This one is going on my small grab’n’go PedalTrain Junior board. The P2 Legends preamp/distortion pedal from Russian manufacturer AMt Electronics sounds great and has some cool features, not least being three output options which can be used singly or in any combination. But first, a little bit about what this pedal does…
For starters, check out this great demo from Burgs:
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out which amplifier “Legend” is being referenced here. Perhaps aimed less at “brown sound” devotees and more at heavy gain acolytes of the first generation 5150 amps, the pedal generates what to me seems to be a very authentic version of that amp’s crushing sound.
Theoretically this is a two channel pedal – clean and drive – the clean channel having its own gain and volume knob (though shares EQ with the drive channel) but, for players like me, the interesting stuff happens when you hit the footswitch and unleash the beast. Enormous amount of gain on tap here with a solid and beefy bottom end, just like the “legend” it references and, very usefully, just as impressive and usable lower gain settings. Personally, I found the best sound with gain at around halfway or just over. Loads of sustain and an authoritative voice that will cut through a band mix. Perfect.
The EQ seems to be well thought out, and I found it easy to dial in exactly the right tonal balance using the high, mid and bass controls.
The really interesting feature, however, and one which is attracting me to the other pedals in AMt’s Legends range, is the three output jacks, one for when using the pedal in front of an amplifier (Drive jack), one for when plugging in to a power amp (Preamp jack), for example straight into the FX loop return of a guitar head or combo, and one for plugging direct into a mixing desk. The latter has a cab simulator circuit built-in and, judging by the Burgs video, sounds superb and will be really useful for recording. For the time being, I’m using the Preamp jack to feed the FX Loop return of my amp. Certainly, this pedal is meant to be used as an “amp in a box” into a clean amp (either front end or power amp).
All in all, a really nice pedal. No, it’s not the cheapest out there, and I agree the build quality looks a little lightweight, but it sounds very good indeed. The multiple outs – which can be used simultaneously, eg for feeding FOH mixer and an on stage amp – makes it very versatile and useful in all sorts of scenarios. Heck, I think I could do an entire gig with just this one pedal!
Ade Phazy's Guitar Blog 