Dano Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive - I'm impressed!!!

[boneyguy]

Well I may have just solved my overdrive problem for under $50!! I've been aware of these pedals since they came out but I guess I never sat down and actually played one.

I just bought the last one of the originals at the store and I'm completely satisfied and impressed. It's a spectacular pedal for under $50. I'll keep my Allums modded OD-3 on the board as well for dirtier tones but this Cool Cat has a beautiful warm sound with just a little hair at the lower gain settings and that's exactly what I was wanting. My OD-3 was giving me too much overdrive at it's lowest setting.

You do have to play with the balance between the 'Volume' and the 'Gain' quite significantly but that's a minor annoyance. It's quiet and it is transparent to my ear at least.

I'm happy.

[chisa]

they are very good. a modern classic. i have started playing with mine a little more dirty, although they do sound great with just a bit of gain too.

[Astro1176]

I am GASing for one of these and I don't know why - I am happy with my distortion sounds, use clean mainly, and could the money towards other pedals I really need... hmm

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by chisa

they are very good. a modern classic. i have started playing with mine a little more dirty, although they do sound great with just a bit of gain too.

I just got mine today so I've got to put some time in on getting different sounds out of it. So far I really like it. It's also a nice feature to have treble and bass eq controls.

Originally Posted by Astro1176

I am GASing for one of these and I don't know why - I am happy with my distortion sounds, use clean mainly, and could the money towards other pedals I really need... hmm

I can say that the pedal sounds better in person than on that Gearmandude Youtube comparison with the Timmy pedal. It didn't sound so good on that clip and I don't know why. Because of that clip I wasn't in any hurry to try it out. But I'm glad I eventually did.
It's definately not your standard TS type sound which is one reason why I think I like the Transparent Overdrive so much.

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by Astro1176

I am GASing for one of these and I don't know why

I am purely out of my usual cat-like curiosity and the absence of any useful technical information about the circuit in any of the discussions on it here.

And to see if there's as big a misuse of the term "transparent" as I suspect.

I can get a new one for under $32 online, but that's about ten bucks over my "indulging idle curiosity about something I'll never use" threshold, and probably more than the circuit is objectively worth.

Eventually, someone has to show and describe what's in these things.

[IggyT]

I think the circuit is IDENTICAL to the Timmy which raises its own ethical issues sice IP and copyright is not clear on circuits...
I have one and I much prefer it to a Maxon OD808 which cost five times as much!!
iggy

[pinkspider]

Originally Posted by boneyguy

It's definately not your standard TS type sound which is one reason why I think I like the Transparent Overdrive so much.

It is not your standard TS type pedal, which is one reason why I didn't like the Transparent Overdrive that much.

I still kept it for the lower gain 'light breakup' tone, sounds great for that application.

The Coolcat Drive is great for that lower gain settings too!

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by pinkspider

It is not your standard TS type pedal, which is one reason why I didn't like the Transparent Overdrive that much.

I still kept it for the lower gain 'light breakup' tone, sounds great for that application.

The Coolcat Drive is great for that lower gain settings too!

I'd like to try the Drive pedal. In fact I'm so impresed with the TO I intend to try several other of the Cool Cats.

[badmelonfarmer]

Originally Posted by IggyT

I think the circuit is IDENTICAL to the Timmy which raises its own ethical issues sice IP and copyright is not clear on circuits...
I have one and I much prefer it to a Maxon OD808 which cost five times as much!!
iggy

I agree about the ethics, it's a bit of a shame that a large company errm "borrows" it's ideas form a one man operation.

Just saying, it's a shame

Ducks for cover

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by badmelonfarmer

I agree about the ethics, it's a bit of a shame that a large company errm "borrows" it's ideas form a one man operation.

Just saying, it's a shame

Start here, work down.

[IggyT]

remember the court scenes where the only way the guy can make his case is by showing that his sequence of transistors, caps, resistors are used in a NOVEL way to do something that has never been done before. This is at the heart of Intellectual property..is a cool cat TO novel with respect to a tube screamer or a timmy or a rat..or an OCD.... side by side we all have a tough time in blind tests making such distinctions...This is a real challenge...I am not sure if ANY pedal in existence has a patent to protect it.
not saying its right just offering an opinion...
iggy

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by IggyT

remember the court scenes where the only way the guy can make his case is by showing that his sequence of transistors, caps, resistors are used in a NOVEL way to do something that has never been done before. This is at the heart of Intellectual property..

Not exactly.

A circuit has to be patented to be protected, and to be patented it has to be both significantly original and a significant device.

So, virtually no analog stomp is patentable because they're all very clearly derivative of each other and are doing mostly the same things.

It's all just tweaking at this point. Nobody owns the dirtbox. Get over it. There is no ethical or legal question here. See my linked posts.

Instead, having lost the patent issue, attorneys for various bloodsuckers who want protection to which they are not entitled try to twist obscure trade dress and copyright issues in lieu of patent. A notorious example being the Re-an interlocking plastic corner. Or the ridiculous cases against Behringer.

I am not sure if ANY pedal in existence has a patent to protect it.

A few do. Digital stuff has some copyrighted embedded programming, I believe, as well.

not saying its right

That's OK, I'm categorically saying it IS right, and the originators of American patent law and a couple of hundred years of case law are 100% on my side.

To understand this issue once and for all, you need to read the excellent chapters on the intention and history of patent law contained in (of all places) this book:



Your library should have it.

[badmelonfarmer]

Originally Posted by Anchoret

Start here, work down.

You are entitled to an opinion, just as the rest of us

[imsilly]

Am I the only person that has noticed that nearly everywhere has sold out of the version one and this is before version two is even available? None of the other Cool Cats are gone. I personally liked the Fuzz a lot, but seeing how they are still around I thought I'd wait.

I did a quick google search and it went from 10 pages a few days ago to 3 pages now and most of those sites were out of stock. I love overdrives pedals, but up until now I haven't owned one as the good ones nearly cost as much as the amps I'm playing them through (I'd rather have an attenuator) so a £30 overdrive that isn't shockingly bad was bound to cause a stir.

I panic bought one just because I noticed within a week every place that used to had them didn't anymore. Something tells me I should have bought 10. For £30 I don't think you can find a nicer overdrive. I don't own a Timmy so I can't make a personal comparison. I can tell these things must be good thought. Either that or Danelectro have the best viral marketing team in existence.

[IggyT]

So if Dano is covered by existing patent law (or at least they cannot be seen as infringing on the guy that makes the T*^%*^% OD) WHY did they come to some gentlemen's agreement to issue the V2 ?
It seems at odds with most ruthless business models we read about almost daily.
iggy

[musicalmartin]

I have just got one and like it a lot .I dont seem to be loosing any sleep over its origins so with your permission I'll just enjoy it .

[badmelonfarmer]

Originally Posted by Anchoret

Not exactly.

A circuit has to be patented to be protected, and to be patented it has to be both significantly original and a significant device.

So, virtually no analog stomp is patentable because they're all very clearly derivative of each other and are doing mostly the same things.

It's all just tweaking at this point. Nobody owns the dirtbox. Get over it. There is no ethical or legal question here. See my linked posts.

Instead, having lost the patent issue, attorneys for various bloodsuckers who want protection to which they are not entitled try to twist obscure trade dress and copyright issues in lieu of patent. A notorious example being the Re-an interlocking plastic corner. Or the ridiculous cases against Behringer.


A few do. Digital stuff has some copyrighted embedded programming, I believe, as well.


That's OK, I'm categorically saying it IS right, and the originators of American patent law and a couple of hundred years of case law are 100% on my side.

To understand this issue once and for all, you need to read the excellent chapters on the intention and history of patent law contained in (of all places) this book:



Your library should have it.

Ethics and Law are two very different things.

IMHO a lot of Lawyers make unethical choices, same in Politics and public life.

[Astro1176]

Originally Posted by IggyT

So if Dano is covered by existing patent law (or at least they cannot be seen as infringing on the guy that makes the T*^%*^% OD) WHY did they come to some gentlemen's agreement to issue the V2 ?
It seems at odds with most ruthless business models we read about almost daily.
iggy

Because they are nice? Or because even if they won, it might have cost less to settle than to pay the lawyers to sort it all out? Or because sometimes it can be mutually beneficial for talented individuals to work with interesting companies.

Part of the thing with basic sorts of guitar pedals, or guitar chords, or guitars or amps - is that the circuit or functionality of the thing and even the sound is one of the least important parts of it as a commercial product.

Other aspects like its appearance (the name, the case and the knobs and the paint job in the case of effects boxes) are an integral part of the whole product which gives it an identity, and the identity combined with the marketing and hype, and nowadays the viral youtube buzz - is what makes people want to buy that product instead of another.

The same way as a Calvin Klein T-Shirt is copywritable because it looks exactly how it does, the colour and pattern. Not because of how it keeps ypu warm or the way they utilise a certain gauge of cotton to let you perspire healthily in it.

A Coolcat is a totally different product from the Timmy, whether or not it sounds the same or whether it shares the same circuit topology. You don't get a boutique hand made kinda look or that boutique vibe, you get what can be clearly recognised as an inexpensive mass produced pedal.

As Anchoret has said, lawyers have bashed all this out before and come to a set of rules for a reason. If you want to make up your own rules and uphold some absolutist purist level of intellectual property, thats fine too, but it might be nice to do it consistently. Start off by getting rid of and lobbying Maxon and all the TS cloners, then take issue with all boutique makers who copy Dynacomps, Ross's, TS etc etc, then prosecute the worst of the bunch - the BYOC and homebrew crowd who don't even put any money into the commercial pedal industry at all, and all the people who irresponsibly post circuits on the web for anyone to see. Then go through your house and check every pot, chair, telephone, car, carpet, door and wallpaper you bought is by the originator of products that function by the way they do.

[blowtorch]

Bought a CTO-1 today, $37 delivered. Bought the Coolcat Drive awhile back, $15 delivered. I am happy with the drive, and am looking forward to hearing the Transparent Overdrive as well.

[jmecale72]

Originally Posted by blowtorch

Bought a CTO-1 today, $37 delivered. Bought the Coolcat Drive awhile back, $15 delivered. I am happy with the drive, and am looking forward to hearing the Transparent Overdrive as well.

They stack very nicely together!

[Reverend_Cheese]

I'm thinking about buying one of these little buggers as well now.

So what's the basic flavor? TS-9ish, Marshally, Fendery?

I really need something to replace the Marshall-in-a-Box
pedal I killed as a result of modding.

[eddie knuckles]

What is everyone's fave dano "double stack" settings? I am playing around with "backyard BBQ" on the TOD and the "grunge" setting on the drive. I also use a sparkle drive and peg that at pretty much 11:00 across the board.... great country tone there.

I want to go from gritty country to Santana to Zappa. Of course, all depends on the amp and volume as well....

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by blowtorch

Bought the Coolcat Drive awhile back, $15 delivered.

Source?

That actually beats my best price found so far.

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by IggyT

So if Dano is covered by existing patent law (or at least they cannot be seen as infringing on the guy that makes the T*^%*^% OD) WHY did they come to some gentlemen's agreement to issue the V2 ?
It seems at odds with most ruthless business models we read about almost daily.

They didn't have to, they just made some insignificant changes for PR's sake.

Seriously, that's all it was. They certainly didn't have to.

It happens. [shrug]

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by Astro1176

As Anchoret has said, lawyers have bashed all this out before and come to a set of rules for a reason. If you want to make up your own rules and uphold some absolutist purist level of intellectual property, thats fine too, but it might be nice to do it consistently.

But they can't.

That's the whole point. Their argument is inherently ignorant.

It's a stupid argument being posed by willfully stupid people. End of story.

Nearly every product you buy is an uncompensated exploitation of expired patent or uncompensated exploitation of unpatentable innovation.

You simply can't get around it.

There is no ethical question here. Patent law has dictated for over two hundred years that it is both ethical and socially beneficial for as many people as possible to vigorously exploit any technological innovation unprotected by current patent.

That's not opinion, that's fact.

Opinions are what stupid people have instead of data. And they put them on Internet fora all day.

[imsilly]

Getting back on topic my Transparent Overdrive arrived this morning and I am very happy with it.

I mean it was £30 and it sounds good. It won't ever replace a naturally overdriving amp, but it does sound fat and tight. I was expecting a harsh sounding pedal for that price, but it does a nice clean boost with the volume knob and doesn't get too dirty on the gain knob. The treble and bass cut are also really useful.

So is anyone like me off to buy the rest of the line, especially the Fuzz and Overdrive?

[Jelle]

Originally Posted by imsilly

So is anyone like me off to buy the rest of the line, especially the Fuzz and Overdrive?

I bought the CTO two weeks ago and went to get the Drive yesterday (both were the last ones in stock). Very nice pedal as well. I have no use for the Fuzz, so I (just barely) resisted buying that one too.

[blowtorch]

"Quote:
Originally Posted by blowtorch
Bought the Coolcat Drive awhile back, $15 delivered.

Source?"


Why, the TDPRI Classifieds!

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by imsilly

......................................
So is anyone like me off to buy the rest of the line, especially the Fuzz and Overdrive?

Yup! I'm heading over there today to have a listen to the chorus (which I don't generally like but if it's a good one and I can dial up a just a subtle little shimmer in my sound I'd be happy) and the vibe and maybe the tremolo and see if they're of equal quality as the TO.

[Jelle]

Originally Posted by boneyguy

...and the vibe and maybe the tremolo and see if they're of equal quality as the TO.

Please post your findings here (or a different topic) when you've checked the trem and vibe; I'm very curious about those. Thanks!

[IggyT]

I have both the trem and vibe and they are great sounding and great value
iggy

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by Jelle

Please post your findings here (or a different topic) when you've checked the trem and vibe; I'm very curious about those. Thanks!

Unfortunately the store didn't have them. They only had 4 or 5 of the distortion pedals and that was it. I'll have to ask if they are getting more Cool Cats in soon.

I did grab an SD-1 to mod for $40 though.

[studio1087]

I bought the Transparent Overdrive a couple weeks ago. I also bought the Drive pedal.

I think that they are amazing.

I'm keeping my BBE Greenscreamer, Maxon OD9, and the two Dano pedals.

I just listed my Boss SD-1, Mod Tone Dyna Drive and BBE Free Fuzz on ebay. The two $37 Dano pedals trump the other three. I still like the Green Screamer the best but the Dano pedals are amazing.

What exactly constitutes the Timmy rip-off?

What is it electrically or mechanically that makes it such a focused rip off?

There are 15 pedals modeled after the TS9 and don't hear about legal or ethical dilemmas.

What is the specific construction detail that pushed this pedal into a moral/ethical/legal problem area?

I'm not trying to challenge anyone's opinions. I just don't know the answer to the question.

John

[play_loud]

Originally Posted by studio1087

What is the specific construction detail that pushed this pedal into a moral/ethical/legal problem area?

Good question... anyone?

[Daddydex]

Originally Posted by studio1087

What exactly constitutes the Timmy rip-off?


John

Internet forums.

Dan

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by Reverend_Cheese

I'm thinking about buying one of these little buggers as well now.

So what's the basic flavor? TS-9ish, Marshally, Fendery?

I really need something to replace the Marshall-in-a-Box
pedal I killed as a result of modding.

It's definitely not tubescreamerish in nature. It is a more open sound but the overdrive is tight and not fuzzy or fizzy.

It's not quite as transparent as I initially heard. There is a tiny bit of midrange boost (not a bad thing) and I think I lose a tiny bit of bottom end but nothing like a typicall TS situation.

[badmelonfarmer]

Originally Posted by Anchoret

But they can't.

That's the whole point. Their argument is inherently ignorant.

It's a stupid argument being posed by willfully stupid people. End of story.

Nearly every product you buy is an uncompensated exploitation of expired patent or uncompensated exploitation of unpatentable innovation.

You simply can't get around it.

There is no ethical question here. Patent law has dictated for over two hundred years that it is both ethical and socially beneficial for as many people as possible to vigorously exploit any technological innovation unprotected by current patent.

That's not opinion, that's fact.

Opinions are what stupid people have instead of data. And they put them on Internet fora all day.

unbelievable!

[studio1087]

Originally Posted by Daddydex

Internet forums.

Dan

I fear that this is the reality. If someone were to say that a patented chip or a proprietary piece of software was stolen or copied exactly, I would think that the copy cat could get in trouble.

What I'm hearing is that this guys pedal sounds a bit like that guys pedal. No kidding. Lots of overdrives are close in tone. There are 50 heavy metal pedals on the market that all sound alike to me. (Ick.)

I don't understand the specific rub here.

John

[IggyT]

I hear you guys and said soemthing similar before...some folks take this stuff more seriuosly than me I guess...seems that if the circuit cant be patented the logo or design can... oh well...back to using these exploitative pedals to play old music that probably also explouted the original artists....
iggy

[TG]

Well, after reading the 2 current threads about this pedal I've gone and ordered one. My Loooper pedal switches have just conked out so I thought a bit of gear aquisition and experimenting was in order.

But if I don't like it I shall blame all of you people....