Rock Stock Pedals Raven Overdrive

The effect pedal market is at an all-time high at the moment, in terms of companies and gear available to all the guitar players out in the world, so how do you pick and choose which pedal is right for you? Well, sometimes you just randomly stumble across a pedal that says “put me on your board…now.” I had a similar thing happen the other day, when I unwrapped a package from Rock Stock Pedals…

Inside was the Raven Overdrive, a simple but killer drive from some fine folks in Columbus, Indiana. The Raven just looks gnarly, with its watercolor bird graphics, like it’s coming right out of some Stephen King novel. I plugged it in and clicked it on, and I was pleasantly and uniquely surprised and excited. With both the Tone and Gain hanging out around 10:00, the Raven produces a nice, warm low overdrive, just barely pushing your amp to that level of anticipation and intrigue. The Tone has an enticing range of sounds, not muddy but comforting when turned down, not harsh but bright and lively when turned up, with a great mid-range sound and a dark-sounding tone.

If you crank the Gain and set the Tone just where you like it, the Raven turns into another piece of musical equipment altogether, providing ample output to cut through any mix, and enough gain to kick your amp into gorgeous overdrive. Chords ring out with precision, single notes sound clear and bold when plucked as well, without the overall sound of your pickups or amp being colored in the slightest. This is both a versatile pedal you can change at a moment’s notice, and it’s also a set-it-and-forget-it low to mid-gain drive, perfect for the front end of your signal chain, or even a little further down the road.

You never know what you’re going to get in this business from day-to-day, and I’m glad Ryan and the crew at Rock Stock Pedals decided to send this over for me to review – thanks, guys! If you want to know more about them and what else they have to offer, be sure to head over to their website and say hi!