The BLAMMO! Electronics Payola Drive is an overdrive pedal that aims to do two jobs at once. The maker describes it as "a natural sounding, harmonically complex overdrive that does the transparent thing well but can also play dirty," and it carries the product tag "Light to Heavy Gain Classic Overdrive"12. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing it in April 2025, called it "part low-gain transparent Timmy style overdrive, and part more heavyset full textured Screamer," and noted that the pedal can also boost2.
The circuit is a distant cousin of the Tube Screamer, in the maker's words "Timmy'ish but with a fixed Bass and Treble control," which is also what gives it the mid-frequency spank the maker says most players love when using it as a boost1. For context on that lineage, the Tube Screamer circuit is the basis of many overdrive designs, including Aion FX's Karkadann project3. If you are weighing a Tube Screamer-style pedal against other options, see our Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 comparison.
The controls: Drive, Tone and the Less/More toggle
The Payola Drive keeps its control set short: Level, Tone, Drive, and a Gain Structure toggle labeled Less/More2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output volume2 |
| Tone | Responsive tone control that the maker says delivers "predictable and musical filtering"4 |
| Drive | Wide-gain sweep with ample headroom; crank it for overdrive or dial it back for sparkle4 |
| Less/More | Button that switches between a light or heavy driven sound1 |
The Less/More toggle is the pedal's defining feature. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, covering the announcement in April 2025, described it as instantly shifting "between two circuits delivering subtle breakup and full-bodied drive"4. The maker's page calls it a LESS/MORE button that lets the player switch between a light or heavy driven sound1.
Circuit design
Rather than choosing one clipping approach, BLAMMO! uses "a combination of soft AND hard clipping diodes rather than just one or the other"1. De Gregorio called it "a hybrid soft/hard clipping design that outperforms standard low-gain pedals"4. Soft clipping and hard clipping shape the waveform differently, and combining them is what lets the pedal cover both the transparent low-gain end and the heavier driven side of its range.
Build, power and switching
The Payola Drive is built into a Primary Green coated 125b enclosure measuring 4.8 x 2.64 x 1.58 inches, with top-mounted jacks that help it fit tightly on a pedalboard1. BLAMMO! lists the pedal as true bypass1.
The footswitch is a no-click design with two modes: tap for regular latching operation, or hold and release for momentary function, useful for kicking the drive in only for a phrase1. Current draw is listed at 35mA1.
The Payola Drive is handmade in Portland, Oregon1. Handmade pedals are produced in smaller runs than mass-market lines, so availability can vary.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson summed the pedal up this way:
"this pedal can boost. Since our circuit is a distant cousin of the beloved Tube Screamer (Timmy'ish but with a fixed B"
The maker frames the Payola Drive as a relative of the Tube Screamer family, close in character to a Timmy but with a fixed bass control, and says it can boost with the mid-frequency spank that players associate with that style of overdrive1.
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Questions
Is the Blammo Payola Drive a Tube Screamer clone?
Not exactly. BLAMMO! describes the circuit as a distant cousin of the Tube Screamer, more Timmy-like in character but with a fixed Bass and Treble control rather than adjustable ones. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson heard shades of Timmy and Lightyear alongside a bolder, full-fat Screamer style flavour, so it sits in that family without being a straight copy.
Is the Payola Drive true bypass?
Yes. BLAMMO! lists the Payola Drive as true bypass on its product page, and the footswitch is a no-click design that works as a regular latching switch or, by holding and releasing, as a momentary switch.
How much current does the Blammo Payola Drive draw?
BLAMMO! lists the current draw at 35mA on the product page. That is modest by modern pedal standards, but it is worth keeping in mind if you power several pedals from a single daisy chain or a low-output supply.
Where is the Blammo Payola Drive made?
BLAMMO! states the Payola Drive is handmade in Portland, Oregon. The pedal is built into a coated 125b enclosure measuring 4.8 x 2.64 x 1.58 inches with top-mounted jacks.
Does the Payola Drive have a momentary mode?
Yes. The footswitch is a no-click design that works two ways: tap it for regular latching on and off, or hold it and release for momentary function, so the drive engages only while your foot is down.
Sources (4)
- Payola Drive, BLAMMO! Electronics
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-04-08
- Karkadann Dynamic Overdrive / Way Huge Green Rhino, Aion FX, 2020-06-05
- New Pedal: Blammo! Electronics Payola Drive, Delicious Audio, 2025-04-01
