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We all know that the distinguished tone chaser sometimes needs extreme gain, sometimes needs a slight overdrive...sometimes needs something that does both the above and everything in between both. The Pinnacle not only does that, but it also brings the most convincing "Brown Sound" ever heard in a pedal!
With two distinct styles of gain structure, a powerful mid contour control (from scooped to mid hump), and a control that extracts every ounce of tone from your guitar, you'll notice that the Pinnacle is called that for a very good reason.
Although extremely versatile, the Pinnacle is well known for delivering the "Brown Sound", the tone and style of distortion made famous by Eddie Van Halen. Zeke Clark (Van Halen's longtime renowned guitar tech) played his way to the top and here's what he had to say: "I played tons of pedals that promised that 'Brown Sound'...that pedal nails it better than anything I've ever heard or played.
Bypass Switch - A software switch based on a true bypass relay provides solid circuit suppression when not wanted, meaning you don't lose any tone when the pedal is off.
Volume – This control adjusts the output level of the Pinnacle. There's plenty of volume on tap in Standard or Boost mode, so whether you want to go higher than your input level or just make sure it can do unity volume (the same level of signal output as you l 'power, when active), you are covered. The Gain, Tone and Contour knobs, and the Boost Toggle all impact the total output volume level, so you're probably better off waiting to adjust the volume until you've dialed in the other controls. Readjustment may be necessary if you get it to the desired level and still need to adjust the sound.
Gain - This control, in conjunction with the Boost Toggle, allows you to dial in anything from a classic, almost laid-back rock tone to a modern high gain. Our users, from international pros to weekend warriors, all have their favorite ways to use the pedal, so no matter if you end up liking the Gain setting, that's fine. The “Brown Sound” is there, that’s the goal after all! But in terms of how much distortion you want, there's a lot of flexibility and we encourage you to run through the range to get a good idea of how it works and responds before you decide on how you want it. will use.
Tone – This adjusts the frequency emphasis on the treble. It interacts noticeably with the Contour button and Vint./Modern switch. There are several ways to approach tone adjustment. You can start with the maximum and roll it around until you like the amount of treble, or you can start with a lower level and adjust it back and forth if you want more or less. Regardless, it's a fairly simple control, but interacting with the other tonal adjustment options means you should expect to spend some time getting used to the overall tonal possibilities.
Contour – This adjusts the overall frequency boost. It interacts noticeably with the Tone knob and is also affected by the Vint./Modern switch. At noon, this button gives you a balanced presentation of the overall frequencies; counterclockwise it becomes very midrange forward, and clockwise it eliminates the midrange quite heavily, shaping the sound for a very "cut-out" sound. A little adjustment goes a long way with this control. The best approach would be to start with the Contour button at 12 o'clock and adjust from there. Of course, when making such broad tone changes, you're going to want to adjust the Tone control in conjunction with the Contour knob!
Vint./Modern Switch – This control essentially sets the overall frequency voice of the pedal, either darker with a classic tone, or brighter and more modern if you prefer that. Setting this up first will give you a good "starting point" for your tone, but it's also useful if you've adjusted everything else and feel the overall tone needs to change in a broader direction.
Boost Toggle - This switch changes the internal gain structure of the pedal to provide much more drive, heavier and more aggressive distortion when engaged. On the Pinnacle Deluxe, this functionality is found on the Boost Footswitch, for adjustment on the fly! Note: This is not and is not intended to be a volume boost. Although especially at very low settings of the Gain knob it can act as a volume boost to some extent, it is primarily intended to increase gain and should not be considered a volume boost.