Danelectro DD-1 Fab Tone

takes a while to get a hang of how to get all the sounds out of this pedal, but once you figure it out its not too hard.

the volume knob on my guitar became my best friend after getting this pedal, it takes the balls out distortion the pedal ALWAYS dishes out and mellows it out plenty. just turn the know to about 2-3 and you get a VERY clear, crunchy overdrive with excellent string to string definition

easy to get a good angus young sound out of, easier to get a heavy metal sound.

i used this pedal with a epi g-400 through some crappy solid state amp, and it sounded fantastic, maybe i'm crazy, but i love the treble this thing puts out.

i keep the volume about 9 o'clock, bass and FAB at noon and the treble at 3, very good for everything i play (classic rock to metal)
with my amp i have the settings at bass 1/2 mid 1/2 treble 3/4.

this sounds better than any distortion pedal i've ever plugged into.

i'd never gig without a backup, but i dont really think it'd break.

never had a problem

almost perfect, the pots need more resistance, and i wish it had a mid knob, but other than that...

Very easy to use. Watch that volume knob! It's VERY sensitive. I keep mine at 25% all the time.

My guitar is a Carvin Bolt with Mahogony body and ebony neck with a wilkinson trem. Pickups are Seymour Duncan Invader bridge, hotrails mid and Duckbucker neck. Amp is a Peavey classic 50 212.

The effect is noisy with a rushing waterfall sound if you turn the Fab control (drive) up past 75% or so, but it's pretty silent below that setting.

This pedal does not seem to be terribly versatile on it's surface. The distortion is kind of harsh but it's thick and it has tons of attitude. The control for the highs gets kind of scratchy and harsh as it's turned up. The highs are muddled a bit and articulation is lacking on the higher notes of full chords. I used to keep the highs setting on the lower settings until I modded the clipping circuit to get asymetrical clipping out of it to tame the harshness of the pedal. The knob for the lows gets muddy if you turn it up too much, but you can get lots of bottom end before you reach that point and there is a bit of room to move the knob for different sounds. The gain on the fab control starts at high and works it's way into a heavily saturated sound with tons of gain very quickly. If you drop the volume of the guitar down to almost nothing, the pedal does get a more brown sound and you can even get a very tube-like dynamic clean to dirty sound by varying how hard you hit the strings. The clipping isn't as smooth as a tube would be, so it's a little harsh, but it's not terribly bad sounding. Getting very tube-like dynamics out of the Fab-Tone is unusual for a solid state pedal if you ask me.

This thing is built like a tank. I forsee no problems with it and I've had it for roughly 6 years. If anything breaks, I'll fix it myself. It's a bear to take apart and put together however. You have to damned near break the input/output board in half to get the thing apart. Well made with good components (except some ceramic caps I saw that might need to be replaced).

Haven't needed any help thus far.

I play blues, hard rock, metal and nu-metal. This pedal is a good match for the metal and nu-metal stuff I play. With some twiddling, it can be versatile and it does simulate a ferocious heavily saturated tube distortion quite well. If you work those knobs enough, you can find some useful sounds.

The pedal is loaded with JMC 4558D chips, which are the current versions of the chip that is in the fabled tube screamer circuit. Some people swear that the new ones suck and maybe they do. Analog man says they are the same thing and test out the same and he built custom tube screamers for Trey. It's all in the ears of the beholder and my ears like this pedal.

The sound is the only thing that matters to me, though reliability is important and should be considered. Ease of use is NOT a concern for me. If you want easy, play the friggin autoharp.

very easy to use, control and application wise...

every sound can be used... they all sound good.... everything from tube screamer subtlety to harsher than fuzz face... all of the suggested settings even sound like the things they are supposed to( i like that it doesnt name names: alternatives= kurt cobains turbodist.,b.b.kings overdreive, evh's brown sound, hendrixs fuzz, and so forth).... i am using this with an Electar century 60, a Randall Rg200, danelecto metal dist.,vibrato,phaser, flanger, chorus, Fabtone( in that order, in effects loop from return to send,) and various customized electrics(more often than not Strat rip offs, chiseled out and fitted with a humbucker(seymour duncan)...

its metal, but knobs are plastic, its heavy and has warranty, so i feel it reliable

dont know yet, and hope not to find out....

goddamned fantastic

It's very easy to use. Volume, bass, treble and fab for a minimal amount of gain control. It's very easy to get a good sound out of it. The manual
seemed pointless with its simplicity but when I read the settings for different distortions it gives I understood the pedal a LOT more. Powered by a 9 volt battery with room for a spare in the battery compartment or you can use a wall wart.

The sound quality is excellent but limited. Don't get me wrong it can dial in a number of sounds but for the most part it's a heavy metal grind. The volume doesn't much raise the volume after 9 o'clock it just fattens from that point on. The bass and treble do so9mething kind of odd but useful when you set them at borderline max or minimum. The bass on full becomes very thick and somewhat muddy but can be counter balanced by turning the treble to zero. The treble on close too full becomes very overdriven and begins to break up and distorts on full but both are usefull on these settings by reducing the fab(gain). This is where you will get the blues sounds it can actually produce but you will definately need to EQ on your amp. The fab gives a very limited amount of control over the gain but does work well in conjunction with the also odd way the volume works. It's a VERY odd functioning pedal. VERY good for metal and along those lines and when ya mess with it it actually delivers a solid blues gain. Mostly a modern rock or metal pedal though. It's very similar to the DOD Deth Metal pedal but not near as noisy. However it is noisy and if your pickups are microphonic you'll find out right away. Sounds very much like tube emulation used on most solid state amps now days.(makes a wimpy amp into a metal beast) I bought this pedal for beefing up my classic styled/sound practice amp and it does it VERY well. It will likely see most use in my car though. It could use a mid control though and more control over the gain and volume. With its setbacks it gets a 6, but it does sound very good giving a ton of sustain and a very fat sound.

The most solid pedal I've ever owned. VERY heavy duty and well very heavy for that matter. Weighs probably 2 lbs or so. Never perform without a backup!!! I just got it so time will tell.

Haven't dealt with them and I hope I don't have to.

Overall I'm pretty happy. It clips well like a tube amp does and sounds just as good. Though it has a some weird functions for producing other types of sounds beyond metal it still performs well. Besides, I bought it for a metal sounding distortion. The sound is very fat through the audio spectrum. No thinning out in the treble or bass and you can pull a mid sounding gain out of it once you learn its operation methods(funky EQ settings/reactions. bass near max treble on zero and fab trimmed back). It's much like a death metal pedal but much better. It gives you tons of sustain and has a lot of gain. It isn't TOO versatile but if your good with equipment you can get the sound you need for most any type of music. If you want a more classic amp style versatile gain then go with the Daddy O. I wish it gave more control over the volume and gain and there was also a mid EQ but it is as I said a metal or rock pedal. For the money I would buy it again.With all of it's qualities and minor setbacks I give it an 8.

Well, it's a pretty standard distortion pedal my only complaint is with them calling the drive level the "fab" but thats not realy anything to care about

ok I was playing this pedal through my friends JCM 800 through the low gain channel with the pre turned up pretty high so it was just starting to distort, with the bas on the amp cranked up full and the thing sounded beautiful, I was realy realy impressed with the tone of the thing, I've also played it through a fender valve amp (I forget the model) and it was pretty nice through that to, though a little bit to harsh

well, no problems to far the whole thing seems built pretty solidly though I am abit worried about the actual pedal because it's more of a button and I'm not sure if it'll last so long

I play what would I guess most fit into the catagory of "nu-metal" though it probably crosses abit with punk rock at times and the high gain but still tonned sound of this pedal is great for it.

Definately a pedal I'll keep in my collection, probably the most tone I've heard in a high gain pedal!

I found this pedal to posses delightfully usable and effective ranges on the knobs. I played this thing till my ears hurt and I got so many sounds out of it. Got a lot of good and new sounds from the unit.

I got different results with different amps and different pickup types, good and bad, but it all depended on my settings on the knobs.

I could get a mesa style scoop sound with single coils and humbuckers by tweeking a little. JCM 800 crunch sounds with a little experimenting. Even got a convincing DUMBLE Overdrive sound out of it.

Finally went to the ROLAND JC-120 so there would be little amp coloring the effect. Got a lot of sound from it. This is definitely the most versatile "distortion" effect I currently own.

The "FAB"(distortion) starts off at fairly high distortion and goes to insane at full adjustment. Wish it started off with less distortion...more like an overdrive would be nice.

Built pretty rugged and heavy. I wouldn't step on the knobs though.

NA

My personal tastes are that if I want distortion, I'll crank the gain on the TUBE amp. There is nothing like an powerfull tube amp in overdrive for killer tone. These effects boxes do offer some interesting texturing to alter and "spice up" your tone.

Overall, this amazed me as to its adjustability and varied range of tone. Could simulate a lot of different high gain amp sounds with it. Get one or borrow one and don't be afraid to monkey with the knobs to find out what it is capable of. This pedal has a lot of magic in it!

My preference is for "high end" overdrive pedals to boost the soloing but most distortion units can be "manipulated down" to overdrive type performance. This pedal could be coaxed down for a "Tubescreamer" at full gain type sound.

Pretty straight forward if you have ever used a stompbox before. The "Fab" control is the amount of distortion I guess. No manual.. bought bargain basement.

I am using a Fender 50th Anniversary American Std. Plus and a DeArmond Jetstar set-neck through my board and into either my Crate Vintage Club that has been retubed with JJ's or a vintage Kalamazoo Reverb 12. As far as noise goes, this thing has so much volume on tap that it scared me the first time I turned it on. Because if the tremendous volume boost, any noise your amp or guitar already makes (slight humming from strat pu's in my case) is going to be amplified greatly. Other than that, I can't really tell if this thing makes any noise on its own. It seems reasonably quiet. The distortion is most suited to high gain sounds. Period. Don't get this if you want a smooth jazz/blues sound. The distortion sounds best when you've got enough volume to make the speakers overdrive a little. When the amp is turned down, the distortion lacks bass and body.

That being said, it sounds killer when I have the amp at small/medium gig volume and I roll back the treble on both the amp and the pedal. I have 10" speakers and they accentuate the high end on this little guy. I keep treble at about 8-10 o'clock, the knobs seem to be very sensitive... not overly sensitive, but they provide a lot of range. The "Fab" control doesn't do anything but increase the distortion. At minimal settings, there is a slight growl kind of crunch to the sound. Anything higher than 12 o'clock and its all pretty much the same. The pedal sustains well at high volumes, partly because of all the compression happening. A tubescreamer set at mild gain and volume does a nice job of making the pedal sustain for days.

I didn't even hear this before I bought it so I wasn't trying to get a particular sound, it was just on sale. But I needed a high gain pedal anyway. As far as I know, it doesn't really sound like anyone out there. It is very different.

This thing is pretty solid; very heavy, knobs are plastic though... as long as you aren't flailing your foot around you should be fine. It could def take a drop or two I think.

Never dealt with them... don't think I ever would for the $40 I paid.

I play whatever I want. I kind of got in a rut as far as my sound goes so I decided to pick up a few pedals and see if I inspire myself. I have been playing for 11 years now and I don't really sell any of my gear. If stolen, I would probably think about picking up a new one, but I would shop around. For what these go on eBay they are a steal for people looking to do what I did. I wish it was true bypass and I wish the knobs were metal. Other than that, the only thing I can say is that there are TONS of pedals out on the market. If you don't like the sound of one, then get another. I think I'll hang on to this one for a while.

4 knobs. VOLUME, BASS, TREBLE, and FAB (DISTORTION). You put your foot on the switch and thats the sound you are gonna get.
Easy as pie.
Firstly, about the high treble thing everyone mentions: the FABTONE is a 'vintage distortion' this means it is the sound of a TUBE AMP cranked up beyond belief saturating the preamp tubes to get 'that' sound. Before distortion pedals were invented this was the only way to get distortion. Today however, we play at more sedate volumes using our little effect units. PIFF!
The high treble is EXACTLY how a tube amp overdrives. You get a glittery sheen to the top end which you need to compensate for by reducing the treble on your amp. I know this cos Ive played my amp with my volume on 10. the treble gets harsher the louder I turn up.

Im running this into a 70's Marshall SUPER BASS JMP head, using a 4x12 cab loaded with Celestion Greenbacks (aching for the Vintage30s!). Yes its a TUBE amp, and thats what makes all the difference kiddies. Forget about using this in a solid state gizmo. It will sound shoddy.

Now, there are 2 ways I use the pedal:
1. Bass pretty high, almost full. Treble way low , almost zero. VOLUME matched to clea tone volume.
FAB is zero or just over for a little bit of extra sustain. Oh, and nope you DONT get more distortion if you crank the FAB knob. JUst more saturation...the only way to get LESS distortion is reducing the volume INTO the pedal (use a volume pedal or volume knob on your axe)
2. Same settings but with pedal VOLUME FULL! Yep, this is where this baby excels. It has a nice little amp inside it which cranks out some good volume. I use this to overdrive my preamp tubes that little bit and the word tone starts taking on its meaning. Believe me, this rocks!

I would say the pedal doesnt have 'enough' of the distortion i like using method 1, but its ok for practise. Using method 2, things sound like a MESA boogie etc etc. Full on shred.
Im using Dimarzio DUAL SOUND pickups (same output as SUPER DISTORTION) so the pedal is taking a lot of volume into it.

Yep, its built ALL METAL. i WAS disappointed with the silver plastic knobs though. If they were metal or aluminium, this thing would be BEAUTIFUL. Take a look at the ZOOM TRIMETAL, or HYPERLEAD pedal. thats an allmetal pedal.

no need for any yet. dont think there will be

I play hardcore. Kinda like SNAPCASE, EARTH CRISIS. Heavy solid and clear. Playing for over 10 years now.
I would buy it again, but MIIIIGHT wanna try out the IBANEZ turbo tube screamer first.
What I love about it, is the quick and easy tone, you dont have to fiddle with settings to get somewhere. It only has ONE sound. Set your bass and treble and thats that. done.
I was thinking about the Zoom Hyper Lead. But was mightily disappointed in its companion the tri metal (3 stage gain) which was very fizzy si gave it a miss.
I wish it had a MIDDLE control. Those mid frequencies need to be scooped. I cant see the possibility of using an EQ after this thing cos that will rob it of its volume, and sound. I tried putting it into a multi-effects unit and just using its EQ there, but it sounded terrible, so Im doing some EQ before the FABTONE.
It definitely is the best sounding pedal I have ever heard. It DOES help me make music. it rocks.

I found it very easy to get some good sounds ive had it for a couple years and im still finding new sounds

ive had it for a couple years and im still finding new sounds like a very low bass for like a punk sound and you can also put bass in for a harder rock perfect for what i play, i use it with my fender strat my gibson les paul my gibson sg and also occasionally a jackson dinky dk 2 and also a Marshall jcm 900 50 watt high gain dual reverd run through a marshall 4x12 cabinet ... it can be quite noisy like it makes these very strange noises if you accidently bump the adapter but you usually dont so it really isnt a problem. me and my band play alot of punk rock

ive depended on it for every single gig ive done and every gig ive done i havent needed anything else.

...

This is a effects pedal that was my first dan elctro effects pedal it is perfect for what i use it for great with a tube amp... this pedal has had mixed reveiws but im giving it a good one
ROCK AND ROLL!!!

It's easy to use if you don't have an ear for tone. But if you do, don't buy this pedal.

I have tried this pedal with every setup imaginable and can't seem for the life of me to get good tone. I never have tried it with a nice tube amp though, so I don't know there. I adds alot of noise and has a popping noise when you turn it on. I keep the distortion setting all the way down for a blast of toneless fuzz.

You'd think something metal and this heavy would be reliable. But once again it fails in this catagory too. I've to take it apart and fix a short twice in the three years I've had it. The knobs are really cheap and flimsy and the jacks are crap. I'd never use it on a gig because I'd never want anyone thinking I sound that bad.

N/A

Overall, I'm warning anyone looking at this pedal not to buy it. It's a toneless piece of crap. It would serve better as a hammer. And if you think I'm a totally negetive person, read my reviews of the Marshall Drivemaster (a real distortion pedal) or the Boss TU-2 Stage Tuner. It's not me, it's the pedal.