Spun Loud Effects launch the Litigator Overdrive

Spun Loud Effects has launched the Litigator Overdrive, a transistor-based overdrive that aims for a fuzz-like voice, without heading into high-gain territory.

The pedal is voiced after the “British blues-rock tones of the 1960s,” using a two-stage gain structure based around transistors. Spun Loud is keen to note, however, that “this is not a clone of Marshall’s famous and often replicated Bluesbreaker pedal.” Transistors are more commonly found in fuzz pedals, while overdrives and distortions more commonly use operational amplifiers. This means the Litigator’s distortion character has a fuzzy edge to it, but without having to get to the “wall-of-fuzz” squarewave sound by introducing a huge amount of gain.

The pedal sports three self-explanatory knobs: volume, tone and gain. The EQ curve of the pedal is a full-frequency boost, rather than the upper-midrange hump of overdrives that take after the Tubescreamer.

It comes in a compact enclosure with top-mounted jacks, and features all-analogue circuitry.

The Litigator Overdrive lists for $135, and starts shipping on 11 February. Find out more at spunloud.com.

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