Can anyone give me some feedback on these pedals-Is there a reason they are not talked about much? If Billy Gibons does infact use them,that says a lot.

Well, I'm no Billy Gibbons, but the first version of the pedal did/does exactly what I wanted it to do: feedback/sustain and crunch giving the impression of an amp into overdrive. Without actually overdriving the amp at all. Works best with a nice, clean powerful tube amp. Interaction with other effects is really good. Surprisingly well engineered, sturdy, small package, surface mount components, double sided printed circuit board. I haven't had the inclination to buy another pedal of this type since and that includes trying the expandora 2. I did rush back out and buy a second expandora 1 immediately.

Here's my take, Billy Gibbons has alot of pedals, and he is quite a fuzz freak, so I think he uses all sorts of different pedals to attain his sound.
I had 2 of the first expandora pedals, separately during a span of 3 years. The first impression I got was great, capable of alot of tones for something so small. The overdrive is so so w/ not much edge to it, the distortion is what I guess most of you would call a brown sound, far too bassy for myself , but on the other hand I almost exclusively use the neck pickup. I'm sure it would sound better w/ a treble/bridge pickup. The fuzz is cool and the broken fuzz is alright, but I found the whole pedal unable to distinguish itself during band rehearsal. I found the rat pedal to be a better overdrive and the fuzz factory to be a better fuzz and broken fuzz, so off it went. I later acquired another for cheap and cam to the same conclusion. But if I didn't have either the rat or the FF, it would be a great pedal for what they're going for and it's infinitely better in my book than any Boss or Ibanez distortion. Plus it looks cool.

Mr.cliche illustrates a good point that pedal talk can never be complete without discussion of how its used. For instance, I am a bridge or middle/bridge pickup player. That nuance may very well be the difference between whether or not this pedal has any hope of working for you.

far too bassy for myself , but on the other hand I almost exclusively use the neck pickup.


Sort of explains itself, eh shitwipe?


I'm sure it would sound better w/ a treble/bridge pickup. The fuzz is cool and the broken fuzz is alright, but I found the whole pedal unable to distinguish itself during band rehearsal.

Probably more the player's fault than the pedal.


I found the rat pedal to be a better overdrive and the fuzz factory to be a better fuzz and broken fuzz, so off it went. I later acquired another for cheap and cam to the same conclusion. But if I didn't have either the rat or the FF, it would be a great pedal for what they're going for and it's infinitely better in my book than any Boss or Ibanez distortion. Plus it looks cool.[/B][/QUOTE]

as if your assholic opinion matters much.

nice chip on your shoulder, just trying to give an opinion on a pedal. Let me guess another one of Carl's clones? Don't you have an e minor scale to play, a note to bend , some funny faces to make?

quote:

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Originally posted by mr.cliche:
nice chip on your shoulder, just trying to give an opinion on a pedal. Let me guess another one of Carl's clones? Don't you have an e minor scale to play, a note to bend , some funny faces to make?

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Your opinion is worthless.
You test a pedal out on the neck pu, then say its bassy.
That's how a jackass tests things.

quote:

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Originally posted by Huge Beaumont:
Your opinion is worthless.
You test a pedal out on the neck pu, then say its bassy.
That's how a jackass tests things.

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I don't test a pedal out w/ standards set up by someone else. I test pedals by what I would use them for, I prefer the neck pickup to the bridge pickup, hard to believe but true. That's what I use 80% of the time, so am I suppose to test using the bridge so that I could please you?!?
Do you swear by this pedal? Or maybe the bridge pickup?
I have alot of fuzz/overdrive pedals that work well w/ my application and use of the neck pickup , this did not. Oh well, I guess if using a neck pickup makes me a jackass, then there are alot of jackasses in the guitar world.
Just curious, how's that tunnel vision working for you? I'm sure it's leading you down alot of tonal variations due to your total commitment to experimenting w/ different guitar tones.
Keep looking straight ahead bro, blues heaven is just around the corner. And try not to break any of your precious rules, like using a neck pickup.

quote:

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Originally posted by mr.cliche:
I don't test a pedal out w/ standards set up by someone else. I test pedals by what I would use them for, I prefer the neck pickup to the bridge pickup, hard to believe but true.


Problem with that then, is your review helps nobody.


That's what I use 80% of the time, so am I suppose to test using the bridge so that I could please you?!?


Judging by your MP-3's . I'd say it doesn't matter much what you use.


Do you swear by this pedal? Or maybe the bridge pickup?
I have alot of fuzz/overdrive pedals that work well w/ my application and use of the neck pickup , this did not. Oh well, I guess if using a neck pickup makes me a jackass, then there are alot of jackasses in the guitar world.

You lead the pack.

Just curious, how's that tunnel vision working for you? I'm sure it's leading you down alot of tonal variations due to your total commitment to experimenting w/ different guitar tones.


Judging by your Mp-3's, you need to go back to the drawing board.


Keep looking straight ahead bro, blues heaven is just around the corner. And try not to break any of your precious rules, like using a neck pickup.

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What makes you think I play blues?
You assume alot, know very little.

QUOTE]Originally posted by mr.cliche:
I don't test a pedal out w/ standards set up by someone else. I test pedals by what I would use them for, I prefer the neck pickup to the bridge pickup, hard to believe but true.


Problem with that then, is your review helps nobody.


Doesn't help you, I guess that's nobody.

That's what I use 80% of the time, so am I suppose to test using the bridge so that I could please you?!?


Judging by your MP-3's . I'd say it doesn't matter much what you use.

Like I said before comments about my band tell me alot more about you and your state of musical understaniding, than it does about me.


Do you swear by this pedal? Or maybe the bridge pickup?
I have alot of fuzz/overdrive pedals that work well w/ my application and use of the neck pickup , this did not. Oh well, I guess if using a neck pickup makes me a jackass, then there are alot of jackasses in the guitar world.

You lead the pack.
Happy to, but it's too kind when there's guy's like Les Paul, Howard Roberts, George Benson, Derek Bailey who use their neck pickup alot.

Just curious, how's that tunnel vision working for you? I'm sure it's leading you down alot of tonal variations due to your total commitment to experimenting w/ different guitar tones.


Judging by your Mp-3's, you need to go back to the drawing board.

Uh, yeah sure, I go back to drawing board because some guy calling himself Huge is telling me to.


Keep looking straight ahead bro, blues heaven is just around the corner. And try not to break any of your precious rules, like using a neck pickup.[/QUOTE]

What makes you think I play blues?
You assume alot, know very little.

I think what you said here applys to yourself. I didn't assume shit when I put up this review, but I'm pretty sure about one thing, clone. Keep using that tunnel vision.
I'm glad you don't like me or my music, it ain't for blueslovin fools. And each time one of you clones tell me it's more a compliment than anything else, so keep it coming clone. Now get back to the "crossroads", huge?

I think that nek was on the right track in his comment about mr.cliche's first reply. We all use different approaches & it's useful to know how somebody uses or used a particular piece of gear.
My main guitar has a single humbucker in the bridge position, so a pedal that can be described as "brown" & possibly too bassy for use with the neck pickup might be well suited for my application.
The info about the fuzz being not quite as radical as that of a Fuzz Factory was also useful. It sounds like it may be a very versatile pedal, but it also sounds like it was a bit redundant for him to use it when he had two pedals that did specific things better than the Expandora could, for his use.
It's very useful also that he has mp3's posted, so that readers can listen to his music & get an idea of the context in which he was using the pedals he mentioned. If you like the kind of tone he was using, then you might like the same kinds of pedals. If you don't like his tone, steer clear of his gear choices.

southwest dave thanks for being the voice of reason. I do think real world test of pedals is what we're looking.

Ok, I posted a short MP3 snippet with a strat, deluxe reverb, vox 847 wah, and the expandora 1. Hopefully this illustrates a portion of the range of tones possible and how it interacts with other pedals in the hands of an enthusiastic amateur. Look for Nek under the Rock category. Let me know if this kind of thing is helpful.

Bar 1 is middle/bridge + vox. Next 8 bars is middle/bridge + vox + exp. Last 2 bars is neck + exp.