Who Needs Another Overdrive? ME!
Hello folks. If you are not aware of the channel called Five Watt World that has been operated for years by my buddy Keith Williams, you have been missing out. Keith’s “short history” pieces set the bar for studies of instruments and amplifiers. He’s a thinking player and thinks a lot more about the joy of playing than adding yet another piece of gear.
Mostly.
Some months back, Keith starting working with effects pedal genius David Barber on a pedal that would be sold through the Five Watt World online store which is hosted on Reverb. This pedal called the BUSS combines two of Mr. Barber’s superbly simple and massively usable designs.
The Barber Electronics Five Watt World BUSS Pedal
The name BUSS comes from two of David’s standalone pedals that are brought together in this single device. The BU comes from the Burn Unit pedal which was designed initially to deliver that smooth but rich US amp style overdrive but has morphed over time to focus on Alexander Dumble’s Overdrive Special #39 in the BUSS pedal.
The SS comes from the Super Sport pedal which was designed to sound like the Marshall JTM 45 as used by Eric Clapton on the John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton record, more commonly known as the Beano album. That sound was so groundbreaking that the JTM 45 combo ended up being referred to as the Bluesbreaker, even though it was never originally named as such from Marshall.
And so we have the BUSS pedal that provides with the selector on one side, the tone of the Dumble Overdrive Special #39 and on the other, Clapton’s JTM 45.
Are the sounds accurate? I think so. I have heard a number of Dumble amplifiers on record, and to be blunt, they all sound different. Robben Ford’s amp sounds different from Joe Bonamassa’s which is different again from John Mayer’s. No surprise there of course because the player contributes enormously to the overall sound. I have never played through a Dumble and current course and speed suggests that my doing so is highly improbable and moreover, my own ability would not really leverage such an amplifier. I have heard many JTM45 amps and they have varied a lot. I have even spent some hours with one in a smaller room with it set very loud. There is something that comes from a really loud amp, if the player is on his or her game. I was having a good day and the sound was glorious, just guitar direct into amp, but I paid for it with ear ringing afterwards.
The BUSS pedal delivers both sets of tones, and unlike many overdrives isn’t a niche play. What I mean is that the range of tones are all highly usable, it’s not like find one setting and that’s the only one that is palatable. There is a lot in this single pedal. Moreover, the interface is straightforward. There are no menus to dive, just well labeled, and easy to read knobs and a pair of clear to use microswitches. The standard BUSS pedal is sold out at time of this review. To check on the state of the next run, email David directly.
The Five Watt World edition is in Oxford White instead of the navy blue of the general pedal. There’s no other actual difference, but I bought the FWW version in order to provide more support to Keith. Again, they are presently out of production but there are some units on Reverb at jacked up prices at present. My opinion is that you are better off to contact David directly about getting one. In my dealings with him, I found him to be super professional, honest and completely straight up. if you look at his web site, you will see that his customers are serious players, and this from a fellow who doesn’t have a big shop and while his pedals are limited in number, he doesn’t jerk his customers around with “boutique pricing”.
Example Sounds
The audio examples here were recorded using a PRS DGT SE bridge pickup, volume at 5 tone at 10. The guitar ran to the FWW BUSS Pedal and then to a UA Apollo HiZ input. The signal was received in UA’s LUNA DAW with an API 2500 Vision channel strip in the UNISON slot, using a preset called Electric Guitar. It then ran through a Studer A800 tape deck to get that studio tape feel and then into the UA Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker amp, set to deliver a clean tone. The final mastering before bouncing to MP3 uses a Manley Massive Passive EQ.
The first section is the guitar without the BUSS pedal. The next section of three samples has the BUSS pedal active with volume at 9 o clock, tone and drive at 1 o clock. The left switch is in the left position and each section uses the right switch in left, then centre, then right position. The following section of three samples moves the left side switch to the right position and then again uses the right switch in left, then centre, then right position.
When the left microswitch is set to the left, you are getting the tone from the classic JTM 45 when overdriven. When you move the switch to the right, you are getting the tone from the Dumble Overdrive Special #39. The switch on the right controls what David Barber calls texture. The centre position delivers the greatest amount of harmonics in the high end. When the switch is moved to the right, the lower harmonics are favoured and the top end is described as sweeter which really works well with single coil pickups. When the switch is in the left most position, this is where the dynamics are most effected, resulting in more compression, a bit more warmth, some sense of sponginess as well as a minor drop in volume.
Wrapping Up
It’s often said that the guitar world needs another overdrive like a sperm whale could benefit from a Ferrari. Given the drawers of overdrives that I have accumulated over many decades, I tend to agree. I have bought a number that delivered short term satisfaction followed by punchbag letdown and taking up space amongst other castaways in the drawer of misfit pedals. The BUSS has been different for me. First I find that some amps are not very pedal friendly. My Tone King Gremlin is like that. My Victory Viscount is as well as is one of my AC 30 amps. The BUSS works with every amp that I have tried, whether physical tube beasts from 1 watt to 100 watts to a solid state and even modellers. Having a pedal that I know is immediately usable regardless of the amp or no amp scenario gives me more time to play and less time futzing to get a sound that I like. It just works, and if you are seeking a really nice overdrive that doesn’t bury the individual notes in globs of guck, you really want to get yourself one.
Thanks for reading. Please become a member on Patreon. Your monthly donation makes a big difference? Have a question or a how do I? type of thing? Email me at the links provided. Post a comment. I read and respond to all. Thanks as always, we will chat again soon. Cheers! Ross
