The Daddy Daughter Pedal Works Clue's Breaker Overdrive is an overdrive pedal built on a tweaked version of the Blues Breaker circuit, the design originally from Marshall. The Blues Breaker is known as a light to medium gain overdrive with an amp-like circuit that uses soft clipping1. The Clue's Breaker takes that starting point and adds changes: the makers describe it as a circuit with "a few things tweaked" and "a couple of our favorite mods" added2. It comes from Drew and Aida at Daddy Daughter Pedal Works2.
Controls
The pedal's controls include a tone knob and two toggles. The tone control has been tuned to give a forgiving range for almost any guitar/pickup combination. The "Clip" toggle selects between soft clipping in the down position, hard clipping in the up position and no clipping/diode lift in the center position. The "Gain" toggle selects between low and high gain settings2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Clip toggle | Down position selects soft clipping, up position selects hard clipping, center position is no clipping (diode lift)2 |
| Gain toggle | Selects between low and high gain settings2 |
| Tone | Tuned for a forgiving range for almost any guitar and pickup combination; rolled down it avoids muddiness, maxed it avoids shrill harshness2 |
The tone control's tuning is one of the mods the makers highlight. As they put it, "The tone control has been tuned to give what we believe to be a very forgiving range for almost any guitar/pickup combin[ation]"2. For a player, that means the tone knob should sit comfortably whether the guitar has single coils or humbuckers, without the rolled-off mud or the maxed-out harshness some overdrives show at the extremes.
What it sounds like
The Clue's Breaker covers a wide range for a two-toggle overdrive. Pedal of the Day describes its span this way: "You can go from an almost clean kind of boost with the drive set low, no clipping diodes, the low gain setting" to a pretty aggressive sound with soft or hard clipping, high gain, and the drive cranked2.
That range breaks down into two broad territories:
- Near the clean end: drive low, Clip toggle in the center diode-lift position, Gain toggle on low. The pedal works here as an almost clean boost2.
- Toward the aggressive end: soft or hard clipping engaged, high gain setting, drive cranked2.
The high gain setting works by making the clipping diodes clip a lot sooner, which gives a little more crunch. Pedal of the Day notes this is most noticeable in the soft or hard clipping positions of the Clip toggle2.
Where it sits among Blues Breaker pedals
The Blues Breaker circuit is a common starting point for pedal builders, and the Clue's Breaker is one maker's take on it with its own mods layered on2. Players comparing it with other drives in the same light to medium gain territory may also want to look at the Overdrive Pedals type page, the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison, or the Boost Pedals page, since the Clue's Breaker's diode-lift setting puts it in boost territory as well. Daddy Daughter Pedal Works also makes the My Little Klony, a Klon-style overdrive.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in June 2023 and came away with a positive view of its range and value. Their verdict: "this versatile drive will give you all the boost, gain and grit you'd want, or maybe even need"2. They also describe it as one of the makers' affordable pedals in terms of overall value and versatility2.
Videos
Daddy Daughter Pedal Works
Pedal of the Day
Greg Talks Guitars
Questions
What circuit is the Clue's Breaker based on?
The Clue's Breaker is based on the famous Blues Breaker circuit, originally from Marshall. Daddy Daughter Pedal Works describes it as a tweaked version of that circuit, with a few changes and a couple of the makers' favorite mods added. The Blues Breaker design is known as a light to medium gain overdrive with an amp-like circuit that uses soft clipping.
What does the Clip toggle do on the Clue's Breaker?
The Clip toggle selects the clipping arrangement. In the down position it engages soft clipping, in the up position it engages hard clipping, and in the center position it lifts the clipping diodes entirely, which is the setting used for the pedal's almost clean boost character.
Can the Clue's Breaker work as a clean boost?
Yes. According to Pedal of the Day, with the drive set low, the Clip toggle in the center diode-lift position, and the low gain setting engaged, the pedal works as an almost clean kind of boost. At the opposite end of its range it can produce a pretty aggressive sound.
What does the high gain setting do?
The Gain toggle selects between low and high gain settings. In high gain mode, the clipping diodes clip a lot sooner and give a little more crunch, an effect Pedal of the Day notes is most noticeable in the soft or hard clipping positions of the Clip toggle.
Sources (2)
- 9 Best Blues Breaker Style Overdrive Pedals & Clones (2026 Edition), Tone Island (toneisland.com), 2026
- Daddy Daughter Pedal Works Clue's Breaker Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2023-06-29
