Roy Z has carved quite a name for himself in the world of Metal. His hefty resume has garnered him positions working with the likes of Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, and countless more. Throughout his career there's been one infamous circuit that's followed him and his success. So, its supposed that it would only make sense for his signature pedal to be based off of a tube screamer!
Designed by none other than the creator of the tube screamer Susumu Tamura, the CHEM-Z circuit is based around the “Magic” IC that was only found in limited runs of the best-sounding vintage TS808’s. This special OpAmp offers less compression and more output than the typically-used JRC4558. In addition, it produces both even and odd-order harmonics in a similar manner to the preamp & power sections of a tube amp.
More than just a copy of previous designs, Chemical-Z has been optimized for use with high-gain amps. Rich in integer harmonics and with a precisely-tuned upper midrange, CHEM-Z is aggressive yet articulate; edgy yet easy on the ears. This crunchy clarity not only breathes new life into tube amps, but is also the perfect “plug-in” for adding depth and dimensionality to digital modeling units.
Also featured on the pedal is a footswitchable hot channel that activates an alternate set of clipping diodes. This dual-channel design also allows CHEM-Z to be used with clean and semi-clean amps, creating a 3-channel, “clean-crunch-crush” monster rig with just a single pedal.
This sweet hot rodded legend ships out fast and free because that's how we be! Give us a call at the shop with any questions you may have.