The Fender Hammertone Metal is an analog distortion pedal from Fender's Hammertone series. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as delivering "chunky high gain that sits perfectly in a mix," with powerful tone-shaping EQ controls, top-mounted in and out jacks and true bypass switching1.
Where it sits in the Hammertone range
Guitar.com's Samuel Roberts described the Metal as "a midway point between Fender's Full Moon Distortion and the streamlined Hammertone version"3. In other words, it carries more tone-shaping depth than the plain Fender Hammertone Distortion but is not as elaborate as the Full Moon Distortion. GuitarPlayer's Dave Hunter noted that it has "essentially the same control functions as the Distortion," with the addition of internal midrange and high-cut trim pots4.
Controls and tone shaping
MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley called it "a compact fire-breather with dials for High, Low, Level and Gain"5. The two-band EQ is voiced deliberately: Roberts found that the low control "boosts around 200Hz, while high acts more like a shelf around 4-5k"3. The internal trim pots let a player set the midrange character and roll off harsh highs without opening the pedal on stage.
What reviewers said
- Guitar.com rated the Metal 8/10, calling it an exceptionally quiet pedal whose gain taper runs from subtle British rock to all-out nu-metal, and describing it as a brazen homage to monstrous distortion tones rather than a recreation of the Boss MT-2 or HM-23.
- GuitarPlayer's Dave Hunter found "usable and versatile high-gain tones well suited to both contemporary metal and more classic varieties"4.
- On high-gain settings, Hunter wrote that "the Metal pedal does a great job of nailing contemporary high-gain tones with a lot of saturation, sustain and razor-sharp sizzle"4.
Power and setup
The Hammertone Metal runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 80mA1. That draw is higher than many compact analog pedals, so a dedicated power supply output is the safer choice on a shared board. True bypass switching and top-mounted jacks make it straightforward to place anywhere in a signal chain1.
With an 80mA current draw1, the Hammertone Metal may exceed what a low-current daisy-chain output can supply. Give it its own outlet on a pedalboard power supply.
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Questions
Is the Fender Hammertone Metal true bypass?
Yes. Fender's Hammertone Metal uses true bypass switching, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes through without the circuit loading it. It also has top-mounted input and output jacks, which helps the pedal fit cleanly on a crowded pedalboard.
What power supply does the Fender Hammertone Metal need?
The Hammertone Metal runs on a 9V DC, center negative power supply. There is no battery option mentioned in its specifications, so plan on a dedicated outlet or a pedalboard power supply output rated to cover its 80mA current draw rather than a low-current daisy chain.
Is the Fender Hammertone Metal analog or digital?
The Hammertone Metal is an analog circuit. It is a conventional distortion pedal in that respect, with gain, level and two-band EQ controls plus internal midrange and high-cut trim pots for shaping the character of the distortion.
How much current does the Fender Hammertone Metal draw?
Fender's Hammertone Metal draws 80mA at 9V DC, center negative. That is more than many simple analog pedals need, so check that your power supply output can supply it before adding the pedal to a shared daisy chain.
What did the Fender Hammertone Metal cost at launch?
When the Hammertone series was announced in January 2022, the Hammertone Metal was listed at $57.00 in the United States, with UK and European prices of £54.00 and 65.00 euros also given at the announcement.
Sources (5)
- hammertone metal by Fender, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Fender Hammertone series effects: 9 new affordable stompboxes!, gearnews.com, 2022-01-26
- The Big Review: Fender Hammertone Pedals, Guitar.com, 2022-07-21
- Fender Hammertone Effects Pedals Review, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2022-09-28
- Fender's affordable Hammertone guitar effects pedal range is now available to buy, MusicRadar, 2022-05-24
