Hamstead Soundworks launches the Comet Interstellar Driver, a stompbox that ranges from creamy drive to thick fuzz

Hamstead Soundworks has launched the Comet Interstellar Driver, an overdrive pedal that’s aimed at creating a versatile set of tones with a complicated signal path, controlled through a straightforward control set.

Knobs on the pedal are standard fare for overdrives: you’ve got controls for level and gain, as well as a two-band bass/treble EQ. Central to the pedal’s versatility, however, is the order toggle switch, allowing you to place the EQ section before the clipping or after it. The switch doesn’t just change the order of your signal path, either. Hamstead Soundworks notes that: “By selecting DRV>EQ or EQ>DRV, you not only change the order of the Drive and EQ circuits, but also the type of clipping and gain structure circuitry.”

The DRV>EQ mode is for when you need more precise, studio-like tone-sculpting, with a more dynamic and transparent character to the clipping. The EQ section being placed after the clipping section means that you can tame distorted high-end, and tighten up any loose low-end.

The inverse EQ>DRV mode boosts the signal into the input stage, and with higher settings on the bass and treble knobs, you can push the drive section into distortion and even fuzz.

The level control offers a total of 30dB boost for pushing an amplifier even harder, and each band of the EQ has +/- 15dB of cut and boost for its respective band. Some hidden settings include an internal toggle switch to engage a high-gain mode, as well as an internal trimmer for a high-cut.

Construction includes TheGigRig’s OptoKick optical footswitch for silent switching, as well as top-mounted jacks for compact pedalboards. Hear the pedal in action with LivingRoomGearDemo’s ‘cinematic’ intro video below.

The pedal lists for £199 / €235 / $259. Find out more at hamsteadsoundworks.com.