Silktone Expander review – a refined and versatile drive pedal that does things a little differently
$269/£279, silktone.org
By now we can safely conclude that Charles Henry knows his shit. The man behind Silktone hasn’t exactly flooded the market with amps and pedals, but there’s been a common theme to the stuff he’s put out so far: utter brilliance.
READ MORE: Coggins Audio Dinosaural Hypoid Drive review – a high-class overdrive with a difference
The Expander is his second overdrive. Seeing as we described the first one as an “instant classic”, I’m going to be massively disappointed if this new pedal – notable for its distinctively handsome enclosure design and lack of a conventional tone control – is anything less than stellar.
Image: Richard Purvis
Silktone Expander – what is it?
OK, it isn’t just an overdrive… and nor is it, despite the name, a studio-style expander. What we’re promised here is one dirt pedal to rule them all, covering everything from subtle enhancement to aggressive drive and even fuzz. And the key to all of that is its novel approach to tone-shaping.
As mentioned, there’s no standard treble-attenuating control, but what you get instead is an interesting double act: a ‘choke’ knob for rolling off bass and a three-way toggle switch for dark, normal or bright voicing. On paper, that should have everything covered – just as soon as your overworked little brain has got a handle on how they interact.
Image: Richard Purvis
Silktone Expander – usability
Three-knob pedals are never exactly difficult to use, but there is a learning curve with this one just because of those unusual tone controls. Luckily, there’s a card in the box with a basic manual on one side and three suggested settings on the other: an always-on tone-improver, a full-range drive and a Rangemaster-style treble boost.
If you’re wondering where the fuzz is, well so was I… but as so often in life, cranking up the gain will provide all the answers.
Image: Richard Purvis
Silktone Expander – sounds
I begin with a Telecaster, a clean black-panel amp and the first suggested setting… and it hits the spot like the first cup of tea after being stuck up a tree for two days. It’s light, smooth and crisp-edged, with just enough compression to stop it getting abrasive – something like a sophisticated Rat at a low distortion setting. In fact, it’s a lot like the 1981 Inventions DRV, which is a heck of a start – but there’s lots more to this pedal than that.
The second setting is a mid-gain crunch that keeps the same sweet treble response but fills out the body of the tone a little, marking a step in the direction of transparent overdrive. This could come in very useful for a lot of players, and works just as well with humbuckers as it does with single-coils.
In a sense the third setting is more of the zingy same – lots more, in fact, as the gain is now close to maximum – but this can easily be turned into a more familiar full-range voice simply by flipping the toggle switch to the left, its darkest setting. Does that make it muffled? Actually it’s still quite bright, but you can now turn down the choke knob to let more bass through, which forces the treble to take a step back.
This can feel like a topsy-turvy way of doing things, but there’s no denying it’s effective at shifting the tonal balance. Set the choke to minimum and you can even get properly squelchy splat-fuzz, which is all about the overblown bottom end – and feels a long way away from the shimmery grit of that first suggested setting.
Image: Richard Purvis
Silktone Expander – should I buy it?
There’s an awful lot of competition in the world of premium dirt – just look at the ‘alternatives’ paragraph below, phwoar! – but the Expander sets itself apart with an emphasis on addictively sugary treble. In that respect it’s very much an equal to the vaunted DRV, but with way more versatility.
It won’t make all your drive and fuzz pedals redundant, but put this thing anywhere near your existing pedalboard and there’s a good chance it’ll have its pick of which one to knock off.
Silktone Expander alternatives
Other ultra-classy overdrives that push all the way into fuzz territory include the Dinosaural Hypoid Drive (£219), Great Eastern FX Co Focus Fuzz Deluxe (£299) and Origin Effects Deluxe55 (£279). See also the 29 Pedals FLWR ($269.99/£285), which lets you shape its tone with a trio of three-way toggle switches.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
