CMATMODS Signa Drive

Bought two Signa_Drives, 1 is not enough for tone heaven...

Here we go: Three knobs and a small switch. How could it be simpler? ;-)

Simpler, just compare on/off sound with the Level Knob, and depending on what position is the mini switch, you've got to re-adjust it, by all means, I???ll explain below.

I've got some suggestions on settings from Chad Matthews on how setting them, but it's been almost a month with them and I haven't seem these recommendations, first and foremost "my ears" are the ones which tell me the way. But, I must agree that Chad has excellent disposition on helping out.

No Manual included, he trusts that a player should know how to set it up.

Signa Drive is the "latest" version which as you can read at CMATMODS site, came from the "Tube Slammer Deluxe" (discontinued by now AFAIK)

If I can get the sound from my favorite artist? YES INDEDD!!!
My favorite artist is ME!!! This is the most important matter that made me buy it, no "tone coloring" (althought it's not a crime, I'm looking for other Tone)

I'm mostly using it with: S-S-S G&L Legacy Series With a Keystone Bridge pickup -> "Mozz" Custom Modified JH-1 Wah (by microjunkers and wetv) -> Signa Drive Turquoise -> Ibanez CS-9 RI (Jpn) Chorus -> Signa Drive Burgundy -> Carvin Valvemaster 212 (100w All Tube amp w/ 6L6)

The Idea of having the Chorus in between the Signa Drives is:

- The Chorus is the only pedal with no TBP, hence I've compensated the internal buffer (which gladly it???s not that mid-awful buffer that boss pedals have) by putting it between them

- Chad Suggested to place the Signa Drives apart, which it'd be different from one next to the other (or both of them in one housing)

Well, any OD has to produce noise, but from my behalf it's as quieter as it can be, as "clipping" goes up, a little noisier it gets, but no biggie.

The effect sounds great, now let me talk about some settings and use that I've given (remember that I've got two of them):

1) The "Turquoise" one is set with no idea to be changed, that one stays always with the following setting:

- Drive -> Between 1 / 2 p.m. (0r 6/7 if you prefer) just pointing to the led as reference.

- Tone -> At 11 o'clock (or 4/4.5) never liked OD's and Distortions with the tone passed 12 o'clock unless some of them lacks of real tone shaping

- Level:

First mini switch position -> At 9 0'clock (or 3/4)
<<This is the "original" Signa Drive Tone">> And this is my "Main OD sound"

It's not a TS-ish (tubescreamer) per se, it's more organic, not mid rangy, real honest tone coming from the Guitar/Amp. I assume it's a silicon component. The best thing of this pedal is that it has more gain than a common OD you'll find around (at least from the TS range)


Second mini switch position -> At 8 0'clock (or 2/3)
<<<This is a more of a TS-ish tone>>>

It sound fattier, but with less Gain than the 1st position, a little more mid-toned, and well, it gets more volume, hence you've got to lower the "Level" Knob a little bit.

I assume it's a "Led" component that gives you that sound.

I do not use it much in the "drive area" but I'll explain more thoroughly when do I use it, how I use it.

Second mini switch position -> At 11 0'clock (or 4/5)
<<<This is a major plus!!! Almost a brown sound, Marshall in a box ballsy sound>>>

By assuming it's a "Germanium" transistor to get that sound (thankfully, nothing compared to a RAT otherwise I'd have bought one, and I do not fancy RATS)Once again, It's not my "Drive area" Tone, but I set it on the 2nd Signa I've got (the Burgundy one)

I'm mostly an "OD kinda' guy", I like to hear the notes clearly, not fuzzy (pheww I hate fuzzezzzz) but with some gain, crunch, balls, you name it. Hence, the first setting (1st mini switch position) is the tone I feel more comfortable and as "my tone"

2)The "Burgundy" one is the 2nd "tweak" Signa which I select by having two options (depending on the song or results I'm looking for):

1) Clean Boost: Just leave "Gain" set to minimum or just a tiny bit, "Level" up to MAX and tone, well, depending on your Boost, leave it "Fatter" (before 12 0'clock or 5) or "Trebler" (past 12 o'clock or 5. And keeping the "Mini switch" in the second position (middle position) This is a REAL CLEAN BOOST, if you add no GAIN, perfect!

2) Brown/Marhall sound: See settings above.

There you go: You can have an OD + a Booster /or/ Clean Booster /or/ Marshal sound, all in the Clean Channel of my amp. On my behalf, if you look for more that that, you need to play metal or stuff more "High Gain". Once again, not buying two of them it's almost a crime!

Can I depend on it? Hell Yeah!

Look, I've seen some "hand made" custom effects, made here in Chile (coz I live here..) and by looking at the Signa Drive's "guts" I got really impressed, plus the input jacks are so tight that they show a rugged construction in a classic "DIY" metal case.

No fancy things on the outside, just a simple but well made paint coating, a 3DPDT (if you hear pops at the beginning, give it some time, they come so hard to press, that you'll need a little time to soften them up and that'll be all)

Maybe the side 9v adaptor sometimes makes a little complicated if you don't have long enough cables, but on my case, no sweat on it.

I just give it a 9 coz even though I rely on Chad's craftsmanship and use of good components, if anything happens to them, it'll be a hassle to send it over to the US and getting it back, even though I know that if anything happens, Chad will respond to it in a blink of a time. He's that serious and reliable on his products and service, but mostly, taking care of his customers.

I would use it in a Gig w/out a backup, coz I've got two of them, plus I'm confident they won't let me down when I need them the most.

One of the best plus ever, and for me an important factor is (HAS TO BE!) ???Customer Service???.

You need to talk to "the face behind the product"??, I've had so many bad experiences when talking to "representatives" and well, even though I must trust them, whenever you have the chance for talking to the owner/builder of the stuff you're buying, you should feel lucky and add 70% more on the price by having this chance. And let???s be honest, you???ll never get a ???boutique pedal??? like this for this costs, it???s a fact. Chad should increase his prices (not for me though hehehe)

Chad had assisted me from the beginning, curiously, being so far apart we have the same "ideas" on Axes (guitars), tones, and some pedal brands, I felt 100% identified with him (not in a queer context please LOL) and his "tone taste" that i had to give it a shot.

I'm no simpler phrasing guy, I extend myself with paragraphs and paragraphs of ideas, bad ones and good ones, questions, I'm almost a dizzying person on that matter, I'm what you may say:

"The perfect customer"

or

"The most annoying customer ever" :-)

Chad had the time, patience and pedagogy to explains things calmly extensively, not hiding any vital information and really comprehensive. A++ to this! Plus, I've sent "midnight e-mails" with questions/inquires and I don't know how he does it, but he is able to answer back in less than 18 hrs, sometimes in less than 18 mins...

For those who may have bad ideas on "small business" that brings you up great products, CMATMODS is one of the best examples on Customer Care and product knowledge (duuh, I know It's the owner who answers, but anyway! it's a +++)

Once Again, you won???t get this kind of product and service at this cost. But I rather you have more ???brand pedals??? than CMATMODS ones, so it???s a ???win ??? earn??? situation (the ones who have CMATMODS ???win???, the ones with brand pedals make the corporate ???earn??? lots of dough by putting a big bosom hot chick and make them buy from them ???out of horny??? ;-)

I play Fusion, Jazzy, Rock, Stupid ideas, some Blues and whatever comes into my mind, except Metal (well sometimes just for fun) and Pop (by meaning Pop, I mean Pop-Pop, not Bowie, Prince or such)

I've had a guitar since I was 15, been playing for almost 20yrs (now I'm 36), and as women, I've had a love-hate relationship with playing. Playing in and out from time to time, the latest 3 years I've started again and I guess I'm never gonna stop anymore, I was GASless, but now with so much info around, as well products, it's a beautiful hobby, and well, I've been Gigging once in a while, I wish I had more time for dedicating to play (alone and with a band).

The main reasons I've made up my mind for the Signa Drive where:

1) The soundclip: I couldn't believe the range it had, please take your time and listen to it completely, when you get near 70% of the sound clip you'll "the difference" why you get interested into this pedal.

2) Too many guys using Tubescreames, Fulldrives 2 (I've had one which it was a Clone, and I was in love with it!) Jeckill and Hyde's and so on, that I felt that I was becoming "one of millions" who has the same tone "idea" (not the tone per se coz when you play, everyone sounds differently). I really did want it (my tone) to sound more "personal" more like me, and well, even though it's a difficult thing to really get, I'm gonna still continue doing this way.

I've own an (at the Luthier's now) Ash Thinline Tele customized (it was a Squier MIM, just kept the neck which I found excellent!) with Bill Lawrence's Keystones Tele Set (you've got to try them!)

I've got a 100% Custom Made in Brazil Guitar made of Cedar Tree, Brazilian Rosewood (whn it wasn't a crime buying this wood) and "Pau Marfim" Neck, set neck, with a Paf Pro (neck) and a custom Pickup wounded right here in Chile (yep, here we have great people trying to do things, and well made!) Gotoh Floyd w/ tremsetter, 2 mini switches for coil tapping (phase/out of phase - Series/parallel) and the works. Plus a Carvin Vintage 16 Modified by Richon (RICHAMPS -> you can watch the video at mi website http://www.guitar.cl/ front page, and well, we're remodeling and trying to finally launch it more officially, damn day job!!!)

If I had my Signa Drives Stolen I'd talk to cops immediately coz they would be the only (I guess) ones around in Chile, so they'll be easy to find and recognize. If not, I'd order another one without hesitation.

Lots of friends that already listen to them had liked a lot these pedals, of course they won't tell you right away or even show any envy, but due to, it's a matter of taste, my sound it's probably (and hopefully) a sound that no one would try to get or devote to, I'm so thankful for not being a "role model" that it makes me happy.

The Signa Drive is really an (quoting a friend) "organic" Overdrives, it does not color your sound (which is good or bad, depending on what you are looking for) and they respect the tone you've got from your guitar to your amp. Quoting a friend "They sound so "clear" that I do not like them"

TubeScreames and their series are a great option in the market (well, some of them) but once again, I was looking forward to not getting the "latest fashion in tastes and sound".

Enough said, there's no "direct comparison" with other pedals around, Boss ones have major design problems that could be avoided from factory (I guess it's their trademark nowadays), most pedals aren't TBP (snobby or not, It's better to have one that is TBP just in case) and many of them just can't get right, they are "almost there" but never a "click, tweak and play" kind of pedals, you always have to expend a great amount of time and combine them to get the sound you are pleased to.

If I had to wish anything that it's not in the pedal, it'd be substituting the mini switch for 2 more 3dpdts' but c'mon!!! It???d be a massive pedal!!! No one likes mammoth sized pedals, in that case, get a rack!!!!

Very easy to use. No bad settings from this pedal. If your amp sounds good, this pedal makes your amp sound amazing.

Sound is superb. I have an FULLTONE OCD and it is in the same concept (to my ears) but has a more amp quality to it and can produce a better texture. This is a VERY well balanced tone, good mid spank with balanced highs and lows. WAAAY more balanced than any other overdrive that I have. Sounds better than any Hot Cake, TS, OCD, Fulldrive and so forth. THE best Overdrive.

Chad is an amazing guy, he will assist you with everything. I have worked with a few companies mainly Fulltone and they have become a washed up corporate company who doesn't return emails! This guy does it right and wants his customers happy and is very passionate about what he does.

Like I said, better than any other Overdrive out there and I have quite a few boutique pedals. If you are on the fence about it, get it. He is such a great customer oriented guy who knows his tone and what to get you set up with.

this pedal is awesome. 3 switchable tone settings.. 3 nobs... and very very easy to dial in good tone. in fact.. its very very difficult to find anything raspy or fizzy out of this baby. kicks the fulldrive and all other ts type pedals out of the park. i play it along side my BoR. great combo.

im a church player mainly... which equates to pop rock / alternative / indie .. into slower melodic stuff.. and then lead stuff, etc.

my setup is a strat with lil 59ers.. Buddawah> DubtronicsComp> CMA TMODS Signa >ZvexBoR >CusackScreamerFUzz> AffectronixUniphabrato> BossDD5> Line6Echopark> into a Goldentone Reverbmaster.

If i needed one pedal for a gig, this would be it. it can easily switch from high gain drive to med-low cleans with a bit of bite with a flick of a switch. very good. very very quiet.

solid as bricks.

i sent em an email to say thanks for the fantastic pedal, and got a reply within 12hrs with a manuel attached. very happy.

buy one.
IMO and experience its better than:
Ibanez ts9
Fulltone Fulldrive
Tubezone

Its very similar to the
Dubtronics Tubescreamin
HBE powerscreamer..

obviously just without the boost option. but it holds its own in terms of the extra gain.

Very easy to use. Three knobs, gain, tone, and volume with a three way toggle switch for different gains.

Right off the bat, I started to remind me of an old late 70's Marshall MKII master volume head that I used to own thru my Fender amp in the way it was dirty but yet clean. That old Marshall had a certain something and this pedal is very close to that. It responds to pick attack and the guitars volume knob extremely well. Pick hard and the notes come thru big and bad. Pick softly and each note has a very nice fullness with sustain. Back the guitar volume knob down and even at the highest gai setting, it cleans up very nicely.

The pedal is built very well. I would have no problem gigging with it.

If anyone that is reading this has not bought anything from Chad, you are missing out big time. Let me tell you the story of World Class customer support I again recieved from Mr. Matthews here. I emailed Chad on Sat. afternoon about the Signa Drive. He responded in less than one hour!! I purchased the pedal after reading his email response and sent him an email back stating it would be cool to get this before Fathers Day, the next weekend. He sent me an email the next day stating his employee went in on Sunday to build my Signa Drive and he would be shipping it out on Tuesday after he put the lettering on it. I recieved it on Thursday, plenty of time before the weekend. Now, I don't know of any other pedal builder anywhere that would take care of his customers in the the way Chad did for me. Chad has a customer for life in me.

This pedal has to be one of the best sounding medium gain pedals out there, no kidding. It responds so well and does so many things so nicley, it will get tons of use from me and every gig. It is not a metal pedal and I am so glad of that. It has enough gain to sound huge but, each pickup setting on my Strat sounds like it should. Very nice balance in tonality, mids are not overly done, treble is not spikey, and bass does not get flabby sounding at all. If you play classic rock, ex. Deep Purple, Zepplin, ZZ Top, etc. This is the sound.

This is Chad's latest OD pedal and it rocks.
Pretty easy to use. Volume, Gain, Tone and a three way switch.
The three way switch determines the clipping and varies the available gain and volume a little.
Not a bad sound in this pedal!

I can set this up in a variety of ways, clean boost, phat boost, dirty boost, always on. OD, light Crunch, heavy crunch. If you bring your amp towards break up, you can go into metal land.
I've used this pedal with Single coils and P-90s (Imagining humbuckers gives me shivers there is a lot on tap!)
The sounds just keep being amazing, lively and full. Pedal isn't noisy at all and of course it is true bypass.
I've played this into my Maven Peal Zeeta and a Wreck Clone and a Princeton Reverb.
One difference with the Signa Comp-Drive - The three way switch alters the OD and Volume realm much more then with the Signa Comp-Drive

So far totally reliable. I've had other pedals from Chad and they last!

Chad is a tone nut and great to talk to and ask questions, very responsive.

I play worship at church and I go from needing light stuff to liven up the sound to heavy duty stuff to catch some of those Hillsongs like tunes. Great pedal, does it all in the full OD realm, the only pedal that trumps this pedal .. is his Signa Comp-Drive (because it adds the compressor side!)
Stolen ... I'd get another right away.
I've compared this to a ClinchFX Mosfet classic, Gaspedal Carb and the Tubeslammer. The tubeslammer is left in the dust. The other two are great pedals for what they do, but the Signa Drive can cover both of those areas! Amazing pedal.
Oh and it stacks well with other pedals
(You'll see similar raves about the Signa Comp-Drive because I have both)

This is super easy to use. it is only 3knobs and a toggle switch. There is no manual one isnt needed. This is about the size of a boss pedal and it runs on a batery or an adapter.

This is where this pedal shines! I have several CMATMODS pedals and all of his dirt boxes. I have the Buttah, Brownie, Tube Slammer and the Tube Slammer Deluxe. These are all great pedals and have been on my board but the new signa drive can do what all of these pedals can do except it doesnt get as much gain as the Brownie it is an OD and the Brownie is a Distortion.

When I first plugged in this pedal I left in on the settings Chad had it on and man I thought here is the sound I have been looking for it is perfect! Then I started playing with the knobs and the switch and there is every kind of OD you can imagine in it and then some. A friend has a Landgraff OD and he played this and after some prying it finally admitted it was better and he would have to get one. Like I told him $140 for a truebypass pedal that sounds as great as this one is a STEAL! These pedals will have to go way up in price they are that good. I have never played a Klon but my friend with the Langraff has and he said the Landgraff was better than the Klon and he hated to admit it but the signa drive is better. This is the best value I have found. I have several CMATMODS pedals and this one is just amazing!

This pedal does the clean boost very good and it does the tube amp breakup thing good and then it goes further it has ample gain on hand and like Chad says it does the Marshall cruch thing very well. I have a Cmatmods signa comp and I plugged both into my Plexi and with the amp breaking up I had so much gain and the most sustain that I have ever heard! Chad has a new pedal with both effects in it called the comp drive or something and that is my next purchase!

I have had several of Chads pedals and the only problem I ever had was I plugged in the wrong adapter in the tube slammer and fried it. I told Chad and he offered to pay for the shipping even though it was my fault. I paid to ship it to him he fixed it for free and sent it back on his dime. I would trust Chads pedals without a back up as long as I dont do something stupid.

I have emailed Chad a million times with a million questions he has always got back to me promptly and he has always been profesional and coutreous. CMATMODS is my pedal company!

I have been playing for 28yrs and I gig about 3 times a week. I have owned pedals from everyone and most of my pedals are CMATMODS. This really has taken my tone to the next level. I cant wait for the next pedal