This months product review is supplied to us by Bad Cat Amplifiers. Now we already know just how "Bad" these "Cats", amplifiers are, it's time to check out one of the new pedals that has recently been added to the Bad Cat family of Tone. The X-Treme Tone Overdrive pedal is the new weapon now in the Bad Cat arsenal. I am ready and willing to throw down with the X-Treme Tone Overdrive. So as usual, off to the practice studio I venture to hopefully get scratched by the Bad Cats...

Wired For Sound
Out of the box and onto the floor we go. Upon unpacking the Bad Cat pedals, first sight is impressionable. All metal 14 gauge industrial steel housing, heavy powder coated base and an elegant looking polished chrome top. Chicken head controls for gain, edge, level, bass, treble and master, three segment (red, yellow and green) led's for mode selection and bypass, two large chrome stomp switches, heavy duty 100-120v power cord (no batteries required), and two standard 1/4" input and output jacks. The X-Treme Tone pedal sports a classy mean look and boasts heavy frickin duty construction. 8"x 8" pedal weighing 7 lbs a pedal, large enough to find it on a poorly lit stage, solid enough to not move around and ample room between mode switches and by bass to not confuse you. No shortcuts in construction here...This bad boy looks like a Harley Davidson of pedals.

Fire It Up
Time to let the rubber hit the road and get the tires squealin! For testing purposes, I am trying to utilize the set up that most people would use this pedal for. Straight into the front of an amps input to provide a bit more versatility to an amp that has an anemic overdriven channel, or possibly a solid state amp that is lacking in the old down and dirty tones. I am pulling out a cool old amp, dusting it off and firing it up. This is a late 80's Laney AOR 30, 1x12 combo, 30 watts with 6V6's, 12AX7's and a single 12" Fane speaker. This is a smokin amp with a splendid clean channel. Running the X-Treme pedal directly into the clean channel input, I first tweak with X-Treme tones settings. Gain 7 1/2, Edge 4, Level 3, Bass 7, Treble 5 and Master on 2 1/2. The X-Treme tone pedal provides two different gain modes. Half Boost & Full Boost. With my clean signal dialed in on the Laney, I thus engage overdrive Mode I (half boost). Instantly without adjusting any parameters, I have the sweetest crunch tone spankin out of this little combo. Fat, Warm and Edgy. Mode I provides a transparent volume matching to match the current output of the in and out of the amp I'm using. In other words, the amplifiers output produces a consistent even output with the original clean setting of the Laney I am using. Interactive killer EQ of bass and treble are very responsive and by experimenting with the "edge" control, I can easily dial in a bit more throaty bite in the upper mids. Mode I produces a super crunch rhythm tone that also cleans up well by attenuating the guitars volume.

Really Kickin It!
Mode II is the "drop your linen and start your grinnin" stage. Obviously picking up where Mode I left off. Mode II provides an additional gain boost stage to thicken the overdrive gain. You are able to actually manipulate two separate gain stages. In this stage, I am running my overall "gain" level at 7 1/2 and this bad boy literally screams! The X-Treme Tone pedal is a true "tube" pedal utilizing a pair of Ruby Chinese 12AX7's in the front end, thus capturing and retaining a true tube vibe that you can hear and smell! Super harmonies jump out like "Jack in the box" and this bad boy packs enough overdrive to satisfy any high gain maniac. By experimenting further with gain levels and utilizing the master control, you can set up a nice little solo boost mode to ensure your solos cut through the mix like a razor and not get lost in the mix. Another useful attribute is the "level" control, especially in the first gain stage. By cranking the master up and backing off the level, you can clean up your crunch channel and still retain ample headroom.

Cat In The Hat (Final Mojo)
The X-Treme Tone is exactly that, X-Treme Tone. This Bad Cat sports some "Big Balls" when it comes to overdrive pedals. Powered by true tube 12AX7'' this pedal actually sounds like a true overdrive pedal should. Fat and Warm to Hot and Sassy. Capable of expanding any amps tonal arsenal, think of the X-Treme Tone as a cost effective mod that turns your amp into a three channel screaming demon! Built like a tank and the X-Treme Tones classy polished chrome chassis is not only cool looking, it's built for the long haul. At a list price of $399, the Extreme Tone offers quality construction, but furthermore tone that you expect from a Company who has proven beyond a reasonable doubt what Tone is all about. The Bad Cat X-Treme Tone is one Bad Ass overdrive pedal!

Information:
Bad Cat Amplifiers
909-808-8651
www.badcatamps.com