WELCOME TO PEDAL-MODS

Got an old effects pedal that's stopped working, on its way out or just needs an overhaul?

WE CAN TAKE YOUR FX PEDAL AND MAKE IT BEHAVE THE WAY YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD WHEN YOU ORIGINALLY BOUGHT IT!

Sick and tired of buying pedals, only to be let down by excess noise, tone sucking, sustain lacking rip offs? Sounded good in the shop but now sound like a waste of your hard earned? Well we've all been there, but help is at hand, and we've been based in the UK since 1998.

We are a small group of guitarists who happen to be electrical engineers and amp technicians located in the UK, dedicated to quality workmanship and take huge pride in our work and customer service - currently we operate not for huge profit, but to establish our name and reputation.

Hopefully our prices reflect this, they only just cover our materials, import costs, equipment, chemicals & fuel to the post office. Every single surplus penny earned gets ploughed into the purchase of equipment and test pedals/pickups/leads for us to develop new mods on. However our customers are quick to point out that the quality of our work is second to none! Many mods are fine tuned with the help of professional musicians to meet their needs, and ensure they sound great at stage performance volumes.

CHECK OUT THE PROCESS LINK FOR MORE DETAILED INFO ON WHY OUR REPAIRS AND MODS ARE TOP QUALITY.

We currently specialise in mods, repairs and plain old refurbishment of Boss, Ibanez and Dunlop pedals. Any mods performed are developed as a result of our time and hard work - or to your individual requirements, unlike many mods available they are not clones of other mods.

If you want a Keeley then please visit the Keeley electronics website , Robert is a fantastic guy with stunning mods to match, that's why he's the industry leader over in the USA. However if you want something tuned to your individual needs, 100% British and as good, if not better than the competition, then please read on....

In recent months we've noticed other websites (non-UK) that are starting to imitate our work and style, so beware - only www.pedalmods.com and www.pedalmods.co.uk are the genuine established UK pedal modders to trade by this name.

BD-2, DS-1, SD-1, CE-2, CP-9, CS-2, CS-3, DD-2/3, GE-7, MT-2, OD-3, TS7, TS9, TS9DX, TS808, RAT, RAT2, CS505, Dunlop Wah GCB95, Vox Satchurator

What don't we mod or repair? Digital pedals sorry - that generally means Delay/Reverb/pitch shifters.

Many owners rightly claim that the OD-3 is one of the best overdrive pedals made by Boss, however several owners have approached us stating that it does have a couple of minor faults - it's slightly muddy, and it's a bit of a one trick pony with limited overdrive on tap. After much analysis we were inclined to agree and set about making some improvements. When developing this mod one fundamental consideration was that many OD-3 owners truly like the basic feel of this pedal, and don't want to permanently turn it into something its not.... and that's the beauty of this mod.

Essentially there are three fundamental aspects to this mod, as follows:

1. Remove mud, add clarity to the basic OD-3 overdrive
2. Add one switch to increase the maximum gain
3. Add a second switch to tighten the gain into a more tubescreamer like overdrive structure, whilst adding a little bass.

It makes the pedal very versatile, but the beauty of this OD-3 mod is that the basic flavour of the standard pedal is retained, albeit subtly polished and
improved - (when both toggle switches are in the 'off' position - down), but when the toggle switches are activated it really wakes the pedal up. With this mod we wanted OD-3 fans to still end up with an OD-3, we didn't want to change it into a completely different pedal, the toggle switches let us do this with ease.

Many owners of the BD-2 are surprised to find that their pedal sounds more like a 'full on' distortion pedal than a 'blues-overdrive' pedal. In truth this pedal can generate distortion at levels approaching the DS-1. This wouldn't normally be a problem if the gain could be wound down to low levels, however when this is attempted something very nasty happens, the overdriven note sounds very unnatural, its on the verge of breaking up and many owners complain that long sustained notes fades in and out and sound awful. The pedal also sounds quite thin, and with certain pickup combinations can lack a rounded bass response.

Our mod was developed over many years to rectify this problem. First off we reduce the maximum gain level that the pedal can generate, this instantly brings it down to 'blues' territory, secondly we warm the pedal up a tad (this is not the usual tone filter cap mod that everyone seems to do these days), thirdly we address the decaying note fade problem to make it sing, the result is a more natural and therefore more musical pedal, check out the reviews page!

People seem to love toggle switches on their modded pedals! And yes we can fit an ultra miniature toggle to offer multiple gain voicing's, you can now select between synchronous or asynchronous clipping for a small additional fee, just ask, however this is not essential - we offer an excellent mod without having to drill your enclosure if preferred, the switch just gives you more control.

This pedal now has legendry classic stomp box status, however the legend seems to be fabricated from the depths of internet forums (Usually by people looking to flog theirs for an extortionate price), and the unsuspecting new owner of a CE-2 can often feel a little let down once the honeymoon is over. The biggest problem is that regardless of whether the CE-2 was made in Japan or Taiwan, the effect can sound a little bit too subtle.

As such we devised this mod to bring out the chorus effect from the little box, its now richer and more audible, but essentially its still got that CE-2 magic. We've reduced the noise that these pedals can generate using the absolute best audio grade components to upgrade key components - including the opamp - in the signal path. In addition, the chorus effect can now be sped up, but don't worry, we've just increased the overall range of the speed knob, you can still dial in that same slow watery sweep. Many CE-2's are now in need of a refurbishment, critical components are reaching the end of their life, we replace these as a matter of course during the mod, however can offer this service to CE2 owners who don't want a mod, just a refresh.

Often criticised for sounding too shrill, lacking bass and on the verge of fuzz. Our DS-1 mod puts back the bass that the pedal design originally removed, and better still adds selectable gain voicing - so you can go from smooth and thick to edgy and open with one flick of a discreet switch - the middle position is a very open boost. This mod took a while to get right, but the results are way better than expected, and our customers have stated that it blows the US competition away! Picture below shows DS-1 with optional red Davies knobs.

Audio samples provided by Albert Stebbings - Lead guitarist in Cassio Avenue (a great band, click for link)

Make sure you use a good set of speakers to fully appreciate the increase in bass and harmonic content that the modded pedal provides.

This pedal has many fans, but its a classic pedal with several faults. When used with many guitar and amp combinations it can sound a little thin, the gain doesn't stand out in the mix too well and can start to sound muddy. It also has a problem with its bypass (effect off) circuit, in that the gain can be heard bleeding through into the bypassed clean signal.

There are several mods for the SD-1 out there, some better than others, most of them not actually thought out that well leaving the owners less than satisfied with very poor note decay. Our SD-1 mod has been developed over the past 10 years, we've slowly tweaked the pedal to fatten it up slightly without taking it too far away from its original character, the gain is increased and voicing is now selectable via an ultra miniature toggle switch - so you can have the synchronous smooth and compressed gain, or flick the switch for asynchronous 'organic' crunch with a volume boost. One common request has been for us to stack twin opamps, this is now offered as standard - the theory behind this stacking process is that it provides the pedal with taller headroom, many owners also claim that it sharpens up the gain nicely as notes decay in a more natural way. Finally we offer a permanent and robust fix for the 'bleed' problem mentioned above, this method does not have any impact on the pedal tone and does not require any significant separate circuitry.

Using an Ibanez RG1570 with stock pickups (apart from a DiMarzio MegaDrive in the bridge), into a Peavey Valve King Royal 8 with stock speaker and valves. Effect chain consists of RMC Wizard Wah, Korg DT-10, Electro-Harmonix Small Stone, the SD-1, Boss BF-2, Ernie Ball volume and Boss DD-3 (Japanese version with the ‘big chip’)

Normally I prefer to set the amp with the gain all the way up, which produces a nice crunch that responds nicely to pedals and cleans up very well with the volume knob, but for the purpose of this review I set it completely clean. The only other thing that I feel I ought to add is that I really loved the SD-1 prior to modification. I was perfectly happy using it as it was (and had done for around 5 years). The main gripe I had was the hiss that it generated.

However, to say that I was floored by the results would be somewhat of an understatement. This mod truly is everything that I ever liked about the SD-1, but somehow improved, with nothing I didn’t. Indeed, the first thing I noticed about the pedal after receiving it was the slightly disconcerting lack of noise. It is impressively quiet, even on high gain settings. Even more perturbing was the strange experience of actually being able to turn the tone control above 12:00 without sounding like an amplified tin can; indeed the range is tremendously usable, from mellow at 0 to cutting treble at full.

Selecting the bottom setting on the switch (which sounds most like the stock SD-1) with the level all the way up, the gain at 9:00 and the tone between 8:00 and 10:00 (my favourite setting on the stock SD-1) produced the same familiar sound. I was pleased to be able to hear an increase in clarity however, and the sound overall is simply fuller. With the more usable tone control, added bite can easily be dialled in, which is great for cutting through the mix.

The middle ‘boost’ setting [editor: optional] is very loud and bold, with a hefty top end bite and huge low end punch. At high gain settings it gets pleasingly fuzzy, but when ‘tamed’ with the gain at 0, it works very well as a boost. My favourite setting however is with the gain at 9:00, which makes my little amp sound very gritty. It really works well with the single coil settings on my guitar, which makes for a raw, cutting sound. It also responds very well to the guitar volume, which can yield a good range of ‘breakup’ tones.

The top setting however was the one that most impressed me. I noticed initially the increase in volume, but the more ‘focussed’ sound is clearly audible. Clarity is still maintained, however. This setting, having a tight bottom end, works brilliantly for hard rock chugging, but what I immediately noticed is that it produces the perfect solo boost. That is, it is exactly what I want my SD-1 to be when I come to play a solo: Quite a bit louder, as well as bigger and a bit punchier sounding. I have had a lot of fun wailing away on this one, and I’m now seriously considering adding a second one to my guitar shopping list for this very purpose!!

My pedal also has the bleed fix mod. I couldn’t honestly tell you that I could definitely hear the bleed-through with the stock pedal before I learned that it could be fixed, but I could definitely hear an improvement in my dry signal when I plugged it in. I think that says it all, really!

Overall, I was, and am, delighted with the Pedalmods UK SD-1 mod, and for the price, I don’t think it can be beat. If you have an SD-1, this mod comes highly recommended, and if you’re looking for a great sounding overdrive, this mod also comes highly recommended. The collective cost of a new pedal and this mod will leave you richer than many other available options, and I’m confident that it would hold its own, even with much more expensive contenders!

This simple mod provides the owner with the option to turn this very modern and sterile pedal into a warmer and more analogue sounding pedal, the repeats are damped either fairly subtly, or more aggressively if required. Standard repeats are still available. A discreet 3 way toggle switch gives just the right variety of repeat options.

Admittedly this isn't the most comprehensive of mods, however by getting us to perform the mod you don't risk the very static sensitive internals of your fairly expensive pedal - plus you don't risk damaging your case trying to drill a hole within millimetres of the PCB!

We offer a variety of mods for this range of pedals, all 4 pedals share the common TS808 platform and as such the mods are fundamentally the same. First off we increase the maximum gain, and also lower the amount of minimum gain so the pedal cleans up better, then we increase the bass response slightly to thicken the pedal up, the opamp is changed to either an RC4558, JRC4558 or NE5532 depending on what you prefer. We mod the output buffer to TS808 specs, brighten the LED (and change colour if required), reduce noise by fitting Panasonic metal film capacitors and on certain batches of TS9's & TS9DX's uprate the input transistor to further reduce noise.

However this is not all, we can offer true bypass on the TS9, TS9DX and TS808, and in the case of the TS9DX we alter the 4 position switch to provide you with 4 useable positions that are way more guitar friendly (the original positions are pretty awful - who uses them?).

Our Tube Screamer series mods cover most guitarists wishes, check out our feedback page if you need convincing.

The problem? Some GE7's are better than others, many older units actually add hiss when the sliders are drawn down to cut a frequency! Even the later model isn't much better. A lot of owners end up getting rid, but now you don't need to.

Solution? We undertake a huge rework of this pedal, all opamps which Texas Instruments now state should not be used anymore are replaced with selected upgrades of the ultimate top quality low noise equivalents (the Burr Brown OPA's and NE5532s), loads of harsh tantalum capacitors and soggy paper film capacitors are replaced with huge stacked metal film capacitors - selected for a perfect fit in the restricted space available, the input frequency range is widened and the overall frequency range is tailored very slightly to make it more guitar friendly. This all means a hell of a lot of work for Pedalmods UK, but our customers like the result, so its always worth it!

Mini review of our GE-7 mod submitted by Steel Guitarist Jon Shacklock, June 2011

Thanks for getting this done so quickly. The GE-7 mod is great, totally silent and much more useable. A big difference is being able to cut bass frequencies without instantly ruining my tone, in fact all the sliders have a much more transparent, workable travel. I can see this pedal being indispensable at gigs from now on. The switch works perfectly now [editor: was also in for repair]. Really appreciate your help and keeping me informed along the way.

The Problem? Owners complain that its too noisy to be of any use, some are totally baffled by it and think that it just 'doesn't work', or is such a tone killer that its unusable.

TOTAL CLEAN UP MOD WITH SUPER QUIET SELECTED OPAMP PLUS ULTRA QUIET VCA (compressor chip) - in fact its 5 times quieter than the distinctly utilitarian VCA that Boss use! - We extensively re-work this pedal to make it 100% more useable, MORE TRANSPARENT, WIDER FREQUENCY RESPONSE RANGE, WARMER AND NOW PRESERVES YOUR TONE (Check out the review page). Before the upgrade these really are terrible pedals, once upgraded they suddenly become an essential pedal in any rig - and more than rival many of the popular boutique compressors. I use mine as a very subtle limiter with a piezo pickup equipped JP6, its so good I sold my £200 Maxon CP9+pro!

Bass version available - the ultimate CS-3 mod that's been tuned for the Bass guitar, many customers use this re-worked pedal as a very effective, yet subtle, "limiter" to help tame any outbursts of uncontrollable frantic slapping.

Again, cheap components are scrapped, the total amount of gain that the pedal is capable of is slightly reduced - this seriously cuts down on the unwanted noise and helps preserve the nuances of each picked note or power chord. The end result, according to our customers, is a nice quiet pedal that is just as good as the popular Ross clone compressors, squeezing and stretching without destroying your tone! So before your sell that CS-3 on that popular auction website to another unsuspecting guitar hero, think about having it modded, and keep it!

Latest customer feedback on our CS-3 mod: Got the pedal yesterday, took it to rehearsal last night and it sounds great; it does exactly what I hoped it would! Also, the service has been brilliant so thanks very much all round. All the best, Mike

This is a new mod for us, took a while to develop. We wanted to try and reduce some of the noise generated by this pedal, remove some mud from the tone and enhance the sparkle as the higher frequencies are cut out by the standard pedal. This mod achieves all of this, starting to get some good feedback from our customers so its become one of our 'standard mods' and will be available at a discounted price until the end of 2012.

A golden oldie, but many are in desperate need of refurbishment. We also improve on the original components to reduce noise, mud and some of the unwanted hiss. Several owners have now seen a new lease of life for their decaying CS-505's, claiming that after refurbishment it sounds better than when new! We don't alter the fundamental mo-jo of this pedal, its still a CS-505, but with added clarity and reduced noise. Highly recommended.

The CSP-9 is another classic chorus pedal, many are also becoming slightly 'long in the tooth' and need a refurb. We go one step further than the basic refurbishment, once all the dried up electrolytic capacitors are repalced we remove three of the critical opamps and replace with ultra low noise modern equivalents, critical signal path capacitors are upgraded to metal film, and with the installation of a miniature toggle switch we can offer a Leslie type rotary speaker effect.

THE STOCK MT-2 IS ONE OF THOSE PEDALS THAT SOUND TERRIBLE WHEN USED WITH A SERIOUS AMP AT SERIOUS VOLUMES, IN THAT THERE ARE JUST NO MIDS, AFTER 5 MINUTES YOUR HEAD HURTS AS YOU TRY AND FIND THE GUITAR SOUND IN THE MIX! NOW MANY METAL GUITARISTS LIKE TO SCOOP THE MIDS, BUT IN STOCK FORMAT THIS PEDAL IS ALMOST UNUSABLE FOR LIVE PLAYING, NO MIDS AT ALL, THEREFORE NO SUSTAIN, NO LEAD. WE FIX THAT, AND AFTER THE FIX PINCHED HARMONICS ARE STILL MORE THAN ABUNDANT!

The 2 way toggle switch enables easy switching between symmetrical rectifier diode or asymmetrical rectifier/germanium clipping for super smooth distortion. After this mod you can actually use this pedal for complex legato and swept arpeggios with good note separation, as well as plain old heavy scooped metal rhythm if you so desire - one of our favourites!

We now offer one Wah mod which has been designed to satisfy most customer requests. We no longer offer the 6 way rotary sweep switch (535Q) option as 90% of our customers reported that only 3 of the 535Q sweep positions are any use - so the 3 favourite sweeps are used in our Triple JH1 mod.

2. LED 'on' indicator in heavy duty chrome bezel - can be mounted on top as per picture, or on many recent mods we mount it on the left side to make it easier to see when performing live

4. Triple sweep range toggle selector - offers standard GCB95 (treble), mid way sweep and Hendrix JH-1 sweep (which is more bassy than GCB95)

Our customers say that this is our best Wah yet - its actually the culmination of 6 different Wah mods that we've offered over the years, unfortunately each pedal requires lots of work and therefore it may take slightly longer than a Boss pedal to complete - roughly 4 or 5 working days, as such there can be a waiting list for the Wah mod at times.

Other 'fixes'... well we don't advise you go for the Red fasel, 'electrically' its not that different form the standard black, however the Halo clones are very good (we do not supply inductors but will offer advice and fit whatever you source), also you might want to think about the pot, the standard early Dunlop pot has a very short audible sweep, there are better available that will give your pedal a nice long Wah sweep, prices between £20 for a 'Pro Pot' or if you want to refresh an old Wah but keep it 'standard' then £30 for the Hot Potz II, just ask. Highly recommended if your pot is old and worn. Alternatively you may source your own and get us to fit it for a small fee whilst we mod your pedal.

Above, the "Triple JH1", this has one rotary knob and one toggle switch mounted side-by-side.

(Various knob types and materials may be fitted depending on supplies or customer requirements)

Now with 3 way selectable gain, (singing smooth, huge boost or aggressive crunch ), DIP cased LM308 opamp (many later Rats didn't come with the prized LM308), much improved bass response, optional Boss power jack. Can be tuned for use with Bass guitar.

We also offer a variable Reutz mod as an expansion to our standard Rat mod, this must be one of the most comprehensive Rat mods available. This requires the fitting of a 4th knob, located on the rear side above the 9V input jack socket - see picture below - this provides what can be described as an additional tone control to alter the treble content of the gain. The toggle switch can be mounted on the rear above the output jack socket if required - this is commonly requested.

Starting to get people enquiring about this pedal, lots have bought it but many are far from happy with it. Personally I'm shocked as Mr. Satriani is of course a tone genius, perhaps its the rest of his rig that 'makes' this pedal. We can help you mere mortals though. Toggle switches can be fitted to shape this pedal in a good way! (One each side or both on the back next to the power jack), one switch alters the gain to give it more edge, presence and VOLUME, the other increases the mids very slightly. The overall difference is quite startling and a huge improvement, now days we generally advise that the mids boost is a permanent mod and dispense with the 2nd switch as the mid boost is nice and subtle.

WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY SOURCING MANY HARD TO FIND PARTS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR QUALITY UPGRADES, SIGNIFICANT STOCKS MEAN WE CAN NOW OFFER PARTS KITS USING GENUINE PANASONIC V SERIES STACKED METAL FILM CAPACITORS, CARBON COMPOSITION RESISTORS, SILVER MICA CAPS, OBSOLETE TRANSISTORS AND GERMANIUM DIODES AND OF COURSE 3PDT SWITCHES, JUST ASK!