For most bass players,Troy Sanders of Mastodon needs no introduction. His angular riffs, thick rhythms, and massive tone have been a constant over the span of Mastodon’s existence. When it comes to his distortion, his weapon of choice since 2010 has been The Tall Font Russian. Troy like’s a simple and effective rig so he can concentrate on the important things, like playing his instrument and carrying the vocals as the band’s singer. Then what is his signature pedal? It’s very simple. A Tall Font Russian, no mods needed, with a foot-switch that adds an extra gain stage when things need to go, “To eleven”, in the words of Nigel Tufnel. The added gain stage can be used independently, for a slightly gritty clean-boost, or used to smash the Tall Font Side with even more wallop, allowing the XT volume to be used to vary the extra grind. For many bass players, this may be the only tool you’ll ever need. • MFSKU Elephant Skin