Hot Chili Tube Co. CL-1 Tubester

This unit has three main "tone shapers": the "volume", the "gain", and the "voltage" (there is also a tone control). The unit, a pre-amp pedal is designed to give boost to your guitar's signal. It is not a distortion pedal designed for heavy metal but a pedal to get a slightly distorted sound from an amp without channel switching.You have to experiment with the unit to get the tone you want which depends on the pickup and amp.There is a straightforward instruction folder to get you started. The unit can drive two amps simultaneously with separate volume controls for each.

The beauty of this unit is that it does not grossly change the sonic characteristics of the guitar-amp combination you are using.I have been using non-master volume amps and I can use the pedal to push the amp without having to turn up the volume on the amp itself. The unit has true bypass. You notice some noise when you increase the plate voltage dial but this is only transient as you make the adjustment. The sounds are great if you are looking for that slightly overdriven blues tone. With hot pick-ups the unit can give you more distortion and sustain but the company makes another pedal, the DS-1 Tubester for over the top distortion

Built like a tank...you can drop an amp on it and it keeps on tickin'.Take yer guitar, amp and the Tubster and you are ready to rock. No back-ups needed.

I have both E-Mailed and spoke on the phone with Don, the president, who has been both very helpful and open to suggestions.I plan to get the DS-1 Tubester, as well

This is the unit I've been waiting for. I've given up with the solid state units which I find too harsh.The Tube Screamer and the Fulltone pedals do their thing but the Tubster is just a smoother sounding unit.I've compared with the Mesa V-twin a similar pedal, but the Tubester sounds better to me. My advice is to get this pedal now before demand raises the price!