First and foremost, the Saturn V Harmonic Booster (in Limited Edition White) from Spaceman Effects is gorgeous. Pretty much the cleanest, slickest, futuristic-looking pedal I have ever had the opportunity to play. Not to mention it sounds simply incredible. You’d think a pedal with only two knobs would be kind of a one-trick pony, but the sonic ranges in these 2 knobs are BIG, allowing for an unusual amount of tonal structure and sounds from smooth, clean boost to wonderfully impressive overdrive (and the huge, diamond-looking turquoise LED is pretty sweet as well).

Made in limited batches in lovely Portland, Oregon, Spaceman Effects delivers a unique guitar pedal experience (for those of us who are lucky to find one of their pedals). The small batches of each pedal make them highly sought-after, which usually results in a great price markup, unfortunately. However, sometimes you can find a gem at a reasonable dollar amount on eBay or similar sites, and when you do, you should jump on it. The craftsmanship inside is truly something to behold, so intricate and precise, all hand-wired, and the attention to detail is astounding.

As for the sound, it’s very different from a normal boost pedal, and it’s not quite an overdrive, either. The Boost knob allows you to add 18dB to your signal, and if you combine that with the Drive knob, you’ll conjure up a whooping 35dB of gain! Not that you’d ever really need that much – I couldn’t turn mine past about 12 without potentially shattering some windows in my house. The Boost signal is so deep, clear and rich, and adds such a powerful presence to your tone.

Kick up the Drive, and you will here some of the most beautiful overdrive sounds you’ve ever heard. Warm, inviting and comfortable all at the same time, just try to make your amp sound bad using this pedal. I’m pretty sure it can’t be done. Don’t expect and metal-ish distortion here, just a great tube-y overdrive sound that will make you want to leave this pedal on all the time.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a couple more Spaceman Effects pedals, so look for those reviews coming in the near future. Meanwhile, if you come across one of these Saturn Vs (and it won’t break your piggybank), go for it. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Submitted by Mike B, Website