The G2D Cream-Tone is a hand-made analog overdrive pedal from New Zealand maker G2D, designed to deliver creamy, dynamic drive tones with a transparent feel that preserves the guitar's natural character1. It is not a straight copy of the Ibanez TS808, though its designers clearly had that territory in mind: MusicRadar's review describes the target as "Guitar tones you would relate to the bell-like overdrive of Stevie Ray: a Stratocaster with a screaming TS808. But this" is no Tube Screamer clone2.
The controls
The Cream-Tone keeps the front panel simple, with the three knobs familiar from most overdrives, plus a second footswitch that sets it apart from a standard Tube Screamer layout1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the level between the amp's clean tone and the pedal's sound2 |
| Tone | Shapes the top end1 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive1 |
| Solo footswitch | Adds a volume boost and warmth without extra distortion1 |
The twin footswitches handle bypass and solo or blues mode, each with its own LED indicator, so the boost can be brought in independently of the drive2. Pedal of the Day notes the indicator scheme: "Amber light on, in Bypass mode (Clean)"3.
Inside the pedal there are internal switches for tailoring the bass and drive response to different guitar types and playing styles1. These are set with a screwdriver rather than from the top panel, so it is worth checking their positions when a used unit arrives sounding different from expected.
True bypass and switching
RockBoard's PedalPedia entry states that the Cream-Tone includes true bypass switching1, meaning the pedal is taken out of the signal path entirely when off. The amber bypass LED makes the clean state visible on stage3.
Where it comes from
The Cream-Tone is built in New Zealand. MusicRadar describes it as hand-made, "oozing vintage vibe", with a brown and cream aluminum casing labeled with an aged sixties Fender-style logo2. Pedal of the Day's write-up likewise names G2D as the maker3.
How it compares to a TS808
MusicRadar's reviewers A/B'd the Cream-Tone against an original Tube Screamer and found it "might not have quite as much top-end presence when A/B'd with an original Tube Screamer but it certainly" has its own charm overall2. For context on the pedal it is measured against: Analog Man describes the TS-808 as "a smoother, richer sound with less harshness in the high end. It is more transparent and allows more of th" e guitar's own character through4. In other words, the Cream-Tone sits in the same transparent, dynamic overdrive territory but arrives there by its own route rather than by cloning the TS808 circuit.
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Questions
Is the G2D Cream-Tone true bypass?
Yes. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry for the Cream-Tone states that it includes true bypass switching, so the pedal is removed from the signal path entirely when off. Pedal of the Day also notes an amber LED that lights in Bypass mode, which is the pedal's clean state, so you can see at a glance which footswitch state you are in.
What does the Solo switch on the Cream-Tone do?
According to RockBoard's PedalPedia, the Solo switch adds a volume boost and warmth without extra distortion. MusicRadar describes the pedal as having twin footswitches, one for bypass and one for solo or blues mode, each with its own LED indicator, so the boost can be switched in and out independently of the drive.
Where is the G2D Cream-Tone made?
The Cream-Tone is made in New Zealand. MusicRadar describes it as a hand-made pedal from New Zealand, and RockBoard's PedalPedia likewise calls it a handmade analog overdrive pedal. MusicRadar also notes its brown and cream aluminium casing with an aged sixties Fender-style logo.
How does the Cream-Tone compare to a TS808?
MusicRadar frames the Cream-Tone around the fabled Texas sound, a Stratocaster with a screaming TS808, but says it is not a Tube Screamer clone. In their A/B testing against an original Tube Screamer, the reviewers found the Cream-Tone might not have quite as much top-end presence, but they judged that it certainly has its own charm overall.
Sources (4)
- Cream-Tone by G2D, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026
- G2D Cream Tone review, MusicRadar, 2008-07-02
- G2D Cream-Tone Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-03-02
- Ibanez TS9 and TS808 Tube Screamers, Maxon OD9 and similar effects pedals and mods, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2022
