FX57 Hard Rock Distortion

Okay, like some other posts mentioned earlier you can adjust the "mini pots" on the circuit board. The earlier poster said that adjusting them down to zero gave a much better sound. It didn't seem to change the sound of the distortion much (if any) at all. Another setting however drastically change(and improve in my opinion) the delay. I played with the mini pots for about an hour or two and discovered a setting that is very close to where they where originally set. This setting gave the delay a few more milliseconds (at least a few more than what it had.) Also one more really cool thing happened. I am into noise guitar and with this new setting when the delay is turned up all of the way the repeats are tuned down a few steps. Pretty close to down an octave, but not quite. This creates a whole new tonal possibility. If the delay knob is turned down it becomes a regular slapback delay with the repeat being like it should. This makes it really versatile to.         The distortion sound is about the same (which always sounds good if you have a good amp.) You shouldn't even bother reviewing this or any other pedal/guitar if your amp sounds like crap in the first place. Do you think that anything will sound "uncrappy" through it?         I am using this pedal with my dod flashback fuzz, and my dod FX50 overdrive pre-amp (same exact circuitry as the vintage fx250, but shaped like the later 80's pedals) and my Morley PWA wah (best wah in the world!) My amp is a Laney GC 50A. Grant it it is a solid state amp, but it is the best sounding solid state amp in the world period. It sounds much better than those crappy Marshall tube amps that only give you that one crappy tone and thats it! All of my distortions I use depending on what song I am playing. If you want to try to be versatile, I suggest getting several types of distortions. I can go from funk to heavy, to blues rock to clean (sometimes all in the same song) and that is why I like my setup.        My guitar right now is a cheap Lotus strat copy. It is cheap, but it at least is made out of a nice tone wood (alder.) It sounds better than any real Fender strat, but of course I wouldn't tell that people I sell them to.         As mentioned before I play kind of a funk/metal and I need pedals/an amp that either sound funky or sound hard. This pedal can give me both at the same time and that makes it irreplaceable. The distortion is a little "fuzzy" for some I guess, but I like fuzz I do have a regular fuzz pedal in my setup, and trust me it is much fuzzier than this.         There is a question up here that asks "can you get the sound of your favorite artists?" Well I am not trying to sound like my favorite artist so I don't care. If you go through your entire life as a musician sounding like everyone else, then that makes you a wussy.

I do not do gigs, but I jam with a friend of mine all the time. We record our own stuff sometimes and will maybe one day put together an actual album. I have used this w/o a backup, but if it did go out it would be the switch. The switches are only like $.35 on digitech's website, so that wouldn't be a problem. I could just use my amps distortion or my fx50 to replace it until I got it fixed (which sounds really good, just not this exact sound.)

Hi I know that I have just reviewed this product like a month ago (see next posting), but I just modified this pedal and I wanted to tell everyone about it. The "ease of use" rating is for how easy the modification is.

It is cool that they have parts that you can order. They are good at answering emails. Just remember to go to digitech's site and not dod's. B/c they are both the same company, and DOD is no longer in existence I think.

If this thing were lost or stolen I would try to buy another one on eBay for $5-$15. Feel free to ask me how I got to this setting with the mini pots if you have trouble.      One more thing for people that are complaining that the delay knob doesn't do anything, I think that you're mini pots need adjusted. When you have them turned to different settings it completley shuts the delay off. My guess is that something bounced them around and changed the settings. I am going to be ordering some more old DOD effects soon from eBay. I am going to be opening every one of them up to see if they have these "mini pots" and try to tweek them. This was the coolest suprise ever.

The tonal qualities this pedal can produce are limited ONLY by the amp you feed it into. The distortion is acceptable for certain styles of rock & I don't expect miracles from just any one pedal. THIS IS NOT A MULTI EFFECT UNIT. I've been playing since 1984. I have an 80's Fender Stage Lead 100 watt solid state amp, an 80's Fender Squier 10 watt Sidekick 10 practice amp  & a 50's - 60's era Guild Maverick conservatively rated 20 watt tube amp with 2 10" speakers. Used alone the pedals sound can be lacking, but I also link in a graphic EQ. The distortion is OK & I don't understand why some others condemn the FX57 so badly. A Tube Screamer it ain't but it's not a lump of coal either. I sold my Les Paul years ago & now have 3 custom wired guitars I built myself because I knew what I wanted & not something someone else THOUGHT I wanted. This is NOT a holy grail super pedal though, & by todays standards it really can't be considered a HARD ROCK TYPE DISTORTION FX producing pedal like it was way back in the late 80's when it was 1st introduced. Compared to to todays rock music & what's available for FX pedals, this distortion unit is TAME.

Yes, I can depend on it! I treat my stuff good. I've never had a problem with this unit. Don't wear hockey skates or hob-nailed boots when you stomp the plastic switch plate & it'll last forever. Check the nuts on the in/out/power jacks for tightness from time to time & if you use batteries, open & close the battery door GINGERLY! I've got 3 of these things. One is mounted on a DOD FX-100 Pedalboard, one is in a DOD PRC-6 Pedalboard, & the first one I ever bought is still in the box with all the papers, used, but ready to go if needed. I never use anything at a gig that I really need to play without a backup except my amp because ya never know when somethin' is gonna crap out.

Easy to use, specifically marked control knobs adjust DELAY, (from full off to 7-40 milliseconds), LEVEL, PRESENCE, (EQ, reduces or enhances bass level), & DISTORTION. No cute or confusing names for the controls required. Fold-out type manual, (copyright 1987), is easy to use, read, & understand complete with pictures of sample settings to get you started.

I've contacted DOD for parts for other used pedals I've aquired & items I ordered were sent & received within 2 weeks. Some items are available & some are not in stock anymore. Consider though, that some of my stuff is over 20 years old. DOD reps have treated me good. Never needed major repairs on any DOD pedal & never had to send anything to them to fix.

I've got experience in wedding bands, oldies, & Classic Rock bands. Been playing out since 1986. Play guitar but now mostly bass. Hard Rock is what I prefer. I've got too much stuff. Over 70 FX pedals, you name it almost. 3 custom guitars, 9 basses, ('74 Fender Precision, '78 Musicmaster Bass, 80's Guild Pilot 4 string, 80's Guild Pilot Fretless, 70's Univox Hi-Flyer Bass, 80's Fender Squier 5 string bass, '85 Fender Performer Bass, 80's Washburn 5 string bass, 80's Guild Flying Star Bass). Fender Bassman 10 amp, Fender Bass 100 amp head, Peavey 100 watt head & 2-15 cab., Crate B-80, ART SGE Mach 1 rack mount FX w/ ART X-15 Ultrafoot controller, Line 6, Pearl, Ibanez, Zoom, Korg, Vox, DOD, Digitech, and the list goes on.... If it were stolen or lost?..... hell, I've already got that covered! It is what it is & if I can't get the sounds out of it I have lotsa other stuff to use. It's a tool. I use it when needed. List price on this was about $100 in 1988 & I got mine for $50 used the same year. The 2nd one I paid $42, & the 3rd was $32, all used. Anything I'd like to share? .... Yeah. I buy the old stuff cuz' it's NOT made in China. AND I LIKE LOTSA TOYS!