The Menatone Red Snapper 4 Knob PTP is an overdrive pedal built point to point, one at a time, and Menatone says it is still made the same way 30 years later1. It is the four-knob version of the circuit that debuted in 1996 in its original three-knob form, the pedal Menatone calls "the pedal that started it all" for the company1. Menatone's aim for the circuit is stated plainly: "to make the most transparent touch sensitive overdrive that could possibly be made"1.
The four-knob version's addition over the original is a hi cut control, and Menatone's pitch for what it does to your sound is direct1:
"If you want your amp and guitars sound, but more, the Red Snapper may just be the only option."1
A point-to-point overdrive built one at a time
Point to point wiring means the pedal's components are soldered directly to one another rather than mounted on a printed circuit board. Menatone says the Red Snapper debuted in 1996 in its original three-knob form "made point to point, one at a time and is still made the same way 30 years later"1. The current four-knob PTP version carries that construction forward, and the maker's product page includes a manual section alongside the build-time and price details1.
Because each pedal is wired by hand, ordering one is not an off-the-shelf purchase. Menatone says the 4 Knob PTP is made point to point, one at a time, and that the original Red Snapper is still made the same way 30 years later1. The Mini versions are also made by hand, one at a time in the USA2.
The Red Snapper's place in the Menatone lineup is long-standing. Menatone describes the circuit as the one that started it all for the company, and the Mojo PTP page adds a wrinkle to the dating: although the Menatone "Red" pedal launched in 1996, it was not until the NAMM show of 1998 that the Red Snapper made its debut3. The Red Snapper also sits inside two of Menatone's combined pedals: the Fish Factory consists of the 4 knob Red Snapper and the Blue Collar overdrives4, and the Fish Factory Vertical uses the 4 knob versions of the Red Snapper5.
The hi cut control
The four-knob version's defining feature is the hi cut control. Menatone says it "is designed in such a way that it is completely out of the circuit" when turned all the way down, and that it adds tonal versatility1. In practice it works as a treble roll-off placed after the gain stage: the hi cut "allows the gain to be pushed by the bite control and then the added brightness to be backed off later in the" circuit2.
The other three knobs follow the original three-knob layout. An independent review of the Menatone Red, the Red Snapper's forerunner, lists the controls as "Gain Bite Volume knobs"6. The Red, as that review puts it, "is the forerunner of the Red Snapper which has more gain and drive and 'bite'"6.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive |
| Bite | Pushes the gain and adds brightness2 |
| Volume | Sets the output level |
| Hi cut | Backs off added brightness later in the circuit; fully out of the circuit when down1 |
Three-knob, four-knob and Mini versions
The Red Snapper family spans several formats, all built around the same circuit.
| Version | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Red Snapper (original) | 3 knobs | The circuit that debuted in 19961 |
| Red Snapper 4 Knob PTP | 4 knobs | Adds the hi cut control1 |
| Red Snapper Mini | Mini size | 3-knob circuit plus internal treble cut switches7 |
| Red Snapper Mini 4 Knob | Mini size | Same circuit as the 4 Knob, including hi cut2 |
| Red Snapper Mojo | PTP build | The original 3 knob circuit built point to point8 |
| Red Snapper Mojo PTP | Mojo Custom Shop | Point to point with upgraded "amp" parts3 |
The Mini versions shrink the pedal without changing the electronics. Menatone says the Mini 4 Knob "is the same circuit as the 4 knob Red Snapper including the hi cut control"2, and each one is made by hand, one at a time in the USA2. The three-knob Mini is likewise the mini version of the Red Snapper, and with its internal treble cut switches in the off position "it is exactly the same circuit as the 3 knob Snapper"7. The standard Red Snapper product page also describes a smaller enclosure with jacks on top, carrying the same point to point wiring and parts9.
At the top of the range, the Mojo Custom Shop version is point to point wired with upgraded "amp" parts including CTS pots, carbon comp resistors and rolled poly caps3, and the Mojo page lists Rolled Poly and Silver Mica caps with CTS pots8. Menatone calls the Mojo PTP "the ultimate version of the Red Snapper"3. Both the Mojo PTP and the Mini 4 Knob pages carry audio demos by Gregg Montante, titled Red Snapper, Dang Dawg and Jaunty Slant32.
Build times differ across the range: approximately 4 to 6 weeks for the 4 Knob PTP and the Mojo PTP13, approximately 3 to 5 weeks for the Mini 4 Knob2, and approximately 2 to 5 weeks for the three-knob Mini132.
The Red Snapper Mini is currently listed as out of stock on Menatone's product page10. Menatone says the Mini and the Mini 4 Knob are sold direct from Menatone only, which the maker says accounts for the price27.
Videos
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Questions
What does the hi cut knob do on the Menatone Red Snapper?
The hi cut control is a treble roll-off placed later in the circuit. Menatone designed it so it is completely out of the circuit when turned all the way down. It lets you push the gain with the bite control and then back off the added brightness afterward, which the maker describes as adding tonal versatility.
What does point to point mean on a pedal?
Point to point wiring means the components are soldered directly to one another rather than mounted on a printed circuit board. Menatone says the Red Snapper has been made this way, one at a time, since it debuted in 1996, and that it is still built the same way 30 years later.
How long does a Menatone Red Snapper take to build?
Menatone lists a build time of approximately 4 to 6 weeks for the Red Snapper 4 Knob PTP, since each pedal is wired point to point one at a time. A product page also lists a 1 to 3 week build time, so the two maker pages disagree. The Mini versions list shorter times of roughly 2 to 5 weeks.
Where can you buy the Red Snapper Mini?
Menatone says the Red Snapper Mini and the Mini 4 Knob are sold direct from Menatone only, which the maker says accounts for the price. The Mini product page currently shows the pedal as out of stock, so availability depends on when Menatone has a build run ready.
When did the Red Snapper first come out?
The circuit debuted in 1996 in its original three-knob form, the pedal that started it all for Menatone. However, Menatone also notes that although the Menatone Red pedal launched in 1996, the Red Snapper itself made its debut at the NAMM show of 1998.
Sources (10)
- Red Snapper 4 Knob PTP, Menatone (www.menatone.com)
- Red Snapper 4 knob Mini, Menatone
- Red Snapper Mojo PTP, menatone.com, 1998-01
- Fish Factory, menatone.com
- The Fish Factory Mojo, Menatone (www.menatone.com)
- Reviews of boost pedals, muzique.com (AMZ Guitar Effects)
- Red Snapper Mini, menatone.com
- Red Snapper Mojo, menatone.com
- Red Snapper 4 Knob PTP, menatone.com
- Red Snapper Mini, menatone.com
