Flamma Innovation FC20 British Distortion

The Flamma Innovation FC20 British Distortion, sold as the FC20 BRIT DIST, is a compact distortion pedal built to put the sound of a pushed British amp from the 1970s on a pedalboard. Flamma describes it as letting you "put that whole 70s vibe in your pocket without breaking the bank"¹. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in December 2022, called it "a simple but powerful amp-driving effect"². It sits in the maker's FC series of small distortion and drive pedals, alongside the FC06 Distortion and FC19 Black Distortion².

British amp breakup in a compact pedal

The FC20's brief is straightforward: rich British-style distortion, the kind of breakup a cranked UK amp produces, in a small metal housing. Flamma asks "Need rich British distortion in a compact metal package?" and answers with the 70s framing throughout its product page¹. Pedal of the Day frames it the same way: "Need rich, British amp breakup in a compact metal package?"²

Flamma describes the FC20 as "a simple but powerful amp-driving effect" aimed at "rich, British amp breakup in a compact metal package"². For players comparing it within the range, the maker's own framing puts the FC20 squarely at that British character, with the pedal pitched as a way to "put that whole 70s vibe in your pocket without breaking the bank"¹.

On size and value, Pedal of the Day's verdict was positive: "For the price and pedalboard flexibility, we really haven't found a comparable brand that can do what Flamma does"².

The controls: Gain, Volume and Tone

The FC20 keeps things to three knobs, arranged so the one you are most likely to tweak mid-set is the biggest. The large Gain knob at the top lets you easily adjust your distortion levels on the fly, while the mini Volume and Tone knobs allow for fine tweaking of the output level and tonal coloration of your signal on the go².

Flamma describes the layout the same way: "The large knob at the top lets you easily adjust your levels on the fly while the mini volume/tone knobs allow for fine tweaking"¹. The split between one large knob and two small ones means broad gain changes are easy under foot or hand during a gig, while level and tone sit at set-and-forget positions.

Bypass and switching

The FC20 is a true bypass pedal: when it is off, the circuit is out of the signal path entirely. Flamma puts it plainly: "When it's time to chill out, just turn it off and enjoy that true bypass"¹, and Pedal of the Day repeats the same point in its review². For a player, that means the pedal should not color your clean tone when switched off, which matters if it lives on a board alongside other always-on effects.

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