Product: Tim Champion Clapthena
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
04/18/2008
at
01:30pm
by
phil
Ease of Use
:
10
Very easy to use. One knob that turns on and intensifies the effect.
Sound Quality
:
9
Play it with both single coil Strats and Gibsons. I like it with the Les Paul better i think? Really sparkles and shines as you turn up the amp's volume. Play it mostly through a modified Epi Valve Jr and it sounds great through that.
Reliability
:
10
Very solid pedal. I have Champions other pedal - The Hissy Foot - and both are built like tanks. Definitely would gig with it.
Customer Support
:
10
Tim Champion seems very easy to deal with and is a really nice guy.
Overall Rating
:
10
I play blues and blues rock. Been playing for about 15 years. Have some Strats and Gibsons...a Danelectro.
Always been more of a tubescreamer/fuzz kind of guy, but have been intrigued, by the Rangemaster sound for years.
Bought the Clapthena because I played it when I bought the Hissy Foot Fuzz (which is an INCREDIBLE pedal) and I fell in love with the sound.
So glad I bought it. With a darker sounding amp it really pops and brngs out my sound. The Clapthena really compliments my other pedals as well and is highly recommended!!
Product: Tim Champion Clapthena
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
04/11/2008
at
02:29pm
by
Rod Gibble
Ease of Use
:
10
On/off switch and one knob for level - so easy even I can use it.
Sound Quality
:
10
The pedal is a basically a Dallas Rangemaster - the legendary pedal used by Clapton on the Beano album, Hendrix, etc, etc, etc. I am told that the Clapthena is based on ones used by Hendrix that were modded by Rodger Mayer. Have used it with LP, Strat and 335 running into a '73 Pro Reverb, Mesa Mark I Reissue, and Louis Electric KR. Sounds amazing with any combination - just turn the knob until you get the sound you want. If you want wailing sustain and tube breakup and saturation, this is the bomb.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Simple device, hand wired, so it should be durable, but have only had it for a few weeks so I can't really rate. True bypass, very quiet. NOS germanium transistor.
Customer Support
:
10
If you need advice or help, you can email or call and speak to Tim directly. If you live in NYC, he might invite you to stop by his studio if he isn't too busy. Kind of like Randall Smith when he was making Mesa Boogies in his garage.
Overall Rating
:
10
Play rock, blues, jazz, bad notes, etc. for longer than I care to admit. If you like the great stuff done from '65 to '75, you need this pedal...if you can find one (production is obviously limited since he makes each one by hand himself).
Product: Tim Champion Clapthena
Price Paid: USD 199
Submitted
04/08/2008
at
08:29am
by
Fuzznut
Ease of Use
:
10
VERY easy to use. It has one big knob and a on/off stomp switch.
Sound Quality
:
10
In a word - KILLER!!!. A boost with bite and a very pleasing slightly hollow, vowely/woman tone? type tone. Great personality. If you have a small to medium size tube amp you need one of these. I turn my tweed deluxe up to where its just breaking up, step on Clapthena and its BANG....... I can nail ZZ Top, Clapton w/bluesbreaker, Brian May etc.!!!. It will go there!!
Reliability
:
10
Soild - no issues. It works great and is kick ass sounding.
Customer Support
:
10
I bought two pedals Tim made, the Hissy Foot and Clapthena. Tim invited me to his studio to check them out and answer questions. Tim's very easy to get a hold of and very easy to deal with and makes great sounding pedals.
Overall Rating
:
10
Clapthena is GREAT with Les Pauls and will deliver the classic rock/blues tones of your wet dream!!. Its point to point hand made and uses vintage PNP Germanium transistors to add gain and bite and a slight vowely/vocal/woman tone???? sound to your solos and rhythm. It really kick your amp in the butt !! Great for ZZ Top - Clapton - Blues Breaker, Brian May, TRex tones. Beautiful driving liquid leads and Hot crunchy rhythm. This thing is the real deal.
