The BBE G Screamer is a signature overdrive pedal built for Gus G, the guitarist known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and Firewind. It is a development of BBE's Green Screamer, reworked with designer Paul Gagon to suit G's own tone, and G demonstrates it in a BBE Sound demo video posted by Guitar World1.
Where it came from
BBE's overdrive line began in 2007, when the company launched a six-pedal stompbox range including the Green Screamer. Guitar World's review of the new pedals noted that the Green Screamer "pays homage to the great TS9 Tube Screamer. But while it may have a similar profile, the BBE is not an imitation of that"2. Players weighing that family of circuits against the original Ibanez design can see how they compare in the site's Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer page.
The G Screamer is the signature variant of that circuit. Gus G had been using the Green Screamer and wanted more from it: "The Green Screamer was working great for me, but I had ideas about how to make it even better for my tone," he said in the demo video1. Working with BBE designer Paul Gagon, the input driver to the distortion circuit was modified "so that more lower-mid harmonics are focused where I want them," Gus G explained1. The result, he said, is a pedal that lets him "drive even more harmonics" for a cleaner, tighter distortion1.
What it does
The change from the Green Screamer is a circuit modification: Gagon and G modified the input driver to the distortion circuit so that more lower-mid harmonics are focused where G wants them1.
"Now my new G Screamer pedal lets me drive even more harmonics, and they're focused right where I need them to be for a cleaner, tighter distortion."
In other words, it is voiced as a hotter, more focused take on the Green Screamer: a drive pedal that pushes more harmonic content into the distortion stage while keeping the lower mids tight, in the player's own description1.
The Green Screamer family
| Pedal | What it is |
|---|---|
| Green Screamer | BBE's overdrive, the pedal the G Screamer is based on1 |
| G Screamer | Gus G's signature version, with the input driver modified so more lower-mid harmonics are focused where he wants them1 |
The G Screamer is a signature pedal from 2013, and the Green Screamer line has since been revised: BBE launched the Green Screamer v2 in December 202231.
Videos
Guitar World
BBETV
Bradford DeLaura
Questions
How is the BBE G Screamer different from the Green Screamer?
The G Screamer is a signature version of BBE's Green Screamer overdrive, reworked with designer Paul Gagon and Gus G. The input driver to the distortion circuit was modified so that more lower-mid harmonics are focused where Gus G wants them, which he describes as giving a cleaner, tighter distortion with more drive.
Who is the BBE G Screamer made for?
It is the signature overdrive of Gus G, the guitarist known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne and Firewind. He collaborated with BBE designer Paul Gagon on the pedal and demonstrated it in a BBE Sound demo video.
Sources (3)
- Video: Gus G Demos His Signature BBE G Screamer Overdrive Pedal, Guitar World, 2013-09-10
- BBE: Crusher, Green Screamer and Frequency Boost pedals, Guitar World, 2007-05-16
- BBE launches the Sonic Stomp Pro and Green Screamer v2 Overdrive, updating two of its most popular pedals, Guitar World, 2022-12-23
Gus G
