Chicago-based boutique pedal producer Daredevil Pedals has unveiled the Aces Hybrid Amplifier boost pedal, which utilizes both germanium and silicon transistors to harness “optimal tonal definition and response”.
Like many other Daredevil Pedals offerings – most notably the control-less Hype boost pedal – the control layout is next-level simple, featuring just one bypass footswitch and an unlabeled parameter knob that merely adjusts the output level.
Though the pedal looks to be pretty basic at first glance, there are a number of fairly enticing specs lurking under the hood.
Inspired by a 1950s RCA data sheets book containing schematics for old tubes and transistors, the Aces Hybrid Amplifier utilizes NOS germanium and modern silicon transistors, which are deployed side by side to provide both the former’s warm, sweet sustain and the latter’s “biting rock ‘n’ roll gain”.
According to the company, the goal for the Aces was to create a simple two-stage preamp that would help you achieve the most “natural feel and tone you could get out of an amp without coloring it too much”.
In practice, the pedal – which would take up minimal space on a pedalboard – is described as something of a Swiss army pedal: it’s supposedly suitable as both a solo and leave-on effect, though is also said to stack well with other pedals.
For further tone-tweaking powers, the pedal also features two internal trimpots, which can be used to set the bias for each gain stage – though Daredevil Pedals insists this may be redundant, as the transistors are tested and biased to give “optimal tonal definition and response” in shop.
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The Aces Hybrid Amplifier is available now for $169.
For more information, visit Daredevil Pedals.
