.png)
SoundLad Liverpool original design, this is not a clone - Designed, hand wired, and assembled in Liverpool, UK
Players notes - An original inductor and transformer loaded discreet overdrive, designed from the Physics of loud, up. Incredibly versatile and dynamic with a unique voice that has an authentic "British" sensibility about it without utilising circuitry from traditional "Brit" gear. Scran sculpts tone from the extreme ends; sub to bass frequencies and "air band" treble frequencies, gently pushing and pulling the mids from either side. Because of this it is very effective at dropping into any mix and preserving the general placement of the instrument. Has been described as "like a separate channel for your amp rather than a pedal" and "a pedal you have to play in to, not one you stomp on that hijacks your sound". Particularly useful for B(V)ox amplifiers, which can sound bad with harsh cuts or boosts to the midrange. We would go as far as to say this is a B(V)ox specialist. Best between a guitar and an amp. Buffers will affect the treble response.
​
​
A modern circuit designed using "old school" techniques to create a True-Vintage, real-feeling, immersive overdrive.
​
Perfect for 2000's Indie (The Strokes, The Libertines, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys etc...), classic rock, and adding a natural overdrive to your palette while retaining the overall tonality and feel of your guitar and amp setup.
​
Rather than plastering on an EQ to mimic vintage tones, Scran takes the very best happy accidents and quirks of old construction techniques and uses them to purposefully deliver a True-Vintage feel and response using modern components in old school ways.
[skran] Noun - dialect. Definition: Food
Scran: Widely debated etymology from possible origins in Dutch for “food” [– Sschranzen] to other plausible Germanic origins. In Old Norse “Skran”, meaning “rubbish”. In Scotland, the first recorded definition was in an 18th Century dictionary, referring to a bar tab.
In Liverpool, it means basic food done exceptionally well –“proper scran that lad”.
-
Discreet Class A Gain Blocks
-
Custom made inductors for reactive top end response
-
UK designed transformers
-
High Quality SMD and through hole components
​
-
Off board Input and Output Jacks & DC Jack
-
Off board True Bypass Switching
-
Fully ISO9001 and RoHS compliant
Runs on 9v Center Negative (Boss style) power supply - Current Draw: 6mA
THICK affects the amount of bass going into the circuit. Right up it will give a rich, chewy fuzz sound that is quite Fuzz Face-y (think 60's style fuzz sounds) and when turned right down will give a "Treble Boost" response. This dial is very useful for removing the wool from a neck pickup for Stevie Ray Vaughan type sounds and tightening up the bottom end of high gain sounds on bridge pickups and down tunings. The fuzz sound drops off quickly, it's really just there for fun.
SOFT uses an old technique called an inductive EQ, favoured by Rupert Neve on his original designs, to provide treble/presence filtering before the overdrive. This is a "mix placement" tool. It can seem very subtle in isolation but when used in a mix setting it becomes very apparent what it is doing. Right up will bring your settings forward and more "present" in the mix where right down will place the tone further back in the mix.
​
At lower gain settings SOFT will also introduce phase distortion in the top end at about half way round, producing an authentic Fender/Dumble shimmer. We find around 1o'clock is the real trick.
TOAST is a gain dial, but it is not the only one. THICK, HP and Toast are all gain dials and each has been carefully tuned so the full range is useful. You may find with THICK or HP right up you might not want very much TOAST at all. Toast will make a rushing sound when you turn it, this is perfectly normal for this dial and is the sound of a transistor inside re-biasing.
HP provides a "thickening" to the the overall tone. HP can be used to add a bit of bottom end grit to a punchy rhythm, warm up a sharp Treble Boost setting, or used as a solid foundation for lower gain, earthy drive sounds.
CHEESE, in short, is for matching your pedal to your amp. It is a subtle effect that is best felt rather than heard. Strike a chord on your guitar, close your eyes, and turn the CHEESE dial. You will hear and feel it match up to your amplifier at a point on the dial. This point will be different for different settings on the other dials.
From the Scouse (Liverpool) term "give it beans". There's too much variability across all the settings but generally somewhere around 12oclock will do you well with a fairly hefty whallop after 3oclock for using SCRAN as a boost. We think it's best to just use your ears.
TOP TIP - If you like the fuzz end of Scran but find it TOO thick and chewy, try putting a signal buffer before it - delicious.
*Does not take batteries... stop using batteries you pigs!*
