The Vox Cooltron Bulldog Distortion is a distortion pedal from Vox's Cooltron line, introduced alongside the Big Ben Overdrive and Brit Boost in the same series1. It is the widest-ranging distortion pedal of the three and carries the most controls, with two switchable distortion circuits: a basic vintage-type circuit and a second that pushes into shred territory and beyond1.
What it does
The Bulldog's two circuits cover very different ground. The first is described as a basic vintage-type distortion, while the second can go to shred and beyond, giving the pedal a wide gain range from one box1. Vintage Guitar's reviewer found the second circuit stays smooth even at extreme levels: "this one sounds smooth even while producing decibles seemingly comparable to a 747 on takeoff"1.
"The Bulldog Distortion offers the widest range of distortion and, predictably, the most knobs."
That range of controls is the pedal's distinguishing feature within the Cooltron line: where the Big Ben Overdrive and Brit Boost are simpler pedals, the Bulldog gives up the most knobs in exchange for the widest spread of distortion tones1.
Battery life
The Cooltron design runs on battery power, and Vintage Guitar's reviewer ran a test with everything turned up. The red LEDs that indicate the effect faded at 18 hours, 23 minutes, and went totally dead at 19 hours, six minutes and 23 seconds1.
The tested battery life of roughly 19 hours was measured with everything turned up. Players running the pedal at high gain settings should expect the LEDs to dim as the battery nears the end of its life.
Where it sits in Vox's distortion range
The Bulldog is one of several distortion pedals Vox has made over the years. Players comparing it within the maker's catalog may also come across the Vox Satchurator, the Vox Tone Garage V8 Distortion, the Vox Distortion Booster V2, and the Nutube-based Vox Valvenergy Fuel Injector. For a broader look at the category, see Distortion Pedals.
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Questions
How long does a battery last in the Vox Cooltron Bulldog Distortion?
In Vintage Guitar magazine's test, the red LEDs that indicate the effect faded at 18 hours, 23 minutes, and went totally dead at 19 hours, six minutes and 23 seconds with everything turned up. That is with the pedal running flat out, so lighter use stretches the figure, but it shows the Cooltron design draws enough current that a battery is a real running cost to plan for.
Sources (1)
- Vox Cooltron Pedals, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2007-08-28
