The gain range is wide, and the tone control can bring out some solid bass or provide a useful not-too-harsh mid/treble boost. Mystique is designed for minimal impact on your amp's tonal shape, unlike many ODs. Use it into a clean amp, or into a distorted amp (etc.) as an attack and gain booster for increased clarity, or more gain without a loss of clarity.

... But that's not all ...

The FUZZ mode of the optional X-mode switch engages a wretched, disgusting fuzz that also can be musical ... It has chunky bass and a creamy-yet-ragged bite of classic transistor fuzzes, but is a new sound based on auto-debiasing signal destruction focused by a residual Clarifier effect. Its wide range of tones occur within a medium range of gain/drive, cleaning up at low level, moving quickly into classic fuzz character (excellent dialed to taste in front of amp-style OD), and then going right past into intense lead tones and chordal destruction, kind of like an octave fuzz without the octave. It also has an odd feature of sort of cleaning up also at the highest drive, letting through a bit of clean signal or light distortion -- this limits the chaos, but when set suitably adds an extra dynamic to the effect and clarity on chords. Unlike some fuzzes it is highly stable, with no issues from impedance or AC adapters, and has a tone control.

The switch also adds the eXaggerated Overdrive mode. While the Normal mode produces a balanced, yet distinct, "Clarifier" effected overdrive, this takes it that to an extreme, distorting easily yet with an even clearer high end. Twangy yet furry at low gain, distortion with extra clang when cranked, this might even sometimes seem like a clean mix effect, but it is not, and responds coherently.

Reviews
"By the time I was done playing with this pedal I was dizzy with excitement, like being tone buzzed..." -- Alf Cruz, Analog War Cry, 8/21/2010 read more

Video (NEW!)
With Strat and Hiwatt, playing by John F.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqcYmpwviws&feature=player_embedded

Audio samples

If you prefer an embedded player there are a few samples on myspace.

Other players:
Jerry N. - bluesing Bit of overdrive jamming (same guitar and tube amp as below)
Jerry N. - bluesfuzz Fuzz mode, 2nd half lowgain fuzz into Boogie model (4 chords without fuzz lead in)

"Solid State Amp" (RP-155 into power amp, 2xV30s, Ibanez):
Twin Reverb model using humbucking single coil, no cab sim
LOOPER'd same Twin with repetitive rythm overlaid with solos: Mystique overdrive, then boosted (feedback), [edit], Myst Fuzz, then also boosted with the Subzombie

With Tube amp (prototype), 2xV30s, Ibanez:
Slightly cranked: Loudamp (mono) 3 sounds: Normal, X-OD (subtle here), Fuzz (part with guitar tone down)
clean amp:
mid-low gain OD mp3
higain OD brightbridge humbucking single coil (somewhat thin)
Fuzz hi-gain includes guitar volume and tone knob; with some chorus, reverb

direct recordings using RP155 amp sim:
myst_dc-dv_withfuzz_1.mp3 .. fuzz near end (Digitech Clean amp into Digitech Vintage cab, Reverb; Bridge Humbucker).
myst_rp-superlead_withfuzz_1 a more midrangey, slightly crunchy amp sound
Fuzz Only ... clean '"amp", some recording clipping

All samples by Bill Spencer, except as indicated. 256 kbps MP3s for play in your player. Note may play in your browser with Quicktime but may be extra hiss for reasons unknown.

The standard SE-5 is $129 and the SE-5X with switch option is $139.
S/H US East $9 West $12 (Priority Mail, insured with confirm).

Send all inquiries to
Ordering Information

FEATURES
Finish: Blackened Blue with gold guided hand lettering, various sanding techniques, smooth clearcoat exterior.
Impedance: 1 Megaohm input, output less than 20 Kohm.
Power: 9 VDC, less than 10 mA, battery or adapter (neg. tip standard 15V max.)
"Top" mounted, full metal (Switchcraft) Input and Output jacks, panel-mount adapter jack on L side upper half.
True Bypass, with diffused blue LED, bright but not too bright like most

LEGAL
End User License Agreement: Mystique may include an obvious protective device or Security Seal ("goop") over a portion of its circuitry. Use, possesion of, or publication of information about this device indicates agreement to not remove this seal or inspect its contents. (Note: this seal is only partial and should not affect typical maintenance.)

Copyright 2010 Bill Spencer/Spencer Amps [tm]
"Mystique" guitar effect and "Clarifier" are trademarks Bill Spencer
Digitech and RP155 are trademark Digitech, other trademarks property their owners
guest clips copyright their creators