The Gamechanger Audio Plasma Coil is a distortion pedal that makes its sound with electricity in the most literal sense. Instead of clipping your signal with transistors, LEDs or vacuum tubes, it amplifies the audio to 3500 volts and expresses it as a series of electrical discharges inside a xenon-filled tube, a design inspired by the Tesla coil1. The discharges are picked up by an antenna and converted back into an analog audio signal, which Gamechanger Audio says produces "a large amount of non-linear harmonic saturation that causes extremely rich and responsive attacks, and bringing out screeching sharp overtones and harmonics"1.
The Plasma Coil is a special version of the Gamechanger Audio PLASMA pedal, created in collaboration with Jack White and Third Man Records and custom-tailored to his live-performance needs2. On top of the high-voltage distortion it adds a multi-mode FX section with six octave-down and octave-up circuits, plus a second footswitch that can run in latching or momentary mode2.
How the high-voltage circuit works
Most distortion pedals clip the signal with diodes, transistors or tubes. The Plasma Coil takes a different route: a transformer steps the audio up to high voltage, and the signal becomes a series of continuous discharges inside a xenon-filled gas tube12. An antenna picks up the electromagnetic vibrations surrounding the tube and the result goes to the output1. In the maker's description, you are in effect playing a bolt of electricity, with the discharges produced by your instrument instantly converted back into an analog audio signal, giving a quick, responsive and extremely heavy distortion with unique character4.
The simplified signal chain, as the maker lays it out, is: Input, EQ, Octave/Effect, Transformer to High Voltage, Xenon Tube, Antenna, Output1.
Controls and the six FX modes
The pedal's output is shaped with a master VOLUME knob and two EQ controls that boost or cut low and high frequencies, with the low control offering plus or minus 9 dB around a 600 Hz corner frequency12. A Voltage dial controls how much current is sent into the pedal: lower settings give more articulation, higher settings more saturation and sustain4.
The EFFECTS knob selects between six modes1:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume boost | Raises the output level |
| Subharmonic 1 | Bitcrush-style octave down |
| Subharmonic 2 | Bitcrush-style octave down |
| Upper harmonic | Octafuzz-style octave up |
| Mixed 1 | Upper and lower harmonics combined |
| Mixed 2 | Upper and lower harmonics combined |
The octave-down subharmonics are produced by modulating the xenon tube's voltage with divisions of the instrument's fundamental frequency, which Gamechanger Audio says sits somewhere between a ring mod and a bit-crush effect2. The octave-up mode uses a full-wave rectifier and band-pass filter to create an octa-fuzz type sound with 2nd harmonic enhancement2. MusicRadar describes the subharmonic modes as "glitchy octave-down distortion that's not unlike a ring mod or bit-crusher" and the octave-up sounds as reminiscent of a vintage octa-fuzz4.
The effects are engaged by a second footswitch, separate from the main ON/OFF silent footswitch, and a two-position toggle on the back panel sets that footswitch to latching or momentary operation12. Guitar World's reviewer Chris Gill noted this same arrangement in his review of the pedal and the original Plasma5.
Power and practical requirements
The Plasma Coil runs on a standard 9V DC center-negative pedal power supply of at least 250 mA, with a 2.1 x 5.5 mm barrel plug, and draws 300 mA12. There is no battery option and no power supply in the box12.
At 300 mA, the Plasma Coil draws more current than most analog distortion pedals. Check that your pedalboard power supply has an isolated 9V output rated for at least that much before adding it, and note that the power supply is not included with the pedal12.
The pedal is true bypass and operates as mono in, mono out3. Gamechanger Audio covers the pedal with a lifetime warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee1. The expected life of the xenon tube is 10,000 to 70,000 hours of active playing1.
Plasma Pedal versus Plasma Coil
The original PLASMA pedal established the high-voltage xenon tube approach, generating its overdrive from electrical discharges inside a gas-filled tube instead of clipping diodes or transistors. The Plasma Coil is a special version of the PLASMA Pedal, created by Gamechanger Audio and Third Man Records1. It keeps that core circuit but adds the octave circuits, the six-mode FX section and the latching/momentary effects footswitch12.
Guitar World's Chris Gill reviewed both pedals together and drew a distinction between them: he found the Plasma Coil "better for more adventurous players, delivering a dazzling variety of octave down and/or octave up textures with stunning harmonic brilliance"5. Players after straightforward high-voltage distortion have the original; players who want octave textures on top of it are the Plasma Coil's audience, in his assessment.
History and versions
Gamechanger Audio and Third Man Records announced the Plasma Coil on 24 July 2019, with Third Man Hardware describing it as a special version of the Plasma Pedal with added octave circuits16. Guitar World reported the release the following day, noting it was available in black and yellow editions exclusively at Third Man's stores7.
At launch, the standard black version listed at $300 and the limited edition yellow version at $350, according to MusicRadar and gearnews.com coverage from Summer NAMM 201989. Guitar.com's launch coverage gave the retail price as $35010. The current list price on Gamechanger Audio's shop is $379.001.
In 2021, Pedal of the Day covered the Plasma Coil Distortion as a version made to Jack White's specs11. Then in August 2024, Gamechanger Audio and Third Man Hardware unveiled a 5th Anniversary edition: a limited run of 400 units worldwide in a white chassis with silver plates of photosensitive, anodized aluminum, priced at £359 and available via Reverb and direct from Gamechanger Audio and Third Man Hardware4.
Who uses it
The Plasma Coil was created in collaboration with Jack White and custom-tailored to his live-performance needs2. Gamechanger Audio states that Jack White used it on the Raconteurs' album Help Us Stranger, on the subsequent tour and in upcoming projects1. Guitar World's 2019 coverage likewise reported it was used by Jack White on his then-current tour with the Raconteurs12, and a 2022 Guitar Player rig rundown of Jack White's pedalboard listed the Gamechanger Audio Plasma Coil among his distortion boxes12.
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News
Questions
How long does the xenon tube in the Plasma Coil last?
Gamechanger Audio gives the expected life of the xenon tube as 10,000 to 70,000 hours of active playing. That range is wide because tube life depends on how hard the pedal is driven, but even at the low end it is far more playing time than most players will ever put on a single pedal.
Is the Plasma Coil true bypass?
Yes. Gamechanger Audio's support documentation states that the Plasma Coil is a true bypass design pedal, with a silent ON/OFF footswitch. When the pedal is off, your signal passes through without buffering or coloring.
Does the Plasma Coil come with a power supply?
No. The power supply is not included in the box, so you need a standard 9V DC center-negative pedal power supply of at least 250 mA. The pedal itself draws 300 mA, so plan your power supply capacity accordingly.
What is the difference between the Plasma Pedal and the Plasma Coil?
The Plasma Coil is a special version of the Plasma Pedal created by Gamechanger Audio and Third Man Records. It keeps the same high-voltage xenon tube distortion but adds multiple octave-style circuits, a six-mode FX section, and a second footswitch that can be set to latching or momentary operation.
Can the Plasma Coil effects footswitch be momentary?
Yes. A two-position toggle on the back panel configures the effects footswitch as either a latching ON/OFF switch or a momentary switch. Momentary mode engages the effect circuit only while you hold the footswitch down.
Sources (12)
- Third Man Records PLASMA COIL, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-09-23
- PLASMA COIL, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-02-16
- PLASMA COIL Support, Gamechanger Audio, 2025-11-12
- “In essence, MusicRadar, 2024-08-19
- Pedal and Plasma Coil, Guitar World, 2020-04-27
- Gamechanger Audio Plasma Coil (with Third Man Records), Delicious Audio, 2022-06-03
- Plasma Coil: Gamechanger Audio & Third Man Records, Premier Guitar, 2019-07-24
- Summer NAMM 2019: Third Man Records teams up with Gamechanger Audio for the Plasma Coil, MusicRadar, 2019-07-22
- Gamechanger Audio and Jack White's Third Man Records debut Plasma Coil octave fuzz, gearnews.com, 2019-07-22
- Summer NAMM 2019: Gamechanger Audio and Jack White's Third Man Records partner on Plasma Coil pedal, Guitar.com, 2019-07-21
- Gamechanger Audio Third Man Records Plasma Coil Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2021-01-21
- Third Man Hardware and Gamechanger Audio Introduce the Plasma Coil Distortion/Octave Pedal, Guitar World, 2019-07-25
