For many guitarists, the search for the best overdrive pedal is an almost never-ending quest.
There are so many options and new pedals are added almost daily so the choice is enormous. However, just like a nice guitar and a good amp, an overdrive pedal is something many guitarists simply can’t live without. This article is about 10 unique overdrive pedals that you may not know yet.
Many different overdrive pedals
Overdrive pedals vary and some are in the crossover area where boost, distortion and fuzz are also located. For one person, the perfect overdrive pedal pushes their tube amp into natural overdrive. For others, the perfect drive is a pedal that retains all the tonal characteristics of the guitar. Some prefer a pedal that adds ‘something’ to the existing sound. Then there are guitarists looking for a pedal that mimics their classic tube amp as closely as possible.
Stacking overdrives
Overdrive can be a great effect to always have on or it can be used to give a solo sound that little bit extra. It can be stacked with other overdrive pedals or it can be used as a standalone effect. You can even use it without gain as a (treble) boost.
Unique overdrive pedals
Three of the most famous overdrive pedals are perhaps the Klon Centaur, Ibanez Tube Screamer and the Marshall Blues Braker. Some of the unique overdrive pedals in this article are clones of the classics or loosely based on them. Others are just newer designs that use modern technology. Either way, they’re great options for anyone looking for something special.
Anasounds High Voltage
The quirky French brand Anasounds makes very beautiful pedals with wooden tops. Anasounds High Voltage is for fans of AC/DC sound. The pedal also takes its name from the 1976 song High Voltage. The pedal produces a crunchy overdrive that is already gently moving towards distortion. Think of the sound of an overdriven Marshall Plexi and you know what you get with this. Anasounds is known for making effects pedals with many internal options. This pedal also has 2 internal potentiometers with which you can adjust the drive completely to your liking.
API Select Transformer GTR
API Audio (Automated Processes Incorporated) is a brand that is particularly known in the studio world. Perhaps the most famous product is the 512 mic pre. API has launched the Tranzformer series for guitarists and bassists. The API Select TranZformer GTR contains the legendary API EQ circuit and you can choose between the clean boost and overdrive options. The pedal produces the classic API sound, but in a stompbox format.
Caroline “The Blues”
Caroline Guitar Corporation is a company founded in France by Philippe Herndon and it has been around since 2010. Known for pedals like Météore, Kilobyte and Hawaiian Pizza, this Caroline The Blues as a joke. It was launched on April 1 last year and the launch was accompanied by booming texts. “So you want to have the sound of a blown up amplifier…and also blow up your amplifier? Got it.” Just kidding, this pedal produces a nice creamy overdrive like Blues aficionados like to hear.
Electronic Audio Experiments 0xEAE Boost
Electronic Audio Experiments was founded in Boston in 2015 by guitarist John Snyder. The company primarily focuses on effects pedals for bass and guitar. EAE makes quirky pedals of excellent quality and sometimes enlists the help of others. Also with this Boost pedal with the special name 0xEAE Boost. The pedal is made with the designers collective Obstructures. Although the pedal is called a boost, it is really just an overdrive. But one with an exceptional treble response and a very high output level. Recommended!
EWS Little Brute V2
The Japanese EWS (Engineering Work Store) may not be known to everyone. It exists since 2006 and started as a repair service. Later on, EWS became known for their pedal modifications, with the Arion SCH-Z (Chorus/Vibe) in particular becoming known. Not long after, they released their own pedals. This 2nd version of the Little Brute Drive produces a nice crunchy Marshall tone. In high gain settings it gets a real bite and a lot of mids. The pedal has an internal switch with which you can set the voltage to 9V or 16V. In the 16V setting you get more dynamic range and headroom and slightly less compression.
Great Eastern Effects Design-A-Drive
Great Eastern Effects is a relatively young company from the east of England that has become known for the Small Speaker Overdrive. The Design-A-Drive is the second pedal from Great Eastern Effects and made to work with different types of guitars and different types of amps. The frequency response of many overdrive pedals is not adjustable and this largely determines how the pedal sounds. This Design-A-Drive is designed to intuitively adjust the frequency response without the user having to scroll through complicated menus.
RJM Music Overture
Many professional guitarists use RJM products. The Mastermind GT series of MIDI controllers is the controller on stage for many guitarists. Besides MIDI controllers RJM also has an overdrive pedal called Overture. It is an analog pedal that is fully programmable. It has 6 different overdrives on board. Four drives are based on existing pedals and 2 on new ones. It is a very versatile pedal with both Tubescreamer and Dumble sounds. The pedal is easy to use and the effects can be stored relatively easily in one of the 8 readily available presets.
Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive MOD
Voodoo Lab is best known for their power supplies in the Pedal Power range), and to a lesser extent for their pedalboards. They also make effect pedals. The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive has been around since early 2000. Twelve years later, in 2012, this Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive Mod off. The pedal is based on an 808 Tubescreamer and it is arguably one of the best TS clones. Striking about this pedal is the Clean button that allows you to add your clean sound to the drive. In addition, there is a Mod button that gives you three other variants of the Tubesscreamer.
VS Audio Aftermath
The Greek VS Audio has a fairly large selection of effects pedals and is particularly known for the Dual Channel Royal Flush Overdrive. This VS Audio Aftermath is an overdrive/distortion with a responsive gain. The pedal goes from smooth overdrive all the way to modern distortion. It’s a very clear overdrive and it responds exceptionally well to picking dynamics. The pedal also has a clean boost with up to +12dB boost. The boost comes after the overdrive and is not before it. The pedal uses CMOS technology to simulate the sound of a classic tube amp as closely as possible.
Way Huge STO
Finally, Way Huge’s Super Terrific Overdrive is a fairly recently released pedal. The pedal was designed by Jeorge Tripps. The idea behind the design is to create overdrive while preserving the fundamental character of your guitar. This inspired the Nobels ODR-1, a favorite among many studio musicians in Nashville. This Way Huge STO has a FET op-amp, instead of a JFET, giving you a smooth and silky overdrive.