Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Concrete Sound Lab's first release - the Slab JFET Preamp and Boost is a beautifully versatile Boost, Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz - Multi-Gain Pedal
Key Points
Concrete Sound Lab’s first release is the Slab JFET Preamp and Boost — a multi-gain pedal covering Boost, Overdrive, Distortion and Silicon Fuzz. The enclosure sports a swirly purple marbled finish and silver-top Boss-style knobs.
It’s a straightforward discrete, JFET tube-emulating circuit (possibly Fetzer-adjacent) with six intuitive controls: Pre-Gain Low, Pre-Gain High, Gain, Boost, Tone (Post-gain LPF), Level, plus Boost Footswitch and Main Bypass Footswitch. Touch-sensitivity/dynamics weren’t verifiable without hands-on testing; Boost independence is unclear.
The Slab ranges across many gain types and is priced at $200 from the Concrete Sound Lab Webstore.
I believe this is the first ever Concrete Sound Lab pedal - and what a wonderful job Josh has done here. The swirly Purple marbled paint job is fantastic, obviously I live those silver-top Boss-style knobs too - which are creatively arranged.
This is a very straightforward discrete circuit with 6 intuitive controls :
Controls - Pre-Gain Low, Pre-Gain High, Gain, Boost, Tone (Post-gain LPF), Level, Boost Footswitch, Main Bypass Footswitch.
It’s not clear if that Boost is independent - but that would certainly be the cherry on top!
As a first creation it’s an incredibly strong start to a brand - I like the iconography of the logo too.
This is JFET tube-emulating circuit - possibly somewhat Fetzer adjacent - which circuits I always seem to like.
Generally there is a lot to like here - I can’t establish the touch-sensitivity feel or dynamics for the pedal without trying it hands on. But this seems like a pretty perfect execution for me.
The Slab is really well priced at $200 from the Concrete Sound Lab Webstore - I will very much be coming for one of these before long. Just a really attractive and appealing pedal. And it ranges into all the different food groups - including Fuzz - which is why I’ve billed it as a multi-gain machine rather than multi-drive.
I’m very much looking forward to landing one of these!
Demos
