What's That Dude Play? » Cusack Music

NAE 2011: Cusack’s ‘Reverend resurrection’

Blake — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:48:30 +0000

We reported back in November 2010 that Jon Cusack had acquired the rights to the Reverend amp line from Joe Naylor. The amps have been out of production for several years. The line consisted of the Kingsnake, Hellhound and Goblin. Cusack debuted his version of the Kingsnake at the recent Nashville Amp Show. Complete with new graphics and new build philosophy, what we heard of the new Kingsnake is everything the Reverend was and more.

The Cusack Kingsnake retains much of what the original popular. The amp is a single channel, 60-watt, all tube amp with four (4) 12AX7s in the preamp, two (2) 6L6s in the power section, spring reverb, and an effects loop. It also has a power switch that will take the amp down to 20 watts. A lot of what Cusack built into their version of the Kingsnake was toughness and reliability in an effort to make a pedal-friendly platform with a ton of headroom. The Cusack Kingsnake is available now as a head or 1×12 combo. There also is 1×12 and 2×12 extension cabinet options. Next up for Cusack Amps is the 15-watt Goblin. A prototype of which was almost ready for Nashville, but not quite. Stay tuned!

NAE 2011: This is a Tap-A-Delay?!

Blake — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:04:00 +0000

Jon at Cusack Music had a couple of new items on display at the recent Nashville Amp Expo, including the new Never Off Tap-A-Delay. Somehow… maybe it was elves… Team Cusack was able to squeeze every bit of the big box Tap-A-Delay down into a bite-sized chunk. Complete with five control knobs and two toggles (just like its big brother), the Never Off Tap-A-Delay is missing only the footswitches. That is where the Cusack Pedal Tamer comes in handy. All of Cusack’s Never Off models can work off of the Tamer – including the new delay – without missing a beat. Price and availability info is forthcoming, however historically the Never Off pedals have run around $25 cheaper than their On/Off counterparts, so that might be a good place to start.

Cusack scoops Reverend amp rights

Blake — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:43:41 +0000

Jon Cusack of Cusack Effects has obtained the rights to the currently OOP Reverend amplifier line from Joe Naylor and plans to re-release the popular tone machines. The line will include the Kingsnake, Hellhound and Goblin models, but now under the Cusack banner. Based on what we know, the new amps will be built in the US, but it remains unclear if these will be straight re-issues. Something tells us that Jon will want to sprinkle a bit of his Cusack magic dust on them. Time will tell. For now, revile in the fact that the Reverend amps you know and love are being resurrected. We know our Hellhound is happy! Stay tuned!

Cusack reveals ‘Never Off’ trio

Blake — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:12:15 +0000

It was a coming out party for four new Cusack Effects pedals at the 2010 Nashville Amp Expo – the aforementioned Tap-A-Delay and a threesome of new ‘Never Off’ mini pedals. Previously shown as mock-ups, the Never Offs were live and in the flesh last weekend. The Louder is same circuit as the More Louder, but without the bypass system. It can be used as an always on buffer or in a looper set-up. The Scruzz is the mini of the Screamer Fuzz and the Scream is a mini of the Cusack Screamer. All three Never Off pedals are now available. Check out the pics below!

Cusack offers Tap-A-Delay walk-thru

Blake — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:58:56 +0000

Jon Cusack of Cusack Effects was kind enough to give us a quick run down of his new Tap-A-Delay pedal this past weekend at the 2010 Nashville Amp Expo. The new pedal is slated to be released in a few weeks and have a price point of around $250. It sports the standard Mix, Delay and Modulation controls of most delays, but what makes this pedal unique are the ‘other’ features… such as ‘sound brake’, ‘snap back’ and ‘bounce back’. What the heck are we talking about?! We’d better to let Jon tell you. Check out the video walk-thru below!

Cusack plans mini, ‘never off’ pedals

Blake — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:59:14 +0000

Jon over at Cusack Music has launched a new website along with a handful of new products, including three mini pedals. These mini, ‘never-off’ versions of existing Cusack pedals are designed to be used in conjunction with the company’s new looper, the Pedal Board Tamer, or any other pedal looper. The minis have the same circuit as the full size pedal… without the switching system. The Scream is the same as the Screamer, Scruzz is the Screamer Fuzz, and Louder is the More Louder. Cusack is taking pre-orders for the new range now, and expect to ship prior to the end of the month. The Louder, Scream and Scruzz will cost $165, $175 and $200, respectively.

Cusack Looper coming soon

Blake — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:22:44 +0000

Jon over at Cusack Music posted a note over at The Gear Page stating he is back on the company’s looper project and should have it done soon. According to Cusack, the production version will have 8 or 10 loops, and will be programmable with as many presets as it has loops. Jon adds that he will offer modules for special purposes, such as A/B amp switching, and amp footswitching (Channel, Reverb, etc…). There will also be a stereo option and it may include a buffer option as well. It is early days for a firm feel on availability and price, but it is safe to say we’ll see this in 2010 for sure.

Cusack’s More Louder ready to roll

Blake — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:23:14 +0000

The Cusack More Louder stomp, which promises the tone of your guitar, but more of it and louder, is now shipping. The boost pedal features a single gain knob that controls the level of boost and a toggle switch that allows the player to choose between true bypass and buffered bypass. In buffered bypass mode, the More Louder’s high impedance buffer gives you more nuanced tones and will not load down your guitar’s pick-ups. As a result, the player gets the full range out of his/her pick-ups. Cusack adds that there should be no tone loss in the cabling, or by the input of an amp or other effects. The pedal is available now and carries a price of $200.

Cusack shipping More Louder soon

Blake — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:32:48 +0000

Cusack Music expects to ship its small, single knob boost pedal – cleverly dubbed ‘More Louder’ – in the coming weeks. The pedal also boasts a toggle switch that selects between buffered or true bypass mode. The knob is to add gain. Due to its small size, More Louder will be external power only. According to Cusack. with the More Louder in buffered bypass mode a player will notice sounds from their guitar that they didn’t hear before. Because it’s a high impedance buffer, it does not load down a guitar’s pickups. As a result, pickups are allowed to operate at their full range. Be sure and stay tuned for details on the pending ‘Less Quieter’ sibling stomp!