The LTD Special Recipe (LTD SR in web talk) came to life as a prototype in 2003. When I designed the LTD I had a few different voicings that I gave/sold to beta testers for extended listening and playing in the field, some of these beta testers have really good ears, great playing and a good idea of what other players want. We eventually chose to make the LTD from a version that added a little fatness (like you went up a string gauge) and really helped the sound of modern guitars, which tend to be a little strident sounding compared to older guitars with lighter truss rods and less metallic mass. What I had missed was that J Hayes, who is one of those great players with the golden ears and a true knowledge of what players what, was saying "my beta is still my favorite", because it does not change my base EQ and adds just what is needed ("yeah, yeah J, whatever, gladya like-it" ).
To cut to the chase, after a gazzilion gigs and clinics, J needed a clone of his "SR" so he could have a backup of his "favorite pedal", "no problem J, send it in and Britt and I will clone it and put a new switch in your old LTD unit while it is here". When I cleaned up J's old beta LTD and replaced the switch I tested the unit to be sure it worked, I was surprised at how much I like his beta LTD, it was so "even" sounding, nothing stuck out, the bottom was nice and full, the top was really open sounding. "Ok Britt, clone it!" After listening to the J Hayes LTD clone, we knew we needed to offer this version as a "special recipe", and that J was right all along with his assertion that his LTD proto had the greatest clarity and the most balance. Ronni dressed the pedal up with some cream knobs and green LED when he came aboard, and of course Ronni builds all of them now to "Ronni spec" in the B-Custom shop of Baltimore.
I always refer to the LTD SR as the "call your bluff overdrive", why? Because a standard LTD v2 will fatten up and enhance a guitar that is not "perfect" in its tonal presentation (or make single notes bigger), especially the top end, the SR does not attempt to "fatten" or re-EQ your guitar, what goes in, pretty much comes out, except with added harmonics and sustain, so the guitar better be up to the job, if you love every bit of the sound of your guitar, then the SR is magic! If your guitar sounds less then sweet on top, or you use really light strings, then probably go for the LTD v2.
Thanks again J for getting me to take a second listen to a forgotten voicing.