SMG REVIEW: CMAT Mods Brownie Distortion Pedal

CMAT Mods Brownie Distortion Pedal

Chad Matthews is CMAT Mods. Chad starting out working a full-time day job, and modding and building pedals after hours. CMAT prides itself on delivering boutique tone at great prices.

Out of the box

Right out of the box the Brownie shimmers with its metallic copper paint job and its sleek tan knobs. The pedal includes instructions that fill you in on what this pedal can do. On closer inspection I noticed that the Brownie has a sturdy metal casing with three knobs for level, tone and gain. The bright blue LED light makes it really easy to see what channel you’re on during low lit gigs. Along with the Input/output jacks you will find a power jack that can run on either 9 or 18 volts.

About the Brownie

The Brownie Distortion pedal uses the BSIAB circuit (officially licensed).  This distortion pedal sounds like a clean mixture of a Marshall and Soldano amplifiers. The Brownie has great attack and is very responsive. The Brownie has a ton of sustain and gain which allows you to rip clean solos all night long. The Brownie is dead quiet with almost no hum. The mid range is phenomenal and crisp, very responsive. This pedal works best with the volume cranked. The more you allow the amp to break up the more sweet tone will resonate out.

Unique Features

The Brownie has switchable circuits ranging from low gain to blistering power gain. The beauty of this pedal is the mix and matching of the circuits. You can mix the circuits to give you tube like overdrive, warm brown sound or a JCM2000 type distortion. The extra circuits are located under the back plate along with the 9 volt battery compartment.

Specs:

Durable powder coated finish

Davies knobs

Switchcraft jacks

Alpha pots

Blue LED

EH 3DPT true bypass switch

Military grade wiring

Hand picked and matched parts for tone and durability

Works on a 9V battery or adapter

The Low Down

The Brownie Distortion pedal is BY FAR one of the best pedals I have ever played. It gives you all the warm tone you can handle and with the switchable gain circuits, there is no tone that this pedal cannot achieve. If you need a tube like overdrive, simply plug in the low gain circuits in to the two slots provided. If you are looking for a sweet balance between low and high gain, simply plug in one of each into the slots. For the highest gain setting, install both high gain circuits into the slots and you are ready to rock! I HIGHLY recommend this pedal to everyone looking for a versatile pedal that gives you different tonal options. The EQ is perfectly balanced, with its crunchy lows, warm mid-range, and screaming highs. Check out one today. Seriously, check one out! www.cmatmods.com

Pros: Metal casing, Switchable gain circuits, Amazing tone, Light weight, Affordable, True Bypass, Bright LED.

Cons: N/A

DIRECT PRICE – $135.00

Till next week, thanks for reading and keep on shredding!

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Nick Arrietta is a staff writer at SMG. Nick is a professional Music teacher from California and has been playing the Guitar for 24 years. Along with teaching music he is a touring guitarist, studio musician and songwriter. Email: nick@sharemyguitar.com

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