The brand's run was short and uneven. Following the takeover, all of the intervening time had been taken completely re-tooling the whole range for more robust construction and rapid roll-out4. The company's approach to building was stated plainly: "We build with high-quality components tuned to sound great. If that means some NOS Russian oil capacitors, then so be it. If that means a PCB stacked with surface-mount components, that just fine as well."2
The story: custom builder to shutdown and return
Foxpedal began as a custom operation. The Vixen name itself started on a one-off: a single custom Foxpedal built in March 2014, a clone of the Systech Harmonic Energizer, was the first pedal to carry the moniker5.
Following the takeover, the brand's time went to the range itself rather than new models: "all that time had been taken completely re-tooling the whole range for more robust construction and rapid roll-out"4. The thinking behind the builds was set out in the company's manufacturing philosophy: "We build with high-quality components tuned to sound great. If that means some NOS Russian oil capacitors, then so be it. If that means a PCB stacked with surface-mount components, that just fine as well."2
The timeline of the brand's rise, fall and return:
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| Post-takeover | Whole range completely re-tooled for more robust construction and rapid roll-out4 |
The re-tooling covered the whole range at once, aimed at more robust construction and the ability to roll pedals out rapidly4.
Known for: Foxtail, Vixen, Novaplex and Quiver
The four pedals most associated with the Foxpedal name:
- Vixen: a pedal described as "a truly versatile pedal"6.
- The re-tooled range: following the takeover, the whole line was rebuilt for more robust construction and rapid roll-out4.
- Build philosophy: high-quality components tuned to sound great, from NOS Russian oil capacitors to PCBs stacked with surface-mount components2.
The wider Foxpedal catalog also included the Imperial Overdrive, the Killface V2, the Kingdom line in its V2 and Combo forms, the Wrath distortion family, the Defector, The Wave dual delay reverb modulation pedal, the Magnifica V2, The City, and the K-Buffer782.
How Foxpedal pedals were built
The range (17)
Questions
Is Foxpedal still in business?
Foxpedal was effectively shuttered in 2018 after founder Todd Billow suffered a personal setback. The business was rescued and returned at the 2019 Winter NAMM show under new management with an updated Quiver, and in May 2021 it released the Vixen Dimensional Drive through the Foxpedal Webstore.
Who bought Foxpedal?
After the 2018 shutdown the business was rescued and relaunched under new management, returning at the January 2019 Winter NAMM show with an updated version of the Quiver. The revived company went on to release the Vixen Dimensional Drive in May 2021.
Where was Foxpedal based?
Foxpedal was a boutique pedal builder based in Richland. It began as a small custom operation, with its first Vixen-branded pedal being a one-off custom build delivered in March 2014.
What is the Foxpedal Vixen Dimensional Drive?
The Vixen Dimensional Drive is a Foxpedal overdrive released on May 3, 2021, sold through the Foxpedal Webstore. It is a revival and evolution of the Foxtail Articulate Overdrive, whose name first appeared on a single custom Foxpedal built in March 2014 as a clone of the Systech Harmonic Energizer.
When was Foxpedal founded?
Foxpedal's earliest dated work is a single custom pedal built in March 2014, a clone of the Systech Harmonic Energizer that first carried the Vixen name. The Foxtail Articulate Overdrive was reviewed by Pedal of the Day in July 2015.
Sources (8)
- New Pedals: Foxpedal Defector Fuzz | Delicious Audio, Delicious Audio, 2016-12-12
- Foxpedal Unveils Three Updated V2 Pedals: Magnifica, Refinery And Wrath, Delicious Audio, 2017-03-22
- FoxPedal Foxtail Articulate Overdrive - Pedal of the Day, Pedal of the Day
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-05-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-05-03
- Foxpedal Vixen Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2021-04-28
- FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive - Pedal of the Day, Pedal of the Day
- FoxPedal The Wave Dual Delay/Reverb - Pedal of the Day, Pedal of the Day