Late to this pedal... Thoughts on Way Huge Red Llama?
- Thread starter SlimGrady
- Start date
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The Red Llama is a great overdrive, as is their Green Rhino. Years ago they issued an overdrive that combines the two into a single pedal and it is a beast. You can run them in series or parallel.
It's Mike Campbell's favorite overdrive for Vox and Marshall amps.
It's Mike Campbell's favorite overdrive for Vox and Marshall amps.
FenderLover
Poster Extraordinaire
I know the Red Llama from the Camel Toe also, although mine is MKII with added tone. The combination works real well for me as Rhythm / Lead duo. The MKII features are very useable.
D_Malone
Friend of Leo's
It’s raspy and gnarly. I like it for pushing a slightly dirty amp. A bit too raw into a clean amp, but that’s just my taste.
Way Huge is a Jim Dunlop brand; they bought the name maybe ?15? years ago.
Heartbreaker_Esq
Friend of Leo's
This is the version I have (I also previously had a clone of the Red Llama individually), and I was initially interested for the reason given by @Peegoo above: Mike Campbell. With that said, I have never really been able to make it work for me. It's a bit noisy, and despite trying, I've never found a setting that I really like.
Although I'm now wondering if the key could be in the bolded text above: I've been trying to use mine with a Deluxe Reverb, and it has always sounded flubby and wooly to me. But I recently got my first Vox, and I'm finding that drives I did not enjoy with my TMDR are working much better with the AC15. So maybe the warmer/darker Red Llama would work a bit better with the more top-end-heavy AC15? Time to drag out the box and try it again.....
Ayipioeeay
TDPRI Member
Had one for a bit. I think a more mids-forward EQ works best with these. If I hadn't given up pedals for the New Year I'd probably buy another. I like Jeorge Tripps/Way Huge stuff in general. I think these have a lot in common with the Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes, maybe based on same circuit heritage? But honestly didn't get along with the Hot Tubes when I had it. So I'd pick the Red Llama over that. But speaking of combo-overdrives, a la Way Huge Camel Toe, the Electro Harmonix Hot Wax I really liked - which is a combo Hot Tubes + Crayon. In all cases, pedal volume up, gain/drive low - and a moderately cooking amp was lovely.
JoeNeri
Friend of Leo's
The original Way Huge Red Llama (mid-1990s) was based on, not an exact copy of, Craig Anderton's Tubes Sound Fuzz, which dates back to the late 1970s - a CMOS-based fuzzy overdrive. Dunlop bought out George Tripps in the early 2000s, but retained him for reissues of the Way Huge line as well as other Dunlop projects. The MKii, Anniversary (tone knob added) and MKiii Smalls versions have been issued over the years, although current production of the MKiii has been delayed or ended.
I love the Red Llama. I hate its extremely high noise floor coupled with its ridiculous amount of volume. Of all the versions, the most recent MKiii is my favorite.
EHX Hot Tubes is also based on Anderton's TSF circuit, with an added on/off tone control. Less gain than the Way Huge pedal but no noise or excessive volume issues.
Lots of clones out there - none have addressed the high noise floor issue.
Occasionally, some small builder will offer up a Tube Sound Fuzz. Worth checking out.
And, yes, sounds kinda tweedy.
I love the Red Llama. I hate its extremely high noise floor coupled with its ridiculous amount of volume. Of all the versions, the most recent MKiii is my favorite.
EHX Hot Tubes is also based on Anderton's TSF circuit, with an added on/off tone control. Less gain than the Way Huge pedal but no noise or excessive volume issues.
Lots of clones out there - none have addressed the high noise floor issue.
Occasionally, some small builder will offer up a Tube Sound Fuzz. Worth checking out.
And, yes, sounds kinda tweedy.
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Just checked out Hot Tubes demos- not bad!
Not crazy gain, but good sizzle; also good 'cleanish' boost too
But as usual with most demos, no one really plays like I do!
Everyone is 'edgy-er' or more aggressive, more 'rock'
(Im not talking amount of distortion here)
I'm more old fart R&R, more melodic, even on 'dirty stuff'- different strokes
I wanted to check back in and say I just bought a 25th Anniversary model. While I hear it is a bit different the original I couldn't help but think the hi cut could potentially be beneficial.
I think this will be a killer overdrive to pair with my AC30 and Plexi. Will report back on arrival!
I think this will be a killer overdrive to pair with my AC30 and Plexi. Will report back on arrival!
ClashCityTele
Friend of Leo's
I have a Red Llama clone that I built. Love it.
Stack it into an OCD for utter mayhem!
I now need to buy/build a Green Rhino.
Stack it into an OCD for utter mayhem!
I now need to buy/build a Green Rhino.
Per the Camel Toe MKII product manual "the series switch crashes rhino circuit into llama circuit"
Heartbreaker_Esq
Friend of Leo's
I'll be very interested in the Vox report!
Heartbreaker_Esq
Friend of Leo's
Ok, so not to hijack the thread, but I'm home sick from work today, so I had the opportunity to try out some things, and the Red Llama does indeed work very well with my AC15. I knew I was keeping the Camel Toe around for a reason. Thanks to @SlimGrady and @Peegoo for the inspiration to give it a shot.
My Llama will hopefully be here Saturday! I'm excited to give it a run and glad to give some inspiration.
edvard
Friend of Leo's
The reason for the high noise floor is the huge feedback resistor on the first inverter which is also the gain pot. Carbon comp resistors do have inherent noise figures the larger they are, and that gain pot is a big one, with a wide carbon track.
I have a preamp on my breadboard that I've been tinkering with for a couple of years now that is an op-amp front end (for solid input impedance, could sub in an FET gain stage easily) into 2 or 3 (depending on my mood) inverters each wired for a gain of 10 via 10k/100k resistors. Overall gain is set by a standard volume control pot after the op-amp. Despite the high gain that 3 stages can get you, it's very quiet, and backing off to about 75% it's almost dead silent and still cranks.
Alright, wanted to give a report from practice this weekend.
I ran my Germino Plexi set to clean and hit the front end with the Red Llama for an insanely dynamic rhythm sound. It can seriously punch the front of an amp. The pedal itself adds that lovely loose gain and sizzle that was perfect for some classic rock.
My AC30 will be back from the tech this week and I will get to check out that pairing. It has earned a spot on the board at least for a couple gigs to see how it interacts!
I ran my Germino Plexi set to clean and hit the front end with the Red Llama for an insanely dynamic rhythm sound. It can seriously punch the front of an amp. The pedal itself adds that lovely loose gain and sizzle that was perfect for some classic rock.
My AC30 will be back from the tech this week and I will get to check out that pairing. It has earned a spot on the board at least for a couple gigs to see how it interacts!
