There are a lot of overdrive pedals out on the market at the moment, and there have been for years and years now. Hi-Gain, Transparent, Low-to-Mid, etc…there are many sub-categories of overdrives, too, and sometimes you have to play a LOT of them to figure out which sound is best suited for you as an individual, and your personal style of music. The Howlerr Classic from SFG Music Supply up north in Canada is an instantly smooth addition to your rig, and plays well with other pedals, while being able to stand on its own, too.
Right off the bat, the graphics grab you and put a smile on your face. It looks kinda like Elvis and Mike Ness had an offspring, which was then transformed into some kind of dog and transported back to 1955, or something like that. Very classic (hence the name) and vintage-styled, this thing is aesthetically pleasing to no end. Then comes the sound: Gain, Hi-Cut and Volume knobs make up the simple control section for the Howlerr, creating common but bold overdrive characteristics at many different settings. With the Gain down a bit, and the Hi-Cut just past noon, the Howlerr Classic adds just a small but noticeable amount of boost/crunch, not too over-the-top, but more like a thin layer of overdriven fluffiness to beef up your tone. The Hi-Cut is a nice tone balance control here, too, rolling off the high end when turned left, and can be completely bypassed if desired by cranking it to the right. Boost the Gain knob up around 3 o’clock or so, and this pedal will nicely push your amp into slight breakup, again not overdoing it at all, just adding in some sweet textures and overtones to make your rig sparkle and shine.
While producing some excellent sonic enhancement to your guitar’s natural sound, the Howlerr is not a heavy duty overdrive or distortion by any means, nor does it try to pretend to be. Just a classic (there it is again!) sound with a vintage feel, both sonically and visually, with it’s throwback 1950s-esque graphics and natural-sounding overdrive tones. Utilizing 3 Russian Germanium diodes, the Howlerr is a great low-to-mid gain option for your pedalboard, and will stack fantastically with other drives as well. Thanks to Neil and all at SFG Music Supply for sending this vintage-styled pedal to us to check out – if this guy is their flagship pedal, we can’t wait to see what they’ve got coming up next! Cheers!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
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