The Improbability Drive is a drive/fuzz/distortion pedal from Effector 13, reviewed by Vintage Guitar in its January 2005 issue. The magazine credits it to designer Ever Was, who began working on it after the Krackle Fuzz line and the Truly Beautiful Disaster because, in the review's words, he felt there was something missing in the fuzz world. The name is taken from The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy1.
Vintage Guitar listed it at $255 in January 20051.
Controls
The top of the pedal carries five knobs, two mini-toggle "mode" switches, and a true-bypass on/off stompswitch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Knob I | Tone control that adds a bit of boost; between 0 and 9 o'clock it produces a very dark, muffled sound, and after 9 o'clock it adds boost/drive and a touch more treble |
| Knob II | Gain control; past 9 o'clock it gives very fat gain with a meaty low-midrange boost, gain peaks at about 2 o'clock, and past 3 o'clock it tapers off |
| Knob III | Gain control |
| Mode switch A | Adds a bit of darkness to the signal |
Vintage Guitar's review describes knob II and III as gain controls1.
What Vintage Guitar's reviewer said
The reviewer's verdict was strongly positive, with a caveat about noise:
"The Improbability Drive is the most unique drive/fuzz/distortion pedal we've tried."
The review says the pedal requires time to unlock its potential, and that the more the reviewer played with it, the more they loved it1.
On sound, the reviewer found that with control I dialed back the pedal produced a muffled, ultra-smooth vintage fuzz tone, with a meaty low-midrange prevalent throughout all settings. With gains at max in the neck and middle pickup positions, they heard Hendrix tones1.
Noise was the main criticism. At full input and output volume the pedal was noisy, though the reviewer judged that much gain could not be any other way. With the output at full and the input backed off, they got a crystalline enhanced tone that was pure but again somewhat noisy1.
Videos
plexus
Questions
Who designed the Effector 13 Improbability Drive?
Vintage Guitar's review credits the pedal to Ever Was, describing the Improbability Drive as the product of his active imagination. The review says Was began working on the pedal because he felt there was something missing in the fuzz world, developing it from his Krackle Fuzz line by way of the Truly Beautiful Disaster.
Is the Effector 13 Improbability Drive true bypass?
Yes. Vintage Guitar's January 2005 review lists a true-bypass on/off switch with an LED indicator among the pedal's features, along with hand wiring, input and output volume controls, and Switchcraft input and output jacks.
Where does the name Improbability Drive come from?
According to Vintage Guitar's review, the name is taken from The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the novel by Douglas Adams in which a starship is powered by an Infinite Improbability Drive.
Is the Improbability Drive hand wired?
Yes. Vintage Guitar's review lists hand wiring among the pedal's features and refers to the hand-wired Improbability Drive when describing its top panel, which carries five knobs, two mini-toggle mode switches, and a true-bypass stompswitch.
What does the mode switch A do on the Improbability Drive?
Vintage Guitar's reviewer found that mode switch A adds a bit of darkness to the signal. It is one of two mini-toggle mode switches on the top of the pedal.
Is the Improbability Drive a fuzz or a distortion?
Vintage Guitar treats it as all three, calling it a drive/fuzz/distortion pedal. With control I dialed back the reviewer heard a muffled, ultra-smooth vintage fuzz tone, and with gains at maximum in the neck and middle pickup positions they heard Hendrix tones. The pedal evolved from the Krackle Fuzz line.
Sources (1)
- Effector 13 Improbability Drive, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2013-08-15