The Ultra-rare Germanium transistor version of the DenTone 900 Pound Violin makes a very rare appearance on ebay. Most likely the last one for a while! I only build these when the right NOS metal can germanium transistors find their way to my workbench, generally a couple of times a year. Below you can read all the details of the standard version of the 900 Pound Violin. To that I would add, the germanium version has even more warmth and depth. Just a deep, rich sound with amazing harmonic overtones. Truly a holy grail pedal. I've only ever built a handful of these, and I've yet to see one turn up on the used market. People that get them, seem to keep them forever. That says a lot.
For your consideration, the DenTone 900 Pound Violin.. New upgraded design, more pedalboard friendly, same classic circuit!
The name speaks for itself. The 900 Pound Violin is without question the most versatile fuzz pedal on the market. Sweet singing sustain, rich organic harmonic overtones and an incredibly wide range of sounds available.
Yes, it can get that "electric kazoo" lead sound. Yes, chords ring and sustain forever, yet don't get muddy and dull. Each note lives within the chord. Yes, it can get buzzy and fuzzy and downright raunchy. Yes, it will cut through the rest of the band in a live soloing situations. Yes, it plays well with other pedals. It loves single coils and humbuckers and sounds amazing through tube amp and solid state as well. It even sounds amazing with an electric bass.
Santana is in there, so is Jimmy Page, so is every garage band that ever dreamed of the big time. It's up to you to twist the dial until you find those sounds. But they're in there!
I made a short youtube demo video so that you can see how it sounds. The video only really scratches the surface of what this pedal is capable of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksPtfkm4M_I
Here is a link to Harmony Central review:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/product/Den+Tone/900+Pound+Violin/10/1
Recent email from a 900 Pound Violin owner:Here is a recent comment from a 900 Pound Violin owner:
"The 900 pound violin is definitely every bit of 900 pounds. (That may be a conservative estimate too.) When A/B'ed with a Ramshead BMP on
It also keeps plenty of low end when the tone is turned all the way up. The BMP seems to thin out at the high tone settings.
The 900 pound violin has a bit less gain then the BMP, but becomes a beautiful monster when pushed by an overdrive pedal. The BMP just gets louder and more compressed, but not necessarily more pleasing.
Last night, I tried the 900 pound violin on a bass. Sweet Jesus! Talk about a match made in heaven. The full range of the pedals EQ really shines. I have always loved the BMP for bass fuzz and accepted it's heavy low-mid range sound, but compared to the 900 pound violin it sounds flat and flabby. The 900 pound Violin has an amazing tIght low end attack with plenty of sparkle.
Again, Great job on this pedal. It is kicking the BMP off my pedalboard for good."
-Andrew Ormerod
"Well I'm a day late on leaving the feedback because since this thing came to the door, I've been jamming on it non-stop. I was calling over friends to hear it and try it. We were all impressed. I really do dig this pedal and all the different tones that can come out of it. It shines on both tube amps and solid state, and that's a cool thing. I haven't had the luxury of trying any of the vintage BMPs... BUT ... compared to the 900 Pound Violin the current BMP is a waste of money, sorry to say. What a steal the 900 Pound Violin is! This is high quality at an absolutely reasonable price. Thanks a lot Dennis. I'm really happy with this."
"I've had this pedal for a few days now and I don't think I've ever fallen in love this hard for a stompbox. Distortion/Fuzz with body, and sizzle, and crackle, and growl, and shine. It's amazing at every setting I've tried on all 4 of my gtrs (sg, tele, jazzmaster, and gretsch hollow). It's stunning actually. Business-wise, it was shipped immediately in good packing and was in perfect condition. Aesthetically, it's beautiful and well-crafted. Thank you, DenTone!!"
Pedal comes standard with unique, relic finish and raw graphics. No two are ever exactly alike. Each pedal is signed and dated. These pedals are hand built, one at a time in the USA. That does still mean something. There is no Chinese version of this box!
As in all DenTone pedals, only the finest components are used throughout. DenTone is one of the last of the true boutique pedal companies left.