The Zephyr Overdrive is an overdrive pedal from Colfax Recorders, a maker whose pedal range at the time consisted of three dirt boxes: the Apache Rose Preamp, the Zephyr Overdrive and the Porcelain Fuzz1. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in November 2022, describing it as a versatile drive that works equally well as an always-on crunch or a heavier distortion2.
Controls
The Zephyr keeps things simple: four knobs, with the tone shaping split across two of them2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets your output2 |
| Gain | Gives a boost-to-crunch-to-distortion range of dirt2 |
| Tone | Part of the two-band EQ, shaping the high end2 |
| Hump | The other half of the two-band EQ, a mid hump control2 |
The Tone and Hump knobs together form what Pedal of the Day calls a "tone-shaping 2-band EQ", letting you dial in the high shelf and the mid hump separately rather than living with a fixed voicing2.
How it sounds and where it sits
Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the Gain control covers a wide sweep2:
"Gain gives a nice boost-to-crunch-to-distortion range of dirt"
At the low end of that range the Zephyr can serve as a boost, and players looking specifically at that role may also want to compare it with dedicated boost pedals or with the classic overdrive designs covered in the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison. Pushed harder, the reviewer described it as sitting well "as an always-on transparent crunch, or as a gnarly [distortion]"2, placing it in territory that overlaps with distortion pedals.
The same review summed it up as a board fixture:
"A versatile but easy-to-dial-in drive, this baby blue beauty adds the perfect dirt element to your pedalboard, and fits right in as your new favorite always-on effect."
The tweakable high shelf and mid hump are central to that verdict: the reviewer suggested the Zephyr "can be your go-to dirt pedal" because of them2.
Colfax Recorders and the rest of the lineup
Colfax Recorders came to pedals from outside the usual pedal-building world, and Delicious Audio described the company as having "recently ventured into manufacturing pedals with the release of three dirt boxes"3. Pedal of the Day, reviewing the Porcelain Fuzz in December 2022, counted the Zephyr among the maker's pedals alongside the Apache Rose Preamp, calling both "absolute musical beasts"1.
The Zephyr Overdrive is an overdrive pedal, and Pedal of the Day grouped it with the Apache Rose Preamp as "absolute musical beasts"1. Delicious Audio placed it among three dirt boxes from a maker that had "recently ventured into manufacturing pedals"3.
Videos
Colfax Recorders
shnobel
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can the Colfax Zephyr be used as a clean boost?
Yes, at the low end of its range. Pedal of the Day's review describes the Gain control as giving "a nice boost-to-crunch-to-distortion range of dirt", so with Gain backed off the Zephyr works as a boost, and pushed up it moves through crunch into distortion territory.
Does the Zephyr Overdrive work as an always-on pedal?
Pedal of the Day's reviewer thought so. The review describes it as sitting well as an always-on transparent crunch or as a gnarly distortion, and calls it "a versatile but easy-to-dial-in drive" that "fits right in as an always-on effect" on a pedalboard.
How many pedals does Colfax Recorders make?
As of late 2022, Colfax Recorders' pedal lineup was three dirt boxes: the Apache Rose Preamp, the Zephyr Overdrive and the Porcelain Fuzz. Delicious Audio described the company as having "recently ventured into manufacturing pedals with the release of three dirt boxes".
Sources (3)
- Colfax Recorders Porcelain Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2022-12-14
- Colfax Recorders Zephyr Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2022-11-18
- Colfax Recorders Porcelain Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-12-14
