MXR Timmy Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal

See-Through Drive

In the world of drive effects pedals, few things are as illusive and ephemeral as the hallowed "transparent overdrive". Very rarely does a pedal step up to the plate and hit a home-run in that particular arena. The ones that do immediately attain a near mythical status. One pedal that did just that in recent years, however, is Paul Cochrane’s Timmy.

The Timmy has become one of the go-to's for guitarists worldwide who are looking to add some gain and snarl to their tone without changing the character of their amplifier at all. One caveat though is that the Timmy is still made by the man himself, Mr Cochrane. This makes them particularly hard to come by and can push the second-hand price up into the region of several hundred pounds due to their limited availability.   

Transparency for the People

That is where the MXR Custom Shop steps in. They have teamed up with Mr Cochrane himself to produce the Timmy's little brother. MXR's Timmy has been designed to be more accommodating in almost every sense. Firstly it's coming in at a lower price, secondly it’s housed in a smaller chassis which allows it to fit neatly into almost any board, and finally, perhaps most crucially, its being made in larger quantities meaning more people will have the chance to get their hands on one. It does all of this without compromising anything feature-wise or tonally.

How The Timmy Hides Itself

The secret to the Timmy’s transparency arguably resides within it’s tone controls. You’ve got a bass and a treble control to contend with. These work slightly counter-intuitively to how one might expect as they only cut frequencies rather than working more traditionally as a cut and boost. Alongside this, the treble control is situated before the drive circuitry and the bass control is situated after it. These features allow the pedal to shape your tone quite powerfully all without infringing upon the quintessential tone of your guitar or amp.

Controlling the Clipping

As previously mentioned, MXR’s Timmy comes with all the features of the original. One of these is the toggle switch which allows you to choose between symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping. The difference between the two modes is subtle and entirely subjective. It is something again to be experimented with to suit your particular rig and help make the pedal as unobtrusive as one might like.

In a nutshell, the difference is in the apparent amount of compression and drive. Symmetrical clipping provides more compression, more drive, and more sustain. It generates a slightly more squeezed sound. Asymmetrical clipping on the other hand is a little more lively. It provides a slight decrease in compression and gain but affords you a little more clarity and character. As mentioned, it’s a great way to tailor the pedal yet further to fit in with any rig.

Pip-Squeak Boutique

The MXR Timmy is a fantastic way to get boutique levels of tone for a fraction of the cost and floor space. If you’re in love with the tone you’re getting from your guitar and amp but would just like a little more volume/push, look no further. The Timmy from MXR will provide lovely gain and volume without colouring your tone whatsoever.

Why Bonners?

Here at Bonners Music, you have the opportunity to try one of these great MXR effects pedals yourself. Just give us a call on 01323 636141 or better still, visit our showroom! If you can't see the MXR pedal listed that you are after just call 01323 636141 for availability and the best price.