The FX Teacher Blues Believer is an overdrive pedal from French maker Anasounds, sold through the maker's FX Teacher project range either as a DIY kit or fully pre-assembled. Anasounds describes it as a bright, transparent overdrive that respects the personality of your amp and guitar and responds to playing dynamics, with the fat, harmonically rich sustain of a tube amp1. Press coverage identifies its circuit as an extended-range take on the Marshall Bluesbreaker, the transparent British overdrive circuit that first appeared in 19911.
What sets it apart from a straight Bluesbreaker clone is a second personality: the manual states the Blues Believer can deliver high-gain overdrive or full-on distortion, and it can also serve as a clean boost2. The enclosure carries a graphic of a rainy scene straight out of a 50s noir movie, with a detective1.
A transparent British overdrive with a distortion mode
Anasounds positions the Blues Believer as "the original transparent overdrive (without the clean sound being added to the crunch)" taken to the next level1. The manual frames its character as a classic vintage British sound, with a more Plexi-style sound available through the controls2.
The core of the circuit is the classic two-stage topology of the Bluesbreaker. On top of that, the Disto switch adds a third saturation stage, which is how the pedal reaches the gain levels of a true distortion rather than overdrive alone1. Delicious Audio's coverage is direct about the lineage:
"Fans of the Marshall Bluesbreaker circuit with a knack for soldering may want to check out the Anasound Blues Believer, available as a DIY kit for around $135 and a full kit for around $150."
Anasounds suggests several roles for the pedal: basic crunch on a super clean amp, a boost to push an amp further, extra fat on an amp that is already cooking, or a way to improve a poor rental amp1.
The Blues Believer must be used with mono jacks in order for the circuit to be powered2. If you feed it stereo cables, it will not power up.
The controls
The front panel keeps things simple with three knobs and two switches, plus internal trimpots for deeper tweaking1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Controls the saturation level1 |
| Tone | Adjusts the treble response at the output, warmer or brighter, adding extra presence "in a very musical way"12 |
| Out | Controls the output level1 |
| Voice switch | Lever switch between two voicings: up is a wide frequency response, down is a narrower spectrum with less bass and softer treble2 |
| Disto switch | Adds a third saturation stage to the two-stage circuit for distortion-level gain1 |
| Footswitch | Turns the effect on and off; the FX Teacher logo glows when on2 |
The Voice switch exists because of a trait Anasounds kept from the original circuit: Gain and brightness are interdependent, so the sound gets brighter as you turn up the gain. The switch tames the higher frequencies1. The assembly guide describes the two positions as a choice between "a wide, open, and thick sound or a more focused tone," and explains that the second half of the switch sits in the feedback loop of an operational amplifier, engaging different components to cut the highs for a warmer, less piercing sound5.
The internal trimpots
Inside the pedal are two trimpots that push the gain even further than the panel allows1:
- Disto trimpot: bridles the gain of the distortion mode, setting its maximum gain value. It is only audible in DISTO mode2.
- OD trimpot: shapes the overdrive side of the circuit2.
The factory settings have the Si/LED switch in its Si position for a classic vintage sound, with the OD and Disto trimpots set to about a third of their range2.
Kit or assembled
The Blues Believer follows the FX Teacher pattern of being available fully assembled or as a kit6. The kit version lists at 129,00 € and the pre-assembled version at 179,00 €; both are in stock and can be backordered14. The kit route is the one Delicious Audio pointed at players with "a knack for soldering"3.
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Questions
What does the Disto switch do on the Blues Believer?
The Disto switch adds a third saturation stage to the classic two-stage Bluesbreaker-style circuit, letting the pedal reach the gain levels of a true distortion rather than just overdrive. An internal trimpot called Disto sets the maximum gain value of the distortion mode, and it is only audible when the pedal is in DISTO mode.
Is the Blues Believer sold as a kit?
Yes. Anasounds sells the Blues Believer two ways: as a DIY kit at 129,00 € or fully pre-assembled at 179,00 €. Both versions are in stock and can be backordered, and the kit route is aimed at players comfortable with soldering.
What does the Voice switch do?
The Voice lever switch moves between two voicings. In the up position you get a wide frequency response; in the down position the spectrum narrows, with less bass and softer treble for a warmer, less piercing sound. Anasounds added it because the circuit gets brighter as you turn up the gain.
What are the internal trimpots for?
Inside the pedal are two trimpots that push the gain even further than the panel controls allow. One, labeled Disto, limits the maximum gain of the distortion mode and only has an effect in DISTO mode. The other, labeled OD, shapes the overdrive side, and both ship set to about a third of their range.
Is the Blues Believer the same as the Anasounds Blues Believer?
Yes. FX Teacher is Anasounds' project range, so the FX Teacher Blues Believer and the Anasounds Blues Believer are the same pedal. The manual and product pages both describe one circuit, sold either as a kit or pre-assembled.
Sources (6)
- Blues Believer kit, Anasounds, 2026-10-07
- blues believer, Anasounds, 2025-01-27
- New Pedal: Anasounds Blues Believer DIY Kit, Delicious Audio, 2025-01-07
- Blues Believer, Anasounds, 2026-09-16
- Assemble your Blues Believer, Anasounds, 2025-02-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-11-29