Mesa/Boogie Throttle Box Distortion Pedal Review by Sweetwater Sound

Get the Mesa/Boogie Throttle Box here: www.sweetwater.com/store/detai...
When Mesa/Boogie makes a high-gain distortion pedal, they're backing it with decades of experience in the high-gain business. They know exactly what guitarists like: massive distortion, tons of sustain, lots of control to dial it in, all the while retaining maximum note-to-note clarity - oh yeah, and total dependability. This is why the Mesa/Boogie Throttle Box exists, to be that pedal.
The Lo/Hi gain switch lets you go from chunky rhythm to soaring lead and all points in-between. The Mid Cut acts like the classic Boogie 5-Band graphic EQ: as you turn it up, the mids drop and the bass and treble rise creating the perfect scooped-mid, V-curve. With 20db of boost available, you can drive the front end of your amp as hard as you need to.
I'm a long-time Boogie owner/endorser/fan and the pedal in this video is from my personal collection. This thing kicks some serious tail!
Thanks for watching!
-- Don Carr

[@seanmansfield7069]

I'm so glad you play chords instead of diddling around the whole time. When I watch a demo of a distortion pedal the last thing I want to hear is a bunch of noodling, I want to hear what kind of balls it has.

[@carlos2175]

Thank you for the excellent demonstration!

[@jeffreygraham9553]

Definitely on my Christmas list 😁

[@sweetwater]

john - Throttle Box was announced late in 2012 and released early 2013, along with three other Mesa/Boogie pedals. Thanks! Don Carr

[@sealevelcain4664]

SweetwaterSound Why should WE believe you ?

[@marcelkupko6598]

Excellent sound.

[@fc2p]

Nice video Don! Looks like I’m gonna have to buy another one of your demo’d pedals.

[@vonmilash823]

I covet one to add to my boogie vtwin preamp pedal, which is also monstrous.

[@pinscherpower1]

Nice 👍, gotta buy!

[@theHAL9000]

Terrific demo. Appreciate Sweetwater demos … cover a lot of ground in least amount of time with a real world users point of view.

[@Estudio_Quesney]

Shine on Don! Shine on.

[@xdanrestx]

Great review. I have this pedal and I love it. I play Hardcore Metal and it works amazing for me ...

[@clintgilbert9358]

+Daniel Restrepo Vélez would you pick this over whampler triple wreck

[@xdanrestx]

+Clint Gilbert ... I haven't tried the Whampler ... In Colombia is not easy to find pedals to try (not even this one, I got to try this in a studio ... ) All we get in stores here is Boss and Dunlop ... That being said and taking too long in someone elses demo, I like my pedal does great for me and the use I put it through.

[@clintgilbert9358]

Thanks for response

[@xdanrestx]

Hey, we have to help other right? ... Have a good day. (Try the pedals if possible before buying ... what works for me might not work for you)

[@audiostuff768]

hey man,my dual rec got stolen,and i have gigs upcoming,do you think i can get the chug and djenty sounds with this pedal in front of generic tube amp? or even a solid state amp? of course for djent maybe i will put mid cut on 0,please help thanks !

[@defoiarddefoiard6209]

ALL THE RIGHT REASONS

[@grzegorznt666]

i have problem with mine, when i roll of the volume the pedal doesnt clean up but the sound turns into the fuzz type of sound. any ideas what the problem is?

[@100chuckjones]

Nice job Don. The cab mic'ing video you played 3 chords for 20 minutes. Great job here though. ripping it up a little bit. Love it !

[@enzopanepinto1488]

Hi what's your gear on this video please?

[@john-bs8pt]

What year did this pedal come out?

[@Brad143]

Between throttle box and Wampler dracarys which One is more better.need to buy after this, thanks.

[@dougross2256]

Is there a 2 c + petal

[@franciscoadonis1068]

Will the mid.scoop make my guitar inaudible in a band mix? i hope it is no just for the metal, because i want my bandmates to HEAR me

[@Tony-Jabroni]

Nope, I’m still front and center with the v eq scope

[@christiangreen5721]

Imagine if Cannibal Corpse switched to this instead of a messa of Boogie amp

[@nexxon0ah156]

Would this be good in place of a Mesa boogie IIC+? Because I’m trying to get the master of puppets tone

[@SujeetGT]

I heard it’s modelled to sound more like a dual rectifier. The flux drive is modelled to sound like mark series

[@nexxon0ah156]

Sujeet GuiTarist ahh okay thanks

[@audiostuff768]

hey guys at sweetwater hope you reply,how this mesa compared with wampler triple wrecker? for downtuning. thanks !

[@sweetwater]

Danny Rachmad, wow...that's a tough call! Sonically, they're in the same territory; I think it comes down to preference and how you use it. The Throttle Box is simple and intuitive, smaller footprint, made by the guys who invented that sound. The Wampler Triple Wreck has an added, footswitchable boost and a more extensive eq. It is physically bigger but has a few more options. Boogie also has a version with a 5-band graphic eq added, but it's even bigger than the TW. Speaking generally about drop-tuned guitars, more eq options allow you to fine-tune your spot in the mix and get the clarity you need without sacrificing low-end. Hope this helps, you really can't go wrong either way! Thanks, Don Carr

[@johnnybaynes4861]

SweetwaterSound Would this pedal be good for blues music?

[@brandonjohnson8635]

I have owned the Triple Wreck but don't have any experience with the Throttlebox. From all the clips of the Throttlebox I have seen I feel the Wampler Triple Wreck sounds better. I think the Wampler sounds fuller and more open sounding.

[@victordanielguerreroacosta2583]

how is these pedal compared to the amptweaker tight metal ?

[@vibecheck4581]

Amptweaker tightmetal is more for thrash but The mesa boogie Throttle is also good with that thrash sound like earlier Metallica or megadeath

[@Schizophrenia222]

While it's not bad, I'd say the Friendman BE-OD came along and slayed this.

[@leeshobbyheaven3307]

I would say no to that. I had the beod and its so over priced for what you get This pedal is miles better

[@BillyMoonMan]

Collective Soul

[@drumthrone10]

How's the amp mic'd? With what mic? Thanks.

[@sweetwater]

Hi +Cirej DC! We used a Shure SM57. Thanks for watching!

[@drumthrone10]

+SweetwaterSound Thanks for replying Sweetwater! Was this off center? Is there any chance you guys be demoing the EQ version? Thanks again!

[@xdanrestx]

+Cirej DC A friend of mine got the EQ version and it's a little bit more versatile ... but personally, if you know how to get your tone, the EQ is not that needed.

[@Dave_OnTheRoam]

This is good for Alter Bridge and Tremonti :D

[@Mark-ry3ij]

It would have been better if you demo all pedals in general using a tube amp, a solidstate amp, a guitar with humbuckers as well as guitar with single coils. and in combination of all of these.

[@CodyJamez707]

What’s the best MESA pedal to cover a James Hetfield rhythm ???

[@richietownsend6737]

It would be this one, or the EQ version.

[@michaelmanginsay9855]

hey ...joyo pedal maker ...clone this ! ...in a low low price ma' man.

[@aaronkimi86]

They have the Joyo California. Its supposed to replicate the Mesa Boogie Mark II. Sounds great.

[@mjwontstop]

I love This Comment Bro! Yeah JoYo Peeps! Do all Of them!❤

[@john-bs8pt]

can this use a nine volt battery?

[@herveytorresfonseca143]

john oh yes!

[@johnnybaynes4861]

Would this pedal be good for blues?

[@richietownsend6737]

I have the Mesa Boogie Flux Drive and that is a beautiful pedal for blues. The Throttle Box seems a might heavy for blues, even on lower gain settings, unless you're getting into pretty heavy psychedelic blues rock, then it'd probably be pretty cool.

[@EnmaMusicProduction]

This pedal isnt really built for blues XD Mr. Townsend has a point its mpre for the rock type of distortion :) You could go for a flux drive instead

[@herwansaputra4080]

Red channel, low gain ❤

[@defoiarddefoiard6209]

NICKELBACKLOL

[@brandonanderson2066]

Badass tone.

[@artificialinsolence3182]

I tried this thing and had it returned it the same day. I don't know what is with Mesa, but when it comes to anything else but amps and cabinets, their stuff tends to suck. Much like the Cab Clone, this thing sounds like absolute garbabe. Sucked all the life from the tone (even with the internal dipswitch set to bass boost off) and was just mud, mud, mud. All definition, clarity and presence gone from the signal, no matter how I turned the knobs. You'd have to keep an EQ unit connected with it all times to get a somewhat clear and present signal from it. And even in high-gain mode, there isn't enough gain to use it as a stand-alone pedal for metal. For the price being asked, I was just utterly disappointed by the Throttle Box. Which is very unfortunate, because I kinda liked the base tone of it.

[@lionelb.1482]

metal zone???? 😆