The Shin-Juku is an amp-like overdrive pedal made by legendary Japanese pedal designer Shin Suzuki in collaboration with the MXR Custom Shop. It's been designed to capture the tone and character of a very famous - and sought-after - D-style amp. Just like that rare amp, this pedal can act as a tone sweetener or boost if you keep the gain down, but can be cranked up to grinding overdrive for lead & rhythm playing.
Dark Switch
On the top left corner, MXR have added a dark switch to mellow out any harsh frequencies or warm up the tone of bright pickups. It works really well with high output singlecoils and will just tame any overtones you may experience.
The dark switch is useful because the overdrive reacts very quickly to your touch when playing. The character of the D-style amp is that it responds to every nuance, and this pedal is harmonically balanced in the same way.
Simple Interface
Sometimes the best pedals are the easiest to use. The Shin-Juku makes it easy to get a useable sound with the following controls:
Output (volume)
Tone (EQ/Brightness)
Gain (drive)
Small adjustments to these knobs will change how the pedal reacts, but you can get a vast array of overdrive sounds just by experimenting with the control knobs.
Here's what MXR say about the Shin-Juku
The Shin-Juku Drive delivers legendary boutique amp tones right from your pedalboard. The MXR Custom Shop design team worked with Shin Suzuki, Japan?s most celebrated amp tech and pedal designer, to capture the sound of one of the rarest and most sought-after amps ever made. Shin used his intimate knowledge of said amplifier to create a pedal that provides smooth, wide open overdrive with tons of sustain and incredibly fast response time to every playing detail. The simple three-knob interface allows you to call up a wide range of sounds, from an organic boost to full on grinding overdrive. At lower gain settings, this pedal works amazingly as an ?always on? tonal sweetener. Pushing the Dark switch cuts high frequencies for a darker, mellower sound.
Specifications
Co-designed with legendary pedal designer Shin Suzuki
The sound of an elusive boutique amp in a small enclosure
Harmonically balanced overdrive with a fast response time
Features true hardwire bypass
Limited Custom Shop run
Type: Overdrive
Control Knobs: Output, Tone, Gain, Dark Switch
Inputs: 1 - 1/4"
Outputs:1 - 1/4"
Power Supply: 9V DC Power Supply Required