NPD: Crazy blowout pedal sale haul (KHDK, Source Audio, Foxgear, Gurus...)!

[Emperoff]

So after I opened yet another booster thread (https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/some-kind-of-booster.366613/), I found myself shopping for a KHDK Ghoul and suddendly noticed an unusually low price on Google Shopping results. Thinking it would be regular bait with normal prices after visiting the page, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only the price was correct, but there was a B-Stock section filled with pedals at similarly crazy prices...

So I said. 'Hey, worst case scenario, off Reverb they go. At those prices I won't lose a dime and I will try a lot of cool pedals in the meantime'.

Aaand this happened (Boss pedal box for reference):

The list goes like this:
- Foxgear XYZ Waves
- Gurus Double Decker mkii
- KHDK Abyss
- KHDK Dark Blood
- KHDK Ghoul
- KHDK Ghoul Jr.
- KHDK OD #1
- KHDK OD #2
- Laney Black Country Customs Monolith Distortion
- Laney Black Country CustomsSpiral Chorus
- MXR Sub Octave Bass Fuzz
- Source Audio C4 Synth
- Source Audio Spectrum intelligent Filter
- Tech 21 Flyrig 5 MkII
- Tech 21Qstrip

B-Stock description mentioned damage on packaging or minor signs of use (demo units). Upon further inspection, only one of them seems to have cosmetic marks (and they're on the bottom). The C4 Synth box was a bit crushed, but the pedal is intact. Other boxes have some slight damage but honestly, they're pretty much all mint. Full 2-year warranty is included, etc.

The biggest surprises were probably the FlyRig and the QStrip. They are much smaller than I expected, which has immediately made me consider them for backup gear for me and my bass player. The Double Decker is also way smaller than I thought.

I've never been much of a pedal guy, and have had the same stuff for years. But this is a great chance to try some new stuff. If by any chance you have questions about any of those, I can figure them out for you I guess.
Fun times ahead!

 

[Asdrael]

Damn. Nice haul. Have fun! Interested in how you rank all those boosts, let us know

 

[Shask]

Nice pile!

That Q Strip has always looked cool to me. I always like cool EQ pedals.

I know those Source Audio pedals can make some pretty crazy sounds.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Dang, when you said you ordered a few of them in that thread, I was thinking like 4... Not 15

 

[tedtan]

Nice score!

Where did you find them?

 

[Emperoff]

Dang, when you said you ordered a few of them in that thread, I was thinking like 4... Not 15

What can I say... Things got out of hand

At first I was just going to get the KHDKs but I couldn't resist the other deals. I don't even have a bass, but I snagged the bass pedals for my friends to try (or list them on Reverb if they don't like them). And the rest were just too cheap to be excluded.

I will be trying them all over this weekend and post some impressions here. I'm very curious about the Tech21 QStrip. I thought it was a bass preamp but it's actually a console-style EQ with DI. Running it at the end of the chain could be VERY interesting.

 

[Asdrael]

If they are still running the sale and you feel like sharing a link I won't stop you

 

[crushingpetal]

Very cool. I've always wanted to try the goul screamer. Give a report if / when you can.

 

[technomancer]

Nice haul! I would do stuff like this but I know they would end up piled on my desk and not get taken out of the boxes for six months

 

[budda]

“To excess”

Damn.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Okay now hook them all up at the same time and post your results.

 

[Emperoff]

If they are still running the sale and you feel like sharing a link I won't stop you

I literally bought all the pedals!

Okay now hook them all up at the same time and post your results.

 

[Asdrael]

I literally bought all the pedals!

 

[budda]

Nice haul! I would do stuff like this but I know they would end up piled on my desk and not get taken out of the boxes for six months

What if they were just on the floor for six months

@Emperoff what are the actual boosts?

 

[Shask]

What if they were just on the floor for six months

@Emperoff what are the actual boosts?

I dont know if I have ever put a pedal on the floor, lol. I always have them sitting on a table so I can tweak them, and turn them on/off.


Well, maybe a Wah pedal every once in a while.....

 

[Emperoff]

So... I messed around a bit with some of the KHDKs with the Friedman IR-X direct. I didn't have time to try the #1 and #2 overdrives, though. My impressions could change when I try them on an actual amp for sure.

- Abyss (which is a bass drive) had some weird hum. Kinda like a ground loop. I was curious to try it on guitar, but it's 100% a bass drive, with a clean blend, etc. It didn't sound very good as a regular boost as expected. But it could get very good fuzz tones!

- Dark Blood: Very cool distortion. Plenty of low end on tap. The bass knob is in fact called "doom". I wouldn't say it's super modern, but more of a modern thrash kinda thing. I found the gate a bit too subtle but does its job. I like it. Looks dope as well.

- Ghoul: Swiss-army style tubescreamer. But as I kinda expected, a bit "too much" for my taste. Kinda bright and modern, and the bass switch is a bit too much and gets boxy. Being bright, it works fairly well with the IR-X in "loose" mode, though (unlike any other boost I've tried). For agressive metal styles, it works fantastic. it's very hard to not find a setting you like... Unless you're looking for something more classic sounding. I'd recommend this one to pretty much anyone in here.

- Ghoul Jr: Tons of fun. Theoretically it's a stripped down version of the Ghoul with some combinations of it, but it just sounds right with everything in the center position. At those settings it's smoother than the Ghoul, and I couldn't replicate the tone on the bigger pedal. My favourite of the bunch by now, with the added bonus of a smaller footprint!

What if they were just on the floor for six months

@Emperoff what are the actual boosts?

Basically everything but the chorus can act as one, I guess.

 

[crushingpetal]

- Ghoul: Swiss-army style tubescreamer. But as I kinda expected, a bit "too much" for my taste. Kinda bright and modern, and the bass switch is a bit too much and gets boxy. Being bright, it works fairly well with the IR-X in "loose" mode, though (unlike any other boost I've tried). For agressive metal styles, it works fantastic. it's very hard to not find a setting you like... Unless you're looking for something more classic sounding. I'd recommend this one to pretty much anyone in here.

Nice, thanks!

 

[Werecow]

I dont know if I have ever put a pedal on the floor, lol. I always have them sitting on a table so I can tweak them, and turn them on/off.


Well, maybe a Wah pedal every once in a while.....

Same with me, only on top of an amp. Half-stacks are just the right height for them, a literal pedal platform if you will

 

[Shask]

Same with me, only on top of an amp. Half-stacks are just the right height for them, a literal pedal platform if you will

I actually built a little pedal board out of a shelf with little feet on it, so it would sit right on top of an amp head and give enough room for 10-12 pedals

 

[lattjeful]

- Ghoul: Swiss-army style tubescreamer. But as I kinda expected, a bit "too much" for my taste. Kinda bright and modern, and the bass switch is a bit too much and gets boxy. Being bright, it works fairly well with the IR-X in "loose" mode, though (unlike any other boost I've tried). For agressive metal styles, it works fantastic. it's very hard to not find a setting you like... Unless you're looking for something more classic sounding. I'd recommend this one to pretty much anyone in here.

- Ghoul Jr: Tons of fun. Theoretically it's a stripped down version of the Ghoul with some combinations of it, but it just sounds right with everything in the center position. At those settings it's smoother than the Ghoul, and I couldn't replicate the tone on the bigger pedal. My favourite of the bunch by now, with the added bonus of a smaller footprint!

As somebody who is also running an IR-X and is thinking about picking up a boost pedal, uh-oh...