To be clear, I was not on a search for a new overdrive; I wasn’t even in the market for a new pedal. Pause … Who am I kidding?, my eyes are always scanning the horizon for fun new toys (I mean gear) to play with. That said and per my usual engagement on the GearPage.net forums, while actively participating in a few discussions about compressors, I started to notice the ThorpyFX Fat General kept getting mentioned. As my journey with compressors has been like a long and winding road, my curiosity got the best of me even though, at the time, I was not familiar with the ThorpyFX brand or story. As I was quite content with my Effectrode PC-2A compressor and, while the Thorpy’s Fat General looked interesting, it was the Peacekeeper that ultimately peaked my interest. For whatever reason, I had come to neglect my curatorial responsibilities pertaining to to my small collection of gain pedals, giving much more care and attention to other things like delays and modulation. It didn’t take long before I decided to take the plunge into the world of Thorpy and, happy to report, I’ve truly enjoyed the waters ever since!

[The Peacekeeper plays nice and gets the job done]

My days of shredding through chordal progressions and riding waves of distortion are definitely farther and fewer between, having now settled in comfortably on that cusp-of-breakup, a dash of crunch, with the occasional sprinkle of Muff sound. To these characteristics, having an overdrive that finds its home within low gain levels is a nice tool for one to have. Enter the Peacekeeper.

Important to note: at the time of posting this review, I’ve spent several months with the Peacekeeper in use and on my board.

Absolutely top quality build (like a miniature tank), a design aesthetic that is both clean and fun, there are several control mechanics that make the Peacekeeper stand out in the crowded field while, most importantly, providing great adaptability in working with most any other piece of gear ( pedal, amp, and/or guitar) one chooses to use. Some key points to these controls include:

• The [Gain] covers a very nice range, starting with a simple clean boost and, ending with a thick healthy crunch; this, while providing a nice smooth taper on the control pot, making it rather quick and easy to dial in that cusp-of-breakup touch-sensitive tone and response.
• The EQ controls, specifically the [PRES] dial, speaks very much to the idea of how this pedal can work in most any situation and gear combination. The [PRES] control works very much like a combination of both MID & PRESENCE settings, venturing from a mid-scooped [think: Fenderish] voicing to that of providing a mid-focused hump with that bright switch turned on [Think: Voxish], all before the signal is processed by the gain stage. After the gain stage, the active [TREB] and [BASS] controls kick in, allowing a great plethora of adjustments thereof. All three EQ settings are very interactive, providing a variety of possible voices and, flexibility of use.As for a setting I settled into (pictured just below), while I tend to keep the [BASS] around 12pm on the dial, the [PRES] Control anywhere between 10pm ~ 2pm depending on the desired flavor, I then would adjust the [Treb] to taste and/or, to compensate for the initial tone of the guitar (bright vs dark).

[Some additional and final thoughts]

As I would generally use the Peacekeeper for light gain settings, I think it is helpful to share that it stacked well with other drives — often using it in combination with the Buffalo TD-X and/or the Mojo Hand Iron Bell. (Pictured below, although the order has changed over time)

In conclusion, the Peacekeeper is a great overdrive pedal that covers a wide spectrum of gain levels, provides robust EQ controls, is adaptable in general and stacks well with other pedals, all delivered within a high-quality package. The price can be a bit steep compared to other options on the market BUT, when one considers that this could very well cover the ground of a few gain pedals, the end value is that much more appreciated. I was so impressed with the Peacekeeper that I soon thereafter acquired the Fat General (now my main compressor) and, a month or so later, the ThorpyFX Camoflange — all fantastic pedals.

[Context]

– I’ve taken two extended test runs separated by a few weeks; this, to allow some time to form some thoughts and reconsider first impressions.

– I would like to thank my friend, and owner of https://www.zstringmusic.com/, who helped facilitate this review in allowing me to demo the pedal. As both of us are self-confessed Gear Nerds and musicians, we have enjoyed many an in-depth conversation about such pedals and, when the MAKO D1 Delay was announced at NAMM, it peaked both or our interest. Once in hand, he challenged me to identify what other similar delay pedals this would best compare to … and/or … to be a replacement for on one’s current board; I’ll try to address these questions below.

[First Impressions]

The MAKO D1 High-Fidelity Stereo Delay has some fantastic sounding Algorithms, well thought-out and innovative control schemes, and a solid build quality. The design aesthetic is clean, simple to understand, and easy to navigate; something I find helpful when there are a lot of options for one to work through. The combination of the [TWEAK] Dial with three-way switch provides a fresh approach to secondary functions while affording one clearly labeled controls; this, to also include a 3rd function, all assigned to one dial.

The choices of Delays cover many of the most common/desired types of Delay: Digital, Modulation, Vintage (almost a blend of characteristics between Analog & Tape), Dual (Digital), and Reverse. While one can quickly dial in some very straight forward and great sounding delays, there are some unique twists provided to indulge those seeking some fun and creative exploration. The most obvious example would be the inclusion of the [ATTACK] control which softens the initial repeats allowing for more ethereal washes. In addition, each algorithm provides some more unique and off-the-beaten-path control parameters/adjustable attributes via the tweak knob. An example: the Tweak/Age control on the [DIG]ital setting introduces a Bit Crusher effect and intensity thereof.

To the question I was asked as to what other pedals I would most likely compare this to … my feeling is that this would find a comfortable position somewhere between a TC Flashback and a Source Audio Nemesis. While it has more on-board controls and utility functions than the Flashback, it has less depth of editable options (many thanks to the APP editors) than the Nemesis.

In some respects, the MAKO D1 has an identity crisis to contend with. It’s design and implementation speak to being a compact, WYSIWYG pedal, with a lot of great options and yet … the way the presets work, the MIDI implementation, and the way that the Tweak Knob controls differ as to some of the attributes assigned per algorithm, there is some hidden complexity.

[Second Thoughts]

After really enjoying the first go-around with the D1, there were some things that didn’t quite vibe with me and, I tried to revisit these sticking points before posting this review.

Before I continue, let me pause to say: much of this is simply personal preference.What I might think does not work well, others might prefer or love. At the end of the day, this is a great pedal that many people will love and create great music with.
​One of the first things to catch my eye (I had actually assumed it was just there and was not), was the omission of a USB port. My personal opinion is that, for these more complicated, multi-algorithm, midi capable effects pedals, a USB port should be almost mandatory if, for nothing more, as a ‘just in case’. With highly sophisticated coding involved, one never knows what issues or desired tweaks might be brought to light once the product makes its way out to a creatively diverse marketplace. To update firmware with a USB port is so easy and extends the potential life of most electronics.

As I continued to explore and dial-in some fun delays, the second thing to nag at me was the prominence given to the [ATTACK] control. While it certainly is a touch unique, allowing for both nuanced delays that fit well in the mix and/or more ambient washes, this was a control that I didn’t use as frequently when just dialing in the standards. As I interacted with the on-board controls, I felt like the [TONE] control on the tweak would have been much better served, this as a more standard delay attribute, to have its own dial, while swapping the [ATTACK] function to that of a secondary [TWEAK] settings. Again — all personal preference.

My final sticking point felt the most bothersome although, to be honest, through the second demoing session, it seemed to subside a touch — this addressing the implementation of presets (hence the identity crisis). For a pedal that appears to embrace a design and implementation that seeks to provide a balance between WYSIWYG controls and that of affording one great many adjustable attributes, the fact that it always boots to the first preset (whatever that was saved to be) feels disorientating (read: no reference point to what one sees on the controls as currently set on the pedal). A bit more frustrating, if you dial in a delicious delay and forget to save it as a preset before powering down the pedal, one will have effectively lost those settings when it boots back to the preset. Perhaps WALRUS can provide a bit more clarity on this concern/observation. My preference would have been for the pedal to always start in the last settings it was, whether that be a Preset or WYSIWYG mode (as the dials are set on the face of the pedal). In this were to be the case, by default, the WYSIWYG mode could effectively behave like a temporary preset.

[Quick Conclusions]

The MAKO D1 is a great multi-delay pedal in an uber-compact format that retains some solid depth of controls and utility function. From standard delays to more creative effects, the pedal has a lot to offer and can faithfully fulfill the primary role for said effects on one’s pedal board. As to some of my sticking points, I still believe them both valid concerns and worthy observations for future consideration. A sincere thanks again to my friend at https://www.zstringmusic.com/ for making this quick review possible during ‘Stay at Home’.

** Please note: As shared, it’s my opinion that the delay voices/algorithms are of fantastic quality. Already subjective in nature, to compare and contrast them against other pedals speaks more to an exercise of determining one’s taste. As one of the defining philosophical ideals of this pedal centers around the control, mechanics, and general simplicity of function, I seemed counter-productive not to go into a complicated in-depth review of every little nuance ** 

I can’t say this pedal was ever something I was on the hunt for and yet, being that is was just around St. Patrick’s Day, the visual design caught my eye and, the fact that there was some relation to U2 and the Edge, my interest was piqued.  After taking some time to learn about the pedal – a modified/enhanced version of the Boss FA-1 circuit – and considering it’s various functions and intended uses, I believed it could potentially be a good fit for my board to cover some utility roles. At the time, I was using the Buffalo TD-X for always on EQ sculpting which somewhat limited the use of it’s overdrive effect capabilities. My thought: the Clover could offer subtle signal boost with additional EQ adjustments, feeding into my drive/gain selection of pedals, thus freeing the TD-X to serve more as an OD option to go along with my Muffs.

As to my experience with the JHS Clover …

Solid construction and feel, fun and clean visual design, and simple control layout. The Boost is very sensitive with such expansive range — unity was just around 8pm on the dial for my setup and only rockets up from there (currently set just under 9pm for a slight boost). The EQ adjustments are solid; well targeted with respects to frequencies — speaks to the intended use/design of the circuit. I find it adds a bit of chime and clarity in the treble, reduces some muddiness in the middle, and tightens up the bass (or optionally expanding). The Full EQ setting allows the mids to be boosted which can introduce a touch of overdrive/breakup as the levels are increased. It can definitely serve as an always on pedal; bonus: I find that it restores a touch of presence and clarity to delay and modulation effects that sit after — perhaps speaking to one of the practical uses by the Edge and his love for dotted-eighth delays.

The JHS Clover/FA-1 Circuit feels very much, in a good way, like it is polishing, preparing, and then boosting the signal to effectively drive and successfully deliver your guitar’s voice through the effect chain without losing character, life, or clarity. It’s one of those pedals that makes important nuanced tweaks to the point that, turn off the pedal and you will feel like you are missing something important.

Editors Note: The context of this blog entry was originally posted as a response to a threaded discussion on theGearPage.net forums and subsequently has been edited/updated before re-sharing here. The link to the original thread can be found here: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/jhs-clover-anyone-seen-this-yet-boss-fa-1-style-pedal.2013478/