Japanese engineers excel at many things, but seem to have a knack for musical instrument circuits. If they certainly outshine the rest of the world at manufacturing synthesizers (think Korg, Roland and Yamaha!), nobody can fault them for their guitar pedal creations either. BOSS (also part of Roland) is a brand known to the masses, but the real connoisseurs will also point to some legendary distortion pedals manufactured in the ’60s by legendary Japanese stompbox pioneer Shin-ei.
The guys at TWA know a thing or two about those pedals. They have been spending some time harvesting a selection of the finest vintage Japanese distortions and blended them with a batch of premium modern ingredients to create a new, dynamic and super-flexible pedal called Hot Saké.
Walking the line between distortion and overdrive, Hot Saké features a classic Low-Boost/Hi-Boost Tone control to lay down its overall sonic palette, while a dedicated Mids knob allows for precise sculpting of the pedal’s tonal flavor.
The dedicated Low Boost switch with selectable frequency center adds kick when needed, creating super-thick yet articulate, chest-thumping modern crunch, while the Drive control offers distinctly amp-like tones, covering a broad spectrum of saturated sounds from slight tube break-up to complete amp break-down.
But enough with words, check out the demo video below, or – if you are going to NAMM – come to the Stompbox Exhibit’s booth to check out this pedal in person!
