Classic overdrive paired with a powerful EQ section. Even with the gain dimed, the Rook maintains astonishing note articulation and chord clarity, (think a highly tweakable Tube Scre@mer). If that’s not enough, the Rook is one of the most stack friendly drives on the market. Whether stacked with various overdrives, fuzzes, or muffs, it can make all of your other pedals sound even better!
The magic is the 2 band Baxandall EQ circuit, which offers up a different approach to tone control. Both Bass and Treble can be independently cut or boosted, allowing for an almost limitless tonal palette. With them both down, you get a mid range hump. Turning both controls up yields a nice mid scoop.
Adding to the countless shades of drive is the 3 way toggle. Toggle UP for “classic overdrive” tones, filled with rich harmonic goodness. Toggle DOWN is LED clipping, for a raw and edgy, almost distortion type drive. Lastly, the MIDDLE position removes the clipping diodes for a louder, cleaner, less compressed sound. This position also causes the EQ controls to be more pronounced, allowing the Rook to be used as an excellent tone shaping boost. It’s best to start with the gain down to get a feel for this position, then crank it up for total amp melt-down!
