The Flattley Reaper 10 AE is a dual-mode distortion pedal from Flattley Pedals, the UK-based builder, released on 21 September 2026 as the 10th Year Anniversary Edition, marking a decade since the company's very first release. It is built as part of Flattley's handcrafted Platinum Range and carries a matching purple-etched foot topper1.
What sets it apart from a one-sound distortion is the gain architecture: a straightforward three-way toggle switch jumps between three distinct gain circuits, so one box covers everything from a touch-sensitive overdrive to a clean boost. Delicious Audio, in Paolo De Gregorio's write-up, describes the pedal as taking "the op-amp core of the original 2016 Reaper and evolves it into a much more aggressive, rodent-inspired distortion"1.
The three gain modes
The toggle selects between Hard Clipping, Boost and Soft Clipping, each with its own clipping arrangement and character as the maker describes them1:
| Mode | Clipping | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Hard Clipping (HC) | Vintage glass-envelope germanium diodes | Aggressive, biting crunch |
| Boost (BST) | Bypasses all clipping stages entirely | High-headroom clean boost, capable of pushing a tube amp preamp into natural saturation |
| Soft Clipping (SC) | Asymmetric clipping paired with an LED and a conventional silicon diode | Smoother, touch-sensitive overdrive |
The Boost mode is a true no-clipping path: it bypasses all clipping stages entirely, so the pedal behaves as a clean boost rather than a light distortion in that position1.
The germanium diodes in HC mode are the vintage glass-envelope type, a detail players of rodent-style circuits tend to look for, since germanium clipping is generally associated with a rougher, more compressed edge than silicon. In SC mode the asymmetric arrangement, with an LED on one side of the clipping pair and a conventional silicon diode on the other, is what produces the smoother, touch-sensitive overdrive Flattley describes1.
How it relates to the original Reaper
The Reaper 10 AE is a variant of the original 2016 Reaper: it keeps that pedal's op-amp core and evolves it into the more aggressive, rodent-inspired distortion described above. The anniversary treatment adds the three-way mode toggle and the matching purple-etched foot topper, and places it in the handcrafted Platinum Range1.
Build and where it sits
Flattley builds the Reaper 10 AE in the UK, and Delicious Audio notes that "Flattley's meticulous UK-handcrafted build shines through in the details"1. For players mapping out a gain chain, the three modes mean it can sit in a board slot that might otherwise hold both a boost and a distortion pedal, or serve as an overdrive in SC mode. Flattley's wider range includes other anniversary releases and gain pedals such as the Flattley Joker Valve Tone, a FET tube emulator unveiled at NAMM 2026.
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio's verdict on the anniversary edition:
"It's a thoughtful, beautifully finished nod to the company's roots, packed with enough versatility to carve out space on any modern board."
Questions
What are the three modes on the Flattley Reaper 10 AE?
A three-way toggle switch jumps between three gain architectures. Hard Clipping (HC) uses vintage glass-envelope germanium diodes for an aggressive, biting crunch. Soft Clipping (SC) pairs asymmetric clipping with an LED and a conventional silicon diode for a smoother, touch-sensitive overdrive. Boost (BST) bypasses all clipping stages entirely, serving up a high-headroom clean boost that can push a tube amp preamp into natural saturation.
Where is the Flattley Reaper 10 AE made?
It is made in the UK by Flattley Pedals, a UK-based builder. The Reaper 10 AE is built as part of the company's handcrafted Platinum Range, and Delicious Audio's write-up notes that Flattley's UK-handcrafted build shows through in the details.
Is the Reaper 10 AE a limited edition?
Yes. The Reaper 10 AE is the 10th Year Anniversary Edition, released to mark a decade since Flattley Pedals' very first release. It is built in the company's handcrafted Platinum Range and carries a matching purple-etched foot topper.
What kind of clipping diodes does the Reaper 10 AE use?
It depends on the mode. Hard Clipping mode employs vintage glass-envelope germanium diodes. Soft Clipping mode uses asymmetric clipping paired with an LED and a conventional silicon diode. Boost mode bypasses the clipping stages entirely, so no diodes are in the signal path there.
How does the Reaper 10 AE differ from the original 2016 Reaper?
The anniversary edition takes the op-amp core of the original 2016 Reaper and evolves it into a much more aggressive, rodent-inspired distortion. Where the original is a single-circuit design, the 10 AE adds a three-way toggle that switches between hard clipping, soft clipping and a full bypass boost, and it wears a matching purple-etched foot topper.
Sources (1)
- Flatley Reaper Distortion 10th Year Anniversary Edition, Delicious Audio, 2026-09-21
