The Roger Mayer Spitfire-X is a distortion and fuzz pedal from Roger Mayer, described by the maker as "a new sounding modern distortion/ fuzz sound". It is an updated version of the earlier Rocket series of pedals, and its designs have their roots in Roger Mayer's association with the making of Jimi Hendrix's recordings1. It sits in the distortion lane alongside other distortion pedals, with a fuzz character as well.
What it does
Roger Mayer designed the Spitfire to produce what the company describes as "the classic triode tube type distortion that is particularly rich in harmonics that are very musical and pleasing to the ears"1. In plain terms, the aim is a distortion that behaves like an overdriven tube amp stage, adding harmonics that sit musically in the mix rather than fizzing on top. Players who want a related sound from the same maker can look at the Roger Mayer Visage or the Voodoo-1.
The headline feature of the X-series update is a Fatness Control, which Premier Guitar describes as allowing tweaking without destroying the overall tonal characteristics1. That gives a player a way to fatten the sound without losing the pedal's basic character.
Power and outputs
The Spitfire-X takes a standard DC power jack, with extra internal filtering to ensure low noise performance, and the new version offers easier battery access1. It provides hard wire or two buffered outputs, so a player can choose between a true hard-wired signal path and buffered outputs that help drive longer cable runs1.
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Questions
What is the Roger Mayer Spitfire-X?
The Spitfire-X is a distortion and fuzz pedal from Roger Mayer, announced in August 2008 as part of a set of four X-series pedals. Each X-series pedal is an updated version of the earlier Rocket series, and the design has its roots in Roger Mayer's association with the making of Jimi Hendrix's recordings.
What does the Fatness Control do?
Premier Guitar describes the Fatness Control as allowing tweaking without destroying the overall tonal characteristics of the pedal. In other words, it lets a player adjust the body of the sound while keeping the pedal's basic character intact.
How is the Spitfire-X powered?
The pedal takes a standard DC power jack with extra internal filtering to ensure low noise performance, and it also offers easier battery access. It provides hard wire or two buffered outputs.
Sources (1)
- New Pedals from Roger Mayer, Premier Guitar, 2008-08-26
