FOXGEAR DOUBLEDECKER mkII Tube Dual Overdrive Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal Instructions
- October 27, 2023
- FOXGEAR
Table of Contents
DOUBLEDECKER
mkII
DOUBLEDECKER mkII Tube Dual Overdrive Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal
Designed between 2012 and 2014, and released in late 2015, The 1959 Double- decker along with the Echosex 2°, was one of our flagship products that has won awards from some of the most important magazines in the world like Premier Guitar, GuitarPlayer, Vintage Guitar. as well as being used live on stage and in studio by many well known pro artists. Many double OD/Dist pedals have been released since that time, and many of you have given us a lot of suggestions to make it better, and we believe we have!
FUNCTIONS:
- Size: the new enclosure make it one of the smallest double pedals on the market, and considering it’s a Tube powered pedal.. only 3,5” x 5”!!
- Connections: the smart double connections set, lets you use it as a standard pedal with one main input and one main output, or split to two separate pedals to be used into two different loops of your looper/switcher.. or even to invert the order of the channels chain for infinite boosting options.
- Switching: Now you have only 2 footswitches to handle, but the two channels can be stacked together and boost each other. Thanks to the Clipping option switch, plus the 4 controls of each channels, you can obtain a huge palette of colors for your tone.
- Engineering: It has been very hard work to design this innovative pedal, trying to make it sound like a real overdriven amplifier. We used a different approach from all other well known circuits that mimic the “Marshall Tone”. We started from an Hi-Voltage (150-300Volts) Tube preamp section, assisted by our secret weapon Op-Amp to tailor the tone. The rich harmonic content, the dynamic and touch response, Plus we worked with some Artists who had the luck to have their amps modded by the famous Jose Arredondo., the popular “Jose Mod” used by big pro like EVH, Steve Vai, Doug Aldrich, Peter Frampton, Metallica, George Lynch and many, many others. We wanted to pay Jose a little tribute by adding two different Clipping sections to fine tune the sound when using the channels as two independent pedals, make everything easy to play and sounding great.
- Clipping: The two channels together sounds incredible without any clipping, however we wanted to give you options, we made two different clipping sections for the two channels, in order to expand the combinations for virtually infinite possibility: Germanium Diodes for Floor1, that makes that channel very suitable for all the soft OD stuff, and mimic to perfection the behavior of a tube amp on the edge of clipping, LED diodes for the Floor2 in Symmetrical configuration for the smoothest, complex, and compressed amazing lead tone.
- Tube: The Tube is a crucial important component on the new Doubledecker mkII, and you might want to experiment with it…DO NOT DO
THIS! … If you open the pedal you’ll void the warranty and be playing around with very dangerous hi-voltage! Please always refer to a Technician. We ‘ve added a test point and a bias trimpot to adjust the tube voltage to perfectly shape your pedal with any kind of tube you might want to use.
CONNECTIONS:
First Mode is connecting Guitar to Main input and Main Out to Amp’s input.
You’ll be able to use both channels separately or stacked together just by
enable Footswitch 1 (Floor I), Footswitch 2 (Floor II) or both together.
Second Mode is to connect Guitar to Floor II input, and then the Floor II
output to Floor I input, and Floor I output goes to Amp’s input.
In This way you are inverting the signal chain, putting the Floor II before
Floor I.
The two channels circuits are basically identically, but clipping section is
different, so maybe you prefer to use one of those two in pre or post.
Third mode, thanks to the 4 connectors, you can connect the two channels
independently to a looper/switcher, so you can recall it by remote like two
separate pedals.
SETTINGS:
Both Channel features the same controls:
Volume – Gain to set the dynamic response, where the gain is generated by the
tube stage+op amp.
The EQ is made by a passive tone like in many other pedals, but assisted by a
Presence control that let you set the amount of brilliance even when you set
the tone’s pot slightly closed ( not cutting the bass frequencies..) This is a
super cool option that gives you so many sweet spots to taylor and shape your
tone in several different ways.
While the Two channels are almost the same, just a little more gain available
on Floor II, what gives you options is the clipping section.
We wanted to pay a little tribute to legendary Amp’s Tech Jose Arredondo, who
did modified amps for most important guitarist in the LA scene back in the
80’s/90’s. In
this case, we chosen to make two different clipping section with two different
concept and working circuitry, using different Diodes in order to gives you
more possibilities to achieve the perfect tone that fits your needs. Just for
Example, if i have to play a Blues tune with a low-overdrive very touch
responsive and body richness, i’d run thru the Floor I, with mid Gain setting,
and enabling the Clipping Germanium diodes, that can really mimic the sound
and the behavior of a vintage tube amp on the edge of breakup.
Otherwise, if i’d rather want to play a solo, on a rock ballade, wsome of that
legendary british tone ala Slash, i’d go for the Floowith symmetric clipping,
a classic with a good compression thmake it easy to play, and very responsive
if rolling down the guivolume.
For a Rock legendary tone, just boost the Floor II with the Floor stacking it
together with no clipping on both, and just experimewith volume and tone on
floor I to shape the frequencies you wato boost.
TECH SPECS.
| Power In | 12VDC (negative TIP) With :ECC81 – 300mA |
|---|---|
| Consumption at 12V | <=1M Ohm |
| Input Impedance | <=10K Ohm |
| Output Impedance | 90mm. (3,5”) |
| Lunghezza (LenghtLarghezza (Width) | 127mm. (5”) |
| Tube: | C83/12AX7 (can be used ECC81-2-3) |
| Altezza (Height) | 30mm. (1,2”) |
| Rohs Compliance: | Yes |
| Power Supply: | Included |
| IPeso (Weight) | 0,5Kg. (1,1lbs) |
Terms of Warranty
GURUS product warranty covers 2 years from date of purchase, excluding
the tube. The warranty does not cover damage caused by accident, misuse and /
or neglect, failure to comply with the instruction manual, repair and
attempted repair by personnel not authorized by FOXGEAR LLC, any damage caused
during transport and delivery, (claims must be presented to the carrier);
damage to any product that has been altered or on which it has been removed,
defaced or altered serial number; damage caused by
faulty connections or connections to equipment failures and/or defective power
cables.
Responsibility of FOXGEAR LLC for any defective product is limited to
repair or replacement of the product at our discretion.
The FOXGEAR LLC not be liable for damages resulting from loss of use of
the product, lost time operation interrupted by non-use of the product, loss
of business or any other damages or incidental, consequential or otherwise;
damage in transit or damage caused by inadequate packaging or of poor quality.
Assistance: Please contact us for information on how, where and when to
ship the product after the return has been Authorized by FOXGEAR LLC . The
repaired goods should be packed carefully and we recommend not include any
accessories such as cables, effects, manuals, etc. ..
Please attach a copy of the original receipt of purchase (invoice or receipt)
together with a problem description and your personal details.
THE WARRANTY IS NOT VALID ‘WITHOUT A COPY OF YOUR RECEIPT OF SALE
CERTIFYING THE DATE OF PURCHASE.
Foxgear pedals are designed in Italy and proudly handmade in our own factory
in PRC.
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>