The Friedman Smallbox Plexi Overdrive is an overdrive pedal from Friedman that carries the sound of an amp channel into a stompbox. Delicious Audio describes it as "Friedman Small Box amp tone in a compact pedal format", specifically "the stompbox rendition of channel 1 of the company's Small Box, a well regarded, compact Plexi-style amplifier"1. The amp behind it is Dave Friedman's Small Box all-tube amplifier, which Delicious Audio says is well known for being one of the most flexible and touch-responsive amplifiers around1.
Premier Guitar's reviewer framed the pedal the same way, calling Friedman's take on the Marshall-in-a-box format "a transistorized spin on the maker's own popular interpretation of a modified plexi: the 50-watt, all-tube Small Box head"2.
A Small Box amp channel in a pedal
Friedman built its name on guitar amps first, and then on pedals that emulate those amps, as Delicious Audio puts it: "Friedman has developed a stellar reputation for its guitar amps first, and then for guitar pedals emulating those very amps"1. The Smallbox pedal follows that pattern, translating the Plexi-style channel of the company's own amplifier into a compact format1.
Because it carries a full amp-style voicing, the pedal is meant to work in two ways. Delicious Audio says it "can be used either into a clean amp or to boost an already over-driven amp", which covers the two jobs players ask of a pedal like this: it can be the source of the dirt itself, or it can push an amp that is already breaking up1. In that sense it sits alongside Friedman's other amp-in-a-box designs such as the BE-OD, the BE-OD Deluxe and the Dirty Shirley.
Delicious Audio describes the range of tones this way:
"allowing you to dial in your perfect shade of rock, from vintage Plexi goodness to high gain madness"
Premier Guitar's reviewer was similarly positive about the format, writing that "The Friedman Small Box pedal is simply a great Marshall-in-a-box-style overdrive"2.
The controls
The pedal carries six knobs, which Delicious Audio notes is the same count as its big brother amp: "Level, Gain and four EQ knobs: Bass, Mid, Treble and Presence"1. That is more tone shaping than most overdrives offer, and the four-band EQ is what lets the pedal be tuned to a clean amp or pushed against an already dirty one.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the pedal's output level1 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive; Delicious Audio notes "a sweep of the gain control easily gets you there" across the pedal's range1 |
| Bass | Low EQ1 |
| Mid | Midrange EQ1 |
| Treble | High EQ1 |
| Presence | Top-end presence control, as on the amp1 |
| Gain structure switch | Side-mounted toggle that changes the pedal's gain structure1 |
The gain structure switch
The side-mounted toggle is the pedal's second channel in disguise. Delicious Audio explains: "A toggle switch on the side panel changes the effect's gain structure, delivering extra push for a more in-your-face high-gain Plexi tone"1. Flipping it the other way drops the pedal into the amp's lower gain voicing: "simply flip the side mounted gain switch and it will simulate the Plexi-Channel of the Small Box amplifier"1.
Premier Guitar's reviewer reads the same switch as the pedal's way of replicating the amp's two channels, noting that "the up position takes on the qualities of a modified high-gain plexi"2. For a player, that means one pedal covers both the amp's cleaner Plexi channel and its hotter setting, without needing a second drive on the board.
The gain structure switch is on the side panel of the pedal, not the top, so it is worth planning its placement on a tight pedalboard before mounting it.
Where it sits among Friedman's pedals
The Smallbox is one of several Friedman pedals that translate the company's amps into pedal form. Others in the lineup include the Golden Pearl and the Motor City Drive. What sets the Smallbox apart within that group is its direct tie to the Small Box amplifier and its four-band EQ, which gives it more tone shaping than a typical three-knob overdrive1.
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Questions
Is the Friedman Smallbox Plexi Overdrive based on an amp?
Yes. Delicious Audio describes it as the stompbox rendition of channel 1 of Friedman's Small Box, a compact all-tube Plexi-style amplifier. Premier Guitar's reviewer called the pedal a transistorized spin on the maker's own 50-watt Small Box head and combo, which Friedman describes as a modified plexi.
What does the gain structure switch do on the Smallbox Plexi Overdrive?
It is a toggle switch on the side panel that changes the pedal's gain structure. In its higher setting it delivers extra push for a more in-your-face high-gain Plexi tone, while flipping it to the lower gain mode makes the pedal simulate the Plexi-Channel of the Small Box amplifier. Premier Guitar notes it replicates the amp's two channels.
Can the Friedman Smallbox Plexi Overdrive be used as a boost?
Yes. According to Delicious Audio, the pedal can be used either into a clean amp or to boost an already over-driven amp, letting you dial in rock tones from vintage Plexi to high gain.
Who designed the Friedman Smallbox Plexi Overdrive?
The pedal comes from Dave Friedman, whose Small Box all-tube amplifier Delicious Audio describes as one of the most flexible and touch-responsive amplifiers, and whose company built a reputation first for guitar amps and then for pedals emulating those amps.
Does the Smallbox Plexi Overdrive work with a clean amp?
Yes. Delicious Audio states the pedal can be used into a clean amp, where it supplies the Small Box amp's own overdrive character, or into an already over-driven amp as a boost.
Sources (2)
- Friedman Smallbox Plexi Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2021-05-30
- Friedman Small Box Overdrive Review, Premier Guitar, 2021-09-05
