GMF, which has had success with its acoustic preamps, is now after electric guitarists with its Bullseye line of effect pedals.
Each pedal is an analog circuit built in a steel chassis with true-bypass switching. The Bullseyes can run on a 9-volt battery or external power supply. The 3.8” x 2.4” footprint is somewhere between a standard Boss and a nano-sized pedal.
First up is the CH-1 Chorus. Speed, Depth and Level are the controls. It reminds me of the older Ibanez chorus pedals but with less noise. In my soundclip the CH-1 fattens up a Les Paul rhythm tone well. Next, I channeled Kurt Cobain by turning up the Depth all the way. Finally I dialed in a “poor-man’s 12-string” by adding a light chorus to a double tracked acoustic guitar.
The RV-1 is the Bullseye’s Reverb pedal. Not that anyone’s ever asked me, but I think Dwell and Reverb knobs are all you need. I feel restricted with a single Reverb knob and overwhelmed with much more. In my demo clip I start with a little reverb, then turn up the Dwell to add more dimension and finish it with everything cranked, because why not?
Next is the DS-1 Distortion. The knobs are Gain, Tone and Level. Where similar distortion pedals get a bad rap for razor thin tone, I was able to get some top end fizz without robbing any of my lows. To prove myself I start the clip with my Strat’s bridge pickup. After that is the bridge pickup of a Les Paul followed by rolling back the tone knob to attempt a Cream-era Clapton sound.
Last is the DL-1 Delay. The knobs are Time, Mix and Repeat. Like the CH-1 Chorus, the DL-1 offers a vintage vibe without the holdups of playing an expensive, fussy vintage pedal. Delay times range from 140-360ms. For my soundclip I start with more of a textural delay, then dial the time back for a shorter slapback delay and end with the Repeats all the way up to get a little oscillating feedback.
Web: gmfamps.com
Street Price: $79 to $159
You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but Billy Voight is a gear reviewer, bassist and guitarist from Pennsylvania. He has Hartke bass amps and Walden acoustic guitars to thank for supplying some of the finest gear on his musical journey. Need Billy's help in creating noise for your next project? Drop him a line at thisguyonbass@gmail.com.
