Jackson Audio Golden Boy vs. Broken Arrow: Which Should YOU Buy?
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- Опубликовано: 21 май 2020
- Putting these two overdrives head-to-head! Comparing similar settings, different modes, stacking, and a lot more- as well as my thoughts on both pedals.
Signal Chain:
Suhr Classic S HSS
Golden Boy/Broken Arrow
JHS Kilt
Suhr Badger 18 + BadCat 1x12 w/BadCat Celestion
Suhr SM57
Universal Audio Apollo Twin MkII
*Mogami + Sinasoid Cables
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Видеоклипы
![Automatone Rules Them All [Do You Need A Programmable OD Pedal?] - That Pedal Show](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3GGn9OjevNA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Automatone Rules Them All [Do You Need A Programmable OD Pedal?] – That Pedal Show](/img/tr.png)
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Check out my revised thoughts on the Golden Boy, and why I got rid of it! ruclips.net/video/j5cR2hrFuD8/видео.html
Great sound quality, well done video. Thanks!
Thanks Tony! Glad you liked it!
Great video dude! I have a strymon riverside and I'm thinking of coupling the broken arrow along with it...the full drive 2 served it's purpose but it may be time to retire it.
Thanks man! The Broken Arrow would do well to replace to the Fulldrive 2 if you like the TS-style thing. I can't stress enough how good the boost is too- makes it a very versatile pedal!
I really like the vintage sound of Broken Arrow. I prefer the airy drive of it more than compressed drive of Golden Boy.
The Broken Arrow definitely has more of that "Classic" TS-style sound. The Amber Mode is particularly good, in my opinion.
Thank you for this awesome demo! I play an S style guitar and after owning the morning glory, I ended up preferring TS style ODs. I like both put together but I think I’m gonna go with the broken arrow
Glad it helped you man! Really cool pedals, no wrong choice!
They are BOTH amazing! 🔥🔥🔥
I do like both! Don’t own either any more though 😅
Super helpful; tx for doing this!
Sure thing! Glad to help.
I love that while demoing the Green channels, you reduced some mid range in the Broken Arrow (basically a Tube Screamer, which is notorious for its mid hump), taking away one of the key components to what makes a good TS clone, and then boosted some mid range while removing some treble in the Golden Boy (which is more of a Blues Breaker type thing, which is less compressed, and has a tighter attack), essentially making it sound more like a Tube Screamer.
I like it haha.
It's kind of like how most guitarists (myself included), use overdrive pedals such as the Green Rhino as a boost, with the gain control at zero and volume and tone reasonable high before other gain pedals or tube amps to push the circuit harder tighten the sound for a more modern distortion, instead of just buying a boost pedal, or cutting out all the middle men and buying something like the Revv G3.
Soon we will all be buying multi-effects pedals for nothing more that their built in tuners.
In all fairness though, this was a sick video and I know both pedals are meant to be diverse and fluid for multiple styles (not just the ones I listed). They really nailed it with the EQ controls for both these pedals. I'm currently waiting for a Prism pedal to arrive, have you had any experiences, good or bad with their Prism??
I haven’t played a Prism in a long time, but I have friends that love them! Definitely more boost/light overdrive than these two, but cool nonetheless.
I have the Broken Arrow (with MIDI) and control it with the Morningstar MC8, and it's absolutely fantastic. The MC8 allows quick changes of the clipping mode and gain cycle that I think really make the Broken Arrow (or Golden Boy) more powerful and versatile than without MIDI, so much so that it's the only drive pedal on my board. I didn't really understand what you said about eating up a lot of MIDI data, but I also wouldn't consider the MC8 a simpler controller, so you could very well be right about that.
I agree- I’ve since sold my Golden Boy, because it was much more unusable live than without MIDI. Doing one change (ie gain cycling, clipping mode) isn’t hard, but if you wanted to change all the EQ controls, and the gain, and the clipping mode, then it becomes more difficult. The Broken Arrow (non-midi) was great, but the Golden boy seemed to be a bit premature on the release.
@@RiggsTaylor Aaaaah okay I totally get what you're saying now, yeah the EQ section is completely left out of the MIDI controls. That's alright for me though, I don't feel the need to change EQ on the fly. And with a more powerful MIDI controller like the MC8, I am able to change the gain cycle, clipping mode, and boost type all at once, so it works nicely for me.
Man I totally would've bought your Broken Arrow, haha. I'm just waiting for a couple more used ones to hit the market.
SW1 Glad it works well for you! I’ve looked into the Morningstar stuff frequently. The MC-8 is very tempting. I’m sure you’ll find a Broken Arrow- just keep your eyes peeled!
Me too!!:) today or tomorrow must come my suhr classic pro :)). Every hour I am checking
YES! Congrats!
I really need someone to do a comparison between the Asabi, Golden Boy and Broken Arrow doing higher gain lead lines. I can’t find anyone doing that.
That’s why I originally made this video comparing these two- no one had made anything like it at the time. I will say, I hear much more comparable in the Golden Boy and Asabi than the Broken Arrow. The former two definitely have more gain and cutting high end.
The goldenboy has 2 trim pots inside. Presence and tone. Factory its set to 50%, but mine used was turned all the way up. That could be why it sounds a bit thinner here. I watched a comparison to the KOT and when the presence was turned down to about 10% they were identical sounding.
I bought mine brand new (first batch of the signed 500) and unfortunately that info wasn’t out then! However, at the factory settings I didn’t love it long term. Felt pretty stiff, and ended up going with a different pedal in its place.
@@RiggsTaylor i felt the same way at first. I fixed that, and then realized I might have been using it backwards in a way. I was first dialing in my overdrive tone (left switch) then adding in my Boost if needed. Now i'm turning on the boost first and getting a good sound going INTO the overdrive. It stacks so much better that way IMO. You can add the High head room Blue OD thats got a good low end, and pair it with the high top end yellow boost, or use the amber OD with green Boost. Level them so they stack evenly or add more of one or the other. I can actually HEAR what the pedal should sound like, and its starting to "Click" for me. It sounded terrible the other way around for me. very sterile. high noise floor. I realized this pedal was designed to go Boost INTO OD. Use the boost to get a good OD sound, and use the OD as the boost. Sounds weird but It just works better this way.
Can you help me understand what you mean by a tighter or looser low end? You mentioned it at around 6mins. Also, modern vs vintage? I'd appreciate it! and thanks for making this video : )
Simon Prittie Yeah! So the Broken Arrow isn’t as “tight” in the low end- think overdriving Fender amp vs. overdriving Marshall. Tighter low end is more characteristic of more modern rock music as opposed to classic rock (I.e AC/DC, LED Zeppelin). It’s definitely more of how the pedal “feels” when playing it than sound, but if you listen with good headphones or speakers you’ll be able to hear what I mean! Glad you liked the video!
Nice demo Video! Are you locking your Strings despite you have locking Tuners? I can see that in your video😄
Good eye! I do- mostly out of habit since my other guitars don’t have locking tuners. It’s probably overkill, but it hasn’t hurt me yet 😬
@@RiggsTaylor I'm also considering doing it because the string easily slips out of the mechanics despite the screw. you encouraged me to be crazy and give it a try :-) maybe it will help to stay in tune better
Marek W. Go for it! Maybe it’s just this guitar, but my Suhr rarely needs to be tuned. It stays locked in- even when I’ve flown with it and forgotten to loosen the strings.
Awesome! Have you still got the iron drive? Comparison with the Kilt? What’s your opinion.
I do still have the Iron Drive and the Kilt! Wildly different, but both are great. The Iron Drive is more capable of low/medium gain “transparent” overdrive tones, while the kilt does better with medium/high gain sounds and definitely has its own flavor. The Kilt is more aggressive, less shapeable EQ, and more top end sizzle. Again, both great! I recently posted a video playing through the Iron Drive- check it out if you haven’t!
@@RiggsTaylor if you where doing a covers gig and had to pick two pedals that stack really and cover the voxy Kings of Leon to Marshall Guns n roses tones what would you take? Still got broken arrow too? Thanks
@@deanmo1982 I sold the Broken Arrow- the Iron Drive covers that ground better for me. You could do all of what you just said with the Iron Drive and Kilt easily!
Whered you get the strymon el cap knob?
I got them from Small Bear Electronics! Great supplier.
Funny how you say cons about the Golden Boy and then say you'd prefer it over the Broken Arrow. I think I'm gonna go with the Golden Boy.
i think the Golden Boy has more drawbacks in the "value" category than the Broken Arrow, but I do think it is the better sounding overdrive. Let me know how you like the Golden Boy!
Thanks for the really informative review. IMHO the JHS pedal sounded the best, either by itself or going into the other pedals.
Thanks man! Glad it helped!
Which one is better to get warm drive a’la BB King tone? Amp is Fender deluxe reverb 🎸 Any suggestions guys? I am a little bit confused 🤔
Broken Arrow would be “warmer”, especially if the amp is pushed a little. Both have really powerful EQ’s, so I don’t think there’s a wrong choice!
@@RiggsTaylor Many thanks for your opinion 🙂👍
Can you make a video on how you would run them stack with each other
Well I sold them both, so no, but I would run the golden boy first and the broken arrow second. The trick with stacking is to use less gain than you think you need, especially since the drives will add a lot of color to your signal.
Nice Yojimbo!!!
Haha, thanks! A great knife to be sure!
Really enjoying the video. Your voice sounds like you’re using two mics at a time, like a camera mic and a lapel maybe, and it is usually best to use only one, unless you have a stereo pair or XY. As a sound guy it bothers me, but otherwise I love your video! Keep up the good work.
Thanks man! So I'm actually using a condenser (Aston Origin) just off-of-camera, but my room isn't treated yet so it picks up a lot of reflections. It wasn't as bad in the pedalboard shot because I was much closer to the mic. Definitely something I'll improve. I appreciate the feedback!
Sorry for asking after a lot of time, but have you powered all of those pedals with the CS6 only ?
Yes! All of those were powered exclusively by the CS-6. I have a new video today of my new board that’s powered by the CS-7! Not a “board demo”, but you’ll be able to see what I run now.
@@RiggsTaylor thanks for replying so quickly. Great video. I'll check the other one with cs7 as well. Thank you again.
@@salsisha Absolutely! Glad to help!
My main takeaway is that the Kilt is the best sounding OD there.
I’ve owned 3 different Kilts since I preordered the original about 5 years ago. I keep coming back to it because it does everything, and the gated fuzz is a killer sound. Definitely a fan!
Golden boy just sounds brittle not warm enough..I guess it works best for humbuckers
Since it was designed in part by Joey Landreth, who uses really heavy strings and usually p90’s/humbuckers, you’re probably right.
Im looking for a much fatter OD, would you recommend the broken arrow or the golden boy?
Both have powerful EQ. I’d say Golden Boy only because the Broken Arrow has that mid hump reminiscent of the Tube Screamer, but both are solid choices!
@@RiggsTaylor I see. I have a greer lightspeed and eqd plumes, do you think it will stack well?
@@zealfer I do. If you have the Plumes (which is one of my favorite TS circuits) definitely go Golden Boy. I had the Plumes when I got the Broken Arrow.
@@RiggsTaylor nice! Thanks for the confirmation. I love the plumes but it feels like its more on the transparent side rather than the mid hump side.
When I try to stack it with the lightspeed it feels like nothing has changed. I'd like to have a bit of a fatter tone especially when doing lead lines to cut through the mix.
@@zealfer Happy to help! The Golden Boy can definitely do a lot. I think you’ll be happy with it!
I just bought both for my board because I couldn't make up my mind....
That's the best way to go! Golden Boy -> Broken Arrow is a killer sound. Let me know how you like them!
Buy both. They’re totally different pedals 😉
I agree, both cool! But I don’t own either anymore, so 😅
@@RiggsTaylor what?? No way! Email my and let’s see if we can fix this problem. josh@jacksonaudio.net
golden boy has a more open sound with more top end and presence. i like it a lot
Yeah, definitely much more airy top end! Glad you dig it!
So….which of these do you prefer and use today?
I actually don’t own either anymore. The Golden Boy was cool, and the boost on both is GREAT, but I’ve gone other directions.
@@RiggsTaylor understood. Which would you recommend of the two?
@@Taipos If you want tighter, flatter eq, and a more modern sound overall, then the Golden Boy. The Broken Arrow is great if you like Tube Screamers and more traditional overdrive vibe.
Do you make vsts or plugins?
I don’t - I do have Kemper profiles on my website though!
What is that midi controller? Just what i need!
Hey! So that’s actually an Analog Endeavors multi-switch. It has a Strymon favorite switch, toggle up/down for the H9, and a JHS Red Remote for the Kilt.
@@RiggsTaylor Thanks a bunch for getting back to me! I have the Golden boy by the way - still working my way around using it with my rig, with all it possibilities :-) All i really need is a basic midi-pedal with four switches I can program any way i like....
@@Overgaard1974 Sure thing! And yeah I get it- I’ve thought about going MIDI myself. The Morningstar MC-3 or MC-6 might be just what you need!
This was an informative video, but I have to ride the volume between the playing and talking.
Thanks for the feedback! This was the first real RUclips video I made, definitely still learning to find the balance!
Which one is better for Mayer tones?
I’d go with the Broken Arrow. JM has used Tubescreamers through the years, and the Broken Arrow is much better for that. Since posting this video, I’ve actually gotten rid of the Golden Boy, but that’s for a future video 😉
Riggs Taylor wow would be interesting to know why because I was about to pull the trigger on that pedal.
Need to finish up that video! The gain cycling has drastic volume changes in all the modes. Broken Arrow didn’t have that issue. It’s also really bright, which can be compensated with the EQ. Also a drastic volume difference when changing modes, so that eliminated a lot of the usability for me. Other pedals in that same vein that I like are the JHS Morning Glory, Walrus Audio Ages, and Swindler Iron Drive.
Riggs Taylor thanks for the answer and that’s such a shame. I was hoping so much on this pedal. I’m looking for an overdrive with midi capabilities so that narrows the choices quite a bit !
After today's video, my revised thoughts on the Golden Boy will be next one up! I'll go more in detail with why I sold it, and explain some of those reasons briefly.
This is THE demo
Thanks so much man 🤘🏻
That Spider Co tho. You an EDC guy? Lol
Good eye! I absolutely am. It’s so practical to have a few small tools with you, and a knife is top of the list for me. May do a pocket dump video soon...
Hmmmmm
Would love to hear your thoughts!
@@RiggsTaylor I don't need the pedal but am considering replacing my Wampler Paisley Deluxe with a Golden Boy. I'm rewatching with earbuds now to see what I like better. Also, I've never been a Tube Screamer guy so it leans me toward the GB. But again, I don't need it... or do I?
@@danielbrunner5878 I'm not a TS guy either, but the Broken Arrow (especially in the amber LED mode) doesn't give me that feel at all. That said, I think the Golden Boy is a crazy tweakable circuit. I'm doin some sessions from home this next week, and want to see if I can use ONLY the Golden Boy for my overdrive tones. I'm confident it can do it!
@@RiggsTaylor Hard to tell on here but does the Broken Arrow do that TS thing where you can kinda hear the clean sound under the overdrive? That's a big thing I don't like about Tube Screamers
@@RiggsTaylor I bought a Golden Boy! I tried it out for about 30 minutes today and it wasn't enough time but my consensus was that I like my existing set up better than the Golden Boy. Need to sit down with it for a lot longer to adjust things and see.
www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/comments/hazytr/golden_boy_first_impressions/
Seems like some people watched your video just to verify what they've already been thinking but got pissed off cuz you didn't say what they wanted to hear. Classic pedal passists.
Haha, sometimes that's how it goes!
Haha!!
Golden Boy sounds terrible... Ear piercing
It’s not as bad if you listen with good headphones, but yeah it can be harsh. That’s why I don’t own it anymore 😎
There are two trim pots inside to adjust presence and tone…