Blackeye Effects Palmetto

The Blackeye Effects Palmetto is a boost and light overdrive pedal: a simple two-knob box that either pushes your clean tone up or adds a touch of natural grit, depending on where you set it. Pedal of the Day's reviewer described it as "a great boost/light overdrive pedal"¹. It sits in the same territory as other boost pedals, with enough gain on tap to double as a mild overdrive.

What it does

The Palmetto has only two controls, and each setting points the pedal at a different job¹:

• Gain sets how much drive the pedal adds. Backed down, it stays out of the way; cranked, it pushes into overdrive¹.
• Volume sets the output level, letting you use the pedal as a boost or to push your amp harder¹.

On the boost side, the reviewer found that with the gain backed down and the volume up, the Palmetto makes your clean tone full and shimmering, giving a rich, full-bodied clean boost¹.

Turned around as a light overdrive, the character changes. Crank the gain, back off the volume a little, and the pedal produces a natural overdrive with bite¹. Players who want more drive than that would look at a dedicated overdrive, distortion or fuzz pedal instead; the Palmetto is aimed at the lower end of that range. Blackeye Effects also makes the White Pine Overdrive for players after more of a drive-focused pedal.

Bypass and signal path

The Palmetto is true bypass, so when it is switched off it should not load down or color your signal chain¹. That matters on a pedalboard where the pedal may spend most of its time off, acting only as an occasional lift or grit layer.

Price and availability

Pedal of the Day reviewed the Palmetto in June 2014 and noted a new price of under $100 in the United States, calling it hard to pass up at that level¹. Blackeye Effects is a small builder, so availability may vary.

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