Pro Tone Pedals, the brain-child of Dennis Mollan, manufactures pedals for guitar and bass. The company is based in Crossroads, Texas, just outside Dallas. In business since 2004, Pro Tone is quite proud of the new Paul Raven (Killing Joke, Prong, Ministry) signature pedal, the Raven Dirty Chorus.

"The Raven Dirty Chorus combines a chorus effect followed by a fuzz circuit. But it’s got a couple of amenities that make it totally unique- The Chop Chop switch allows you to switch the chorus effect for a slurred vibrato," says Mollan. "The KAW switch adjusts the frequency response to allow flawless use on both bass and guitar. With Raven doing so much production work I wanted to design a tool that would allow maximum flexibility in the studio- the KAW switch was the way to do that."

Raven became acquainted with Pro Tone through Ministry guitarist Tommy Victor on the band's last tour. Pro Tone built several pedals for Victor on his last two tours. When the Ministry tour ended Raven contacted Mollan and started to design several tools he needed for studio work.

"After many emails and phone calls we realized that we were on the same page regarding quality, craftsmanship, and design," says Mollan. "When it came time to actually build something, we quickly realized that it might be something to take to market rather than just his private use."

Raven came up with the ideas for the artwork and the sound and sent his thoughts to Mollan.

"When he sent me his thoughts for the art work it had the words “Dirty Chorus” scrawled across the top of the page- so I ran with it," says Mollan. "Raven asked that we have Pro Tones artist Felix LaFlamme flesh out his idea, and we’re all extremely proud of the finished product."

Mollan thinks the pedal will have a wide appeal and because of Raven's history will be a favorite among players with a heavier style. But the pedal can be used in a number of ways. The fuzz circuit cleans up and at its lowest level it adds just a bit of bite. The chorus is lush with a wide range. The pedal is also not just a bass pedal but is perfectly suited to guitar as well.

Mollan is quick to point out the pedal is not just for experimental types but for for musicians that need a wide range of pure sounding analog effects designed for a wide range of instrument voices. The pedal is unique on the market according to Mollan.

"To start with- based on looks alone, there’s really nothing like it, except for our Monster Fuzz. As far as sound goes- we’re using rare vintage chips for a rich chorus, the fuzz is full bodied, the Chop Chop allows you to get a unique vibrato effect," he says. "Now add the ability to use it on a guitar or a bass signal and you’ve got an unmatchable pedal experience."

And the Raven Dirty Chorus is likely not the last signature model that will be release commercially. They already work with artists making noncommercial pedals.

"We’re constantly working with people to create custom effects to meet the unique needs they might have- for example we just built a circuit for Christian Olde Wolbers, of Fear Factory, a pedal that made his guitar sound like an AM radio," says Mollan. "But as far as another signature- its probable."