Ashdown Woodsman Acoustic vs Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
The Ashdown Woodsman Acoustic and the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII are both pedals sharing transparent. The Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII leans saturated and edge of breakup. Current prices: $106.74 vs $199.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.30% — somewhat different
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- transparent
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$106.74via Reverb
$199via Reverb
The Ashdown Woodsman Acoustic Pre-Amp Reverb Pedal adapts the preamp design of the Ashdown Woodsman acoustic amplifier to a compact pedal format. Features dual inputs for instrument and microphone, High and Low EQ rotary controls, a Notch Frequency control with Pre/Post switch for stage feedback management, true bypass mute, and a balanced XLR DI output for direct PA connection without a separate DI box. A reverb effect adds natural ambiance. Designed for acoustic-electric guitarists who need preamp, EQ, feedback control, DI output, and reverb in a single performance pedal without carrying multiple separate units.
The Benson Amps 424 MKII is a preamp and distortion pedal designed to recreate the saturation and harmonic character of the input stage of the Tascam Portastudio 424 MkII cassette four-track recorder. The circuit captures the non-linear behavior of cassette-era input electronics, spanning from subtle coloration and clean boost through compressed broadband distortion and unstable breakup. A switchable front-end buffer fundamentally alters the gain structure: engaged, it presents a high-impedance guitar input with tighter low end and increased headroom; bypassed, the circuit returns to a darker, fuzzier low-impedance cassette response. Four controls -- gain, trim, bass, treble -- cover a wide EQ range. Internal 18V operation provides increased headroom. Made by Benson Amps in Portland, Oregon.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- acoustic
- folk
- classical
- Electronic
- Experimental
- Indie
- Indie Rock
- saturated
- edge of breakup
- bright
- fuzzy
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Occasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.- Busking
- Live
- Worship
- Silent Recording
- Silent Stage