The Bucket of Nails is a boost pedal from Farm, a small builder whose pedals include a germanium boost and treble booster in one box. Premier Guitar's reviewer called it "exciting" while noting that, as a design idea, "this germanium boost and treble booster is, conceptually speaking, as old as the hills"1. It sits in the broad family of Boost Pedals, and its treble boost section places it alongside classic Fuzz Pedals and Overdrive Pedals era circuits that push an amp's front end rather than shape the tone on their own.
What it does
The pedal has a lot of gain on tap for a booster, according to Premier Guitar's review1. Its treble boost section is germanium rather than FET driven, and it is designed to perform like a Dallas Rangemaster, the vintage circuit that lifts the treble frequencies into a cranked amp1. In practice that means the pedal is aimed at players who want their amplifier to do the distorting, with the pedal supplying the push.
The reviewer's verdict on the sound was strong:
"the way that the Bucket of Nails can make your guitar feel positively explosive will be thrilling stuff indeed"
Context and related Farm pedals
Farm's range includes artist-inspired pedals, and Premier Guitar notes "an affinity for vintage Jerry Garcia tones" across that line, referencing Garcia's Alembic booster sounds as an influence on the builder's designs rather than a documented use of this pedal1. Farm's other circuits, such as the AB Double Drive overdrive, have been covered elsewhere on the site's Overdrive Pedals page.
Videos
Eric Merrow
collector//emitter
Sean Gibson
Sources (1)
- Quick Hit: Farm Bucket of Nails Review, Premier Guitar, 2019-08-23