Jam Pedals and Greg Koch have combined their technical wizardry for the Koch Ness Monster – an absurd new signature pedal that crams four of the Greek firm’s greatest stompboxes into one multi-effects monster.
The collaboration has brought forth two versions of the pedal. The standard edition weighs in at $790 and contains – in order of its signal path – the Lucydreamer overdrive, Eureka! fuzz, Harmonius Monk tremolo, and the Delay Llama delay pedal.
For $2,190, the souped-up Supreme version more than doubles its pedal offerings. It hides a Wahcko wah, RetroVibe vibrato/chorus, Koch’s signature Gristle King boost/drive, a boost/buffer, Waterfall chorus, and two types of Delay Llama flavors beneath its sparkling orange housing.
It’s easy to bawk at their price tags – $790 for the standard version hardly screams affordable – but it only takes buying around three of the pedals individually to rack up that same outlay.
Moreover, there are some key benefits of the all-in-one Koch Ness Monster. Its tap tempo feature allows the different pedals to synchronize, and the expression pedal on the Supreme edition can be used as more than just a wah.
From controlling the speed of the RetroVibe to the time of the Delay Llama Xtreme and the level of its Boomster boost, such features start to present the pedal in a different light.
As for its double helping of delays – via the Delay Llama MkII and the Xtreme variant – Koch uses the former as a slapback echo and the latter for all his other delay pedal needs.
Koch first met Jam Pedals founder Jannis Anastasakis in 2009, and says had he known their soon-to-blossom relationship would lead to “this glorious, multi-effective doom and destruction,” he would have danced on the spot.
“This creature right here has everything but the kitchen sink,” Koch says. “After many years of using various devices in the Jam Pedals arsenal, we decided 'Lets make a couple of pedals together – one that's lean and mean that has the bare essentials, and one that just has everything.'”
He’s called the streamlined edition a “pared-down, throw-and-go, orange-clad warrior,” while the Supreme comes with a tailored gig bag and optional plexiglass guides with labeled controls.
Both versions are available now, with the standard edition shipping from the end of October. For players wanting the Koch’s kitchen sink design, shipping sadly won’t start until the end of the year.
The Jam Pedals Koch Ness Monster ($790) and the Kochness Monster Supreme ($2,190) are available to order now.
Check out Jam Pedals for more information.
Earlier this year, Jam Pedals revised its Rat-inspired Rattler, adding a raft of fresh advancements to its distortion pedal.
Koch, meanwhile, has recently been treated to another Reverend signature guitar, this time putting his spin on the Stratocaster template.
