Messiah Guitars Billy Overdrive Guitar Pedal
Billy is an op-amp overdrive pedal featuring three soft clipping modes. Mode I and III offer Silicon and Germanium diode clipping respectively. Mode III ranges from gated fuzz sounds to a ripped speaker emulator using a complimentary pair of vintage germanium transistors. Switching is assisted with an optocoupler to minimize switch popping. The pedal has moderate to low noise floor.
The pedal is true bypass.
CONTROLS:
The effect features four rotary controls, a toggle switch, and a lighted foot switch.
The FOOT SWITCH activates the overdrive and lights up purple.
MODE
I - classic silicon diode soft clipping mode offers transparent overdrives tone with ample amount of clarity.
II - a pair of vintage germanium transistors transforms this mode to a gated fuzz. Experiment with a variety of fun sounds by turning the BOOST, LOW, and HIGH toward maximum.
III - germanium diode mode adds a bit of compression and softness to the distorted tone. Due to the signal clipping nature of germanium diodes, this mode is quieter than the other and requires the LEVEL to be turned up slightly.
BOOST
Boost sets the amount of gain you require. Turn high in mode II for maximum effect.
LOW & HIGH
Low & high provide a powerful 2-way EQ to the pedal. Crank up low in mode II for maximum effect and color the tone with high.
LEVEL
Level sets the overall volume of the effect.
Note: The pedal features an internal trim pot that will adjust the balance between the amount of bass and treble passed through the circuit. Remove the bottom four screws, remove the cover, and locate the blue trimpot with a small phillips screwdriver slot near the bottom left corner of the main circuit board. Note the stock position of the trimpot. To adjust, turn the screw gently to balance the EQ to your liking. Keep in mind, that extreme treble setting will cause the pedal to self-oscillate and will add more noise.
Handmade in Los Angeles, California.
Approximate dimensions (125B enclosure):
122 x 67 x 60mm (4.8 x 2.65 x 2.35")
Approximate weight:
10.2oz (290g)
(version 2)