PIGTRonIx
FAT OVERDRIVE
BY MATTHEW HOLLIMAN
The breadth and quality of Pigtronix output in recent years has been impres-
sive. And for its efforts and ingenuity, the
Long Island-based stompbox company has
garnered the favor of such diverse heavy-
weights as Andy Summers, David Hidalgo,
Dweezil Zappa, Joe Perry, and Stu Hamm.
Given the knob- and toggle-bedecked
pedals that first put the company on the
map, it’s easy to peg Pigtronix as one of
those outfits that’s always working on the
fringe—creating warbly, wild, whacked-out
pedals that experimental players love. But
while Pigtronix does that stuff very well
(check out our reviews of the Tremvelope
and Echolution at premierguitar.com), the
new FAT Drive proves this is a company
that can cover the nuts and bolts, too. It
reflects a keen understanding of what goes
into making tube overdrive sound great.
to hear audio clips of the pedal at
premierguitar.com/apr2012
CLICKHere…
lean Cut, Fat tone
Players accustomed to the plethora of controls
on Pigtronix’s more out-there offerings will
Hi/Lo gain
switch
9V or 18V
power
either be pleased or incredulous that the FAT
drive is stripped down to a traditional 3-knob
overdrive setup—volume, gain, and tone. But
there’s also a toggle between the three controls
that delivers a heavy dose of gain when flipped
to the More position. It’s a feature you see in
a lot of aftermarket TS9 and TS808 mods,
and it adds a lot of versatility and the ability to
range from classic, TS-style tones to full-bore
distortion. The side-mounted input and output jacks are of durable plastic, while the true-bypass on/off switch is of sturdy metal.
The inside of the FAT Drive is packed
head-to-toe with wiring and circuitry. There’s
also no battery. Instead, Pigtronix includes
an 18V power supply. You can also operate
the pedal using your own 9V power supply,
though you lose a lot of the headroom and
transparency that are such a strong suit for
the FAT Drive. However, 9V operation does
increase the gain potential, so if you find
you’re in need of more crunch, try swapping
out the supplied 18V and increasing the volume to match the previous output.
While the FAT looks straightforward
enough on the surface, its tone control is
more than the simple bass/treble blend you
find on a lot of overdrives. Utilizing a variable
low-pass filter, the FAT rounds off higher frequencies but retains lows and mids when you
turn it counterclockwise. Turning tone all the
way clockwise turns off the low-pass filter for
a cleaner, more transparent voicing.
extra Butter, Please
To get an idea how effective the tone control
is—and the degree to which it enhances
the FAT Drive’s cool voice—just hook it
up to a biting Telecaster and a 6L6-driven
Bassman. Set the FAT to the point of breakup with gain a hair above 9 o’clock, keep
tone around 4 o’clock, and set the toggle
to low-gain mode, and you’ll get a cool,
smoked-glass sustain that’s both cutting and
