 The folks at MXR have spared no effort in packaging hellfire
tones in their new Fullbore Metal ($170 retail/$99 street), which
combines extremely high-gain distortion capability with an allencompassing
EQ section that includes not only Low, Mid, and
High controls, but also a variable Frequency control for the mids
and a Scoop switch that delivers a preset boost to the lows and
highs. Also included is a Gate switch that nukes high-gain noise
(which there’s not much of) and facilitates tight, machine-like riffing.
The gate was set very aggressively on our test model, but there’s
an internal control for adjusting the trigger sensitivity. The Fullbore
sports all-analog circuitry and true-bypass switching, and its
compact enclosure wears a no-nonsense, brushed-aluminum finish.
A 5.5mm x 2.1mm adapter jack allows use with an external power
supply (not included), which might be a good option since access
to the battery requires removing the bottom plate.
The Fullbore has a single-minded agenda and a few twists of the
knobs was all it took to make the clean channel of our Kendrick
BadAssMan 4x10 combo churn out a badass metal tone with gobs
of sustain, eviscerated mids, and thumping lows. Riffs sound massive
though this pedal, but even better, single-note lines also sound
nice and meaty. There’s no shortage of output either, which you
could find handy for driving long lengths of cable and/or pushing
your amp into overdrive frenzy. The Frequency knob dramatically
expands the range of the Mid control, and by sweeping them both
around a bit it was easy to get wickedsounding
tones with all of our guitars.
The name says it all, and if
you’re seeking a one-way ticket
to the tone zones of Metallica
or Pantera, the Fullbore Metal
is something you’ll want to
hear. —Art Thompson 
KUDOS Ultra-high gain.
Powerful EQ. Lots of
output.
CONCERNS None.
CONTACT
www.jimdunlop.com
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