The Barber Gain Changer SR is a compact overdrive pedal from Barber Electronics, designed, in the maker's words, "to be a highly versatile and compact overdrive pedal"1. What sets it apart from a single-voiced overdrive is that Barber has incorporated sounds from three of its earlier pedals, the classic LTD, the LTD SR and the Unlimited, into one box1. Barber describes the SR model as improving warmth, clarity and note separation, with a vast spectrum of EQ and gain on tap2.
It is a hand-built pedal measuring only 2.3" wide, built with solder lugs for the jacks rather than PCB-mounted through-panel parts, which Barber says avoids the kind of construction that cannot be serviced on the road2.
What it does: LTD, LTD SR and Unlimited sounds in one overdrive
Rather than voicing the Gain Changer SR as one fixed overdrive, Barber built it to cover the ground of three earlier pedals. The manual states that "Barber Electronics has incorporated sounds from our classic LTD, LTD SR and Unlimited pedals into the Gain-Changer SR"1. On the product page, Barber frames it as letting you "volley between the flat sweet-EQ of the [LTD SR]" and the other voicings2.
For a player, that means one small box can stand in for several Barber flavors. The earlier Barber Electronics Gain Changer circuit, documented in David Barber's service schematic dated 12-6-2012, used 1N4148 clipping diodes and a 100p tone capacitor, the same family of building blocks Barber has used across its overdrive line3.
The controls and the three-way EQ switch
The heart of the pedal is its three-position EQ switch, which selects between three distinct voicings1:
| EQ switch position | Voicing |
|---|---|
| Right | Flat EQ, like the LTD SR pedal |
| Middle | Thick-mid EQ, like the LTD v2 |
| Left | "Flat+fat" setting |
The manual describes it directly: "This switch allows you to go from flat-EQ like our LTD SR pedal (toggle switched to the right), to thick-mid-EQ like our" LTD v2, and on to the flat+fat setting at the left position1. Alongside the EQ switch, the circuit carries a volume control, a tone control and a gain switch that selects between gain settings, as shown on the service schematic3.
The EQ switch changes the pedal's midrange character, not just its brightness. A player who finds one overdrive too scooped or too middy can move between flat, thick-mid and flat+fat voicings without touching the tone knob.
Power: 9 to 18V, 12mA, negative center
The Gain Changer SR runs on a 9 to 18 volt DC adapter, and the manual is firm about polarity: "it must be negative tip (center) or damage will result"1. Current draw is 12mA2, low enough that it shares a pedalboard supply easily.
No power adapter is included, and the pedal does not accept internal batteries, so a supply is needed from day one2. Check that the supply's tip is negative center before plugging in.
Build and buying
Barber builds the SR by hand, with true-bypass footswitch, toggles and pots on real solder lugs, and no PCB-mounted through-panel parts2. The list price is $179.95, with USPS priority shipping at $12 in the US, and buyers can email David Barber directly with questions about matching the pedal to their guitar, amp and playing style2.
Videos
Visual Guy
pastorjaredstepp
roknfnrol
Questions
Does the Barber Gain Changer SR take a battery?
No. The Gain Changer SR does not accept internal batteries, so it needs a DC power supply to run. It draws only 12mA, so it is easy to power from a standard pedalboard supply alongside other pedals.
Is the Barber Gain Changer SR true bypass?
Yes. Barber lists a true-bypass footswitch for the Gain Changer SR, along with toggles and pots built on real solder lugs rather than PCB-mounted through-panel parts, which the maker says makes the pedal serviceable on the road.
What is the difference between the Gain Changer SR and the LTD SR?
The Gain Changer SR is a single pedal that incorporates sounds from the classic LTD, LTD SR and Unlimited pedals. Its three-position EQ switch moves between the LTD SR's flat EQ, the LTD v2's thick-mid EQ, and a flat-plus-fat setting, so one box covers the ground of several earlier Barber models.
Does the Gain Changer SR come with a power supply?
No, a power adapter is not included. The pedal requires a 9 to 18 volt DC adapter with a negative center tip, and using the wrong polarity can damage it. US orders ship by USPS priority mail for $12.
Sources (3)
- Gain ChangerSR.doc, Barber Electronics
- Gain Changer, Barber Electronics
- C:\Users\David\Dropbox\Gain Cha, Barber Electronics, 2012-12-06
