Z.Vex Launches See-Through Variant of Box of Rock
September 6, 2019 · 2 sources
Z.Vex announced a strictly limited edition of its Box of Rock overdrive pedal built into a see-through enclosure. The Box of Rock Clear houses the standard Box of Rock circuit in a transparent box with light-up LED control knobs, letting players see the hand-soldered components inside while they play1.
The enclosure material is Lexan, which MusicRadar described as bullet-proof glass, and the knobs light up so the controls stay visible on a dark stage1. Guitar World reported that the pedal uses internal Faraday cage wiring to ensure proper shielding of the hand-soldered circuit2.
What the circuit is
The circuit itself is the same as the standard Box of Rock, an overdrive that simulates the sound of Zachary Vex's favorite amplifier, a 1966 Marshall JTM451. For the Clear version, nothing about the tone-shaping design was altered; the change is entirely in the enclosure and its presentation1.
Because a transparent enclosure offers none of the electromagnetic shielding a metal box provides, Z.Vex paid particular attention to the grounding and Faraday shielding of the circuitry throughout1. The circuit was hand-soldered by Shoua Thao, who has assembled all of Z.Vex's pedals1.
The Clear is a limited edition sold by pre-order only. Players who wanted one had to place an order during the pre-sale window rather than wait for retail stock12.
Price and ordering
Pre-orders were taken at $269, with orders open until September 18, 2019 for the limited run12. MusicRadar also listed the price as £2201.
Sources (2)
- Z.Vex's Box of Rock Clear is the overdrive pedal you can see through, MusicRadar, 2019-09-09
- Z.Vex's Box of Rock Clear is literally a transparent overdrive pedal, Guitar World, 2019-09-06