DigiTech Bad Monkey

Beyond easy - - this pedal has just four knobs and each one really produces a wide range of effect. The truly incredible thing about these knobs is that once set, they seem to 'stick' in place - - no other way to describe it - - they just stay there and seem to get 'stickier' the longer you leave them in the one place. I love that because it means you don't have to worry too much about the knobs changing position. The other thing that's cool is the way the battery is changed, you just push in the detent bar on one side of the pedal and the whole thing just lifts off revealing the battery - - means you can change batteries beteen songs in about 30 seconds. However, the battery lasts forever. I've done four gigs of about 3 hours total playing time for each gig and the battery still has some juice left (I always pull out the input jack between sets).
The pedal is real heavy as well so it just sits there like a good pooch and barks when asked. And what a name - - Bad Monkey - - cracks me up!

Man this pedal is just wonderful. I've been a dedicated Tubescreamer TS-9 user since Noah was a boy and have also spent a bit of time with another good pedal by Boss called OD-3, but this pedal takes it all one step further. I use a 57 Reissue Strat which generally sounds a little thin and that's where this amazing pedal, with it's awesome bass boost, really kicks in and gives the old Strat a big, fat sound that gets better the more you crank it up. I A/B'd the TS-9 and OD-3 with the Bad Monkey and wondered how I ever got on without the Bad Monkey - - the TS-9/OD-3 both sounds great but still a little thin and lifeless next to the Bad Monkey.
There's one thing I discovered by accident which is if you use a Bad Monkey for your basic backing crunch (and blues solos) and combine this with one of Digitech's other pedals called a Hot Rod (X series) then you really do have tone heaven. The Hot Rod is just amazing as well because it has a 'Morph' feature that lets you change the distortion/overdrive from real full creamy sound to more of a scooped sound. Anyhow, I now use them both so my setup is a standard American 57 Reissue Strat > Bad Monkey > Hot Rod > Fender DSP 90 amp. BTW, Fender's DSP 90 amp is a tranny but I dare anyone to tell the difference between it and the best tube amps when using its clean channel. Pure bliss!
For a Strat, set the level about 10 o'clock (same as straight thru), bass and treble on 2 o'clock and drive on 'fwat out' (is there any other setting?. This will really make your Strat sound great. On the rare occasion that I use my Les Paul, I just pull the bass back to 12 noon - - that's it.

This pedal is built like a brick shit-house and no doubt will survive just about anything. They are so frickin cheap that I'll just buy another one for use as a backup though having used the little green dude for over 30 trouble-free gigs, I've never had the slightest problem. Oh yeah, it's as quiet as a mouse.
With regard to some other reviewers points, my Bad Monkey seems to clean up real well when I back of the volume so no problemo there. You have to remember that not all volume pots are the same. Fender's pots reallly drop off around '7' whereas a Gibson needs to be on about 2 or 3 to be the same so it's all horses for courses really.

I'll have to wait for the next nucleoid war before I have to get DigiTech to service this little monkey.

I've been playing for over 25 years and play mainly contemporary rock and blues - - a lot of SRV, Cream, Purple, GNR etc etc and that's where this pedal and it's tougher brother the Hot Rod really work so well together. I've collected over 56 pedals in my life, mainly distortion pedals, trying to find 'that' tone and at last, I can stop buying these things. Woo-Hoo! I'm gonna save up for a yacht now (probably cheaper than all the pedals I bought).
If someone stole it I guess I'd just mosy along and look for someone leaning up against a wall panting for breath - - they weigh a ton!

Easy to use. Love having separate Hi and Lo knobs instead of a single Tone knob. Easy to dial in good settings quickly and the manual is helpful in getting started.

American Fender Strat > Ibanez WD7 Wah > Bad Monkey > MXR Phase 90 > Tech21 Trademark 60

or

Strat > WD7 > Magicstomp > TM60 or HotRod Deluxe

Depends on what I'm playing and who with.

The Bad Monkey is an excellent tube overdrive with very warm tones and slight distortions, which is exactly what I look for. I prefer it to my TubeScreamer in most situations for that extra boost at solo time. This box gives you a little more edge. Some have said it doesn't clean up when rolling back the guitar volume, but it works great for me.

I usually use this box when playing with straight blues groups. I use the MagicStomp in its place when with classic rock groups to avoid taking a box full of stomp boxes. (See my review of the Magicstomp.)

I don't really look for sounds of other artists, but am in a perpetual tweaking mode of my own sounds. I play with several groups and do solo jazz work and have played since I first saw the Beatles live in 1966. Seemed like a good job to have.

The Bad Monkey is an excellent box for those needing a great quality tubey overdrive sound. Forget the price. This box just sounds great. The fact it's cheap shouldn't factor in so much when you're looking for YOUR sound. Take some time with it and you'll be pleased.

Metal, seems reliable. Knobs firm, not flimsy. Seems reliable

No idea. Shouldn't need them.

This is an excellent box. Definitely worth a look if you're in the overdrive market. Tubescreamers are nice, but you should not turn up your nose on this one because of price. Metal box, great versatile tones, and it really sounds good. I've got a Tubescreamer and the Monkey. This box gets much more work than the Ibanez.

easy, thats all that can be said, 4 knobs, and step on the SOB.

i play a Ibanez TC-620 talman with 2 p-90s through a fender 65w Princeton. WOW, originaly i used this through my amps dirty channel, because i thought i had too little gain. but i simply ditched the processor i was using and fiddled with my eq and now this little box is my only distortion, still not for playing metal. i have the knobs set at full, except for the volume knob. this is a fairily noisey box, butif you set the volume down around 1/4, you can solve that problem.

i play hard rock/blues, with this pedal in a band, and i love the tone it gives to my p-90s. not fuzzy at all, I HATE FUZZY OVERDRIVE!!
a very transparent effect, still captures all of my p-90 tone.

this thing is toughf. it's gotta be for my fat ass to be steping all over it. i would surely gig without a back up.

never had to deal with them, and i doubt i will

man, it really is hard to find a good overdrive that matches your flavor, there a so many out there, but for this price range, this pedal may be the best for 40.00. there are much better overdrives than this, but not for less than 50.00.
truth be told, i gambled on this brand new prouduct because it stood out to me, i read lots of reviews and made a very good decision.

Four knobs, one input, two outputs....about as simple as it get's

71 tele, 78 Tokai Strat, 67 ES335, hombrew tele into a Winfiled Thomas "high power" Eliabeth...a great, blackface super type amp. I was looking for an inexpensive, good sounding, usable, blues overdrive/boost to add to the sonic flux and compliment the other pedals I use. For me, this ain't it!

I have a digidelay that has seved me well, so I guess this would hold up to daily stomping. Some people have not faired well wit hthe new digitech pedals. I've had pretty good luck with them.

I've played quite a variety of music over the last 35 years. Mostly blues these day's as that is my first love. I really wanted to like this pedal. Bought one based on all the fantastic reviews and the fact it's dirt cheap! While I'm happy it works well for most of the players, it bites a big one compared to my other overdrives. The equally inexpensive Ibanes TS-7 has a much warmer, fuller sound than the Bad Monkey and also works pretty well as a boost. My old Marshall Bluesbreaker and Vox Valve Tone send the Bad Monkey back to the forest canopy in search of shelter. I like the tone shaping options of a separte treble and bass control, but was unable to dial out the inherent fizziness this pedal produces. Now, this may just be with the amp I'm using. It may sound fine through other types of amplifiers, but the Winnie sounds excellent on it's own and I want pedals that enhance, not detract from the tone. I can't decide if I should take it back, sell it or keep it. I should keep it for a while and give it another go. Maybe I got a dud? Who knows.

Four knows - volume, gain, low and high eq.

I compared the Bad Monkey with all of the current Ibanez Tube Screamers. No contest if you're looking for a great overdrive that retains the character of the guitar/amp.

This pedal sings with Strats and Fender tube amps. It's not very noisy at all. The pedal is more overdrive or boost - not a distortion pedal. Turn the volume up on your amp. Then hit the Bad Monkey. Tone Nirvana!!

The Bad Monkey is built like a brick, whatever...

The website is pretty good for getting help and answers. This pedal will probably outlast you and your grandchildren, unless you throw it off a bridge of something.

This pedal is one of the best-kept secrets in the music world. I have been playing blues and classic rock for over 20 years. I've had a lot of pedals. The Bad Monkey certainly ranks as one of the better investments in this area.

Just don't buy this pedal and expect Megadeath or megadistortion. Use the Bad Monkey to push your amp over the edge. You won't regret it.

This pedal is very easy to use. No tricks here.

I use mostly Fender guitars and a Guild Bluesbird. Fender Deluxe Reverb, Standel 2X12, Crate Vintage Club 50 stack, and Peavey Special 130. I play Modern Country to Classic Rock to Contemporary Christian.

THis pedal sounds very good. I actually replaced a Reverend Drivetrain II in my chain with it. I run it after a Route 66 which has a low impedance buffer so there is absolutely no tone loss. I also run it with a modded Blues Driver. It's very transparent without the mid hump of a Tubescreamer. Very articulate not mushy at all.

Don't know. It looks like it is built like a tank.

Never contacted

In response to "tonesnob". He apparently is out to bash something. I doubt that he even listened to this pedal. I've been at this for almost thirty years and have heard alot of equipment and have owned too much equipment. I didn't need another pedal but this thing for $40 bucks is a no brainer.

This pedal sounds alot like a good Tubescreamer without the mid hump. It's more transparent as well.

This is a update to my initial review I submitted on this pedal last month. It's as easy to sue as a toothbrush!

Ok, I was very pleased what this did for my Fender blues jr. But it did sound a tad dark and did'nt clean up that well with the guitar's volume but sounded as good and better than my other boxes, some of which are boutique. I still like my HBE powerscreamer but the boost switch went out and back to the monkey I went. I also just recently aquired a reissue Marshall JTM45 head with matching 1960 cab loaded with 25watt greenbacks, this was a spontaneus purchase that will cost me a months overtime and drew a WTF! look from my wife and to crank it to get that glorius crunch will put me in the catagory with the kids who run there dirtbikes up and down the street in the eyes of our neibors and law enforcement! Our band usually plays smaller venues and rarely get to the outdoor stages. Well after bashing through a corus of the Who's, (won't get fooled again) at full power and shutting down waiting for the cops to show up, I tried the bad monkey and was able to make the amp sound and respond just as it had cranked but a much more reasonable level! And that volume issue I had seems lessened with the marshall, I was able to turn down and it would clean up! Fact is this combination is extremely sensitive to picking and volume changes! The monkey easly retained the amp's caracter and you can add bass to keep the cabinet's THUNK unlike a tubescreamer. Guitar's I'm using are a Schecter C-1+ and a S-1 elite and a Gibson 61SG reissue and all sounded excellent! This is now my ultimate rig but will continue to gig with my Vox valvetronix 60watt head and controller for sake of simplicity but again if were outdoor on big stage then this is it! as for other effects? a HBE compretro(SWEET!) a Budda wah, MXR phase 100, Dan echo, some alternate tunings and a heavy Dunlop glass slide gets everything done for me!

As I stated earlier I had a case of dumbass and left a digitec phaser in harms way and it was ran over by two cars and was seriously blemmed but continued to work! I just dont use it anymore because I lost interest in the rise fall anf step filter. Boss may have passed this test but I seriously doubt my few boutique pedals would! I have bought a second as back up and bought a third to give to our other guitar player, everyone can afford to be a philanthrapist with what digitech is charging for these greenmeenies!

It's forty bucks people!

Currently play in classic rock cover band, just handed keyboard duties over to accomplished player and play lead/rythym and Mandolin. Been playing since 1979 ahve been in original material band and recorded but always as hobbiest weekend warrior but had offers to join professional group, Ive gone through some equiptment over the years and this pedal really stands out for performance and value and in it's own way I look at it as the tubescreamer of the new millinium!

Just put her in drive and step on the gas...

Strat into a 1966 Fender Super Reverb. I loved it the moment the first few notes rang out. But the human ear can be deceived.... I can never really tell how good a pedal is until I record with it. I recorded with it! It is terrific. It is transparent and articulate. This is an overdrive pedal that is musical. It is NOT a pedal for Metal Heads so don't even bother! It is unique in that it emphasised my playing style. It allowed the tone of both the guitar and the amp to shine through. It blew me away. I've been using a Marshall Shredmaster, a Drivemaster, an Original Reverend Drivetrain and the Original Marshall Guvnor and this one is now the pick of the litter. Grab one right now...right now...get up from your computer and purchase one...yes, right now!!! I used an MXR Dyna-Comp in front of it and I was in Heaven. Do not spend your next $150.00 on that Boutique pedal you've been drooling about. Buy this, you will not be sorry.

Don't take a bath with it.

Nice people..They're from Utah...home of the Osmonds

I was inspired to write and record immediately after playing this pedal. It is just too sweet n nasty. Lay down the funk and let this mutha rip. Throw in a coupla of power chords and the sky opens up. It's a keeper! Hear it for yourself. $35.00 is a small price for this slice of happiness.

Very easy to use. Hell, my grandmother could get useable tones out of this thing with a Koerean Telecaster into a Gorilla amp with a blown speaker. If you need the manual ... you rode the short school bus. :o)

Using a custom Strat copy thru a Peavey Classic 30, the sound quality would be amazingly good even if it cost four times as much. There is no noticeable change in tone, when the Bad Monkey is put in the chain, which is kind of awesome considering that they don't claim it to be true bypass, and in light of the fact that they practically give it away. Once turned on, there is as little change in the base 'dynaics' of your original sound as any stompbox or rack effect I've ever used in twenty-five years of playing (I'm 41 ... my ass is OLD!) regardless of price. When setting this thing up, the HI and LOW pots allowed me to keep my base sound, yet easily dial in a warm, overdriven tone that sounded like a continuation of my original sound - but with more PUNCH - using the LEVEL and GAIN pots. It truly is a very warm, natural sound that doesn't get muddy, isn't noisy (Even with single coils!), nor screw up your original tone. In short ... amazingly awesome considering the price.

Dunno ... only had it a few weeks. I'm sure it's built like a tank.

Never used 'em. Which is good.

Now that I'm an old fart, I'm playing original Jazz/Bop tunes, experimental pseudo-fusion (how's that for a description?) and lots of old blues standards in a harder-edged blues style a la SRV or KWS on steriods.

Very easy to use!!

i have a 89 fender strat plus with texas specials in it running through a 4-10 hot rod deville. this pedal rocks out and is well worth the $40 price tag. Since buying the pedal i no longer use the amps distortion at all. VERY GOOD PIECE.

Built like a tank

i play mainly in a blues band and this pedal totally works well with what i'm doing...save your money buy this instead of a ts9 or 808