Siren Pedals takes on the classic Boss HM-2 & BluesBreaker pedals
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Siren Pedals take on the classic HM-2 & BluesBreaker pedals. The new Eligos and Juneau · Source: Siren Pedals
Siren Pedals just launched a couple of new pedals based on two classic effects. The Eligos and Juneau are the company’s take on the now legendary Boss HM-2 and Marshall BluesBreaker pedals. Both these pedals have become pretty desirable over the years and can command a high price in the vintage market. Read on to find out how these clones compare to the originals.
Siren Pedals Eligos and Juneau
Siren Pedals, based in Nashville, Tennessee, have just come out with two new brightly coloured pedals. The Eligos and Juneau are based on two classic stompboxes, both of which have shot up in price on the used market over the last few decades, making them highly desirable circuits. The Eligos is Siren Pedals’ take on the Boss HM-2 distortion, a mainstay of Swedish Death Metal tones, while the Juneau is base on the Marshall BluesBreaker pedal, a low gain overdrive pedal.
Both pedals are hand-made in the USA, and each one comes with a collector’s card with its respective pedal’s unique graphic on it.
Siren Pedals Eligos and Juneau · Source: Siren Pedals
Eligos
I can’t say I’ve ever been a huge fan of the Boss HM-2 pedal. I remember buying them for around £10-20 each in the late ’80s and early ’90s, using them, then realising I didn’t like them that much and selling them on again. It did, however, spawn a whole genre of music and is once more, quite popular.
The Eligos refines the HM-2’s circuit by adding true-bypass switching and top-mounted jacks. It also comes without a buffer, unlike the original which had the famous Boss buffer in its circuit. There are controls for VOL and DIST, and a 2-band EQ like the original. Everything one would need for sculpting brutal, heavy distortion tones.
To go full on Black Metal, ideally, just dime everything! Or, you could try and aim for the fuzz kind of tone of the original. If you’ve been searching for something similar to the HM-2 but were looking for a true-bypass version, check out the demo video below and see what you think.
RRP – USD 199
More Information
Video
https://youtu.be/gW92AL-7YcI
Juneau
The Juneau is based on the Marshall BluesBreaker pedal, another highly sought after vintage effect from the early ’90s. The pedal circuit has already been tweaked and cloned by countless companies like Analogman, and just about every other boutique pedal maker on the planet.
The originals are great, and I have owned a few over the years. But to be honest, I prefer my original Marshall Guv’nor pedal, as I like a bit more dirt myself. This new Juneau is meant to be an exact clone of the original, just with a neater layout and modern components, as well as an added PRESENCE control. This should make the Juneau a bit more versatile than the original BluesBreaker pedal, which only had controls for Volume, Gain, and Tone.
If it gets anywhere near the old Marshall, then it’s a steal at this price point, considering what those original pedals are going for these days. You can check out the pedal in action in the demo video below.
RRP – USD 199
More Information
Video
https://youtu.be/eDHYJiIaNl0
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