Vol. 24, No. 11
September 2023
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
In this collection of interviews and reviews, delve into the world of pedal makers and their creations. Jan Horinek, a perfectionist from Prague, handcrafts Electric Orange pedals inspired by Pink Floyd. Zvonko Suhodolĉan of Croatia explores new guitar sounds with his Vibe Machine series, aiming to satisfy Uni-Vibe enthusiasts. Bob Burt, an Arkansas legend, offers tone-rich drive pedals and cabinets. Reviews highlight Horinek's Diamond Fuzz, Burt's GR8T drive, DryBell's Vibe Machine V-3, and other stellar designs.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
ZVONKO SUHODOLČAN
Creator of the DryBell Brand
By Riverhorse. ToneQuest sits down with Zvonimir "Zvonch" Audio and the DryBell team in Krapina, Croatia, to trace the journey from homemade amplifiers and a private guitar-gear forum to one of the world's most celebrated boutique pedal brands. From the Vibe Machine V-1 to The Engine, Unit67, and Module 4, DryBell's story is one of passion, family, and an obsessive pursuit of authentic tone.
REVIEWS DRYBELL
Vibe Machine V-3, The Engine, Unit67 & Module 4
By Riverhorse. DryBell's four-pedal lineup — the Vibe Machine V-3, The Engine preamp, Unit67 compressor, and Module 4 Orange Squeezer — earns an unqualified rave, with each pedal praised for studio-grade quiet, meticulous circuit research, and tones that rival the vintage gear that inspired them.
Electronic Orange Jan Horinek
By Riverhorse. Jan Horinek of Electronic Orange in Prague builds handcrafted guitar pedals one at a time — over sixteen hundred and counting — drawing on a deep love of Pink Floyd and a background in electrical engineering. In this interview, he discusses his Moon-Vibe, Diamond Fuzz Face clone, and his pursuit of "fake germanium" silicon tone.
REVIEW ELECTRONIC ORANGE
Diamond Fuzz and Moon-Vibe MkII
By Riverhorse. Electronic Orange's Diamond Fuzz and Moon-Vibe MkII are handcrafted Czech pedals that deliver exceptional vintage fuzz and Uni-Vibe tones — so impressive that guitarist Darrell Scott, fresh off tours with Robert Plant, immediately wanted to know where he could get one.
Bob Burt
By Scott Ulrichs. Pedal builder Bob Burt of Lake Village, Arkansas discusses the origins of his GR8T Distortion and 3D Distortion pedals, his collaboration with guitarist Allen Hinds, and the hand-painted swirl finishes that have become his signature aesthetic.
Bob Burt GR8T
By Riverhorse. The Bob Burt GR8T is a hand-painted overdrive pedal that delivers a ridiculously pure, three-dimensional, harmonically complex gain — one that cleans up beautifully with the volume knob and doesn't sound like a pedal at all.
One Last Train by Andy Summers
By Riverhorse. A warm recommendation for Andy Summers' memoir, tracing the Police guitarist's long road through tone-chasing, classic gear, Hendrix jams, and the rise and fall of one of rock's greatest bands.
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