The Dr. Scientist Gold Bar Elements is a limited edition gold bar color variant of The Elements, a dual-channel overdrive and distortion pedal. Dr. Scientist describes it as having "a wide gain range and a full 3 band equalizer", which means one pedal can be set anywhere from a light drive to what the maker calls "high gain metal distortion", with the three-band EQ shaping the tone either way. It is a pedal listed at US$199.001.
What it does
The Elements carries two channels of drive in one box, so a player can set one side as a lower-gain overdrive and the other as a heavier distortion and switch between them. Dr. Scientist sums up the range this way1:
"Whether you're looking for high gain metal distortion or a clean equalizer, The Elements can fulfill a role on any pedal"
The gain range is wide enough that the pedal can also act as a clean equalizer, and it sits among the site's overdrive pedals and distortion pedals as a drive that covers both territory1.
Controls and voicing switches
Beyond the two channels and the three-band EQ, the Gold Bar Elements adds internal-style voicing options on toggles1:
- Toggle switch options for clipping modes, which shape how the drive distorts
- Toggle switch options for bass cut frequencies
- Toggle switch options for midrange frequencies1
Those toggles let a player revoice each channel's clipping and EQ character rather than only adjusting gain and tone, which is what separates the Elements from a straightforward single-channel drive1.
Instruments it works with
Dr. Scientist states that, like all of its pedals, the Elements "can be used with guitar, bass, synths, and many other instruments"1. For bass and synth players, that makes it worth a look alongside the site's bass pedals coverage, since the three-band EQ and bass cut toggles are the kind of controls that help a low-tuned or non-guitar signal sit well.
Where it sits in the Dr. Scientist range
The Gold Bar Elements is the same circuit as The Elements, only in a limited edition gold bar color variant1. The underlying pedal is a dual-channel overdrive/distortion with a wide gain range and a full 3 band equalizer, with toggle switch options for clipping modes, bass cut frequencies, and midrange frequencies1. Like all Dr. Scientist pedals, it can be used with guitar, bass, synths, and many other instruments1.
Sources (1)
- Gold Bar Elements, Dr Scientist, 2026
