T-Rex Alberta Distortion

Easy to use. Gain, Volume and Tone.

I played with the pedal on various Marshall, Fender and Matchless amps. The pedal sounds "best" with the Marshall type amps. But comparing it to other quality pedals (keeley etc.) reveals that the sound is quite nasal. I know it's a matter of taste what you like in overdrive pedals but I actually found it to have a "closed" and flat sound. An interesting thing about it is that you (to a certain degree) can hear your original guitar signal almost parallel to the overdrive effect which makes it quite dynamic.

Was very stabil the 3 months I had it.

T-rex is a relatively new company. In the beginning they were helpful when I called them concerning other products. But now (when they have succes) it seems that the service is getting worse and focuses on well-known clients..

I have been playing for 20 years. The last 10 professionally. I've, over the years, learned that it's much better to buy 1 high quality pedal/amp than 6 cheap ones. Of course it should be based on your financial situation an musical stadium. This overdrive is OK - maybe it's just not the one for me.

Very easy to use indeed, only three nobs. The manual, however, is very thin; a few lines about the technical data, and that's it!

I've used this pedal with different amps, and the sound is very much the same, a nice thick distortion with a solid buttom. Alberta is not noisy, unless you want her to.

I've used it for several gigs and it's very reliable.. I've never had any trouble with it. Also, the solid metal design makes it perfect for the stage.. i won't break.

Never talked with 'em.

I play rock music, melancholic with an edge, the Alberta is perfect for this genre. I can also recommend it for blues, because it has that powerful buttom, not the (annoyingly) screamy kind of distortion. Before I purchased it, I was considering the Tubescreamer TS9 from Ibanez.. I bought the Alberta because i wanted to try it out (had already tried the TS9) And i have never had any regrets.

Very simple and straight forward. If you have used a Tube Screamer or a similar pedal, than this one is configured much the same. One knob for gain, one for volume and the one in the lower middle for tone. Attractive blue housing with chicken head knobs for the vintage/boutique look.

For all of the good things I've heard about this pedal, I can't honestly say I was overly impressed. I was expecting more of a Maxon 808 reissue transparency except with more bottom end, but what I got was an expensive version of an Ibanez TS-9. I use a Rivera amp and wanted an overdrive pedal to boost my single coils so I wouldn't have to keep tweaking the knobs on my preamp, but I was dissappointed with the coloration this pedal gave my sound. Honestly, it didn't sound that bad, but it just wasn't the transparent, subtle overdrive I was expecting. I was also a little dismayed at the amount of gain I got with the gain knob all the way to zero (and yes I was playing in my clean channel) To you gainsters or folks that like lots of drive, well, this pedal might be right up your alley, but like the reviewer below me, the Sparkle Drive (in my honest opinion) is a much better pedal. Actually, the Fulldrive2 is my all time favorite, but the Maxon OD808 reissue is a fine pedal too. And with the exception of the Fulldrive2, the other 2 are lots cheaper. Actually, had I paid the regular price, the Fulldrive2 would be cheaper!

I also found the tone knob to go from muffled until I got it to 3 o'clock or more and then it became very thin and trebley sounding.

Overall, I just wasn't too impressed with the Alberta. Maybe I got a bad unit, but for the money, I just don't think this makes the grade.

I had it long enough to know I couldn't live with it and it seemed to work just fine. The volume knob was loose, but the aluminum housing and position of the battery locator keeps the invasive nature of changing the battery that some pedal makers seem to not understand, at a minimum. The pedal also comes with (4) rubber feet on the bottom of the Alberta which is really nice. Had I kept this guy, I would have used him without a backup no problem.

Never had to deal with them so I won't comment.

For what these normally go for (around $200.00) the $150.00 price I paid at AMS seemed like a steal. That is why I initially chose this over the Maxon. That and the glowing reviews of this pedal (few as they are) I thought I couldn't go wrong. Well, at $150.00, this pedal is over-priced. In my opinion, the Maxon (either overdrive) runs circles around the T-Rex. I have a couple of Maxon pedals and should have known as much as I like those boxes, the OD808 would have been just fine. I sent back the Alberta, went to a local music store and tried out the OD808, the Digitech Tone Driver, the Fulltone Fat Boost and the Fulldrive2 and walked home with the Fulltone. I've owned 2 Fulldrive2 pedals before and loved them, but when I got my Rivera, I sold my drive pedals thinking I wouldn't need them. Well, I really don't, but with strat pickups and with my MusicMan Axis Super Sport w/MM-90s, those pickups run so clean, I need a little clean boost to touch the raspiness and grit my humbuckers get on my drive channel with the gain on low. The Fulltone passes with flying colors and doesn't darken my tone or make it sound synthetic. The Alberta, in my opinon, while it sounded good in the clean channel, really colored my drive channel. And even though it sounded good from clean to pedal, I still favored the drive channel on my Rivera to the drive from the pedal. The Maxon was my second favorite and I would have not lost much sleep had I taken that home instead of the fulldrive2. However, the Fulltone can do the Maxon, and then it can flatten the mids and then it can cut out the compression and give you a tad more boost with a little grit without making you sound like a MOSH King. I wasn't too blown away by the Fat Boost, but that would have probably worked for me just fine too. And, surprisingly (for $70.00) the Digitech ToneDriver sounded pretty darn good. I think I would probably buy the ToneDriver over the Alberta.

To all you Alberta/T-Rex faithful, please understand I am not trashing your beloved pedal. In fact, if you crank the gain and want a lot of sustain on your drive channel/have a twin or other clean amp and want a good overdrive/or are just stupid and don't mind muddying up the tone of your drive channel, the Alberta will work great. I think the fact it is expensive automatically causes some people to assume it's a superior pedal to less expensive units. While it's generally true you get what you pay for, it's not true in this case. Remember when Flextone IIIs used to be $900.00? And now they are between $500.00 and $600.00? Rolling Rock beer was a struggling company trying to make it, when the owner decided to change the lable and raise the price. He did nothing to the beer. But people just assumed since it was more expensive, it was a better beer than Bud or Miller. My point is with this pedal.....If a pretty housing with cool looking knobs and a dinasaur on the front with an inflated price tag is important to you, then get this pedal. If you are looking for a Tube-Screamer type overdrive pedal, I do believe there are better units out there for less money.

Very easy to use: like a Tube Screamer

This unit is basically a tweaked Tube Screamer. Compared to my homebrewed TS-808, the Alberta has a more open sound. If the standard Tube Screamer midrangy-ness bugs you just a bit, then this pedal may do it for you. If it bugs you a lot, then this pedal won't cut it either.

The enclosure is solid, and the switch seems good quality. The pots don't have much resistance, though, and they wouldn't keep their settings in a gig bag or offer much insurance against turning accidentally with the foot. They're placed a good distance from the switch, though, so moving them on stage shouldn't be a problem unless you've got a really clumsy foot. Haven't had it long enough to decide whether I'd gig without a backup.

Haven't tried 'em.

I bought this for blues and rock, though I also cover R&B, soul, Latin, and jazz. I've been playing for 30 years and own too much gear to mention.

I tested this unit with a '52 RI Tele w/Fralins and an ES-335 dot RI w/Seth Lovers through a Fender Pro. Jr. and a tweed Bassman clone. I have not used it extensively, but a couple hours or so A/B'ing against other pedals doesn't leave too much to chance.

If you like the basic vibe of a Tube Screamer, you'll like this pedal. It has some very good sounds that meld seemlessly with a good tube amp, just like a Tube Screamer. I won't be keeping the Alberta only because I think the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive (SD) offers more bang for the buck.

The SD offers the ability to mix in the unprocessed signal with the distorted version, which the Alberta doesn't. Comparing these two pedals' processed signals only, the Alberta sounds a bit more open (i.e., less midrangy) than the SD, but it was easy to approximate the Alberta's openness with the SD by mixing in a bit of the uprocessed signal. The SD also offers a bit more gain and snarl than the Alberta, giving the SD the ability to cover more rock-n-roll ground.

When I factor in the $50 or so I save by going with the SD, it was pretty obvious which way to go. YMMV.

Obvious controls - if I had a manual I wouldn't use it.

Your ears quickly find the "sweet spots" and there are plenty of them. "Gain" and "Tone" controls respond very well. I tend to turn down the volume on my strat a bit for rhythm and then turn up to full volume when soloing. This add extra bite and sparkle to the sound in a most pleasing manner. We like!
This doesn't muddy up your guitar tone - it just adds overdrive and makes my strat sing.

A bad thing could be that you could accidently turn the tone knob with your Goofy-sized foot when switching on/off. Otherwise this pedal will endure even the harshest of climas.

I think this is a very authentic pedal. It's sound is very inspiring and combined with the simplicity of the controls it's very hard not to get a pleasing overdrive sound. I've tried it on several types of guitars and I think it generally enhances the guitar's sound. Many other overdrives add a thick layer of noise that obscures what guitar you're actually playing - this one doesn't.
I recommend Alberta for blues, rock and jazz - diehard metal fans wouldn't get their kicks with this one. But then there's always the Mudhoney.
I paid half price but I wouldn't think twice about paying the full amount. Some gear just boosts your musical experiences and this pedal is just my thing.

Very easy to use. Three nobs and away you go. There is a manual for the pedal, but who needs it!

It sounds fantastic. If you're one of those old 808 tubescreamer freaks, you might want to check this pedal out. It's a very quiet pedal which suits me, as I'm critical on this particular area. Also it doesn't colour your tone when it's bypassed. You won't reach the far out sounds with this pedal, but then again you won't get any bad sounds from it. I'm playing a brian moore guitar through an old fender bassman 135 top (yes I know it's a cbs amp, but it sounds fantastic). Other stompboxes include: Fulltone deluxe wah, t-rex mudhoney, ehx- holy grail,deluxe memory man, octave multiplexer, rat distortion and t-rex tremster.

Seem to be thoughly build.

You will get an answer within a day if you email the factory.

Why wait? Go get one now, you won't be disapointed. I give it an 8, because gear should be cheaper.

The Best of all, no matter wich Knob Settings you use, this Pedal sounds Great!!!

I use this Overdrive Pedal with one Marshall 100Watt 1971 Superlead trough a Vintage 4x12" Hiwatt Box equipped with 30Watt Celestions,one London City 1972 100Watt Head with Vint. Greenbacks Cabinet.Guitars are 72'er Custom Tele(Japan)and a Gibson SG with P94 Pickup.
This Pedal sounds nearly as good as a TS808, much more "Brighter" and lower Freq. than my ols TS9.
I have checked all Tubescreamers, wether it is Ibanez, Fulltone, Maxxon, Menatone ect. BUT THIS PEDAL IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING I HEARD BEFORE!!!

No problems at all, put my TS9 deep in my bag and go for it!!!

Very friendly People never talked to such a Customer-Friendly Personnel, Do not think of buying anything else this one beats them all...

I do Indie Rock, Emo Rock and sometimes Blues.I am playing for about 10-12Years now and i am a collector of anything to Stomp on, i own about 20 overdrive Pedals, from Ts9,TS808, Od3, Od1 to Fulltone, Menatone ect. but i would buy 5 Alberta's if i had the Money!!!
Try out the T-REX REPLICA too, this one is my new Baby for Spherical Sounds, best Delay-Pedal ever made!

This pedal is as simple to use as any other overdrive box on the market. If there is a manual for it, I haven't seen the thing. My Alberta came with a single piece of paper that could easily be confused with some sort of desert menu, featuring adjectives such as "creamy" and "delicious"
Regardless, it's got tone, level, and gain controls.... pretty simple

Ahhh, sound quality.... the only category that really matters:
First of all, if you're looking for nothing other than SRV in a box, wrong pedal. If you want a beautiful OD that happens to be able to mimic that SRV sound, then read on.
I bought the Alberta because I heard that they could stand up to any test outside of metal. Here's the test that I had for it:
I play in a band that is probably rock above anything else, but I also try to lean towards blues whenever I can get away with it. My main axe is a tele with vintage pickups that I grabbed in Frisco at some amazing little guitar shop. (real guitars, I think... check that place out if you ever hit San Fran)Anyhow, I used to play straight into my early 70's Twin, which is has had the speakers replaced with jbl's and subsequently has more headroom than I knew how to deal with. This is where the Alberta came in.
I found that even with a TS9, I couldn't get the amp to distort withought sounding too synthetic, whereas with the Alberta, it always sounds like the amp is doing the work. In other words, this thing is a quick fix for those in need of a natural overdrive tone. So here I will say it: I've played through most TS9's, being vintage, reissue, tone lok (shudder) and I've tried the TS 808, which this pedal is supposed to be a boutique version of. Now, although the people at Ibanez definately know what they're doing, nothing they produce is quite as good as this pedal. I say this mainly because of how perfectly the T-Rex picks up the bottom end, and doesn't lose the highs. The feined "true bypass" on this thing really does the trick for me. Another pedal that uses a simalar bypass is the maxon OD-9 (I think) which I also use now and again.
Overall, amazing tone, little buzz.

As it stands, a guy in my band convieniently picked up that maxon OD that I mentioned, but he doesn't really use it... so I do sorta take comfort in using the maxon as a backup. However, this is a solid pedal, with no apparent weakness in construction.... although it's not built like a boss, I'd still say that it's as reliable as a pedal needs to be.

never needed it

Unless you want to dabble in the world of super high-priced stomp boxes, this is the ultimate in overdrive. I don't recommend it for those using solid-state amps, and if you have a really nice amp and a mountain of excess cash, there are better ways to shape your sound (that Bad Cat "Two Tone", for instance, is up there)
but if you're looking to buy a TS 808, or even a TS9, don't let yourself overlook the Alberta... try it out if you can find a dealer, you won't regret it.

it is very easy to get a wonderfull silky smooth slighliy distoted sound out of it. Mine has a bit a drastic change in sound towards the end of the (clockwise right) range of the potentiometer. that makes it a bit diffilcut to have it very precisely adjusted to a certain sound.

Grove tubes Soul-o-75 (both channels on)
it is comparativly quite
the sound is on of the bests i get (i have at least 15 pedals ...modified ones etc....) Alberta is a class by its own!

it is made for good....

get two of them...one for low and one for higher distortion.....!

Pretty easy to use, three knobs, gain, level and tone.

I play with a '62 Marshall Bluesbreaker and Ibanez custom Strat. My problems with other pedals is the loss of low end, and I've tried more than 10 now. The Alberta was recommended to me and I was stunned by the rich, warm sound it produces with all the low-end still preserved. If you're looking for SVR Texas sound, this is it!! Doesn't go for punk and hard core distortion. If that's what you're looking for, then try the T-Rex Mud-honey.

This is for the real blues sound.

Only a month old, can't say.

Haven't tried yet.

I've been playing for 10 years and going for SVR sounds and AC/DC. Compared to DOD Tubescreamer, ALL Boss'distortion/overdrive-products (tried them all) TS9 and RAT, the Alberta is the one I keep. Nice, warm, living sound, with lots of low end. Only drawback is the range of distortion, you cannot get that really agressive high-gain sound from it. But then again, this is not what it was build to do, this is the job for the Mudhoney, that has the totalt range.