The Best Guitar Tone I've Ever Had - R2R Electric - R2Rgemaster

Guitar Pedals

May 17

The best guitar tone I've ever had. That's a statement I don't make lightly. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode R2R Electric R2RGeMaster Treble Booster #1000 takes center stage — into my Benson Amps Monarch with NOS Tung Sol tubes, through the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander for attenuation and the Benson Amps Tall Bird in the effects loop for tube reverb, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" cabinet.

R2R Electric is operated out of Los Angeles by Chris Vincent, aka @djlavalamp on Instagram. Chris is a specialist in NOS components reclaimed from 1950s and 1960s electronics — the kind of capacitors, transistors, and resistors that are no longer manufactured and whose sonic character shapes each pedal uniquely. This particular unit is #1000 of the R2RGeMaster — a significant milestone. My friend Mark (@filmotone on Instagram) bought unit #1000, and in one of the great acts of generosity in boutique pedal culture, asked Chris to ship it to me first.

The R2RGeMaster is a Dallas Rangemaster circuit built around Philips/Mullard AC107 black glass germanium transistors, Allen-Bradley carbon comp resistors, Sprague Bumblebee and Black Beauty input capacitors, Switchcraft jacks, and NOS Dakaware control knobs. The heart of the demo is the 6-position switch — each position selects a different NOS vintage capacitor as the input cap, fundamentally changing the voicing and frequency response of the boost:

Position 1: 1964 SRC Dallas Rangemaster — the classic tight treble character

Position 2: 1962 Hunts Modern Rangemaster — slightly broader

Position 3: 1964 Hunts Aged Rangemaster — warmer, more worn character

Position 4: 1964 Hunts Modified Rangemaster — a specific modification voicing

Position 5: 1966 Aerovox Mods Booster — moving toward mid-range emphasis

Position 6: 1962 Erie Full Range Boost — full frequency, not a treble booster

Six completely different pedals in one enclosure, defined by NOS capacitors that Chris sources one at a time. The result cleans up like a beautiful vintage fuzz, turns like a dime with your guitar volume knob, and has a bite and attack unlike anything I've played before — with a soft, gushy low-mid character when you dig in.

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🎛️ R2R Electric R2RGeMaster #1000 | Philips/Mullard AC107 | 6-Position NOS Capacitor Switch

🔊 Benson Amps Monarch (NOS Tung Sol Tubes) | Boss Waza TAE | Benson Tall Bird | Benson Vincent 2x12"

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Royer R121 & SM57 on cab | Royer R10 on back | Ableton Live 11