The Broughton Audio Evergreen Overdrive is a overdrive pedal built on the classic Tubescreamer design, with added range and headroom so it can take strong bass signals as well as guitar. Broughton Audio says it retains dynamics and low end, drives the signal with very low noise, and adds as much or little harmonic content as needed1. It is a single pedal with four controls and a clipping selector, priced at US$175.001.
The controls
The Evergreen keeps the familiar overdrive layout and adds two things a Tubescreamer does not have: a Depth knob and a Clip switch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the output volume and can get pretty loud if needed1 |
| Tone | Adds or subtracts high frequency content, ranging from warm to bright1 |
| Drive | Adds gain and overdrive, from clean to edge of breakup, up to distortion1 |
| Depth | Changes the low frequency clipping response; at minimum it gives very lean bass, and turning it up increases low frequency response and saturation1 |
| Clip switch | Down position selects silicon diodes for stock TS clipping; up position selects asymmetric clipping LEDs1 |
The Depth knob is the control that makes the pedal work for bass. Because clipping compresses low frequencies first, being able to change how the circuit clips in the low end lets a bass player keep the fundamentals intact while still adding drive. On a guitar, the same knob shapes how much low end survives at higher gain settings1.
The Clip switch changes the character of the drive itself. Broughton Audio describes the down position as stock TS clipping, using silicon diodes, while the up position selects asymmetric clipping LEDs1. In practice that means one pedal can cover the classic Tubescreamer sound and a different LED-based clipping flavor without changing any other setting.
Where it came from
Broughton Audio says the design started as a take on the Ibanez Tubescreamer, one of the most copied overdrive circuits: "we took a stab at the classic Tubescreamer design"1. The maker explains that "the heart of the TS is still present in the design, and you can easily achieve the same sounds, but this adds quite a bit" in the way of range and headroom for bass1. If you want to compare it against the originals, the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer page covers the two circuits most often named in that family.
Power, size and practical details
The pedal runs on 9 to 24 volts DC through a standard Boss style connector with center negative polarity, and draws approximately 5 mA1. That low draw means it fits comfortably on any pedalboard supply, and the wide voltage range gives it unusual flexibility compared with pedals fixed at 9 volts. A DC supply is not included1.
Broughton Audio ships all orders via Canada Post, sells internationally, and shows shipping cost at check-out1.
Broughton Audio covers the pedal for one year to the original owner, and directs warranty repairs and returns to sales@broughtonaudio.com1. To start a return, the maker asks buyers to email within 7 days of receiving the product; the buyer pays return shipping, and a refund is issued minus the shipping cost once the pedal is verified to be in new condition1.
If the Evergreen is unavailable, Broughton Audio's other pedals include the Scorpion Deluxe, Sunray, Quicksilver, Terraformer and Scorpion1.
Questions
Is the Broughton Evergreen Overdrive true bypass?
Yes. Broughton Audio states that the Evergreen Overdrive has a true bypass switch, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the overdrive circuit in the way. The pedal also draws only about 5 mA, so it sits easily on a pedalboard alongside other effects without straining a typical power supply.
What does the Clip switch do on the Evergreen?
The Clip switch selects the clipping device that shapes the overdrive. In the down position it uses silicon diodes, which Broughton Audio describes as stock TS clipping. In the up position it selects asymmetric clipping LEDs, a different clipping character. Flipping between the two lets one pedal cover both classic Tubescreamer-style drive and a different LED-based flavor.
Does the Evergreen Overdrive work on guitar as well as bass?
Yes. Broughton Audio designed it with enough headroom to take strong bass signals while retaining dynamics and low end, and the Depth knob adjusts the low frequency clipping response. Because the heart of the Tubescreamer design is still present, the maker says you can easily achieve the same sounds as a TS, so it works as a guitar overdrive too.
Sources (1)
- Evergreen Overdrive, Broughton Audio
