The Menatone Thundering Revival Mini is a distortion pedal handmade in the USA, a compact version of the company's Thundering Revival circuit. Menatone describes it as producing "a natural, thick and articulate distortion ranging from almost a clean boost to a cranked JCM800 levels," and positions it for players who want to keep their tone intact but need more than an overdrive to get their point across12.
How the Mini relates to the Thundering Revival, Red Snapper and Blue Collar
Menatone calls the Thundering Revival "the natural companion to the Red Snapper and the Blue Collar," and the product page repeats that it is "a perfect companion to the Red Snapper and Blue Collar"12. Players building a Menatone-style board around this circuit family may also come across the larger Thundering Rivival PTP, the point-to-point version of the same design, or other compact Menatone builds such as the Hindenburg Mini and the Shut Up & Drive Mini.
Construction and internal voltage doubling
Two construction points set the Mini apart from typical compact pedals:
- All through-hole components. Menatone states that "this mini version uses all through hole components," the larger leaded parts used in hand-built circuits rather than surface-mount parts1.
- Internally voltage doubled. The circuit runs on a doubled internal voltage, which Menatone says gives "more headroom and fatness"1.
The Thundering Revival Mini is built to order. Menatone gives a build time of approximately 2 to 4 weeks1.
Sound and demos
Menatone's own description places the pedal's range from "almost a clean boost to a cranked JCM800 levels," a span that covers light grit through full British-style distortion1. The company's demo videos on the product page use a Princeton style amp running into an Ox Amp Top Box, with the amp set very clean so as not to hide the sound of the pedal1. Menatone notes, with some self-deprecation, that "all demos played poorly by Menatone"1.
Videos
menatone1996
John Cabán
Questions
What is the difference between the Thundering Revival and the Thundering Revival Mini?
The Mini is a compact version of the Thundering Revival. Menatone states that this mini version uses all through-hole components, the same construction approach as the company's larger point-to-point pedals, and that the circuit is internally voltage doubled for more headroom and fatness. The sound is described the same way: a natural, thick and articulate distortion ranging from almost a clean boost to cranked JCM800 levels.
Where is the Menatone Thundering Revival Mini made?
Menatone lists the Thundering Revival Mini as handmade in the USA. It is built to order by the company, and the maker's product page gives an approximate build time of 2 to 4 weeks before the pedal ships.
How long does Menatone take to build a Thundering Revival Mini?
Menatone gives a build time of approximately 2 to 4 weeks for the Thundering Revival Mini. Because the pedals are handmade in the USA to order, the pedal is built after the order is placed rather than shipped from stock.
What does voltage doubling do inside the Thundering Revival Mini?
The Thundering Revival Mini is internally voltage doubled, meaning the circuit runs at a higher internal voltage than the supply feeding it. Menatone says this gives the pedal more headroom and fatness, allowing the distortion stages more room to work before clipping.
Is the Thundering Revival Mini built with through-hole parts?
Yes. Menatone states that this mini version uses all through-hole components, the larger style of parts soldered through the circuit board rather than surface-mount parts.
Sources (2)
- Thundering Revival Mini, menatone.com
- Thundering Revival Mini, Menatone
