MXR M-103

Okay, I gave it an 8 because although it is not exactly a techno-mare to use, it does take some finesse. It's touchy to to adjust to a tone and effect you can enjoy, unless you simply love noise of any type that is. And speaking of noise: This is one noisy pedal. It's got alot of floor level trash going on, and really does require a good noise gate to quiet things down. Problem with that is... well, I'll tell you later.

I gave it 7, which is generous for someone like me who is a tone purist. It is one noisy pedal to tame! To begin with, it has alot of white noise which require filtering, and I would have thought that a Company like Dunlop would have figured it into it's engineering by now!
Hoping to remedy this problem, I did the "C11 Mod" you hear so much about, as found here---> http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=634823416#/home.php?ref=home

Uh, yeah, that doesn't work for that at least. It DOES allow you to engage or disengage whatever capacitor you choose to install at the C11 spot (I used a 0.0022); but one quickly realizes that it's best to leave the switch engaged... and use a noise gate in chain.

Changing out the C11 capacitor IS effective at smoothing out the sudden volume drop the stock pedal has when trying to sustain a picked note. The smaller Capacitor allows for more signal to get through increasing th sustain rate satisfactorily.

Another thing concerning sound which must be noted: You really cannot use this pedal for playing chords; and additionally it does not do well when playing scales above the 10th fret position... the sound is muddy & nastily over-distorted.
In a word: It takes a certain amount of FINESSE and PATIENCE to employ this pedal, and make it worthwhile.

Having said all hat: I like this pedal! It gives me that Vintage Seventies sound on certain songs you do not hear much anymore, and opens up some interesting avenues for me to explore with my sound.
Try playing the intro to Deep Purple's"Highway Star" with is thing! Set the OUTPUT knob to about 2 o'clock, and the BLEND knob to about 11 o'clock; and rock on Richie! *NOTE: I don't know if Richia actually used this effect or not; but it sure approximates that sound.

While I complained earlier about Dunlop's engineering laziness in NOT cleaning up the trashy audio signature of this pedal since acquiring the MXR brand; a backward benefit to this may be continued tradition of building the most rugged pedals in the industry. "Built like a Tank" is what you will hear most people say about these little magic bricks...and for good reason.

Despite the M-103's sometimes "moody" performance; I would feel perfectly confident in gigging with it,WITHOUT a back-up.
With it I should add: There aren't alot of songs you absolutely MUST have this effect for anyway, so the risk is low.

I gave it a 9 on Dependability simply because of how they are built, yet I have not had mine long and have not actually gigged with it.

I've not had to contact their Customer Support yet, and don't anicipate a need to, at least NOT on this product. But, I give their "Customer Support" a mere 5 for the following reasons:

Jim Dunlop acquired the vaunted "MXR"pedal line a number of years ago, and really hasn't done much to fine tune some of the age-old complaints about them.
With the M-103 in particular; it appears no attention has been given to cleaning up the noisy nature of this otherwise fantastic effect pedal. And with a retail price for such a pedal averaging $70 dollars, I think such lack of concern is inexcusable.
Perhaps as the economics of the Coutry worsen, and sales begin to slump for him; Mr. Dunlop will reconsider the value of "Quaity Control", and FIX this otherwise wonderful pedal!

I play Classic Rock, Blues, and some Country. This pedal will be a good match for of the Retro Style stuff I like to noodle with. I mentioned Deep Purples "Highway Star" earlier, as just one example.

I am 50, and have been playing since I was 12= 38 yrs. (no wonder my hands hurt sometimes)
I own 2 acoustic guitars; one 6 string dreadnought; and One 12 string dreadnought/Jumbo. I also own an Epi Les Paul (korean)which I've installed the Jimmy Page Mod Set-up with 2 SD Hot-Rod PuPs.
I play through a Crate V3112 which I have modded with a new Tone Tubby green label speaker, and Mullard tubes.

If lost/stolen: I would eventually replace it with one covered in the rotting skin of the thief who stole my other one.(I'm an ex-Marine, and don't "...play well with others").

What do I love about it? Well, it is an Octaver Pedal; which means that when you play one note at a particular pitch position, it will play the same note, one or two octaves lower, according to your settings. And while not as essential as say... a Distortion pedal, or Compressor; it is a blast to play with!

What I hate about it has already been well covered above, as has my "favorite feature".

I don't have a music store close enough for me to do in-Store comparisons, so I did rely heavily upon Manufacturer information, price comparisons, and the User Reviews found here on Harmony Central. (Thanks Fellas) Ultimately, the MXR Brand history is a strong one. That, and the price of this unit as compared to others were a big factor.

Another factor was the size & simplicity of this effect pedal as compared to others. It's for a good reason that MXR pedals have been affectionately dubbed "those lil' magic bricks".

Once you begin the process of accumulating the various pedals you will need to avoid the "all-in-one solutions" found in products like "Line 6", and/or "V-Amp"; you quickly realize SPACE is a PRIORITY consideration in your buying choices.

Pedal boards are a "necessary evil" to eliminate the time-consuming process of set-up and take-down on effects pedals, as well as ease of transport.
And of course in response to this demand, a whole industry of Manufacturers has sprung up to provide "ready-made solutions" to your pedal organization needs...at big $$$ COST of course.

And the more pedals you have, and the LARGER they are; the bigger the pedal board you will need, and the more greenbacks you'll have to shell out to get a board to match.

Subsequently, having smaller, more compact pedals like the MXRs will save you a ton of space, allowing for more pedals, on a smaller (less expensive pedal-board)which will be a whole lot easier to carry.

I LOVE this pedal. Yet would NOT recommend to it musicians who need other primary gear first, like a compressor, distortion pedal, eq pedal, etc. It's not as useful for a wide variety of music as those others are. It's... "different", in a good way. And unless you have specific songs in mind you wish to cover which use this sound; you're really gonna be frustrated with it until you do.

This is my very first review for Harmony Central, and I do hope it has helped others as much as all of you have helped me.
If it seems a bit "wordy", or long; I apologize. I simply want potential Buyers like myself to have the best information and opinion I can render without prejudice.

Best regards.

easy at first, but if you spend alot of time with it you can really get some original sounds...so there is a learning curve, mainly in getting the right ammount of blend between the effect and your signal...(which isnt really your signal anymore because your guitar sound gets totally warped, even on the lowest setting) but i like this though......EZ

it makes your guitar signal, more like a distorted synth...o think this is very good, its the reason i got this pedal, to create sounds that people can only dream of.....sounds out of this are a+

MXR gear is really reliable from what ive used so far.....

i have a dyna comp, distortion +, 6 band EQ and now this blue box...id say theyre very dependable....

never dealt with them yet

i do alot of experimental soundscapes, and soundtrack type music, this pedal really is great for getting distorted tones out of your guitar...and making your guitar sound not at all like a guitar...

all i can say now... is that i wish i had a keyboard, or synth to run through the blue box...it think itd be amazing...

this is my new favorite stompbox

Output and blend, simple as that. The blend controls how much of the original note is in there

I'm using this with a fender tele and various other effects (EH gib muff, small stone, and akai Headrush)

The output can be low but you can easily overcome this. You will probably need to get a noise gate or suppressor of you use it a lot.

But having said that, the sound it makes is awesome and unique. I can't think of another pedal that has the same level of fun!

Nothing has gone wrong so far. Touch wood.

haven't had to deal with any yet.

Basically the Blue box is kind of a one trick wonder, but what a fucking trick. I've tried putting everything through it, from beats to guitar to synth, and it's all very fun. It's a very synth-ey sound, and quite random whether the note will hold or not, sometimes it fizzes out in an epileptic fit, sometimes it sticks about modulating itself. It has been said before, but every session with this thing will be different. I might even hook it up to my alarm clock to wake me up. But then again I'm a very confused person.