MXR M116 Fullbore Metal

176 Guitarist December 2009
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Welcome to Guitarist’s regular round-up of the best of the
rest of the gear that’s passed through our hands this issue
The Bottom Line
We like: Nasty and polite
fuzz in one pedal; shape knob
gates the fuzz
We dislike: Paint finish is
a little rough
Line 6
Spider IV 15
£90.85
Pro Tone
Peligro Fuzz
£139
A bijou version of the new modelling sensation Fuzz with a dangerous streak
Sounds
The tonal limitations of an
eight-inch speaker aside, the
Dual Rec-inspired channels
sound huge and have as much
bite as a Tiger shark’s mouth,
while we coaxed a convincing
AC/DC-style voice from
Channel B’s ’68 Marshall
‘Plexi’-inspired tone. On clean
we have no complaints and the
Sweep Echo effect here gives
some very inspiring tones.
Verdict
Seems like we’re playing the
same record, but this 15-watt
version of Spider IV is as
impressive as its 75-watt
sibling, albeit for different
reasons. No home should be
without one. [SB]
end. The shape knob actually
alters the waveform, moving
from a clipped, tightly gated
sound (that’s very reminiscent
of the rasp of Maestro Fuzz-
Tone) and sitar effects, through
to full-bodied richness.
Verdict
Any fuzzbox that can nail
Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit In
The Sky tone is okay by us and
this one comes closer than
most. Predominantly raspy and
buzzy, but still capable of a
more rounded tone, the Peligro
can dish up a fair range of more
unusual distortions courtesy of
its useful interactive controls.
This is a characterful fuzz
that’s worth an audition. [TC]
CONTACT: Line 6 PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.uk.line6.com CONTACT: Sounds Great Music PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.protonepedals.com
GUITARIST RATING
Line 6
always crams unfeasible
levels of sophistication, features
and tone into all of its products,
and that extends to entry-level
units such as this small Spider IV.
We wouldn’t expect a similar
spec sheet to the impressive
Spider IV 75 we looked at last
issue, but even here the 15W
combo offers six effects, of
which two can be used at any
one time, and a choice of four
dedicated tones modelled on
classic amps from Roland,
Mesa/Boogie and Marshall.
They’re accessed via four
buttons on the front panel that
also double as a quartet of
banks into which you can save
your tones, be they
combinations of amp and effect
or alternative EQ settings for a
single amp model. There’s even
a rudimentary noise gate, tuner
and a boost function too.
Consider the obligatory CD/
mp3 micro-jack input, a ‘record
out’ that’s also a headphone
socket and the eight-inch
speaker, and this could be
among the most heavily loaded
beginners’ amps out there.
The Bottom Line
We like: Great tones;
portable; versatile
We dislike: The tuner’s a
little complex to understand
GUITARIST RATING
Pro Tone
Pedals are hand-built
in Crossroads, Texas and the
Peligro Fuzz is just one of the
fuzzes in a colourfully finished
range. Peligro is the Spanish
word for danger and Pro Tone
describes the pedal as a
dangerous fuzz with some
serious bottom end. What you
get is a three-transistor pedal
powered by battery (accessed
via four-screw baseplate) or a
standard nine-volt adaptor.
Sounds
With four knobs, the Peligro
offers a wider range of options
to control the effect than many
of the fuzz pedals on the
market. The volume knob
offers plenty of gain to give
your amp a kick if needed,
while the fuzz knob obviously
dials in more of the effect,
albeit with the sound very
dependent on the positions of
the tone and shape knobs.
Fully left, the tone knob cuts
the high frequencies and adds
lows for a deep rumble, while
at the other extreme it boosts
the mids and adds edgy top
GIT323.rev_quick 176 6/11/09 9:17:6 am