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Edge of Breakup
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Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The Best Stratocaster Upgrade! | Lollar Special Blonde Stratocaster Pickup Set

Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the Special Blonde Stratocaster Pickup Set — Blonde neck and middle paired with the hotter Special bridge. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Lollar Special Blonde Stratocaster Pickup Set is installed in the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Keeley-modded Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer and Effectrode Tube Vibe join for the second half.

Check out the Lollar Special Blonde Pickup Set: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-stratocaster-pickups/strat-blonde

The Special Blonde is a considered hybrid within Lollar's Stratocaster lineup — the Blonde neck and middle deliver the vintage-voiced clarity and chime that Lollar's Blonde series is known for, while the bridge swaps in the hotter-output Special Stratocaster pickup rather than a matching Blonde bridge. The result addresses a common Strat complaint directly: a vintage-voiced bridge pickup can sound thin and brittle when pushed, while the Special bridge brings more body and output to that position without sacrificing the neck and middle's classic character. Explored across clean-ish tones from 00:47, showing the balance between the three positions.

The Benson Vincent Clean Channel cranked with added treble from 04:40 pushes the Special bridge into its own natural breakup territory before any pedal enters the chain. The Keeley-modded Ibanez TS9 — Robert Keeley's famous modification opening up the tone-coloring caps and op-amp circuit for greater headroom — joins from 06:49, with volume knob cleanup explored from 08:27 and the Effectrode Tube Vibe stacking in from 09:32.

🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-stratocaster-pickups/strat-blonde 🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/giordanoguitars/ 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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🎸 Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model | Lollar Special Blonde Set (Blonde Neck + Middle / Special Bridge) 🎛️ Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer (Keeley Mod) | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Fix Your Les Paul Tone!!! | R2R Electric Preamp Super Deluxe

R2R Electric returns to the channel with a deeper dive into the Preamp Super Deluxe — Chris Vincent's take on the rare 1950s Höfner Preamp circuit, this time on the Les Paul. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The R2R Electric Preamp Super Deluxe pairs with the Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic — Ron Ellis '50s LRP PAF Humbuckers, Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Prewired Kit. Effectrode Tube Vibe features from 15:15.

Get the EoB x Emerson Custom Les Paul Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/collections/prewired-kits/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro Join the R2R Electric email list: https://www.r2relectric.com/

The Preamp Super Deluxe is Chris Vincent's recreation of the rare 1950s Höfner Preamp circuit — a genuinely obscure vintage reference, built with NOS germanium AC107 transistors. Two gain modes, an adjustable EQ emphasis control, and a Gain knob that lets you balance drive coming from the pedal against drive coming from the amp itself.

The EQ emphasis control is the star of this demo — explored in depth from 02:21 through 06:38, sweeping from boosting the highest frequencies through the midrange down to a full-range boost with the lowest frequencies emphasized. This single control fundamentally changes what the pedal does to a humbucker — Ron Ellis' '50s LRP set, a replica of the exact PAFs found in Duane Allman's 1957 Goldtop, gets noticeably brighter and more cutting with the EQ emphasis pushed toward treble, and thicker and more amp-like with it pulled toward bass.

High Gain Mode is explored from the introduction through 09:30, with volume knob cleanup at 07:35 showing how the pedal interacts with the guitar's own dynamics. Low Gain Mode gets its own dedicated section from 11:24 through 15:15, offering a more subtle, touch-sensitive drive character. The Effectrode Tube Vibe adds modulation to the cleaned-up tone from 15:15, and the demo closes with both the amp and the Preamp Super Deluxe fully cranked from 19:36.

What kind of amp would you run this pedal into? With what guitar? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

🎛️ R2R Electric Preamp Super Deluxe: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com

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🎸 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic | Ron Ellis '50s LRP Set (Duane Allman '57 Goldtop Spec) | Emerson Custom EoB LP Kit

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Fix Your Jazzmaster tone! | Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups

Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the '63 Jazzmaster set — a period-correct vintage voicing installed in the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone, now wired with Emerson Custom's brand new 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups are the focus this episode, installed in the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone and wired with Emerson Custom 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz and Effectrode Tube Vibe join for the second half.

Check out Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/63-jazzmaster Emerson Premier Pro Pots: https://emersoncustom.com/products/emerson-premier-pro-potentiometers?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG Black Bobbin Phantone: https://blackbobbin.com/collections/black-bobbin-phantone

The Lollar '63 Jazzmaster is Jason Lollar's vintage-correct recreation of the original Fender Jazzmaster single coil — wide flat coils, Alnico 5 magnets, and the specific coil geometry that gives Jazzmaster pickups their characteristic warmth and bloom compared to a Stratocaster or Telecaster single coil. Explored across lower gain tones from 01:21, showing off the natural clarity and dynamic response before any drive enters the chain.

The Emerson Custom 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots are the correct resistance value for Jazzmaster and Jaguar circuits — 1 Meg keeps the full frequency response of the pickup intact, where the 250K or 500K pots used in most other guitar wiring bleed off high-frequency content. Three years in development, fiberglass substrate, proprietary 20% audio taper designed to feel consistent in both volume and tone positions. Combined with the Emerson Treble Bleed, the volume knob cleanup explored at length from 04:56 is exceptionally responsive — full-range and musical no matter where the volume sits. The Effectrode Tube Vibe adds low-gain modulation textures to that same cleaned-up tone from 06:45.

Also featured: the Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz from 08:22 — Joe's heavily modified Fuzz Face built in Gosport, UK, specifically to work as well with humbuckers as it does with single coils. Fuzz cleanup versus full blast compared directly from 09:49, with the Tube Vibe stacking in from 13:04. The Benson Vincent's Dirt Channel (Vinny Gain) closes the demo from 14:27, with the Tube Vibe's Boost function pushing it further from 15:26.

🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/63-jazzmaster 🎛️ Emerson Custom: https://emersoncustom.com 🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago: https://blackbobbin.com 🎛️ Hello Sailor Effects: https://hellosailoreffects.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone | Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups | Emerson Custom 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots + Treble Bleed 🎛️ Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Expresso FX MKI.V Mini Fuzz | Tone Bender MK1.5 Greatness in a Small Package!

Expresso FX returns to the channel with the MK1.V Mini Fuzz — Sof's compact take on the dual-transistor Tone Bender variant that sits between a Fuzz Face and a full MKI. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Expresso FX MK1.V Mini Fuzz pairs with the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone — Lollar x Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickups, Emerson Custom Pots and Treble Bleed — into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers and Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo.

Reach out to Sof on Instagram DM for current inventory: https://www.instagram.com/expressofx/ Learn about the MK1.V Mini Fuzz: https://expressofx.com/product/fuzz-bender-mk-i-v-mini-grey-hammertone/

The MK1.V sits between a Fuzz Face and a full three-transistor Tone Bender MKI in character — thicker and wilder than a straightforward Fuzz Face, but less aggressive than the full MKI. This Mini format packs the same circuit into a smaller footprint. Transistors: two NOS Mullard OC75 and one NOS Mullard OC76 germanium, spanning new old stock from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. As with the standard-format MK1.V, the volume knob cleanup is the defining characteristic — glassy, articulate, and highly responsive, explored extensively from 02:55 across both bridge and neck pickup positions.

The Lollar x Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set — a collaborative pickup voiced specifically for the Phantone platform — gets a genuine workout here against the MK1.V's dual-transistor character, with the Echo Fix EF-X3's analog tape echo adding depth from 03:56 and increasing further at 08:27.

🎛️ Expresso FX MK1.V Mini Fuzz: https://expressofx.com/product/fuzz-bender-mk-i-v-mini-grey-hammertone/ 🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago: https://blackbobbin.com 🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The best vintage fuzz pedal?! | Jam Pedals Black Fuzz Phrase LTD

JAM Pedals returns to the channel with the Fuzz Phrase Black OC44 Limited Edition — a run of roughly 100 units, and a genuine collector's piece. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The JAM Pedals Fuzz Phrase Black OC44 LTD pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Greer Smallblock 1x12" with a pre-broken-in Scumback S75-PVC speaker. The Effectrode Tube Vibe features throughout.

In JAM Pedals' own words:

"Built entirely by hand in Athens, Greece, the Black Fuzz Phrase LTD is a love letter to the raw, expressive fuzz tones of the late '60s. At its core lies an ultra-rare stash of NOS OC44 Philips black glass transistors, manufactured in 1969 and individually tested and matched by ear. These legendary components are prized for their exceptionally low leakage, musical gain, and quiet operation — ideal for crafting a fuzz circuit that's both aggressive and articulate.

Each unit is point-to-point hand-wired on a turret board and wrapped in luxurious suede, staying true to our tradition of uncompromising craftsmanship. Vintage-spec carbon-comp resistors and tropical fish capacitors throughout the signal path. Thanks to the remarkable stability of the OC44s, the internal bias is factory-set to 4.5V — no tweaking needed, just plug in and go.

From wooly chords to singing leads, the Black Fuzz Phrase LTD delivers rich harmonics, smooth sustain, and that unmistakable vintage rasp."

Hand-wired, point-to-point construction. Individually ear-matched NOS OC44 black glass transistors, manufactured in 1969. Vintage-spec components throughout. True bypass switching. Positive ground circuit — requires an isolated power supply.

This demo runs the fuzz across a full range of amp gain settings and fuzz volume levels — low gain amp with fuzz at unity from 00:13, medium gain amp from 05:26, and pushed harder with the fuzz volume itself from 08:43 through fully maxed at 10:54. The guitar volume knob cleanup — the real test of any Fuzz Face-lineage circuit — is explored extensively from 03:04 and again at 11:21 with higher amp gain, showing how the OC44's exceptionally low leakage translates to a genuinely glassy, controllable cleanup sweep.

🎛️ JAM Pedals Fuzz Phrase Black OC44 LTD: https://www.jampedals.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The Best SG Upgrade! | Righteous Sound RAF Humbuckers | Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab SG

Righteous Sound Pickups returns to the channel with the RAF Humbuckers — this A4/A2 set is a specific and deliberate pairing. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Righteous Sound RAF A4 (neck) / A2 (bridge) set is installed in the Gibson Custom Murphy Lab SG with an Emerson Custom Prewired Kit and Treble Bleeds on both volume pots, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz and Greer Amps Lightspeed Overdrive both feature, along with the Effectrode Tube Vibe.

Get the RAF Neck: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/product-page/raf-neck
Get the RAF Bridge: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/product-page/raf-bridge
Follow Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/righteoussoundpickups/

The RAF (Righteousness Applied For) is a vintage accurate PAF replica — 49.2mm PAF replica butyrate bobbins, USA-made pole screws and slugs, custom fabricated nickel PAF clone covers with no copper undercoat, long-legged vintage accurate threaded baseplates, period correct 42awg plain enamel wire, vintage single braid wire. The A4/A2 combination pairs an Alnico 4 neck (~6.9K) with an Alnico 2 bridge (~7.5K) — the A4 delivering open, airy clarity in the neck, the A2 giving vintage warmth and slightly more output in the bridge without excessive compression.

Explored across the full range: clean tones from 01:12, the Benson Vincent's Clean Channel cranked for amp overdrive from 03:44, boosted with the Gain Channel from 06:02, and extensive volume knob cleanup from 07:42 showing off the double Treble Bleed wiring.

The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz gets its own section from 12:20 — the saggy, compressed Tone Bender MKI character against the RAF set's vintage PAF voicing. The Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive from 15:34 offers a completely different flavor — transparent, low-to-medium gain drive that enhances rather than colors, with volume knob cleanup at 17:39 and the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining at 19:00.

🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com
🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
🎛️ Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Gibson Custom Murphy Lab SG | Righteous Sound RAF (A4 Neck ~6.9K / A2 Bridge ~7.5K) | Emerson Custom Prewired Kit + 2x Treble Bleed
🎛️ Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz | Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive | Effectrode Tube Vibe
🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

If you like Vox, Marshall and Matchless 🔥 Greer Amps Thunderbolt30 Gen2 & Smallblock 1x12" Cab

Greer Amps returns to the channel with the Thunderbolt30 Gen2 head paired with the Smallblock 1x12" cabinet — a genuinely huge-sounding rig in a remarkably compact and portable footprint. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Greer Amps Thunderbolt30 Gen2 and Smallblock 1x12" pair with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons — via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander for light attenuation and added reverb. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 06:35.

Check out Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com/collections/amps-cabs Follow Greer Amps: https://www.instagram.com/greeramps/

Nick Greer builds in Athens, Georgia. The Thunderbolt30 is Greer Amps' best-selling head — 30 watts blending AC-type, JTM-type, and Matchless-type circuit character into one coherent voice. Two EL34 power tubes, cathode biased, Class A. Two 12AX7 preamp tubes. 5AR4 rectifier. Custom Mercury Magnetics output transformer. Hand-wired throughout. Gen2 brings a new logo and small circuit refinements from Nick.

Paired here with the Greer Smallblock 1x12" — a compact extension cabinet that punches far above its size, giving the Thunderbolt30 a genuinely gig-ready footprint without sacrificing the amp's full tonal range.

Explored across the demo: the core amp tones from 02:16, modulation and Univibe textures from 06:35, volume knob cleanup from 09:45, the interaction of cranked Volume with a lower Master setting from 12:00 (maximizing gain while keeping output manageable), clean tones from 16:50 with modulation layered in from 18:30, and everything fully cranked from 19:25.

The TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons in the Gronlund SC18 give the Thunderbolt30's blended British/American voicing plenty of clarity and chime to work with, particularly noticeable in the clean and lightly modulated sections.

🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🎸 TV Jones: https://www.tvjones.com

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Essential Jazzmaster Upgrade! Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickups

Lollar Pickups and Black Bobbin return to the channel with their collaborative set — the Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Lollar x Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set is installed in the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Keeley-modded Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature throughout.

Get the Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set: https://blackbobbin.com/products/lollar-black-bobbin-jazzmaster-pickup-set

This collaborative set is the result of Black Bobbin working directly with Jason Lollar to voice a Jazzmaster-format pickup specifically for the Phantone platform — a genuinely custom collaboration rather than an off-the-shelf part. Explored across lower gain clean tones from 01:29, showing the set's clarity and dynamic response before any drive enters the chain.

The Keeley-modded Ibanez TS9 is Robert Keeley's famous modification to the classic Tubescreamer — one of the most well-known boutique mods in pedal history, opening up the tone-coloring capacitors and op-amp circuit for greater headroom and clarity. Explored cranked from 04:05, with volume knob cleanup from 06:28 and the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 07:13.

The Phantone's Rhythm Circuit — with its own Emerson Custom Treble Bleed — gets its own dedicated section from 09:39, showing how the secondary circuit's tonal character differs from the main lead circuit with the Lollar Black Bobbin pickups.

🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago: https://blackbobbin.com 🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone | Lollar x Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set | Rhythm Circuit w/ Emerson Custom Treble Bleed 🎛️ Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer (Keeley Mod) | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Essential Humbucker Upgrade! | Curtis Novak Humbuckers

Curtis Novak Pickups returns to the channel — this time with the Frank Brothers Arcade, all-Korina construction, and a guest appearance from the Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

Curtis Novak Humbuckers pair with the Frank Brothers Arcade (all-Korina) with Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz and Benson Preamp feature throughout, with Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 10:35.

The Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz is a hybrid Germanium/Silicon circuit — four transistors and four diodes, based on legendary octave fuzz circuits from the 1960s and tweaked for modern use. Each unit is tuned by ear with individually selected components. Volume, Tone, and Mids controls give substantial tonal flexibility, and a 3-way Hi-Cut toggle reins in the octave content when it gets too unwieldy — center is the standard voicing, left and right positions give two levels of high treble attenuation to mellow the octave-up content. As with most fuzz circuits, it works best first in the signal chain, letting the pickups and guitar controls interact directly with the unit. Explored from 02:52.

The all-Korina Frank Brothers Arcade — Korina being the same tonewood used in the late-1950s Gibson Flying V and Explorer, chosen for its lighter weight and open, resonant midrange — gives Curtis Novak's humbuckers a particularly clear and articulate foundation. The Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds keep that clarity intact through the volume knob sweep, explored throughout the cranked amp tones from 06:21 onward.

The Benson Preamp slams the already-cranked Benson Vincent Clean Channel from 07:30, and the Vinny Dirt Channel set to low gain with cranked volume delivers a "dirty boost" character explored from 11:49.

🎛️ Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz/effect-pedals 🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.com 🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The Best Telecaster?! | Tone Ranger Guitars Desert Star | Feat. Lollar Regal Wide Range Humbuckers

Tone Ranger Guitars returns with another Desert Star — this one loaded with custom Lollar Regal Wide Range Humbuckers and wired with 1 Meg pots and dual Treble Bleeds. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

This Desert Star is loaded with Lollar Pickups Regal Wide Range Humbuckers, customized with pickguard die-cut toppers from Decoboom, wired with 1 Meg potentiometers and Treble Bleeds on both volume pots, into the Greer Amps Mini Chief with Scumback S75-PVC 12" speaker. The R2R Electric Preamp Super Deluxe and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature from 19:13 onward.

Explore the Desert Star and other Tone Ranger creations at Malibu Music: https://malibumusic.com/search?q=tone+ranger Follow Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/tonerangerguitars/ Also watch: the full 6-model Tone Ranger Guitars showcase: https://youtu.be/p8X-BwI4pdw

Jeff Mark Leavitt's Desert Star is his take on the T-style, built with features uncommon to Telecaster designs — set neck construction and 24.75" scale rather than the standard bolt-on 25.5". This particular build features the Lollar Regal Wide Range Humbucker set — Fender's original Seth Lover-designed Wide Range voicing, known for a fuller, rounder character than a standard PAF while retaining significant single-coil-like clarity and articulation. The pickup covers use custom die-cut toppers from Decoboom, adding a distinctive visual detail on top of the tonal foundation. Wired with 1 Meg pots rather than the more common 250K or 500K values, keeping the full high-frequency detail of the Wide Range humbuckers intact, and Treble Bleeds on both volume pots for full-range cleanup no matter where the volume knob sits.

The R2R Electric Preamp Super Deluxe is Chris Vincent's take on the rare 1950s Höfner Preamp circuit — a genuinely obscure vintage reference that few builders have tackled. NOS germanium AC107 transistors. A very natural, amp-like sounding pedal with substantial gain on tap — explored in Low Gain mode from 19:13 and High Gain mode from 24:02, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe stacking in from 27:12.

Explored across the full range on the Greer Mini Chief: clean tones with amp gain at 9 o'clock from 02:25, through amp gain at noon from 07:28, cranked amp tones from 13:53, and extensive volume knob cleanup from 17:48.

🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com 🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups 🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The Rarest Fuzz Face! | Analog Man Sun Face — NKT275 White Dot (Mid-2003)

Analog Man returns to the channel — this time with a genuinely rare piece: a mid-2003 Sun Face fuzz, White Dot NKT275 germanium transistor variant, dated April 24th, 2003. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Analog Man Sun Face (White Dot NKT275) pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Greer Smallblock 1x12" with a pre-broken-in Scumback S75-PVC speaker. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 10:18.

Huge thanks to Alex at ToneCraftFX for lending this unit for the shootout — give him a follow and subscribe.

The Analog Man Sun Face has been Mike Piera's flagship germanium Fuzz Face-circuit pedal for decades, and the specific era and transistor variant matters enormously to collectors. This unit is White Dot — referring to the white mark found on the NKT275 germanium transistors used inside, visible in the macro closeups of the pedal internals in this video. NKT275 transistors are widely considered among the best-sounding and most desirable germanium transistors ever used in a Fuzz Face-style circuit, and by 2003 they were already becoming difficult to source in quantity.

This unit also carries the 2.2uF input capacitor — a spec Analog Man later moved away from in favor of a 1.0uF input cap on subsequent production runs. The larger 2.2uF cap passes more low-end content into the fuzz stage, giving this specific era of Sun Face a fuller, thicker low end compared to later units. Between the White Dot NKT275 transistors and the 2.2uF cap, this specific dated unit represents a particularly sought-after and hard-to-find combination — genuinely difficult and expensive to track down today.

The Bias knob is explored extensively from 01:56 through 04:08 — colder settings tightening and gating the fuzz, hotter settings opening it into fuller sustain and bloom. Volume knob cleanup is explored across all three TV Classic pickup positions from 03:35 onward, showing the classic Fuzz Face glassy cleanup character that NKT275 transistors are famous for. The Greer Mini Chief pushed into its own natural breakup from 06:28 stacks with the Sun Face for compounded amp and fuzz sag — and the Effectrode Tube Vibe from 10:18 gives classic Fuzz Face into Uni-Vibe tones.

🎛️ Analog Man: https://www.buyanalogman.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Killer Treble Booster tone! | Madsen Amps Ge Boost

Madsen Amplification returns to the channel with the Ge Boost — Maynard Madsen's germanium treble booster, inspired by the vintage Rangemaster but built to modern standards. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost pairs with the Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic — Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Prewired Kit with Treble Bleeds, Ron Ellis '50s LRP Humbuckers — into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 across both Tweed and Plexi channels.

Get the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG Check out Madsen Amps: https://www.madsenamps.com/ Follow Madsen Amps: https://www.instagram.com/madsenamps/

The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost is Maynard Madsen's point-to-point recreation of the Dallas Rangemaster, hand-built in Camdenton, Missouri — NOS germanium transistors, carefully selected and hand-matched, with a three-way input capacitor selector for treble, mid-range, and full-range boost characters. Originally released as a numbered limited run of 30 units.

Into a pushed amp, the Ge Boost slams the front end for creamy sustain, gritty harmonics, and the classic British crunch that defines the Brian May, Rory Gallagher, and Tony Iommi treble booster lineage. Like all great Rangemaster-derived boosts, the guitar volume knob interaction is the real story — roll back for jangly sparkle, dime it for searing sustained leads.

Ron Ellis' '50s LRP Humbucker set — the replica pickup originally developed for the 2012 Gibson Lee Roy Parnell Signature Les Paul, modeled on the exact PAFs found in Duane Allman's 1957 Goldtop — gives the Ge Boost a genuinely vintage-correct foundation to work from. The Cunningham Custom 35's Tweed and Plexi channels both get explored, showing how the Ge Boost's character shifts depending on which amp voicing it's driving into.

Have you played a germanium treble booster before? Does the Madsen Ge Boost capture that vintage magic for you? Drop your favorite amp and treble booster pairings in the comments.

🎛️ Madsen Amplification: https://www.madsenamps.com 🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The Boutique Pedal You NEED? | Kingtone Blues Power Deluxe | Jesse Davey

KingTone Guitar returns to the channel with the Blues Power Deluxe — Jesse Davey's expanded take on his own Blues Power design, with switchable clipping and a refined EQ section. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The KingTone Blues Power Deluxe pairs with the Josh Williams Guitars Mockingbird — Tone Specific Bloombucker Humbuckers — into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 09:56.

The Blues Power Deluxe is Jesse Davey's expansion on his original Blues Power — the same transparent, amp-breakup philosophy but with more tonal range on tap. Switchable clipping modes let you shape the drive character from subtle sparkle through to fat, saturated sustain, while active Bass and Treble controls give genuine EQ sculpting rather than a fixed tone stack — useful for tailoring the pedal to single coils, humbuckers, or whatever amp is on the other end.

Clean amp tones explored from 01:06: glassy sparkle and subtle breakup with the transparency that defines the Blues Power lineage — the pedal enhances the amp and guitar's own character rather than imposing a fixed voice on top of it. Pushed amp tones from 06:24: warm midrange growl, edge-of-breakup drive, singing sustain.

The Boost function is a genuinely powerful clean boost — capable of sitting at unity for pure tone sweetening, or pushing an already cranked amp much harder. Explored slamming the Benson Vincent's cranked clean channel from 08:21, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe added from 09:56. Volume knob cleanup explored in depth from 12:47, showing how the pedal responds to guitar volume and picking dynamics across the full range of clipping and EQ settings.

Jesse Davey — formerly of The Hoax, one of the UK's most respected blues guitarists — designed the original Blues Power and its Deluxe expansion from decades of stage and studio experience with what an always-on drive pedal actually needs to do.

Have you tried the Blues Power or the Blues Power Deluxe? Drop your thoughts in the comments — does it beat your go-to transparent overdrive?

🎛️ KingTone Guitar Blues Power Deluxe: https://www.kingtoneguitar.com
🎸 Josh Williams Guitars: https://joshwilliamsguitars.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Killer ‘60s Fender Amp Tone | Origin Effects Deluxe 61

Origin Effects returns to the channel with the Deluxe61 — the first pedal to faithfully recreate true power tube bias tremolo, paired with a Fender Brown Deluxe-voiced preamp and overdrive. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Origin Effects Deluxe61 pairs with the Josh Williams Guitars Mockingbird — Tone Specific Bloombucker Humbuckers — into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers.

The Deluxe61 is a full circuit recreation of the sought-after 1961 Fender Brown Deluxe — one of the great amps of the early 1960s — built as an all-analog signal path with a Class A preamp, push-pull output stage, output transformer, and reactive load. This is not a simulation layered on top of a generic drive circuit; it's the actual Brown Deluxe topology recreated in pedal form, which is why the interaction between the Drive control and the guitar's own dynamics feels so much like playing through a real amp.

The Drive control behaves like the volume knob on a vintage non-master-volume amp — turn it up and the amp itself gets pushed harder into breakup rather than adding a distortion stage after the fact. Tone brightens clockwise, darkens counterclockwise, with the crossover point at noon.

The bias tremolo is the headline feature — the first time this specific circuit-level effect has been recreated in pedal form. Unlike optical or VCA-based tremolo, which attenuates the signal on top of your playing, bias tremolo modulates the bias voltage of the amp's own output stage — meaning it responds to how hard you play. Dig in and loud notes rise above the modulation; back off and the tremolo swells back in as the note decays. This "play through the tremolo" interaction is explored extensively from 06:45, and again into a cranked amp from 11:30 where the interplay between overdrive and bias trem becomes even more pronounced.

Intensity controls tremolo depth. Speed sets the rate, with a Multi switch offering x1, x2, or x3 multipliers. Two wave shapes: the smooth sine wave that makes bias tremolo so beloved, and a choppier full wave setting for more obvious modulation at slower speeds or with heavier overdrive. Tap tempo footswitch input for syncing to a rhythm.

🎛️ Origin Effects Deluxe61: https://www.originaleffects.com 🎸 Josh Williams Guitars: https://joshwilliamsguitars.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Incredible Point to-Point Zonk Machine MKII NOS Silicon Fuzz | Reeves Electro ZO

Reeves Electro returns to the channel with the ZO — Markus Reeves' Zonk Machine MKII silicon fuzz, built from NOS components and voiced for exceptional touch sensitivity. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Reeves Electro ZO pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 loaded with TV Jones TV Classic pickups, into the Greer Amps Mini Chief with a Scumback S75-PVC 8-ohm 65W speaker. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 09:43.

The ZO is Markus Reeves' homage to the John Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine MKII — hand-built with a matched pair of NOS silicon transistors, period-correct resistors, and quality film and electrolytic capacitors in a minimalist, vintage-leaning circuit. True to the Zonk family lineage, the ZO sits somewhere between a fuzz and an overdrive — fast on the pick, rich in harmonics, animated in the upper mids without ever tipping into icepick territory.

Into a clean amp, the ZO delivers tight, articulate fuzz with a dry, percussive edge — chords stay separated, single notes have stringy bite, palm mutes thwack rather than flub. Roll the guitar volume back to 6-7 and it opens into a rawer, glassy drive that keeps the Zonk's characteristic rasp. Into a pushed amp at the edge of breakup, the ZO fattens into violin-like sustain with chewy compression — spit and snarl on attack that smooths as notes bloom, ideal for riff rock, proto-punk grind, and psychedelic leads.

Three controls, uniquely named: Drift (a fuzz/bias hybrid control simulating how original component values drift over decades — explored across its full range from 01:43 through 07:54), Texture (adds graininess and affects decay character — explored from 02:08 and returning as a favorite setting at 07:30), and Swell (output level, capable of pushing well above unity to slam the amp — explored from 04:47).

The guitar volume knob interacts with the ZO uniquely — not like a Fuzz Face, not like a Rangemaster, but its own three-channel-like sweep: saturated Zonk roar at 10, textured overdrive at 7, sparkly treble-tilted bite around 5. All three settings explored directly in the volume knob cleanup comparison from 04:09.

At the extreme low end of all three controls (explored from 08:42), the ZO produces crumbly, cracking, broken sound design textures — a genuinely different use case from the fuzz tones covered earlier in the demo.

Have you played a Zonk-style fuzz? Drop your favorite ZO settings and preferred amp pairing in the comments.

🎛️ Reeves Electro ZO: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The BEST Mod for your Les Paul - Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit

The story behind the Edge of Breakup x Emerson Custom Les Paul Prewired Kit — years of chasing the perfect Les Paul tone led here. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

Get the EoB x Emerson Custom Les Paul Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG

Years spent documenting boutique guitar amplifiers, pickups, and every category of pedal from fuzz to Uni-Vibe to delay led to a genuine discovery: Emerson Custom's Les Paul Prewired Kit, built to '50s wiring spec with meticulously crafted wiring and top-tier components, was already exceptional on its own. But combining it with Emerson's Treble Bleed mod on both volume pots — rather than one or neither, which is how most players approach it — opened up something new entirely.

'50s wiring keeps the tone cap connected directly to the output lug rather than the volume pot wiper, which is what gives a properly wired vintage-spec Les Paul its open, resonant character even at lower volume settings. The Treble Bleed mod adds a frequency-specific network on the volume pot itself that preserves high-frequency content as the volume is rolled back. Combining both — on both the neck and bridge volume pots independently — means the guitar cleans up fuzz, overdrive, and amp gain all the way down to 1 on the volume knob without losing top-end definition or turning to mud.

The kit uses Emerson's new Premier Pro Pots — three years in development, fiberglass substrate for durability and rigidity, a proprietary 20% audio taper designed to feel and respond consistently in both volume and tone positions. Paired with the Treble Bleed mods, the resulting knob taper and top-end retention is the best Emerson has ever offered in a Les Paul-specific kit.

This is the exact specification now available as the Edge of Breakup x Emerson Custom Les Paul Prewired Kit — everything that changed how tone gets dialed in on a Les Paul, packaged as one order.

🎛️ Emerson Custom: https://emersoncustom.com

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🎛️ Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit | '50s Wiring | Premier Pro Pots (20% Proprietary Audio Taper) | 2x Independent Treble Bleed

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Humbucker Guitar Too Dark? These Pickups are Magic! | Lollar The Bird Pickups

Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with "The Bird" — Firebird voicing finally built to fit standard PAF humbucker routing. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

"The Bird" pairs with the Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline with Bigsby, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive, Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz, and Effectrode Tube Vibe all feature throughout.

Get "The Bird" pickup set: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/thebird Get Lollar Firebird pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/firebird All Lollar Pickups demos on the channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLY1KzQHoiH1bv3cF5-4U0VSgQhj7BpNe

Firebird humbuckers have always been a tricky proposition for players who want that specific mid-forward, barky Firebird voicing but don't own a guitar with the Firebird's non-standard mini-humbucker routing. "The Bird" solves that — full Firebird tonal character, built into a standard humbucker-sized housing that drops directly into any PAF-routed guitar. No routing modification required.

The tonal signature is instantly recognizable: mid-forward, barky, with a compressed, vocal quality that cuts through a mix without ever sounding shrill. Clean tones are woody and present; pushed and cranked tones retain that characteristic Firebird bark that separates it from a standard PAF-voiced humbucker. Explored from clean tones at 01:51 through cranked amp overdrive from 04:30.

The Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive is a low-to-medium gain transparent drive built to replicate the natural breakup of a tube amp being pushed — Drive, Loudness, and Frequency controls, with smooth clipping that adds a tube-like compression and sustain rather than harsh distortion. Highly responsive to pick attack and dynamics. Explored slamming the cranked clean channel from 16:36, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe from 18:56.

The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz — Tim Cunningham's Tone Bender MKI recreation — gets its own dedicated clean-headroom section from 13:54, giving the saggy, compressed, explosive MKI character room to breathe against "The Bird" pickups' already vocal midrange.

🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/thebird 🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com 🎛️ Greer Amps Lightspeed: https://www.greeramps.com 🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The Best Tone Bender MKI?! | Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz

Cunningham Amps returns to the channel with the MKI Fuzz — Tim Cunningham's take on the iconic Tone Bender MKI circuit, and one of the best-sounding recreations of it around. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — vintage-style TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Tron pickups — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Greer Smallblock 1x12" loaded with a pre-broken-in Scumback S75-PVC speaker. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 05:07.

The Tone Bender MKI is the original British fuzz — the 1965 Sola Sound circuit that predates the Fuzz Face and produces a distinctly saggy, compressed, explosive character compared to the two-transistor circuits that followed. Tim Cunningham's take on the MKI brings vintage-inspired fuzz tone with his own modern refinements — the same raw, expressive attitude that made the original a favorite of the earliest British Invasion players, built to hold up in a modern rig.

This demo pushes the circuit and the Greer Mini Chief's 3-watt Class A EL84 power stage together — thick sustain, gated breakup, and plenty of character at every setting. The Attack knob's sweep from 01:23 shows the range from tighter, more controlled fuzz to fully gated and spitting. Volume knob and guitar dynamics interact heavily with the MKI circuit — as demonstrated across both bridge and neck TV Classic positions.

The Greer Mini Chief already runs at the edge of breakup on its own — a genuine 3-watt Class A amp gets pushed into natural distortion at usable volumes far more easily than a higher-wattage head. Stacking the MKI Fuzz on top of that (explored from 04:39) produces layered breakup — amp sag and fuzz sag compounding on each other — which is a different animal from running the same fuzz into a cleaner, higher-headroom amp.

🎛️ Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz/effect-pedals 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Kingtone Octaland - Jesse Davey

Jesse Davey and KingTone Guitar return to the channel with the Octaland — an octave fuzz and overdrive built from the ground up, not a clone of anything. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The KingTone Guitar Octaland pairs with the Josh Williams Guitars Mockingbird — Tone Specific Bloombuckers, Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds — into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The KingTone Vibe 1968 joins from 10:12.

Jesse Davey designed the Octaland as a genuinely original circuit rather than a recreation of the classic Octavia/Band of Gypsys fuzz — the goal was the most playable and fat high-octave tone possible, without the common failure mode of most Octavia-style pedals losing their octave character at higher drive settings. At low gain, the Octaland delivers a nearly clean high octave tone. At high drive, the octave content remains intact rather than collapsing into undifferentiated fuzz — explored throughout this demo from the gain-only exploration at 01:21 through Octave Mode engaged at 06:21.

Controls: Volume, Drive, Blend (mixes the pure octave signal with clean or fuzz tones — anywhere from a subtle harmonic enhancement to full-bodied aggressive octave texture), and Voice (a tone control that also shapes the clarity and character of the octave effect itself). A three-way EQ voicing switch offers Full Fat (round, satisfying, maximum gain — great for huge guitar tones or bass), Glass (cutting and up-front), and a third intermediate voicing.

Explored into both a clean amp (01:21 through 10:12) and a cranked amp (11:57 through 16:26) — the octave character behaves differently depending on how hard the amp itself is being pushed, giving the Octaland a much broader range than a typical fixed-voicing Octavia clone.

🎛️ KingTone Guitar Octaland: https://www.kingtoneguitar.com/product/minioctaland/ 🎸 Josh Williams Guitars: https://joshwilliamsguitars.com 🎸 Tone Specific: https://www.tonespecific.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

The Coolest Boutique Marshall Out There | Greer Amps Mini Chief & Smallblock 1x12" Cab

Greer Amps returns to the channel with the Mini Chief head paired with the Smallblock 1x12" cabinet — a huge-sounding rig that nearly fits in a backpack. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

The Greer Amps Mini Chief and Smallblock 1x12" pair with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons — via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander for light attenuation and added reverb. The Effectrode Tube Vibe also features.

Grab a Greer Amps Smallblock 1x12" Extension Cab: https://www.greeramps.com/collections/amps-cabs/products/greer-small-block-112-extension-cab
Pick up a Greer Amps Mini Chief: https://www.greeramps.com/collections/amps-cabs/products/mini-chief
Follow Greer Amps: https://www.instagram.com/greeramps/

The Mini Chief is Greer Amps' answer to requests for a genuinely small format amplifier that still works at home, in the studio, or at small gigs. 3 watts, Class A, cathode biased. A single 12AX7 preamp tube and single EL84 power tube — the classic small-wattage British/American hybrid recipe, tonal range sitting between small Vox-style amps and bigger Marshall-style ones. Mercury Magnetics or Heyboer transformers, hand-wired on terminal strips. 4, 8, and 16 ohm speaker outputs — unusual flexibility for an amp this small. Housed in a simple pine head cabinet with a milk paint finish and nitrocellulose topcoat. The preamp tube can be swapped for a 12AT7 for lower gain or a 12AU7 for maximum clean headroom.

Despite its 3-watt rating, the Mini Chief does not get grainy or stringy the way many sub-5-watt amps do at higher gain — it gets genuinely angry and raucous, with real touch sensitivity from clean to crunch on the volume knob alone. Explored throughout this demo from cranked Volume and Tone at 02:41, through volume knob cleanup at 05:42, and across the full gain range down to low-gain bright tones at 15:48.

The Gronlund Guitars SC18's TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons give the Mini Chief plenty of clarity and chime to work with — the semi-hollow Honduran mahogany body's acoustic resonance pairs naturally with a small Class A amp's dynamic response.

🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com
🎸 TV Jones: https://www.tvjones.com

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

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