GEAR REVIEW
MAESTRO RANGER OVERDRIVE | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• Gain , Level , and Tone Controls
• Hi / Lo Mode Toggle Switch
• 9-12v DC or 9v Battery Powered
• 5 ” x 3.5 ” x 2.5 ”
• All-Analog
• True Bypass
THE PERFECT OVERDRIVE The quest for the perfect Overdrive pedal is a long and winding road , and the Maestro Ranger Overdrive just might be that mythical pedal unicorn I ’ ve been searching for . “ So , what exactly does the perfect Overdrive pedal do ?” one might ask . First and foremost , while we tend to love that little green pedal that some say throws a blanket over one ’ s tone , this pedal is a free-range Overdrive – no blanket here . In fact , it actually sounds like the very thing Overdrive pedals were designed to do – capture the essence of a cranked tube amp . I own at least fifty drive pedals and I ’ d have to say that none of them outdo the Ranger Overdrive when it comes to reproducing the aforementioned essence .
THE TONE We live in a post-modeling world where an ever-increasing number of players have never actually cranked up a vintage Marshall or AC30 to experience the mind-melting warmth , organic drive , touch sensitivity , harmonic overtones , and sheer volume these fire breathing beasts can produce once unleashed . Considering this is the first Overdrive pedal Maestro has come out with , it is shocking how good a job it does at nailing all of the above – without the need for face melting volume .
THE GOODS Like a great amp , there are things we generally
expect from a great Overdrive pedal . It should respond well to more than just one guitar and amp . From Strats to Teles to Les Pauls , be it my Deluxe Reverb or my Kemper , this pedal delivered the goods . Classic SRV ? Yes . Classic Rock ? Yes ? Worship ? That too .
Narrowing things done to amp-like Overdrives , it should have the transparent quality that is like your favorite guitar , but on steroids . When you back off on your attack the gain should respond accordingly . When you back off on your volume control it should clean up . This pedal does both exceptionally well . Crisper but not harsh with a Tele , full but not tubby with a Les Paul .
Another thing that a great Overdrive pedal should be able to do is have enough gain on top to hit the front end of your amp hard enough to create downstream gain , which the Level control does in spades . My preference was to set it and forget it at 2:00 . Another key factor is not having to crank the gain to get as
much drive as you need . I found that setting the Gain control around 1:00 was more than enough to get the job done . And unlike many of my favorite drive pedals , I didn ’ t have to back the Tone control off to tame the high end , even with Strats and Teles .
SECRET SAUCE The real secret sauce on this pedal is the Hi / Lo Mode switch for the amount of drive . Other pedals that have this type of feature tend to sound great at one of the settings , and meh at the other . The Ranger Overdrive on the other hand sounds great on both , without having to change any other settings . This is a hat trick that many have tried , and most have failed miserably at .
In Lo Mode , you have this perfect blend of the guitar and the drive where it doesn ’ t sound anemic or give that ‘ fuzz in the background ’ effect that some pedals do when you back off on the amount of gain . In Hi Mode , it ’ s still very much Overdrive , but it hints on the kind of Distortion pedal lovers seek without the fizz we so loathe .
All in all , this is one of the coolest pedals I ’ ve ever played . I wrote riff after riff on it . The hours flew by and it just made me want to keep on playing . While I expected this pedal to be good , I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to be completely floored by the Maestro Ranger Overdrive .
$ 149.00 MAP MaestroElectronics . com