The
MXR CSP027 Timmy Overdrive
from the MXR Custom Shop was developed in close cooperation with legendary effects designer Paul Cochrane and packs his legendary Timmy Overdrive into a pedalboard friendly compact format. Based on a fully analog circuit with an LF353 OP amp and three clipping modes, this handy effects pedal delivers a biting yet transparent overdrive that adds the finishing touch to any sound without altering the character of the electric guitar and amp. To adjust the timbre, the MXR Custom Shop Timmy features a cut-only 2-band tone control. The bass control located in front of the overdrive circuit allows precise adjustment of the low end even with low gain settings, while the treble control behind the overdrive circuit ensures particularly harmonious sound adjustments.
I borrowed an original Tim from a friend some time ago to try it with my Fender Deluxe Reverb Tonemaster and I was very impressed at the time. I rely on my trusted Boss Blues Driver which I also love. But I decided to try the MXR Timmy especially for low gain overdrive, which is where I spend most of my playing time. I really like the Timmy, it sounds as though it improves the amp tone that I already love, without colouring it too much. I tried a few different kinds (tube screamer, crayon, hot tubes) but all got me away too much from the core tone. Now with Timmy I feel like I do not have any reason to switch this pedal off, ever. From a very subtle push to a nice crunchy tone. The EQ works great, it helps me to cut away some bass from my P90 Les Paul or some treble away from my Strat without changing the other frequencies too much. To my ear and memory this sounds very comparable to the original Tim I tried a while ago. But please check all the YouTube video's of side by side comparisons. The build quality is great. I have not found any downsides to this pedal yet and can surely recommend it.