NPD: Mantra Limited Edition Overdrive

[Jet-Jaguar]

So, I was looking on the webs for a nice, low-gain overdrive, and came across this nice pedal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d6saqMz2dE

This is like the regular mantra, except it has a switch to go low-gain. So it's like two pedals in one.  Annnd, it's cheaper than the normal version, which is amazing, ANNNND, I found out that Prymax Vintage (which has a sale on, like, every other week) honors sale codes on Earthquaker pedals (most of the boutique pedals are excluded from sales on PV and most other web sites.)  So I got it during the 4th of July sale and it came in Friday.

It's a pretty fun pedal. The hi-gain side is fairly high-gain like the normal mantra.  I don't have a normal mantra to compare, but it sounds like the videos I've seen of them.  The low gain is really nice, it's what I was looking for, a bit louder and more grit than normal.

 

[Cagey]

If you're still playing through tube amps, a really fun thing is to just beat the hell out of the input with a power booster such as the LPB-1 from Electro-Harmonix...

They're relatively inexpensive - $40 here - and the things are magical. There's almost nothing to them. If you open one up, you'll be pissed at how much you spent on the thing. It's just a linear power booster. A transistor and few resistors, a battery, and you're there. But, they drive your preamp stage nuts and it's a Good Thing. No coloration, just beef. Beats the snot out of most distortion pedals, if you ask me. 

Absolutely ugly on solid state amps, though. Don't even bother.