The Metasonix F-1 Distortion Pedal – ” You Can Almost Smell The Smoke Pouring Out.”

metasonix-f-1

Metasonix has introduced the F-1 distortion pedal.

The F-1 pedal uses a unique vacuum-tube pentode circuit to do something special: it simulates the extreme distortion, parasitic oscillations, and other unique sounds that come from a tube guitar amp that is being ‘overdriven to flaming destruction.’

The “Complex Distortion” knob varies the plate loading on the two pentodes to give asymmetrical distortion, and it varies the feedback effects—all on one knob. Metasonix founder Eric Barbour describes it as “Typical of the things that happen when the EL34s in a Marshall or similar amplifier are driven to the point of meltdown, and the power and output transformers threaten to go open-circuit. You can almost smell the smoke pouring out.”

Here’s a video demo of the Metasonix F-1 in action:

The F-1 is available now from Metasonix dealers for $299.

18 thoughts on “The Metasonix F-1 Distortion Pedal – ” You Can Almost Smell The Smoke Pouring Out.”

  1. Just for the record. There are tons of tube “amb in a box” pedals of all price levels (from half the price of this, to much more). This one sounds great though and it would surely have a happy home in my pedalboard. 😉

    1. I tried to reply with the names of some of metasonix product names, but got filtered out and that’s fine.

      Just google image the name “metasonix”. Your eyes are not playing tricks on you.

    2. As the small type underneath says ‘because I just don’t give a rat shit any more.’ It doesn’t really offend me, but I do find this kind of thing pointlessly juvenile. Well, maybe the goal is to ensure Metasonix gear isn’t used by Christian Rock bands or something.

      It does sound tasty though. The pedal, not the…oh never mind.

    3. Holy crap, you’re right! I can’t see it any other way. It’s like a classic drawing of fist**g.

      But seriously, that distortion is way over the top in a cool way.

    1. Just make sure he doesn’t clench the cheeks once you have fully installed it… otherwise you might end up looking like the guys in the graphic! 😉

  2. Holy smokes – I got this pedal, and it’s amazing. I admit, I’m more of a synthesizer guy than a guitar guy, but this thing is amazing. So far I’ve used it on my SH-101, a few random things, and actually a guitar. No, it’s not going to sound like a tube screamer into your fender twin. It sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before. I do suspect Metasonix’s description of ‘what happens when your tube amp is dying” may well be accurate.

    The kinds of harmonic content this thing adds to your signal are unreal – in some settings it’s like a guitar synth on top of your guitar. In other settings, it will actually self-oscillate, and you can tune / ‘play’ that oscillation by adjusting the tone & volume knobs on your guitar, or flipping the pickup selector around.

    I can safely say I’ve never had as much fun with a guitar sitting on my floor in an open tuning, playing with feedback. (Curiously, I was able to facilitate a ‘deep, low’ feedback with this, which I hadn’t expected.)

    Again – I’m not a guitar player, I’m a synth nut first and foremost – and this is my favorite toy in years.

  3. Does anyone have extreme feed back as soon as its turned on… Plus the complex distortion knob only goes to six o clock then it runs silent and I can’t get anything besides super high pitch squeal if the distortion knob is at least at seven o clock and just no tone at all if the volume switch is under three o clock… Don’t get me wrong I love it but is this normal? in the demo he is getting tones even after he moves the distortion past the six o clock mark… Mine just jumps straight to silent mode… Someone help I’m new to metasonix and don’t know if this is normal.. Thanks

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