The FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive is a guitar overdrive pedal made by FoxPedal. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found plenty to like, writing, "Basically, this thing looks awesome, exactly what I was looking for aesthetically, and sounds incredible as well from th"1.
Where it came from
Pedal of the Day and FoxPedal teamed up on the project, and the reviewer explained the thinking behind it: "we decided to team up and make a Special Edition version of their stellar overdrive pedal, the Slow Hound, with a nod to" Star Wars1. The graphics carry the theme through: the reviewer praised "the relic-ed look of the pedal, with the Stormtrooper mask and faded Imperial crest in the background," which includes both companies' logos1.
The controls
The Imperial has four knobs and two footswitches. Volume, Drive and Tone shape the main overdrive, while the Force knob sets the level of a separate Boost section1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level, one of the three main knobs, "each one introducing its own personal flavor into the pedal"1 |
| Drive | Gain, from "a low-to-mid gain setting all the way up to a sustained, blissful overdrive, pushing your amp to the brink"1 |
| Tone | Treble shaping, the third of the main knobs1 |
| Force | Sets the Boost section, "controlled by the Force knob"1 |
The second stomp switch, on the right side of the pedal, activates the Boost section independently of the overdrive1. Of that boost, the reviewer said "it gives an extra added bonus boost to your signal, without making it muddy or losing any tone," useful for solos and big chords that need to cut through a mix1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's verdict was positive on both counts of looks and sound: "Basically, this thing looks awesome, exactly what I was looking for aesthetically, and sounds incredible as well from the minute you turn it on." The reviewer framed it as solving the common problem of pedals that look great but sound sub-par1.
The XTS Imperial Overdrive: a different pedal with the same name
The Imperial name also belongs to an unrelated pedal: the XTS Pedals Imperial Overdrive from XTS Custom Pedals. It is a different design from a different maker, described as "a clear, open-voiced, wide-bandwidth overdrive" optimized for low gain to higher gain use3. XTS developed it "with a great deal of input from our Nashville clients"3, and its controls differ from the FoxPedal's: a Gain knob whose taper makes it easy to dial in just a touch of grit or crunch with low-mid presence, a Color knob for EQ that varies the response "without getting overly dark or painfully bright," and a Dyn switch where the up position gives "a classic Nashville overdrive" and the down position "a more articulate, faster voicing"3. XTS's own materials describe a Dynamics Control that trades slight low-mid compression and a softer response against an open, uncompressed, fast and articulate response, with controls optimized for wide sweet spots that make the pedal easy to dial in45. Delicious Audio also notes a demo of the XTS pedal by Gearmandude3.
If you are comparing overdrives, the two Imperials sit in different company: the FoxPedal sits alongside other FoxPedal drives such as the Foxpedal The City and the Foxpedal Kingdom V2, while the XTS is covered on its own page. For the wider field, see Overdrive Pedals.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What does the Force knob do on the Imperial Overdrive?
The Force knob controls the Boost section of the pedal. The boost is engaged with the second stomp switch on the right side of the pedal, and according to Pedal of the Day's review it adds level to your signal without making it muddy or losing tone, helping solos and big chords cut through the mix.
Does the Imperial Overdrive have a boost?
Yes. Alongside the main overdrive there is a separate Boost section, switched by its own second footswitch on the right side of the pedal and set by the Force knob. The review in Pedal of the Day described the boost as adding an extra level to your signal without muddiness or loss of tone.
Is the FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive a limited edition?
It is a Special Edition version of FoxPedal's Slow Hound overdrive, made in collaboration with Pedal of the Day with a Star Wars theme, released ahead of The Force Awakens in December 2015. The graphics include a Stormtrooper mask and a faded Imperial crest, with both companies' logos.
What is the Imperial Overdrive based on?
The FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive is a special edition of the FoxPedal Slow Hound, one of FoxPedal's signature overdrives. It is not a copy of another maker's circuit, and it is a different pedal from the XTS Imperial Overdrive, which is made by XTS Custom Pedals.
Is the FoxPedal Imperial the same as the XTS Imperial Overdrive?
No. They are two different pedals that share the Imperial name. The FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive is a Star Wars themed special edition of the FoxPedal Slow Hound. The XTS Imperial Overdrive is a clear, open-voiced, wide-bandwidth overdrive made by XTS Custom Pedals, developed with input from that company's Nashville clients.
Sources (5)
- FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-12-13
- FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-11-17
- XTS Pedals Imperial Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-05
- Imperial Overdrive, XTS (xacttone.com)
- iod_one_sheet, XTS Custom Pedals, 2026
