Fanatic Fantastic
Imagine if you will an effects pedal company so passionate and fanatical about tone that after exhausting the world supply of possible transistors to use in their pedals, they end up making their own.
Such a company is Menatone, manufacturer of the near legendary 'Red Snapper' overdrive pedal. Menatone's range of gain pedals is nothing short of staggering. The build quality is up there with the best and includes 'point to point' wiring and top of line components throughout. Each pedal has its own unique sonic signature and the Red Snapper is no exception.
It has been hailed as the ultimate transparent overdrive pedal, which begs the question 'what on earth does that mean'? Where as most overdrives tend to take over your sound with their own distinct harmonic character (this is not a bad thing, just the way the pedal has been designed), the Red Snapper keeps your guitar sound intact and simply layers the gain on top of the original tone. It's not a new idea, but what separates the Red Snapper from others of the same ilk is the sheer quality of tone on offer. A lot of overdrive pedals have what can only be described as a 'dark' quality to their sound. It's a characteristic that hinders the ability of the guitar to sound prominent and full in a mix or band situation. The Red Snapper is warm, full bodied and bright and sounds so good that it is almost standard issue for tone hungry professionals the world over.
Clone Wars
The Red Snapper has a lot of the same tonal qualities that make the original Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 such a great stomper, but don't be fooled into thinking this is just another TS808 clone, as the Red Snapper is infinitely more flexible. It cleans up so much that it becomes the perfect clean boost, but then the amount of gain on tap here is huge. What that adds up to is a monster of an overdrive pedal capable of tone that borders on the divine.
How much should I pay?
At the moment you can pick one of these beauties up for a little over £100 but I can promise you that price won't stay that low for long. This version of the Red Snapper has now been discontinued and replaced by a 4-knob version, which still sounds great, but there's something special about the original.
If like me you love the sound of the original TS808 but need more flexibility from your O.D. stomper, then you just can't go wrong with this unit. The original Red Snapper has become as desirable as a cup cake in a fat farm and almost as rare, so be prepared to search, but the effort will be repaid tenfold with glorious tone.
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