DVM's ZYS

[oldguy]

2007 Zonkin' Yellow Screamer... If you're up to date on Duhvoodooman's work you already know what these are... if not, well, all I can say is you're missing out, check out the threads and get updated. While this review is somewhat tongue-in-cheek as to regarding "SCREAMING AMPH SOLOS!", the Zonker is the real deal. I'll try and get some clips posted ASAP, and in the meantime hopefully someone will enjoy this review...


This unit consists of a bright yellow sturdy metal box with four knobs...
"Level, Drive, Gain/Bass Boost, and Tone", plus a three position switch...
"Cool, Normal, and Hot", plus the footswitch button that switches it on/off, and a nice looking red led that indicates when the unit is engaged. It also has "IN' and "OUT" connection jacks and a 9v power supply jack. The overall look is very clean, professional, and just plain cool. With this baby at your feet, "screamin'" to be stepped on and put into service w/ your favorite amph, you can feel the mojo.
"With this pedal (and my amph), I know I get screaming solos!"
I tried this ZYS out w/ my Strat copy, and my Squier '51 through a Valve Jr. amph head running into a 2x12 Avatar cab w/ 2 Celestion speakers.
Although I can't verify it w/o opening this beauty up, I believe it is one of the very first production models made. No serial # I could find on the outside, and I don't dare open the case, for fear some of the magic might escape from this little monster!
First impressions...
Set on "cool", w/ the drive turned down and the gain/bass boost full up, and the tone set to taste, this baby gives me the nice fat, slightly warm boost I need to make my axe "jump out" and let me know it's due for the blues.
On both "normal" and "hot", though different voicings, I can crank the drive and let 'er rip out some OD sounds that remind me of the arena rock era, especially when I throw down some delay w/ my Danelecto PB, & J.
I really like the # 2 and 4 positions on my Strat copy w/ this pedal, it shines there the best, and like most Strats, there is some hum on the other settings, but when cranked to high gain, you can engage the ZYS while playing and it's no more noticeable than on my Danelectro Daddy-O or Bad Monkey OD. This pedal is no one-trick pony, but you absolutely have to tweak to find the best settings for your axe/amp combination, as w/ any other piece of gear. Turning the knobs on this pedal, esp. the "gain/bass boost" and the "tone", make a big difference in the sound you achieve.
Next I ran this puppy behind my Squier '51 to see what it would sound like w/ a humbucker and/or single coil setup.
The Squier's single coil sounded nice and warm, a bit of hum here also, but nothing out of the ordinary. Neck single coil plus bridge humbucker, nice fat warm tone, good for rhythm, some leads, pretty cool sound, I preferred the Zonker on the "cool" setting w/ just a hint of breakup here.
Finally, humbucker alone, first the "cool" setting w/ a little PB&J set to a hollow-like doubling echo. Good sound for blues, rhythm and lead, very nice.
Then I went straight to "hot" mode, cranked the gain/bass boost and drive full on, and put a little PB&J on for flavor... Wow! Nice high-gain sound, not exactly the metal scooped mids sound of some pedals, a nice full sound. With some palm muting, this Zonker can give the impression that you're ripping through a good ol' stack, even w/ my little low budget V. Jr. and Squier. I can't even imagine how it'd sound through a vintage Marshall and a Les Paul. Probably would tear down a couple of walls with the ol' girl cranked, just to keep the neighbors on their toes!
Overall, I'd have to say there are many boost/OD pedals to choose from, but many I've used color or muffle your sound. The ZYS can be set clear and clean, nearly transparent, tone-wise, you just have to do your homework and tweak it to taste. It can also be set to add a dash of bottom end, mids, or highs to your lead work, again, turn the knobs till you find them.
If this pedal were lost or stolen I'd wonder what the he!! happened to it and start searching for the money to replace it, because if I'm stupid enough to "lose" it I deserve to buy another one for my ignorance and if it's stolen I'll probably never see it again, and with my luck, if I hunted down the dirty rotten SOB that stole it and tortured him until he told what he did with it, I'd be the one that would get caught and end up doing time, not him.
Summary...
This is one pedal I'm glad I added to my arsenal of effects...I can't wait to get the EMG's cranking into my Traynor YCV-40 with the Zonkin' Yellow Screamer in-line to add to the tonal destruction, and hopefully I can get something recorded in the near future.

[Spudman***]

Dang! That sounds cool. I want one too.
Is it true bypass?

Which 3 combinations did you spec?

[Justaguyin_nc]

Sound clips... Sound Clips... Pricing.... Pricing...

[Mark]

Sounds very cool!! I cant wait the Dr. is in the basement mixin up the medicine for mine, this oughta be gooten!

[Tone2TheBone]

I think the idea that you've got to spend time tweaking the knobs to find some sounds is right up my alley. I love tweaking stuff. I can't wait for mine, I'm getting #003!

[duhvoodooman***]

Sound clips... Sound Clips... Pricing.... Pricing...

I'll let Oldguy provide some clips of his own, though there are several I posted from my prototype unit, available through the following threads:

Original ZYS thread

Opamp comparison

Clipping diode comparison

As far as price goes....lemme get back to you on that. I sold a total of 5 of them at a "special introductory price" of $150. I want to finish up those 5 orders before I decide where to go with this. Assuming I decide to sell some more after that, the price will certainly go up some, based upon the amount of time it takes me to fabricate these things. We're talking somewhere in the range of 8 - 10 hrs. each, I'd estimate, due to the amount of fine soldering work involved, particularly on the switchable gain, bass rolloff and clipping diode mods.

[oldguy]

Between work, trying to get the '51 done, and wanting to play with this ZYS I don't have time "finish" anything right now.
But here's a quick clip I threw together of the Zonker, just a tad of PB&J delay straight into my ValveJr. It actuallly sounds better than the clip. I really reallly realllly need to spring for a Shure 57 to record with.
Used the cool setting, very little drive, for a blues rhythm/lead sound.
PS... the Gain/Bass Boost makes a big difference in this pedal....I'm still tweaking.... but if I don't hear the sound I want, I know I'm not turning the right knob!

http://www.box.net/public/injhg5exf1

[Spudman***]

Clap, clap, clap (multiple claps). That sounded really good. Hard to believe that is a 5 watt Epi amph. The quality of the amph plus pedal and your playing are totally pro sounding.
Now the big question: how nasty does that pedal get?

[duhvoodooman***]

Bravo! Very nice laid back tones there. But I'm with Spuds--lay some of the filth on us next! Let's hear what that "Hot" setting will do!

[SuperSwede]

Wow, sounds really good Oldguy! Now turn up the gain and give us some screaming solos!

[oldguy]

Once again, thrown together in haste, but I tried to let the Zonker sustain on some notes here to show it's potential, and again, it sounds better than the $29 AudioTechnica mic suggests. This is not the highest gain setting, but it is approaching it. However, it is also recorded at a "loud speaking" level, in other words, you could have shouted over my amp at this level.
In a club, cranked, the sustain would have easily went into a nice, controlled feedback. And again, the delay is the Danelectro PB&J, w/ the Zonker, and straight into the ValveJr. On the slower, sustaining passages, the Zonker could hold those notes, and if you notice the palm muting on the chords, the definition is still pretty nice, and the setting never changed, but ya gotta tweak to find it, it's not a one-trick pony, so you've gotta learn to ride...
Amp...$99
Guitar...$300
PB&J.....$50
ZYS.....$150
Playin' the blues through an OD pedal a brother fretter built, and gettin' that draft shut off in the nest.... priceless!

http://www.box.net/public/slmdeu3js2

[duhvoodooman***]

Now that's what we're talkin' about! What were the ZYS settings, Glenn?

And to respond to an earlier comment you made:

Although I can't verify it w/o opening this beauty up, I believe it is one of the very first production models made. No serial # I could find on the outside, and I don't dare open the case, for fear some of the magic might escape from this little monster!

Well, I can verify it! It's ZYS #001, and it's written on the inside. Go ahead and remove the bottom plate and check it out. Here's what you'll see:



You'll have to go in there to install a 9V battery, if you ever want to run it without plugging in to a "wall wart".

[Tone2TheBone]

That's beautiful but give us overdrive sounds from that overdrive pedal hello! LOL

Edit: OH WAIT you posted more?? Email them to me I'm at work today!

[SuperSwede]

No chicken bones or mystery powder inside???

[duhvoodooman***]

No chicken bones or mystery powder inside???

I always take those out before snapping the photos. Trade secrets, ya know!!

[SuperSwede]

I always take those out before snapping the photos. Trade secrets, ya know!!

Bah.. I´ve come across some photo evidence of your dirty work! Here is DVM preparing another set of chicken bones!



*edit* good idea to use gloves, you dont want to catch the bird flu. Talk about Mojo!

[Tone2TheBone]

LMAO - that was too funny Sweder now please email me OG's file.

[Tone2TheBone]

Overdrive recordings are much better. Is there a reason the guitar is totally to the right in the mix? It's hard to really hear it that way. Which guitar was that? Do one on the tele neck pickup.....

[Spudman***]

No chicken bones or mystery powder inside???

The mystery powder may be inside something else. Dem bones is fa da fucha.