Don Poniz Power Control Unit

The Don Poniz Power Control Unit is a handmade overdrive pedal built by Don Poniz. Pedal of the Day described it as "a massive silicon/germanium overdrive with a simple control section and a huge range of sounds on tap"¹.

The pedal's defining feature is its clipping section: a toggle switch selects between silicon and germanium diodes, so one pedal covers two clipping characters¹. The version sold through These Go To 11 also carries a set of NOS germanium diodes, which the retailer describes as giving "a unique, warm saturation," and features three highly dynamic controls².

What it does

The Power Control Unit is an overdrive with a deliberately simple control section: three controls, described by the retailer as highly dynamic, plus the clipping toggle²¹. The germanium setting uses NOS (new old stock) diodes, which These Go To 11 says produce a warm saturation².

The circuit is not a clone of one pedal but draws on three, as Don Poniz told Pedal of the Day: "The PCU is inspired by three different pedals: the Gretsch Controfuzz, the Black Cat OD-1 and the mid-to-late '70s Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes"¹. From that starting point, the maker reworked the saturation stage to boost the bass, and added the toggle for switching between silicon and germanium clipping diodes¹.

The pedal began as something more personal. In the maker's own words:

Cosmetically, it wears an aged handmade faceplate, which Pedal of the Day called "a retro look for a retro-sounding machine"¹.

What reviewers said

Pedal of the Day reviewed the Power Control Unit in December 2023 and was enthusiastic about the sound:

Pedal of the Day's reviewer loved the sound instantly and, after sitting down with the Power Control Unit for a while, found it something really special¹.

Availability

The version of the Power Control Unit sold through These Go To 11 is listed as sold out at that retailer as of November 2026².

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