"The overarching aim was to capture the sound of the Ten album by Pearl Jam" says the UK company of its £99 pedal
UK pedal builder Funny Little Boxes clearly loves the classic grunge alt rock sounds of Stone Gossard and Mike McCready on Pearl Jam's Ten album as much as we do, so much so it's named its debut original overdrive pedal after the year of its release.
The
FLB 1991's initial preorder has already sold out since it went on sale
on 19 September, such is the draw of the proposition here.
"The
1991 is a dirt pedal that will provide everything from sparkly clean
boost to face-melting distortion and has been specifically designed to
capture the spirit and prevalent sound of the awesome music released in
1991," says Funny Little Boxes. "The overarching aim was to capture the
sound of the Ten album by Pearl Jam and the blue print for the sound is a mid forward drive pedal being pushed into a cranked, high gain amplifier."
We're talking Tube Screamer, Klon
and Marshall territory here, then. The 1991 has two gain controls that
can be used both independently and together. There's a master volume and
a three band EQ with an inherent character that is "mid forward;
sparkly in the top end and easy on the low end".
We're
liking what we hear and we especially admire the Norwich company's
ideology of accessibility with its creations; "never charging more than
£100 for any effects pedal." It doesn't get any Vedder than that.
Nail those Pearl Jam Ten tones with the new Funny Little Boxes 1991 overdrive
All your favourite 1991 tones for just £99!
Funny Little Boxes
1991 overdrive pedal
·
Source:
Funny Little Boxes
If you’re
trying to cop the tones from Pearl Jam’s groundbreaking debut, then you
need to check this pedal out. The Funny Little Boxes 1991 overdrive aims
to capture the guitar sound on the Ten album, released in 1991. The
company has already sold out the initial preorder of the £99 stompbox,
so it could be popular with fans of the band chasing those tones.
Funny Little Boxes 1991
Made in the UK, the new 1991 pedal from Funny Little Boxes has two gain knobs for its two gain stages, where the first one drives the second. Then you have the standard master volume control and a three-band EQ
section. I’m no expert on Pearl Jam and their guitar tone from this era
but, as I understand it, the pedal is based on an overdrive pedal
hitting a Marshall Plexi style amp.
If you want the Stone Gossard and Mike McCready tone
from that era, then this could be one to check out. It is Funny Little
Boxes’ first original pedal design and is made in collaboration with Matt Webster of the Let’s Play AllYouTube
channel, who originally laid down the challenge to create this £99
‘Pearl Jam-in-a-box’ pedal. It’s certainly a lot more affordable than
the recent Fender Custom Shop Mike McCready Stratocaster release from earlier this year!
Mid-Forward Tone
The company says it sounds like a “mid-forward overdrive pedal being
smashed into a cranked, high-gain amplifier”. So it’s safe to assume
that it’s a bit similar to a TubeScreamer-type drive pedal pushing an
already driven amplifier.
Now, if they pull this off, I am sure it could do well. And with a price tag of £99,
it is pretty reasonable, considering they’re made by a smaller UK-based
company making pedals one at a time. Overall, I quite like the simple
control layout, and the demo video below sounds pretty good as well.
Congratulations on joining the build queue for the Funny Little Boxes 1991! Can I firstly say a huge thank you for your interest and support; it really does mean the world to me.
Now that you are in the queue it is a matter of playing the waiting game for a bit. I will contact you shortly to let you know what number you are in the queue and give an estimated time scale for you to receive a pedal.
When your number is up I will contact you for payment; this must be made within 72 hours of receipt of the invoice please.
Following payment of the invoice you will next hear from me when your pedal is on the way to you.
I know this isn’t a gear thread but I’m looking forward to trying it out. It looks like it would work perfectly for my sound (which currently uses a Walrus Audio Warhorn for overdrive)
Hello
everyone! Firstly, let me say a huge thank you for signing up to this
build queue; your support means the absolute world to me.
Secondly;
I would like to offer a huge apology to the vast majority of people on
this list who haven't yet received the promised email letting you know
where you are in the build queue. The number of people on the list has
grown so quickly it has simply been impossible to keep on top of it.
There are now almost 1000 people on the list which is absolutely mind
blowing! When I put this thing together my ambition was to shift 50
units by Christmas and it's safe to say that has been surpassed!
With
the incredible response has come an unprecendented demand in respect of
stocking components and also on my time, meaning things have been much
slower than anticipated.
Please take a few minutes to read the
update below as it will hopefully answer any questions you may have and
give you a clearer idea of when you are likely to get your hands on a
pedal.
As of Tuesday I will be free from the shackles of my
current day job and able to focus fully on FLB. This should mean
improved communication and slicker service.
We now have good
stocks of all components. Apart from the custom knobs. The original
supplier of these simply can't cut the mustard in terms of a price point
and time scale that is workable for us and so I have been sourcing a
new supplier. I have now found one I'm happy with and am finalising the
order with them. This means that all being well, enough knobs for 1000
1991 pedals will be in stock by the end of October. Once they land,
pedals will start flying out the door.
With a fair wind behind us
those of you in queue 1 and 2 should have your pedals 6 weeks from now.
So Queue 2 people be on the lookout for an invoice from me.
From
there we are aiming to produce 50 pedals a week so again, with a fair
wind behind us we should move 400 units by the time we shut up shop for
Christmas.
I hope this is music to all of your ears like it is to mine!
I am so excited for these to be making their way out to all you amazing people and I promise it will be worth the wait.
Lol. Small companies not prepared for the insanity of Pearl Jam fans.
Big companies as well. I am sure Ticketmaster did not expect the lunatic frenzy of the fan to fan resale process. When they announce the new dates that shit is going to be crazy again. Can’t wait!!
Lol. Small companies not prepared for the insanity of Pearl Jam fans.
Big companies as well. I am sure Ticketmaster did not expect the lunatic frenzy of the fan to fan resale process. When they announce the new dates that shit is going to be crazy again. Can’t wait!!
Can't wait too. Still holding 4 Pearl Jam Canadian 10club tickets. Will probably be adding more next year if things go well.
I am number 378! Mine is not shipping till March but it will be well worth the wait! I expected at least 300 YouTube videos of everyone showing their best Ten tones!
Post edited by StardogChamp79 on
Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 03, 2011); Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 04, 2011); Deluna Fest Pensacola, FL (September 21, 2012); Wrigley Field (July 19, 2013); Milwaukee, WI (October 20, 2014); Wrigley Field I (August 20, 2016); Wrigley Field II (August 22, 2016); Home Shows Seattle Night 1 (August 08, 2018), Home Shows Seattle Night 2 (August 10, 2018), Apollo Theater (September 10, 2022), Madison Square Garden (September 11, 2022), Bourbon & Beyond Louisville (September 17th, 2022).
Wait so do you think there are people that bought this box and don’t know how to play guitar and simply got it because of the PJ reference? Is this the next big “flipping” item? Can’t wait to see these on eBay! Ugh.
Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 03, 2011); Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 04, 2011); Deluna Fest Pensacola, FL (September 21, 2012); Wrigley Field (July 19, 2013); Milwaukee, WI (October 20, 2014); Wrigley Field I (August 20, 2016); Wrigley Field II (August 22, 2016); Home Shows Seattle Night 1 (August 08, 2018), Home Shows Seattle Night 2 (August 10, 2018), Apollo Theater (September 10, 2022), Madison Square Garden (September 11, 2022), Bourbon & Beyond Louisville (September 17th, 2022).
Wait so do you think there are people that bought this box and don’t know how to play guitar and simply got it because of the PJ reference? Is this the next big “flipping” item? Can’t wait to see these on eBay! Ugh.
Can't speak for others, but I have guitars but not great at playing
I know I was born and I know that I'll die. The in between is mine.
Wait so do you think there are people that bought this box and don’t know how to play guitar and simply got it because of the PJ reference? Is this the next big “flipping” item? Can’t wait to see these on eBay! Ugh.
Can't speak for others, but I have guitars but not great at playing
I wasn’t calling you out. I am in the same boat. I have been a novice player for years but have always searched for this tone. Way back to the days of the DOD Grunge pedal. OMG I plugged that in today and man does it sound like garbage!
Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 03, 2011); Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 04, 2011); Deluna Fest Pensacola, FL (September 21, 2012); Wrigley Field (July 19, 2013); Milwaukee, WI (October 20, 2014); Wrigley Field I (August 20, 2016); Wrigley Field II (August 22, 2016); Home Shows Seattle Night 1 (August 08, 2018), Home Shows Seattle Night 2 (August 10, 2018), Apollo Theater (September 10, 2022), Madison Square Garden (September 11, 2022), Bourbon & Beyond Louisville (September 17th, 2022).
The response to the 1991 has been far beyond anything I ever expected
and I find myself taking time out from replying to the myriad emails
I've received regarding the next batch, in order to write this blog.
I'm detailing below all the info you need to get your hands on a 1991
pedal. I'll say now that the interest is HUGE! And now the likes of
Music Radar and Guitar World have picked up on it and published pieces
that demand is only going to grow. Act quickly to get yourself one any
time soon!
I have put together a mailing list for those who wish to purchase a
1991 pedal; this is basically going to act as a build queue so the
sooner you sign up the sooner you get your pedal but please, please,
please be prepared to wait. Funny Little Boxes is a tiny operation that
is dealing with massive demand so please don't sign up if you're not
prepared to play the long game here.
To sign up to the mailing list, go to the 1991 Build Queue Sign Up
section of the site and fill in the form. I have also put a link on my
link tree which you can access from my Instagram account. Getting your
name on this list is essential to you getting your hands on a 1991.
Currently I have been replying to emails and messages on instagram
and facebook messenger. From the point at which this blog goes live I
will ONLY reply to emails, and my response will be a generic one in
which I send you a link to the sign up page. I love talking to you guys
but I'm one man and I have a family and am still working full time in a
school until the end of October alongside running FLB and there are only
so many hours in the day. The only way to get in line for a pedal is
signing up to the mailing list so don't delay your chance of getting a
pedal by sending me a message that I simply won't have time to read.
If you are one of the many who have already emailed me or messaged on
social media; I will reply and will get you on the list as it is only
fair.
Once you are signed up to the mailing list I will email you to tell
you what number you are in the build queue and what kind of timescale
you are looking at. Like I said, this could be a long wait so please
take that into consideration when you sign up.
The pedals get produced in batches and when you're number is due to
come up in the next immediate batch I will email you to notify you and
send an invoice. The invoice will be for the cost of the pedal and
shipping. Once sent I will require payment of this within 72 hours of
receipt.
And that's it really; simple.
I want to say a huge thank you for all the interest and support for
this pedal. It has genuinely blown my mind. I apologise if I have to get
a bit more businessman like and give a less personalised approach than
previously but there really is only so much one person can do in the
face of such huge demand.
There's also a few things I need to make clear to you before you sign up with regards to shipping:
People in the EU: I'm really sorry, but due to the fucked up
situation created by Brexit and the ridiculous complications that have
come from it I am finally, with a very heavy heart calling time on
selling to you guys. I really hope this can change in the future but it
just isn't feasible anymore. I shall be removing the EU shipping options
from the site in due course. I am aware that some of the recent
pre-order pedals have been from EU customers and these will of course be
honoured. But from here on in that's it I am afraid.
US, Canada and Mexico: Guys, you have expressed so much interest and
I'm thrilled to be sending so many out to you. Unfortunately I've
re-checked the shipping prices today and I'm having to put the p&p
price up from £25 to £30. I know that's a lot on shipping alone but it's
the nature of the beast I'm afraid.
Rest of World: Likewise, there's a £5 increase from £30 to £35.
Please be aware that any fees/taxes/duties you incur at your end are
your responsibility and yours alone. I know having to pay such things
sucks hard but I can't do anything about it.
Please, please, please head to the Shipping and Delivery section of
the site and clue yourself up fully before signing up; it will save a
lot of complications.
Once again, a huge thank you to you all. You are increidble.
Does anyone know if these run off a 9v power supply?
Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 03, 2011); Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, Wisconsin (September 04, 2011); Deluna Fest Pensacola, FL (September 21, 2012); Wrigley Field (July 19, 2013); Milwaukee, WI (October 20, 2014); Wrigley Field I (August 20, 2016); Wrigley Field II (August 22, 2016); Home Shows Seattle Night 1 (August 08, 2018), Home Shows Seattle Night 2 (August 10, 2018), Apollo Theater (September 10, 2022), Madison Square Garden (September 11, 2022), Bourbon & Beyond Louisville (September 17th, 2022).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeH6kQmNeOA
Comments
Pearl Jam in a pedal? Funny Little Boxes' 1991 overdrive seeks to recreate the iconic tones of classic album Ten
By Rob Laing about 6 hours ago
"The overarching aim was to capture the sound of the Ten album by Pearl Jam" says the UK company of its £99 pedal
UK pedal builder Funny Little Boxes clearly loves the classic grunge alt rock sounds of Stone Gossard and Mike McCready on Pearl Jam's Ten album as much as we do, so much so it's named its debut original overdrive pedal after the year of its release.
The FLB 1991's initial preorder has already sold out since it went on sale on 19 September, such is the draw of the proposition here.
"The 1991 is a dirt pedal that will provide everything from sparkly clean boost to face-melting distortion and has been specifically designed to capture the spirit and prevalent sound of the awesome music released in 1991," says Funny Little Boxes. "The overarching aim was to capture the sound of the Ten album by Pearl Jam and the blue print for the sound is a mid forward drive pedal being pushed into a cranked, high gain amplifier."
We're talking Tube Screamer, Klon and Marshall territory here, then. The 1991 has two gain controls that can be used both independently and together. There's a master volume and a three band EQ with an inherent character that is "mid forward; sparkly in the top end and easy on the low end".
Judge for yourselves in the clip from Pearl Jam fan and YouTuber Let's Play All above, and he also tries it out for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Nirvana and Janes Addiction tones from the same era.
We're liking what we hear and we especially admire the Norwich company's ideology of accessibility with its creations; "never charging more than £100 for any effects pedal." It doesn't get any Vedder than that.Nail those Pearl Jam Ten tones with the new Funny Little Boxes 1991 overdrive
All your favourite 1991 tones for just £99!
Funny Little Boxes 1991 overdrive pedal · Source: Funny Little Boxes
If you’re trying to cop the tones from Pearl Jam’s groundbreaking debut, then you need to check this pedal out. The Funny Little Boxes 1991 overdrive aims to capture the guitar sound on the Ten album, released in 1991. The company has already sold out the initial preorder of the £99 stompbox, so it could be popular with fans of the band chasing those tones.
Funny Little Boxes 1991
Made in the UK, the new 1991 pedal from Funny Little Boxes has two gain knobs for its two gain stages, where the first one drives the second. Then you have the standard master volume control and a three-band EQ section. I’m no expert on Pearl Jam and their guitar tone from this era but, as I understand it, the pedal is based on an overdrive pedal hitting a Marshall Plexi style amp.
If you want the Stone Gossard and Mike McCready tone from that era, then this could be one to check out. It is Funny Little Boxes’ first original pedal design and is made in collaboration with Matt Webster of the Let’s Play All YouTube channel, who originally laid down the challenge to create this £99 ‘Pearl Jam-in-a-box’ pedal. It’s certainly a lot more affordable than the recent Fender Custom Shop Mike McCready Stratocaster release from earlier this year!
Mid-Forward Tone
The company says it sounds like a “mid-forward overdrive pedal being smashed into a cranked, high-gain amplifier”. So it’s safe to assume that it’s a bit similar to a TubeScreamer-type drive pedal pushing an already driven amplifier.
Now, if they pull this off, I am sure it could do well. And with a price tag of £99, it is pretty reasonable, considering they’re made by a smaller UK-based company making pedals one at a time. Overall, I quite like the simple control layout, and the demo video below sounds pretty good as well.
RRP – GBP 99
Same.
Congratulations on joining the build queue for the Funny Little Boxes 1991! Can I firstly say a huge thank you for your interest and support; it really does mean the world to me.
Now that you are in the queue it is a matter of playing the waiting game for a bit. I will contact you shortly to let you know what number you are in the queue and give an estimated time scale for you to receive a pedal.
When your number is up I will contact you for payment; this must be made within 72 hours of receipt of the invoice please.
Following payment of the invoice you will next hear from me when your pedal is on the way to you.
Andy
Hello everyone! Firstly, let me say a huge thank you for signing up to this build queue; your support means the absolute world to me.
Secondly; I would like to offer a huge apology to the vast majority of people on this list who haven't yet received the promised email letting you know where you are in the build queue. The number of people on the list has grown so quickly it has simply been impossible to keep on top of it. There are now almost 1000 people on the list which is absolutely mind blowing! When I put this thing together my ambition was to shift 50 units by Christmas and it's safe to say that has been surpassed!
With the incredible response has come an unprecendented demand in respect of stocking components and also on my time, meaning things have been much slower than anticipated.
Please take a few minutes to read the update below as it will hopefully answer any questions you may have and give you a clearer idea of when you are likely to get your hands on a pedal.
As of Tuesday I will be free from the shackles of my current day job and able to focus fully on FLB. This should mean improved communication and slicker service.
We now have good stocks of all components. Apart from the custom knobs. The original supplier of these simply can't cut the mustard in terms of a price point and time scale that is workable for us and so I have been sourcing a new supplier. I have now found one I'm happy with and am finalising the order with them. This means that all being well, enough knobs for 1000 1991 pedals will be in stock by the end of October. Once they land, pedals will start flying out the door.
With a fair wind behind us those of you in queue 1 and 2 should have your pedals 6 weeks from now. So Queue 2 people be on the lookout for an invoice from me.
From there we are aiming to produce 50 pedals a week so again, with a fair wind behind us we should move 400 units by the time we shut up shop for Christmas.
I hope this is music to all of your ears like it is to mine!
I am so excited for these to be making their way out to all you amazing people and I promise it will be worth the wait.
Andy
Can't wait too. Still holding 4 Pearl Jam Canadian 10club tickets. Will probably be adding more next year if things go well.
Estimated Billing: Week Commencing 22.11.2021
Estimated Shipping: Week Commencing 13.12.2021
also, got my invoice from Andy this morning. Should have the 1991 in 6 weeks or less.
Awesome!!!
Given To Fly: How To Get Your Hands on a 1991 Pedal
Posted by Andrew Ilgunas
Ok,
Wow!
The response to the 1991 has been far beyond anything I ever expected and I find myself taking time out from replying to the myriad emails I've received regarding the next batch, in order to write this blog.
I'm detailing below all the info you need to get your hands on a 1991 pedal. I'll say now that the interest is HUGE! And now the likes of Music Radar and Guitar World have picked up on it and published pieces that demand is only going to grow. Act quickly to get yourself one any time soon!
I have put together a mailing list for those who wish to purchase a 1991 pedal; this is basically going to act as a build queue so the sooner you sign up the sooner you get your pedal but please, please, please be prepared to wait. Funny Little Boxes is a tiny operation that is dealing with massive demand so please don't sign up if you're not prepared to play the long game here.
To sign up to the mailing list, go to the 1991 Build Queue Sign Up section of the site and fill in the form. I have also put a link on my link tree which you can access from my Instagram account. Getting your name on this list is essential to you getting your hands on a 1991.
Currently I have been replying to emails and messages on instagram and facebook messenger. From the point at which this blog goes live I will ONLY reply to emails, and my response will be a generic one in which I send you a link to the sign up page. I love talking to you guys but I'm one man and I have a family and am still working full time in a school until the end of October alongside running FLB and there are only so many hours in the day. The only way to get in line for a pedal is signing up to the mailing list so don't delay your chance of getting a pedal by sending me a message that I simply won't have time to read.
If you are one of the many who have already emailed me or messaged on social media; I will reply and will get you on the list as it is only fair.
Once you are signed up to the mailing list I will email you to tell you what number you are in the build queue and what kind of timescale you are looking at. Like I said, this could be a long wait so please take that into consideration when you sign up.
The pedals get produced in batches and when you're number is due to come up in the next immediate batch I will email you to notify you and send an invoice. The invoice will be for the cost of the pedal and shipping. Once sent I will require payment of this within 72 hours of receipt.
And that's it really; simple.
I want to say a huge thank you for all the interest and support for this pedal. It has genuinely blown my mind. I apologise if I have to get a bit more businessman like and give a less personalised approach than previously but there really is only so much one person can do in the face of such huge demand.
There's also a few things I need to make clear to you before you sign up with regards to shipping:
People in the EU: I'm really sorry, but due to the fucked up situation created by Brexit and the ridiculous complications that have come from it I am finally, with a very heavy heart calling time on selling to you guys. I really hope this can change in the future but it just isn't feasible anymore. I shall be removing the EU shipping options from the site in due course. I am aware that some of the recent pre-order pedals have been from EU customers and these will of course be honoured. But from here on in that's it I am afraid.
US, Canada and Mexico: Guys, you have expressed so much interest and I'm thrilled to be sending so many out to you. Unfortunately I've re-checked the shipping prices today and I'm having to put the p&p price up from £25 to £30. I know that's a lot on shipping alone but it's the nature of the beast I'm afraid.
Rest of World: Likewise, there's a £5 increase from £30 to £35.
Please be aware that any fees/taxes/duties you incur at your end are your responsibility and yours alone. I know having to pay such things sucks hard but I can't do anything about it.
Please, please, please head to the Shipping and Delivery section of the site and clue yourself up fully before signing up; it will save a lot of complications.
Once again, a huge thank you to you all. You are increidble.
Andy