The Flower Pedals Geranium Germanium Drive is an analog pedal that sits between overdrive and fuzz, built around a single NOS germanium transistor working with op amp stages. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as going "from a medium drive to full-on fuzz with all the lovely colors germanium brings to the table"1. If you want one pedal that covers light breakup through to a saturated germanium fuzz, this is the territory it occupies, and it sits alongside the maker's later fuzz work such as the Flower Pedals Lupine.
How the circuit works
The Geranium is not a copy of a vintage circuit. It is an original design that pairs a single NOS (new old stock) germanium transistor with op amps1. The pedal runs on 9V but boosts that internally to 32V, which RockBoard's PedalPedia says gives "maximum power to the op amp stages in order to really drive the germanium transistor"1. Higher internal voltage gives the op amps more headroom to push the germanium stage, which is how the pedal reaches fuzz territory from a drive-style layout.
"It operates on 9V, but boosts that internally to 32V, giving maximum power to the op amp stages in order to really drive the germanium transistor."
The controls
The Geranium has five controls, and each shapes a different part of the drive-to-fuzz range1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output level1 |
| Scoop | Scoops out some mids "if you so desire to have a little tighter sound"1 |
| Drive | Varies "from light to heavy, but can be pushed even harder if you employ another boost before it"1 |
| Bias | Switches between two different voicings of the germanium stage1 |
| Bright | Adds highs back into the drive1 |
The Bias switch is the one aimed at the germanium character itself: two voicings of the transistor stage give you more tonal options from the same circuit1. The Scoop and Bright controls work around it, cutting mids for a tighter sound or restoring top end when the drive gets thick1.
Power and switching
The Geranium needs a 9V DC, center negative supply and draws 100mA1.
With a 100mA current draw1, the Geranium needs a supply output that can deliver that much current. A daisy chain or a low-current output may not run it reliably.
Switching is by noiseless relay rather than a mechanical bypass switch1, which keeps engagement quiet on a pedalboard.
Where it sits
As a germanium-based pedal covering overdrive through fuzz, the Geranium overlaps with both overdrive pedals and fuzz pedals, and the maker's own description places it in both camps1. Its range can be extended: RockBoard's PedalPedia notes the Drive control "can be pushed even harder if you employ another boost before it"1, so a boost pedal in front turns the heavy end into full fuzz.
Videos
Flower Pedals
Eirik Stordrange
A77.STUDIO
Questions
Is the Flower Pedals Geranium true bypass?
The Geranium uses noiseless relay switching rather than a conventional mechanical true bypass footswitch. Relay switching carries the signal with an electronic switch, which the maker describes as noiseless. For a player, that means clean, quiet engagement on a pedalboard without the pop that some mechanical switches can introduce.
What power supply does the Geranium Germanium Drive need?
The Geranium runs on a 9V DC, center negative supply and draws 100mA. It boosts that 9V internally to 32V to give the op amp stages maximum power for driving the germanium transistor. Because of the 100mA draw, a supply with enough current per output is worth having.
Is the Geranium Germanium Drive analog?
Yes. The circuit type is analog, built as an original design combining a single NOS germanium transistor with op amps. The internal voltage boost to 32V feeds those op amp stages, which is part of how the pedal drives the germanium stage hard enough to reach fuzz territory.
What does the Bias switch do on the Geranium?
The Bias switch lets you switch between two different voicings of the germanium stage, giving you more tonal options from the same circuit. Germanium transistor bias has a strong effect on how a fuzz or drive breaks up, so the two positions effectively give you two flavors of the pedal's core sound.
Is the Geranium based on a classic fuzz circuit?
No. The Geranium is described as an original design combining a single NOS germanium transistor with op amps, rather than a copy of a classic germanium fuzz. It covers ground from medium overdrive to full-on fuzz, with the color germanium brings to the clipping stage.
Sources (1)
- Geranium Germanium Drive by Flower Pedals, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
