BLACK BOX
TESTIMONIALS
"Sarno Magical Steel Guitar Black Box. The
dark, selfish, Gollum side of me wants to keep my new
Precious a secret.... However, my indebtedness to the
vast pool of information that is TheGearPage dictates
that I must share this incredible find with my Gear Headed
Brethren. In short, yes, you need Sarno's Black Box.
It gives you all that's promised and more. If you are
tired and sickened by tone loss on your pedalboard, hear
this call and follow the light. I promise you, this is
no ordinary buffer. You will be astounded. That's all
I'm sayin'!!!" - Joe Messer
"You probably get this all the
time, but my god, this thing is good. You really nailed it
with this box. Thanks a million times over" - Corbet
Cross
"WOW! What an incredible difference and improvement to my
tone. The Black Box smoothed out my tone while giving it
more depth and a bigger dimension. I can't imagine playing
without it now. I really believe in this product. It is
like hearing fm radio for the first time after listening to
an unclear channel on an a.m. pocket radio."
–Tommy White - Grand
Ole Opry
“WOW, what a difference
in my sound. I've got a closet full of effects units and
all sorts of gadgets I've bought to improve my sound, to no
avail. I could never have imagined that one unit could make
that much difference. It's the greatest thing to happen to
the steel guitar since pedals. Thanks." –Jamie Hurd, Canisteo, NY
"I play a
lot of bass with a New Orleans funk type band and use the
Black Box to front end my Eden bass rig. I won't play
without it now. I can dial it down for those Funky Meters
tunes or dial it up if I need more of a Hutch Hutchinson
sound without changing any of my tone settings (which are
most often at 12 oclock/neutral)...I can't say enough good
things about my Black Box!!!" - Steven Silver
"SWEET, SMOOTH, and WARMTH
with a SUPERIOR CHILL FACTOR" were the terms used to
describe the sound of my guitar... I also have a Martin
D-35 with a Fishman Matrix pickup, and the Martin sounds
like "buttah" through the "Black Box" ... You're definitely
right when you say the guitar sounds like wood and strings
and NOT like a pickup when the "Black Box" is used...
Thanks!!!" - Mike Retzinger
"I drove to St. Louis about 2
months ago after trying out one of my friends Black Box at
a steel meeting. As it stands right now, I will never play
out again without it . If I had the money, I would by
another one just to have a back up in case mine was lost or
broken. I had tried every thing that has been written on
the forum on getting rid of the dry, shrill, thin sound of
my high notes passed the 10th fret. This is it... I can
play up to the second octave without a thin sound now. It
is a pleasure to go past the 12th without that unwanted
sound I used to get. The tone seems to even get better the
louder you punch it. I can't believe I overlooked the
threads on the BB this many years. If you have the same
problem I had with solid state amps, you owe it to yourself
to just give it a try. It made a believer out of
me." –Rick
Nicklas
“The STEEL GUITAR BLACK
BOX” is one of the greatest pieces of gear to come
along for steel guitar in a long time. With the BLACK BOX,
I can get the power and punch from my solid state amps, and
enjoy the warmth and tube sound like that of a vintage tube
amp.” –Mike Johnson
"It gives back all of the tone that my effects unit takes
away. It gives my tone a warmth and fatness that I've been
looking for." –Tom Brumley
"I've spent the last week as
Adam Long's assistant while he's been mixing at Phat
Buddha. Every time he bussed his mix through the black box
I couldn't believe the difference! I'm also a guitarist,
and would have some great uses for this amazing box."
Thanks again, - Tony Esterly, St. Louis, MO
"The SGBB is like salt...put
it on everything." –Marlin Smoot
"Most of the good buzz on this
Forum about the SGBB has come from pedal steelers using
solid-state amps. I'm not a pedal steeler, but here's how
I've been using mine... a) between an acoustic guitar and a
solid-state acoustic amp b) between my electric 6-string or
lap steel and pedal chain (1-3 pedals)into a tube amp c)
for recording the above instruments, plus electric bass.
The variable impedance control is very effective for
further tuning in the tone I want."
–Stephan
Miller
"I love the overall tone
difference. Now my steel sounds like a steel that I
remember from all those early-day clubs."
–Chip
Fossa
"...I
thought I had a good direct recording sound before, and
this blows that away. And when that little blue light is
glowing, sweet..." –Randy
Beavers
"This unit is the best thing to come along, (in my
opinion), for the steel guitar in 20 years. It does
everything it says above, plus it makes the harshness of
the transistor amp sound very mellow which is a h- - - of a
lot easier on my tired ol? ears." –Terry Bethel
"I got one a few weeks
ago. It's one of the best moves I've made in some
time." –Bruce
Bouton
"I got one of Brad's
SGBB's after this year's ISGC and I have to tell you that
the box is now part of my regular onstage setup. And the
results I get in a studio setting are simply great and much
more dramatic than the onstage improvement. Increased high
end clarity without harshness, and a mid-range tone that is
somehow "better." More distinction between notes in the
full chords." –Herb
Steiner
The
"Black Box " unit is unfreakingbelievable!!!!
“Absolutely the
finest.... In the past I have used a # of units (L.R.
Baggs Parametric DI, Fishman Pro EQ Platinum,
ART Tube MP, ART Studio V3 MP....) to try and achieve what
the "Black Box" delivers....BIG
WARMTH and SMOOTHNESS. My guitar sounds
wonderful through my sound system with the "Black Box"
being used. "SWEET, SMOOTH, and WARMTH with a SUPERIOR
CHILL FACTOR" were the terms used to describe the sound of
my guitar.... I also have a Martin D-35 with a Fishman
Matrix pickup, and the Martin sounds like "buttah" through
the "Black Box".... You're definitely right when you
say the guitar sounds like wood and strings and NOT like a
pickup when the "Black Box" is
used...Thanks!!!” –Mike
Retzinger
“I
can't really describe in words what it does to the sound,
and not just for the steel guitar, but for anything put
through it - electric guitar, jazz guitar, acoustic gtr,
bass...When you first hook it up, it seems subtle - "OK,
that sounds good". The revelation comes when taking it out
of the circuit and listening to my "normal" sound, which
suddenly seems not as good as I thought. Put the Black Box
back in, and there it is - just way BETTER – more
life, fatter lows (but not louder), high end much clearer
(but not scratchy). Indefinably
just...better.” –Bill
Monk
".... I just wanted to
tell you that I was just overdubbing a steel solo on the
new Gretchen Wilson album.....and they asked if I could get
a little "fatter" sound. I plugged in your Black Box and
the producer's eyes lit right up!!! I'd say we hit a
tonal home run!!" –Russ Pahl, producer/guitarist
for Lloyd Green; Steel player for Gretchen Wilson, Vince
Gill, Nashville session player
"I got a BB
this past week and man what a difference. I used on a
session last night with my Roland GP 100 running direct and
it was the best sound I ever had. I've only used it with my
Nash 112 at home and it was sweet." –Tony
Dingus
"This great new arrival to
my pedal board has made my whole rig sound better, and I
don't even play a steel guitar! Thanks again for the pure
tube tone, and simplicity of the Steel Guitar Black Box. "
–Kevin
Bilchik, St.
Louis, MO
“I am a very happy
owner and user of the Box overhere in Holland, never leave
home without it so to speak.” –Rob
Van Duuren, Amsterdam
"I'll tell you one thing,
I won't record without it." ..."I had originally thought I
would only use the Black Box in the studio, but after half
a dozen gigs and testing with and without it, wherever my
guitar goes, THE BOX GOES." ..."It gives warmth in the
studio, which is what I originally hoped it would do, but
it warms up a solid state amp really well live as
well..." –Larry Bell
"Before I got the "Black
Box" I thought I had the best sound that I could get out of
the amps I had. (WRONG) When I connected the black box to
my steel, it made a big difference. It made my sound fatter
and gave me clean velvet highs. Since i got the BLACK BOX from Brad I have
never played a job without it. It brought my sound to
life." –Buck
Grantham
"... I received my Black
Box this morning and it is all you claim and more. I had
been dissatisfied with the tone of my [amp], and thought
perhaps a replacement speaker may help. But now I find
there is no longer a need. The muddy mid range is gone and
the highs really sparkle. Thanks for a great
product." –David
Nugent
"I don't pretend to
understand what is happening or why - but the improvement
in my tone was dramatic and immediate! Emmons LeGrande -
'Black Box' - Hilton pedal - Profex ll - Nashville 112 (in
that order); the best sound I've ever had. It was warmer,
fuller, and the harmonics sang out like never before; it's
a boon!" –Roger Rettig
"... it makes it way
easier to be in the zone or sweet spot" ..."it also
improves the string seperation- when playing two-string
groups the lower note is much more distinct to my ear, this
is the bread and butter of the commercial sound of course
so also-KILLER" –Byron Walcher
"After 21 years of playing
and using many different pieces of gear, I know my endless
quest for tone has now ended with the Steel Guitar Black
Box leading the way."–Jim
West
"Tonight I took the BB to
band rehearsal and it does everything it's supposed to do:
warming up the sound, taking the shrillness out of the
highs, letting the steel sound as it is meant to. It's as
if somebody pulled a veil from the speaker."
–Rainer
Hackstaette - Germany
“My
last e-mail to you had my comments as to being a new black
box owner. I stated that the difference was subtle and that
I wasn't sure it was worth the $300 I paid. Well, something
has happened! I now
find the difference in sound to be quite dramatic!
When I take
away the black box, my sound is harsh and rough. It is not
as warm and silky smooth as it is with the box. It sounds
tinny and thin without the box, which I never notice
before. When I play with tracks, the box makes it sound
like I am part of the tracks. Without it, it sounds like
the tracks and me are on two different planes. My ears have
now been opened and I hear what others are hearing when
using your box. It actually makes me sound like a lot
smoother player, believe it or not. I just wanted to share
my experience with you and let you know how much I
appreciate you bringing this product to the steel
world.” –George
Kimery
"Words cannot describe the
difference in tone this unit makes. I play through a solid
state amp, and my tone went from thuddy, shrill, and middy,
to silky smooth. Every note punched out with a warm rich
and full sound. I consider this unit to be my very best
friend, and I will never leave home without it. "
–Mike
Holland
"That is the first time in years that my ears didn't ring
from from my own playing." –Bobby
Hempker - Loretta Lynn, Roy Clark Show
"For me it seems to smooth
things out and keeps that wonderful string
separation" –Ron Randall
"I took her for a test
drive at my gig last night. Really sweet! It is hard to put
into words. While the change seems subtle, at the same time
it is dramatic. It really smooths the highs and gives the
bottom new definition. I am finally getting the quality of
tone I have been seeking but has until now has eluded me.
Thanks for a great product! I am definely very happy with
my purchase and will gladly recommend your product to
others." –Another Believer -Tom
Palmer