Californian company Solo Dallas surfaced in 2015 with a 1:1 hand-built recreation of the preamp circuit of the Schaffer–Vega wireless guitar system of the ’70s, called the Schaffer Replica. That circuit had a particular color that AC/DC Angus Young was very vocal in praising (apparently that was the only device between his guitar and amp), so a recreation of it had an instant fan base and ambassador.
The device basically works as a “colored boost” that can add up to 31 dbs to your signal, and according to the builder it…
…endow(s) your tone with extra sustain, touch sensitivity, note roundness, and a rich harmonic content.
After a first pedal version of the Schaffer Replica, in 2017 Solo Dallas introduced a smaller and more refined stompbox, called Storm. They recently announced an improved version of it featuring also…
…an analog limiter derived from a previously unseen and very musical Opto-Isolator (vintage optical limiter).
The new version is the result of a 15-month optimization process, and you can check it out in the video below.
Here’s a demo of the previous version:
Solo Dallas Storm, Builder’s Notes
The new Storm is the result of a 15-month optimization process: our sleekest, most evolved, most efficient pedal yet. A pedal for the working pro and the workingman alike. Similar character to the original Storm, with similar circuitry and component. Featuring superior dynamic performance and durability.
Winner of August 2018 Guitar Player Magazine Chief Editor’s Pick!Read the review.
Created initially as a 1:1 replica of the original Schaffer-Vega Diversity System audio circuitry, the SoloDallas Storm® is the latest evolution of our product line. Derived directly from our latest 2017 Schaffer Replica EX Tower, the Storm delivers the same full tonal character as its predecessor, the Schaffer Replica Pedal, in a more compact, powerful package of harmonic richness, updating and enhancing previous features while offering the ability to dial in high-end compression when the situation dictates.
The circuit is 100% analog and introduces an analog limiter derived from a previously unseen and very musical Opto-Isolator (vintage optical limiter), which is a very desirable form of audio signal compression. The compression circuit is controlled by the “Limiter” knob in the middle of the Storm. These components, recently discovered in our latest reverse-engineering of the original Schaffer-Vega Diversity System TX10 Transmitter, endow your tone with extra sustain, touch sensitivity, note roundness, and a rich harmonic content. The Storm introduces a very powerful pre-amp, capable of delivering over 31db of clean boost. (Tested at 31.1 dB repeatedly, in both lab and studio conditions. Yes, we tested it against a Klon: contact us for more information in this particular regard.)
The Storm is hand-built deep in the mountains of Colorado by our SoloDallas team, using SMD components, in order to achieve a more compact product, while still retaining the same tone of the lauded EX Tower. True to our promise to airplane warriors and straphangers everywhere, the Storm is housed in a compact powder-coated 125B enclosure that fits on any board. The SD Storm also features updated 2017 circuitry update, which makes it even more dynamic & touch sensitive for the player. Incidentally, the circuitry is even more bulletproof, able to withstand the rigors of repeated gig abuse and dirty power. The Storm can be fully powered by a 9V battery, or any standard 9V center-negative 2.1 mm barrel power supply, found universally on power bricks and pedal boards.
You ask, we respond. The Schaffer tone & sustain can now finally fit onto your pedalboard along with all of your other favorite effects, modestly drawing 9V power, without any compromise in tone, noise floor, or boost potential. The Storm enhances your signal to the point that all of your effects will sound notably better; we stand behind this. Play on.
