The January Dynamic Overdrive is an overdrive pedal from Gigahearts, a newly formed pedal brand based in Manchester. Guitar Pedal X, reviewing it in October 2025, described it as "a fabulous take on the Jan Ray & Timmy Format", placing it in the family of open, transparent-style overdrives that players often reach for when they want to push an amp or add sustain without heavy coloring. The reviewer heard it as "a warm, smooth, rich, dark, dense and sustaining take on the Jan Ray and Timmy formats, particularly enhancing Single-Coil pickups"1.
Clipping and controls
The January gives the player a choice of clipping arrangements. Guitar Pedal X notes that "Clipping offers asymmetrical Schottky, two symmetrical Silicon options and one pair of symmetrical Silicon diodes", so the pedal can be set from a softer, more open clip to firmer symmetrical Silicon compression1.
Among its controls is a Tops control for highs, which the reviewer noted with a smile: "since he labelled his Highs as 'Tops'"1.
Where it sits among its peers
Guitar Pedal X compared the January with the TWA SH9, the Vemuram Butter Machine, ThorpyFX The Dane and the Bondi Del Mar, all pedals working in similar smooth-overdrive territory1. For players weighing the January against more familiar circuits, our Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison covers the classic overdrive divide this format branches from.
What reviewers said
Stefan Karlsson's Guitar Pedal X review was favorable on both sound and build. On the enclosure, which carries frosty blue winter scene artwork with Lovetone style knobs, he wrote: "with that frosty blue winter scene - it works really well. A beautifully coloured enclosure too - elegantly punctuated"1.
On the build overall, he said: "I feel that this is my favourite of Ian's enclosure designs to date", calling it beautifully engineered inside and out1.
Videos
GIGAHEARTS FX
Questions
What clipping diodes does the Gigahearts January use?
According to Guitar Pedal X, the January offers asymmetrical Schottky diode clipping, two symmetrical Silicon options, and one pair of symmetrical Silicon diodes. That gives players several clipping voices to choose from within the same pedal, ranging from the softer, more open character associated with Schottky diodes to the firmer compression of symmetrical Silicon pairs.
How much is the Gigahearts January Dynamic Overdrive?
Guitar Pedal X lists the January at £125 GBP as of its October 2025 review. The pedal features frosty blue artwork, and the price was reported at the time of that review, so it reflects the UK list price rather than a US dollar figure.
Is the Gigahearts January like a Jan Ray?
Guitar Pedal X describes the January as a take on the Jan Ray and Timmy formats, which are well-known transparent-style overdrive circuits. The reviewer heard it as a warm, smooth, rich, dark, dense and sustaining version of that format, particularly flattering single-coil pickups, and compared it with pedals such as the TWA SH9, Vemuram Butter Machine, ThorpyFX The Dane and Bondi Del Mar.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-10-07
