REVIEW: MXR Fullbore Metal distortion pedal - Jim Dunlop
REVIEW: MXR Fullbore Metal distortion pedal - Jim Dunlop
REVIEW: MXR Fullbore Metal distortion pedal - Jim Dunlop
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<strong>REVIEW</strong>: <strong>MXR</strong> <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong> <strong>distortion</strong> <strong>pedal</strong><br />
January 5th, 2010 | Author: Peter Hodgson<br />
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Distortion’s a serious game, and there are a million ways to get it. Active pickups. Inbuilt<br />
preamps. Clean boosts feeding raging high-gain superstacks. Power amp. Preamp.<br />
Speaker. Pre-gain EQ. Post-gain EQ. Such mythical alchemy is rarely distilled into a<br />
single unit, so <strong>MXR</strong> has some nerve trying to cram all that <strong>distortion</strong>-generating mayhem<br />
into a little box the size of a sardine tin. So how does the <strong>MXR</strong> <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong> stack up?<br />
SPEC CHECK<br />
The first thing you will notice when you’re actually holding the <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong> is that it’s tiny.<br />
Somehow it looks bigger and much more imposing on the website, but when you actually<br />
step back and look at it, this little monster is the same size as the venerable-as-it-isdiminutive<br />
Phase 90. There are six knobs and two buttons all shoehorned into the same<br />
space where that singe rate control lives on a Phase 90. The pots are volume, frequency<br />
and gain along the top, then low, mid and high along the bottom. The two buttons kick in<br />
the noise gate and a midrange scoop (which cuts the mids while boosting the highs and<br />
bass – very intense), while the frequency knob alters the character of the midrange. Turn it<br />
up for higher mids, turn it down for lower ones, then use the mid control itself to control<br />
the amount of boost or cut. Easy. Whip off the back for battery access (with a screwdriver,<br />
unfortunately) and you’ll find a tiny gate trigger control adjustable by screwdriver. Use this<br />
to set the noise gate sensitivity. Happily, the gate seems to be ideally set for simple and<br />
functional noise reduction. If you have lower-output pickups you might want to reign it in a<br />
bit, or if you’re into the whole stop-start Dimebag thing you may like to clamp that sucker<br />
right down. Aside from the gate, the <strong>pedal</strong> features true hardwire bypass and has an allanalog<br />
signal path. None of this sneaking a big ‘ol DSP chip in there, oh no.<br />
PEDAL, MEET METAL<br />
<strong>MXR</strong> recommends turning the volume, gain and bass all the way down before turning on<br />
the <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong>, lest you surprise your amp with the demonic firestorm that lurketh<br />
within and wind up singeing all and sundry. Good advice too: this little beast has fatter<br />
bottom than a hippo convention. Even at the lowest gain settings the tone is thick and<br />
edgy – think Hetfield in the first 9 seconds of the title track to ‘St Anger’ (I know the drum<br />
sound sucked, just listen to the guitar tone on that track, okay?). You know, that kind of<br />
woody, dirty sound? No ‘just enough gain to add a bit of sparkle’ mojo going on here.<br />
Increasing the gain further brought out all sorts of cool Rectifier and 5150-like metal<br />
tones, and I was able to scare up a few of my favourite Devin Townsend tones from SYL to<br />
Ziltoid. Continuing the <strong>Metal</strong>lica theme I found some pretty passable ‘Black Album’<br />
sounds waiting to tear my head off. Careful shaping of the midrange is the key here.<br />
Whether you need scooped death tones or thicker, middier hardcore sounds, they’re<br />
yours for the finding after a bit of tweaking. High mid settings bring out the vocal quality to<br />
shreddy lead work, while lower mids and highs bring out the chunk factor. In fact, for a<br />
good all-round multi purpose metal tone, just set everything to 4 and you can’t go far<br />
wrong.<br />
By the way, Dethklok mastermind Brendan Small is a fan of the <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong>, and if it<br />
earns the approval of Skwisgaar Skwigelf you know it’s gots to be brutals.<br />
HEAVY METAL THUNDER<br />
The <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong> is not one of those ‘do everything’ <strong>distortion</strong> <strong>pedal</strong>s. If you want<br />
musical overdrive, forget it. If you want subtlety, get outta here. If you want to add some<br />
jangle to your clean tone, you’ve got some nerve pokin’ round here, buddy. But if you need<br />
intense, full-bodied metal tones with that extra ‘oomph’ that you usually only get from<br />
inbuilt amp <strong>distortion</strong>, the <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong> is unmissable.<br />
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Super special thanks to <strong>Dunlop</strong> Manufacturing for providing an <strong>MXR</strong> <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong> for<br />
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Posted in Uncategorized |<br />
Tags: <strong>distortion</strong> <strong>pedal</strong>, gear reviews, <strong>MXR</strong> <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong><br />
One Response to “<strong>REVIEW</strong>: <strong>MXR</strong> <strong>Fullbore</strong> <strong>Metal</strong> <strong>distortion</strong><br />
<strong>pedal</strong>”<br />
Lewis:<br />
January 5, 2010 at 8:43 pm<br />
Dang! That's a FAT <strong>pedal</strong>. I was surprised. That ASAT sound like death in a<br />
vintage styled, single cutaway, ash bodied disguise. I don't play metal<br />
much these days, but if I did, I know where I'd look. Might still look into it, you never<br />
know when you need the juice.<br />
John C arson Nikos Damon<br />
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