The Forest Song is an overdrive pedal from Drunk Beaver, a maker known for reworking classic circuits. Guitar Pedal X describes The Forest Song v3.0 as "Drunk Beaver's high-voltage, multi-clipping TS808-style overdrive", meaning it starts from the Tube Screamer format and adds switchable clipping stages and higher internal voltage1. The maker's PedalPedia listing calls it simply an overdrive, and describes it as having "both loud and transparent qualities" that let it "effortlessly switch between clean and dirty sounds"2.
What it does
Where a standard Tube Screamer fixes one clipping arrangement, the Forest Song lets you choose between several, and runs the circuit at a higher internal voltage. The Resonance control works as a pair of peak filters at 500Hz and 800Hz that can cut or boost, replacing the usual one-note mid hump with a more adjustable EQ. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, Stefan Karlsson, called it "A fantastic proper evolution of the Screamer format - with unique EQ and High Voltage power generating superior textures"3.
On the v3.0, he found the clipping modes well matched: "All modes are balanced without significant volume drop; Ge now delivers especially strong breakup textures and harmonics"1. For players comparing it against the classic Tube Screamer format, the multi-clipping switcher and resonant EQ are the main differences.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level |
| Resonance | 500Hz and 800Hz peak filters, cut or boost |
| Drive | Amount of overdrive |
| Mode (Clipping) | Boost / LED / MOSFET / Si / Ge / Asym Si |
| Volts | Adjusts the internal supply voltage; Drunk Beaver describes the pedal as a high-voltage overdrive1 |
Control list per Guitar Pedal X3.
Guitar Pedal X notes that the first official release of the pedal was actually a V3; the reviewer also owns an early V1 prototype in which the germanium clipping was weak, so earlier versions may not match the v3.0's germanium mode3. The current version is covered in more detail on the Drunk Beaver The Forest Song v3.0 page.
Where it sits in the Drunk Beaver range
Drunk Beaver builds several overdrives that rework classic circuits: the Khmelnytskyi OD takes an OD-1 style circuit with an OD-3 style tone stack, and the Forest Song covers the TS808 side of the family. For the wider picture, see the site's overdrive pedals page1.
Videos
Mind the G.A.S.
Matt Dunn
Pair of Pandas
Questions
What is the Drunk Beaver Forest Song based on?
Guitar Pedal X describes The Forest Song v3.0 as Drunk Beaver's high-voltage, multi-clipping TS808-style overdrive. In other words, it starts from the classic Tube Screamer format and extends it with switchable clipping modes, a dual-peak Resonance control and higher internal voltage, which the reviewer credited with generating superior textures compared with a standard Screamer circuit.
How much does the Forest Song cost?
Guitar Pedal X listed the Drunk Beaver Forest Song Resonant High Voltage Overdrive at $175 as of December 2024, when the pedal appeared in the publication's boost and overdrive buying guide for that year.
Sources (3)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-02-19
- The Forest Song by Drunk Beaver, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-16
