ToadWorks Mr. Ed

I am a recording engineer with 15 years of experience. This pedal only took me about an hour to dial in the desired tone. I gave it an eight because someone with less experience at getting good tones might have to invest a bit more time dialing in the sound. It did require amp EQ tweaking and pickup height adjustment, but the overall effect is very impressive. Mine is #0622, I do not know where that falls as far as how recently it was made.

I would have given this pedal a ten but while chugging palm muted chords there is a bit of what I call a metallic warble, most noticable when using a solid state amp (Marshall mg15cd). It is not present on open chords at all, and hardly noticable when using a tube amp. Contrary to previous postings, this pedal is not a one trick pony, I have been able to dial in many very usable tones with this pedal. It also is very touch resposive, play soft and the sound cleans up, play hard and get the full effect. I have set it up with a modified Crate Blue Voodoo 50watt head, an old Crate 4x12 cab I loaded with new Celestion 70-80's wired in stereo. As for guitars, I use a Fender Strat that I custom built myself in the image of Eddie's original white and black striped Strat, also a '99 Ivory Epiphone Les Paul Custom I completely re-did (think Randy Rhoads). Yes, it does the brown (VH) sound very, very well but it is not limited to that only.

I only received this pedal this week, but I opened it up and my inspection revealed all high quality components. I really expect this pedal will outlast alot of my other pedals. Yes I would use it at a gig with no backup.

I have not dealt with them, but according to previous posts, they seem very customer oriented.

Overall, this is the best I have found to reproduce the brown sound. I play all original classic style rock, old school punk, and some southern rock, and this pedal, with some tweaking, gets me right where I want to be. If it were stolen I would definately buy another, as for losing it? Well, that is not going to happen. I am as happy with this pedal as I could be, It ROCKS!

Very easy to use. 3 knobs.........

Sounds great. Get's a great "Brown Sound" through my Marshall Hand-Wired 100 wt. head. Had some problems with it at first but Ryan at Toadworks was very helpful (see below).

Very well built.

I bought the unit on e-bay and it was an early model (I think #45). It totally lacked any bass response and when I called the company, Ryan was great and just had me ship him the unit and he replaced it. A+ on this issue.

Like others have said, this unit is pretty much one trick. You should not use this as your only overdrive unless you are in a VH cover-band! It does exactly what it promises.

Fool with the knobs, adjust the level, idiot proof.

I've been playing local gigs for many years and like all of us I'm always looking for the perfect distortion box that does it all. I've come to believe that it doesn't exist and you just gotta have a number of pedals to get the sounds you need. I play through an early 70's silverface twin that I had modded by a local San Diego amp tech to blackface circuit. My guitars are a '62 reissue strat and an old Hamer USA FM special. My effects: Duncan Booster>modded Dunlop Wah>George Dennis Chorus>SIB Echo>Mr. Ed>Zvex Seek Trem. I use Mr. Ed mostly for adding a little bit of color to my strat which I use for most songs. Mr. Ed is capable of some heavy rock tones and of course does the EVH thing to a T. I couldn't agree more with the prior reviewer, this is a boutique pedal that take some getting used to. I just dumped my Tonebone Classic because it won't do the mild overdrive to my satisfaction and Mr. Ed handles that job nicely.

Built like a tank with the highest quality components. I use it at gigs all the time with no back up.

When I first got it the footswitch started cutting in and out. Sometimes I'd stomp it and no problema, sometimes it would cut the sound out completely. I went to the website and contacted them via email. Ryan Dunn, the President of Toadworks, personally answered my email in less than 12 hours. He fixed it for me for free even though I had purchased it used. He told me that at one point they got a batch of bad switches that didn't start going bad until used for a couple of months. Great guy, great company. I would highly recommend doing business with them.

I play everything hard rock. A lot of classic but some modern stuff too. Been playing forever and owned too much to list. If Mr. Ed were lost or stolen I'd replace it for sure. I love the way this unit sounds at stage volume. It really comes to life. This is a professional's tool and I think you have to be at a close to pro level to really appreciate it. Mr. Ed is comparable to other boutique pedals, Fulltone, Maxon, etc. and better than the usual Boss, DOD, etc. I replaced my modded Boss MIJ SD-1 with this.

Mr. Ed gets a solid 9.

I reserve 10 for that stompbox that will replace all the others, be better than the distortion channel of my amp (no way) and doesn't exist.

Easy to use: the brown, tone and level controls on the new version 3 of this pedal are very responsive. The manual is easy to follow and even suggests the best battery to use,(yes, they do sound different), but I use the 9 volt jack. Mr. Ed has a bright green on/off indicator light, a good idea considering the bright red box. Green and blue are easier to see under stage lights any way.It does take a while on different guitars to dial in the sound. It is a very responsive pedal, therefore guitar volume, pedal volume and brown level, plus your amp settings come into play. Many boutique pedals need time to get used to. Large run manufacturers make pedals for the masses, that work great out of the box and sound acceptable to good, but not usually spectacular, although there are always exceptions.

I am writing this review, as many people read these reviews for products not readily available in their area. The reviews for this product have been from outlandishly glowing to damning. The Toadworks web site has sound bites that were almost Van Halen like sounding, but the player on the MP3's is not competent enough to tell if the sounds are true.

I wrote to Steve's Music in NY state to ask about the pedal. He sent me an excerpt from letter from the manufacturer saying that all the bugs were finally worked out and that the product has gone through more testing and modification. I ordered the pedal hoping for the best. I live in Japan.

The web site claims a Van Halen sound clone and that's exactly what I wanted. I was searching for the perfect modded Marshall tone. I play through a tweed Fender Pro Jr.,( it accepts pedals very well), using a Hamer Californian Elite loaded with EMG's, '71 Fender telecaster loaded with Seymour Duncan Nashville 5-2's, and a Warmoth strat with all pro quality parts and SD 5-2 and SSL-1 p-ups. For OD pedals, I currently am using a Boss Metal Zone, Xotic Effects AC Booster, a Visual Sound Route 66 and the Mr. Ed.

Now, previous posts said that this pedal was low gain. It can be true. If you don't adjust your guitar levels, the pedal levels AND your amp levels you won't find the tone. This pedal is input and touch sensitive. With each guitar I changed, I made adjustments. My pedal tone was always on full. at 9:00 on brown, you get a great Marshall bluesy tone from the great artists from the British 60's. It's like a plexi front morphed with an early 80's JCM 800. This tone was obtained with my strat.

For my tele in the same position, it sounded like the tone from the Stones, "Gimme Shelter", like a Boogie with sweet harmonic overtones. In my set up, the only other way to get this sound is with possibly a TC Electronics Distortion/Overdrive from the early 80's, which is now a pricey collectable.

With the Hamer in the same position, it was like modern version of ZZ Tops El Loco sound.

Please keep in mind that these are approximations. All gears and all players have a different feel. After 18 years of guitar playing, I am still a mediocre player at best.

Now, for the Van Halen Sound with 80%-100% brown. Another review said that this pedal sounded like a bad buzzing sound. This can be true if your pick ups are very hot and your amps volume is too low. You MUST be playing your amp at a reasonable volume for the pedal to kick in for it's intended use. Many boutique manufacturer's pedals don't come to life until your at a live sound setting, not bed room volume. Menatone pedals are a good example of this. This pedal comes alive at just before neighbour annoying volume. the tiny parametric sweep that you here from the phase 90 on VH's albums comes into play when you are at proper rockin' volume. It is subtle, but it is there. It sounded great with the strat, the tele sounded like the Cult's, "Love Removal Machine", and the Hamer had to be backed off on the guitar volume, or it was input overload. I have the same problem with my RAT 2, but the Rat loses tone as I back off, the Mr. Ed doesn't. It delivered the sound as promised. It sounded exactly like Van Halen playing along with, "You Really Got Me", complete with 2nd order harmonic over tones. I took what seemed to be a risk and came out on top. This version of the pedal is excellent. It is an experienced or pro users effect pedal. You must be able to play guitar reasonably well to make the sounds sing. Must high end pedals for Klon, Menatone, HAO, etc are like this.

My other pedals simulate the LA metal sound, and AC Top Boost sound, a Fender Twin sound, and now, the 80's Marshall sound from the tone mater Van Halen. I did my home work. I was searching for the one perfect pedal to give me a Marshall tone with a little more edge. Candidate's includeds the Marshall Govenor, The Option 5 Overdrive/Distortion, Crowther'

It is very well made and they use audiophile grade components in the most recent model. I think they put a lot of thought and R&D into this version of the pedal. I believe that it will be dependable.

I e-mailed twice with no response. On the third try Ryan replied that he did not receive the first two and offered another address to send too, just in case and was apologetic. It is a new company and they are trying hard to make it work. Filling spaces in a niche market is a difficult thing to do.

It is a great pedal designed to give you a famous person's signature sound. I looked for a long time and played a lot of dogs and disappointments until I found this pedal. I am more than satisfied. I am an audiophile and super picky about sound. As I stated, I did a lot of home work and wish to get off the pedal buying and trading merry-go-round. I only buy the best of the best with pedals for my purposes. This pedal has no compromises if used as a sensitive musical instrument, not as a plug and play teens d-tune buzz box. I highly recommend you seek out the new version of this effect. I am told that it has been in production a little more than a month, as of this date.

This box is easy to use, but as a few others have mentioned it's very much a one trick pony. Three knobs one footswitch - easy enough. Pretty much forget the "Brown" knob - it doesn't do much of anything. There's a subtle change, but hardly worth it. The good news is that if the sound works for you then you're set. If it doesn't, well... it doesn't.

I've used this with a Fender Am. Std. Strat, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Carvin DC-150 and a Fender Powerhouse Strat. I'm plugging into a Mesa Blue Angel 1x12 and/or a 1968 Bassman. For the first few days I was pretty happy with the pedal. I've been searching for a way to get close to the EVH type of sound with my clean amps and this seemed to get in the neighborhood. I had a little trouble getting it to sound good live (gigged with it a half dozen times) at higher volumes and the sound just wasn't there. After playing with it for a few more months in the basement I'm liking it less and less. It's middle of the pack for me right now - not my least favorite, but not my fav either.

I find that rather than a "Tube amp" sound as advertised (and some have found), I get a buzzy, raspy sound. Definitely *not* what I had hoped for. It may just be the combination of equipment I use, but the sound just isn't happening for me with this pedal.

Everything seems quite well made. Looking inside it isn't as neat and orderly as my Fulltone, but it looks very solid and I'm sure it will hold up well. The box itself is typical for good quality effects - metal case, durable looking paint, quality parts, etc.

Never tried it, no need. It seems like a small operation so I'd guess they'd be helpful.

I play in a cover band doing the usual bar gigs and such. I was hoping this would be the ticket for the higher gain solos like EVH, Richie Sambora, etc. Not quite there for me though.

I've been playing 20+ years(!) and mainly stick with the Mesa Blue Angel and the Strat, but I'll break out the others on occasion.

I plan on trying something else to get the sound I need, so if it were stolen I'd move on.

I've compared this side by side for a few months now with a Keeley Seeing Eye (modded Boss DS-1) and a Tech 21 GT-2. The GT-2 is working the best for me.

Three knobs, Brown(distortion),Tone & Level. Couldn't be any easier!

The Mr.Ed does the cranked Marshall sound better than most pedals I've used, It might be a one trick pony but what a trick! There's no such thing as the perfect pedal but for the sound this one is designed for it dosen't come any better. I use a Les Paul with EMG's and a Musicman EVH into a Marshall JCM800 and Mesa Boogie Tremoverb.

Built like a Tank.

Ryan is a pleasure to deal with, I've just had the upgrade done to my pedal and I wish that every company that I dealt with was as helpfull as these guys.

My band plays a fairly diverse range of musical styles but for the rock stuff this little baby kicks. I've been playing for about fifteen years and have used a lot of gear over that time and I rate this pedal with some of the best gear I've had. If it was stolen or lost I would buy another one instantly! I'm even thinking of buying another Toadworks product, the Death Rattle, looks very interesting.

Three knobs for volume tone and gain.

I have compared the Mr Ed to my Vintage Rat, Blues Pearl Blue Balls and Roger Mayer Spitfire and I dont believe the Mr Ed is as versatile.

So far it still works.

I suppose if this pedal breaks then Mr Ed would ship you a new one in exchange for the defective pedal since it probably only cost about $25 to manufacture each Mr Ed pedal.

I paid too much for this when my Vintage Rat is half the price. My Rat is more versatile in obtaining different tones and my Rat seems to be built much better. I base my opinion of the Mr Ed on its unusually high steep list price of $180 when I am informed that the Mr Ed was originally available for only $80. Theres no way this Mr Ed pedal is worth the current price, and it seems to me that Mr Ed is taking total advantage of the willingness of people to spend all sorts of money on high quality boutique gear. The problem here is that I dont believe my Mr Ed pedal is high quality gear- my old DOD FX 250 Overdrive/Preamp thats twenty years old (and still in mint condition mind you) is a MUCH better pedal than this Mr Ed.

Usualy a pedal with only three knobs is easy to use. Usualy the three knobs have the expected effect on the sound. But not with Mr. Ed

Mostly prefer older Fender Amps and Strats. With my SF Super Reverb I got the badest result you can imagine. It sounds like crap. With my JCM 800 it was a little bit better but not good. Toadworks argues that this pedal is a distortion. Compared with Mr. Ed my TS808 is a high gain pedal. From a distortion pedal you should expect that it is able to bring a clean amp to distorted sound. Not Mr. Ed.

I would never gig with an effect pedal which only works with batteries and you need a lot of time to change them. But the box and the aluminium knobs are the best parts. From outside it looks very robust but when you open it you ask yourselve:why did they take such a large box for the few little parts which you can buy in every electronic shop for less than 10$.

never dealt with them

I'm playing Blues, Bluesrock but also Hard Rock for 32 years and I own lots of overdrives and distortions which all do their job. But I can't remind having bought a pedal which dissapointed me so as Mr.Ed did. There is no relation between price and the quality you get.

This is exceptionally easy to use. Its a fairly standard configuration for distortion pedals, Volume, Tone, and "Brown" which is a gain control.

Making it more easy is the fact that the tone is pretty weak, attenuated highs and lows for the majority of the sweep of the "Brown" knob, so that knob pretty well stays at the fully clockwise position.

The only difficulty of use comes in when you have to power the pedal. It has no built in ac power jack, and changing the battery requires you to remove the bottom plate. This is a pain, and one that is quite easy to fix. The parts and labor necessary to equip this with an AC input jack wouldn't exceed a dollar or so. For the price tag on this pedal, thats a small investment.

The pedal does a surprisingly good job of replicating Mr. Van Halen's early tone, the novelty of which provides at least a few minutes of entertainment value.

Essentially, it provides the tone of a decent distortion pedal, with the typically booming bass attenuated. This creates a tone reminiscent of early Van Halen but also makes for a good Jimmy Page impression. Exceptionally quiety, both while the effect is engaged and when it is bypassed.

It's in a durable enclosure, probably a hammond 1590-BB. The Jacks, switch and pots are wired point to circuit, so if you break something, you don't necessarily break EVERYTHING.

Peculiarly, the bulk of the electronics are fixed with adhesive to the bottom plate...if you don't recognize this, you can easily damage the unit by removing the plate too far too fast when you go to change the battery.

Additionally, the battery is not fixed in place, but rattles around and has the potential to cause damage if the pedal is moved.

Finally, the electronics are obnoxiously coated in Epoxy. Don't get me wrong, I understand you need to retain your trade secrets and intellectual property. The problem with this is, if some electronic component fails, you have no way of diagnosing the problem, or of repairing the unit, short of completely replacing the entire blob that is covered in epoxy.

They do offer a 5 year warranty, but it is unfortunate that a user is not ABLE to fix it should it break after the warranty period.

I haven't dealt with them.

Pretty much every questionable aspect of the device that I have mentioned have been addressed by the company--the fact that the gain knob doesn't do much, its not gainy enough, it doesn't provide enough of a level boost, the electronics are on the back, and the battery flops around.

They are kind enough to let you send the pedal back so that they can correct these problems, but they require that you pay them extra money.

It's certainly a musically useful pedal, but with no AC jack I'd be hard pressed to rely upon the battery alone, and I don't keep it in my regular rig for that reason.

This pedal has three knobs (level, tone, and brown/dist). The pedal is very responsive to both you and your amp/speakers, so you need to tweak it a bit to dial up the tone you want. But if you do that . . . see SOUND QUALITY.

My Mr. Ed started out as one of the original versions of the pedal. I loved the tone of that pedal. But then I learned that Ryan and Co. decided to listen to suggestions from players (like you and me) and did some improvements to the pedal. So, I had mine upgraded (for only $15) by Ryan at Toadworks. Guess what? I love this pedal EVEN MORE. It has all the tone of the original, but now it offers some HUGE sounding tones. The bass response is suberb, and the crunch is beautiful. Perhaps the biggest improvement is with the Brown knob. It now gives you much more range of adjustment, and allows for more gain than the original Mr. Ed.

Never had any problems at all. Very well made, and simple enough to not cause any worry.

Ryan is a terrific guy. He's very responsive and helpful, and he appreciates his customers. After all, how many manufacturers out there really listen to feedback from customers? There's a handful (Robert Keeley, Zachary Vex, Tech 21, and some others)?

Great pedal! Don't let any previous negative reviews affect your decision on this pedal. Get the new version and feel the tone!