The BLAMMO! Electronics Deth Pedal is a limited edition distortion pedal that combines three circuits in one box: a Rat distortion, a green ringer analog octave up, and a FET based clean boost on its own footswitch. It was built as a collaboration between the boutique makers BLAMMO! Electronics and Dirty Haggard, and the run was limited to just 50 units1. Delicious Audio described it at launch as "a super limited (but hella badass) stomp box based on the Life pedal from EQD called…the DETH PEDAL"2.
The makers are upfront about the origin: the design is based on the Life pedal from EarthQuaker Devices, and they call it "simply a great sounding parody design created for the hell of it"1. Delicious Audio echoed that framing, calling it "a great sounding parody design created for the hell of it"1. In other words, it is a small batch homage rather than a catalog product.
What it does to your sound
The core of the pedal is a Rat distortion circuit, built around an OP07 opamp1. The makers say they tweaked the Rat circuit "by letting in a little more bass/low-mid frequencies into the clipping section for a bit more roundness"1, which points at the stock Rat's reputation for a thin low end at high gain, something players often modify.
Layered on top of that is a green ringer analog octave up circuit on a blend control1. A green ringer is the classic transistor octave up design, and blending it lets you dial in how much of that upper octave sits on top of the distorted signal. Delicious Audio described the result as a pedal that "combines a Rat distortion with an analog octave up circuit, featuring a blend control and a separate footswitch" for the boost2.
The third circuit is a FET based clean boost on its own footswitch, so it can be engaged independently of the distortion1. The makers voice it differently from a flat boost: "The FET based clean boost circuit is voiced a little differently with more of a mid-focused sound and a bit more output volume"1.
The clipping control and the noise gate
Two internal design choices set the Deth Pedal apart from a stock Rat or a straight Life pedal clone1.
Clipping sweep. Instead of a clipping control on a switch, the pedal uses a potentiometer that smoothly sweeps between symmetrical clipping on the left side and asymmetrical clipping on the right side1. Delicious Audio highlighted that the sweep happens "without radical jumps in volume"2. For a player, that means you can move between the tighter, more even character of symmetrical clipping and the more open, ragged character of asymmetrical clipping continuously, rather than choosing between two fixed settings.
Internal noise gate. The pedal includes an internal noise gate with a bleeder resistor that, in the makers' words, "REALLY cuts down the hiss and hum between notes but also allows them" to decay naturally1. High gain Rat circuits can be noisy, and the gate addresses that at the source. Delicious Audio's reviewer found it "a mod that works particularly well for single coil players who despise the noisy interference that accompanies high-gain" distortion2.
Build quality and switching
The construction details the makers list are the kind usually found on hand built boutique pedals12:
- Board mounted Alpha pots with dust covers1
- Teflon coated wiring2
- Dual soft switching / true bypass1
- Carefully handmade by two pals in Portland, Oregon1
The dual soft switching means both footswitches engage without a loud mechanical click, and the true bypass path leaves your dry signal alone when both circuits are off1.
Power
The Deth Pedal accepts the standard 2.1mm center negative 9V DC power plug, Boss style1, so it runs off any common pedalboard power supply. Current draw is 32mA with a single circuit on and 58mA with both the distortion and boost engaged1. Both figures are low enough that it shares a daisy chain or an isolated output without strain.
The two current draw figures are for different states, not conflicting specs: 32mA is one circuit on, 58mA is both on1.
Where it came from
The Deth Pedal was released on 13 July 2023 as a joint limited edition from BLAMMO! and Dirty Haggard, a 50-unit pedal based on the EQD Life pedal with the clipping potentiometer and internal noise gate as its distinguishing features1. BLAMMO! Electronics has since carried other hand made designs, including the Blues Blaster overdrive and the Shrew, and the Deth Pedal itself also appears on the site under the collaboration name as the Blammo! + Dirty Haggard Deth Pedal.
What the press said
Delicious Audio's launch coverage was positive on the pedal's practical touches. Beyond praising the noise gate for single coil players and the volume-stable clipping sweep, the reviewer framed the whole project as "a great sounding parody design created for the hell of it"1, a limited run built for fun by two makers who clearly know the circuits they are riffing on.
Videos
Harsh Tones, Inc.
For The Love Of Noise
Questions
How many Deth Pedals were made?
The Deth Pedal was a limited edition run of just 50 units, built as a collaboration between BLAMMO! Electronics and Dirty Haggard. Both the makers' product page and Delicious Audio's coverage confirm the 50-unit limit, so if you see one for sale it is one of a small batch.
Is the Deth Pedal true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses dual soft switching with true bypass, so with both circuits switched off your signal passes through without buffering. The soft switching also means the footswitches engage without the loud mechanical click of a standard true bypass switch.
Does the Deth Pedal have a noise gate?
Yes, an internal noise gate with a bleeder resistor. According to the makers it cuts down hiss and hum between notes while still allowing notes to decay naturally. Delicious Audio noted it works particularly well for single coil players bothered by high gain noise.
What polarity does the Deth Pedal use?
It accepts a standard 2.1mm center negative 9V DC power plug, Boss style. That means it works with the most common pedalboard power supplies. Current draw is 32mA with one circuit on and 58mA with both the distortion and boost engaged.
Who built the Deth Pedal?
It was a collaboration between the boutique makers BLAMMO! Electronics and Dirty Haggard, described by the makers as carefully handmade by two pals in Portland, Oregon. The design is a parody piece based on the Life pedal from EarthQuaker Devices.
Sources (2)
- Deth Pedal, BLAMMO! Electronics
- Blammo! + Dirty Haggard Deth Pedal Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2023-07-13
