The Mystical Sustainer Distortion is a distortion pedal from EC Pedals, a small builder whose pedals sit alongside others in the distortion field. Writing at Pedal of the Day in 2014, reviewer Mike B described it as "one badass little purple monster," a nod to its purple enclosure1. EC Pedals says that when the pedal is engaged it almost acts as a Boost pedal as well, producing huge sounds without coloring the overall tone of the pickups and amp setup1.
What it does
The pedal's Gain control is its main feature. Mike B found it versatile enough for "any hard rock or metal setup," running from "a low, warmer distorted gain" up to what he called "a speaker-ripping sonic nightmare"1. The Level and Tone controls behave as expected, with what he described as "a big amount of output volume and a nice EQ range"1.
The fourth control is what sets the pedal apart. Labeled "Fine," it lets the player fine-tune the treble ranges handled by the Tone knob and, in Mike B's words, "scoop out high-pitched shrieks"1. For a high-gain pedal, that extra trim on the top end is the difference between cutting through and shrill.
Mike B also noted that when engaged, the pedal "almost acts as a Boost pedal as well, producing huge sounds without coloring the overall tone" of the pickups and amp, which puts it in territory shared with dedicated boost and overdrive pedals1.
His overall verdict:
Pedal of the Day's reviewer summed the pedal up as metal in a box, but of the smooth and friendly kind: crunchy, gritty and sonically pleasing, with sustain that goes on forever1. The same review called it "one badass little purple monster," a nod to the purple enclosure1.
Videos
PlayRightAway
Tal Behar
gearmanndude
Sources (1)
- EC Pedals Mystical Sustainer Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2014-12-31