Visual Sound Open Road

Bob Weil here from Visual Sound, responding to jpmnlop's review below. No, I wasn't drunk when R.G. Keen and I designed the Open Road. Actually, we had some of the top session and touring musicians in Nashville and L.A. try the pedal before going into production and they all freaked out over it. It's already been used on various recordings and is currently on stage with Keith Urban, among others.

Now, I respect your opinion completely, but is it necessary to slander one of the products that we put a lot of effort into, on a public forum like this? Yes, you're welcome to give it a less than glowing review, but the outright slamming of a product and the people who created it is unnecessary to say the least, and it's all too common here on the Web.

We don't mind hearing people's negative opinions by email or phone. In fact, we welcome it. Anonymously slamming on a public forum doesn't do us or you any good at all. We're here to help you find your sound... if you'll let us.

3 knobs drive tone volume easy!

Hi there is the no-fun part! i found the pedal not that good for distortion or overdrive and i think that Bob at visual went wrong with this product BIG TIME WAY OFF TRACK, TAKE THIS **** OUT OF PRODUCTION NOW. NOW!BEFORE ITS TOO LATE
cmon everybody makes mistakes.

how can i explain :
I bought at the same time the route 66 (nice deal, two pedals for 40$ more than the route 808), in montreal. Put the open road in front of my vox ac30ccx and voila I want to quit playing guitar no?
The route 66 was nice and i kept it, nice overdrive no way near the quality of the box of rock but really nice for a tubescreamer clone.
If you are like me you saw the video on youtube showing bob in a studio demonstrating how good they make things with visual sound and yes I think they are good really

Ok let me tell you that in respect that i have to bob at visual and all his crew Its hurts to tell you that i dont recommend and approve this product and i will tell you to stuck with the route 808 or something of that kind( you know their products)
Man, were you drunk when you desing that pedal or what?

Here the review, almost there for tone quantity of drive flexibility but no PRESENCE AND to much of that, or those op amp things. and generic sounding like my 10 box garage samick amp from early 90's
5 for sound and I'm polite ...
SO dont read me and go buy one for yourself...

I think they are reliable nice construction and good components for what I know.

never deal with visual sound directly...

Return it to the store and bought something else.
I am sorry but not good for me I hope that it will be discontinued in a near future like maybe yesterday.
By the way try the route 66 i recommend this one...
This is my first review and its not that I dont know what tone is. For you vintage ****ers I own a jmp 72 small box. SO cmon ...

A message to Bob, I like what you do overall and I have heard your story and your another american dream that made it, but what were you thinking with that open road. On the good part, construction seems awesome!

The moment i plugged the pedal in it sounded great. It was 'The Sound' i was after.

The manual clearly illustrates a few settings like 'plexi', 'clean boost' etc. There is a description of how the pedal works, which i found accurate to the actual sound...which is a first.

I'm using the pedal with an epiphone riviera (mini humbuckers) and a modified fender blues junior with a celestion G12H-30 speaker. It gives me almost every sound i require for one broad exploration in rock. The sound of this pedal is more "amp-like" compared to a ts-808 tubescreamer. There isn't a "mid hump" and it sounds just like a great big rockin' stack, even on top of a fairly clean 'twin' like tone setting. What surprised me the most was how deep and tight the bass was. The treble is certainly present. It could be too much for some people, i.e. telecaster players. Players seeking a more vintage (honky) tone would prefer the 'Route 808' overdrive pedal, which is TS-808 clone with a bass boost switch. This is the best sounding overdrive pedal that i've ever played/owned and i bought it without trying first as its not available in my country as of yet.

It is built like a tank. All quality components. Made in USA etc.......

I dont know but i'd imagine it would be pretty good and helpful. These small companies generally are.

I have played many stupidly overpriced "boutique" pedals that claim to be the holy grail of tone, and 90% of them are not. This one is a keeper. I cant wait to play it through a 4x12 cabinet.