*** Well, we're totally back up and flyin' low. We hit the ground running and got things moving right along once again. I'm still chipping away at those emails that stacked up while I was ill, put I'm getting there! And that new lettering system works SOOPER! I'll be posting pics of the first few pedals that we got done using the new rig (a JOE and a Model 9). So we're just chugging right along here and getting out these pedals for everyone again. You have no idea how GOOD that feels! The new soldering benches allow Missi and I to work out of the 125f heat that we've been hit with the last week or so. (It was actually pouring down rain yesterday while it was a scorching 115+ ... really weird I tell ya!) :)

*** I'll be posting some updates on the ZED and the Valven projects in the next day or so. The *new* Valven is just amazing, it's so versatile and sounds like MY GUITAR!! What a concept, a pedal that actually retains the guitar's character and voice. Sheees!

*** Farndurk Machine will officially open soon. Expect good things to come from this ... such as our own design of Stainless Steel knobs for our pedals (that is project number one at Farndurk Machine) ... custom Tele saddles (for MIM Teles) of various materials are another little trinket on the design table ... just to give you a hint of things to come ...

*** I was able to hone the Dyna-Q system while I was down, it just never stops blowing my mind. That setup offers so many *voices* that are accessable to the player. This last week we also got some Model 9 enclosures (tops, that is) done. I have about 8 that we got done up so we'll be able to offer them with a little less lead time. The new machining equipment is certainly working out well as far as helping us with our lead times. We're are waiting on a boatload of JOE pcbs (we simply cannot build those JOEs fast enough, it is easily our best selling pedal) Burgs RTOC pcbs as well as the pcbs for the Model 9 (Early Days of Fire 2.0) to show up. Until then we're a bit stalled on those pedals. Speaking of waiting on pcbs to show up, that's the one thing that we're not doing our selves just yet, manufacturing our own pcbs. While I do every single stitch of each and every one of our circuit designs my own little self within a CAD progam, the actual manufacturing of the bare pcbs is done elsewhere here in the U.S. We're hoping to tie in a CNC setup with our new mill so we can manufacture our own pcbs in house at some point. But that's another $3k to $5k on top of what we just spent on machinery and setups (uh, I got some medical bills I gotta deal with now too). So ...... until then we subcontract both the powdercoating and the bare circuit board manufacturing to local businesses.

*** For those interested, here's the "long story" of the reason we went down for a month/plus .... July the 22nd. Brian Cale has been hospitalized. Go here. This link explains it best for me. Sincerely, Missi Cale.. In all these words we say, in all the correspondence we've written, I guess the thing we want to get across the most is please know that Missi, Jeff and I are doing our best to get the machine back on line and pedals moving out of here. And again, giant huge apologies for the month + worth of hassles. I know I screwed up some folks plans and I feel pretty cruddy for basically sortof having to shut the shop down on everyone. Well .... onward and upward then! Thanks folks ... stand aside then, I'm workin' here! :) Brian Cale.

*** Phase 2 Tone Plugs are hear! (nyuk nyuk) .. kidding aside, the all new P2TP circuits are done! (aka Phase II Tone Plugs).

*** The RAVEN Series .... Here's the RAVEN 7 which is a kickin' little booster and the RAVEN 9 which let's you obtain Model 9 tones starting at $250 on up. And the RAVENX is just sick.

*** The *next wave* of stuff coming from us is gelling nicely. We took our single opamp design to a nice pinnacle in the Model 9 and the X/X2 systems. This next wave of inspirations will give me something to develop and grow over the next year or so. With things like our AfterBurner Boost system, the new Phase 2 Tone Plug ports, and the new Dyna-Q eq system being honed and polished up, these new Expansion Systems are compatible with our entire X series, as well as the Boosten booster .. but best of all, they will make excellent additions to the all new ZED multi-gain stage family of pedals coming out! There will be plenty of kickass combos and new units coming out to spur on your imagination, and provide muse to your signal processing ideas. We're also releasing a new system for vintage tonewheel Hammond players, The Farndurk BurnWheel. At last, a box that simply goes in between your Hammond B3 and your Leslie 122/147 with NO MODS to your priceless vintage gear, providing KILLER distortion as well as an FX loop that allows the use of standard guitar-type pedals to be used with your vintage gear ... with NO MODS!. As most folks have figured out, we are a build-to-order shop. We offer various types of compressors, overdrives, boosts, and other "core tone" systems that allow us to design and build units that work just the way YOU need them too. With the cool new additions to our Expansion circuits (Dyna-Q, P2TPs, AfterBurner boosts, as well as the QuadIC FOUR Chip system that is 100% compatible with the entire ZED family of circuits) the next year or so should see some mondo-cooly stuff coming out of our little shop out in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.

*** The Burgs comp got another tweak. I have finally got it setup on the pcb so that you can achieve the Near Zero setting (aka Boost mode) by simply reducing the C knob to it's absolute minimum setting. Thanks to TONS of great input from a lot of regular giggers using the nearly 250 Burgs comps out there in the trenches, I've added an Input Level knob in the place of the Preset minitoggle. So the Burgs has a squish knob ("C") and a make up volume knob ("V") and an input level knob ("I"). The input level knob makes the Burgs comp more friendly with higher output guitars and humbuckered guitars as well. The new knob allows you to reduce the level of signal hitting the comp. This is handy for several things actually. Lower intputs mean even less compression levels, so if you're looking for even less compression you can reduce the input level a bit. The onward evolution of the Burgs comp. Always moving forward folks. The changes to the circuit that provide the Near Zero setting with just the C knob, as well as the new Input Level knob have not affected the price of the Burgs comp one bit thank you very much! ... we love making the humans happy with our pedal love.

*** Starting May 13th 2010. Live overseas? We've got something for you. If we ship to any off continent address, you will get 10% off your order. So pretty much if your pedal crosses saltwater on the way to your house you get 10% off! This doesn't apply to shipping costs, just the subtotal of your order. This is crazy, but someone's gotta show some love to the overseas folks! .. :)

*** Blair in Florida said of his Model 9: "Hey Brian, This thing is sick! It looks great and feels really solid. Truth be told, I was a little skeptical at first of how much difference the tone plugs would make. These things make COMPLETELY different sounds, and all of them sound great. I just don't know which one to keep in it! Tone Plugs are a gateway drug!" ... I sent him 4 different Tone Plugs; a #8, a #10 and two *new-brews* that we haven't published here on the website yet, the #20 and the #22. If I tell ya what's in them I gotta kill ya. :)

*** Barbie in the Phillipines had this to say about her Burgs2 that she uses with her humbuckered Les Paul Standard: "Hey Brian and Missi, Thanks!! I already got the Burgs2 and I must say it sounds incredible! Come to think of it , I've tried 3 other compressors before and to be honest none of them really convinced me that they were necessary (hehe). But this one does :) It's my first time to really appreciate how a compressor can enhance the guitar's tone etc... Great job!!"