CMATMODS TubeSlammer

Easy as pie to get great tone from this pedal. No manual needed-couldn't be easier to use. Spend a few minutes with it and get the feel of various settings, then you are on your way.

I've been playing for 45 years and cut my teeth on Clapton and Page. If you are looking for a fuzzbox, this isn't it. However, if you like the Beano sound Clapton had on the Yardbirds album or you like Robben Ford or you like Stevie Ray or Scott Henderson, this pedal can help you get there. This pedal lets your guitar tone come through without drowning you in a sea of noise. Crisp OD that cleans up nicely when you turn down your guitar volume, this pedal is better than my Analogman-modded TS-9 and I use it all of the time. I primarily use the channel-switching capability of my Rivera Fandango to get from clean to dirty but this pedal gives me another sound option that I find myself taking on a pretty regular basis. As I stated in my review of the cmatmods signa comp, the guys who put these things together have a good ear for tone and music. It's one thing to be a techie and duplicate a vintage circuit, capacitor-by- capacitor. It's another thing to go through trial and error until you get the right sound. That is what the cmatmods people seem to do and it works-a much more musical pedal than the run of the mill stuff you find from the mass-producers or even the boutique companies who don't have the benefit of having a gifted set of ears in the house. I was surprised to read EC's comments about this unit. It's actually nice to see some dissenting views on the HC boards-sometimes I wonder if all of the reviews are being written by the folks who make the pedals or by starry-eyed newbies who feel like it has to be good because they bought it. None-the-less, I respectfully disagree and suspect he got a bad box.

Nice neat work on the inside and as per the maker, top quality components so I suspect it will be around for a while. Too soon to tell however.

Again, too soon to tell. I suspect the company will back their product. I'm not one to be sending a gaggle of e-mails to the head honcho trying to be his new pen-pal. I don't have a thousand questions about a box with 2 knobs on it. It's a plug and play thing.

I play classic rock. This pedal suits my style of playing. If it were stolen, I'd buy another because I'm rich. Pricing on these things is very reasonable considering what you are getting.

This pedal is very easy to use. It doesn't come with a manual but it doesn't need one. You have Level, Gain, and Tone. They all do what you think they should.

This is without a doubt the best overdrive pedal I've ever used. I own a real TS 808 and this one puts the real thing to shame. The gain from this pedal is very smooth and organic sounding. It sounds more like tube overdrive than my tonebone pedal that uses a real 12AX7 tube.

My main use for this pedal is to try and control the overdrive I was getting from my 1966 Fender Bassman. I keep the all the way down turn the level half way up then I adjust the tone control to fit the song I'm playing. This does a great job smoothing out my amps tone which on its own would be very fizzy with wild highs and mushy lows. This pedal brings it all under control and I love it.


is pedal she came down and asked me if I had done more mods to my amp because it sounded so much better than it ever had before.

This pedal is dead quiet

I havent had any trouble with it yet.

When I was ordering this I had special shipping needs. He was was happy to work with me. He is quick to respond to emails and very freindly.

I play blues, classic rock, Jazz, grunge, and alternative. This pedal is a very good match for all those types of music. I also play a little bit of metal and hard rock. This pedal would be ok for some hard rock, but not good for metal.

I've been playing for about 9 years. I started late in life so I'm not the greatest player in the world, but I do have an ear for tone. I'm a luthier that makes acoustic and electric guitars as well as electric guitar pickups so I have to have an ear for what sounds good. It's my job.

If it were stolen or lost I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

I love everything about it. It's not a swiss army pedal that does a little bit of everything but doesn't do anything well. This is a very simple pedal that is made to do 1 thing and it does it flawlessly. It has no real "features" other than it does it's job very well.

volume,tone,gain,simple and very effective.no bad sounds anywhere in each knobs range!

great natural and organic sound.as all drive pedals i run the tone all the way off nothin wrong with the pedal as i do this with the ocd, mi audio blues pro,its just me and my ears.works great with the afor mentioned pedals.the ocd and tube slammer together and i can be notriani!the slammer alone was just what i was lookin.

built extra well and do gig with it.

Chad was fast and freindly and professional

I will be geting his delay pedal and want a butah from Chad

Not hard to figure out - three knobs - volume, tone, and gain. No manual but not really needed. Definitely a dynamic pedal and responses to subtle changes with the tone and gain. Lots of fun to use!

Very responsive and sounds great at any setting. Even with the tone knob turned down, it never gets dark but almost a vox sound - deep and full. Definitely not a high gain pedal but all the gain is usable, and when using the guitar volume there are lots of possibilities with this pedal. Using an American Ash Tele into a Fender Twin Reverb and couldn't be happier with the sonic quality of this pedal - it's outstanding! Highly recommend!

Well built and no concern with dependability. Chad builds his pedals to last. I bought this Tube Slammer used but it is in like new condition - no worries.

I have got a few pedals from Chad now and he is simply a great guy to deal with.

Been trying out pedals for about 18 months now looking for the right tone and all the CMATMODS stuff is about the best I've tried at any price. Great value and awesome tone!

Tube Screamer type pedal but without the midrange hump. The paint job is horrible!

I don't find this pedal to be anything special. It seems to "fart out" like a tube amp with too much bass. Too muddy sounding for my taste. If I had been able to try it in a store, I would have never bought it.

I would only use this at a gig if my other pedals went bad.

Chad seems friendly. The shipping was fast. There are no directions with this unit. (I know it is simple to use but a couple of sample settings would have been nice.)

I am sorry that I bought it and I really don't even want to sell it on ebay to someone else. I think this is another example of the "you get what you pay for" rule. I have some other pedals from Keeley and Xotic. They do cost more than this but they have a quality about them that is lacking in this unit. I have been playing for over 35 years and I have played through and owned many pedals so my review may be a little more critical than some others. But I think that is what HC is all about. If you are really picky about your tone, trying before you buy would be a good idea.

Just three knobs, volume tone and gain. Very easy.

I played a Jazzmaster through the pedal with no other effects. I used a vintage blackface Fender Twin Reverb.

I was shocked at how cool this inexpensive pedal sounded. Smooth distortion, perfect for the blues.

I also find it to be extremely quiet with my Twin.

It seems very reliable. But I haven't had it long.

I haven't had a need for support yet.

I got this pedal after hearing the audio samples on the cmatmods web site. I really liked the samples and the pedal sounds just like them.

This is great match for blues. After I got this pedal, I quickly sold my analogman modded Maxon OD-9 and my Blues Driver...so I made money on the deal. :)

The only thing I wish it had was some kind of identifying logo/look of some kind. It's just a silver box with the knobs and jacks labelled. No way of knowing who made it or where it came from. But I'm sure that helps keep the cost down so I shouldn't complain. :)

Simple as can be. 3 knobs (volume, gain, tone). Each has a wide range which makes it particularly useful.

The following setup was used: A Fender Custom Shop American Classic Telecaster, CMATMOD RossComp (you have to get one of these too!), CMATMOD TubeSlammer, Boutique Mod Boss SD-1, Electrosonic Redneck handwired tube amp (check this guy out too!). This pedal is dead quiet compared to my stock and modded Boss SD-1 pedals. True Bypass means super clear tone when the effect is off. Checked it against the following pedals: various stock and modded Boss overdrive pedals (SD-1, BD-2, etc), Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde, TS-9. This thing kills them all. The gain is smooth and musical, slightly transparent, and responds to picking dynamics incredibly. No way to make it sound bad or artificial - go ahead, try.

Built like a tank. Heavy duty project box. Positive click switch. Inside is held down tight. I can only guess that this will be a no-fail pedal.

I've left enough glowing comments about Chad, but I need to revisit them for a second. He is one of the few guys out there who stands behind everything he does. I originally ordered a Brownie pedal, but it was the wrong pedal for my needs. Without hesitation, he took it back and traded for teh Slammer. How cool is that? He's the man!

I'm playing in a cover band, doing everything from Disco to Country to Hard Rock and modern Metal. It's enough to make your head spin. So when you find a single pedal that does 95% of that job without anything else, it's a Godsend. Been playing 29 years. I'd buy another in a blink of an eye if this were lost or stolen. What do I love about it? The tone tone tone! What do I dislike? The only thing that these pedals don't have is a lo profile. They'er a bit taller than an MXR pedal. Is that bad? Not really - just wanted to think of everything I could here. Hands down the best overdrive I've run into. Check this guy out - he's quick, professional, and super nice. Buy one of these now, and other guitarists will be looking at you wondering where you got that saound.

Classic three knob configuration, volume, tone, drive. Some have a mini toggle for a second diode stage that's a little tighter and compressed. It's about as simple as it gets.

It's quite....no white noise. It does amplify the n60 cycle hum on single coil guitars..... but folks that is the guitar causing that... not the pedal.

To get a very musical tone.... just turn it on.... there are no bad sounds...... none of this "I had to play with it and after about 30 minutes I dialed in a good tone". It's a medium gain boost... suited to blues, light to classic rock and anything requiring a smooth overdriven tone. It is in the Tubescreamer vein..but with a little more available gain and with more bass response...

Seems well built. I opened it up and it has high quality parts.... I think it should last for many years.

OK....I've never met Chad or for that matter talked to him on the phone. We have had however extensive E-mail correspondance. I can say that when it comes to customer support...nobody..and I mean NOBODY... is any better than Chad. He will do whatever is neccessary... and then some to support his customer. I own a couple of his pedals and had an issue with one (beyond his control and a long story) and Chad saw to it that I was taken care of.... in fact well taken care of. He gets the big 10 from me and it were possible I'd give him a 20.

I've been at it over 40 years and play a little of everthing, but I am mainly a blues and rock type player. Eric Clapton tries to sound like me a lot. I've got a lot of stuff.... from some old classics like an old 335 and some vintage amps to some modern boutique stuff. I think the Tube Slammer is one of the best pedals I've ever played. It is my main "go to" overdrive pedal on my board.

What an amazing effects pedal. It's real easy to dial in great tones. It's even cgot a comp/cut. No manual needed. Just tinker till you get "that" sound.

I'm still pinching myself. All these hi-dollar FX pedals and this one stands out! I'm running a MIA strat>HBEgermicde>Tubeslammer>CPR>RedWitchMoonPhaser>HRdeluxe.
I love the thick/airish milky tones!

Built Like a tank....all hi grade materials

No need as of yet but i';m sure Chad's approachable.

This is a follow up on my previous review posting.

Chad offered to swap my Tube Slammer to give me one with more high end and indeed this one nails it (no extra charges) more high end, tighter OD. Awesome!

Chad is not only has the knowledge to get the right tone out of the pedal, he's great in delivering support and fast. Swapped my pedal out for free to one that was more in my tonal region.
Awesome!

I am sure to follow the stuff this guy comes out with, so far it has all been awesome.
This guy delivers the best bang for your buck!