DOD/Digitech Grunge Pedal
DOD Digitech Grunge Pedal Gear Review:
I think I’m becoming a DOD/Digitech fan very quickly. I’ve reviewed the ‘Hot Head’ distortion unit, and the ‘Bad Monkey’ OD unit here, and as you can read for yourself, I love them both. I also own both, which pretty much speaks for itself. I won’t spend my hard-earned money on something I just don’t like.
This time, Scott Worthington has asked me to write a review of the ‘Grunge’ pedal, which he loaned me a specimen of. He just might not ever see that sucker again!
I have to admit, though, that I’m a little confused. Both DOD and Digitech have the same address, in the same city, and both their websites show that they both market a ‘Grunge’ distortion pedal. They have the same controls and general layout, and have very similar cosmetic finishes. I’m like: “Huh?” So I’m going to assume that these companies are really one and the same, and that these pedals are actually the same, except for the different brand-names on them. And I notice that the Digitech version has their usual ‘speaker cabinet modeling’ output, whereas the DOD version does not. I have not really had the opportunity to give this feature much of a test, though. At any rate, both brands produce excellent products at excellent prices.
Anyway, down to the ‘brass tacks’…
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Dod FX69 or FX69B Grunge Pedal
Like any other DOD/Digitech stompbox-type product, this thing’s housing is very robust and solid, as well as heavy enough to stay put, even if you don’t have it fastened to a pedalboard of some kind. It’s a well-armored piece of gear, for sure.
The controls are Loud, Low (tone), High (tone), and Grunge. I’m a big fan of having both low and high tone controls on a distortion unit, because they allow you to maintain the same general timbre of your guitar’s signal in the unit’s output as what goes into the unit. Or they allow you to alter it quite radically…whatever is your pleasure. The ‘Loud’ control is of course the overall output level of the unit, allowing you to maintain the same level of output as input, or to alter that ratio at your discretion. The ‘Grunge’ control is your ticket to Nirvana (OK, that’s a really bad pun, I know), adjusting the amount of distortion in the output signal. This takes you from a mild fuzziness to a raging, malignant, spleen-ripping roar of signal-crushing sonic demolition. It has a rather different kind of distorted sound from the usual ‘normal’ distortion units, and this is hard for me to quantify in words. But it’s very tight and controlled, yet still gives the impression of totally unleashed mayhem. There…that’s about the best I can do verbally. But I must also say that this a very therapeutic little box. Ten minutes with it can release all kinds of pent-up frustration and angst!
If there is a downside to this unit, it’s the fact that it’s not really all that responsive to picking dynamics, i.e., the amount of distortion is not quite as affected by your dynamics as it is in a good overdrive unit. You’re pretty much gonna get the grunge, no matter what you do with your picking hand. But that’s not a bad thing in this case. This thing is made to blow out as much audio anger as you can deal with, and then some. And it delivers on that, big-time.
I honestly don’t know how these folks can produce such well-made effects units for such great prices. To my eyes and ears, they rival or exceed many units costing quite a bit more. To my wallet, they represent about the best effects-pedal values on the market.
My Ratings:
Physical Construction: ****
Usability/Versatility: ****
Tone/Sound: ****
Value: *****
For more information visit Software Multi FX
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