Menatone VK Edition Howie Pedal

I’ve had a couple other Howies, as well as a dumkudo and a simble.  The VK edition is the best so far.  Once you get used to the interaction between the gain stages, it’s pretty easy to dial in a tone which is really touch sensitive.  I play with my fingers mostly, both the nail and the calluses, and its amazing how this pedal can just sing based on small changes in volume. I dont know why VK hasn’t quickly sold out of this pedal, its just silly good.

Super smooth, harmonically rich Dumble in a box goodness! Freaking love this thing!

I stand by my previous review, but having had this pedal for a while, I'm more well-versed in how to get the most out of it. Here are some helpful guidelines. In normal channel mode, the black "Gain" control sounds good up until around 2 o'clock. At that point, it starts to become overly compressed and fuzzy, as Pete points out via the text that appears (he says "above 5 or 6", I say 2 o'clock). THEN, engage the drive channel, and start with the red "Level" control set low---this control actually affects the gain of the drive channel, whereas "Ratio" functions as the drive volume, working in tandem with the black "Master" control for overall volume. NEXT, increase the Level control as desired, and use either Master or Ratio to control the volume increase (besides volume, each affects the overall tone a little differently). NOW, here's the strange part: with the drive channel engaged, the Gain can then be set higher than 2 o'clock without the fuzziness, unless you max both Gain and Level. Of course, you can engage the drive with Gain set much lower than 2 o'clock and increase Level accordingly. It's a bit of a balancing act, but once you get the hang of it, it's capable of VERY good, amp-like tones. I also have a Mad Professor Simble, and it has it's strengths as well. Whereas the Simble sounds warm in the lows, and smooth in the highs, I think the mids and highs sound more harmonically rich and complex with the Howie, with more "chirp", and more easily attained musical feedback. If you get one, take the time to tweak, and it will reward you!

This is a well built, good looking (IMHO), and great sounding piece of equipment. I also have a 2007 7-knob version of the Menatone Howie, which is certainly good, but there are valid reasons why the VK version costs more. It uses higher grade components, it's much easier to adjust due to simply having much more space between controls (this isn't a pedal for the space-conscious), and the full sized control pots do contribute to the "amp-in-a-pedal" feel and motif. Perhaps most important of all is the more substantial power supply, which makes a noticeable difference, both with clean headroom and reduced noise when the gain is set to higher levels, or when the boost is engaged. It's easy to hear these differences when comparing back and forth between this and my older Howie (which I'll be selling now---it's still in nearly mint condition). I also have a Mad Professor Simble for Dumble sounds, and really like it as well. It's great for smooth, edge of breakup and lower gain overdrive, and certainly has rich harmonic content and touch sensitivity. However, the Howie's clean channel is great for Fender-like cleans---especially this VK version. Also, the Howie is capable of much higher gain, although the best Dumble tones are found with more moderate settings, and it can produce quite a bit of "chirp" when digging in with a pick---more than the Simble to my ears. The Howie VK's clean channel is a great platform for the output of other overdrive pedals---I love using the Simble and Howie together. The ONLY reason I gave 4 stars for the price is that it is a substantial amount to pay for many guitarists out there, but I do think the quality justifies it, which is why I gave 5 stars for value. There are certainly other Dumble pedals that cost less, but most don't have the features, versatility and build quality of this one. To my ears, it sounds better with the "Master" control around 12 o'clock or higher, even if that means backing off the actual amp volume. A fantastic addition to my gear collection!