Danelectro FAB D-1 Distortion Pedal New in the Box w/ Free Shipping!!!

Interesting Take from JHS on the FAB Distortion:

The last pedal I want to cover today is a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a mystery. It represents a troubling issue for me, personally, but I'm going to try my best not to have a meltdown. I think two meltdowns in one article is my limit. 

I’m talking about the FAB Distortion. First off, it's $18.95, which is bonkers. More than that, though, the original copy on this is so gripping and compelling, I’m a wreck. It leaves a maddening mystery right at my fingertips. I’m basically the protagonist in an Edgar Allan Poe story at this point.  

Let me read the copy and walk you through the turmoil that I'm experiencing as a pedal history nerd: “In the late seventies, a tiny effects maker in Japan produced a small quantity of what many believe is the definitive distortion box.”

Okay, remember that phrase “tiny effects maker,” because we’re going to come back to that.

“It had delicious tonality and was highly responsive and versatile. Recently, a boutique pedal maker reissued that box at $300 plus.”

Who is that maker? What is that pedal? Right off the bat, these are my questions.

“Danelectro offers you the divine FAB Distortion at an unbelievable price, as a sonic equivalent to the prized original.” 

Okay, they’re claiming that the FAB Distortion is based on a pedal made by a tiny effects maker in Japan in the ’70s. Fair enough. Here’s the problem: there weren't any tiny pedal companies in Japan at this point, so there’s no obvious answer for what company they’re referring to. 

You did have companies like Maxon, which wasn’t tiny but was still small-ish as a company because most people didn't know they were making all the Ibanez pedals. My first instinct is, “Oh, it's the Maxon D&S. Makes sense.” 

Yes, it does, but no, it's not. The D&S is a Big Muff, and it sounds nothing like the FAB Distortion. The circuit's not the same. In fact, let me just simplify things here by breaking down what pedals the FAB Distortion is not: it's not the classic Ibanez Overdrive, it’s not anything from Shin-Ei, it’s not the BOSS SD-9, it’s not the Guyatone Zoom Box, it’s not the Coran Distortion 15, it’s not the ADT-1 Distortion, and it’s not the Arion SDI-1 Distortion. 

The people who wrote copy for this pedal -- the fiends, more like it -- don't even know what this pedal is. They put this kind of detail in the copy not realizing that I would scurry around like a mouse trying to figure out what in the heck they’re talking about. I’m the Great Mouse Detective. I’m Basil of Baker Street, and this is the case that breaks me. 

So, no, I never solved this mystery. I don’t know what this pedal is. That’s just what happened. 

Meltdowns aside, this was a really fun line of pedals to go through. It’s a great sounding pedal series for a ridiculously low price point, which is always a win. When you can take home a solid DOD Grunge clone for twenty bucks, it’s a good day.

Plus, this is the series that broke Guitar Center. Not permanently, just for a few weeks, but I can still respect that. 

Condition: Brand new in the box

Shipping: USPS Priority Mail is included in the sale.