a good analogy is to say that the Stinger makes your sound !Ythree-dimensional.!| Upon closer listening, you!|d actually swear you could hear different layers to your guitar sound. It would be interesting to make a comparative study of the Stinger!|s enhanced tone put through an oscilloscope, and compare that with those of other so-called !Ytone enhancers!| or EQ pedals. I!|m sure the oscilloscope readout would reveal a boost in those !Yhidden!| frequencies not normally tapped by other effects boxes.

I was quite intrigued by what a reviewer below said with his analogy about cupping your hand over your mouth and saying something, and then taking your hand off to hear the clarity. But after hearing the Stinger, it made sense! This time, it makes you realize that the sound you!|ve been playing with is so dry and lacking in depth and clarity.

But lest readers think that I!|ve nothing but rave reviews, there are a few points to consider !V although these could be bordering more on psychology.

First off, I guess a lot of guitarists (including a friend of mine) would tend to be slightly put off by the sudden increase in clarity - prompting them to call the Stinger!|s sound as being !Yprocessed!| or !Yartificial.!| This is very understandable considering how most guitarists have become accustomed to their !Yown!| sounds through the years. But I wouldn!|t really say it sounds artificial at all. It!|s all really a matter of getting used to the new sound.

And I guess this is the point where the debate ensues. Tone purists would p

This BBE Model 601 Stinger pedal is incredible. It's a pedal version of their world famous Sonic Maximizers, and is just as easy to use! Step on it, bring up the Hi Freq and the Low Freq to taste. Turn them down if you want!
The battery compartment is a little bit tricky, you squeeze the side of the pedal in while pushing down. But it won't open on you unless you want it to, which puts it miles ahead of older DOD and Ibanez boxes.

I've used this in effects loops, direct to board with acoustics, to the front end of bass amps, as side chain for mixing. I have the same reaction as everybody else... Dang! The sound quality is beyond description, and any one familiar with BBE knows what I'm saying. I think it's phase correction to the nth detail.
My only problem with the pedal occurs when you turn the unit off. Your rig, no matter how good it is, never sounds the same to your ears after using BBE. BBE brings out the best of any system, from high dollar to trash can, which I run somewhere in between lol.
Use the effect sparingly, start with both knobs at high noon and turn a little at a time. Take your time and find the best blend of both processes (Hi Freq and Low Freq) being careful not to forget what you 'used to' sound like.

You can count on The Stinger. Long battery life plus a 9v AC adapter input. Built like a tank!

It's easy. Lo contour,Hi contour. That's it.

DANG!!!!!!!

This unit is something else! It's doesn't shape your tone. Not at all. But what it does is nutz! It improves your tone! It adds a clarity and shimmer to the highs that is most pleasant. And it adds a definition and punch to your lows. Why go out and spend hundereds or thousands to try improve your tone? This is a relativily inexpensive alternative that brings results!

I bought it used. It seems sturdy, but we'll see.

Never dealt with BBE.

As another reviewer said, this unit is old. BBE only made it for one year. If you can find one, get it. I saw this old looking unassuming pedal in the display counter of a local music store. The clerk said it's the oldest pedal in their display. It's not much to look at, maybe that's why nobody bought it. But, Oh boy! I made out! This little unattractive, unassuming pedal is awesome! I love it. It brings out my tone. You can hear the improvement! I love it! Every guitar player can use one of these in their signal chain.

This is an extremely easy to use foot pedal. There are two knobs. One is for hi freq., and the other is for Low frequency (better known as bass and treble). The manual is short, and not needed.

I am using this pedal with a Marshall 2x12 50 watt tube combo. The pedal only adds noise if you boost it up to maximum.
You can achieve sounds that only come from high dollar studio rigs with this pedal.

The unit has one problem. The jacks that are inside the sturdy metal case are plastic, and they tend to crack. This can cause little to no tension on your 1/4 inch guitar cable plug, and cause it to become disconnected from the effect. Other than that, this thing is built like a tank. But that little defect is very important to me.

Haven't dealt with BBE.

I have had guitarists tell me that this pedal offers them the 'pure' tone that they are looking for. I don't think that I could continue to play either electric guitar or bass without them, because now I know what a difference that they make in my sound. (I've been playing since 1976)
You won't find any of these pedals new. BBE only made them for a year, and that was about 10 years ago. People ask me to explain what this pedal does, and this is the best explanation that I can give you.
Place your hand over your mouth and say a sentence. Hear how muffled it sounds? Now take your hand away from your mouth and say the same sentence. That clarity is what the BBE Stinger pedal does to your sound. It doesn't change the tone, it just cleans it up. I bought two of these pedals for $69 ea. BBE quit making them, and I've been offered $400 apiece for them. I don't know why BBE quit making them, because they are a must have for my guitar, as well as my bass amp. Bottom line, if you get a chance to pick one of these up, do it. You won't be sorry.