The Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive is an overdrive pedal built specifically for electro-acoustic guitar rather than as another electric-guitar drive box. Fender announced it in July 2019 as part of a wave of new stompboxes, with availability from October that year at $149.991. It was the company's first pedal aimed at electro-acoustic players2.
What sets it apart from a typical drive pedal is the acoustic-specific toolset: a blend control for mixing your untouched piezo tone with the driven signal, a Pickup Compensation knob for taming under-saddle pickups, a 3-band EQ, and built-in cabinet simulation so it can go straight into a PA or recording interface3. Acoustic Guitar's reviewer called it one of a pair of "practical preamp/reverb and overdrive pedals designed especially for acoustic guitarists"4.
An overdrive built for electro-acoustic guitars
Most overdrive pedals are voiced for electric guitar into a guitar amp. The Smolder takes a different starting point: GuitarPlayer notes that rather than adapting an existing design, "it was designed from the ground up with the acoustic performer in mind"6. Acoustic Guitar's reviewer found the result "much more finely tuned to the sound of an acoustic guitar than a typical fuzzbox"4.
The character of the drive itself sits on the moderate side. GuitarPlayer describes it as "not scorching hot but rather in the realm of warm to sizzling, though it can also venture toward metallic" at the extremes6. MusicRadar found the gain control "operates as a boost but quickly turns to dirty"3.
The blend control is central to how the pedal works for acoustic players. MusicRadar calls it "invaluable in balancing your piezo's natural tone with the overdriven signal"3, and GuitarPlayer puts it simply: "Back off the blend, and the overdrive ducks under the pure acoustic tone"6. That lets a player keep the core acoustic character audible while layering drive on top, something a standard dry/wet-less overdrive cannot do.
The controls
The control set covers drive shaping, tone shaping and pickup matching3:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the gain; operates as a boost at low settings, quickly turns dirty as it comes up3 |
| Blend | Mixes the overdriven signal with the pure acoustic tone36 |
| Level | Sets the output volume3 |
| Bass, Treble | 3-band EQ for sculpting the tone3 |
| Tone | Shapes the drive tone, dials out unwanted sizzle23 |
| Pickup Comp | Smooths the tone and compensates for the pickup; up kills piezo quack, back opens up the attack36 |
| LEDs on/off | Switches the LED lights35 |
The Pickup Compensation knob is the control that most marks this out as an acoustic pedal. MusicRadar calls it "evidence that Fender has thought this through," noting it is not the sort of ubiquitous feature found on every drive pedal3. Guitar.com describes it as a compensation dial "to tame zingy piezo pickups"5. In practice it gives the player a way to address the quack and harshness that under-saddle piezo pickups can produce before any drive is applied.
The Tone control works on the driven signal rather than the whole voice: Guitar World notes it "dials out any unwanted sizzle from your drive tone"2.
Going straight to a PA
The Smolder has a guitar in and a guitar out, with default inbuilt cabinet simulation when plugged into an amp or PA3. Guitar.com describes this as analog cabinet simulation for DI to a PA or recording interface5. For a gigging acoustic player, that means the pedal can sit between the guitar and the front of house without a separate DI box or amp, with the cab sim smoothing the direct signal.
History: Fender's first acoustic pedal
Fender announced its move into stompboxes in 2018, and the lineup grew to 22 pedals, with the Smolder as the company's first pedal for electro-acoustic guitars3. Guitar World calls it "Fender's first acoustic pedal in the family"2. It became available in October at $149.991.
The effects line was led by in-house expert Stan Cotey, who had a hand in engineering Fender's amps, with input from professional gigging and studio musicians1. The Smolder shipped in a super-tough metal enclosure with blue LED lights on each control, matching the rest of Fender's pedal range3. It is made in China5.
What reviewers said
Reviews across the press were positive about the acoustic-specific design:
- MusicRadar's overall verdict: "Another superlative Fender stompbox, the Smolder is more than just a drive pedal, it could well become the secret weapon of choice for electro-acoustic players"3
- Acoustic Guitar paired it with the Preverb as "practical" pedals that "bring practicality and fun to acoustic players"4
- GuitarPlayer's review, which drew on input from Billy Strings, highlighted the blend and pickup-compensation controls as the practical core of the pedal6
"This overdrive circuit is much more finely tuned to the sound of an acoustic guitar than than a typical fuzzbox"
For players comparing Fender drives, the Smolder sits apart from the electric-voiced models like the Fender Santa Ana Overdrive and the Fender Hammertone Breakup Drive: those are conventional overdrives for electric guitar, while the Smolder's blend, pickup compensation and DI-ready cab sim are aimed squarely at the acoustic pedal user536.
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Questions
Can you use the Fender Smolder with a PA instead of an amp?
Yes. The pedal has default inbuilt cabinet simulation when plugged into an amp or PA, so it works as a direct interface for a PA or recording setup. Guitar.com describes it as an overdrive for acoustic instruments with pickup compensation and analogue cabinet simulation for DI to a PA or recording interface.
What does the Pickup Compensation knob do?
It smooths out the tone and compensates for the character of your pickup. GuitarPlayer's reviewer puts it in practical terms: crank it up to kill the piezo quack, or dial it back to open up the attack. It is aimed at the zingy, quacky sound common to under-saddle piezo pickups.
Is the Fender Smolder true bypass?
Yes, MusicRadar lists the Smolder as true bypass in its specifications. When the pedal is off, the guitar signal passes through without the circuit in the way.
Who designed the Fender Smolder?
Fender's effects line was led by in-house expert Stan Cotey, who has had a hand in engineering Fender's amps, with input from professional gigging and studio musicians. The Smolder itself was designed from the ground up with the acoustic performer in mind, per GuitarPlayer.
Where is the Fender Smolder made?
Guitar.com lists the Smolder as made in China. It sits in Fender's stompbox lineup, which grew from a 2018 announcement to 22 pedals, with the Smolder as the company's first pedal for electro-acoustic guitars.
Sources (6)
- Summer NAMM 2019 Video: Fender expands effects family with six new pedals, Guitar.com, 2019-07-19
- Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive review, Guitar World, 2020-04-30
- Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive review, MusicRadar, 2020-04-03
- Gear Review: Fender Preverb and Smolder OD Stompboxes Bring Practicality and Fun to Acoustic Players, Acoustic Guitar (acousticguitar.com), 2021-05-14
- Review: Six new Fender effects pedals, Guitar.com, 2020-02-03
- Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive Review, GuitarPlayer, 2020-04-23
