AC/DC. Even if you’re not a fan (not sure why that would be, but whatever), there’s still a good chance you know the words to at least 10 of their songs, if not more. Part of the appeal they’ve had since their inception in 1973 is, hands down, the guitar sound that seemingly has stayed exactly the same over the last 4+ decades. Angus Young’s signature schoolboy uniforms, love of SGs and the tone he produces are instantly recognizable, due in part to a piece of gear that we’re going to discuss today.
The Schaffer-Vega wireless guitar system from the 70’s was a big part of Angus’ sound, as it acted as a preamp and compressor of sorts, driving amps and creating that oh-so-familiar AC/DC tone. A couple years ago, a company called SoloDallas recreated those systems, both in pedal and tower form, giving a new generation of players instant access to the sonic glory they’d been hearing for years. They’ve just released a smaller and more refined version of this sound, in pedal form, called the Storm.
The Storm boasts a 100% analog signal path that is nearly identical to the EX Tower, perfectly capturing the signature “Schaffer Sound” voicing, and offering four interactive circuits capable of generating a plethora of tones for every guitar configuration and genre of music. The Boost knob controls the gain circuit, bumping the crucial low-mid frequencies for punch and standing out in any mix (ala Angus Young’s tone). The Level knob controls a powerful pre-amp capable of delivering a whopping 31db of clean boost, perfect for making lead parts stand out, adding fullness to the signal going into the front end of your amplifier or pushing it into oblivion! The Limiter knob controls Ken Schaffer’s signature Opto-Isolator limiter – this optical analog circuit naturally limits the audio signal going into the pedal’s circuitry. The sensitivity here may be fine tuned for different output pickups, or to give your instrument an open or compressed attack.
There’s a hidden secret in the Storm as well – Ken Schaffer’s signature Compander circuit features his version of the gold standard “soft knee” compression used by major studio engineers worldwide. This discreet analog compressor levels the output of each individual frequency then feeds them into a studio grade expander which restores amplitude and removes unnatural compression artifacts. Companding also tames transients while accentuating harmonics, producing the sonic richness associated with “The Schaffer Sound.”
So, now you want to hear what it sound like, right? Well, you’re in luck – we’ve got a killer demo right below, so all you have to do is CLICK. Not wanting to rely solely on an AC/DC riff to step on the mater’s toes, we came up with a progression that (we hope) has the same feel of the tones this pedal emulates, without blatantly ripping off any Australian or Scottish jams. Cheers to the hard work and many years of effort from the SoloDallas team to bring these classic sounds back to life, and to the masses as well. After you check out the demo, make sure to head over to their website and order yours ASAP – this is the real deal, folks: don’t sleep on it!
GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES, CONTEST INFO, SEE OUR LATEST DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE:
