The Haymaker is an overdrive pedal from Caroline Guitar Company, a wide-range drive built around rotating a clipping network into different locations in the circuit1. Designed by Caroline's Philippe Herndon, it uses a three-way mode switch to move between soft clipping, a higher-headroom setting, and a hard-clipping stage, which lets one pedal cover everything from low-gain overdrive to pedal-platform distortion2.
What it does
Caroline describes the Haymaker as a pedal intended to respond and feel like an extension of your amp4. The clipping network that gives the pedal its range is the same idea the company applied to the Wave Cannon, where a similar rotation of clipping stages into different circuit positions shapes the character of the drive5.
Premier Guitar's reviewer described the range this way:
"The three-mode circuit can deliver shades of drive ranging from super-dynamic and organic TS-meets-Fender-amp flavored OD to late '70s pedal distortion."
Controls and the three modes
The Haymaker keeps its top panel simple: four knobs, a three-way toggle, and one footswitch3.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level3 |
| Punch | Gain2 |
| Highs | Tone3 |
| Shape | Voicing control3 |
| Mode switch (three-way) | Adjusts how hard the signal is clipped, and therefore how squished it sounds3 |
The three positions of the mode switch are:
- Soft clipping overdrive, the gentlest setting2
- A setting with more volume and headroom2
- A hard-clipping stage, the most aggressive of the three2
With just a single footswitch, it can be hard to utilize all of the Haymaker's functionality on the fly, as Premier Guitar's reviewer put it2. If you plan to switch between all three modes live, plan your set around it.
The internal trim pot
Inside the pedal there is a wet/dry trim pot labeled "Don't even think about it"2. It blends between the clean and driven parts of the signal, which is why Caroline gave it that name: it is meant to be set once and left alone rather than tweaked between songs.
Limited editions
Caroline has released the Haymaker in a few limited runs:
- Gold (2016): A textured gold batch with a D9E Russian germanium diode circuit tweak, offered to the mailing list in July 2016, and now marked "SOLD OUT, THANK YOU" on Caroline's page6.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer summed up the Haymaker favorably:
"About a million shades of overdrive from mild overdrive to fuzzy distortion. High headroom. Very nicely built."
Guitar.com's Richard Purvis, reviewing the pedal alongside the Kilobyte delay, found the controls straightforward once you deciphered the graphics, and credited the mode switch for the pedal's range of clipping feels3.
Related pedals
For more in this family, see the site's pages on overdrive pedals and distortion pedals, or the comparison of the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, two of the soft-clipping benchmarks the Haymaker draws on.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Premier Guitar
Pete Thorn
Questions
What does the "Don't even think about it" trim pot on the Haymaker do?
It is an internal wet/dry trim pot, meaning it blends between the dry signal and the driven signal inside the pedal. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted it carries the label "Don't even think about it," a Caroline in-joke, but it is a real control: adjusting it changes how much of the untouched guitar signal is mixed with the clipped signal, which affects how open the pedal sounds.
What op amp is in the Caroline Haymaker?
A TL074 quad op amp sits at the heart of the circuit, according to Premier Guitar's review. The pedal's wide range of drive tones comes from rotating a clipping network into different locations in that circuit rather than from exotic components.
Who designed the Caroline Haymaker?
The Haymaker was designed by Philippe Herndon of Caroline Guitar Company, as Premier Guitar's review notes. The company is based in the United States and also makes pedals such as the Wave Cannon and the Météore reverb.
How much does the Caroline Haymaker cost?
Premier Guitar's 2021 review listed a street price of $199. Earlier, the limited black and mint run of 2014 was offered directly by Caroline at $199.99 plus shipping. Expect the price to vary with the version and the seller.
Was there a gold Caroline Haymaker?
Yes. In July 2016 Caroline offered a limited batch of Haymaker drives in textured gold with a D9E Russian germanium diode circuit tweak, sold to the mailing list. The company's page for it now reads "SOLD OUT - THANK YOU," so it was a one-time run.
Sources (6)
- Haymaker Dynamic Drive by Caroline Guitar Company, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Caroline Guitar Company Haymaker Review, Premier Guitar, 2014-10-03
- Caroline Kilobyte & Haymaker Reviews, Guitar.com, 2016-12-01
- Wave Cannon MKII, Caroline Guitar Company, 2026-09-08
- Wave Cannon MKII by Caroline Guitar Company, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Gold Haymaker, Caroline Guitar Company, 2016-07-20
