Mad professor 1

'1' DISCONTINUED

Like that legendary tone, this pedal produces intense drive while retaining high definition. The pedal also includes a built-in reverb circuit to add ambiance and depth to your sound.

'1''s gain ranges from medium to very heavy distortion. The amount can be easily controlled via the volume control on your guitar. (Input impedance is set to facilitate this, and is somewhat negated if a buffer or buffered effect is used ahead of '1'.) The Brown knob controls the amount and harmonic overtones of the distortion. Getting the exact tonal quality is the key to this legendary sound and '1''s Brown and Presence controls help it appropriately interface with a wide variety of pickups and amplifiers.

'1''s built in Reverb circuit with a Level control for setting the ambiance. The sound is modeled after the studio reverb found on classic recordings from the 80's. The decay time is preset so as not to mess the rhythm of your playing. The present decay time and tone can be modified with trimmers inside the pedal.

CONTROLS VOLUME: Sets the output level of pedal. Brown: Controls the distortion and the sizzling highs. Presence: Adjusts frequencies similar to the Presence control on an amplifier. Reverb: Sets the 'wet' level of the Reverb Mad Professor '1' ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS Current draw: 82mA at 9VDC (external power recommended) Input impedance: 200K Output impedance: 25K Voltage range: 8-12Vs Power requirements: 6F22 9V battery or DC eliminator 2.1 mm plug center negative and positive sleeve. POWER REQUIREMENTS 6F22 9V battery or DC eliminator 2.1 mm plug center negative and positive sleeve. EAN: 643003309 129 6

Mad Professor 1 Distortion/Reverb Pedal

The Mad Professor 1 aims to create the 'brown sound' popularized by Eddie Van Halen and other West Coast shredders in the late '70s and early '80s with a blend of reverb and aggressive tube-like distortion.

Similar Products

* Excludes Brand New, B Stock, Fair, Poor, and Non-functioning. Prices exclude shipping and tax/VAT/GST.

Shop Gear

Sell on Reverb

Resources

Help & Tools

Company

Reverb Gives

Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music.

Carbon-Offset Shipping

Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments.

Hey! Based on your location, we've changed your settings:

Shipping Region: Finland, Currency: EUR Learn More

We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. By continuing to use Reverb, you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. Learn More

Mad Professor 1 Brown Sound Overdrive Pedal Review

The Mad Professor 1 overdrive pedal convincingly dials in that vintage 'brown sound' made famous by Van Halen, with the added bonus of believable reverb to complete the tonal execution.

That 'brown' sound that guitar players have been seeking since 1978 can been elusive. There have been amps, pedals, processors and plug-ins that have all claimed to get it. The new Mad Professor 1 overdrive pedal really brings that 'brown' sound in a small package, and at a fairly affordable price.

The idea is to plug this pedal into a clean amp, and let the pedal do all the work. The controls are simple, but slightly different than the usual stompbox: the Brown knob controls the Overdrive, but even at zero, it still has plenty of gain. Increasing it adds high-end frequencies that can cut, but don't get harsh. The Presence knob acts like it would on an amp, adding brightness and tighter response. Part of that 'Brown' sound is Reverb, and it's not a standard spring type sound, more like a studio quality hi-fi version.

The overdrive range isn't super expansive, but it does nail that late-'70s/early-'80s hot rodded British amp sound of that era. Players who are fans of the candy-striped guitar sound will really enjoy it, especially when playing those kinds of riffs and licks. Dialing in tasteful amounts of reverb really helps nail that tone, and it's something a lot of other companies have overlooked. Just toss in an MXR Phase 90 and you're complete.

Got a cool new 'brown sound' pedal sent to us for review. Can't wait to turn it up!

A photo posted by Performer Magazine (@performermagazine) on Aug 5, 2016 at 8:31am PDT

Inside the pedal are two trim pots, one for adjusting the reverb's decay time, the other for a tone that can brighten or darken the decay. Rhythms can be nice and chunky, but when backing off on the volume knob on the guitar, things can clean up easily while still retaining some bite. For leads, there's plenty of sustain, and the '1' pedal has a nice sharp response. On the gain scale, it sits below a lot of distortion pedals, but high enough above tamer 'overdrives' and blues-based pedals.

It shouldn't be overlooked by players who aren't fans of the sound. It really captures a tight, and punchy British tinged drive that was favored at the time, with plenty of clarity. With humbuckers, it has plenty of push, and with single coils it still retains that character, softening up the feel, while still having plenty of power and articulation.

The only downside is the distortion is what it is, no being able to drop it to get some soft clipping, but it eliminates a variable in the equation of the 'brown' sound that's so tough to nail down. For fans of that Los Angeles rock n roll sound, or any guitarist in a tribute band should have one of these, it'll make things easier. For the rest, it's a great British overdrive sounding pedal with reverb that still leaves plenty of room to forge your own signature tone.

Nails that circa 1978 Sunset Strip era sound at a great price.

Distortion range isn't that wide (but that's kind of the point).