Rocktron Austin Gold

10, turn knobs and go,manual talks of transparency of original tone and its true-for once.

old 295 p-100 &p-90. i play jazz and then go blues. i get hysterical if my tone changes and this thing keeps it- no kidding. sound is great but its for slight-harder you hit it the more it distorts- sound.tuner-austin-voodoo vibe-line6-boomerang-polytone. polytone distortion doesnt react-nobody thought it would anyway.

stuff never fails for me unless its ancient. use an effects case.

i play jazz blues latin, all kinds of stuff. on a jazz trio it gives you that overdrive if everything goes downtown blues. its subtle, if you want big they tell you to try something else.

Mine is the older style USA made pedal the new ones are made in Korea and Rocktron says they are the same circuit. I did a review of this pedal back in 2000. Then I screwed up and sold it and have been sorry ever since. I just found and bought a brand new old stock made in the USA Austin Gold, and it will never leave my possession. $41.00 on EBUY from a music store.

see my review in 2000 great pedal compliments every other pedal I have

like a tank

super people will actually call you back

If you can't find the USA made model it appears the Korean made one is getting very good reviews. Mine does not color the sound just like the one I reviewed in 2000. It just flat out will boost anything that is going through it with no color added, unless you want to add just a little by turning the gain up to max.

Noting to say. Can't be easier!
Realy good manual.(but without presets)

Gibson LP Studio+ Austin Gold Rocktron+ Marshall MasterLead 30 (solid)
Somtimes Gibson+AG Rocktron+ Danelectro Fabtone+ Marshall

No noise.

I play Hard-N-Heavy.
My Gear:
guitars: Gibson Les Paul Studio, Gibson F-V, Gibson SG STD
Amps: Marshall MasterLead 30 (solid), Marshall JCM 2000+ 4x12, Mesa Boogie Rectifier.
stompboxes: Rocktron Austin Gold, Boss HM-3, Ibanez TS-9, Vox Valvetone, Danelectro Fab Tone and Daddy O, Marshall JackHammer and Guv'nor...

very easy to dial up a "tone" with it. controls are simple and self explanatory. level,drive and pre-bass.

im using this with a variety of guitars from tele's to my peavey destiny customs. plugging into a couple of peavey classic 50 410 combo amps. my rig goes as follows. guitar-route 66-austin gold overdrive-ibanez ts9 tube screamer-vertigo vibe-short timer delay-peavey classic 50 amps. not as fuzzy as the ts9 or rt.66 but falls beautifully into the slightly boosted tone i've been looking for. when used with a compressor before the austin gold i can get really close to will ray of the hellecasters tone on "sweet dreams". this pedal really "boosts" your tone without coloring it.

i would gig without a backup. pedal is well built. ive used rocktron gear in the past and never had a problem.

called with some questions and they responded via phone within a half hour. who else in the business can say that!!!!

ive been playing professionally and semi-professionally for over ten years. i play everything from top 40 country to blues,classic rock etc. this pedal really stands on its own with everything ive thrown at it. if noise rock or grunge is your thing then this is not a standalone distortion pedal although it would work great to boost what you have already, which is what it is intended for. if it were stolen i would have to buy another one,it's a key part of my rig. this pedal really delivered what ive been looking for. a slightly overdriven tone that boosts my amp. now i can get that creamy clean sound with just a hint of break-up on the top end. really expressive sound. works really well with ballad solos that need some emotional tone that have a weeping quality about them. this pedal does help me achieve what i love to do:play guitar with a tone that speaks volumes with one note. keep your eyes peeled for pro's who will be slipping this pedal into their rig,especially the new-country players.

As others have said, it's got three knobs.

I'm running a MIM Nashville Tele into a '73 Super Reverb. Depending on what I'm playing (rock vs. blues vs. alt-country) I'll use a Marshall Bluesbreaker, BOSS DS-1, and/or BOSS Compressor. I bought the Austin Gold to get some just-starting-to-break-up at lower volumes and as a push for leads when I can turn the Super up louder at gigs.

My first impression while playing in the house by myself was that this pedal didn't cut it. It seemed to have too much high end even with the pre-bass all the way up and barely any overdrive sound. So after several hours of tweaking, I was seriously thinking of sending it back.

But then I had a band audition and used the Austin Gold. It was like a different beast altogether. Really seemed to let me tones stand out in the mix (against drums, bass, acoustic guitar and vocals) without stepping on anyone else. I used the compressor before it as a boost for leads and I got a real nice tone. A little extra fur but not so much as to loose th detail.

We didn't play any old Stones but I can understand the comparisons that some other reviews gave.

n/a. 1 week old.

n/a. 1 week old.

My first pedal choice for filling this light overdrive/boost was the Xotic RC or AC. But I could not justify paying $175 when I'm lucky to pull in $100 a year from playing guitar. I tried out other less expensive pedals (tube screamer, guyatone, Digitech, etc.) but they all seemed to color the sound or have too much overdrive. Some very cool pedals but not what I was looking for. So I bought the Austin Gold based soley on reviews. At this point, I'm very happy.

3 knobs,level,gain,pre bass.Twist or turn,listen and you've got it

The first reviewer said it all,only I didn't believe him when I read his review in 99.He said he could get that Stones chunk which really came from their 60's Ampeg VT amps heard on the album sticky fingers and especially their live album "get yer ya yas out"( see the live movie done at Altamont) .Anyway he was right and so was RAYE,the 3rd writer from the bottom.This pedal has got the sound.I think it's a pedal that will probably only appeal to a certain few,not neccesarily Stones listeners but the light overdrive really emulates an overdriven amp well. Most of todays noise makers aren't guitarists and don't appreciate a guitar hero of yesteryear.This pedal should be played through a tube amp using good pickups for the best sound.This is th older USA version I picked up new recently and am glad I did.

always bring spare batterys

never dealt with

Play rock,blues 35 years and this works well ith my Fender blues deluxe and strat.Works as both a clean boost and overdrive

This unit is very easy to use. 3 knobs; level, gain, prebass. The prebass is unique in that it allows you to dial in more or less bass ONLY, as opposed to some units which have tone controls. The manual is pretty simple and straight forward. Would be nice if there were some sample settings. One small problem I had. I had to open up the unit and blow it out, as the pots were very dirty and noisy. This helped tremendously. No noise now.........

I play a Dolan Custom guitar(strat style)>Boss compressor>AG>Reverend Hellhound. Boss DD3 and volume pedal in the loop. Even with all the junk in the way, the AG sounds great. You can get somewhat of a "violin" type sound with the prebass up and dialing out some treble in the amp. You can, obviously, get somewhat of a Stevie Ray tone.

But here's one point I'd like to make clear. I've never tried the Klon or Cold Fusion. Those pedals are FAR more expensive. 12 week leadtimes make them even less appealing. I cannot imagine that these distortion pedals would sound 6 times better than the AG, though they cost that much more. The AG is a very good pedal, especially for the money. It doesn't blow me away. It's pretty transparent and really makes my Reverend sing. Pedals like this can sometimes be hard to judge. If you have a crappy setup, guess what?????........Also, it's pretty quiet. I'll give it a 10 because, relatively speaking, it exceed my expectations.

Other than the afformentioned pot problems, so far, so good. Not flimsily constructed. Looks good.

I like this pedal alot and will continue to use it in my setup. I play alot of styles from R&R to R&B. Been playing for about 25 years. Aside from the Revened amp, I own a Koch Multitone. The Reverend is more reliable, but is a one-trick-pony. This pedal turn my rig into one of the most versatile setups I've ever had. For what the AG adds to my rig, I give it a 10. Great value for the money......

Not difficult at all. Three knobs: Level, Drive, and Prebass. The manual is a manual. Not much there, no sample settings. Getting a good sound isn't difficult at all.

I bought this pedal because of all of the excellent reviews. On this board, everything seems to get a ten. This is not a ten, but it is a very good pedal for the value. My criticisms are not a knock on this pedal-just trying to give a realistic review.
I'm using an Ibanez Artstar AS180 (335 copy) or Tokai Goldstar Sounds '57 Strat replica>ZVex Sho>BiComprossor>Austin Gold>Ad9> Revrend Hellhound. I've had this for some time now and have used it with this set-up exclusively. I play in a roots rock/alt-country band and study jazz. This setup suits my needs currently.
First thing-this is not going to give you alot of overdrive. Its there to augment what your tubes are already doing. In clean boost mode (Level dimed, Drive at zero) there is a slight volume drop. I notice a little bit of high end added to the sound when I put this pedal on. The pre-bass certainly helps, but it is noticeable to my ears.
The SHO into the Bicomp really starts to drive the tubes and if I want a boost in a lead or a little more grit to my leads or chords, this will do it. The grit, IMHO, can be a little processed sounding if you use too much drive. With my amp cranked and the Zvex dimed, I only needed a little bit of drive (drive at 11pm) to get some Metal chunk-no kidding. However, this pedal isn't meant to do this.
I've used a TS9, Rat, SD-1, and an SD-1/808 modded by Analogman. I've gotten rid of everything but the SD-1/808. The SD-1/808 has much more gain but is less transparent and is much noiser in my chain. The Austin Gold is silent compared to the SD-1. These two pedals are different breed of the same animal. The Rocktron has currently replaced my SD-1/808.
The Rocktron Austin Gold is not a Klon. Its not a Tubescreamer. Its not really a clean boost. Its what I like to think of as a "helper pedal." It can do these things in its own way, but its my opinion that its there to augment the rig you already have. In this way, it does it well. I get a very nice Vox approximation and Fender sound with the Hellhound. This allows me to get to that Stones territory, without the utterly coloring the sound, like some of the other pedals I've used does.
Bottom line-This is not my ultimate drive. I'm still looking. The best sound I've gotten was Gtr>ZVEX>AD-9>Dr. Z MAZ-38 2x10 combo. I'll have to wait until I get a hefty raise at my day job or if I do a massive gear selloff before I am there. The Rocktron gives me good grit on chords without coloring them. My leads are still not as thick as I need, but perhaps I need to tweak a bit more.

I haven't used it out yet. It looks solid, but I'll find out very shortly.

My band does alt-country/roots rock. I guess its close to Wilco and the Tragically Hip. It fits my low to mid drive needs well. I don't use it at all for jazz, obviously.
I've been playing for about 16 years and am not much of a gear whore. If I hear something I like, I try it on my rig and then buy it. This pedal worked for me on this particular rig. I'd love to hear what it does on the DR. Z I've been lusting after.
If it were stolen, I'd probably get a new one, but at this point, my drive quest is not over.

Three knobs...easy as can be. Level is volume. Drive is drive and pre-bass subdues bass response(turned left) increase bass(low-end) response turned right. Essentially, to the ear, this adds "warmth."

This peadl is not an overdrive in the mormal sense. Although the drive will add pre-amp-type overdrive distortion if turned high, it resmbles the effect one would have on a tube amp when the power amp is turned down and the pre-amps are turned higher. It achieves a very clean pre-amp saturation. This is absolutely beautiful as a clean channel volume boost. Crystal clear and WARM! My set-ip is an Anderson Hollow Tele(or a hardtail American Big Apple Strat, a 77 Ibanez LP copy) into a ZVex SHO, Rocktron Austin Gold, Voodoo Lab Superfuzz, Voodoo Analog chorus, Ibanez soundtank tremolo. Ibanez digital dely into a Hughes and Kettner Tube 50 slaved out to a Madison 215 cabinet. The pedal seems to be very quiet.

Haven't had it for long, but I don't jump on my pedals. Appears to be built soundly.

Not had to deal with.

I have been playing for 30 years. Although I play many different styles. I have settled into stuff that relies on the sound of great tube amps(Hughes and Kettner Duotone ) and pedals that allow my choices of guitars to ring through. Too many overdrive pedals(I have many)color the sound of your guitar and amp. This pedal adds some warmth and SUPERB decibal boost, but no sound change.

Simple controls. No setting is less than good,
and with a few seconds' effort twiddling, you
can dial in something just right.

The manual is better than average for one
supplied with a stompbox.

The battery compartment is unusual, but workable
(so long as you pay attention.)

The pedal itself is heavy enough to stay where
you put it -- no levitating plastic junk.

My guitar of choice is a stock '77 Strat, or any
other Strat. I like an overdriven sound, but not
the syrupy Santana / violin midrange thing. I
like to keep things crisp and defined, but with
some growl. It's an elusive combination sometimes,
and regular fuzzes (from Tubescreamers on up)
sound too honky and flabby to me. Not so the AG.

I've used this with 3 different amps, all of which
I love for different reasons. The pedal just gives
me more of what I already have.

On a Carvin 16/5, I dial up the amp's drive to about
2 o'clock, then let the AG do the rest of the work.
That amp has never sounded better. With a silverface
Princeton Reverb, I get the same sweet 6v6 fur, but
there's more of it than before. On a 60-watt Fender
Concert (the Rivera model) I get that huge, heavenly
round 6L6 thing, with that little extra bit of
"sing" that the amp by itself had previously lacked
(at least at "no-police" volume levels.) I'll be
able to play that amp a lot more often now --
that's a nice development.

I like the fact that there's no "tone control"
in the classic sense -- only the "pre-bass."
I'm convinced that tone controls are the problem
on most overdrive / fuzz units. They always seem
to thin out the sound, or else make it horribly
midrange-heavy.

Again, not so here. The mids and highs are largely
unaffected as they pass through the circuitry.
The pre-bass is there so that you can dial in
or dial out lows. They got it right.

My unit had apparently been bought previously,
then returned. The prior owner had managed to
let the strap in the unusual battery clip slip
inside the unit, and with it had gone the battery.
So I had an adventure taking the unit apart before
I had played a note -- there was no fishing it
out. This annoyed me (tho it wasn't the unit's fault)
and I was half-expecting the sound to let me down
too.

Quite the contrary. It's pretty much exactly
the sound I've been after, with no gimmicks.
Now I can pack up my failed experiments (Guyatone
OD2, plus several supposedly subtle distortion
boxes) and sell them off. Maybe I'll buy a second
Austin Gold with some of the proceeds...
Excellent.

I have one of the newer, apparently less heavyweight
units, but it seems to be quite sturdy and
well-assembled compared to most of what I see.

The knobs are protected somewhat by a raised ledge
in the housing, and the on-off stomp switch
engages more convincingly than any other switch
I've heard lately.

I'm not a road-warrior, but I have to think that
this box will be a survivor even under demanding
conditions.

I may buy a second just so that I'll never have
pay collector prices if I do manage to break it
somehow.

No idea.

A huge bargain at $59. I was on the verge of
giving up on standard-production pedals and
sticking a toe into the boutique-pedal pool.

Now, as I say above, I may just buy a second
one of these instead, in case mine breaks and
they've gone out of production in the mean time.

I'm kind of a purist sonically -- I don't
care for effects in general. But this one is
very definitely a grownup-sounding keeper.
A good design, well executed, and my only
all-10 product review to date.