9 Cool Compact Edition Stackable Dual Overdrives

Controls - KLONE } Honey (Gain), Taste (Tone), Volume, Mode : 1 No Clean Blend / 2 Medium Blend / 3 Full Blend, Klone Footswitch; BLUESBREAKER } Honey (Gain), Taste (Tone), Volume, Mode : 1 Mid Boost / 2 Flat / Low Boost, Bluesbreaker Footswitch.

This one is surprisingly good sounding - both Klone and BluesBreaker sides are really fabulous and full of verve and richly textured. Each side is one of the best sounding versions of that circuit - with the pair of them combining superbly. As with nearly all Beetronics pedals - this one is super smart with hidden depths. In a sea of clones - this one really stands out. Note that the enclosure is slightly oversized computer to the typical 125B format!

Controls - Gain 2, Volume 2, Gain 1, Tone 2 [+Presence], Volume 1, Tone 1 [+Presence], CH 1 Mode : Boost / OD / Dist, Treble Boost (Beano) : Full / Off / Lite, CH 2 Mode : Dist / OD / Boost, Presets : 1 / Panel / 2 (+Bank 2 via Dip), Engage Channel 1 Footswitch, Engage Channel 2 Footswitch - Footswitch + Tone = Presence, 16 Dip-Switches (as below).

Another favourite - but not quite identical to the original KOT - this one uses some vintage Silicon parts in place of the Germanium ones used in the original KOT and Beano Boost. I typically have the Beano Boost default selected on its lower setting, and I'm mostly using the Boost Modes on both sides - which deliver the most vibrancy and best balance for me - you get decent amounts of gain just rocking those 2 Boost Channels.

Controls - CHANNEL 1 } Volume, Tone, Drive, High Gain switch (+25%), Hard Clip switch, Soft Clip switch, Presence, Channel 1 Right Footswitch; CHANNEL 2 } Volume, Tone, Drive, High Gain switch (+25%), Hard Clip switch, Soft Clip switch, Presence, Channel 2 Left Footswitch; INTERNAL VOLTAGE : 18V (High Headroom) / 9V (Stock).

Before the Brothers AM - this was the Compact KOT champion - and it still has a few advantages - including higher headroom at an 18V input. Again the parts are not quite identical to the original KOT - but very similar values and very similar voicings. When compared to my original KOT all those devices sound a little different - but its really by fractions - as they each have that core KOT smooth clipping sensibility. I feel the added Beano Boost on the Brothers AM puts that one a little ahead - while these are very different price points - and this Hail To The King is a much rarer animal. The newest ones also have an fx / insert loop - which wasn't present on my V2 edition - which is fine for me as I rarely use that utility!

Controls - STINGER / SRV TS808 } Level, Tone, Gain, Body, Voice : Fat / Stock / Glass, BREAKER } Level, Tone, Gain, Voice : Fat / Stock / Glass, dual footswitches.

This is actually a rather brilliant clone of the King Tone Duellist - with most of the features of the original Duellist intact. The newest edition (which I also have) featured some additional external dip-switches - which make said pedal even more versatile. While the BluesBreaker and TS808 takes on this one really sound excellent.

Note that there is still no demo for this pedal - as it was made in very small quantities!

Controls - GERMANIUM SIDE } Output, Gain, Tone (Hi-Cut), Voting : [L]ow / [H]igh / [Vint]age, Germanium Drive Footwitch; JFET SIDE (Fetzer Valve+) } Output, Gain, Presence : Twangy / Thick & Bold, JFET Drive Footswitch; ORDER : GERMANIUM <> JFET.

Side Port - Remote Switch Port can target either footswitch courtesy of internal dip-switch.

This one is probably the most unique among these - housing a 3 x Germanium Transistor Harmonic Overdive on one of its Channels - with the other being a FET / Fetzer Tube Emulation Overdrive. Very distinct looking and superb sounding. I really love those vibrant Fetzer Tube emulation circuits - and I particularly favour Germanium Overdrives which deliver all those lovely harmonics and textural artefacts - including my favourite Fuzzy-Drive style sounds. I will be doing a full hands-on review on this one when it lands - hopefully in a week or two or so!

Controls - OD1 [KLONE] } Volume, Tone, Gain, OD1 Footswitch; OD2 [TIMMY] } Volume, Tone, Gain, OD2 Footswitch; EQ/BOOST } Bass, Mids, Treble, Press both Footswitches together.

I was a little late to this one for a variety of reasons - the Optimist has a Klone circuit on its left channel, and a Timmy on the right. Both excellent takes on that format - further aided by an independent 3-Band EQ that you can engage for further effect - while I mostly have that on too - for more vibrancy and verve! This one is somewhat simpler than the typical Jackson Audio pedals - as it doesn't have all those different Clipping and EQ / Voicing options that you get on most of them. It's still a pretty fabulous and well balanced dual overdrive though!

Controls - LEFT CHANNEL } Gain, Edge (Bias / Diode Satiration), Volume, Clipping : GE 1M270 / None / Silicon, Left Footswitch, RIGHT CHANNEL } Gain, Edge (Bias / Diode Satiration), Volume, Clipping : BAT41 Schottky / None / Silicon, Right Footswitch.

I have a fascination with extended-range DOD250 pedals - and there are two such dual-overdrive varieties in this selection - this Loophole Grey Matter - which I actually landed first, and then the Pelican Noiseworks 50/50 as below. This one is a little more granular in its output - with one extra variable control per side, and some interesting clipping options. I possibly marginally prefer the versatility of this Grey Matter - while both this and the 50/50 are fairly similar overall in their prowess - and both are excellent really!

Controls - RED SNAPPER } Volume, Gain, Hi-Cut, Bite (Presence + Attack), BLUE COLLAR } Level, Drive, Tone, Presence.

The other really unique variant in this selection - alongside the Hangman Lord GermFet. This one features Brian Mena's signature and proprietary Low Gain Red Snapper Overdrive - which has often featured on TPS and sort of competes within a similar territory as the Greer Amps Lightspeed - although that is somewhat a Timmy variant, while the Red Snapper is an entirely unique and original low gain circuit. The other side houses the equally impressive Blue Collar Mid-Gain Overdrive - which I believe is somewhat based on the Red Snapper - but with a little more mids and gain in the mix! Both sides of this also sound fanastic individually and independently as well as stacked!

Controls - LEFT CHANNEL } Level, Voicing : Sweet / Normal / Creamy, Gain, Left Footswitch, RIGHT CHANNEL } Level, Voicing : Sweet / Normal / Creamy, Gain, Right Gootswitch.

The Pelican NoiseWorks dual DOD250 - 60 Second Hum Ryan Burke collab completes this selection. It's a little simpler than the Loophole Grey Matter - but near enough every bit as good. It was relatively recently reissued with a new updated artwork - where I have the original version.

While there is some degree of overlap here - we still have 9 very distinct flavours of overdrive here across those 9 devices - BluesBreaker,  DOD250s, Klone, Blue Collar, FET / Fetzer, Germanium, Red Snapper, Timmy, and SVR TS808.

I can thoroughly recommend each and every one of these - each on is indeed unique and distinct in its own way. And I very much look forward to getting proper hands-on with the Hangman fx Lord GermFet at the earliest opportunity!.