The Ananashead Bolt is a low-gain overdrive pedal that can be deployed as a mild drive or a clean boost, announced in August 2019 at a retail price of 110 euros1. Alongside its drive tones, Guitar World reports it was designed to be used as a second channel for an amp without master volume, essentially letting a player switch the amp into a hotter sound from the floor2.
The controls
The pedal keeps things simple with three knobs: level, drive and filter2. Level sets the output level, drive sets the amount of gain, and filter shapes the tone. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley described the filter as something that "shapes the tone and sounds like it might act a bit like presence"3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output level1 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of drive2 |
| Filter | Shapes the tone, described by MusicRadar as acting a bit like presence3 |
As a clean boost and second channel
The Bolt's two roles come from the same three knobs. Guitar.com reported that "the clean boost can be summoned by increasing level and lowering drive and filter"1. With the drive backed off, the pedal pushes the front of an amp rather than adding grit of its own.
That same push is what makes the second-channel trick work: Guitar.com noted the pedal doubles up "essentially as a second channel for amplifiers without a master volume"1, and Guitar World described the same intent2. For an amp with no master volume, kicking the Bolt on is a way to get a driven sound without touching the amp.
One more point from the coverage: Guitar.com reported the pedal is touted to neither compress your signal1, so it leaves the player's dynamics and the amp's response intact. Players looking for that kind of level push in general can compare it with other boost pedals, while its mild drive side sits among overdrive pedals.
MusicRadar reported that the Bolt is made to order3, so availability depends on the builder rather than retail stock.
Videos
Pair of Pandas
Pair of Pandas
Questions
Can the Ananashead Bolt be used as a clean boost?
Yes. Guitar.com reports that the Bolt can be deployed as a mild drive or a clean boost, and that the clean boost is summoned by increasing the level knob while lowering the drive and filter knobs. In that setting the pedal pushes the signal without adding drive of its own.
Does the Ananashead Bolt compress the signal?
According to Guitar.com, the pedal is touted to neither compress your signal. That matters for players who want the pedal to respond to their picking dynamics and their amp's input rather than evening the signal out the way a compressor would.
Is the Ananashead Bolt made to order?
Yes. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley reported in August 2019 that the Bolt is made to order, so it is not a stock item on a shop shelf in the way a mass-produced pedal is.
How much does the Ananashead Bolt cost in euros?
The Bolt was reported at a retail price of 110 euros when it was announced in August 2019, a figure given by both Guitar.com and MusicRadar.
Can the Bolt act as a second channel for an amp without a master volume?
Yes. Both Guitar World and Guitar.com report that the Bolt is designed to be used as a second channel for an amplifier without a master volume, letting the player kick the amp into a hotter, driven sound from the pedalboard.
Sources (3)
- Ananashead’s Bolt OD pedal will jolt your amp to life, Guitar.com, 2019-08-14
- Craft shocking sounds with Ananashead's new Bolt overdrive, Guitar World, 2019-08-12
- Ananashead offers low-gain high jinks with the new Bolt overdrive, MusicRadar, 2019-08-12