Damage Control Solid Metal
The Solid Metal pedal ($279 retail/$199 street) uses twin 12AX7 tubes to produce extremely high-gain distortion. The uniquely voiced Bass control provides nice thump without loss of articulation—regardless of gain levels—but the Scoop control did not suck the mids enough to qualify for true “death” tone with most of our test amps.
The power supply steps up the voltage from the wall to 250 volts—running the tubes at true amp levels—which helps explain the realism of the Solid Metal’s stack-style distortion, and activating the 20dB nuclear gain boost ups the saturation considerably to instantly increase the mass and sustain of your overdrive sound. If you play any style of metal other than the most aggressive solid-state kind, you should give the Solid Metal a spin.
Kudos:
Focused bass response. Tons of gain. 250-volt biasing creates authentic amp tone.
Concerns:
Solid-state fans might find it too warm. Make sure the Scoop voicing works with your amp.
Contact:
(601) 626-7696; damagecontrolusa.com
