Strymon Deco

January 2015 Guitari s t 131
QUICK TEST
MISCELLANEOUS
Not all gigbags are created
equal. At a basic level they can
be little more than a soft cover,
offering no protection for your
instrument. At Mono level,
however, you have arguably the
best money can buy. That
doesn’t mean cheap, though;
Mono’s standard range –
including the Vertigo gigbags at
£149 – can seem costly, which is
where the Sleeve comes in,
around 40 per cent cheaper.
Designed for solidbodies
only, the black or grey (ash)
outer material is both rugged
and water-resistant with dual
padded shoulder straps, steel
riveted side carry handle and
that all-important rear carry
handle placed midway up the
case, as well as an airline
suspension hook. The main zip
feels really tough and the case
is designed to open from the
top. Both front and back are
padded and the Headlock
feature, moulded from shock-
absorbing EVA rubber,
supports the neck, offering
excellent protection.
Where the Stealth really
scores is with its messenger-
style storage pouch, designed
for laptops or tablets, and also
the likes of pedals, leads and
mains adaptors. Its fold-over
cover is secured by seatbelt
webbing and a steel buckle.
Yup, it looks cool too.
In Use
Packed with a Stratocaster,
laptop, a couple of pedals and
leads for a good stroll, a couple
of crowded buses then
London’s Underground at rush
hour we can’t fault the comfort.
In fact, our Strat had a much
better journey than we did.
Verdict
If you’re a travelling musician,
just buy one.
[DB]
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: Far more useful
than you can imagine – well
worth the cost
Superior case company offers superior gigbag
CONTACT: Westside Dist. PHONE: [phone] WEB: monocreators.com
Mono Guitar
Sleeve
£99
EBS Valve Drive DI
£269
Drive and tonal enhancement for your bass,
plus a DI in the same box
CONTACT: Sound Technology PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.soundtech.co.uk
In this
clean and precise digital
world, bass players are
reminded constantly of just how
clinical the sound of their
instrument has become,
particularly when being forced
into using a DI into a PA or
studios desks. But, as its name
suggests, this EBS unit offers a
valve-driven preamp along with
an XLR balanced output, plus
padding and ground lift
switches as required by any
good DI box. With input
volume, master gain and a
three-band EQ with a choice of
vintage or normal bias, this is
ideal for adding some tonal
boost, colour and drive to your
sound at the kick of a switch.
Sounds
It’s all about a single preamp
valve (ECC83/12AX7) adding
fully controllable tonal colour
and distortion to your bass
sound, whether you use it as a
DI box or as an effects pedal.
Ultra-smooth in operation, it
fattens your bass tone from cool
and sophisticated, or if pushed
harder it’s Cream-era Jack
Bruce. The user manual’s
classic rock, vintage overdrive
and crunch setting examples
neatly describe what sounds
can be achieved. Background
noise-free and with true
bypass, this is quite simply a
great performance-enhancing
tool that all bass players will
surely appreciate.
Verdict
While there’s nothing wrong
with a good clean bass tone,
there are times when it can lack
body, and that’s when a little
dirt can add some excitement.
With the usual robust EBS
build quality, this is a great
pedal to own.
[RN]
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: A superbly
designed gigbag – we can’t fault
it: your guitar will love you
GIT389.rev_quick.indd 131 26/11/2014 17:23