Browne Amplification collaborates with Andertons on an exclusive combination of its Carbon and Gritador pedals - the Ethane Dual Overdrive

I’ve seen this one listed under Andertons’ ’New Pedals’ pages for a while - but they’ve only very recently come into stock. This is a £349 Andertons exclusive - but you can also buy it direct from the Browne Amplification site for $359. This is very well-worn territory - in fact there are numerous Dual Overdrive combinations of Screamer and Breaker out there - including a new Royal Flush Plus version from VS Audio, and a fairly recently updated V3 Duellist from King Tone. Browne’s Protein has always been a rarer combination - utilising the Nobels vs the Screamer circuit - I’ve always felt that was their flagship pedal - so I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this new move - I guess it was requested - and Browne already had versions of those circuits - so it was a relatively easy task - mostly just a matter of fitting the electronics into a 1590-BB format enclosure - where Browne already have a significant expertise.

There don’t seem to be any enhancements for the combined format - while it is smaller than two compacts, and more affordable too. Oh - and it has a gorgeous textured hammerite style finish which I rather like.

I’m still in line to grab a Protein at some stage - and I don’t feel this new addition changes that priority - I already have numerous dual overdrives with that same mix of flavours. Ot will be interesting to see a head-to-head at some stage - I enjoy both TS808 and ODR-1 types and have used various flavour combinations over the years. It’s not long since I did the feature on the V4 Protein. I guess if you had that already in some version - then you might be more tempted to get the Ethane as a slightly different flavour. While if you’re brand new to Browne Amplification - you would probably prioritise its flagship Protein pedal - at least that’s how I feel.

Browne Amplification make excellent overdrives - they’re full-flavoured and with simple control topologies. I generally have a preference for compact formats - although I don’t mind this mid-size format for certain pedals. It really depends what flavours you’re looking to incorporate and how many you need within the confines of a pedalboard. I feel this Ethane will not really impact the sales of the Protein - while there’s always a chance of some slight degree of cannibalisation.

You’re pretty much guaranteed high quality here - while not as decoratively ornate as the new Cornerstone Imperivm variant which has a slightly different combination of Dumble-Screamer. All those pedals are around the same price point - at or around the 350 mark - while some of them have a few more features, and additional styling elements - like custom knobs and geometrically patterned facia plates. In comparison Browne Amplification’s pedals are very traditional in their core aesthetic. You certainly don’t have a lack of quality choices!

Controls - LEFT CARBON SIDE } Level, Gain, Hi-Cut : Subtle / None / More, Tone, Footswitch; RIGHT GRITADOR SIDE } Level, Drive, Tone, Footswitch.

As mentioned - there are no extras here - simply a Gritador and Carbon in a single enclosure - but that will of course be plenty for many!