We can’t tell you all how excited we are for the new CHIME MKII. Stephen has really outdone himself by creating a boutique low-gain pre-amp/overdrive pedal like none other we have played. For specs, pedal description and info on the new MKII upgrades check out the CHIME MKII page on our site. But, for now, we wanted to take a look at four ways you can put your CHIME to use.
Boost mode – Probably my personal favorite and where I leave it after demoing the unit for a player. First I will set the clipping knob to about 9-10 o’clock then I’ll bring the boost to max. Next I will dial the active (no tone loss) Level knob and the Tilt EQ to where I need them. If a little dirt is needed, slowly start turning up the Gain until you are happy. This is a great way to make the little nuances in your playing and pick attack pop. Remember, you always have the High Pass Filter to take out any unwanted sag or woof your amp might create so push the Level a little harder and dial back that bass… you will like what you hear.
Dirt For Dayzzz – Don’t you just love the aggression and character that a cranked Vox amp provides??? Then grab that Clipping potentiometer and turn it all the way counter clockwise (full Ge). Now crank the Gain all the way to the right. Depending on your pickup type set the boost for the amount of grunt you want and then forget all I just said and just dime the thing! That’s right, Crank it! Get extra saucy by running it into your favorite distortion or fuzz pedal, the low gain character of the CHIME MKII won’t over mud tour tone and the MKII’s saturation will get extra juicy slamming into those other pedals.
Totally Tubbs – (You can check out Shawn’s Rig Rundown and watch him talk about his personal CHIME here) Shawn is an incredible session guitarist from Nashville, TN with a solid ear for tone and a creator of some awesome demo vids. We have been working with Shawn as a PJE Artist for a while now and love that the CHIME is his go-to, always on pedal. Dial your Clipping knob closer to the LED side, set the Boost & Gain to match the punch you want from your pickups, then Level your volume if need be. Dial the Tilt Eq to fit the room you are in and get ready to rock. Hint: If you truly want the original V1 Tubbs setting, open the back panel and set the toggle to the left of the 4558 chip to the bottom position (Tubbs’ favorite LED setting) and then flip the other toggle (Power Rails Setting) to the 28 volts setting.
Pre-amp – A lot has been added to the CHIME that makes it more than just an overdrive. Thanks to our new proprietary power section the new MKII provides a full 36 volts of internal power. This provides an incredible amount of headroom and dynamic response from a supply of only 9 volts. Opening of the bottom of the unit’s case you will see two mini toggles. The toggle at the top is the “Preamp Mode” switch. Setting the toggle to the middle position will completely bypass the Clipping mini pot on the face of the unit and turns the CHIME MKII into a fabulous clean preamp. Use this setting as a first, always-on pedal for the front of your board or, thanks to the added frequency range, use it as a bass or acoustic preamp.Hope this gives you a few platforms to start out with as you dive into the new CHIME MKII. We would love to hear how you are using your MKII or any other of our tone tools. If you have any questions or are looking to pick up a new PJE pedal today, you can reach Nate via email – nate@pettyjohnelectronics.com