Danelectro Fab Echo

[Tone2TheBone]

http://www.danelectro.com/fab5.htm

Picked one up this weekend at GC for $14.00. Really cool little pedal for the price. I don't know how long this will last because it was priced so cheap but as long as I don't drop it I think it will be awhile till I have to get another one. The body is of course plastic but when I looked at the board inside to put a battery in, it seemed like everything about it electronically was kosher. You can also power it in AC. I think what might go out first if anything would be the switch but heck for what I paid for it who cares it was dirt cheap! The body has a swell vintage look about it too.

The echo has your basic slap back effect, really great for really old school guitar sounds sorta reminicent of guitar greats of the 50s and their hollowbody guitars. I play clean to semi dirty a lot and this pedal is great for that little extra flavor when I want it. Simple to use, only 2 knobs...one for mix and the other for repeat. Has a nifty blue LED light too which is a cool change of pace. The switch is silent with no popping and the sound really is great. For being inexpensive it really doesn't sound cheap like I'd expect. If you want a fast slap back echo in your effects lineup this will work...and you'll love the price. I'm thinking of getting the Fab Distortion pedal next. The sound byte on their website sounded pretty cool. If you like buying stuff like me for the fun of it, you might enjoy a couple of these!

[warren0728]

not sure how good their fab series is but i really like my danelectro cool cat chorus pedal (original series). For 14 bucks you can't hardly go wrong.

ww

[Spudman]

Tone
I bet if you look around the web you can find a mod for that pedal. You might be able to get more out of it and really increase your value/investment ratio.

By the way, your Les Paul is gorgeous!

[Tone2TheBone]

Hey thanks Spud! I wonder what kind of mods someone would make for a pedal of this type? How could I get it better than it is though?

[Spudman]

There are a lot of things that can be changed. Tone, delay contour, delay length, etc. for example. I'll look around the web for some mods for you. Most entail just replacing one or two caps or resistors. Pretty simple and usually you can find sound clips and instructions.
Don't hold your breath for the links though because I'm out of town for the next few days.
Ta ta.

[Tim]

Dang! I was ready to go out and buy one and then standby for the news on Tone's modifications.

[Nelskie]

Just a few comments for those of you who thinking about getting a Danelectro Fab Tone Distortion pedal. Or as I used to call it, the "Dud Tone".

I bought my pedal on Ebay (a full-sized unit w/ metal housing, not the smaller plastic-housed Dano pedals) about a year ago, and only used it intermittently - mostly because I could never dial in a decent with it. And believe me, I tried. And tried. And tried. For starters, I thought the character of the distortion was a bit flat - as in it lacked both the depth and the note definition I prefer. The tone also seemed very "trebly" - even "shrill" in some cases. I found myself dialing it out on the pedal control almost all of the time, even to the point of pulling down the mids and highs on my amp. The results were always average, at best. I used this pedal with (3) different amps - my Peavey Classic 30 tube, a solid-state Orange Crush CR-10, and also with my Vox AD-VT30. Again, I can't say I was overly impressed with it on any of them, due to the conditions previously stated. Overall, it sounded the best with the solid-state practice amp, and even then, it wasn't anything tonally spectacular. I ended up selling the pedal to a buddy for what I paid for it - $20.

On the flip side, I recently acquired a DigiTech Tone Driver, and have been nothing but pleased with it. The Tone Driver has a much "warmer" feel overall, and the gain factor seems much more even, and more controllable in all EQ ranges. Basically, the TD models (3) different industry-standard OD pedals - (2) Ibanez Tube-Screamer models (TS-808, TS-9), and the DOD 250. It halso has a DigiTech blues-type setting, which is very good, too. Add to that the pedal's unique "morphing" control, a feature which allows you to dial some very tasty "in-between" settings. Best of all, though, you get that nice, warm, fat distortion on all of the settings. The controls on the pedal are very responsive to tweaking, and allow you drive tones within the full gamut of its EQ range. The coolest features on this pedal are by far the (2) Ibanez distortion modes, both of which I found to be very convincing. I'd even go as far as to say that the Tone Driver has helped me to overcome years of sulking after selling my original TS-808 for the measly pittence of $20.

Yeah, the TD will cost you more than a Dano Fab Tone. In my mind, it's easily worth three of those less-expensive pedals, plus has a lot more usable tone. And just like the its DigiTech brother, the Bad Monkey, it offers incredible value for the money. I do realize that $15 isn't a whole lot to lay down for any kind of effects pedal. Hell, you can barely buy a case of beer for that kind of money. However, if you're looking for a solid, giggable piece of gear, with fantastic tonal attributes, and great flexibility, then I'd tell you to start saving up your beaver pelts, and when you have enough, head to the tradin' post and get yourself Tone Driver. The (2) Ibanez models on that pedal are easily worth the dough (and more if you ask me). Anything else the TD does sound-wise is just icing on the cake. Anyways, just my .02 worth.

Here's the link to the Tone Driver pedal on the DigiTech website:

http://www.digitech.com/products/xseriesflash/ToneDriver.html

[Spudman]

Nelskie
Glad you found the Tone Drive. I love mine and it has a permanent spot on my board. I run mine after my Boss DS1. It really fattens up the DS and gets a bit more mids into a lead sound. Great!

[SuperSwede]

Nelskie, have you done the same thing as me???

When I was 13 I bought my first "own" electric guitar. It was a Sigma Les Paul copy and in the case there was a green overdrive pedal. I thought it was really neat but when my big brother was going to move far away (and to my great horror, he took his marshall amp with him!). So a guy offered to trade that green overdrive pedal for a little peavey amp and I of course took the offer since I had to get a amp to continue play with my band. That amp was really really bad, and perhaps worth about 80$... and the pedal? That was of course a original TS-808 in near mint condition (with box) ! :(

[Tone2TheBone]

SS what were you thinking! ;)

Ok so I splurged and got another cheapo Fab pedal...this time it's the Fab Chorus for some really fakey but hopefully fun Leslie effect...or not....we'll see.

[Nelskie]

Swede - Yeah, maybe we should start a club?!!! The "Why Didn't We Know That Was Going To Be A Classic Pedal Before We Sold It" Club. You can be President. I'll be the emotionally unstable guy always trying to rationalize my erratic behavior at that time in my life.

Hey guys, pedals are tons of fun, so really, don't take my critique on the Dano Fab Tone too seriously. Offering another perspective on the actual "usability" of the gear is what makes this a great forum. Really, buy as you see fit. That Tone Driver is the big-block Chevelle of distortion pedals, and as far as I'm conerned, and if you're lookin' for rubber in all four gears, brothers and sisters, that is THE pedal. Amen.

Tone - you simply rock, dude. I have no idea why anyone with a Marshall Jubliee needs pedals, but if those are the circumstances, so be it. I'll just leave it at this: "Plug it in, and let 'er buck!" :D

[Tone2TheBone]

Nelskie - Bro, the Fab Chorus I got for my quasi-rotating Leslie idea actually works in a fun sorta way! As soon as I got home I plugged in the Strat and dialed in a semi fast speed on the pedal and played the solo break into "Cold Shot" for the REAL test and it sounded cool! It's not the answer to a real Leslie system, Univibe or Voodoo Labs Microvibe etc. but its my answer to a quick smile. Dood I buy pedals now because I have nothing else to buy!

The Jubee has tons of gain you bet. I use my overdrive pedals on both my amps for flexibility and just for the fun of different sounds. Besides there's nothing like stomping on a box when you want a sound. I don't even plug in my rack effects anymore and with these cheap little pedals happening, the fun factor is that much more meaningful these days :)

[SuperSwede]

You can be President. I'll be the emotionally unstable guy always trying to rationalize my erratic behavior at that time in my life.
D

Grrrr... I WANT TO BE THE EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE GUY

[Nelskie]

Yo Tone - You're right, effects pedals have a super-high fun factor. When you're grabbin' 'em for $15 a pop, and they get even one cool tone, you've gotten your $$ worth - easy. And if they don't suit your playing needs, there's always Ebay.

Swede - OK, OK - you can be the emotionally unstable guy! Ha ha ha ha! I guess I'll have to come clean on that statement - really, I'm not that upset about it - mostly just a little burned that I had an original, and practically gave it away. It's a sore spot that unfortunately gets re-visited from time to time, hence the reference. Ibanez does have a re-issue of this pedal - but it's like $169!! Crazy. I do have to admit that Ibanez TS-808 pedal had incredible TONE - which is most likely why the original units are now in high demand. Anyways - at least I wasn't the only player in the world that let one of these slip through their fingers. :(

[SuperSwede]

I have only done ONE (1) bad trade/sell/purchase of music gear in my entire life. So I can really understand your sore spot. I tried on of those re-issue pedals a while ago, and I really must say that they sound almost identical to the "original". But whats haunting me is that I probably could have traded it for a really GOOD amp instead of that crap.

Nelskie, I played on a Peavey Classic where I purchased my Tele and I must really say that it is a really good amp. What modifications have you done to yours?

[Nelskie]

Nothing outrageous - just J & J tubes & a Celestion Vintage 30 12" speaker. The re-tube kit I purchased from a West Coast company called Eurotubes, and the speaker I ordered through my friend's shop. The tubes / speaker have made a huge difference in the overall tone and character of the amp. After the mods, I would equate the sound somewhat to a Fender Deluxe or DeVille, with some nice Marshall character to the overdrive channel. I use a closed-back Peavey Classic 112E extension cab with it, which rounds out the bottom-end very nicely, and adds a lot of depth to the tone. It's a really great amp set-up, and one I definitely plan on keeping. Here's a snap of my Peavey rig next to my recently-sold Squier Tele Std.

[SuperSwede]

Whoa nice cactus :)

Yeah, more low end sound is what I thought it needed. I bet it would sound really fat together with a 2-12 ext cab as well!

[Tone2TheBone]

Nelskie what a bad arse setup you got. Tele and Classic 30.....ssssssssssssssmokin'! I bet you can SEE the "sepia tones" coming from that rig. Sweet browny sounds ahhhh.

I concur...very cool cactus man.

[SuperSwede]

Perhaps we should start posting pics of our homes? ;)

[Nelskie]

Sorry to tell ya' fellas, but Mr. Cactus is no more. He was takin' up a little too much space in my office / jam room. He got moved to the basement, where he shriveled up and died. Never liked him much, anyways. Always catching cords, clothes, and what not. Plus, kitty liked to dig in the dirt in the pot, so it was always messy around my gear - definitely not a favorite with me. :mad:

Yeah, Tone - the sound that amp gets is indeed very "brown". It's so brown, in fact, that I never run pedals with it (in the photo, you can see my pedals at the base of the amp are un-tethered.) Nuthin' but pure, delicious, organic tube tone.

Swede - The mods & the matching 112E speaker cabinet have really "turned things up a notch" in the tone dept. If I'm not mistaken, Peavey offered matching extension cabs for their Classic series amps in both a single 15" , and in a 4 x 10' variety, so you could really push sound according to your needs. My rig, right now, runs (2) very good 12" speakers (Celestion V30 for the amp, and an Eminence Swamp Thang for the cab.) For 30W, that set-up is loud as he!!. Great cleans; lovely overdrive - a true workhorse of an amp.

[SuperSwede]

I almost bought a new amp today, they have a Roland Bolt 60 (tubes) at a music store not too far away. I think that they sound very similar to Mesa/Boogie MK amps, so I am really considering a purchase. They had a few ext cabs, and among them a Dean Markley 12" cab for next to nothing. Have anyone any experience with those?

[Robert]

How do you like the Fab Chorus?