The FoxPedal Foxtail Articulate Overdrive is a compact guitar overdrive pedal made by FoxPedal, originally launched in 20141. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, described its range plainly: "this pedal has a great range of sounds and can do clean boost to aggressive chunk"2. At the low end of the Gain control it works as a clean boost; turned up, it moves into heavier overdrive territory, all shaped by a straightforward three-knob layout.
Controls and what they do
The Foxtail keeps things simple, with three controls2:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the pedal's output volume |
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive, from clean boost up to aggressive chunk |
| Tone | Shapes the treble character of the driven sound |
The footswitch is a 3PDT true bypass switch, so the circuit drops out of your signal path entirely when the pedal is off2.
Power and mounting
The Foxtail runs on a standard 9 volt DC supply with a negative center pin, the common arrangement for compact pedals2. It has no internal battery option, so a power supply is required2. Its footprint of 2.6″W x 4.6″H x 1.5″D is in line with other compact pedals of its era2.
The Foxtail has no battery option, so it will not run without a 9V DC, negative center supply2.
Paper-in-oil capacitors and how it responds
One feature sets the Foxtail apart from many overdrives: it uses NOS (new old stock) paper-in-oil capacitors2. Mike B's review tied the pedal's character to this choice, writing that it has "sensitivity and dynamics that play right into your hands"2. In practice, that is a description of a pedal that tracks picking strength and guitar volume closely rather than flattening them out.
Where the Foxtail came from, and where it went
FoxPedal launched the Foxtail Articulate Overdrive in 2014, with Guitar Pedal X describing it as the earlier Foxtail Articulate Overdrive, originally launched back in 20141. The pedal's footprint is compact for a hand-built overdrive: 2.6″W x 4.6″H x 1.5″D2.
The Foxtail Articulate Overdrive dates from 2014, and Guitar Pedal X refers to it as the earlier version of this design1.
If you are looking at the Foxtail today, the closest current relative in the Foxpedal line is the Foxpedal Vixen Dimensional Drive1. For context on where an articulate, boost-to-overdrive design sits among its peers, see the site's Overdrive Pedals page.
Videos
Foxpedal Effects
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Does the FoxPedal Foxtail take a battery?
No. The Foxtail Articulate Overdrive has no internal battery option, according to Pedal of the Day's review. It runs on a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a negative center pin, so you will need a supply or isolated power output rather than relying on a battery.
Is the Foxtail true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review lists the Foxtail's footswitch as 3PDT true bypass, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through without loading from the overdrive circuit.
What power supply does the Foxtail Articulate Overdrive need?
The Foxtail uses a standard 9 volt DC supply with a negative center pin, the same arrangement as most compact pedals. Because it has no internal battery option, a power supply is required for operation.
Why does the Foxtail use paper-in-oil capacitors?
The Foxtail uses NOS (new old stock) paper-in-oil capacitors, a component choice Pedal of the Day highlighted in its review. The reviewer credited the pedal with sensitivity and dynamics that play right into your hands, which he tied to what separates it from other overdrives.
Sources (3)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-05-03
- FoxPedal Foxtail Articulate Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-07-07
- FoxPedal Foxtail Articulate Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-05-21
