Alright, we’ll talk about Star Wars if that’s what you guys and gals want, quit pressuring me! Seriously, I’m absolutely one of the people most excited about The Force Awakens being released in under a week, and have no qualms about relaying that to you fine readers (I suspect many of you are in the same boat, am I right?). That said, my boy Todd over at FoxPedal is excited as well, so we decided to team up and make a Special Edition version of their stellar overdrive pedal, the Slow Hound, with a nod to arguably the greatest cinematic story ever told. Set for stun, here comes the Imperial Overdrive.

First off, I had a rough idea of what the graphics should be, but Todd and his crew took it to a new level, and I must say, it looks “stunning” (hehe). The inclusion of both our logos solidifies the collaboration between our companies, and the relic-ed look of the pedal, with the Stormtrooper mask and faded Imperial crest in the background just tie the whole thing together. Stay tuned on Instagram for an exciting announcement coming soon regarding this pedal and the new movie…

But onto what we’re really here to talk about: the sound. Like I said before, the Imperial Overdrive is just a re-imagined Slow Hound, one of FoxPedals’ signature overdrives, with a couple slight twists and turns. Volume, Drive and Tone make up 3/4 of the controls, each one introducing its own personal flavor into the pedal. The Drive will do anything from a low-to-mid gain setting all the way up to a sustained, blissful overdrive, pushing your amp right to the brink.

The second part of the Imperial Overdrive is the Boost section, which is activated by the second stomp switch on the right side of the pedal, and controlled by the Force knob. This is a perfect compliment to the overdriven sounds being created, as it gives an extra added bonus boost to your signal, without making it muddy or losing any tone. When you kick in this boost, you’ll rip right through the mix for high-powered solos and big, fat chords that won’t die without a fight.

Basically, this thing looks awesome, exactly what I was looking for aesthetically, and sounds incredible as well from the minute you turn it on. In some pedals’ cases, they look great but sound sub-par, or look like garbage but are sonically on point. The Imperial Overdrive solves both of these potential problems with ease (unless, of course, you don’t like Star Wars, but then you’ve got other issues to deal with altogether). Props again to Todd and FoxPedal from working with me on this bad boy, and for making a kick ass pedal in the Slow Hound in the first place. They’ve got a ton of great other gear, too, so if you haven’t been to their website, I suggest you calmly finish reading this, watch the rad video below and then head over to see what kind of effects they’ve got for you to add to your own arsenal. See you at the Force Awakens premiere!

Submitted by Mike B, Website

Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard