The Fromel DIG is a low to medium gain overdrive pedal from Fromel Electronics, a maker of hand-built effects. It sits in the gain-staging territory between a light touch of grit and a pushed amp style of drive, which places it alongside other overdrive pedals rather than heavier drive designs.1
What it does
Fromel Electronics describes the DIG as "an articulate overdrive that is very responsive to pick attack and playing dynamics." In practical terms, the maker's claim is that the pedal tracks how hard the strings are played, cleaning up when the picking hand eases off and opening up when the player digs in, which is the behavior many players look for in a lower gain drive that can be set near the edge of breakup.1
The maker's stated design points for the pedal come down to three things1:
- Dynamic response: articulate and very responsive to pick attack and playing dynamics1
- Voicing: no mid-hump in the frequency response1
- Tone control: "usable and musical at all settings"1
The circuit is voiced without a mid-hump, the midrange emphasis some overdrives add to help a guitar cut through a band mix. The tone control, according to the maker, is "usable and musical at all settings," so it can be swept across its range without the extremes becoming harsh or dull.1
Switching and build
The DIG uses relayed true-bypass switching. A relay handles the bypass function, so when the pedal is off the input is connected straight to the output and the circuit is taken out of the signal path.1
| Build detail | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Bypass switching | Relayed true-bypass1 |
| Enclosure dress | Knob and switch sets vary, chosen at assembly1 |
| Circuit | Identical from unit to unit1 |
One detail worth knowing before buying: the hardware is not standardized between units. Fromel Electronics states that "knob and switch sets are determined at assembly depending on what I think looks best on each enclosure," so two DIG pedals may wear different knobs or switches. The circuit is the same; only the dress of the enclosure varies from unit to unit.1
The maker lists the DIG at £121.00 GBP. That is the price as stated on Fromel Electronics' own product page and is not converted to US dollars.1
Where it sits
As a low to medium gain drive, the DIG covers ground that overlaps with the light-to-moderate end of the overdrive field. Players comparing circuits in this range often look at how each pedal handles the midrange, since that is where designs differ most; the classic contrast between flat-mid drives and the mid-focused Tube Screamer style is covered in Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. The DIG's no-mid-hump voicing puts it in the flatter-response camp, per the maker's description.1
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Questions
Is the Fromel DIG true bypass?
Yes. Fromel Electronics describes the DIG as relayed true-bypass, meaning a relay carries the bypass switching rather than a conventional footswitch, so the pedal is removed from the signal path entirely when it is off.
What kind of overdrive is the Fromel DIG?
Fromel Electronics classifies it as a low to medium gain overdrive. The maker describes it as articulate and very responsive to pick attack and playing dynamics, with no mid-hump in the frequency response and a tone control that stays usable and musical at all settings.
Sources (1)
- DIG Overdrive Pedal, Fromel Electronics