Sushi Box FX - Grand Slampegg

[GR7G5TER]

Looks like the wait is nearly over,excepting these to be on sale end of this month! Gorgeous looking pedal and is the top of my wish list (if anyone is feeling generous🤣). I have no affiliation, altough I'm a big fan of Nathan's pedals.

 

 

Some blurb from taken the Sushi Box FX Secret Society so save you all trawling through 1200 pots!

 

Slampegg Bee Pre (current): based on the Ampeg B-15N preamp with a 12AX7 tube. Simple 1/4" input and 1/4" output with a footswitch to bypass. I left the circuit as close to the original as possible, and with a 12AX7 or 12AT7 installed it can get a decent amount of overdrive.

Grand Slampegg: Also based on the Ampeg B-15N preamp but this time with a 6SL7 tube. I have modified the circuit on this one to stay clean no matter what, but it allows you get the B-15N clean tone LOUD which seems to be what most B-15 players want. I have added a D.I. XLR output so this can be your rig-in-a-box, kept the two-band EQ and also added a fixed frequency HPF like you see in Neptunium and Finally v2.

Grand Slampegg has the 1/4" dry pass switch so you can run the preamp out the XLR and send your dry signal through the 1/4" to an amplifier, like Finally. But in this revision I've also managed to squeeze in an XLR source switch like I have in Venus Z. So you can choose whether you want preamp output from the XLR or if you just want it to act as a passive D.I. box. This would allow you to send the preamp signal through the 1/4" output to a power amp and a clean D.I. signal to FOH for example.

 

'it will not be able to break up by itself. Granted running another pedal into it and pushing the front end will still allow the 6SL7 to break up, but by itself it will just be clean.

 

Grand Slampegg:
- 6SL7 tube
- 100% clean, doesn't have a gain control
- XLR output and 1/4" output
- fixed frequency switchable HPF (yup, I throw it in pedals willy-nilly now)

[JoeEvans]

That looks great... Wonder how much it will cost?

[GR7G5TER]

1 hour ago, JoeEvans said:

That looks great... Wonder how much it will cost?

 

The Venus Z is $350 bucks and has similar features, so I'm guessing in that ball park somewhere.

[JohnR]

These went on sale today for $400. I was very tempted to order one but really need a bypass footswitch which this doesn't have. 

[JohnR]

Well after chatting with Nathan of Sushi Box I have gone ahead and ordered one. I will be able to make do with using the bypass toggle switch when needed. 

[GR7G5TER]

Let us know how you get on with it, it's top of my 2025 wish list currently.

[Quatschmacher]

On 16/11/2024 at 18:23, JohnR said:

Well after chatting with Nathan of Sushi Box I have gone ahead and ordered one. I will be able to make do with using the bypass toggle switch when needed. 

Have you received it yet? If so, how is it?

[JohnR]

Sadly not yet as it's been stuck in UK customs since November 22nd. 

[Quatschmacher]

1 minute ago, JohnR said:

Sadly not yet as it's been stuck in UK customs since November 22nd. 

Oh, sorry, that’s quite a big hold-up. 

[JohnR]

It's unusual. I've bought several things from the US and they generally clear through customs very quickly. I'm hoping it will finally arrive next week in time to be a nice Xmas present to myself. 

[RobD]

I had to wait a little over a week for mine to clear customs/royal mail to deliver a highly expensive piece of cardboard to inform me of the customs charges.

It was worth the wait though, really love how the Grand Slampegg sounds, I have an Arkham Oracle, which has a slightly different sound, and a couple of other Sushibox preamps, so all in that tube ballpark, but it's got a special something to it, and cranking the bass knob is highly addictive

[Quatschmacher]

1 hour ago, RobD said:

I had to wait a little over a week for mine to clear customs/royal mail to deliver a highly expensive piece of cardboard to inform me of the customs charges.

It was worth the wait though, really love how the Grand Slampegg sounds, I have an Arkham Oracle, which has a slightly different sound, and a couple of other Sushibox preamps, so all in that tube ballpark, but it's got a special something to it, and cranking the bass knob is highly addictive

Would love to try one. The only thing giving me pause is the lack of ability to overdrive the tube from the onboard controls. If you were able to post some clips I (and I’m sure others) would greatly appreciate it. 

[JohnR]

It finally arrived this morning making a great Xmas present from me to me.  I will give my thoughts once I have time to play with it. 

[JohnR]

Unfortunately it's faulty so I haven't been able to play with it. It does pass audio but there's a loud background rumbling and buzzing sound. I will wait a few days until the holidays are over and email Nathan. My guess is the valve is bad and I won't be able to order a new one until the shops open again on 2nd January. 

[Quatschmacher]

6 minutes ago, JohnR said:

Unfortunately it's faulty so I haven't been able to play with it. It does pass audio but there's a loud background rumbling and buzzing sound. I will wait a few days until the holidays are over and email Nathan. My guess is the valve is bad and I won't be able to order a new one until the shops open again on 2nd January. 

Could it be that the tube has just worked loose in transit a bit? Might be a simple case of having to screw it back in snugly. Hope you get a quick resolution. 

[JohnR]

I did try that. I also tested with both a CIOKS with a CRUX and Truetone power supplies with the same result. I just need to be patient and wait for the world to get back to work in the New Year.

[JohnR]

The replacement valve arrived today and it working well and seems to have resolved the noise issue. As a bonus I managed to obtain a NOS vintage Jan Tung Sol Black Glass valve which sounds wonderful. 

 

I exchanged a few emails with Nathan of Sushibox and he did offer to refund me the cost of a replacement valve but I told him not to bother as I would have started tube rolling sooner or later anyway. He did say he is planning to move from Sovtek to JJ valves in future. 

 

I had initially bought the Grand Slampegg with the intention of using it on a few songs I thought would benefit from a vintage tone but, after playing it for a while, I think it's going to be an always on pedal.  

Edited December 31, 2024 by JohnR
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