The TAL Audio Armadillo Blues Preamp/Roadkill Fuzz is a dual-purpose pedal: a low-noise instrument preamp with a footswitchable harmonic overdrive, described by its maker as designed for the professional musician. Vintage Guitar classified it as a clean boost/fuzzbox, and the magazine reviewed it in October 2002, listing it at $1591. It sits in the territory of preamp pedals and fuzz pedals at the same time, with the fuzz as the only switchable part.
What it does
The clean side is a preamp built for quiet operation. Vintage Guitar's reviewer found that the Armadillo's all-analog circuit delivered the promised quiet and transparent preamplification, and that the active tone controls worked well, adding punch to the lows and sparkle to the highs1. The tone section is a three-band EQ with boost and cut functions, letting the user dial in lower frequencies1. Players looking at clean preamps of this kind can compare it with other boost pedals.
The fuzz side is the Roadkill circuit, a harmonic overdrive/fuzz that can be brought in over the clean preamp. The maker's listed features are quiet, high-fidelity circuits, US manufacture, and the Roadkill fuzz circuit1.
Controls and switching
The Armadillo has one stompswitch, and its sole function is to activate and deactivate the Roadkill fuzz circuit. There is no on/off switch for the clean boost operation1.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Stompswitch | Activates/deactivates the Roadkill fuzz circuit only; the clean preamp has no on/off switch1 |
| Three-band EQ | Active tone controls with boost and cut, for dialing in lower frequencies and shaping the tone1 |
Because the clean preamp cannot be bypassed by the footswitch, the pedal is best understood as a preamp with a built-in fuzz rather than a fuzz with a clean mode. The switch changes between the two sounds; it does not turn the pedal off.
What reviewers said
Vintage Guitar's October 2002 review is the published account of this pedal. Its reviewer's verdict on the preamp side1:
"the Armadillo's all-analog circuit delivered the promised quiet and transparent preamplification"
The same review credited the active tone controls with working well, adding punch to the lows and sparkle to the highs1.
Questions
Is the TAL Audio Armadillo Blues Preamp all analog?
Yes. Vintage Guitar's review described the Armadillo's all-analog circuit as delivering quiet and transparent preamplification, with active tone controls that the reviewer found worked well, adding punch to the lows and sparkle to the highs. The pedal is a clean boost/preamp combined with a fuzz circuit, both built on that analog design.
Can the clean preamp be switched off on the Armadillo?
No. The pedal has one stompswitch, and its sole function is to activate and deactivate the Roadkill fuzz circuit. There is no on/off switch for the clean boost operation, so the preamp stage is always in the signal path while the pedal is connected.
What does the stompswitch do on the Armadillo Blues Preamp/Roadkill Fuzz?
The single stompswitch turns the Roadkill fuzz circuit on and off. That is its only function. The clean preamp runs continuously, and the switch lets a player move between the quiet preamplified clean sound and the fuzz without touching any other control.
Where is the TAL Audio Armadillo made?
The Armadillo Blues Preamp/Roadkill Fuzz is made in the U.S., a point the maker lists among the pedal's features alongside its quiet, high-fidelity circuits and the Roadkill fuzz circuit.
How much does the TAL Audio Armadillo cost?
Vintage Guitar's October 2002 review listed the price at $159. That figure dates from the time of the review, and no newer price is available.
Sources (1)
- Armadillo Blues Preamp/Roadkill Fuzz, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2004-04-08