Sept 09 2002 Over The Edge Page 13 By Destrudo Welcome to the first install- ment of Here’s Some Gear, a short review of guitar gear that you, the interested reader, can find here in town. | will be reviewing two distortion ped- als,but be forewarned, | am not a guitar technician or any other kind of professional when it comes to guitar gear. This will mostly consist of opinions of my own and gener- ally just make guitar players aware of what local vendors of guitar gear have to offer. Boss Mega Distortion MD- 2 — $110.00 The Boss Mega Distortion | MD-2 is an inexpensive pedal for those just starting out. The first distortion pedal is the Boss Mega _ Distortion (MD-2). This unit features a strong- construction, like all Boss stomp boxes, with input and output jacks that are attached to the metal chassis of the unit as opposed to being soldered to the circuit board inside. Most units with jacks soldered to the circuit board only tend to break when stepped on too hard. Boss pedals stand up to punish- ment. The sounds the unit has to offer can only be explained as distorted. With controls that allow you to adjust level, tone, bottom, distortion, and gain boost there is a wide range of distorted tones to generate. However, at each setting there a signal break up that is always present, a sort of crackling that is always going on in the background. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Some users may find that they can use this effect in their music. | managed to get tones out of the pedal from Zeppelin to Slayer. For someone who prefers a cleaner tone, | would advise against the MD-2. Radial Tube Drive Tone Bone Hot British — $350.00 LEVEL provides overait output fevel contro} fo the amplifier HIGH - HF EQ | LOW Comparison There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these pedals. Each of them have their uses depending on what any given person is look- ing for. The MD-2 is only $110.00 and can use battery CONTOUR works with VOICING switch ta boost or cut mids. Huge! DRIVE fo fine tune ingut for optimum distortion level LED On‘Bypass indicator | | | MID BOOST gives : i ios extra meal to cut TOP END shapes the fee! and —! | “sae She mix? P overall tone of your sound i VOICING shapes ional range FOOT SWITCH heavy duty tue by-D8SS ta ar scoop or extra fat The Tonebone is well worth the price if you’re looking for tube gain and a well refined sound. The second pedal is a tube gain pedal manufactured in Canada, Port Coquitlam to be exact. This pedal is manufac- tured by Radial. It is called the Tone Bone and there are two varieties of the Tone Bone, the Hot British distortion and the Classic distortion. | reviewed the Hot British. Yet again, a very versatile pedal and built very sturdily, made with 14- gauge steel and a baked enamel finish. This unit is more expensive than the MD-2 but it features tube distortion which sounds quite different than a usual stomp box. To tweek your tone, the Hot British offers controls to adjust level, drive, contour, high and low frequencies, as well as top end, voicing and mid boost switches. With all of these parameters to play with you can find almost any tone you're looking for. It is definite- ly for those people who are unafraid to spend a bit more and are look for a specific sound. power, as well as an AC adapter, so being inexpensive and easy to set up is a favourable feature of the MD- 2. However, the Tone Bone is $350.00, which is much more expensive, but it does come with its own power adapter, which Boss stomp boxes do not. The Tone Bone cannot use batteries, though, which limits where you can use it to where you have enough power outlets. Both pedals are built very sturdy and would with- stand intensive jamming or noodling in a basement. If you want to check these pedals out they can be found at Electron Sound and Percussion, which is near Massey and Ospika. An Introduction to Your Here’s Some Gear Men's and Women’s Timberwolves To all the basketball fans: I’m proud to introduce you this year’s Men’s and Women’s basketball teams as they enter into their fourth year in the B.C.C.A.A. There will be many fresh new faces on the men’s team, with only Todd Jordan and Brett Stewart returning from last years team. To bring back the old days of CNC basket- ball, head coach Zane Robison got Dean Rooker to play. Coach Robison says that Dean will “undoubtedly be a leader on this young team.’ Two of the young recruits are expected to make an immedi- ate impact at the college level: Brian Crowe and Trevor Russ. The rest of the team is made up of young, talented, and ath- letic players who are excited to follow in the footsteps of great players who have already played for U.N.B.C. Good luck to the men’s team. | predict right now this is the year the women’s team makes ARE You SURE You'Re A TIMBER WoLe? os . the playoffs. Lindsay Anderson and Christina Neufeld bring a great inside / outside pres- ence, and with each entering into their third year, they have the experience needed to lead the team into playoffs. The tal- ented Laura Beeksman and Rupi Gill are back for another year each having large roles in the success of the team. As for recruits Lindsay Anderson puts it best by saying “they can all play ball.” Ashley Neufeld, Meaghan Deuling, and Lindsay Ross have travelled to Prince George to play in front of the best fans in the league. Let’s not forget the hometown girls who must be excited to play college basketball in front of their friends and family. Congratulations to Allison Beswisk, Debra _ Kerrigan, Sarah Kaehn, and Kirstine Hamilton — we know you will make Prince George proud. Good luck to the women’s bas- ketball team. wv é , Howard Shull Sales Consultant Honda North ' Sales: (250) 562-9391 105 Brunswick Street Parts & Service: (250) 562-4744 Prince George, B.C. Fax: (250) $62-5151 V2L 2B2 Email: info@hondanorth.ca