The Reverend

THE REVEREND – COMING END OF 2021 / EARLY 2022

The Reverend will be my take on one of my all-time favorite pedals: The sought-after, vintage Bixonic Expandora – One of the first ‘Boutique’ pedals, Made in Japan, used among the greatest guitarists the likes of Joe Satriani, Megadeth, Bootsy Collins, Slipknot… And made famous by Billy Gibbons for its ZZ Top signature sound.

The Bixonic Expandora was a phenomenal Overdrive/Distortion/Fuzz, a highly evolved Rat with an ‘expander’ circuit that made the pedal dynamically sensitive, allowing users to vary the amount of distortion with the pick’s attack or by adjusting their instrument’s volume knob.

Apart from the ‘Script Logo’ beta version (very rare), there were 3 variations of the pedal through the years:

• EXP-2000, aka the ‘Original Version’. The most famous one, with 2 internal DIP switches to change between 3 gain stages plus the additional ‘Forbidden Setting’. Uses some now-obsolete parts such as the LM308 chip and the Sharp PC419 (among others) which made it sound very musical. 
• EXP-2001, a larger version with slightly different sound, replaced the original switches with an external 4th knob. No ‘Forbidden’ setting on this one.
• EXP-2000R, the Reissue version of the EXP-2000. The internal switches were replaced by external ones and added an extra Bass switch. Replaces some of the rare components of the EXP-2000 for more widely available ones.

The Decibelics Reverend will be a part-for-part replica of the ‘Original Version’ EXP-2000 but with added elements/characteristics of all three versions. Thanks to my trusty supplier of New Old Stock/Vintage parts, it will make use of some of the nearly-unobtainable NOS components found in the original, Decibelics-style.

The pedal is still in the development phase but here’s an advance of what I’m working on:

• Mini format, to fit any pedalboard
• Part-for-part replica of my original MIJ Bixonic Expandora
• Hand Made using Old Style through-hole components just like the originals
• Highest Quality components and hardware
• N.O.S. vintage ‘key’ components for the original tone, feel, and dynamics
• 4 Knobs, being the fourth one the replacement of the original switches
• ‘Forbidden Setting’, the explosive, brutal, gated Fuzz mode found on the EX-2000 and EXP-2000R
• Internal Guitar-Bass switch of the EXP-2000R
• Extra switch to be announced
• True Bypass

Release date will be announced in the coming months through the website and Decibelics social media. If you want to be notified when the first Pre-Orders come out, click the Subscribe button (Select ‘Standard Version’ above and the button will appear)

Graphics and color scheme shown above not definitive – both images are just temporary mock-ups.

This page will be updated periodically – Come back from time to time to see how this project takes shape!