Ladies and gents: in this corner we have the balance of nature, AKA the Super Hard On. No need to blush though, there's nothing vulgar about this ingenious preAmp/negative feedback loop in a box. Simply put: if you run your signal through this pedal, it will sound better: clearer, fuller, more musical and more present, without changing the feel of your rig. In this case quality IS the quantity. Humbucking pickups gain focus, clarity, and a more open upper-midrange. Yet single coil pickups sound rounder, punchier, and less "plinky". Impossible, yes but it's true! There's only an on/off switch and a "Crackle OK adjustment kinob on board, which controls the thruput/output. This little knob can create a slight scratchy sound, but only while you turn it. (note: Some devices which adjust plate voltage to tubes cause a similar "crackle" sound, and some really famous guys use them...not to worry!) Very subtle indeed, but you don't have to pick a note as hard while soloing, to get a clean sound. Think about fresh air after being in a stuffy room, think about the sound of those heavier strings, without having to endure them! We do. :-)
"Here are a few comments in Zachary's own words: "This is the perfect preamp pedal. The "Crackle Okay" volume knob is a negative-feedback control styled after classic 60's recording console inputs. (They crackled when adjusted too.)
Most vintage guitars suffer from steadily deteriorating magnets in their pickups, since permanent magnets aren't really forever. The Super Hard-On's input impedance is so high (>5 Meg) that it refuses any current flow from your pickup... maintaining the most magnetic field around each string, so you can hear exactly what your pickup sounded like the day it came off the winder."
"The ouput level can exceed 8 volts peak, and when it finally distorts, the wave is shaped like triode overload, not fuzz. It's so transparent no one will be able to tell you're using a pedal. Perfect for making the most of a classic amp and guitar, because it simply makes your guitar bigger and pushes the amp harder, causing natural overload. This sound can be the solution to the 'disappearing guitar'
effect you get sometimes on stage when you stomp on your distortion and sound weaker. When cranked, it sounds much louder than a fuzz or distortion under stage conditions."
"Like all Z. Vex designs, current flow is low in this circuit, enhancing battery life. The circuit board is machined, instead of etched, to eliminate chemical pollutants. Knobs are collected from surplus electronics houses... some (such as the one used on this effect) are from the 60's. Each effect is dated and signed."
"WARNING: The very high input impedance of this pedal can cause strange reactions (sometimes mildly pleasant and/or arousing) when used with a vintage 'junk' (read 'cool') guitar. The solution is to simply lower the 'crackle okay' gain knob a little or leave the guitar volume wide open.
Each Super Hard-On is unique in it's reaction... you may have to try a few till you find one that perfectly matches a really strange guitar. (The guitar in our sound files below, is a Mid, to late Sixties, Gibson ES-335, with the SHO: a great match up). They are optimised for the major brands. Any problems will only occur at the highest gain settings with an unusual guitar." (Check it out).
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