Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Neil from NRG Effects delivers a quite superb S-Tier Rat Distortion take with some super smart and unique options onboard
Key Points
Neil from NRG Effects’ Gnawer is an S-Tier Rat-style Distortion developed over nearly two years. It offers Soft and Hard clipping, each with 2 x Diodes, Diode + LED, or 2 x LEDs, plus Tone, Treble, Gain, Loud, and a Sizzle highs intensity and gain boost.
The 5-knob/2-footwitch edition includes colour-shifting LEDs and a faceted lens cap. Preferred settings use Soft Diode + LED, with guitar-volume cleanup at lower Gain. As of 2026, the price was £329; the 4-knob/1-footwitch edition was £289.
The 1590B3 enclosure measures 77 x 116mm, uses 9V DC [-], and draws 30mA. Black is stock; Satin-Polished costs £10 extra. Early orders use the Website Contact Form; the available demo covers a significantly different previous model.
This one has been a long time coming - and the wait has been so well worth it - as the final edition exceeds all expectations!
Back when this project first started there were no colour-shifting LED’s, no Soft Clipping Options, and no Highs Boost - which I call ’Sizzle’ here - as that’s pretty much what it does.
I have well over 40 Rats in my Reference Collection - it could be as many as 50 by now, and it takes something really special to really move me - and this is absolutely that.
I don’t even care what OpAmp chip it’s using - it sounds so good - really weighty, but well balanced and articulate too, with an inherent warmth in its deliver. And what a huge range it has onboard! Also somewhat unexpectedly it cleans up a fair amount with your guitar volume knob - obviously not to Fuzz Face levels, but still pretty significant - on the stock setting that is, it doesn’t work quite so well when you have the ’Sizzle’ applied too!
The Soft Clipping Modes are a genuine revelation here - along with that 2nd Sizzle footswitch. And overall I actually prefer the softer clipping - you get more interesting textures and harmonics - particularly on the Diode + LED Modes - both Soft and Hard. I really love the two latter clipping modes - the Diode + LED and 2 x LEDs - with the 2nd Mode my runaway favourite. The only change I would make here is to sub out the 2 x Diodes mode for a Germanium Diode + LED option - I feel that would be killer too. As is this pedal doesn’t really need it! It’s worth admission alone just for those Soft and Hard Diode + LED Modes!
I've been privileged to watch the near 2 year development cycle for this pedal - and see Neil going back to the drawing board on several occasions. All the decisions he has made along the way - culminate in this exceptional evolved Rat-style Distortion - which I've announced as an S-Tier proposition!
Neil started deploying those colour-shifting LED's just this year - which continuously morph / cycle through circa 16 hues I believe! The first production prototype of the Gnawer - which I saw at the Norwich Fret Fest - had static Red LED's and the internal wiring in red too. While I elected to go with the Colour-Shifting LED's and so Neil wired it up using different coloured wires - to match the nature of the LEDs.
I remarked at the Fret Fest that the colour-shifting LED's reminded me of Disco Lights - and we needed some Mirrorball action therefore! So Neil proposed that he would seek out the appropriate faceted crystal lens cap - that would serve exactly that purpose.
Neil's stock main lens caps are those smooth diffused ones - so mine is the first colour-shifting Gnawer with faceted lower LED - and I really love it!
Controls - Loud (Output), Gain, Treble, Clipping Modes : SOFT } 2 x Diodes / Diode + LED / 2 x LEDs / HARD } 2 x Diodes / Diode + LED / 2 x Diodes, Tone, Engage On/Off, Sizzle! (Highs Intensity + Gain Boost).
There is so much range on each of those dials - that I have plenty in reserve at all times!
My preferred setting are Loud @ 2-3 o'c, Gain @ 9 o'c, Treble @ 3 o'c, Mode most typically Soft Diode + LED, Tone @ Noon, and then use the Sizzle as a proper Boost / Solo Boost. With the Gain at 9 o'c the guitar volume cleanup works pretty well - obviously its impact lessens as you turn up the Gain, and the Sizzle / Boost kind of all but stops it working.
There does seem to be a direct correlation with the Tone control and the Sizzle, and for me that is optimal at Noon - as if you say set it to 3 o'c - the Sizzle Boost is less pronounced. My preferred settings deliver the perfect balanced for me.
Gain-wise my operational range is typically 9 o'c through to Noon. I did try it at 3 o'c for a time - but that is pretty full-on, and the additional compression you get lessens the impact of those glorious harmonics you get slightly lower down the scale.
All in all I could not be happier with my Gnawer.
Back when Neil and I started talking about this Neil was in his 'Universal' enclosure mode - per my Fuzzer and Purrer pedals - the most compact versions of those. Neil had decided then that he had too many variants and wanted to streamline the operation. But he then changed his mind, decided that he actually really liked doing pedals at different sizes - and all those custom commissions - and so we went from a fairly streamlined 'Universal' approach to an 'anything goes' paradigm shift.
It's tricky to keep up sometimes when you're trying to document progress - and the winds of time keep shifting in all directions!
My 5-Knob / 2-Footswitch Edition goes for £329, where you can get a more stripped down 4-knob / 1-Footswitch Edition for £289. For me the 2nd 'Sizzle' Footswitch is essential - it really adds to the dynamics and playability of the pedal - and opens it up to even more textures and harmonics!
I really like the enclosure choice here too - 1590B3 - which sits in between the 125B and 1590BB enclosure sizes at 77 x 116mm in dimensions. Note also 9V DC [-] power with just 30mA current draw,
You get 2 Enclosure options - where Black (like mine) is stock - or you can pay £10 extra for Neil's special Satin-Polished Edition. I personally like Rats to be Black!
The website also notes "Hand-wired with a variety of status LED and internal wiring colour schemes.(Colour scheme requests can be made when ordering)."
The only special request for mine was the faceted lens cap which I'm sure Neil would do for you too! Everything else on my pedal is stock.
The website listing isn't fully active yet - and Neil requests those wishing to place an early order should get in touch via his Website's Contact Form!
I have several excellent Top-Tier Rat Distortions - and this 2026 Gnawer is right up there with the very best of them - a wholly magnificent take on a Rat pedal - full of marvellous surprises and revelations!
I'm a little head of schedule with this article - as I wanted to include it in my end of month coverage - so the Demo is not quite ready yet - but you want to get on the order cycle early - as these will surely fly out!
Until the new demo arrives I will refer to the previous version - a little over 2 years ago, and unfortunately significantly different to this one - while I feel the core gain stage is the same!
Sound Sample Reference - Previous Model!
