gear giveaway

Wampler Pantheon Overdrive

There always a lot of curiosity when Wampler unveils a new overdrive, since the Indiana-based builder has built a super-solid reputation for its gain pedals, through a series of popular models like the Sovereign Distortion and the Tumnus overdrive. The company's new pedal, called Pantheon, is a circuit voiced after…... Click for more

Wampler Pantheon Overdrive

Pedal Update: Free The Tone Red Jasper RJ-2V

The Free The Tone Red Jasper RJ-2V is the redesigned reissue of this popular Japanese low-gain overdrive that had to be discontinued in 2018 due to component shortage. This is a pedal whose smooth highs, punchy mids, full yet tight lows, and natural compression resemble the tone of a tube…... Click for more

Pedal Update: Free The Tone Red Jasper RJ-2V

Caroline The Blues overdrive

Launched on April 1st by Caroline Guitar Co as a pretend joke, The Blues is a Dallas Rangemaster evolution presented as a gentler cousin to the company's Hawaiian Pizza transistor fuzz-drive. If the Pizza is 30% drive, 70% fuzz, then this is more like 80% drive, 20% fuzz. The toggle…... Click for more

Caroline The Blues overdrive

ThorpyFX The Bunker Distortion/Overdrive

The Bunker is ThorpyFX's reimagining of the legendary Lovetone Brown Source pedal, designed in collaboration with the original builder. A “brown sound” Marshall style overdrive, that can be pushed into distortion, in a stout, board friendly size. This version is smaller and louder while offering extra tonal flexibility through a…... Click for more

ThorpyFX The Bunker Distortion/Overdrive

New Pedal: True North Pedals Tweed Deluxe

The True North Pedals Tweed Deluxe is the dual-channel drive that expands on a rather popular boutique Tweed-style overdrive pedal made in Canada. The unit was created to satisfy popular demand. Formerly known as the Aurora Dual Drive, this pedal adds the boost side of the company's Northern Lights (a…... Click for more

New Pedal: True North Pedals Tweed Deluxe

Spaceman Effects Apollo VII Overdrive

It is reported that tribes living in the jungle have hundreds of words for the color green - because there are so many shades of green, in the jungle. Similarly, electric guitarists gifted with a supernatural ear can discern the tone of hundreds of different overdrive pedals, because there are…... Click for more

Spaceman Effects Apollo VII Overdrive

JHS Overdrive Preamp

The JHS Overdrive Preamp is a simple two-knob circuit inspired by the DOD 250 and featuring both gray and yellow versions, accessible through a switch. The builder's notes say its primary voice is based on a prototype of the DOD 250 from the '70s found by JHS owner Josh Scott,…... Click for more

JHS Overdrive Preamp

Colombo Utopia Overdrive

The Colombo Utopia is a 3-voice, hand-made, analog overdrive hailing from Italy. The 3-knob configuration gives access to the classic Volume, Tone and Gain (Overdrive) parameter, but it's the central toggle switch that opens up some interesting options: The Vintage mode delivers a tone in the style of a TS808,…... Click for more

Colombo Utopia Overdrive

Pedal Pawn Texan Twang Overdrive

Those looking for a pedal that encapsulates the essence of traditional Texan music may find what they need in the Texan Twang, a pedal by a company based in Cambridgeshire, UK. Inspired by a steady aural diet of Steve Ray Vaughan, this combo boost/overdrive pedal is a two-knob, treble booster-inspired…... Click for more

Pedal Pawn Texan Twang Overdrive

New Pedal: BSM Black Box

Designed by veteran stompbox engineer Bernd Meiser of BSM pedals, the Black Box is a treble booster variant inspired by the device used by AC/DC's Angus Young as a wireless system in front of his JTM amps: the Schaffer Vega Diversity System. The Schaffer Vega wasn't a transparent box, but…... Click for more

New Pedal: BSM Black Box

Pigtronix Gamma Drive

In the pedal world, overdrives are a niche that is for the most part based on technology that's not particularly innovative, but the folks at Pigtronix have gotten us used to devices the push the technological envelope: their Gamma Drive does just that, through a circuit that features a unique…... Click for more

Pigtronix Gamma Drive

Mojo Hand FX Sericon K-Style Overdrive

The Sericon, by Mojo Hand FX, is a device that inserts itself in the Klone saga with a very peculiar story. This pedal's circuit is identical to the very well-regarded ProAnalog Devices Manticore V2. The company commissioned Cusack Music (who owns Mojo Hand FX) to produce it but then went…... Click for more

Mojo Hand FX Sericon K-Style Overdrive