Z.Vex's Box of Rock Clear is the overdrive pedal you can see through
The limited edition stompbox invites the usual gags about transparent tone but its JTM45 Marshall vibe is no joke!
There is something about see-through gear that gets us guitarists all hot under the collar. Whether it's guitars made from Lucite – or amplifiers or an overdrive pedal – there is something about seeing the instrument's guts and all that wiring that gets us going.
Z.Vex Effects understand this all too well, and the Minneapolis-based effects company have launched a strictly limited edition Box Of Rock Clear that houses their Box Of Rock overdrive in a see-through Lexan enclosure with light-up LED control knobs.
Yes, that's right, a pedal built from Lexan, bullet-proof glass – that, surely, should be durable enough even for Bigfoot's pedalboard.
Tone-wise, nothing has changed; the Box Of Rock Clear simulates the sound of Zachary Vex's favourite amplifier, the 1966 Marshall JTM45. Those worrying about isolation issues can rest assured there has been particular attention paid to the grounding and Faraday shielding of the circuitry throughout. The circuit was hand-soldered by Shoua Thao, who has assembled all of Z.Vex's pedals.
Z.Vex is taking orders up until 18 September 2019 for this strictly limited edition overdrive. See here for more info. Price $269 (£220, €245 approx).
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Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
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