Demo: SolidGoldFX Beta SuperDrive

Rarely, do I see an overdrive that really takes a totally different angle on the pedal’s tone. Usually, overdrives are designed to give you a grit or mild distortion to your sound.  It is not as over the top as a distortion or fuzz pedals but it is designed to push the front end of your amp into a distortion. Over-powering, occurs when input gain exceeds the capacity of a device to handle the amount of gain thrown at it. With the Beta SuperDrive, it actually colors your tone to get a unique sound from another era!

Photo credit: Pro Audio Star

The biggest difference in SolidGoldFX Beta SuperDrive is that it is designed to give you everything from mild Motown thump to a punchy, full-range push.  When I first plugged it in, I had to rethink how I use overdrive.  I noticed that it made my bass sound like James Jamerson! The Beta’s specially tuned JFET preamp and subtle germanium clipping offer a wide range of musical drive that is very tube like in its sonic characteristics.

With its tailored EQ and distinct gain structure, the Beta has just the right amount of tone to cut without being overly assertive or fizzy. It is a great pedal to add warmth to modern rigs or more edge to vintage setups.

-Juan