This time around, we’re dissecting the huge range of essential effects out there for stage and studio, exploring everything from rugged multi-effects units through to boutique overdrives and vocal plug-ins.
BAM Goddess Overdrive
Key Features: Around 20 years ago, a boutique overdrive pedal by the name of the Goddess emerged and took the Australian guitar world by storm, with its transparent tones and versatility making an immediate impact on big name players such as Troy Casar-Daley and Diesel. Now, the BAM Goddess Overdrive, designed by respected Adelaide blues guitarist Brian Morrison to fulfil his desire to create the ultimate overdrive pedal, has reemerged to captivate yet another generation of guitarists, and this time, it’s here to stay.
Boasting an incredibly versatile gain stage with tones that range from a slight clean boost to all-the-way-out red hot distortion, it’s easy to see why there’s so much hype around this particular unit. A fully analogue pedal by design, the Goddess makes use of an onboard adjustable compression/sustain circuit to give it an amp-like tonal characteristic, letting you easily adjust the attack and decay for soaring, heavenly sustain. There’s also a Stack switch that really kicks the Goddess up a notch, letting you achieve huge distorted tones that seem as if they’ve been torn straight from the soul of a sixties Marshall stack.
What really makes the BAM Goddess special, however, is the amazing Medusa-inspired graphics that adorn the face of the pedal, while the chicken-head knobs and rugged enclosure only further adds to the unique character of the pedal. It almost looks like some kind of de-commissioned piece of military kit from the Cold War, and will make as much as a visual statement as it will sonically on any pedalboard.
Mixdown Says: Despite what their name may suggest, there’s few overdrive pedals out there that are truly ‘transparent’ in nature – you’ll always get some kind of colour or variation to your tone, even when it’s in bypass mode. As a response to these units, the BAM Goddess sets out to deliver the most transparent overdrive experience available, maintaining its integrity even when paired with other tone-sucking stompboxes or shoddy patch cables.
Paired with a Stratocaster and a clean Fender-style amp, the Goddess presents itself as the perfect platform for some classic bluesy noodling, while ramping up your volume knob will dial in a slight dollop of grit for when you need to slice through the mix. The compression circuit is also suitable for achieving Slowhand-like sustain without compromising your left and right hand dynamics, while the Stack switch is a choice solution for saturated, stomping riffs and jagged lead work – pair it with a Les Paul, and you’ll be packing out stadiums in no time.
Overall: A wonderfully built unit with a colourful design that’s suited for a multitude of musical styles, the BAM Goddess is a killer piece of kit, and we can’t wait to hear what other Aussie guitarists make of it.
Visit BAM’s brand new website to find out more about the Goddess Overdrive today.
