T-Rex Alberta Distortion

Typical easy to use stompbox layout - Volume/Tone/Gain knobs. Stomp switch for bypass.

I brought mine second hand, with no manual, but I got a nice sound out of it in seconds.

Setup is pretty simple.
G&L Tele- V8 Fuzz- Korg Tuner- Boost'n'Buff- T-rex Alberta- Eventide Timefactor

into a
Sovtek MIG 50/Mesa 4x10.

I can't crank the amp at the gigs I play, so I use the Alberta on a low gain setting, to kind of simulate how the amp would sound cranked a bit.
The Alberta can acheive a very sweet low gain drive, and it has a very warm tone to it. With my ASAT, it's the best drive pedal I've come across.

However it doesn't play so nice with my Strat - maybe it's too warm? I tweak and tweak but I've never got an OD sound I'm 100% happy with(using the Strat) It also gets a bit fizzy if you really wind up the gain, so to my ears it is best set low.

So it's not perfect, but with my ASAT it is great.

Seems very reliable. It's in a nice solid steel case. Mine is pretty old (dinosaur logo model) and has plenty of paint knocked off it but it works fine. I gig without a back up, but I do a have a Boss Blues driver, if I need it.

I've only ever dealt with my local dealer, www.guitarpedals.co.nz (John Trueman). I called him to ask how much these things are worth second hand. He was very helpful and I'm sure if I need service he'll sort it out.

I play praise and worship music, and this pedal is a excellent match for that. Nice, soft, warm overdrive that doesn't get muddy or grating on the ears.
I would definitly get another one if this was stolen.
I've had a few different TS type pedals, including Keeley modded TS-9, TS-808RI, Boss SD-1 and a G2D pedal. I like this one the most.

a pedal couldn't be more simple: gain for setting saturation, tone for additional (or less) treble and level for master volume.

both gain and tone knobs produce usable sounds in all settings. changes in gain do not force you to radically adjust the level knob accordingly.

I play an ESP mv-300 (seymour duncan '59 pick ups) or an Ibanez Artcore through mxr supercomp-EH Knock-Out-digitech synth-wah-morley bad horsie-T-rex Alberta-Visual Sound jekyl&Hyde-Visual Sound Volume-Visual Sound H2O into either a Tech 21 Trademark 120 or a marshall JTM 30 or both.

Engaging the effect leaves my tone intact, no loss of lows, no excessive mid-boost. Both low and high gain settings are very useful (and reacts so good to volume changes), pushing the tone-knob doesn't make the tone too harsh or thin.

A low gain setting in front of a clean amp is just delicious (try it with a wah in fixed position for that money-for-nothing nosey honk). High gain settings are creamy but still detailed, never muddy.

This pedal is built by the same guys who used to build viking-ships about 1300 years ago already.. looks like it's been built to last. The knobs look like they wouldn't survive an army boot in the long run (but can easily be replaced)

no opinion

I love this pedal. Perfect for rock/fusion. But I also find it useful as a lead pedal in heavier music (for instance as a low-gain boost before an overdriven ampchannel).
For twenty years already I've been looking for that perfect overdrive.. had my share of tonekillers like boss or ibanez pedals. I'm sure there will be other pedals that will steal my heart but they will have to share space with the Alberta on my pedalboard.

sounds good and useable in all settings..simple in set up.

I find it very easy to get a good sound out of it...
with my Fender Pro Junior,
and it seems everywhere I turn the dials it sounds good.

I'm mostly using it with the Fender Pro Junior at gigs,
so far with a modded MIM Strat and a mahogany parts Strat.
The pickups are slightly hotter than normal, more Fat 50's than
Texas Special, and both guitars sound great through the T-Rex into
the Pro Junior.

It does not "like" the Epiphone
Valve Junior as well, although it's not bad, either.
I saw it used locally, and got to try it with my Pro Junior,
and once I did, I knew I had to have it.
It's the best Tubescreamer type overdrive I've tried with the Pro Junior yet... and I intensely dislike a stock Tubescreamer with it.
The PJ is a midrangey amp... Tubescreamers are midrangey pedals...
TOO MUCH! The extra bass in the T-Rex really works well with the PJ.
With the PJ, it sounds "expensive" rather than cheap.
Oh yeah, it's quiet.
I have an SD-1 that I had been using- could not use the Dano PB&J delay after it and I thought it was the delays fault, but the Alberta
puts out less noise, and so now the PB&J delay is back on the pedalboard.
When I tested it in the pawnshop, I tried it on clean boost, gain and level both at 12:00, and with the gain maxxed- and I liked all of them. My experience with the Valve Junior showed me however that it
doesn't work equally well with all amps, but then, I would be surprised if it did.
It's been a while since I tried it, but I think it's at least as good
and probably better than a Keeley modded Blues Driver I tried through the Pro Junior.

It looks like the most well built pedal I've ever had.
It's the old version with the dinosaur logo,
it has a couple of chips in the paint and a missing rubber foot,
but everything else functions like new.
I don't think it needs a backup.

Haven't had a reason to contact them.

My basic sound is a bluesy Strat sound, and it's a good match.
Just from the name "Alberta" and the blue paintjob, I figured they
were marketing the pedal to bluesers, and so I had to try it.

One thing it does for me is allow me to get overdrive sounds I like
at less than earsplitting volumes. Because I spent so many years as an acoustic musician, I don't really go for high volumes-
at 6 on the Pro Junior's volume pedal I feel like I'm pushing it,
and that's nowhere near the amps natural power tube OD.

I've been playing guitar for about 40 years, but have only
been playing electric seriously for 8 years.
However, I've turned into something of a tone freak,
and I get complements on my tone from other guitarists.
There's a lot of gear including
OD pedals I DON'T like, but this one is an exception.

The band I'm playing with is...
a praise team at a local church.
I do use bluesy tones sometimes, but also a lot of power chords.
Although the T-Rex sounds great by itself in front of the Pro Junior,
I run a Behringer Tube Mic 100 into it with the pad on and gain maxxed. With that, I get fat clean tones with the Alberta off, and
Claptonesque OD with the Alberta on, gain maxxed.

I would definitely want another if it were lost or stolen.
The only pedal I think I liked more with the Pro Junior was a Butler TubeWorks overdrive, and that was a very different sound.
Other pedals I've tried with the Pro Junior (most in stores, some purchased or loaned) include:
Route 66, ;-p
808 Tube Screamer ;-p
Turbo DX Tube Screamer :-I
Stock Boss SD-1 :-I
Slightly modded Boss SD-1 :-)
Boss Blues Driver :-) on clean boost
:-P on OD
Keeley modded Blues Driver :-)

Alberta is :-D!!!
(but only :-) on the Valve Junior)

FWIW, I read the reviews here before I actually bought the T-Rex Alberta, and it seems to fit the theory of it doing well on amps without their own preamp overdrive.

Only 3 dials on this and to be honest its hard to get a bad sound out of it. I havnt got the patience to sit with a pedal for like 3 days to find a sweet spot......this pedals sounds great on all settings. Very impressed.
Manual not needed.

Im using this with a fender twin, a peavey valve and fender digital (!) practise amp and this pedal really does improve things alot. Sounds great with the valves. Not noisy at all and is great for dirtying up a clean amp. Sounds like the overdrive channel of a really good amp-very natural sounding. Very impressed.

Very well made-solid with a fantastic switch thats smooth as silk. Whats not to like about this pedal?

Played for 20 yrs and gigged loads-pubs clubs and functions......
I love this pedal. This has quickly become my fav. pedal and gives me the overdrive on a clean amp im after. Does the blues thing very well-i suppose like a tubescreamer with less mid but great articulate bottom end. I dont normally care too much for bassy sounds but with this pedal has made me change my style. Actually its good at the mid range boost and highs are very nice not ice pick in ear- very nice.
Oh and the way the signals decays is like a valve amp-ok it maybe a bit compressed for some tastes but i happen to like that in amp anyway.....and that only adds to the valvy ness of the sound imho.
Ive had lots of pedals and this is very well made and sounds fantastic.The only critism is the price of these new-its a bit expensive-but second hand on flea bay about ??60.00 which is a bargain for something this good. I am on the look out for more TREX pedals.

Getting a good sound from this thing isn't hard it's got 3 dials, gain, level and tone.

No Need to look into the manual!

I've used this pedal with a Cornford Hurricane, Fender Deluxe Reverb, JCM800 1987 Non-MV and a THD BiValve..

In each amp I've used it for the same purpose to push a crunchy amp into over drive, this pedal adds a nice ammount of compression but not too much and just coats the tone with gain and harmonics that leap off left right and centre.

I did use this pedal dimed on the Deluxe Reverb for some Eric Johnson type tones, and it excelled at this also but i find the pedal best used as a mid gain boost on a mid gain amp to create a nice fat lead tone.

Currently im using this with the BiValve and it really brings this amp to life.

This has become a staple part of my tone, just like the DS1 was to Satriani, the TS808 to SRV and the Fuzz pedal to Hendrix.. Couldn't comprehend not using it..

Built like a tank!

I play a range of styles and have used this as a clean boost to give more mid range to a tone for jazzy leads, I've cranked the gain into a Clean amp for some bluesy tones and i've ran it at 50% gain into a crunchy amp for some fat lead tones.

I've been playing since 1992, I run this with an old schecter strat into the amps mentioned above.

I compared this pedal to about 15 other pedals in the store including a TS9 and a Digitech Bad Monkey, this felt like the best solution for me.

Three knobs and a switch. Can't be easier.

Been using it for a while now, I get a really fat overdrive with my les paul. Great bluesy tone, dosen't get agressive unless you play agressivly. Can't ask for more.

Built like a tank.

Nice and helpful.

Great drive, fantastic sound quality. Way better than the new Tube Screamer...

TREX is awesome! It's doesn't get any easier than this to dail in the tone you want

Excellent sound and Tone Awesome!

Built tough with a 2 year warranty/No problems so far

I had a friend who last one of his knobs and T-REX's distributor just sent him one out. Fast

Awesome company/Awesome product/ Highly recommend

Very easy to dial in a good sound. No need for a manual, just use your ears.

I wonder why this pedal is filed as 'Alberta distortion' on this page?
It's definitely NO distortion. It's an OVERDRIVE. Totally different story.

"It doesn't have to be green to sound like a tubescreamer!"
Yep: tubescreamer, that's exactly the sound it makes. But in my opinion a bit more 'refined', and without the TS-related loss of bass and with smoother mids. And it has true bypass!
Nice and mild, incredibly warm. It only gets aggressive when your playing style is aggressive.
Doesn't sound boxy at all. Sounds like the overdrive channel of a real expensive tube amp.

I use this with the following gear: Gibson Les Paul, Fender USA Telecaster, Yamaha SG, Laney VC30 class A tube combo and some effects pedals (mostly Boss because they're reliable and I like their sound).
The Alberta sounds fantastic on all guitars and interacts very dynamic with my amp. I like it most with my Tele!

Conclusion: an amazing overdrive stompbox for blues, rock, classic rock,... Just don't expect hi-gain sounds from it, by itself. (However, a friend of mine also has one and he uses it to push his 50w Marshall JCM800 - must be the best heavy overdriven sound I ever heard!!)

So far so good...

??
I hope I'll never need them.

I play a lot of different stuff... mostly indierock (Pixies, The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, Fischer-Z, The Sound), 70s/80s postpunk (Gang Of Four, The Chameleons, Joy Division), new wave (The Cure), classic rock, bluesy licks,... The Alberta is a perfect match for all that.
I've been playing for more than 15 years now and have owned/tried *hundreds* of overdrive boxes over the years. Along with the Marshall Guv'Nor and Ibanez Tubescreamer this is the best I've come across!
I can't imagine playing without it anymore. My playing has improved a LOT since I have it. If it were stolen or lost, I'd buy it again the same day.
I got it as a present from my wife. BEST present ever!
By the way, it has a blue LED. I love it. My wife loves it. Everybody loves it.

its a stomp BoX.

from what i know the alberta is a ts808 copy made with some tlc in denmark. i was trying to get my hands on an original ts808 but had no luck (under $1000Au). i went to a shop and got every ts808 copy and the re-issue by ibanez and fell in love with the alberta. it is tru bypass which i wanted cos its good to mix things up. its warm and round like the ts808 and keeps its your end well. bieng a ts808 copy IT HAS A MID BOOST! this is a great sound but id like to have the option.

its made of metal, i cant afford a backup and i dont think il ever need 1 (its a risk i take)

never used them

I studied jazz and i teach and play most styles(some badly) exept clasical. this pedal obviously does roch and blues best and won`t do metal or real heavy rock

Damn i wish it had a switch that turned off the mid boost(this creates that nasal sound) dont get me rong it sounds great but sometimes i want a natrul sound without further complications to my pedal board. im reserchin the possibility of getting one put in.(please contact me if u know it can be done)

... Well, 3 knobs and a stomp switch. Gain, level, tone. No problem.

I like the somewhat nasal tone. For many songs I prefer that midrangy guitar sound and Alberta gives me that. Don't like the Tube Screamer. I like the Fulldrive 2 a lot too, but I use these two pedals for different things. I will normally not give a 10, thinking people exaggerate when having recently acquired something. However, having used Alberta for 3-4 years now for almost half of the songs I play, it would be odd if not giving a least 9?

Never had a problem.

Never needed it

I play mainly rock and have played guitar for 44 years. For a slightly nasal tone Alberta is best, otherwise I use Fulldrive 2. These 2 pedals are equally important to me and fulfill my needs. Have used both for a couple of years.

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.

There's no manual for this T-rex Alberta Distortion-pedal, but with only gain, tone and a Volume-button, I don't need any manual, even thou it would be nice with a "Suggested settings"-guide. It's rather easy to use, and you really get a cool sound right away.

I'm using the Alberta after my Crybaby Wah, into a Tc-electronics D-two Delayunit going into my Hi-watt Dr103 head-into 4*12 Marshall 360 watt cab. The pedal is not very noisy compared to many Boss-dist.-pedals, not even at full gain, and full volume, only a bit, but to archieve the sound i want, i only set the Gain and Vol at 'bout 7 o'clock, and there's no problem at all. The pedal is Wellknown in europe by a lot of bluesmusicians, and is the best bluespedal for that rough sound with a rather sharp edge.

It's a very reliable pedal, made of aluminium. A very strong chassis, with the wellknown Switch(the round metalbutton like fx. on marshall footswitchpedals).
The prints inside are very strong, (yes i have opened it, since i'm very interested in electronic), BUT the first Albertapedal was produced in 1995, so i can't tell how good it works after 15 years.
The only possible problem is that the knobs for Volume, Gain and tone, are sitting close to your feet, when you have to step on the pedal, you could maybe damage both the buttons and the inside electronic.

I've bought it in a musicstore in Vejle in Denmark, where they are very helpfull, and I'm sure that if i have any problems, they can fix it, but the factory on it's own has NO kind of support, but I don't need that. There's only 3 knobs to turn, and thats SO easy. If you get any problems, there's always 1 years Warranty.
The pedals are produced in Denmark, and also in Vejle, so I have no problem with Customersupport, cuz' I can just go in and talk with the guys who are making these pedals. I have been there one time, and they told me about some new pedals they were about to develop, that's what i call good damn service. They show an Interest in every customer, cuz' it's a small factory.

I like Pink Floyd, and David Gilmour's music is packed with a lot of effects, but all the same I am a serious fan of Deep Purple, both Ritchie Blackmore and Steve Morse and Tommy Bolin. They only have two overall sounds, and thats Distortion and Overdrive. This pedal, is just great for me, both to archieve Davids sound, and the old 70' rock sound. Ok, i haven't found the right ovedrivepedal yet, but i'm looking for one. I've played for 'bout 6 years, and have, until now, played on a Marshall Super Lead Plexi 100 Watt Heads, and a fender and a Marshallcombo, and then I didn't own ANY pedal, cuz' i meant that it was better with one amp for every sound- so I ended lined up with 10 different amps or so. But this pedal actually convinced me. Pedals are the easiest way of archieving a cool good sound, but then they have to be good, and this pedal has comed to stay. All big rocknames in my country are using this pedal.