The Emma Electronic StinkBug is a handmade overdrive pedal from Denmark. Emma describes it as "the embodiment of everything you've come to expect of a great overdrive," built to produce warm, amp-like drive tones with a touch of mid-presence that cuts through a mix without stripping away the guitar's natural character1. It sits in the overdrive family, alongside the smoother end of distortion designs rather than the harder clipping of fuzz.
What it does to your sound
Emma's own description centers on warmth and keeping the instrument recognizable. The maker says the pedal "spits out warm amp-like drive tones and just adds that lovely touch of mid-presence that'll make you cut through a mix" without compromising the guitar's natural timbre1. On the Godlyke Distributing product page, the same design intent is put another way: the goal was "a great 'classic' overdrive, that has the best of what's out there, but keeps the body and character" of the guitar intact, with a circuit described as having a particularly nice warmth2.
The gain control runs wide. Emma describes the range as "from low-gain to blistering blues-rock tones," warm and smooth with tube-like crunch1. Players looking for how that compares with the better-known green overdrives can see the trade-offs in the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 comparison.
Controls
The StinkBug keeps its control set small. Emma calls it "very intuitive," aimed at dialing in tones quickly1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the drive amount, from low-gain up to blues-rock tones1 |
| Low | Bass EQ dial; down brings the midrange out without sounding nasal12 |
| High | Treble EQ dial; up slightly scoops the mids while keeping the sound full and punchy1 |
| Level | Output level2 |
The Low and High dials work as a pair rather than independently shelving in the usual way. Emma's product page explains: "Turn them both down and the midrange comes out, but without being nasal. Turn them up and the mids gets slightly scooped" while the tone stays full and punchy1. Godlyke's page puts it the same way for the low and high controls: "Turn them both down, and the mid-range comes out, but without being nasal"2.
Build and bypass
The pedal uses True-Bypass switching, so the circuit is removed from the signal path when the effect is off1. The input and output jacks are top-mounted, which keeps the pedal's footprint narrow on a board1.
Versions and availability
Availability has shifted between the two maker pages. Emma's own StinkBug page lists the pedal as available, pointing players to "find your nearest dealer, or buy direct online"1. The Godlyke Distributing listing, dated more recently, shows the pedal as sold out with pre-order open for early November shipment, at a regular price of £138.00 GBP2.
The Godlyke listing shows the StinkBug sold out with a pre-order for early November shipment2, while Emma's own page directs buyers to dealers or direct online purchase1. The two pages were current at different dates, so stock status depends on where and when you look.
Videos
Brett Kingman
gearmanndude
The Pedal Zone
Questions
Is the Emma StinkBug true bypass?
Yes. Emma Electronic specifies True-Bypass switching on the StinkBug, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through to the amp without the pedal's circuit in the way. That matters on a pedalboard where several effects sit in the chain, since buffers and non-true-bypass stages can each color the tone slightly when engaged.
Where is the Emma StinkBug made?
Emma Electronic states that the StinkBug is handmade in Denmark. The company builds the pedal itself rather than outsourcing production, which is part of how it positions the StinkBug among small-batch overdrives.
What do the Low and High knobs do on the StinkBug?
The Low and High dials are the StinkBug's EQ controls. Turned both down, the midrange comes forward without sounding nasal. Turned both up, the mids get slightly scooped while the sound stays full and punchy. Emma describes the EQ as highly sculptable, so the two dials do more than a simple tilt control.
How much gain does the StinkBug have?
Emma Electronic describes the StinkBug's gain range as wide, running from low-gain tones up to blues-rock. The maker characterizes the drive as warm and smooth with tube-like crunch, and pairs it with the Low and High EQ dials so the amount of gain and the tone shaping can be dialed in together.
Where are the jacks on the Emma StinkBug?
The StinkBug has top-mounted I/O, meaning the input and output jacks sit on the top edge of the pedal rather than the sides. On a crowded pedalboard, top-mounted jacks let pedals sit closer together side by side.
Sources (2)
- StinkBug, emma electronic, 2017-03-01
- STINKBUG Overdrive, Godlyke Distributing, Inc.