Zvex Distortron
The Distortron is the gifted little sister to the Z.Vex "Box of Rock." It is highly specialized to simulate the "everything on 10" sound of a classic Marshall JTM45 non-master-volume amplifier. You may use the Distortron effectively with many different amplifiers, but to get the sound Z.Vex heard when he designed it, try it through an old-school non-master volume Marshall at least once. You may use your guitar's volume control to adjust for the exact amount of distortion you need, all the way down to very clean and clear with most drive settings when the gain switch is set to "Lo."
Operation:
Plug your guitar (or any effect's output) into the right hand input jack. Plug the output into an amp or other effect's input. Rock out. Set the subs switch so there's just enough low-end for your amp. Try turning up the gain all the way but leave the gain switch on Lo. This is the maximum gain where you can still turn down your guitar and get a completely clean tone if you need it. With the Gain switch on Hi you can get more singing sustain with feedback at moderate amp volume. Try using your rhythm pickup with the tone control turned all the way downn for a vintage bluesy howling lead sound.
Pedal Placement:
Z.Vex recommends that you try the Distortron last in your pedal chain, just before the amp. You can set the amp for your favorite clean tone, set the Distortron for your favorite distortion tone, and if you're using a booster pedal as well, try it both before and after the Distortron to experience the different results...before the Distortron will give you more sustain, while after will give you more amp volume (or drive, if you use a distorted amp sound.) If yo have other distortion pedals, don't leave them in the closet! Many distortion pedals sound amazing into the Distortron. You may discover a whole new love for your old distortion pedal collection!
The best way to complete this pedal is to run it through a JTM45 Marshall amplifier head/cabinet on a warm clean setting (try strapping the channels, setting the volumes below 3, and setting all other controls to 6 as a start point.)
Remember to unplug your Distortron's input jack when not in use to save battery life!
Battery Change:
If the performance of your pedal seems diminished or the LEDs become very dim, it's time to change your battery. Remove the four screws on the bottom of the pedal and carefully remove and replace the old battery, putting it back exactly in the center of the pedal on edge so that it is gripped tightly by the lid when it is screwed back in place.
Specifications:
Uses 1 9V battery (preferably alkaline, but the unit is shipped with a carbon-zinc battery.) The low current operation of this pedal's circuit will give you a long battery life. Current draw is approximately 10mA. A DC power jack (standard Boss configuration with center negative) is provided on the side of the pedal. Use a high- quality 9V adaptor for all high-gain effects!
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