MusicRadar Verdict
A stack-in-a-box with practical voicing options for classy amp-style distortion.
Pros
- +
Natural, amp-like distortion. Useful voicing options.
Cons
- -
Nothing.
MusicRadar's got your back
The Riot Reloaded from Suhr is another re-worked pedal, this time adding 30 per cent more gain than the original and three voicing options via a toggle switch.
"These are ideal distortion choices to complement various rock and metal styles"
As well as distortion and level knobs, the tone knob focuses the distortion in an optimum range: never too dull or too fizzy. The Riot can not only sit in front of a clean amp to deliver driven and high-gain amp tones, making a Fender Deluxe come over all Marshall JCM800, but also offers an extra dimension for a already driven amp.
The first of the voicings (presumably based around Germanium diodes) is naturally responsive to instrument volume; the second offers more bottom-end girth and midrange clout; while the third yields scooped-midrange clarity.
These are ideal choices to complement various rock and metal styles, but all have an effective upper-mid presence that will let you be heard... whatever your music.
Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.
““We were arguing a lot and we were miserable”: How Green Day exceeded expectations with their most ambitious song
"There’s plenty for us guitarists to learn – and ‘less is more’ is the overriding lesson": how to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
“They didn’t like Prince’s bikini underwear”: Prince’s support sets for the The Rolling Stones in 1981 are remembered as disastrous, but guitarist Dez Dickerson says that the the crowd reaction wasn’t as bad as people think