MXR Collaborates With Tom Morello for the Power 50 Overdrive

December 4, 2021 · 4 sources

MXR announced a signature overdrive pedal with Tom Morello, the Power 50 Overdrive, which the maker said captures the sound and functionality of Morello's amplifier setup for use with any rig. The pedal emulates the amp setup Morello has used since 1988, and Guitar World reported that MXR employed MOSFET technology to ape the preamp stages of his Marshall JCM800 for an amp-like response¹. The pedal was available to preorder at the time of the announcement¹, at a list price of $129.99².

The control layout mirrors the interface of Morello's amp, with six knobs³:

• Gain sets overdrive intensity⁴
• Bass, cut or boost of +4 dB / -21 dB at 50 Hz⁴
• Middle, cut or boost of ±7 dB at 500 Hz⁴
• Treble, cut or boost of ±7 dB at 5 kHz⁴
• Presence, boost of +7 dB at 4 kHz⁴
• Volume³

A footswitch toggles the effect on and bypass, with a red LED indicating the effect is on⁴. The pedal also carries its own FX loop, which taps into the raw signal-clipping point before the Presence control and the custom tone-shaping at the output³. MXR said that pairing the loop with the Cry Baby Tom Morello Wah produced aggressive yet tonally balanced, voice-like wah sweeps³.

The Power 50 Overdrive runs on a single 9-volt battery, accessible through a battery door on the bottom plate, or on a 9-volt AC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003/ECB003EU or an MXR Brick Series power supply³.