FX54 Attacker

Possibly one of the last Attackers made, with a component date of late March 1994

DOD introduced the FX54 Attacker in late 1991. The combination of a compression circuit (OTA-based, like the FX80B) within a distortion pedal (possibly based on the FX55B) was a novel idea at the time, but to our ears the end result was closer to the old cliche "jack of all trades but master of none". While FX54's compression circuitry can be essentially bypassed by turning the COMP knob fully counterclockwise, the FX54 does not really clean up at low Distortion settings, even though its distortion sound is "voiced" for blues or hard rock rather than metal. For a pedal with so many features, the FX54's tonal palette was rather limited, and it was discontinued by mid-1994.

• Controls: Level, Tone, Compression, Distortion
  
  
• From the manual: "The FX-54 Attacker, Compression + Distortion pedal, simultaneously combines a smooth, tight compressor with a wide range distortion. Unlimited guitar sounds may be had ranging from a warm Larry Carlton type sound, to a bright, hard rock sound like Joe Satriani. ... With the addition of the compressor, the FX-54 has the ability to sustain longer than just a distortion pedal alone. This results in longer, and more controlled feedback effects, tight rhythms, and smooth bluesy solos."
  
  
• List price (1992): $99.95
  
  
• Technical info:
  
  
  • Notable IC chips: TL064CN quad op amp, 3080-type OTA, and a 1458-type op amp
    
    
  • Component-side circuitboard image: March 1994
  
  
• External links:
  • @ ftp.dod.com - instruction manual (1991), .pdf format
  • @ discofreq's FX site
  • @ harmony-central.com
  • @ noiseguide.com
  
  

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