Great Eastern FX drop the Small Speaker Overdrive

Words by Eli Duxson

The company’s first pedal emulates a Fender classic

UK-based independent pedal company Great Eastern FX has released the Small Speaker Overdrive pedal, based on the classic sound of close-miked small vintage combo amp the Fender Champ.

What you need to know:

UK-based independent pedal company Great Eastern FX has released the Small Speaker Overdrive pedal, based on the classic sound of close-miked small vintage combo amp the Fender Champ.
This technique has been used on a lot of famous recordings such as Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons and Mike Campbell, to name just a few.
With just four knobs governing gain, level, treble, and bass, the pedal boats ease of use with the high control offering both cut and boost, while the low is just boost-only control.

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This technique has been used on a lot of famous recordings such as Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons and Mike Campbell, to name just a few.

The Small Speaker Overdrive pedal features an all-new discrete transistor circuit and is hand-built in the UK.

Capable of capturing the sound of the Champ’s 5W Class-A amp, the Small Speaker Overdrive also emulates the sound of its 10” speaker being miked up, and is intended to go first in your guitar signal chain.

Great Eastern FX said the pedal offers low to medium gain, ranging from an “almost-clean boost with added grit when you dig in, to the kind of honky, saturated drive most often associated with an overdriven Champ”.

With just four knobs governing gain, level, treble, and bass, the pedal boats ease of use with the high control offering both cut and boost, while the low is just boost-only control.

Great Eastern FX said “bolstered by a mic and mixing desk, these little amps sound anything but small, delivering sweet, dynamic drive at lower volumes”.

“Most importantly, the small speaker naturally rolls off low end and emphasises upper mids, putting the guitar exactly where it wants to be in the mix,” they said.