The pedals profiled here are a varied bunch. But whether you're looking for a range of clean boost and distortion timbres, or a specific gain and EQ profile that will make your guitar and amp sound their sweetest, at least one of these pedals can take you there. —Charles Saufley
Click through to read each review or pick the pedal you want to learn more about below:
Visual Sound Route 66 V3
Way Huge Saucy Box
T-Rex Diva
J. Rockett Audio Archer
SviSound OverZoid od01
Sonic Fusion Overdrive
Most two-in-one pedals combine overdrive/distortion with a boost stage, but the latest Route 66 from Visual Sound (who are in the process of changing their name to Truetone) goes further. Now in its third version, the pedal has become a feature-packed, two-headed monster that seems focused on squeezing as many tones as possible from a single box.
Ratings
Pros:
Flexible routing options. Switchable internal buffers. Great value.
Cons:
Treble control could be more effective.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$179
Visual Sound Route 66
truetone.com
The Route 66 pairs a potent overdrive with a great-sounding compressor. The addition of separate inputs and outputs for each effect makes the Route 66 a true two-in-one. The ability to single out each effect and place other effects between them may be invaluable for players using programmable effect loopers.
The original Route 66 overdrive had Tube Screamer-esque roots (it used the 4558 op amp). But the latest version boasts a redesigned circuit based on the Drivetrain II that Visual Sound designed for Reverend. In addition to standard drive, treble, and volume controls, two mini knobs control clean mix and bass. Add in an A/B switch for different voicings, and you start to grasp how much tonal ground the Route 66 covers. (The A setting provides throaty midrange presence, while B is a bit more scooped.)
Honestly, it was difficult finding unusable dirt flavors with the Route 66. The single-coils in my MIM Strat acquired humbucker-style growl with added bass and gain. I transitioned easily from the dry, Texas punch of “Tush" to slightly compressed Larry Carlton-style tones that would suit a Steely Dan cover band. The only thing I took issue with was the sweep of the treble control. I found the overall range a bit subtle and thought it could use a more dynamic top end.
The Route 66 isn't a completely transparent compressor—think of an old Ross or MXR Dyna Comp—but it can achieve subtlety via its mix knob. The compressor circuit didn't get as drastic an overhaul as the overdrive, though it's acquired a mix control and a switchable noise gate. At stage volume the Route 66 was comfortably quiet. It made my Deluxe's clean tone blossom with beautifully warm high end. The magic of the original Route 66 was how well the two effects worked together, and this reboot somehow improves on that.
The Verdict Visual Sound has packed two greats stomps into one box. The compressor can move from country-spank squish to singing sustain, while the overdrive can satisfy both Screamer addicts and classic-rock mavens. At roughly $90 per effect, the Route 66 is a contender for the bang-for-buck championship belt.—Jason Shadrick
Watch the Review Demo:
Overdrives are old hat for Way Huge. The super-simple Red Llama and the hyper-tunable Pork Loin are both considered modern classics in some camps. And the new Jeorge Tripps-designed Saucy Box, in some ways, seems designed to inhabit a world between those two pedals. It's simple, but can also move with grace and menace between near-clean boost tones and the upper reaches of the medium gain spectrum.
Split Personality
Like the Pork Loin and a lot of other overdrives, the Saucy Box's overdrive tone is the product of output from discreet clean and overdriven signals. But where boxes like the Pork Loin enable adjustment of the wet/dry mix, in the Saucy Box the ratio is fixed. This means slightly less flexibility for compulsive micro-tweakers. For everyone else it means a nicely balanced and relatively transparent fundamental voice that you can dirty up with a single knob.
Ratings
Pros:
Happily ranges from clean to filthy.
Cons:
High-end can be hard to tame with bright amps.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$129
Way Huge Saucy Box
jimdunlop.com
Classy, Trashy, and Little Thrashy
The Saucy's circuit works a lot like that of the Klon, and like that pedal, it will excite harmonics and add heat at low gain levels without coloring your guitar's voice excessively. These near-clean, low-gain levels are among the Saucy's sweet spots, and here it'll do a beautiful job of thickening flimsy-sounding single-coils or putting extra mass behind a low-output amplifier—killer stuff for muscular but jangly power pop.
Even at low-gain settings, the tone control can come at you pretty hot. Using a blackface Fender Tremolux (outfitted with pretty bright 75-watt Eminence Red Coats), I found myself rolling the Saucy's tone back to the lower third of its range, though I could add a little extra top end with humbuckers.
Nudging all the controls toward noon is a ticket to beautifully raunchy chords and slightly sizzling lead tones (the neck pickup on my Stratocaster loved this setting.) But some of the greatest revelations are what happens at the highest drive settings—especially when you crank the volume and tone along with it. Here the pedal isn't just hot and responsive to pick attack and dynamics, but brash and fiendishly skanky—a perfect recipe for fast and thrashy Black Flag riffage, but also ideal for Clapton's Cream '67 timbres when you back the guitar tone down to nil. At these extremes the Saucy Box has a near fuzz-like aggressiveness with less compression and sizzle and a much more dynamic touch. It's fantastic for stacking a really searing lead tone on top of a wide-open amp, and stays sweet when you back off the guitar volume just a touch.
The Verdict
The Saucy Box may be simple, but it speaks in voices from subdued and singing to rambunctious. If you don't often have to switch quickly between radically different gain levels or require over-the-top fuzz or distortion textures, the Saucy box could end up covering most of your gain needs.—Charles Saufley
Watch the Review Demo:
Unless you've been off-planet for a while, you'll know Tube Screamer derivatives are popular stuff. T-Rex's Diva, though, is a Screamer with enough twists to make you forget it's TS-inspired. It's dynamic, multi-voiced, and twitchingly alive, and one of the more satisfying TS-style stomps we've played in a while.
Screaming Heart
The Diva's guts are built around the 4558 op-amp that drives most TS-style designs. It sits prominently on the PC board, though the board itself could be a bit tidier. I saw several traces of errantly applied solder sealer—not what you expect from an overdrive pedal just under 200 bucks. In general, though the Diva feels sturdy and sound.
Ratings
Pros:
Harmonically rich and dynamic. Adds heft to tone without clutter.
Cons:
Build could be tidier on a pedal this expensive.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$199
T-Rex Diva
t-rex-effects.com
The control set differs from a simple TS circuit in two important respects: There's a voicing switch incorporating low- and mid-boost settings, and there's a mix control that blends clean and overdriven signals. Together, they considerably expand the Diva's tone potential.
Brighter Boost
The Diva doesn't add much color at low-gain settings, but you do hear a deliciously rich, almost silky growl. Leaving the mix knob at 50/50 gave my blackface Tremolux heft, presence, and a hot harmonic glow in EQ regions that sometimes sound scooped and lifeless. The Diva is addictive in these near-clean boost applications—a sort of musical roux that thickens and unites disparate sonic flavors. The complex, biting qualities of the Diva at low-gain settings also make it a natural partner for fuzz. Put in on either side of a squishy, scooped fuzz like a Big Muff or Shin-Ei FY2, it adds definition, punch, presence, and pick sensitivity that is transformative.
The Diva is just as thrilling at higher gain settings. With the gain at noon (and enhanced with liberally applied doses of volume boost), the Diva makes a guitar feel alive and explosive under the fingers. TS-style circuits can feel less dynamic, but the compression from the Diva tends to sound and feel just right. Note-to-note definition and picking response is excellent—particularly when you dial in the very effective tone knob just right. It's a very rangy control, and at high levels it can even be a little too hot and sizzly for bright Fender amps or Marshalls.
The voicing switch adds even more flexibility. The fat switch was a perfect match for my Fender-based tone equation. And the extra mass it lent to single-coils mated to a Marshall made the amp feel wrecking-ball dangerous. The mid-boost voice could get spiky, but it sounded fantastic with squishy tweed-style circuits.
The Verdict
At it's best, the Diva is a sort of sonic secret sauce and a splash of Tabasco all in one—adding sass, spice, and a delicious harmonic fattiness to dull tones.—Charles Saufley
Watch the Review Demo:
The Archer overdrive from J. Rockett Audio Designs isn't exactly subtle about the fact that it's a Klon Centaur clone—witness the distinctive oxblood-colored pointer knobs, weapon-wielding mascot, and identical controls. But the Archer is one-third the size of an original, and at $179, far cheaper.
Ratings
Pros:
Dead-accurate Klon clone. Hefty construction.
Cons:
For better or worse, it's a clone.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$179
J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer
rockettpedals.com
Klon Theory
Hype aside, Bill Finnegan's Centaur truly was a big deal when it debuted in the '90s. To many ears—mine included—it offered a vast sonic upgrade over Screamer-style overdrives, with greater headroom and sparkle and a more practical tone circuit. Thanks to a clever double-ganged gain control, it provided fiery overdrive in the knob's upper range, but a pristine clean boost at minimum settings. It was also beautifully made, with a memorable color scheme and a cool, custom-cast enclosure. It was a godsend for players who found previous IC-based overdrives such as the Screamer too compressed and midrange-bloated.
Original Klons are now valued in the two-grand range, so the pedal market has been awash in “Klones," some of which sound great. But of the half-dozen I've tried, the Archer is easily the most accurate. I auditioned it side by side with original Klon #309, which I've used on and off for nearly two decades. How close are they? Ridiculously so. The pot tapers vary slightly between the two pedals, so the knobs must be set slightly differently to create matching sounds, but there were no Klon tones I couldn't duplicate with the Archer. Could I pass a blind listening test? Absolutely not.
It's a well-built pedal, too. The pots, jacks, and footswitch are board-mounted, but the circuit board's secure mounting within the hefty folded-steel enclosure makes it difficult to imagine board damage via conventional use. The board includes many small, surface-mount components, unlike the hand-wired original, suggesting that, at least in this circuit, size doesn't matter. And while the original relies on a 1/8" power jack, the Archer employs a common barrel-type connector.
The Verdict
There are cheaper alternatives, notably the EHX Soul Food, which sells for well under half the price of the Archer (and sounds darn good). But the Archer is the more accurate Klone, and it boasts heftier construction. It's been many years since the Klon and its clones were the only ways to obtain “improved Screamer" overdrive sounds, but the circuit still sounds superb—and you may never encounter a more accurate replica.—Joe Gore
Watch the Review Demo:
The explosive growth of the stompbox business doesn't always translate into originality—especially where overdrive is concerned. However, the Overdrive oz01, from the workshop of Bulgarian manufacturer SviSound, is unique both in terms of looks and its killer combination of transparent and driven tones.
Ratings
Pros:
Transparent, hi-fi overdrive sounds in a unique enclosure. Small footprint. Affordable.
Cons:
Handmade enclosure shows a few quality control issues. Cannot use a battery.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$165
SviSound Overdrive OverZoid oz01
svisound.com
Svi-Fi
It's easy to see the care that went into the oz01. The pedal's artfully designed enclosure bristles with playful details and tactile delights. The LED that peeks out from behind copper staples, the gold knobs, and the labeling all communicate a Jules Verne sci-fi aesthetic. And the thoughtful design touches make the pedal feel a little more custom and upmarket. The only real potential design drawback is the lateral orientation of the pedal's controls along the box's length, which may fit some pedalboards less well.
Sonic Thermal Detonator
OverZoid oz01 is a powerful overdrive. At super-low gain levels, it adds a very natural-sounding bite. Even higher gain levels don't add too much extra color to your amp output. In fact, the OverZoid tends to have a very high-fidelity feel, and at times seems to work like a magnifying glass for your guitar-and-amp tone.
The OverZoid has an individual voice too. Unlike a lot of classic overdrives that boost midrange without much finesse, it provides a very musical low end that adds drive and beefs things up without making them sound flabby. These low-end capabilities are enhanced with a bass boost switch—which lends extra heaviness when single coils or a bright amplifier are in the mix. It's hard not to be struck by how dynamic the pedal feels in the bass-heavy application. Part of that is the very effective tone knob, which works exceptionally well with the bass boost. You can dial in a lot of presence and sparkle without creating a traffic jam of mids and lows. And the way the two controls seem to work interactively and independently of each other is one of the OverZoid's real strengths.
The Verdict
Relatively transparent, hi-fi overdrives are a joy to work with—especially when they have the range to add a unique color or two on top of it. Given all that sonic range and style, the OverZoid oz01 a true standout.—David Von Bader
Watch the Review Demo:
Few guitarists have hands-on experience with über-rare Dumble amplifiers. That said, there are certain sonic characteristics—smooth saturation and compression especially—that we associate with Dumbles. The Sonic Fusion Overdrive does these things, and a number of other useful sounds, very well.
Ratings
Pros:
Strong Dumble-inspired sounds. Extremely versatile tone controls.
Cons:
None.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$149
Sonic Fusion Pedals Sonic Fusion Overdrive
sonicfusionpedals.com
Smooth Operator
The Sonic Fusion does its Dumble trick best when mated to a high-headroom amp that's just at the edge of breakup. There, the pedal applies a metallic edge to the pick attack that makes linear runs more articulate and gives chords extra punch. It feels very amp-like too, with plenty of harmonic complexity and body.
There's enough gain in the tank to effectively blur the line between overdrive and full-fledged distortion, which makes the Sonic Fusion feel exceptionally dynamic. Response to changes in picking attack and adjustments to the guitar's volume control are all very amp-like as well.
The tone knob offers a lot of sonic range that goes from muffled and fuzzy to an exaggerated bright sizzle. The pedal's contour knob is a powerful control that transforms higher-gain sounds from tight and compressed to glassy and open, and helps add or subtract some of the Dumble-esque smoothness as needed. There's also a bass boost that calls up additional bottom-end thump and roundness without being overbearing or drastically changing the pedal's fundamental voice. These three controls give the Sonic Fusion Overdrive uncommon tone-sculpting power.
The Sonic Fusion Overdrive has more tricks under the hood. Inserted between a Gibson Les Paul Junior and a Matamp GT40 driving a 4x12 cab, the pedal delivered Marshall-flavored tones reminiscent of a cranked JMP with less upper midrange honk and a bit less bite. It also energized lead tones with top-end sparkle and extra sustain. And while you'll sometimes hear a low-mid bump in these settings, the pedal doesn't rob your guitar and amp of their respective personalities.
The Verdict
The Sonic Fusion Overdrive delivers on promises of Dumble-style tones, but it brings much more to the table—especially when you consider the delicious medium-gain Brit-flavored sounds. Refined and functional, it could be a go-to overdrive for anyone looking beyond the typical overdrive tones. It's well built, and at $149 bucks, it punches well above its price class.—David Von Bader
Watch the Review Demo:
Though raised in Macon, Georgia, home to the Allman Brothers, Otis Redding, and Little Richard, Scott was unconnected to her hometown’s rich musical past. “I grew up mostly oblivious to the fact that all these greats had come from my hometown,” she says. “It’s pretty funny, actually.” She listened to ’90s pop and sang Broadway show tunes, but eventually gravitated to the disparate sound worlds of Johnny Cash and Nirvana. “I discovered everything that I really love later, when I was in college.”
With its dark moods and understated intensity, Sprinter—Scott’s second release—is a testament to her growth as a songwriter and her inventiveness as a guitarist. It was recorded at an alternative space in Dorset, England, with Robert Ellis (PJ Harvey). “It was a room that had formerly been used as a children’s nursery,” says Scott. “The owners converted it into a space conducive to bands and artists.” Some recording was also done at the studio of Adrian Utley (Portishead), and Ellis, Utley, and others play on the album. “Rob got musician friends of his to play on the record,” she says. “They were all very generous—with their time and otherwise.”
We spoke with Scott about her influences, unorthodox playing style, and gear, and how she creates such wide-ranging tones. Despite the dark themes and rock ’n’ roll swagger of her music, Scott proved easygoing, humble, and fun to talk to.
When did you start playing guitar?
I was about 15 or 16. I was in a youth group with this girl who played guitar. I thought it was so cool. I’d had a guitar for years, but I’d never really touched it. I finally picked it up and started teaching myself.
Torres working her new-ish, stock Fender Jazzmaster during a solo in her song "Sprinter" at the Mohawk Outdoor stage during SXSW in Austin, Texas.
Photo by Chris Kies.
Did you want to become a guitarist, or did you see it more as a vehicle for singing and songwriting?
It was more about the singing and songwriting at first. I suppose it still is—that’s always the priority for me. At the time it was definitely a vehicle for the poetry I was writing. I was just starting to sing and let some family members and friends hear me, which was hard for me to do. At first, guitar gave me something to hold while I was singing—something to hide behind. But now the guitar has been completely transformed for me.
How so?
I don’t really play acoustic anymore. I play it at home, but I really just like the electric. I’m just learning, figuring out what I like to play and trying to get better at it. I especially love fingerpicking on the electric guitar. I’ve loved doing that since I picked up the electric guitar.
I noticed that you don’t use a pick.
I don’t.
Are you looking for a specific timbre, or is that more just how you play?
That’s just how I play. When I initially started teaching myself, it was only fingerpicking. For some reason my inclination was to play “classically” rather than strum power chords. Eventually I had some classical lessons, which reinforced that preexisting inclination. When I started playing electric guitar I realized I could plug in and use some really sweet pedals for some sonic variation while playing in that style. That’s something that I continued to do. I still don’t use a pick.
Do you use your nails or the flesh of your fingers?
I use both. Actually, the index finger on my right hand is permanently disfigured on the front. It’s always skinned, and my nail is always halfway off.
Do you hold your index finger and use it like a pick?
Yeah, I do. I switch back and forth between fingerpicking and strumming with my nail.
Mackenzie Scott got her “dream guitar," a Gibson ES-335, as a Christmas gift from her entire family a few years ago. “I’d had my eye on it for a couple of years, but I never thought I’d ever have a guitar like that,” she says.
Photo by Jonny Victorsson.
When did you get your 335?
It was a collective Christmas gift from my entire family a few years ago. I’d had my eye on it for a couple of years, but I never thought I’d ever have a guitar like that. It’s my dream guitar. I don’t bring it out on the road as much as I’d like to because I’m terrified of something happening to it.
Did you mod anything on it?
No, I didn’t do anything to it. I’m thinking of taking off the Bigsby, though, because it makes it go out of tune so easily. But it’s a beautiful guitar, and I love the semi-hollow design. I love the way the neck feels. It’s a heavy guitar—it’s big and burdensome. But my 335 makes me feel like I have something massive in my arms growling. It’s a beast.
It must feed back easily.
Oh, yes. If I plug it into any of the pedals I have and turn my amp up, I can just hold it in the air, and it feeds back.
You really use that feedback on the album.
I did, yeah. I let that happen naturally.
You have a Jazzmaster too.
I do. I love the Jazzmaster. It’s a lot lighter than the 335. I love the neck on it. I like the range. And it gives me more room to get a little violent with it. My 335 has to be handled with care, but I just rip on the Jazzmaster. There have been times when I played it, finished a song, and then took it off and threw it on the ground.
Really?
And it totally holds up. It’s great.
You’re the second person I’ve spoken to recently who trashes Jazzmasters.
I don’t know why. The Jazzmaster is just asking to be thrown around.
You don’t play many open chords, yet you often use a capo. Why?
The capo allows me to get strange sounds when I’m fingerpicking. I experiment with the capo, fiddling around till I find some sort of hook that I can play repetitively. The capo gives me more options.
Are you looking for different harmonics, or different ways to use open strings?
I play with open strings sometimes when I’m doing that. It allows me to move more freely on the guitar without having to barre with my finger. It gives me a variation in notes and makes it easier for me.
You’ve said your goal is to become a better
and better player. What do you do to grow as a guitarist?
What I do is listen to records I’ve never heard before—that I never would have listened to—and expose myself to styles I didn’t even know about. As I am evolving, becoming an adult, my musical tastes are expanding. I’m listening to a lot of Robert Fripp and Funkadelic—stuff I never had any real appreciation for until the last couple of years. Captain Beefheart, too.
Gear
Guitars
Recent-model Gibson ES-335 (stock)
Recent-model Fender Jazzmaster (stock)
Vintage Silvertone 1435
Amps
Fender Blues Junior
Effects
Fulltone Fulldrive2 MOSFET
Fulltone OCD
Earthquaker Devices Organizer
Line 6 DL4
Death By Audio Echo Dream 2
Which album?
Trout Mask Replica—I guess it’s the most famous one. You’d think maybe I would have heard that earlier in life. But that’s the theme: Not hearing about the classics until I’m in my twenties.
How about Funkadelic?
Maggot Brain, the self-titled one, Free Your Mind ... and Your Ass Will Follow—all that stuff. I love it. I’m still obsessed with Nirvana, but I know what that sounds like. I’m trying to listen to stuff I haven’t before, letting it seep in. Once something slips into my subconscious, it’s only a matter of time before I start experimenting in that vein on the guitar.
Talk about your songwriting process. Do you craft music to fit your lyrics, or do you come up with riffs and write lyrics later?
It’s a little of both, but primarily the former: I have a lyrical idea that I then base a melodic hook around. But sometimes they come at the same time.
Does the meaning of your lyrics warp into something different once you put music to them?
The lyrics definitely take on multiple meanings. But the lyrics heavily dictate the melodies, which is the most effective way that I’ve been able to write songs thus far. I have a hard time writing melodies that aren’t dictated by a lyric.
Mackenzie Scott alongside co-guitarist Cameron Kapoor owning the Mohawk Outdoor stage in Austin, Texas, on 3/18/15 during SXSW at Paste's official showcase. Photo by Chris Kies.
Do you use effects as songwriting tools, or do you search for specific sounds only after the songs are written?
It’s more the latter, especially for this record. I wasn’t writing with the pedals, but as soon as the lyrics were written, I was working on the sounds. I had the melodies—I was just trying to get the sounds for the recording. A lot of times I had the sonic palette in my head, and I was fiddling with the pedals to get the exact sounds that I heard.
Robert Ellis coproduced your new album. Was part of his role helping you to figure out some of those sounds?
The guitar sounds were mostly established before I went to England to record with Rob, but he definitely helped me to solidify the sounds of the other instruments on the record.
Did he play on the record, too?
He played drums, synthesizers, and some random toys. His primary role was producing with me and playing some killer drums.
What’s the cool effect at the end of “New Skin?”
There are a few layers there. I played my regular part, and then we detuned a couple of guitars—one sharp and one flat—and played them over the top to make everything sound warbled and out of tune.
You can hear a lot of finger noise on “A Proper Polish Welcome,” but it seems obvious that you did that on purpose.
I wanted to create some subtle atmosphere. On that song I’m sliding my hand across the strings because it’s the smoothest transition I can make, but I didn’t see the string noise as something to be eliminated.
What guitar do you use in the video for the solo version of “Cowboy Guilt?”
That’s a vintage Silvertone—I believe it’s from the ’50s or ’60s. A friend put it up for sale, and I immediately replied, “I want it.”
Do you take that on the road?
I haven’t yet. I have some setting up to do—it has a few broken knobs and things that need to be fixed. It hasn’t been tampered with since it was originally made. After I make some updates, I think I will be taking it on the road.
YouTube It
Scott leads her band (including co-guitarist Cameron Kapoor) through a dynamic rendition of title track from Sprinter.
The solo version of “Cowboy Guilt” is very different from what you put on the album. How do you get those tones on the album?
That’s mainly the Earthquaker Devices Organizer pedal. For the live solo version I chose to play it as it was originally written, before I added the effect.
You can see how you use the capo in that solo video. The open strings create a nice little dissonance.
Yeah. That was one of the things I was talking about when I said that using the capo gives me a bit more freedom when I’m trying to figure out a melody on the guitar. I got a sound using the capo on the second fret that I wouldn’t have gotten if I’d played that song in standard tuning without a capo.
Live, you augment your lineup with a second guitarist. Do you have a specific role in mind?
Yes, I do. I often switch from playing rhythm to lead guitar in the middle of the song, and I have the second guitarist pick up the rhythm part.
Are you specific about what you want, or do you give the other guitarist room to be creative?
A lot of times I have a specific part that I want each band member to play, and sometimes there is a little more freedom. Cameron Kapoor, the guitar player on the road with me now, is an extremely innovative player, and he really works well within the sonic world I created on this album. I was able to give him a lot more freedom than I’ve given players in the past because I trust his instincts. I tell him if I don’t like something, or give direction if I want him to switch gears.
Another 3-knob overdrive isn’t exactly a head-turning proposition, but Georgia’s Nick Greer’s vintage-inspired Ghetto Stomp definitely makes a case for a double take. Greer’s goal here was to emulate the harmonic richness of sweetly overdriven amps such as Valcos and tweed Deluxes—a lofty goal, indeed.
For me, the magic of a great overdrive comes from its responsiveness and immediacy—not bells and whistles—and the latest edition of the Ghetto Stomp excels in those regards. With all knobs at noon, it lent harmonic richness that my single-coils, and I loved how nicely the grit cleaned up as I turned down my guitar’s volume. I could transition from crunchy alt-country to wonderfully saturated lead tones without touching the pedal. My neck-position single-coil developed a bit of a Napoleon complex, with pronounced mids and added low-end beef. The Ghetto Stomp might not become your all-in-one, go-to overdrive, but it can do double duty as a light drive and a muscular distortion when pedalboard space is at a premium.
Test Gear: Fender MIM Stratocaster, PRS S2 Vela, Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Hot Rod Deville ML 212
Ratings
Pros:
Plenty of gain. Responds beautifully to touch and volume changes.
Cons:
Can get a bit fuzzy at higher-gain settings.
Street:
$145
Greer Amps Ghetto Stomp
greeramps.com
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
