S. Hawk Ltd. Hawk II Boost Effect (1974)
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S. Hawk Ltd. Hawk II Model Boost Effect (1974), made in New York, NY.
The S. Hawk Ltd. Name is little known to the general public but much revered (and desired!) by pedal collectors. This small pedal company operated for less than a year out of New York beginning in 1974. Well known "Soundsmith" Harry Kolbe designed a small selection of multipurpose pedals meant to, in S.Hawk's own words, put "studio control at your fingertips."
Nestled between the company's other offerings of the Hawk I distortion circuit and the Hawk III "Bass Expander" bass-oriented boost, the Hawk II "Tonal Expander" features a treble boost and is geared specifically towards guitar range instruments. S. Hawk advertises the Hawk II as a combination Graphic Equalizer, Treble Booster, Bass Booster, Brite Switch, Pre-Amp, and Headphone amp.
Both Hawk II and III pedals are op amp filter circuits that feature real inductors instead of gyrator-based op amp simulation; the II is runs off 18V (9V batteries in series) to give this little thing enough headroom to boast serious boost abilities. Fans note that the cause of the Hawk II's rich boosting abilities include the unconventional EQ points of 170Hz, 550Hz, an 2500Hz which give the EQ a different curve than most boosts. The pedal is meant to be set and left and does not have a stomp; there is an on/off switch, a switch for both treble and gain boost, and three sliders for dialing it in.
This pedal never really saw its day in the sun while in production, but it was made most famous by Rory Gallagher who used it often and personally referred to it as a "holy grail." After just a few months of production, the company ceased operation before the year's end in 1974. Kolbe himself has continued as a much-in-demand tech in NYC for years onward, offering his own designs and modified electronics under the name Soundsmith, but the earlier S. Hawk Ltd. Products are extremely rare.
Length is 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.), 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) width, and 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm.) in depth at deepest point.
This example of the Hawk II is evenly coated with honest wear and signs of use through the last 50 years but appears untouched inside beyond the common replacement of the battery snaps. The only other addition is a small label embossed "G. Small" Dymotape label above the jacks, likely the mark of a previous owner. This unit only takes battery power; it remains unmodified and sounds great. It does not come with any original packaging. Overall Very Good + Condition.
The S. Hawk Ltd. Name is little known to the general public but much revered (and desired!) by pedal collectors. This small pedal company operated for less than a year out of New York beginning in 1974. Well known "Soundsmith" Harry Kolbe designed a small selection of multipurpose pedals meant to, in S.Hawk's own words, put "studio control at your fingertips."
Nestled between the company's other offerings of the Hawk I distortion circuit and the Hawk III "Bass Expander" bass-oriented boost, the Hawk II "Tonal Expander" features a treble boost and is geared specifically towards guitar range instruments. S. Hawk advertises the Hawk II as a combination Graphic Equalizer, Treble Booster, Bass Booster, Brite Switch, Pre-Amp, and Headphone amp.
Both Hawk II and III pedals are op amp filter circuits that feature real inductors instead of gyrator-based op amp simulation; the II is runs off 18V (9V batteries in series) to give this little thing enough headroom to boast serious boost abilities. Fans note that the cause of the Hawk II's rich boosting abilities include the unconventional EQ points of 170Hz, 550Hz, an 2500Hz which give the EQ a different curve than most boosts. The pedal is meant to be set and left and does not have a stomp; there is an on/off switch, a switch for both treble and gain boost, and three sliders for dialing it in.
This pedal never really saw its day in the sun while in production, but it was made most famous by Rory Gallagher who used it often and personally referred to it as a "holy grail." After just a few months of production, the company ceased operation before the year's end in 1974. Kolbe himself has continued as a much-in-demand tech in NYC for years onward, offering his own designs and modified electronics under the name Soundsmith, but the earlier S. Hawk Ltd. Products are extremely rare.
Length is 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.), 2 3/4 in. (7 cm.) width, and 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm.) in depth at deepest point.
This example of the Hawk II is evenly coated with honest wear and signs of use through the last 50 years but appears untouched inside beyond the common replacement of the battery snaps. The only other addition is a small label embossed "G. Small" Dymotape label above the jacks, likely the mark of a previous owner. This unit only takes battery power; it remains unmodified and sounds great. It does not come with any original packaging. Overall Very Good + Condition.