Van Diemens A.A.D. Red Ochre Deluxe Treble Booster with Mulecaster
In this episode the Van Diemens Analogue Audio Disruptors Red Ochre Deluxe Treble Booster takes a second run — featuring the Mule Resophonic Mulecaster with Mule Tomthumbucker Mini-Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Chorus Echo in the loop. The Caroline Guitar Company Arigato Phaser joins throughout.
Watch the first Red Ochre Deluxe demo with the Kauer Gripen and Wolfetone Kauerbuckers: https://youtu.be/TpP1rfvekyg
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Red Ochre Deluxe product page: https://www.vandiemenseffects.com.au/red-ochre-deluxe
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The Mulecaster is a fundamentally different instrument from the Kauer Gripen that featured in the first demo. Where the Gripen is a solid neck-through mahogany guitar with high-output Wolfetone Kauerbuckers, the Mulecaster is a hollow steel body with no resonator cone — made by Matt Eich in Saginaw, Michigan, 25" scale, set up like an electric guitar. The hollow steel body gives the Mulecaster a three-dimensional resonance and overtone character that wooden guitars don't produce. The Mule Tomthumbucker is a low-output mini-humbucker wound specifically for the Mulecaster's steel body — lower output and inherently brighter than a conventional humbucker.
Lower-output pickups and a treble booster is a specific combination. High-output pickups compress the booster's input earlier, which smooths and saturates the OC44's character before the EQ switch has much to work with. The Tomthumbucker's lower output means the CV7003 transistor is less compressed across the sweep — the three EQ positions cover a wider apparent range, the frequency emphasis is more prominent, and the volume knob cleanup sweep is more expressive because the transistor has more headroom.
Three EQ positions: brightest (maximum treble emphasis, most Rangemaster-like character), middle, and darkest (maximum low-end retained — the fullest, most foundational version of the boost). The Arigato Phaser enters at 01:33 alongside the boost. Volume knob cleanup from 01:53 — the Tomthumbucker's touch sensitivity makes this especially musical with a treble booster engaged.
🎛️ Van Diemens A.A.D.: https://www.vandiemenseffects.com.au/red-ochre-deluxe
🎸 Mule Resophonic Guitars: https://www.muleresophonic.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Mule Resophonic Mulecaster | Mule Tomthumbucker Mini-Humbuckers | Hollow Steel Body | No Cone
🎛️ Van Diemens A.A.D. Red Ochre Deluxe | Mullard CV7003/OC44 | 3-Way EQ Toggle | NOS Components
🎛️ Also: Caroline Guitar Company Arigato Phaser | Echo Fix EF-X3
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11
