IBANEZ SM7 SMASH BOX | Pedal Demo

The Ibanez SM7 Smash Box is a real best-kept-secret for high-gain distortion sounds for cheap. I’m a pretty staunch Metal Zone defender, and broadly believe they actually sound awesome if you’re patient with the EQ, but the Smash Box is an analogous and altogether better option in my estimation, by way of a tone stack that is sensitive but not overly finicky, a generally focused low-end attack, and a fantastic incorporated noise gate, as well as a cheaper price tag on the used market. The Smash Box nails solid-state death metal tones that are just a little bit loose or scuzzy, and it can focus into a pretty good Mesa Dual Rectifier simulation with some judicious tweaking. It always has a sense of string clarity with just enough “glue” around notes to sound cohesively “huge,” and while the tone stack can be a bit resonant for standard tunings, it takes to drop-tunings tremendously well.
We decided to ask our friend Jack to join us for this one for a few reasons; he’s one of the best metal players I know, and the first time he came over with his drop-tuned Explorer and I showed the pedal to him, we both started laughing at how good it sounded, and he bought one on the spot. It seems only right to loop in a friend who’s as endeared to the pedal as I am, and this should be the first of a number of fun “collab videos;” It’s striking how different players can bring such disparate things out of the same equipment, and that recognition is only more glaring with three cooks in the kitchen.
— Colin

0:00 Jack Bloodbath
0:37 Jack D Standard Knob Twiddle
1:38 Colin Torso D-Beat
2:06 Casey Melodic Chords
2:48 Colin Ignorant Slam/Trills
3:45 Casey Citizen Bass
4:41 Colin Grindy Bass
5:12 Jack Korn-alike with CF7
5:52 Casey Shoegaze with Visual Sound Tap Delay
6:37 Jack Death'n'roll with Bear Amps Heavier Metal
7:16 Colin Nails HM-2 Slam with Bear Amps Heavier Metal

GEAR -
1992 Squier Silver Series Telecaster (heavily modified)
‘90s Ampeg Dan Armstrong
70s Gretsch Beast with Fender neck humbucker in bridge
2014 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
1991 Rickenbacker 4003BT
Visual Sound Tap Delay
Ibanez CF7 Chorus/Flanger
Peavey Butcher 100W
Marshall 1960B 4x12 (80s Celestion G12T-75s)Evans 1x12
Shure SM57
Focusrite Claret Pre2
Ableton