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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink VALCO FIVE-O = “Surf in a Box”

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“Conceived originally for giving “surf in a box” tones (Dick Dale/Ventures)…”

I’ve watched the 60 Cycle Hum episode and other videos about this 3-in-1 surfy/garage pedal, but wanted to hear if anyone had actual real-world experience using it. I have a hunch what purists may think about it, but am interested in feedback nonetheless.

https://valcofx.com/pages/valco-five-o

Beach Creeper - https://beachcreeper.bandcamp.com/music
https://instagram.com/beachcreeperband
https://facebook.com/beachcreeper/

My local Guitar Center had a used one, and after watching the 60-Cycle Hum video, I bought it. It sounded great in the video, but the one I got sounded really terrible, so I returned it.

Maybe it was a bad one, I dunno.

THE HYDRONAUTS…Surf Music from the shores of old Cape Cod.
CLICK HERE to check out our first album, Interstallar Clambake!

Well, that’s troubling. Do you remember anything in particular about how it sounded that made it terrible?

Beach Creeper - https://beachcreeper.bandcamp.com/music
https://instagram.com/beachcreeperband
https://facebook.com/beachcreeper/

In the video, the guitar sounded rather muddy with the overdrive combined with the other effects. I do like kind of smeared, raunchy muddy sounds, but this just sounded indistinct and seemed to suck out some of the melody of the playing.

I have been curious but reluctant for a few reasons. Mainly because Eastwood is known for selling garbage. When you break it down its like getting 3 pedals for under $100 a pop. So you know the quality has to be questionable.

Toneschaser, I hope you are just referring to Eastwood pedals. I have one of their bass guitars and I think it's rather nice.

Patrick

Sounds like

the reverb sounds like every cheap digital reverb, basically a slapback delay.

i had a very cool caroline pedal called the météore that had too much of that fake reverb slapback quality I couldn’t get on with.

I feel like you’d be SO much better off with a Zoom CDR

yes it’s digital, but the spring reverb emulation and the endless tremolo and vibrato and delay effects possible are worlds better than this thing.

BeachCreeper wrote:

Well, that’s troubling. Do you remember anything in particular about how it sounded that made it terrible?

Sorry for the late reply. The distorion/fuzz setting was noisy, producing lots of hum and unwanted noise, which makes me think it was a bad one. The reverb was also unremarkable, sounding very digital/clangy.

THE HYDRONAUTS…Surf Music from the shores of old Cape Cod.
CLICK HERE to check out our first album, Interstallar Clambake!

Chiming in here.
There is one for sale within a 35min drive for 300€ - I like big pedals and recently a small footprint „clone“ of this pedal had raised my interest in „the original“ - I honestly thought it would gain more attention here - especially after the 60cycle hum episode.
I like the concept of it - and would appreciate some more hands on experiences

About Eastwood: I keep hearing different opinions - but also LOVE my Sidejack Deluxe (after a more than necessary setup and some minor mods)
Also I find it great that they reissue some of those otherwise lost oddball guitars… also love RJ Ronquillo‘s demos.

TENTACULA: Garage-Psych-Heavy-Surf-Rock
Tentacula @ Bandcamp Tentacula @ Instagram Tentacula @ Facebook my gear collection @ instagram

Neigungsgruppe Federhall
Neigungsgruppe Federhall @ Instagram

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 15:50:14

I’ve tried it on Guitar Summit and wasn’t really impressed. It may be funny for some stuff when you need garage lofi overdrive with muddy lofi reverb, but not for this price for sure. And it’s not at all surfy, more of a punk or garage thing. Funny tremolo)

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Last edited: Dec 28, 2022 03:25:38

Tqi wrote:

Pretty sure it would just be cheaper to buy a Fender Vape than this. Very Happy

Listened to a different video, it didn't sound terrible - but it didn't wow me either.

Well, I already got a Fender Vaporizer… for 8 years now already. Smile
Also got a Surfy Bear & Trem as a part of my main setup… but this would be something that I could just leave in the rehearsal room (what I wouldn‘t do with my main board) and could (hopefully) produce most of the sounds needed for my band with it. Obviously no shop in Austria has one to try and the seller also said in his flat there is no possibility to really try it (at a volume) when I’d be picking it up.
So it‘s a „cat in a bag kind of situation“ - but the price doesn’t break my neck financially… and I could always re-sell it as they are quite rare here.

TENTACULA: Garage-Psych-Heavy-Surf-Rock
Tentacula @ Bandcamp Tentacula @ Instagram Tentacula @ Facebook my gear collection @ instagram

Neigungsgruppe Federhall
Neigungsgruppe Federhall @ Instagram

I’ve had the Valco Five-0 for about 6 months now and really enjoy it. It has kicked 3 other pedals off my board and allowed me to develop more of a definitive sound for myself and my band. Clearly its “surf in a box” claim is not for purists, or really anyone looking for that traditional sound, but since my band is doing a surfy garage punk thing with vocals, it works great for me.

I play through a Fender Hot Rod DeVille and use a Hallmark Sweptwing, so that also kinda gives you an idea that I’m not aiming for crystal clear traditional drip. A friend in another surf-punk band turned me on to this pedal and said it did everything he ever wanted…it just wouldn’t fit on his board, so he had to find other options. I’m curious to hear more about the smaller footprint clone you mentioned.

Beach Creeper - https://beachcreeper.bandcamp.com/music
https://instagram.com/beachcreeperband
https://facebook.com/beachcreeper/

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