The Frantone Hi-Ball is a overdrive pedal from Frantone that packs three different clipping voices into one enclosure. A Diode control selects between silicon, germanium and LED diode sets, and Frantone describes the result as essentially three overdrives in one. It was originally designed for Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem as the ultimate performance overdrive, and the company calls it the quietest, clearest, and loudest 9 volt powered overdrive it has ever made1.
Three overdrives from one circuit
The heart of the Hi-Ball is its selectable diode feature. The Diode control lets you dial in different diode sets, which determines exactly how the pedal clips and sustains. Each setting behaves like a distinct overdrive1:
| Mode | Diode type | Character, as Frantone describes it |
|---|---|---|
| Si | Silicon diodes | A very traditional and familiar overdrive sound, heavy and biting, with a lot of grind |
| Ge | Germanium diodes | Soft warm clipping for a completely different experience in overdrive distortion |
| LED | Gallium arsenide phosphide light emitting diodes | Clean, transparent, and very loud, with only the slightest clipping when you play really hard |
Frantone calls the LED setting its own personal tone, and claims that with this unique selectable diode feature the Hi-Ball is by far the most versatile overdrive pedal anywhere1.
"The Diode control allows you to dial in different diode sets which determines exactly how the pedal clips and sustains"
Circuit, tone and build
Inside, the Hi-Ball is powered by a set of ultra low noise rail-to-rail op amps, which Frantone credits for its quiet, clear and loud 9 volt performance. The tone contour allows for warm to bright settings with an emphasis on clarity and crispness. The pedal comes with full signal bypass and a status light, housed in a tough cast aluminum case1.
Where it came from
Frantone built the Hi-Ball around a set of ultra low noise rail-to-rail op amps, and the company's own description calls it "the quietest, clearest, and loudest 9 volt powered overdrive I have ever made"1. Its Diode control lets you dial in different diode sets, which determines exactly how the pedal clips and sustains, and the tone contour runs from warm to bright settings with an emphasis on clarity and crispness1.
All new Frantone effects come with full signal bypass and a status light, and the Hi-Ball's circuit sits in a tough cast aluminum case1.
Questions
What is the difference between the Si, Ge and LED modes on the Hi-Ball?
The Diode control selects which clipping diodes shape the overdrive. Si uses silicon diodes for what Frantone calls a very traditional and familiar overdrive sound, heavy and biting, with a lot of grind. Ge uses germanium diodes for soft, warm clipping and a completely different overdrive character. LED uses gallium arsenide phosphide light emitting diodes for a clean, transparent and very loud overdrive with only the slightest clipping when you play really hard.
Who was the Frantone Hi-Ball designed for?
Frantone says the Hi-Ball was originally designed for Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem as the ultimate performance overdrive. It later joined the regular Frantone product line, where it became the last overdrive the company offered.
Is the Frantone Hi-Ball still made?
Frantone describes the Hi-Ball as the last overdrive it would ever offer in its product line, so it marks the end of the company's overdrive range. Frantone still builds effects hand-made in the USA, and has reissued other overdrives such as the Hep Cat and the Brooklyn Overdrive through its Custom Shop.
Is the Frantone Hi-Ball made in the USA?
Yes. Frantone states that each overdrive is hand-made in USA by Frantone, and the Hi-Ball sits in a tough cast aluminum case.
Sources (1)
- Hi-Ball, Frantone Electronics, 2026
