Slim Pickins' and Obscure Brands Pedal Selection in Antananarivo - Do I buy?

[Ted]

I made a trip to the best guitar shop that I know of in Madagascar. (Emphasis on "that I know of")

They had a pretty thin selection of pedals, and none of the top-tier brands. But given how difficult is is to get stuff here (without being gouged by shipping and customs), I'm considering some of them.

This is the entire selection!

If I start playing more electric guitar in my local band, I might need some kind of distortion pedal. So I may have to pick from one of these. I'm kind of a stupid bass player, so I don't really know the difference between the different kinds of distortion (overdrive, fuzz, etc.).

Reviews of these models are hard to find on the internet. I'm curious what you pedalheads think. FYI: My electric guitar is a Fender Strat (SSS) – no mods.

I've converted the prices to USD.

• Dream Maker* DI-1 - DI Box for Acoustic Guitar
  I'm not really considering this, but here's a review in Nepalese if you want to check it out.
• Daphon Compressor
  Not considering this either. I found one review – not a good review.
• Dream Maker "The Noise" - noise suppressor  $35
  I'm tempted. Here is a review.  Possibly a solution to this problem (and Farrell Jackson recommended a pedal for his similar noise problem). The review talks about reducing "single-coil" noise, but my noise problem is piezo noise. Not sure if that makes a difference. It doesn't seem to be as sophisticated as some other noise-reduction pedals, but it's what I have available here, and it's only $35.
• Dream Maker "Purple Smoke" - Clear Boost $35
   Here is a review. (He likes it.)
• Element SE-50 Overdrive $38
  Here is a longish review.  (He likes it.)
• Element SE-3A High Gain Distortion $38
  I can't find any reviews, but it's in the Effects Database

I'm not considering any of the multi-effects processors on the bottom row.

*I think "Dream Maker" is brand that sells gear made by an OEM, and the same gear may be sold under other brand names, such as Caline.

[Zoltan]

If you're playing complex chords and/or several strings at once... Perhaps you should avoid fuzz.

There's a fuzz pedal for everyone i'm sure, but it's an endless rabbit hole. Also although there are differing opinions (based on how simple design it is) cheap fuzz pedals suck *ss.

[Zoltan]

That Element SE-50 seems to be based on TS 808 so it should work nicely with the strat! It has that mid thing going for it.

If you have a good amp / base sound you could try the clean boost (clean = transparent?). Perhaps even stack it with the SE-50.

[Ted]

That Element SE-50 seems to be based on TS 808 so it should work nicely with the strat! It has that mid thing going for it.

Thanks. I'm starting to talk myself into buying the Noise Gate, but the TS knockoff sounds useful and fun too.

[64Guitars]

Thanks. I'm starting to talk myself into buying the Noise Gate, but the TS knockoff sounds useful and fun too.

Are you aware that the Micro BR has a built-in Noise Suppressor effect? See page 69 of the Micro BR Owner's Manual. I think all noise gates work in basically the same way. You set a volume threshold and it mutes everything below that level. So maybe try the Micro BR's noise suppressor before spending money on a pedal. I have doubts that a pedal would work any better since it does essentially the same thing.

[Ted]

Are you aware that the Micro BR has a built-in Noise Suppressor effect? See page 69 of the Micro BR Owner's Manual. I think all noise gates work in basically the same way. You set a volume threshold and it mutes everything below that level. So maybe try the Micro BR's noise suppressor before spending money on a pedal. I have doubts that a pedal would work any better since it does essentially the same thing.

Woah! I'm sure I've seen that in the manual, and I just forgot about it. I've never played with it either.

So my noisiest instrument is my acoustic bass (with the piezo pickup). I'd plug that in and select Bass Cln (as usual), and turn NS on, and tweak the threshold and release. I'll give it a try. Thanks!

The only use case that might be a problem would be when I use my SY-1 with the acoustic bass (or other piezo guitar), that nasty hum is pretty out of control and turned into a synth sound before the signal ever gets to the Micro BR. In any case, I should experiment before I shell out 140,000 Ariary.

[bruno]

Anything called purple smoke is worth a punt. A clean boost really needs a tube amp though.
B

[Ted]

I think I've over-thought this as much as possible, and it comes down to finding what works best for both my home-recording scenario and my live performance scenario. (1) The Micro BR noise reduction only helps me in my home recording scenario, and (2) the overdrive pedal is kind of a "nice to have" thing, because I think my live scenario will be acoustic guitar without distortion (and obviously not through the MBR). If the acoustic guitar is generating hum that is being treated and morphed by my SY-1 synthesizer (live scenario), then MBR noise reduction can't really help me.


Anyway, I need to do some experiments. Here's my decision tree:

[Ted]

The Element SE-50 Overdrive seems to be the same OEM pedal as the Joyo Vintage Overdrive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFmyR9EnD50

In other words: I may get both the overdrive and the noise gate.

[Ted]

I may get both the overdrive and the noise gate.

That's what I did!

New problems: I'm out of patch cables now, and my 5-tip daisy-chain for the power supply was already maxed out. The store doesn't sell either. A pal is coming from London with some patch cables for me. I'm asking around to see if I can find a daisy chain. Meanwhile, there's batteries.