Pharaoh Amplifiers Intoduces the Tone Engine Germanium Booster
 March 21, 2003
In the early days of solid-state electronics, most semiconductors were made from Germanium. The manufacturing processes that later yielded high-quality Silicon devices were years away, and most high-performance audio amplifiers still used vacuum tubes. Although these early Germanium devices were noisy, temperature-sensitive, and fragile, guitarists soon found that boosting their tube amplifiers with Germanium transistors created a distinctive tone. These tones were used to great effect on many influential recordings of the 1960s and 1970s. Soon, Silicon transistors and integrated circuits took over due to their higher performance, lower price, and ease of use. The soft, round sound of Germanium boosters was lost - until now.
"Many of our customers have asked us about a Germanium version of the Class-A Boost pedal," says owner Matt Farrow. "We never did one before because the noise from the Germanium transistor was unacceptable. Over the last few months, however, we've come up with some clever ways to get rid of as much noise as possible. We feel that we have come up with a great booster at a great price point for the working musician."
Controls:
- "Volume:" The Volume control adjusts the overall output level.
- "Boost:" The Boost switch defeats the negative feedback in the booster, allowing more output gain while sacrificing linearity. Great when you need a looser, grittier sound and more available boost.
The Tone Engine pedal features:
- Sturdy sealed aluminum PRO housing with a baked-on enamel finish
- True bypass switching AND LED indicator
- 2.1mm DC power jack, compatible with most popular power supplies
- High-quality Switchcraft input and output jacks
- Durable glass-epoxy circuit board and top-notch components
- Custom-made Germanium transistors, built specially for Pharaoh Amplifiers and tested for high performance, low noise, and great tone!
- Operates on a standard "negative ground" power supply - can be used in a daisy-chain configuration with modern FX pedals
List price on the Tone Engine is only $99.99, first units are available on 3/24/03
For more information, visit their web site at www.pharaohamps.com. |
