Though technically a division of
the well-established Thermalogic
Corporation, a Massachusetts-based supplier
of electronic controls and sensors,
Celestial Effects is a newcomer to the
pedal world. But don’t let the big parent
company fool you. Celestial’s Chief
Designer, Dom Mancini, has been making,
modifying, and repairing guitars, pedals,
and tube amps for over 25 years, and his
pedals are handbuilt in the USA to what
you could safely call boutique standards.
The Virgo Overdrive reviewed is the
rock overdrive member of the five-pedal
Celestial line.
Astrological Control Freak
Housed in a blue powder-coated box
adorned with graphic representations of
its associated astrological sign and a young
lass who seems to have misplaced her
clothes, the Virgo has four clearly labeled
knobs for Volume, Tone, Edge, and Gain.
These are augmented with a 3-way switch
that selects between a pair of silicon
diodes (position 1), no diodes (position
2), and an asymmetrical combination of a
MOSFET and germanium diode (position
3). Standard input and output jacks are
located at the top front of the Virgo with
a 9V or 18V power input between them.
The switch is true bypass.
A Bucker’s Best Friend
The Virgo loves humbuckers and
Marshalls, which I found out when I fired
up my Les Paul R8 and 1970 Super Bass
through a ’68 basketweave 4x12 cab housing
Celestion Vintage
30s and G12H-30s
in an X-pattern. I
set up the Virgo in
MOSFET/germanium
mode, cranked
the Gain, Tone, and
Edge knobs, and the
immediate result was
’60s and ’70s saturated
goodness. It’s
easy to extract Leslie
West vibes and early
Montrose tones that
are incredibly brawny
and inspiring.
In general, the
Volume control seems
to thicken a guitar’s
sound as much as
boost your signal,
though the boost
becomes much more
detectable in the
more extreme ranges
of the Volume control’s
travel.
Setting the 3-way switch to a no-diode
setting, pulling the Gain down, and cranking
the Volume yielded a tighter, more
focused overdrive that sounded a lot like
my amp on steroids. It’s a killer setup for
hard-rock rhythm and slightly boosted
solos. This was one of my favorite modes,
and I could see using this pedal extensively
in the studio for tracking to take advantage
of the tight and defined overdrive.
The dual-silicon setting offered a
smoother sound that was slightly less
responsive to my pick attack. In this
mode, I found I could darken the tone
in a very cool way by bringing down the
Edge and Tone. References to Clapton’s
’60s “woman tone” are not always apt,
but that’s exactly what you get in this setting,
and I absolutely loved the way it cut
through on notes without sounding sharp.
The Verdict
Celestial Effects has not stumbled blindly
into the pedal business. It’s clear that the
Virgo’s designers have carefully analyzed
what it takes to make a great classic-rock
tone—and then they’ve given you a little
more width to work with. The pedal is
beautifully quiet, which is fortuitous, considering
how well it works as a boost. If
you have a big amplifier and a humbucker-equipped
axe, you’ll likely come to believe
the Virgo is your sign—because it’s a sure
ticket to sweetly sustaining heaven à la
Cream-era Clapton.
Buy if...
you want thick, defined, and versatile overdrive for your humbuckers and Marshalls.
Skip if...
you’re more of a fuzz player.
Rating...
